About a year or so ago when we were living in Kansas City, I had a missionary tell me that we must be bold in our missionary efforts. AHHH!! It is so hard to be bold. Since that time, I have prayed for missionary opportunities and the courage to be bold.
This week I was able to be just that;BOLD!! During a conversation with some friends, I invited them to church for the 25th time. They explained that they are finally happy with the church they have just settled in to. They have been on the hunt for some time, but have not wanted to try ours. I looked at him and said,"I am here to tell you that we belong to the true church." He said, "Everyone thinks they belong to the true church." I said, "Okay, but don't come crying to me in heaven when you find out I am right, because I told you." We laughed about it, but I have to believe that my words will remain in his heart. It is all about planting those seeds, and in this day and age we must be BOLD about it.
It is so hard to explain to someone that there is nothing for me to gain in you coming to church. I don't get a percentage of the church funds, I don't get a pink cadillac, and I won't be moved to a paid position. I may receive more blessings(which is wonderful). If the people we love only knew that we just want them to KNOW what we Know, and believe what we believe, and do as we do. The gift of knowing is what brings peace and joy to our soul.
So.. I challenge you to be BOLD. Our missionary efforts are so important right now at this time.
Showing posts with label Missionary Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Missionary Work. Show all posts
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Spotlight - Laura Vanderbeek
Since Krysta is just getting back into the swing of things after hurricane Ike, they asked me to go next. So here we go!
I've lived in Tacoma, Washington; Enterprise, New Brockton, and Ft. Rucker, Alabama; Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska; El Paso, Texas; Albrook AFB and Ft. Amador, Panama; Rexburg, Idaho; Lexington Park, Bowie, New Carrolton, Silver Spring, and Kensington, Maryland; Dugway Proving Grounds, Hyrum, Logan, and Providence, Utah. Yep, I was an Army brat.
I served in the Washington D.C. North Mission from '97-'99 and fell in love with the East Coast. I had 16 companions -several three-ships (my own term for 2 comps instead of 1). The photo of me below is with my last two comps was taken on my last day in the field, at transfers. I'm the short one!
I currently live in a house in the middle of a wheat field - the photo below was taken from my backyard.
I am a work at home mom. My husband is an amazing photographer and even after he stopped working at a studio in town to become a Certified Financial Planner with Keystone Wealth Management, he still got calls. So we started a little side business that has now become my business. We have a studio in our new house, under our garage. I love wedding photojournalism, photographing newborn babies, and pregnant bellies. My husband does all the rest of the portraiture. Needless to say, we keep things pretty calm around here. We never photograph on Sundays or Mondays and we try to only photograph the last hour before the sun goes down. We charge almost double for Saturdays so that helps keep our weekends free. We limit the number of weddings we photograph to 2 a month. I work on retouching photos during nap time and for a few minutes after my kids go to bed if I need to. I have a Photography BlogI love photography, but I love a lot of other things too!
Speaking of other things I love, I love my family. I love my husband. We met because of a photo. He saw my missionary plaque in the hall at church after he returned from the Germany, Dusseldorf mission. He was in the other ward but decided to attend my ward one Sunday to hear mission homecoming talk. He introduced himself to me on the stand right after Sacrament meeting was over. 6 months later we were married in the Bountiful Temple. That was 9 years ago.
I am a mother of two. My daughter is 6 and my son is 2. My daughter really changed the way I felt about children and about hugs. When I got married I thought I would have my first child to fulfill my duty and a second child because I didn't want an 'only' child. I just wasn't sure what to do after that. Well, I fell in love with my children and they have changed my life forever. Now, I will not say it's easy, but I feel it is worth it to dedicate myself to them. I'm learning a lot about children and I believe they will be my greatest investment, hands down. I've come a long way! And I still have a very long way to go. My daughter is in first grade and loves it! My son loves all the 'one on one time' he is getting now. We work on all kinds of little projects together. We love going Jeeping and 4-wheeling up in the Mountains. We especially love going camping as a family. In the winter we love to go tubing across the street in Grandma's backyard. One day I hope to go skiing again and teach my children too - it's been 7 years - and I used to have season passes!
