New area and my birthday Aug 29th

Not going to lie, it is very weird being in a new area especially having a birthday whilst being on a mission. That was weird, but it was still fun so many people congratulated me and I didnt really tell anyone. It was very nice. Zuster Parker and I went to a nice place to eat for my birthday, she then told the workers (who we are friends with) that it was my birthday. So they all came out and sung happy birthday in English, Dutch and Sranan with a free ginger brownie and ice cream!

One of the successes this week was contacting and receiving referrals from members.Everyone is getting more pumped to do missionary work which I LOVE!

I love the members in Rainville, they are so nice, they give us a lot of food though and its very spicy.

We also had a great lesson with a member, talked about FHE and just doing things together as a family. It was great as you could see the Spirit witnessing to what we were saying was true.

We took a member with us to our investigator, it was such a good lesson, she was awesome, she bore her testimony, was helping our investigator understand the Word of Wisdom, she was backing us up in what we were saying and the Spirit was very strong. There´s a huge difference when its just your companion and you teaching and when you bring a member along. I encourage all of you to go out the missionaries because it will not just strengthen their testimony but also yours. Its important that we create our own spiritual experiences.

Brother Simon, is a super way cool. This is what he said to us: "God is happiness." Simple but powerful! He lives in a tiny house in the middle of nowhere.

I´m excited for this area. I can see myself stretch and grow more than ever. I am thankful for my companion, Zuster Parker, she oi awesome. I have already learned a lot from her and we work really well together.

We also contacted a guy that works at the graveyard, he got very excited and gave us a whole tour of the graveyard. The graves are interesting here, anyways he wants to know more about our church and I´m excited for the lesson we´ll have with him.

I love you all, keep reading the scriptures and write in your journal.

Mi lobi yu...my Sranan is getting better...tomorrow no fara

Zuster Vernes

Saying goodbye and wanting to hold a monkey Aug 22nd

I was able to feed a monkey, that was so cool. My goal is to hold one but as this one was a bit crazy and I really did not want to get rabbies.

Saying goodbye to Ramona 

Bizarre bean we´ve had

Transfer call! Aug 22nd

We received our transfer call...I will be serving with Zuster Parker in Rainville. Which is super exciting but I´m pretty sad that I will be leaving Kwatta. I've basically served there my entire mission.


Highlight of this week: 8 baptisms on Saturday!! It was such a wonderful experience especially because our investigator Merville got baptized. It was so exciting and she was super happy! Soon she´ll gets married with a member, she´s awesome though whenever we leave her a scripture to read...she basically knows it by heart. It´s amazing to see the change in her!

We finally got to see Stefan, our investigator who went to the Netherlands for a month. He says he´s prepared to do anything he can to get baptized, I know its important.

Hope every one had a great week, I love you all!

8 months mark - Aug 15th

Today is my 8 months mark. I feel like I say this every week but it is going fast.

So, we asked  Shevello (10) to give a lesson. On Fast Sunday, he and his older sister bore their testimony and they mentioned Zuster Jorgensen and I, saying how grateful they are that we come and teach them. Shevello then added that he was searching all week about what to teach us and his family and that he´s so excited to share what he found in the Book Of  Mormon. Seeing him bear his testimony made me so happy!

Sometimes as a missionary, you dont really feel like you are making a difference and it can be difficult teaching people as they get distracted but by them sharing their testimony, the Holy Ghost testified that we ARE making a difference!! And i really do see that now I can see how the gospel is changing peoples lives! I am so grateful that I can be here! I really love my mission, I love being a missionary and experiencing so many things!

During an exchange, Zuster Parker and I met an awesome couple and they have a crazy story. The wife has been on a mission in the Philippines  in 1980, her husband is less active, they have 3 sons, the oldest is a RM - returned missionary - the 2nd is serving a mission and the youngest is preparing to go on a mission. Any ways they were living in Trinidad however they do not have a work permit. So they had to make a tough decision. 1 - stay illegal in Trinidad, 2 - follow Gods council which is follow the Law of the Land. So they packed their things, and left Trinidad, they have been praying a lot to find the missionaries in Surinam in order to come to church. At the airport, they ran into the elders from Surinam so they were able to give us this families information. When we arrived at the apartment complex we could not get a hold of them, however after a long time of waiting and "klop, klop" (shouting knock, knock) the husband comes out and tells us to come in. It was awesome though because the didnt hear us and we didn´t have a phone number...but he had a strong impression to go outside and ...there we were! Their story is inspiring, the faith and obdience they have. through this experience the husband is actually active and wants to be sealed with his family in the temple.

Zuster Jetty and her nephew Jamal (10) came out teaching with us, Jamal is a recent convert and this boy knows the Bible and the Book Of Mormon so much better than I do. He really wanted to come out teaching with us and he did a fantastic job. Unfortunately, he lives in the Netherlands. and left yesterday with his mom. 

