Peace About Life

Alma 58:10-11

I read this scripture during studies. I had read my chapter for the day, Alma 56, and had the thought that I really do want to read more, so i did and when I got to Alma 58, these two verses stopped me. It was crazy! I was so grateful for this! and still am.

 10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God,that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.

 11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

I felt even more peace about life, the day, the hour, from these verses and I know I don’t need to worry; whatever will happen will and is supposed to happen. I don’t need to stress because I’ve put it all in His hands. I know that He has the best plan and if I follow that, I’ll be OK. haha. Mission life is crazy. But great. I’m learning so much. the Lord loves His children and will bless them and help them and strengthen them. Even little sister missionaries in the tiny country of Belgium!

Love, Zr Faa

Temple Conference and Crossing the Street

This week. This week was temple conference! Oh man, I love the temple. My testimony has grown because I have been away! Strange how that has worked, but I know that there is such power and peace and promise inside those sacred walls. I wasn’t feeling super good during the session (multiple problems that come with mission life I’ve decided, but mostly I had fever and felt really gross) and felt terrible about being there, with the Lord, but not being there as much as I could have mentally. I was all emotions, yes, but my head hurt real bad and my body was just not feeling great.

The biggest blessing and tender mercy was going into the celestial room and seeing my dearest friends! I realized, in a wonderful but short moment of clarity and good health, that I was with eternal friends. Maybe not all of the missionaries in the temple that day will be in my life when I go home, but my current companion, Zuster Andressa Johanson, and my beloved Zuster Aubrey Robbins will be. These two woman opened my spirit to the special feelings of the Holy Ghost. Zr Jo went to go change and I was left on the couch crying and praying for something really good and personal to happen before I left he temple. I wasn’t feeling good and everyone could tell because I really wasn’t feeling good, but I wanted to have a special moment in the temple! So, I prayed for it. And I got it! Zr Robbins came over and sat down next to me and we had a really really good chat and I had a good cry. It was wonderful.

Ok, funny story…

So, we have a tram that’s about twenty narrow houses down from our apartment. It’s a 4 minute walk if you’ve got time. If you don’t, you usually run for it and jaywalk to cross the street. Yes, unfortunately that has happened to me in Antwerpen more than once or twice. Sometimes, however, you get to the crosswalk and the little red guy is there, and so is the tram. The tram doesn’t wait more than 20 seconds, sometimes 30 secs before it goes away and you have to wait 10-15 minutes for the next tram. If the red guy is there, we usually jog it if no cars are there.

I hope that made sense.

Anyway, the funny part of this story is that, one day, Zr Johanson and I are walking to the tram. We didn’t have a lot of time, but the tram didn’t come and we didn’t run. It was great.

Right as we get to the crosswalk, the little green guy turns red and we rock on our heels. Suddenly, a tram pulls up! What! No! We can’t miss this tram! We will be late for our appt!

So… we lean forward, check both ways, see that the light will turn green for the cars to cross in front of us and we………………

We hear this Belgium lady say “Alright children, what do we do when the light turns red at the crosswalk?”

We turn around and see about 20 little kids in the bright green vests walking with two adult women also in bright green vests.

So………….we don’t cross. We missed our tram. We wait very impatiently for the light to turn green and then waited 20 minutes for another tram.

But we kept the law! and little Belgium children have a good example.

oh boy.

I’m feeling better, by the way. Not so sickly. Just recovering slowly.

Love you all!

Liefs!

Zr Faa

LOVE YOU ALL

Missionary life is busy!

I am in Belgium, being me. I’ve found out how to be “Jess” as a missionary, but also how to mix both of them—I feel like I can finally be Zr Jess Faa! That might sound weird, but missions do that to you–you feel like you can’t be yourself because of all the rules and things, when really, it’s all about working toward finding yourself as a person. And it’s a great experience doing that as a missionary! The Lord helps you a lot with that part.

I got sick again. Its starting to get cold. I don’t like sick days. I don’t like them at all when I am the one who is sick! I’m wayyy better at taking care of other people than I am myself! Gosh. All of my companions and even some ward members have told me that I need to take care of myself, or at least let others help me do that. But… I’d rather make dutch pancakes for Mo and Zr Bradley than sleep extra on Pday (they slept over last night because we’re going to BRUSSELS together!! yayayayaya!). And I’d rather go to appointments with Ann than take a nap.

But, I am learning for myself now that taking it easy might be good for survival. For the last two weeks we’ve been pounding out hours of work, knocking, contacting, teaching, finding, traveling…… and I’m feeling it. I’ll be ok, though.

Ann came to church. Through testimony meeting, she was quiet and thoughtful. Our ward mission leader stood to bear his testimony and when he got up there he paused and said a lot of things in really thick Flemmish. It was hard to understand him. After sacrament, Ann and Zr Jo and I walked into the gospel principles class where our ward mission leader, Bro N., would teach the lesson. We prayed and he began the lesson. (also, Ann doesn’t speak or understand Dutch at all, and Bro N. doesn’t speak or understand English… so we do a two way translation class.)

Ann stopped Bro N. mid sentence and asked him, “How did you know that this church was right? I’m having that problem myself.” then she started to cry. We explained the question to Bro N. and he did something that he doesn’t normally do: he changed the lesson plan.  Bro N. told her of his conversion from Catholicism to Mormonism, 45 years ago. He told her his whole story.

After, Ann started to cry and said that she just received her answer. She stood up and hugged Bro N. and she sobbed into his coat. He just held her and nodded and comforted her. It was such a sweet, sweet experience. November 8! That might be my last Sunday in Antwerpen. Weird. But amazing. I love Ann. I love her testimony and her light. She’s taught me so much.

Pound cake!

Enjoy the week, I know I will. Don’t worry too much about me, but I’m very grateful for your prayers and your love and your support. I am… good. Happy. Sickly today, but I’ll be better soon.

Six months left!

LOVE YOU ALLL SOOOOO MUCH!

Zr Jess Faa

Kessa Mania

Jessa

Jess