Columbus Day

As promised, I am posting Melissa's latest email now that it has arrived.  Happily, waiting for it didn't require too much patience on my part.  She sounds great, and since she's not a good liar, I think we can all assume she's actually doing great!  Here's what she had to say today:

Well Hello.

I hope you figured out that because of Columbus Day yesterday, i couldn't e-mail because all of the libraries were closed. Everything in the whole universe was closed, actually. Because apparently the East is more appreciative of Chris' achievements. I don't remember even getting the day off from school!! Lame.

But I'm doing so well.

Because of the holiday, they opened up the temple for a special Stake Day. So we got to go! The Boston Temple is simply wonderful.  I was thrilled. It was a beautiful day, and a nice time.

This has been a great week! Tomorrow marks my 6 week point. So I have been on my mission for one transfer! That also means that I've been out here in Boston for as long as I was in the MTC. Awesome. 

The work is... going. We still only have our one investigator, A*. We are teaching a bunch of lessons, though, which is great! I am really loving getting to know the ward members. We teach a set of "member missionary lessons" to the members at dinner appointments and other just drop in visits. It's really nice because I love telling people how they can help this work.  It's hard because I feel a bit hypocritical because I was like the worst member missionary known to mankind back when I was a normal person. But I guess maybe devoting everything about my existence to serving the Lord NOW makes up for that a bit. 

A* is doing well. I told you last week about the lesson we had with her about feeling the Spirit. WELLLLL... she came to church this Sunday and told us that she FEELS it!! We have a bit more to teach her, but it looks like she is well on her way to baptism, and MUCH more importantly, true conversion. I love her. It's hard because she asks the tough questions. But she is so loving and responds well to our care and concern. One time we told her that we had been praying for her and she was shocked and SO grateful. She almost started crying! I am GREAT at loving people, and so I think that will be a huge way that I can help both investigators and members out here. 

It is heartbreaking when potential investigators cancel on us. Two weeks ago we met a man named J* (I don't remember if I've already told you this story). We talked for a while and got his contact info. He was smoking and we told him we could help him quit (the Church's 12 Step ARP). He seemed SO excited about that and we texted him almost daily after that. Then the day of the appointment he just stopped talking to us. He didn't show up to the appt, and hasn't responded to our calls or texts since. I know I'm growing as a missionary because it was so HARD for me to accept that! Even though I only knew him for like 20 minutes, I was thrilled to be able to teach him about the Gospel! I knew exactly how it would benefit his life and wanted so badly for him to find the same joy that I have found through this Church.

I love the ward members. Our dinner calendar is SO full - the members feed us 6 nights a week! So nice. They are so generous, and I am loving getting to know them. I feel so uplifted by them that I'm starting to think that the reason I was called to Boston was not because of the people I'm going to TEACH, but because of these amazing people that I'm meeting and learning from. 

Well, funny story of the week: "Sister Broekhuijsen Scares Small Children" 

One day, Sister Broekhuijsen was riding on a bus between teaching appointments. She sat down next to a beautiful little black girl who was doing homework. Sister Broekhuijsen sat there awkwardly for several minutes until she decided that she should practice talking to human beings. She looked over, recognized a happily familiar chart and asked the girl, "Are you doing your times tables?" The girl looked timidly, smiled, and nodded her head.

Several minutes elapsed in awkward silence because Sister Broekhuijsen doesn't know how to ask more than one question at a time. Then she figured out the perfect way to keep the conversation going! "I've just GOT to teach her the finger trick for the 9's. She'll be grateful forever!" thought she. So she looked over and asked if the girl already knew the trick. When the answer was in the negative, Sis. Broekhuijsen, trying to be careful, sensitive, and not overwhelming, asked the little girl, "Would you like me to teach it to you?"

The girl smiled and nodded again. So Sister Broekhuijsen, AFTER OBTAINING PERMISSION, began teaching her the trick when disaster struck. The girl looked out the window, gasped, and ran out of the bus without making eyecontact or saying a word.

Sister Meier laughed. 

Sister Broekhuijsen felt terrible because she had almost made the girl miss her stop! "That's what I get for trying to be nice, I suppose." She thought. 

The bus rounded a corner, drove for several blocks, and then got stuck in disgusting rush hour traffic. About 5 minutes later, the little girl came running alongside the bus and knocked to get on. The busdriver opened the doors, let her on, and she ran to the back of the bus and grabbed a little boy who had fallen asleep on the seats. She pulled him by the arm and with eyes wide and panic in her voice urged him, "Come OOON! We've got to goOOO!" He snapped out of it and they ran off the bus and back down the sidewalk together. 