Now, the reason I wanted Krysta to go first was because I know this is a Spotlight - heavy on the light. And well, what I want to talk about for a little bit is maybe a little too heavy. So I hope that you will forgive me but I feel it is worth talking about. When I was pregnant with my second child, I started having some serious problems. I was itching so severely that only ice water and scratching my skin off my legs would help. I spent a lot of time in ice baths. My Dr. induced me 4 weeks early hoping whatever was causing the severe itching would go away. I had a perfect baby boy but things only got worse. I knew something was seriously wrong and the Spirit whispered to me that it would be a difficult road but that I would be okay. 4 weeks later, just a few days after the actual due date I was diagnosed by my dermatologist with Hodgkins Lymphoma, cancer of the lymphnodes.
The problem with being young is that they think cancer is an old person's disease and usually diagnosis comes late in the game. It took 4 doctors and 2 specialists before I was diagnosed. I was stage 2b, meaning that it was in several lymphnodes. But my tumors were 3 inches wide and went from the bottom center of my chest cavity, up around my heart and between my lungs all the way to my collar bone. My heart was being crushed. Needless to say, we are very lucky that my son is here and we are both alive.
We then went on quite the journey - a biopsy between my heart and lungs, a bone marrow biopsy in my hip, 6 months of chemo, and 5 weeks of radiation. I started a personal blog to share my progress with anyone who wanted to know how I was doing. It's been 19 months since I completed treatment and I am still in remission. I can honestly say that more good came from having cancer than bad. It helped me see things in a better perspective. I learned that Heavenly Father loves me personally and that I truly and a daughter of God. It taught me about service. It taught me more about Heavenly Father's Plan. It taught me to give other's the benefit of the doubt (especially while driving)- you just never know what is really going on in someone else's life. It taught me the true value of my family. I could go on and on, but I can do that later. Losing my hair was really hard - here is a funny take on how things have changed.
I have many goals in life, but the two that are the most important to me are to raise my children the best I can with my Heavenly Father's help and to work as hard as I can along side my dear husband so that we can get become full time missionaries again as soon as possible. It's really nice to think long-term again. And after meeting all those missionaries in Nauvoo this summer, I really have the bug! Anyway, thanks for letting me share a little of my life with you. I am really looking forward to getting to know the rest of the girls here and all of those who comment.
I've lived in Tacoma, Washington; Enterprise, New Brockton, and Ft. Rucker, Alabama; Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska; El Paso, Texas; Albrook AFB and Ft. Amador, Panama; Rexburg, Idaho; Lexington Park, Bowie, New Carrolton, Silver Spring, and Kensington, Maryland; Dugway Proving Grounds, Hyrum, Logan, and Providence, Utah. Yep, I was an Army brat.
I served in the Washington D.C. North Mission from '97-'99 and fell in love with the East Coast. I had 16 companions -several three-ships (my own term for 2 comps instead of 1). The photo of me below is with my last two comps was taken on my last day in the field, at transfers. I'm the short one!
I currently live in a house in the middle of a wheat field - the photo below was taken from my backyard.
I am a work at home mom. My husband is an amazing photographer and even after he stopped working at a studio in town to become a Certified Financial Planner with Keystone Wealth Management, he still got calls. So we started a little side business that has now become my business. We have a studio in our new house, under our garage. I love wedding photojournalism, photographing newborn babies, and pregnant bellies. My husband does all the rest of the portraiture. Needless to say, we keep things pretty calm around here. We never photograph on Sundays or Mondays and we try to only photograph the last hour before the sun goes down. We charge almost double for Saturdays so that helps keep our weekends free. We limit the number of weddings we photograph to 2 a month. I work on retouching photos during nap time and for a few minutes after my kids go to bed if I need to. I have a Photography BlogI love photography, but I love a lot of other things too!
Speaking of other things I love, I love my family. I love my husband. We met because of a photo. He saw my missionary plaque in the hall at church after he returned from the Germany, Dusseldorf mission. He was in the other ward but decided to attend my ward one Sunday to hear mission homecoming talk. He introduced himself to me on the stand right after Sacrament meeting was over. 6 months later we were married in the Bountiful Temple. That was 9 years ago.
