As she said last week in her email, Melissa didn't have Pday on Monday this week because of transfers. As promised, though, we did get one today! Yay!
Hello all!
This has been a wonderful week (as have the last 6).
I have been organized and actually wrote out stories and a list of things I want to tell you about so hopefully this is a stellar e-mail.
First of all, I have some big news!
Let me tell you a story.
So, Saturday night we got our T-texts. I told you last week how I was nervous, even though it was very likely that Sister Edwards and I would stay together and in the same wards. But you know how I like to worry, so I worried. After the texts went out, we were all relieved because it happened just like we were predicting: Sister Carpenter is training, Sis. Barben is going home, and no change to Sister Edwards and I. They also split up a ton of the Sisters and it looked like they even pulled a Sister from the Spanish program into English, so that's how we thought the "Extra English Sister Coming In" dilemma was solved.
Then yesterday, in the middle of an appointment with a member, I got a call from President Evans. Uh oh. That's always a pit in the stomach kind of moment! He said, "you've probably already figured this out, but I would like you to train.... again."
Wha???
Then all the pieces clicked into place. Ooohhhhh. So we are now in a trio! It's going to be very exciting.
So we had to reschedule our afternoon appointments, and spent the afternoon cleaning and getting and arranging new furniture for this new Sister. We're going to have 5 sisters in that cozy apartment. It will be fun, but guess what? Trios are hard! It's my responsibility that everyone feels heard and needed and important and safe and happy. So I am fasting for her, and for this trio to work. If you could all pray for that as well, it would be much appreciated. I'm excited but just very surprised that this is happening! Especially because I felt such a sense of relief after T-texts! ha!
So, every Elder that finds out, calls me, "Mother Broekhuijsen" haha. Without conspiring one with another. So I have a feeling this nickname is going to stick. It probably doesn't help that I already fix the Elders' ties, and darn their socks, and pick out their outfits for them. Guess I'd better learn to love it!
Here's a nice spiritual story for the week! It is called, D* is a miracle and was has been prepared to accept this her whole life.
Monday night we had an appointment with her. We knew she was going back to Korea soon, but didn't know that it was Wednesday that she was leaving! Ha! So the lesson with her became less of a formal lesson and more of a question/answer period, slash teaching her how to read and study the Book of Mormon, slash prepare her for going back to Korea and meeting with missionaries there. She was so cute! She said, "I'm planning on going to the LDS church in Korea, there is one right by my house!" ha. Perfect. So we were wrapping up the lesson, and I felt like I should just prepare her a bit and tell her that as she comes closer to Christ, and learns more, she will want to make covenants with God to show her devotion and love for Him, and that that starts with baptism. I told her that her missionaries in Korea will teach her about baptism, and Sister Edwards mentioned that she would get to choose for herself if that's something she wants.
Then D* said, "Do you think I could get baptized?"
We told her that the answer was yes, of course! That that's what Heavenly Father wants for her!
The she said, "Do you think I could get baptized....like.... tomorrow?"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Sister Edwards and I just looked at each other. Quite incredulously. That kind of thing just doesn't happen, right?
"Let me make some calls....."
So I spent about half an hour on the phone. I called my Zone Leaders who directed me to President Evans. He was very excited, but cautious and didn't want to rush into anything for the wrong reasons, but said, "Well, it wouldn't be the fastest we've seen!" So he got in contact with the mission president in Korea and got some details, making sure she would have a ward to go back to and be fellowshipped into. After a lot of discussion and talking again to D* she decided it would be better to be baptized there in Korea. We agreed, but it was a bit sad. She promised to e-mail us pictures from her baptism. So that was quite the rollercoaster! It was awesome though.
She wrote us a note that said, "Hi Sister Edwards & Brookhuisen, It was such a wondderful experience to revisit the church. And to meet you guys was really blessed thing for me. Thanks for helpiing me to find my God. As I told you before, I will go to church even after I got back to Korea. Well take care! I am so proud of every missionaries. Thank you so much again :) Love, D*
Isn't that so cute? She's just so great. We got lots of pictures with her (but don't get your hopes up because I was having a terrible hair day for some reason) so that was awesome.
Another miracle story: Remember T*? The guy M* invited to Thanksgiving Dinner? Well, we haven't heard from him in a month and we assumed his phone got shut off (because we're pretty sure he's homeless) because he used to always text back but hadn't in that whole month. Anyway, I sat by him on the train last week! Can you believe it?? To be on the subway at the same time as him, on the same line as him, going the same direction as him, in the same car as him, RIGHT ACROSS FROM HIM... that kind of thing just doesn't happen unless we have God on our side. He looked better than last time, and when we had to get off he had me come close to him cause he wanted to whisper something to me. I was a bit wary, but I leaned in and he said, "I just got out of rehab. I checked myself into a detox program three weeks ago and I'm literally JUST getting out."
So cool! So that was definitely a miracle. He said he wanted to meet with us and learn more about the Book of Mormon. Then later that night he texted us and said, "I want to join ur religion. How can u accept me?" Ha! Well, we told him we'd be happy to teach him and let him choose if he wanted to be baptized. So that is an amazing story. Keep him in your prayers as well, please.
Next story is called, "There Are Nice People in Massachusetts: The GT* Story"
After e-mailing last week, we were running to catch a bus. I still had my ID in my pocket (collateral to check out the laptop) instead of in my wallet because we were in a hurry. We caught the bus and when I sat down I realized I had dropped my license, but we didn't have time to go back because we would have missed our two connecting buses and been late to our appointment. So I said to myself, "Bummer. I guess I'll have to e-mail my mother next week and ask what the process is like for getting a new ID when you don't actually live in the State." Then, not 5 minutes later, I got a call from an unknown Mass number.
"Hello, this is Sister Broekhuijsen!"
"Hello, is this.... Melissa Broekhuijsen?"
"Yes, it is...."
"Well, you don't know me, but I just got off the phone with your mother who gave me this number [thank you Christmas call!!!]. I saw you running for the bus and saw something fall out of your pocket so I picked it up and it was your license! Anyway, I just live on the corner of blankety blank and bliggity blank (<--- protecting his privacy, not censoring his language) and I can leave it in an envelope for you if you'd like."
WowieZOWZA! That was so nice! I told him I'd be at an appointment until about 8:30 but that I could pick it up then. He said that'd be fine so we went and saw him. I was convinced he was meant to be baptized, because how cool of a story would THAT be?? Turns out he's a Baptist preacher, and was not interested in learning more about Mormonism, but told us that he really respected what we do as missionaries, and that he wishes some of HIS youth could display that kind of passion for religion. So all in all a super cool interaction.
Great, now I'm running out of time so I can't tell the other hymn story, but I'll try for next week.
One more quick note to mention - the weather here is crazy. It snowed last weekend, and then yesterday it was 60 degrees! We had to take our coats and scarves and gloves off as we walked up the eternally long hill to our appointment because we were SWEATING. Crazy! It is a beautiful January.
Well, I love you all. I'm proud of my baby brother being an AP. He was quite humble about that one, but it's a big deal and you, as his parents, should be pleased and pat yourselves on the back for raising a son like that. I'm also taking some credit for raising him. Hope that's okay with you.
Love you!
-Sister Broekhuijsen
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