Happy Halloween!!
Although walking around today you could have fooled me...I have yet to see a jackolatern or a witch anywhere in brussels (although Im looking at some pretty crazy cobwebs on the ceiling of this library - it has yet to be determined whether those are for decoration or not...)
This week we've continued seeing some pretty amazing miracles. On Tuesday we were sitting at the bus stop and this lady sat down next to us and saw our books of Mormon and said 'I have also that book...I have to lots to say, can we talk?'...Right...soo cool! then her bus comes and we hand our card...and we have yet to hear from her. We met with Richard this week....it was interesting. He can't really get over the fact that the Book of Mormon is 'at the same level' as the Bible...so we'll see what happens with that one. We contintued to have some pass-by miracles...almost everytime we've gone to just spontaniously pass an old ami or a less active they have been home! (that never happened in Paris!) oh and they let us in... the real miracle!We are getting a little more used to Brussells...we still walk around with our heads in our map book...and get a little lost (silly Brussells...why does EVERY street need a french name and a dutch name...thats just complicated...) BUT I think we only had to back track up and down a street once this week...its a record for sure.
But Im not going to lie I've been getting a little frustrated with our miracles this week. Every time we have a really good contact or find a less active...and we go another week without having a true progressing ami, a quote from President Staheli keeps running through my head...he said 'a miracle isn't a miracle unless it sticks'. AKA Its great to have miracle contacts and lessons, but unless it turns into something...then really they aren't true miracles. So with that running through my head I would like introduce you to the Quenten family.
Brother Quenten is active in the ward and he has two daughters, who are 8 and 12, and a son who is 3. We were told by our DMP that their mom is struggling so it would be good to stop by sometime. So Sunday afternoon we went to visit them, and asked them for their conversion story. They were baptized in 2005, but Brother Quenten met the sister missionaries on the bus 3 years before that. He kept their card for two years, after going from church to church he found their card in the bottome of some drawer and gave the missionaries a call. Two elders came over and taught him, and he told them that they were crazy and the Book of Mormon could not be the same as the bible (sound familar?) ...but after they left he picked up one day and read it. A year later...he called the missionaries again and wanted to be baptized.
I can just picture all those missionaries along the way...just thinking their miracles weren't sticking...but now this family has been sealed in the temple and its dramatically changed their lives. I hate having the attitude of 'we're just planting seeds'...we were told in the MTC we are sent to baptize...not just plant seeds...So everytime we exhaust ourselves trying to teach someone, I can't help but think we're not doing everything, we need to do more than leave warm fuzzies all over Belgium and France. But sometimes that's all we can do...we work on the Lord's timeline not on 'transfers'. SO, to answer your question...no Richard is not leaping into the baptisimal font...but my new approach to things is 'on sais jamais'....
This week has been entertaining as well...we went porting for my first time (going door to door)...since it wasn't allowed in Paris this was my first experience. It turns out that its kind of like playing Where's Waldo. We ring the doorbell or the intercom, then we take two steps back and wait for someone to pop out of some window somewhere on the building. Then you awkwardly yell your message from the street. It gets pretty entertaining...you never know who's going to pop out of where haha. Also may result in a sore neck by the end of the night....
Two holidays this week...daylight savings and Halloween...yes daylight savings is a holiday because we got an extra hour of sleep...it was glorious. Halloween...my costume has yet to be determined...but there is a pretty good chance I'll be going to the FHE party as a gouffre or a Petite Prince character...got to live up being in Belgium while you can!
As always, I love you and miss you all! Your in my prayers!
Soeur Smith
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