A member gave  us a referral (Victorina)...wow let me tell you this woman is so awesome!her faith is incredible, she also called us during the week and asked about some more information about our church. She is so cool. However she is in the Elders area as the areas got changed. But its okay, she lived super far away, it would probably take us an hour to bike.

We went to church to fill up the baptismal font, whilst I was taking care of my very upset stomach, I suddenly hear my companion screaming! I run over to her and we see a lizard/iguana in the font!! It was actually very calm so we took some cool pictures. I then asked Zuster Jorgensen to film it for me. She goes up super close, starts filming and says: "Hello" and as soon as she said that it went crazy, it ran towards her. Both of us obviously screaming and then it jumps into the drain which is bizarre because it basically committed suicide, it was scary. 

We went to a members house and she made us some food, which is very kind of her. Its called Moksaleisi (no idea if this is the correct spelling) basically its rice with a bunch of different meat. Oh boy, I sort of regret taking seconds because I was sitting on the toilet for a very long time, I guess adding the pepper didnt help.

So that was basically my week, hope everryone is reading in their Book of Mormon and if you dont...then go and do it.

I love youoall so much!

Zuster Vernes

Slow week but fast as well Aug 8th

While we were teaching Hugo, it started to rain, pouring actually and then his house started to flooded his house. Luckily it didn´t get into the house but we had to sit whilst having our feet in the water which was also fun.

Mirvelle, who will be baptized, is doing awesome. At the end of the lesson  we asked her what she wants to learn first: Word of Wisdom or the Law of Chastity. Her reply: "Wow, both sound very interesting. Lets do Law of Chastity first and then the Word of Wisdom." Let me tell you, she´s definitely one of the elect, she so prepared and is always so excited about the gospel.

A creepy house we´ve found

Biking with a spare bike, which was not fun, every little bump the seat will go up or down

One  of my favorite members, she likes to give us pancakes, shes so sweet.















A lot of people have been giving us referrals and members are super excited to do missionary work. Which is just anything I could ask for and Tammenga really needs it now.
One of the investigators is really busy but he come to Family Home Evening that we hold at Jetty´s house...any ways he told me that after FHE he gets so excited that he shares the gospel with his family and friends. he also said that he´s going to start bringing a notebook so he can write down the scriptures we share.

I hope every one is doing well, also hope that everyone is reading out of their scriptures every day, it will seriously bless your life if you apply it in your life.

Love you all, speak to you soon.

Zuster Vernes

Attacked by a dog Aug 1

So many things have happened this week, I´m glad everyone is doing well though.

Alright on Monday...I got attacked by a dog! So this is what happened: we were biking to our first appointment and I was thinking about the lesson, I was in a very good mood. Out of nowhere a dog appears from behind 2 cars, starts barking and before I knew it...I was on the floor, the bike on me and I squishing the dog with my bike and my body!!! A car had to emergency brake. I got a few scratches but nothing bad. My body was pretty aching though. However my foot was still stuck, so I could not get up, the dog then luckily escaped but I got so scared as I thought it was going to run back for revenge. The man in the car got out and helped me and straighten my handlebars.

We received two crazy referrals, one is Kevin, his story is pretty funny. He was at a shop, a police officer (a member) asked him: "Why are you sad? You need to talk to some missionaries."
So we then had our first lesson on Tuesday with him. He seems cool and willing to hear our message.
His mom was also there and asked when we will come back. She then told us that she is also interested.

The other crazy referral we got from a member from Wanica, she told us that she has been chatting with a woman, who is very interested in the gospel and has a lot of questions. I am excited to help meet and  hope we will be able to help her.

Mirvelle and me

Our investigator, Mirvelle, is still on date for 20th of August. She is so prepared, I really hope she will get baptized on that date :)

We had an exchange on Friday, so Zuster Ashcraft came to my area, we got to see the Hendricks...planning to teach on the Plan of Salvation but then I had a very strong feeling that the needed to hear about temples. This was probably one of my favorite lessons mainly because the Spirit was teaching them and not me. I love the Hendricks, they are now very active and received a calling in the church.

Bought a Pangi traditional skirt, most women get it by age of 16, means that you are a woman, married or have left your family.

We met up with Jenny on Saturday and it was a really good lesson, as we were leaving she said: "I am glad that you came, it has been too long." The following Sunday she also came to church, I love seeing the gospel changing people. It is so worth the rejections and not so fun things we experience.

On Sunday, we also had a privilege to teach the Young Womens class about temples. I love the YW so much, most of them are the only members in their family, what great examples they are to me!

I love you all and hope everyone is having a good time, dont forget to take advantage of the temple and the Book of Mormon, the gospel is soooooo true!!!

Zuster Vernes

We went to the Central Market

Young Women Class

We got a little carried away with our pictures taking ;)