A mean Haitian woman who had seen the whole thing then yelled at Sister Broekhuijsen, "BECAUSE SHE TALK TO YOU - SHE FORGET HER BROTHER!!" 

Sis. Broekhuijsen felt terrible and vowed to never talk to humans again. 

The End.

That last line is only half true, because I'm fairly confident she has recovered the ability to talk since then. But I have it from a good source that she really did feel terrible, and all her companion could do was laugh :) 

This past Sunday we had a very interesting day. Here's a bit of background. About 2 years ago, the Longfellow Park building (our normal chapel at Harvard Square) burned down because of an electrical problem. When it caught on fire, the Quaker community across the park rushed over and helped us retrieve as many paintings, documents, and equiptment as possible. Then they let us store a lot of family history records in their basement for the year and a half that it took to rebuild the chapel. So they threw a "Welcome Mormons back to Longfellow Park" day for us! Sacrament Meeting was combined, then our Sunday School hour was taught by two of their members. It was basically an introduction to the beliefs of the Religious Society of Friends (Just fyi, Quakers:Religious Society of Friends::Mormons:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). And THEIR Sunday School class (called "Forum) was taught by two of our ward missionaries. It was a really cool experience! Then we had a big get together on the grass with food, and gave little church tours in small groups. Very interesting and fun.

Anyway I'm running out of time, but I just want you to know how much I love you all, and I'm so grateful for your support and frequent prayers. I'm grateful that I miss you so bad, because I'm grateful to have people to miss!

-Sister Broekhuijsen 

P.S. I forgot to add a Boston Fun Fact of the Day! Here it is. There is a freakin' giant river here, and also what's known as an ocean. Which means that there is a lot of water, which means that I don't feel guilty taking slightly longer than normal showers. It is a GREAT thing. :)

Patience Is a Virtue

We waited patiently for an email from Melissa today.  Our internet was down for several hours and we hoped that we might get something when it came back up, but no such luck.  We DID, however, get an email from a friend of hers that happens to live in Boston.  Here is what SHE had to say:

I am a friend of Sister Broekhuijsen and she has asked me to give you the message that she is unable to email home until tomorrow because the libraries are closed for the holiday [Columbus Day.]  She just wanted you to not worry and she will be sure to communicate with you as soon as she can.  

I saw her yesterday and she looks fabulous.  As always, her quick wit entertains many.  She is doing such good works here in Boston and we are so fortunate to have her serving in the single's wards.

So, we will wait patiently (some more) until tomorrow!   I think I can do that…

Week in Review

Last week Melissa mentioned in her email home that she was feeling homesick - so we were especially anxious to hear from her today and had been hoping and praying that she was making the adjustment to missionary life.  It sounds like she is!  Thanks to all of you who write to her and keep her in your thoughts and prayers as well.

I am doing SO much better than last week. Thank you all for your prayers and fasting. Cool story, actually: So Monday was really bad when I was e-mailing you, but then I felt lifted almost immediately afterward, and later that night I was really blessed with a great lesson with a member. I LOVED her the instant I met her, and we got too excited about science together. It was a great experience and I know it was because of your prayers. Then, Tuesday, I KNEW that you were fasting for me! I just knew. The Spirit is cool like that. So I KNEW that you were fasting, then Friday I got your letters, and when I read what Mom said about fasting, I said, "I told ya so, Sis. Broekhuijsen!" So that was an amazing thing to have happen too. This week has been really great! We've been a bit more busy, and I'm getting better at talking to people. I'm really good at saying my "Good Morning!"s but when it's not morning time I have a harder time because whenever I say, "Good Afternoon!" I accidentally say it in a fake British accent and it gets really awkward. So I usually stick to a simple "Hello." Also, one day last week I talked to FOUR people on a bus. I didn't get to talking about Jesus, but I made some nice, awkward small talk. It sounds like I'm being sarcastic but I really am seeing it as a blessing -- my tongue is being loosed, just like I'm praying for every day!

So yes, I still have some hard days. It's not fun to wake up and exercise. Who likes that? No one.  But I'm doing it! I have some really enjoyable experiences and last night in my prayers, I said that I was thankful to be here. That was a first and a HUGE step for me. So your prayers are working! Thanks so much!

