Hello There!

Well life is going pretty good her in der Schweiz! I don't have too much to complain about! We have two baptisms in the month of December! I couldn't be happier for both of them! I pray that they will be able to follow through with their commitments and enter to this covenant with our Heavenly Father and feel that instant peace and joy that comes from the remission of sins. I have learned a lot about the gospel of Jesus Christ on my mission (crazy I know) but it has been interesting to see just how much the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so much a part of who I am. Living the gospel is not simple something I do. I want to live it because of the blessings it brings! I have learned a lot about the GIFT of the Holy Ghost and just how awesome it really is to be able to have the CONSTANT companionship of the Holy Ghost. That means we are promised that if we keep the commandments, always remember him, and take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, we are PROMISED that we can partake of the fruits of the Spirit which are found in Galatians 5:22-23; "But the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.." How great of a blessing that is to us as children of God on this Earth, learning through trial and err, to be able to find peace, faith, goodness, etc in our lives as the turmoil and chaos seem to swirl in the world around us. May we call strive to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion especially as this wonderful time of Christmas Season is fast approaching. May we seek after these things in righteousness that the Lord may grant us the desires of our heart!

The church is still true. I know that more now than ever! I am thoroughly convinced I had to serve a mission to realize just how much I am committed to this gospel. I have had several experiences where people tell me flat out that I am wrong and that no one can know what will happen after this life or that we have no purpose here. I am been told that I don't know my own religion and I should study other religions. We have been asked to never come back. We have been scolded for knocking on doors trying to bring people to Christ. We have had people say they don't know if the gospel is true anymore. People who have lost their sense of hope, and think that life is not worth living any longer. 

After all this, I still cannot deny my testimony. I cannot deny the peace I feel in the temple. The joy that comes through daily repentance. The love I feel of my Heavenly Father on a daily basis. My testimony that the Book of Mormon IS everything that it claims to be. I know with out a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know that I am a daughter of God and have been placed on this earth by a loving Heavenly Father of whom I have the potential to have all that he has, and to become all that He is. I would invite all of you this Christmas season to write your testimony frequently in a daily journal of yours and continue to count the many blessings that the Lord has given YOU!  Here in Basel, we are asking members to write a simple testimony of which we will place on the inside cover of a Book of Mormon and hand them out to those who are being prepared to accept the gospel. I would invite you to do the same. Write your testimony in a copy of the Book of Mormon, and give it to someone that your really care about. This gospel is the best gift anyone could ever give. 

May the Lord bless you in all that you are in need of.

Liebe, 

Sister Fokken

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