OUR ZONE SAW MIRACLES!

Hello everybody!!!  Another crazy week has come and gone and I cant believe how fast it did!  It was another exhausting week but so good!  this was the first week we applied the zone plan and it was a huge success!  Like I said last week, we are focusing a lot on the Christlike attributes each week and this past week was Hope.  The biggest problem was that missionaries would study the attributes, but they wouldn't apply them in their work.  So our plan is to give the zone a challenge every week pertaining to the attribute to help them apply it throughout their work.  bijvoorbeeld, this weeks attribute was hope, and our challenge was for each companionship to focus on one key indicator (baptismal dates, investigators in church, lessons with a member present, new investigators, ect.)  and set a good goal for the key indicator they choose, and then do EVERYTHING they can to reach that goal.  The purpose for the challenge is to help missionaries see that if they really want to reach a goal they can do it, thus giving them more hope as missionaries.  OUR ZONE SAW MIRACLES FROM THAT!  Almost every companionship reached the goal they set, and those who didn't came very close.  The numbers shot up this week and it was so cool to see!  Our goal was to find one new investigator.  We were out talking to a lot of people this week looking for that one, and we eventually found her, but it wasn't how we were expecting to find her.  As we were out contacting on Thursday, an inactive member saw us.  We didn't really get to talk to her because she was in a big hurry, but we must have made a big impact on her because she showed up to church yesterday!  We talked to her more there and got a better relationship.  And today we set up a dinner appointment with a family and they invited her to come along as well!  We worked so hard to find a new investigator, and even though we didn't necessarily find a new investigator, we found an inactive member who came to church, and now we have another appointment with her.  it was a great lesson I learned that gave me more hope and assurance that when we are diligently working, the Lord will provide.  I am excited to see what miracles happen as we apply the other attributes throughout the transfer. 

I am loving it here, and I love serving with Elder Cooper.  this is the most fun I have had on my mission!  We are both so tired helping the zone, planning for zone training which is tomorrow, yikes!, and setting a good example in our own area, but I have never been so satisfied on my mission.  This year will be totally different than the previous.  It is a totally different mission now, but I am learning a lot and having so much fun!

Also, do you remember J who got baptized back in Hengelo?  She has the two cutest little kids ever and her husband, who has been smoking since he was 9 years old, stopped smoking and is taking the lessons from the missionaries!  He wants to be a better example to his family and wants to be in it with his wife as well.  He should be getting baptized within the next couple of months!  I will keep you guys posted.

I loved reading your emails and seeing that everything is going awesome back home.  It is gonna be so different when I get back!  I love you all so much though, and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Bishop

pics

Elder cooper and I in our matching volleyball outfits ready to go play with the branch in Alkmaar.  We told them that this is how everybody dresses for volleyball back in America hahaha.  They laughed at us...

  

Elder Cooper and I on an empty train