Wasn't General Conference simply marvelous? We had our only investigator (because everyone else got baptized in the past two months!) there for 3 of the 4 sessions. Her name is A* and she is incredible. She doesn't really have any religious background, but she just noticed that the people that were Mormon were happier than others, and she wanted that. So she walked into church one day about a month ago, and we've been teaching her ever since! She is really eager to learn, and read the BoM in like 2 weeks. That's on top of spending 16 hours a day at school/work. Every night when she got home she would read for an HOUR before going to bed. And she retains it all! She always has really good questions, and is one of the smartest people I've ever met. Anyway, we met with her on Wednesday and she told us that she LIKES coming to Church and reading, but she's just not FEELING anything. At this point she was in 3 Nephi and Sis. Meier and I were baffled. It's impossible for her to be that far, to be earnestly praying to know of its truthfulness, and to not feel anything. So we realized that she HAS felt the Spirit, she just doesn't KNOW it! So every single prayer since then, we have been praying for her to be able to feel. We needed to know what WE should say, and what things to study to tell her and convince her that it doesn't have to be some big, miraculous experience. It has been so cool to be focusing everything in my studies on the Holy Ghost - I've really learned a LOT. Anyway, we prayed and studied SO hard, then Sunday morning, right before General Conference, we had a lesson with her about recognizing the Holy Ghost, and then watched with her some more. It was PERFECT. Even in the opening prayer for the morning session on Sunday, the person asked for the "missionaries to be able to find those who are ready, and for those who are ready to feel the Spirit." Um... THANKS, man!

So yeah, we watched Saturday Morning at T*'s house. T* is a member who lives in Boston proper, right by Fenway Park. Basically I'm convinced that I am walking the same ground as Jimmy Fallon (Fever Pitch, in case you were wondering). She is SO cute and made us all lunch and let us come and watch. Then we went over to the Harvard chapel and watched the afternoon session there. Then Sunday morning we had the lesson with A* that I told you about (also at T*'s house) and then we stayed at T*'s for the last session. It was SO nice. In between sessions we played Cranium. I don't know if that's 100% missionary kosher, but it was fun and I dominated because I rule at that game. Plus I was playing with members, less actives, AND an investigator, so that's okay, right? Oh no, now I'm justifying. Boo.

Anyway, conference was wonderful. I nearly SCREAMED when they announced the Provo Tabernacle Temple. Can you believe it???? I had to explain to everyone there the story of what happened. So, so cool. It makes my heart jiggle with enthusiasm.

And yes, they mentioned Boston twice! It was so funny when they said, "From Boston to Bangkok" because our Elders were there (Winegar and Vanderhoek (what a good, Dutch name)) and when he said that, Vanderhoek said, "Guaranteed, my mom is crying right now." hahahah. It was hilarious. Then on Sunday they said something about a Boston Children's hospital and we all cheered. Yay for references! There were also a LOT of stories about Russia! So basically the WHOLE point of General Conference this time was to be related to Andrew and me. We are way special.

I have too many favorite moments about conference to write here, so I'll have to write it all up in a letter to you.

Boston fun fact of the day: There are no grocery stores close to me. Seriously, none. Also, there are no WalMarts or Targets close either, so we do all our shopping at CVS. I have been told that CVS is the Wal Mart of Massachusetts. Well let me tell you, they are NOT "rollin' back prices everyday." Everything is mega expensive out here. I usually like to gauge things in terms of Ben and Jerry's cartons of ice cream. At Kohlers they're usually around $3.99. At Target they're $3.49, and at Winco (Oh how I miss Winco) they're $3.25. WHELLLLLL. They are like $7.49 here. If THAT doesn't prove my point, I don't know WHAT will :)

Anyway once again I am somehow running out of time. But thank you SO much, and be comforted in knowing that your prayers are working. I am starting to enjoy myself more, and more importantly, I'm not as hindered by my homesickness, so i can go out and just be a better missionary. I am trying to be EXACTLY obedient, so even though it would be WAY easy to spend more than an hour e-mailing, I'm not going to. I know that I am being taken care of, and I'm thrilled every time I hear of a way that you are, too.

Love, love, LOVE,

 Sis. Broekhuijsen

 P.S. A lot of Haitian/Creole old ladies come into the CEOC food pantry where we do service. They are all really really rude, so that's fun. But I DID learn my first word in Creole! "Mum-buh"-- it means Peanut Butter. You're welcome.