I am a mother of two. My daughter is 6 and my son is 2. My daughter really changed the way I felt about children and about hugs. When I got married I thought I would have my first child to fulfill my duty and a second child because I didn't want an 'only' child. I just wasn't sure what to do after that. Well, I fell in love with my children and they have changed my life forever. Now, I will not say it's easy, but I feel it is worth it to dedicate myself to them. I'm learning a lot about children and I believe they will be my greatest investment, hands down. I've come a long way! And I still have a very long way to go. My daughter is in first grade and loves it! My son loves all the 'one on one time' he is getting now. We work on all kinds of little projects together. We love going Jeeping and 4-wheeling up in the Mountains. We especially love going camping as a family. In the winter we love to go tubing across the street in Grandma's backyard. One day I hope to go skiing again and teach my children too - it's been 7 years - and I used to have season passes!
Now, the reason I wanted Krysta to go first was because I know this is a Spotlight - heavy on the light. And well, what I want to talk about for a little bit is maybe a little too heavy. So I hope that you will forgive me but I feel it is worth talking about. When I was pregnant with my second child, I started having some serious problems. I was itching so severely that only ice water and scratching my skin off my legs would help. I spent a lot of time in ice baths. My Dr. induced me 4 weeks early hoping whatever was causing the severe itching would go away. I had a perfect baby boy but things only got worse. I knew something was seriously wrong and the Spirit whispered to me that it would be a difficult road but that I would be okay. 4 weeks later, just a few days after the actual due date I was diagnosed by my dermatologist with Hodgkins Lymphoma, cancer of the lymphnodes.
The problem with being young is that they think cancer is an old person's disease and usually diagnosis comes late in the game. It took 4 doctors and 2 specialists before I was diagnosed. I was stage 2b, meaning that it was in several lymphnodes. But my tumors were 3 inches wide and went from the bottom center of my chest cavity, up around my heart and between my lungs all the way to my collar bone. My heart was being crushed. Needless to say, we are very lucky that my son is here and we are both alive.
We then went on quite the journey - a biopsy between my heart and lungs, a bone marrow biopsy in my hip, 6 months of chemo, and 5 weeks of radiation. I started a personal blog to share my progress with anyone who wanted to know how I was doing. It's been 19 months since I completed treatment and I am still in remission. I can honestly say that more good came from having cancer than bad. It helped me see things in a better perspective. I learned that Heavenly Father loves me personally and that I truly and a daughter of God. It taught me about service. It taught me more about Heavenly Father's Plan. It taught me to give other's the benefit of the doubt (especially while driving)- you just never know what is really going on in someone else's life. It taught me the true value of my family. I could go on and on, but I can do that later. Losing my hair was really hard - here is a funny take on how things have changed.
I have many goals in life, but the two that are the most important to me are to raise my children the best I can with my Heavenly Father's help and to work as hard as I can along side my dear husband so that we can get become full time missionaries again as soon as possible. It's really nice to think long-term again. And after meeting all those missionaries in Nauvoo this summer, I really have the bug! Anyway, thanks for letting me share a little of my life with you. I am really looking forward to getting to know the rest of the girls here and all of those who comment.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Every Member A Missionary
~I am so thankful to be a member of this church. For the joy it has brought to my life, and the opportunities I have had to share that joy with others.
~I decided as a very young girl that I was going to serve a full time mission for the church. I grew up in a home that was dedicated to serving in the church. A home centered around the gospel and especially around Christ. I am thankful for the example of my parents service, and that even if it meant leaving our home by 6:30 am to drive 70 miles to get to church early so my dad could go to meetings, then have 3 hours of church beginning at 9:00..after church waiting around for more meetings then to drive 70 miles home ..stopping for some Home Teaching on the way ..then to get home in time to eat and go to bed because it was a school night, they were willing to do it, gratefully, happily. I am glad that I was able to watch them and experience service for the Lord first hand. I was taught by example, though I may have complained myself occasionally, I am so thankful for those days.
~Both of my parents were blessed to serve a mission for the church and I just knew that was something I wanted to do as well. They didn't push me at all, it was my choice. I had opportunities to date and and marry and such, and did date, but in the back of my head..I just always knew that I was being prepared for a mission. Had I gotten married before, I may have always wondered..where I would have gone had I had the opportunity. I remember praying one night and asking Heavenly Father that whatever happened, just to remember that I would really like to serve a mission. It was an honest, righteous desire of my heart. I am thankful that Heavenly Father listens and answers prayers.
~My note today is not about my mission, though I did serve an 18 month mission to the Washington DC South mission, and it was a wonderful and amazing time. My note today is about the joy of member missionary work.
