"Welcome to Holland"

As I mentioned last month I have been called to teach Primary.  I love our Sharing Times most of all.  We are learning about following the prophets - Noah, Jonah, Adam among others.  A few weeks ago the children (see picture) were acting the parts of the prophets as we sang and learned.  French is the native tongue of our primary president.  It is fun to watch her trying to tell the stories and teach in English (she has been heard to say: "I can't think of my words").  But on this particular Sunday she had no problem as she said:  "YOU PROPHETS - BE NICE!"  Kids always know how to have fun, don't they?   The week we learned about Easter, a courageous primary counselor had the children divide into groups with teachers and act out the last week of Jesus' life.  Fellow missionaries and friends the Rysers are narrating.    The small boy with the sword and shield is in my class.  His name is Noah.  He is lying on the ground following the earthquakes that came following Jesus' death.  His native language is French.  He goes to a German pre-school.  He will only speak French in our class unless he gets angry and then... his words are all in German.  My first Sunday in class he kept pointing at me and saying "du nicht" which means "not you".  Apparently he was afraid his familiar French speaking teacher would leave if I was there!  Didn't happen... we teach these three little ones together.      My calling continues to be a busy one.  Sometimes it feels more like a job than a calling and that's when I begin to think about what I will do "after" I get done for the day or where I will go "on my days off" ... that is until I get three calls on a Friday night from mission presidents asking me to contact troubled missionaries as soon as possible.  I remember that I am not "working" a job but "serving the Lord" and that can be 24/7 if needed.  And then I am blessed to hear the stories of these remarkable young men and women who are 18, 19, 20 years old... who have put THEIR lives on hold to serve 24/7 at their own expense to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   Let me tell you about a few (no names of course):   A young sister who is an artist - - (with her permission I share a couple of pictures) - - she was earning money as an artist at the age of 16 but put her plans on hold to serve a mission.  Check out these murals she painted in a pediatrician's office:     ​ ​An Elder from South Africa who in spite of opposition from his family joined the church 2 years ago at the age of 23.    During the next year he prepared himself to serve a mission without the support of his family.  Now 1 year into his mission his father is sending him weekly e-mails telling him, for the first time ever, that he is proud of his courage and what he is doing even though "I don't understand or believe what you are teaching."   A Sister who is experiencing some depression.  She expressed frustration that her outlet at home was playing the piano and singing (I can relate to that having had a daughter who did the same).   Imagine her surprise and joy when she walked into her new apartment and saw a keyboard in the living room.  I have never known another missionary apartment to have one!  She laughed and cried as she shared this story with me.    Every once in awhile a missionary needs to return home early to get appropriate mental health care.  There are usually tears - theirs and mine - when this has to happen.  But following one such incident the very next week I received this tender e-mail from a missionary who had gone home:   Hi Sister Purdy, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your kind words and insight, and give you just a quick update since I've been home.   First, thank you for sacrificing your time and money to serve this mission. I know you will do a lot of good in the Europe area, and I'm grateful for all you did for me in the short time we talked. Now for my update: My mom whisked me off to her Psych Nurse Practitioner on thursday, and I'm being weaned off the Zoloft, and am getting weaned onto a new drug called Brintellix. From her explanation, Zoloft only targets 1 seratonin carrier, and this drug targets all 7, or something along those lines. So, I'm hopeful that this can level me out. Being home definitely helps. Thanks again for everything, and best of luck on your mission!   The Lord watches over His children... no doubt about it.   I did work on my goal of going somewhere outside of Frankfurt each month (since I'm here in Europe it is a shame not to see some these countries I never imagined visiting).  In April - The Netherlands (Holland and Kuekenhof) - Haarlem - Corrie Ten Boom Home - Luxembourg - Trier, Germany.  Awesome and so grateful to Rysers and Mathesons for allowing me to be the 5th wheel on this journey.  Here are just a couple of pictures.  Many, many more on Facebook: ​  Backing into the Hiding Place    The Hiding Place in the Ten Boom Home in Haarlem The Netherlands      Entry to the Hiding Place        Luxembourg       I can't close without commenting on the talks at General Conference - awesome.  A favorite of mine was "The Music of the Gospel" by Elder Wilford W. Andersen.  And last week at our zone conference Elder Dyches (who is in the Europe Area Presidency) said that when the Area presidencies were taught by the Twelve and other General authorities - it was all about keeping the Sabbath Day holy and how we have to make that a priority in our lives.  Elder Nelson talked about not being distracted during Sacrament Meeting; Elder Ballard about using Ward Councils to plan Sacrament Meetings so the voices of the sisters will be enhanced; and a reminder to read Elder Eyring's talk regarding Fast Offerings.      I got to go to Holland!  Those of you who know me very well (and some who don't) might remember an essay I first read around the time Roger died and it had such an impact on my that I have shared it often...  Sometimes (much of the time) life isn't what we planned, hoped and dreamed for, or feels really, really unfair.  This essay helped me see that although life may not be turning out as I thought it would that doesn't always mean it is bad, maybe just different.       http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html

