My dear family and friends,
Thanks to my wonderful family for the package! They sent me all of the pumpkin-y things you could possibly think of and some other fun things as well. And as I reflected on the package and on my week, I found several parallels which will become clear - stay tuned! :)
Well, it has been a very busy week! There's lots to tell about, and it includes a little bit of everything. We started with a great p-day - we headed up to Zaanse Schans with the Haarlem elders, where they have real working windmills you can go inside of and other fun stuff. We went into a sawmill where the mill was cutting logs - I had no idea how complicated those things were on the inside!
On Tuesday we did service pretty much all day, and on Wednesday we had appointments all day which were both great. And then Thursday was Zone Training! I was asked to play a musical numbers, and I was once again awed by the blessings of Heavenly Father. I found a piece to play on Sunday, had only about 2 1/2 hours total to practice it throughout the week, and it went pretty well. We are so blessed for accepting what is asked of us!
That afternoon and the next day there were more great appointments, and then Saturday was Zuster's Conference! All the sisters in the mission (about 36 or so) gathered in the mission home and we just had a whole day of love being blasted at us. It was great. :) We saw old companions and got caught up, did a couple small service projects, were told that we were amazing daughters of God, got surprise letters from out parents, and then we each got a cupcake and a rose as we walked out the door. I didn't know what to do with so much love by the end of the day! They take good care of us here. :)
And the big news of Sunday - transfer calls!! I will be going to Apeldoorn to work with Zuster Ramirez (who is from somewhere in South America, I don't remember exactly where. I've heard she's wonderful though). I must admit, I am extremely saddened to be leaving Haarlem and IJmuiden. It has been a wonderful place with wonderful people, and I have really seen people come closer to Christ here. However, I know that transfers are inspired and there will be good things waiting for me ahead.
And now we come to my reflections! :) I was thinking about pumpkin things and how they are very often combined with spices. My family knows I love pumpkin! It has a mellow, sweet flavor that is kind of like our lives. Our lives aren't always extremely exciting, but for the most part it is sweet and filled with good things. But then, there's the spicy things in life too. Like getting transferred when you don't want to leave an area yet. :') And spices by themselves don't taste good at all! They are overpowering and bitter. However, pumpkin by itself is a little boring and bland. It is when the spices are added that we have a beautiful, tasty creation that never fails to disappoint. So be sure to accept the spices in your life, because the enhance the whole product. The key is to always keep in mind the whole recipe, that eternal perspective. I have a very firm testimony that when we get the judgement and we're looking back on our lives, we will say, "Now I understand. I see that it had to happen that way. Thank You for giving me these things - the blessings and the trials. I needed them both."
If you're having a hard time facing the future with faith (and we all have trouble with that), be sure to go the the Lord in prayer and humility. Open your heart and mind for the messages from General Conference this weekend - best weekend of the year! I promise you will be inspired and uplifted, and you will figure out how to turn your life (which sometimes looks like a mess of pumpkin and random spices) into a delicious pumpkin pie. Enjoy and eet smakelijk! :D
-Zuster Jensen
Thanks to my wonderful family for the package! They sent me all of the pumpkin-y things you could possibly think of and some other fun things as well. And as I reflected on the package and on my week, I found several parallels which will become clear - stay tuned! :)
Well, it has been a very busy week! There's lots to tell about, and it includes a little bit of everything. We started with a great p-day - we headed up to Zaanse Schans with the Haarlem elders, where they have real working windmills you can go inside of and other fun stuff. We went into a sawmill where the mill was cutting logs - I had no idea how complicated those things were on the inside!
On Tuesday we did service pretty much all day, and on Wednesday we had appointments all day which were both great. And then Thursday was Zone Training! I was asked to play a musical numbers, and I was once again awed by the blessings of Heavenly Father. I found a piece to play on Sunday, had only about 2 1/2 hours total to practice it throughout the week, and it went pretty well. We are so blessed for accepting what is asked of us!
That afternoon and the next day there were more great appointments, and then Saturday was Zuster's Conference! All the sisters in the mission (about 36 or so) gathered in the mission home and we just had a whole day of love being blasted at us. It was great. :) We saw old companions and got caught up, did a couple small service projects, were told that we were amazing daughters of God, got surprise letters from out parents, and then we each got a cupcake and a rose as we walked out the door. I didn't know what to do with so much love by the end of the day! They take good care of us here. :)
And the big news of Sunday - transfer calls!! I will be going to Apeldoorn to work with Zuster Ramirez (who is from somewhere in South America, I don't remember exactly where. I've heard she's wonderful though). I must admit, I am extremely saddened to be leaving Haarlem and IJmuiden. It has been a wonderful place with wonderful people, and I have really seen people come closer to Christ here. However, I know that transfers are inspired and there will be good things waiting for me ahead.
And now we come to my reflections! :) I was thinking about pumpkin things and how they are very often combined with spices. My family knows I love pumpkin! It has a mellow, sweet flavor that is kind of like our lives. Our lives aren't always extremely exciting, but for the most part it is sweet and filled with good things. But then, there's the spicy things in life too. Like getting transferred when you don't want to leave an area yet. :') And spices by themselves don't taste good at all! They are overpowering and bitter. However, pumpkin by itself is a little boring and bland. It is when the spices are added that we have a beautiful, tasty creation that never fails to disappoint. So be sure to accept the spices in your life, because the enhance the whole product. The key is to always keep in mind the whole recipe, that eternal perspective. I have a very firm testimony that when we get the judgement and we're looking back on our lives, we will say, "Now I understand. I see that it had to happen that way. Thank You for giving me these things - the blessings and the trials. I needed them both."
If you're having a hard time facing the future with faith (and we all have trouble with that), be sure to go the the Lord in prayer and humility. Open your heart and mind for the messages from General Conference this weekend - best weekend of the year! I promise you will be inspired and uplifted, and you will figure out how to turn your life (which sometimes looks like a mess of pumpkin and random spices) into a delicious pumpkin pie. Enjoy and eet smakelijk! :D
-Zuster Jensen
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