So this book fills in all the gaps from the bible? - May 15th

We had a really good week. Saw and met some amazing people who I hope to always remember. 

We had a lesson with a new investigator which is Manisha. She is 18 and has two kids. When we got to her house her boyfriend came out and started talking to us unfortunatley he wasn't very interested. At some point Manisha came and we started teaching her about Prophets and the Priesthood. After our prayer she then says: " I am really happy that you came, I was feeling a little down the whole day but I feel a lot happier now" 

I feel like Zuster Jordan and I have just been having so many spiritual lessons this week with our investigators and people that we talk to on the street. And I think it's amazing that they recognize that as well. 

with Loes

One of the highlights this week was with Wendell (investigator). He told us some pretty sad news. He will be going back to the Netherlands on the 3rd of june which is baptismal date. During our lesson he expressed how grateful he is that he met us. That we have been teaching him the gospel. He said: " I was in complete darkness and I didn't know how to get out. I don't know what I would've done if I wouldn't have met you" 

He then looked down and wept. 

During this week we had lots of contacting. We klop (knock) at this one house and a man comes out, tells us he doesn't have time because he is making Nasi (rice with meat and veggies really good) we assured him that it would only take a minute. As we are explaining who we are and what we are doing he then tells us that he had been taking the missionary lessons before and even has a Book of Mormon which he has been reading and he is now in Alma. I was just in complete shock. He then told us that we can come back another day so I am excited to see where things will go. 

Oma & Opa love to feed us

On Saturday we had a lesson with Meneer Cederburg. During our lessons he always seems uneasy, he won't really sit still, asks a lot of questions etc. 

That day we taught him the Book of Mormon and explained how precious things were taken away from the Bible and how we need the Book of Mormon to fill in those holes so that we can have the fulness of the gospel. He then says:" So this book fills in all of the gaps of the Bible" Us: "Yes."

Meneer Cederburg then smiles holds the book and was just peace. For the first time he wasn't wiggiling in his chair but we had his attention. He then tells us how excited he is to read it and just kept holding the Book of Mormon close to his heart. 

Zuster Jordans first rainstorm

I hope everyones week has been great. 

I love you all so much.

Zuster Vernes

I need more spiritual food - May 8th

This was another great week, we had many great lessons with members and investigators, I just love this place so much! 

So first let me update you on our investigator Wendell. We almost see him every day to prepare him for his baptism as he some things to work on still...But he has been changing So much!!
He even called us this week and just asked what is a good chapter to read in the Book of Mormon. During a lesson, Wendell stopped us and said: I don't know what it is but I just feel really good. I feel warm in here (points towards his heart) I have never felt this way before"
Zuster Jordan and I: "THATS THE SPIRIT" 
It was really awesome.

We have a new investigator, Brother Cederburg, he´s around his 80s. We were teaching him about the Restoration. When it was time for us to go. He then said:" Why do you always do this to me? I need more spiritual food."

This week we met with another new investigator named Micky/Feliksdal. We contacted him whilst an appointment fell through and it turns out he's actually really awesome. 

We taught him the Restoration and once we explained how the same church as Jesus Christ was restored/brought back. He looked at us and then said:" Now I understand. It's a good thing you girls are teaching me this cause I had no idea." 

He is really awesome and I have a feeling that he will be able to change a lot when he continues meeting with us. 

Sometime during this week Zuster Jordans bike broke down so we had to walk  back home and exchange bike tires which almost took the whole day but I can now say I know how to fix bikes :)

We also saw Arthur this week. We watched the Restoration movie with him. And during the 1st vision he started to cry. The spirit was just so strong. I have never seen any of my investigators react that way. Later in the week we had the Najorda family come with us to Arthur's and the father and son gave him a Priesthood blessing as Arthur is very sick and the doctors can not figure out what is wrong. 

This was only the fathers 2nd time giving a Priesthood blessing as he had been inactive for many years and never received the Priesthood. He is very active now and is a great example to me.

 As we walked them back down. Brother Najorda turned to us and said:" I got goosebumps whilst giving the blessing. Thank you for allowing me to serve" 

That is about it for this week. 

I love you all so much

Zuster Vernes 

I want to live in the light - May 1st

Well...it has been raining a lot and I do not like it one bit! I only like it when it stopped raining and we are just biking through flooded streets.

We had lots of appointments falling through this week but that is okay because we just contacted all day long in the rain. We found some awesome people though which made it worth contacting and get completely soaked.

We actually got talking to this one girl, who at first was a little rude towards us, but then we started talking about God and we then ask her: If God was here, what do you think He would tell you?"
Which took her by surprise...we then all shared about what He would tell us and how He would want us to improve. It was a really good conversation, it softened her heart a lot.

Unfortunately one of our investigators, Jason, moved to a certain place in Suriname where there is no church and no missionaries. Which was really sad as he was progressing a lot. I just really hope that he´ll be able to read from the Book of Mormon and strenghten his testimony.

This week we had a lesson with some new investigators, the Schippers, they are an elderly couple and we taught them about the Restoration and really focussed on the Priesthood. Then brother Schipper said: "I think that my baptism didn't count, they didn't have the Priesthood."
He then looks at us and says: "But I need to be baptised with the Priesthood? Do we have the Priesthood here in Suriname?"
My companion and I both smiled and told him how we have the Priesthood here in Suriname. It was really cool seeing him understand the importance of the Priesthood.

