Heyo!
Things are looking up here in Assen! (ha literally, cuz we are at like the highest point of the Netherlands) This week was good times. :)
Jeffrey came to church yesterday! That is the first person Sister Harris and I have seen come to church since we have both been here. The branch was so friendly and welcoming and we were pleased. It's incredible to see the change that has come over Jeffrey these last two months. He really looks happier and more open. What an incredible blessing to be able to watch that happen in someone's life.
I learned a good lesson this week. Self-confidence as a missionary is not always so top-notch, and especially if you have a bad habit of worrying what other people think (not like I do or anything..). But this woman in our ward, who is slightly handicapped so we help her a lot and are good friends with her, asked me my first name. When I told her Andressa, she said "oh I will never remember that. Ugly name." And I thought. Hey. Wait a minute. That is absolutely not true. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved my name and thought it was beautiful (Chrysanthemum and I are kindred spirits) and people have always told me that my name is pretty. This woman saying it was ugly did not change any of these facts. She has actually said a number of things to me before that have really hurt my feelings, and have taken more of a toll on my self-confidence. But I realized in this moment that someone expressing a momentary opinion of you does not make any difference in who you are. Just because someone thinks something, doesn't mean it's true or right or that everyone else in the world thinks that. So guess what. It doesn't matter what people think. :)
I went on exchanges this week with my old comp Sister Jones! Oh it was a blast, and I learned a lot. We contacted into a Brazilian pop star (Carlos..?) who is looking for God and had a BoM in the past, actually. Wow, that was cool! And it was a whole day full of little miracles that helped me realize my worth as a missionary. God knows everything.
We also taught the Restoration to my favorite little part-member family, and it was one of the most Spirit-filled lessons I have ever been in. Being at their home feels a little like home, with the relationships they have with each other and darling kids running around. I want them to be an eternal family so badly.
These are my words for the week. :) Don't forget kids, God made you special, and He loves you very much. Bye!
Love from the Neverlands,
Sister Johanson