 

I Hope You Have A Brilliant Day

I am blessed every day to have my life touched by  young missionaries who have chosen to set aside their private lives to serve the Lord for 18 months - 2 years.  This is Sister Sorenson.  She and her companion were serving in the Frankfurt 2nd Ward and I had them over for dinner one evening.   I am not counseling this  sweet missionary.  Actually, she and her companion are helping me adjust to missionary life here in Frankfurt!  Greatly appreciated, believe me.


A few lessons learned from other missionaries.

A week ago I got a text from a 21 year old woman who is dealing with some really difficult things.  She was updating me about her circumstances and then at the end of her text added:

I HOPE YOU HAVE A BRILLIANT DAY!

"The Becky Channel" 

A different missionary said that one of her goals as a full-time missionary is to change channels:  her first name is Becky.  She said it was time to switch from the "Becky Channel" to something else.  And, in spite of challenges, she is doing it!

Cheesy?  I don't think so!

An Elder from Brazil was having some difficulties with depression.  Our conversation turned to the reasons he chose  to serve in the first place.  He told me that his desire to serve was accompanied by a miracle.  So I asked him to write it out and e-mail it to me.  With his permission I share it in this blog.

"So in Brazil you are required to register for the army when you turn 18 and if you are chosen you have to serve for a year.  I really did not want to serve so me and my family started taking with everyone we could to see if I could find some way of being released so I could go on my mission as soon as possible.  We went through various different phases and still no luck everyone that said that could help us couldn't actually do anything.  We were fasting and praying so that I could be released but as I was passed from step to step in the registration it became very clear that I would serve that year.  I began to ask God for His will to be done and if it was His will for me to serve the army then so be it, but I asked Him to then assist me to be a good soldier.  I was incorporated into the army barracks on a Monday and there they told us everyone who was there was going to serve for the year.  So I gave it my all for that week!  But then as we were sitting down, waiting to get our soldier name (the ones we would be presented as in the incorporation assembly), it came to my name and they skipped me.  I was bewildered at why that was and after a few minutes my sergeant walked by and whispered "It looks like you are not serving this year."  I was dumbfounded.  I didn't know how to react.  Five others and I out of about 500 young men were chose to be let out of serve that year, and get this, for no reason whatsoever.  And out of the 5, I was the only one that my captain came up to and asked me if I was certain I did not want to serve.  I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father gave me that choice.  I did enjoy the army but needed to join God's Army! -P Cheesy I know."

 

Last Tuesday four of the missionaries in Frankfurt 2nd Ward asked me to go with them to visit an elderly woman from our ward.  She is quite ill and being cared for by her adult sons.  When we got there a senior missionary couple was there having been asked by the Bishop to give her the sacrament.  We had a short Sacrament Meeting.  Then these four young missionaries stood by her bed and sang for her - familiar hymns in German.  One of the sisters said, "I can sing a song that I sang while I was at the Missionary Training Center."  She then began to sing "Consider the Lilies" unaccompanied in a beautiful angelic voice. 

AHHHH!  ANOTHER BRILLIANT DAY!

 

Here is a YouTube video of the song.  I wish that I had taped it that night!  Beautiful...

"I Hope My Words Get Wings and Fly To Your Heart"

The title of my post today comes from a Sacrament Meeting talk from last week - it was given by a member of the stake presidency.  As he spoke, it was clear that English was not his native language.  He was easily understood but at times his sentence structure was a little confusing.  Which made his words "I Hope My Words Get Wings and Fly To your Heart" meaningful but also touching.  His words did fly to my heart - actually, every talk and lesson included words with wings that flew directly to my heart.  And I wrote them down . . . and now I want to share them and hope they will fly to your hearts, too.  I paraphrase and I do not have the names of those who spoke (still not that familiar with the members' names).