~Those few years, after high school and before my mission I did date. Growing up in the mid-west where the church isn't as large, there are not as many people to date with good morals. I had high standards and had committed to myself early on that I would marry in the Temple - that was not an option, that I needed to be careful about who I dated and to only date others with high standards as well.
~At this time in my little Single's Ward I was serving as a ward missionary. I had been thinking about missionary work and the mission I would go on some day, and realized that missionary work is not for the missionaries only, but that we as members have even more of a responsibility. I prayed one night for Heavenly Father to give me the opportunity to share my testimony and the gospel with someone. I think I said.. "Heavenly Father I would really like to have an amazing missionary experience, please put someone in my path and help me open my mouth". I wasn't expecting anything big.. just put someone in my path that I can give a pass-along card to and share my testimony, or give away a Book of Mormon or something.
~One night after church with the Single's Ward -only a week and a half later, we had a get-together for dinner at one of my friend's homes. There was a gentleman there..a friend of my friend who was not LDS. I think they were work acquaintances -he was a math teacher at the local college(a little older than me-yes). The small group of us had a great time, eating, chatting, playing games. The night was coming quickly to an end and we all started saying our goodbyes. He and I ended up leaving at the same time and he walked me to my car. In our conversation he had asked me on a date. He wanted to take me to Dinner Tuesday. I said yes..but in the back of my head didn't know what I was saying.. He was not LDS, he was a nice guy, but I didn't know a whole lot about him. He seemed to have good standards, but how was I to know. After getting in my car and thinking about what had just committed to, wondering if I should cancel or not.. I felt the spirit and felt very comfortable and okay about it! I guess I was worried because I was only 19 and he had a few years on me. I was so inexperienced with dating and immature and didn't know if I was making a mistake or something.
~The dinner was nice and we were headed back to my apartment to drop me off. He asked what I was doing that evening and I told him I was going to Institute and asked if he wanted to go with me. He said he had papers to grade, but could probably do that later and that he would go with me. I don't remember what the topic that night was on, but after he dropped me home and I thanked him for the evening, he asked me if he could see me again. I think we went out that Friday or Saturday to the Zoo where he volunteered and he gave me a 'personal tour' -knowing the names of all the animals and such! At sometime during our date I asked if he wanted to go to church on Sunday with me.
~We only dated about 5 weeks, but in that time, he met with the missionaries and had all "6 discussion"-at the time. He guzzled up the gospel. He devoured the Book of Mormon and attended church and institute every week with me. We only dated 5 weeks like I said, and he actually got baptized the week after we broke up.
~A year later he was Executive Secretary of our Single's Ward, and Institute President. That was almost 8 years ago. He has been an amazing convert. A "Golden Contact". We are still good friends and I am blessed to have had this opportunity in my life. The reason this experience is so real for me this week is because he will be married this Friday in the Nauvoo, IL. Temple for Time and all Eternity. I am thankful for this opportunity and it has been so wonderful to see his progression. Now he will be sealed and have his own family, and the gospel will continue to grow through him.
Doctrine and Covenants 4:3
~All it takes is a desire. There are so many people waiting for us to share what we have with them. It is so easy to get caught up in life and the little things, to sit idly by and wait, but I am recommitting myself. This gospel is great, and I would be selfish not to share what I have with others. I feel the fire again, and it is amazing. I hope you too will pray sincerely for a missionary opportunity. I have been, and they are all around me. And I know, if you TRULY have the desire in your heart, Heavenly Father will put someone in your path. I am thankful for this Gospel that brings my life joy and hope, for the Scriptures that are a guide for me to follow, and mostly for Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. I hope I can be a light unto others and that I can radiate his Image in my countenance.
~I decided as a very young girl that I was going to serve a full time mission for the church. I grew up in a home that was dedicated to serving in the church. A home centered around the gospel and especially around Christ. I am thankful for the example of my parents service, and that even if it meant leaving our home by 6:30 am to drive 70 miles to get to church early so my dad could go to meetings, then have 3 hours of church beginning at 9:00..after church waiting around for more meetings then to drive 70 miles home ..stopping for some Home Teaching on the way ..then to get home in time to eat and go to bed because it was a school night, they were willing to do it, gratefully, happily. I am glad that I was able to watch them and experience service for the Lord first hand. I was taught by example, though I may have complained myself occasionally, I am so thankful for those days.