We had a super awesome lesson with Stephanie, we have been doing the challenge of President Egbert which was to teach the 4 keys lessons: 1. God, 2. Restoration, 3. Book of Mormon and 4. the Atonement, then give them 3 Nephi 27 as a commitment and invite them to be baptised.
So we were following up with Stephanie, she read and even marked, then I started saying:
"Stephanie, will you follow in the...
Stephanie: "YES"
Me: "uhh you will bap...
Stephanie: "YES, I will get baptised."

Before I go, I have to share this one more experience that happened.
Zuster Jordan and I were looking through some former investigators and one of them was Arthur.
Not sure if anyone remembers him but he read the Book of Mormon within 3 weeks and was preparing himself to being baptised...but then he randomly dropped us.
I then thought, maybe we should call him. The moment I told my companion...the phone rang...
I looked at the screen and it was...ARTHUR!!
We had a lesson with him yesterday and he told us why he called us: "I felt like I was in complete darkness and I want to live in the light, which I know only comes from the gospel."

This is all for this week, sorry I didn't take pictures.

I love you all,

Zuster Vernes

Playing with a monkey - April 24th

Monkey Time

The Priesthood is truly a power of God - April 24th

Cant believe that we are now in week six of my 12th transfer...

This week went a little different than how I expected. I had a fever sometime during the week and I just kept throwing up all over the place. It was absolutely horrible! Therefore we couldn't go out very much, BUT my companion was taking good care of me and so were the other sisters. Then the senior couple came by and brought me medicine and Elder Crawford gave me a Priesthood blessing and from that I just knew that the next day... that I will be healthy again! And I was!! Just to say that I am grateful for the Priesthood would be an understatement. I feel so happy to have always been able to receive blessings since I was a young girl from Dad. I know that the Priesthood truly is a power of God! Without it...we would be lost.

So, with me being sick and then we had the "Wandel Markt" (is a marathon/walk where surinamese people are wearing their cultural clothes) Missionary work was a little "dead".

The Wandel Markt

However we did get to see Michiel, who is a less active due to his work, has been giving us his friends as referrals. He came out teaching with us to one of them which is Jorgan.
Jorgan is SUPER quiet, at the beginning of the lesson there were so many noises and distractions. Children screaming, dogs barking and cars honking at each other. Michiel later told us when this was going on whilst we were teaching the Restoration, he said a prayer in his heart that the Spirit will be able to be present and the noises will go away. After a couple of minutes...it was completely silent and we had a powerful lesson about the Restoration.

Michiel bore a very sincere testimony of the truthfulness of our message, that the church has been really restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Having him bear his testimony really helped Jorgan, especially because they were friends you could really feel the love that Michiel had for Jorgan.
I can testify of the importance of having members helps us with our investigators.
I encourage all of you to go out with the missionaries. WE NEED YOU!

Zuster Jordan & me

As we were teaching Jorgan, our investigator Junior, was actually sitting really close by doing his schoolwork and was listening very intensively to our message. Which we didn't know at the time but Michiel told us that when we left, he got up and wanted to know more from Michiel.
Now Junior is very interesting as last time during our lesson he was asking a lot of questions to basically start an argument, but during that lesson with Jorgan, he softened his heart and the next time we saw him...we had a very spiritual lesson with him.

At the Palmentuin

I really love being on my mission! I love being a missionary, I´m so grateful for this opportunity to grow and learn and help others.

I love you all, speak to you soon.
Zuster Vernes

Suriname Missionaries

Trinidad - Port of Spain - Missionaries serving in Paramaribo - Suriname

I don't want to lose it! - April 18th

This week was great, we worked hard and it payed off.

Monday: a really good day, we went to the Najorda´s (active family) and we got talking to Brother Salik. Eventually I asked him when he got baptised, he then started laughing and than told us that he isn't baptised yet! It was mind blowing, he has been coming to church for years!! And no-one knew that he never actually got baptised. So now we are teaching him. He has got some problems which is why he doesn't want to get baptised yet.

And we held a monkey on Monday!!! Pictures will be attached next week.

Tuesday: it was pouring rain! It reminded me of that one talk in General Conference about trials:
"Look up, open your mouth and DRINK IT."
So thats exactly what Zuster Jordan and I than did.

We also had the chance to see Sister Salik, she gave us the classic bread with eggs and jam, some juice that isn't actually juice. We then got on the subject on sharing our testimonies, she then says:
"People might not like it when I share my testimony  because I talk too much, but I have to share my testimony every fast Sunday. You want to know why I share my testimony every fast Sunday?
Because I don't want to lose it!"
I felt the Spirit very strongly when she said that and so I have made a commitment to myself to ALWAYS bear my testimony, because I don't want to lose it either!

We also got to do some service this week. We painted some more tables at our investigators
grandma´s house, it was really great. Now the lady who takes care of the Oma (=grandma) is taking the missionary lessons!

from left to right: Br Simon, Zuster Bokai, Karol, Marilin, Zuster Jordan, me & Wendell 

Sunday: a very touching day for me, we walked to Wendell´s picked him up and we then walked together to church which took about 45 minutes. It was great as we were able to talk about spiritual things which prepared us for church. Then when we were waiting in the church, we explained to Wendell the importance of the Sacrament and the meaning of it.
The day before that we talked about Christ´s Atonement with him which was perfect as the talks that were given was about Jesus Christ and His Atonement. He felt the Spirit very strongly that day.

My former Portuguese investigator, Marilin, came to church as well. Unfortunately she isn't in my area anymore but she came and felt the Spirit even though she wasn't able to understand what they were saying.

Hope everyone is doing well, love you all

Zuster Vernes