• The fourth article of faith states that one of the ordinances of the gospel is "laying on of hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost" and when hands are laid on our heads and by the power of the Melchizidek Priesthood (the authority to act for God) we are told "Receive the Holy Ghost" it is not a passive pronouncement but a directive.
• Quoting Joseph B Wirthlin who referred to Brigham Young's words: I fear that some members of the Lord's Church "live far beneath our privileges" with regard to the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• One speaker told of his small son, Timmie, who was learning to play hide 'n seek.  Every time they said to hide, Timmie went to the same place:  between the refrigerator and a cupboard.  He was always found by the one who was "It".  He the referred to a talk by Elder Bednar:  Consider the question posed by Heavenly Father to Adam in the Garden of Eden:  "Where art thou?"  The Father knew where Adam was hiding..."  the speaker asked: do we foolishly hide from God over and over in the same way (like Timmie) - in darkness, behind a habit, a character trait, doubt, sin, as if God will not find us there?  God knows our favorite hiding places.  At the end of the day when we give God our coordinates (an accounting for how we have lived our lives) will we foolishly think that He doesn't already know?
• Our Sunday School lesson on the same Sunday was about miracles.  So was the beautiful song shared by a young woman that I am sharing here - sung by Jenny Frogley - "His Hands."

http://youtu.be/_FySuVkiit0



"His Hands"

 



A Stake of Smiling Faces

 

Today was the Frankfurt 2nd Ward Conference.  Since I attend an international ward, the services are in English but people come from many different countries.  Our Bishop was released today after serving for almost six years.  He and his wife are from Spain.  The newly sustained Bishop and his wife are from Italy.  They all spoke during the service and although their accents were very different, the words were the same I have heard and treasured throughout much of my life.  The released bishop said that he served with the help of the Lord:  Sometimes He carried me, sometimes He stopped me, and sometimes He let me make my mistakes.  He paraphrased something that we have heard Elder Holland say:  We may not be perfect but we are all that God has.  Then the newly sustained bishop spoke and talked about finding refuge and solace in the temple.  While there several times over the past week he said he did not receive any miraculous visitations but was inspired to say to the members of our ward:  "The Lord wants you in the Celestial Room because He sees us as Celestial beings."  He closed his talk with the words from a hymn:  "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy"

 

(I've included the a beautiful version here)

Then our the Stake President spoke.  He reminded us that our goal this year is to be "A Stake of Smiling Faces Where We Want to Welcome Everyone."  Wow!  Clearly, I am made for this stake.  My gifts and talents are somewhat limited but I clearly have a smiling face. 

 

Then in our Relief Society lesson we talked about JOY - Jesus, Others, You.  A familiar topic that I love, of course.  We started by naming the many things that bring smiles to our faces.  She shared some words from a talk given by Elder Uchtdorf in October of 2008 entitled "Happiness, Your Heritage."

 

Ahhhh... I listened to this talk last week in attempt to help a young sister missionary who was having a hard time finding anything happy in her life at the present time.  I shared some ideas from the talk with her and then e-mailed her the link so that on her Preparation Day she can watch it for herself.  I watched it again before church and was smiling when I walked into Sacrament meeting.

This marvelous picture was taken by Adam Noe - these are his children.
He shared it on Facebook one day and I "borrowed" it.
It is the exact visual message I want to share in this Mission Miracles Blog today.
 

I can just think of such instances as coincidences - a comforting series of things to be sure.  However, I choose to call them tender mercies/mission miracles. 

Proof that the young Elders and Sisters whom I serve are important to God - He doesn't forget them.

Proof that if I am willing to listen to the promptings of the service, at times I might be the instrument God uses to remind them that He loves them and doesn't forget them... which reminds me that He loves me and doesn't forget me.

Coincidence that I of smiling faces fame who insisted we dance to "Happy" at Girls' Camp and who started married life as my husband's Pollyanna because of my smile and my desire to bring happiness to others....

would now be living in "A Stake of Smiling Faces"? 

Coincidence... I think not!

  

 Here is the talk by Elder Uchtdorf.  I hope you take a few minutes and watch it.  And listen closely to his words because he shares a quote by J. M. Barrie who was the author of Peter Pan.  I'm sharing it too!

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others

cannot keep it from themselves.