~Both of my parents were blessed to serve a mission for the church and I just knew that was something I wanted to do as well. They didn't push me at all, it was my choice. I had opportunities to date and and marry and such, and did date, but in the back of my head..I just always knew that I was being prepared for a mission. Had I gotten married before, I may have always wondered..where I would have gone had I had the opportunity. I remember praying one night and asking Heavenly Father that whatever happened, just to remember that I would really like to serve a mission. It was an honest, righteous desire of my heart. I am thankful that Heavenly Father listens and answers prayers.
~My note today is not about my mission, though I did serve an 18 month mission to the Washington DC South mission, and it was a wonderful and amazing time. My note today is about the joy of member missionary work.
~Those few years, after high school and before my mission I did date. Growing up in the mid-west where the church isn't as large, there are not as many people to date with good morals. I had high standards and had committed to myself early on that I would marry in the Temple - that was not an option, that I needed to be careful about who I dated and to only date others with high standards as well.
~At this time in my little Single's Ward I was serving as a ward missionary. I had been thinking about missionary work and the mission I would go on some day, and realized that missionary work is not for the missionaries only, but that we as members have even more of a responsibility. I prayed one night for Heavenly Father to give me the opportunity to share my testimony and the gospel with someone. I think I said.. "Heavenly Father I would really like to have an amazing missionary experience, please put someone in my path and help me open my mouth". I wasn't expecting anything big.. just put someone in my path that I can give a pass-along card to and share my testimony, or give away a Book of Mormon or something.
~One night after church with the Single's Ward -only a week and a half later, we had a get-together for dinner at one of my friend's homes. There was a gentleman there..a friend of my friend who was not LDS. I think they were work acquaintances -he was a math teacher at the local college(a little older than me-yes). The small group of us had a great time, eating, chatting, playing games. The night was coming quickly to an end and we all started saying our goodbyes. He and I ended up leaving at the same time and he walked me to my car. In our conversation he had asked me on a date. He wanted to take me to Dinner Tuesday. I said yes..but in the back of my head didn't know what I was saying.. He was not LDS, he was a nice guy, but I didn't know a whole lot about him. He seemed to have good standards, but how was I to know. After getting in my car and thinking about what had just committed to, wondering if I should cancel or not.. I felt the spirit and felt very comfortable and okay about it! I guess I was worried because I was only 19 and he had a few years on me. I was so inexperienced with dating and immature and didn't know if I was making a mistake or something.
~The dinner was nice and we were headed back to my apartment to drop me off. He asked what I was doing that evening and I told him I was going to Institute and asked if he wanted to go with me. He said he had papers to grade, but could probably do that later and that he would go with me. I don't remember what the topic that night was on, but after he dropped me home and I thanked him for the evening, he asked me if he could see me again. I think we went out that Friday or Saturday to the Zoo where he volunteered and he gave me a 'personal tour' -knowing the names of all the animals and such! At sometime during our date I asked if he wanted to go to church on Sunday with me.
~We only dated about 5 weeks, but in that time, he met with the missionaries and had all "6 discussion"-at the time. He guzzled up the gospel. He devoured the Book of Mormon and attended church and institute every week with me. We only dated 5 weeks like I said, and he actually got baptized the week after we broke up.
~A year later he was Executive Secretary of our Single's Ward, and Institute President. That was almost 8 years ago. He has been an amazing convert. A "Golden Contact". We are still good friends and I am blessed to have had this opportunity in my life. The reason this experience is so real for me this week is because he will be married this Friday in the Nauvoo, IL. Temple for Time and all Eternity. I am thankful for this opportunity and it has been so wonderful to see his progression. Now he will be sealed and have his own family, and the gospel will continue to grow through him.
Doctrine and Covenants 4:3
.. if ye have desires to serve God, ye are
called to the work;
called to the work;
~All it takes is a desire. There are so many people waiting for us to share what we have with them. It is so easy to get caught up in life and the little things, to sit idly by and wait, but I am recommitting myself. This gospel is great, and I would be selfish not to share what I have with others. I feel the fire again, and it is amazing. I hope you too will pray sincerely for a missionary opportunity. I have been, and they are all around me. And I know, if you TRULY have the desire in your heart, Heavenly Father will put someone in your path. I am thankful for this Gospel that brings my life joy and hope, for the Scriptures that are a guide for me to follow, and mostly for Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. I hope I can be a light unto others and that I can radiate his Image in my countenance.
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