Collegas: Companions

It really hit me the other day, after seeing a post left on my blog from my friend and trainer, Christa, how much of an impact my companions from my mission had on me.  They truly became my sisters and I learned so much from them.  They were all amazing and taught me sooo much and I still think of them almost daily as I see or do certain things that remind me of them.  I realize now just how inspired it was that President Brubaker put me with all of the companions I had.  I needed every one of them!  I just want to thank all of them!  I love you all and will always be here for you if you need me, just as you have done the same for me!

My Mom was my first companion.  I remember the night that my stake president, President Barlow, set me apart and invited my Mom to be a companion to me until I went into the MTC the next day.  She was the best companion ever!  I still waking up on July 15, 2009 and having my first companionship scripture study with my Mom.  That is one of my sweetest memories.  She prepared me for my mission and for all of the other companions I would have.  I love you, Mom!

Zuster Jillian Fritz was my first companion!  Oh, how I love her!  We just clicked and had the most amazing MTC experience together.  She was majoring in German so her Dutch was incredible!  It was such a blessing...I had a personal language tutor!  I don't think that I have ever been so open with someone so fast.  Magic Tuesday just forced me to...and I am so thankful for it!  I will never forget laughing so hard at night until we would almost wet our pants (okay, so it really happened once), crying because we didn't know how we were going to do the whole mission thing, and having two hour companionship inventories because we couldn't tell each other just how much we loved each other in just 30 minutes!  Throughout my mission I looked forward to seeing Zuster Fritz and I still do!  She was always someone I could talk to...and still is!  I actually called her up the other night and it was as if we were still in the MTC.  I am so happy for her that she is now married to Elder Christensen!  It was such a blessing to be at her wedding!  I love you, girl!  

My first trio!  I remember vividly being at the mission home my first night in the land and getting an envelope with a letter inside that would reveal where I would first be serving and who my companions would be.  I had already heard a lot about Zuster Baxter and Zuster Erickson in the MTC so when I read that they were my new companions, I was so happy!  And, even though I knew nothing at that time about the city of Zwolle, I already had a great love for the area.  Both companions and city were amazing!  Zuster Baxter was my trainer and I could not have asked for a more loving, dedicated, and kind missionary to work with and learn from.  She really set the tone for my mission!  Zuster Erickson was also wonderful, but she only remained in Zwolle for a week and a half before being needed in another area.  I love these two so much!  Even though I was with Zuster Baxter for only a transfer before she headed home, I gained so much from her...and I still do!  Ik hou van jullie allebei!

Zuster Wieland was spectacular!  We served together for three transfers in Zwolle and I grew to love this girl!  She is so pure and honest and her only desire is to serve and love others.  She was so patient with me and the struggles that I had as a new missionary.  I will still never forget just plowing through the snow and rain and cold together.  We both had a common desire to find and teach people and we were certainly blessed.  She knew how to follow the Spirit and she trusted me when I felt that we needed to do something, even when I didn't know if I trusted myself.  I remember laughing so hard when I would scare her or when she would hide during companionship prayer.  It was so hard to see her go home and leave Zwolle at the same time.  It was such a blessing to see her at the airport when Sue-Haina came to Salt Lake from the Netherlands to begin her mission.  What a happy reunion!  I wish her all the best...she will be getting married shortly!  I love you!

Oh, Zuster Stapleton!  This girl was a spiritual giant!  She and her aunt were the only members of their family.  She had joined the church when she was 18 and came on her mission only a few years later.  Her testimony was burning and her love for people and for the gospel was tangible!  She seemed to really be able to click with people because she knew what it was like to investigate the gospel.  I was amazed at how many people we met during our two transfers together that were also from the Antilles.  She also had a special connection with them and we saw so many miracles because of that!  I will never forget getting locked out at 6:30 in the morning as we went to exercise.  I will never forget how she had no fear and would talk to anyone and everyone.  I am so thankful that she helped me adjust to being in a new city.  I grew to love Groningen within a day because of the love she expressed for that city.  I haven't had any contact with her since being home, but if she ever reads this, I want her to know that she has so much courage!  I hope that she is doing well!  I love you!

This is a little bit of a combo picture.  Zuster Harrington, on the left, was my first greenie.  She and I served together for a transfer in Groningen before we were both transferred to Den Haag.  As you can see on her face, she is just bursting with excitement!  I was a little nervous to be training and I remember waiting at the train station for her to show up.  She was already talking to Dutch people when she got off of the train and she would only speak to me in Dutch.  She was dedicated!  I will never forget how hard we worked during that transfer, and how much fun missionary work was.  She was never negative...NEVER!  She is still on her mission until November.  I know that she is still as dedicated as she was her first day! When we went to Den Haag we joined Zuster Reber.  We were quite the young companionship.  I was in my 8th transfer, Zuster Reber in her 4th, and Zuster Harrington in her 2nd.  We never stopped for those 6 weeks!  I had never contacted so many people in my life!  We had so much fun jumping off of our bikes and talking to people.  We saw many miracles.  Zuster Reber truly wanted to please Heavenly Father and she was a master of goal setting.  That transfer was so fun and went by sooo fast!  I was sad when it was over because I benefited so much from having two companions.  Zuster Reber recently returned from her mission.  I hope she is enjoying her time at BYU!  I love you both!

This picture says it all!  Zuster Pierson came to Den Haag, replacing both Zuster  Reber and Zuster Harrington.  She was starting her 3rd transfer.  I had never prayed as much as I did at that point in my mission for guidance from the Lord.  Den Haag is one of the largest cities in the Netherlands and it has the biggest ward.  I was used to a branch of 40 and a ward of 80 so being in Den Haag was a little overwhelming...we didn't really know where to start!  We put the map to good use and just got to work.  At the time, we didn't know any of the members so we just started going through the ward list.  Member missionary work was the theme of our four transfers together.  I just loved every moment with Zuster Pierson.  She had been sick since the beginning of her mission and the doctors just couldn't figure out what was wrong.  But she never complained even when she was in so much pain.  I also admired her for her strength.  Her whole family is not active and she wasn't re-activated until she was 18.  She really did serve with all of her heart, might, mind, and strength!  We laughed and cried together and talked very openly with each other.  I was so sad when she went home because of her sickness.  It broke my heart!  I am thankful that she is now doing better, and that I have been able to see her a number of times.  I love you schaatje!  

Zuster Hill was my second greenie and our transfer certainly didn't start out the way I had planned.  I was into my "extra" time on my mission and I was so excited to get to work!  But the day before Zuster Pierson left I got really sick and there was a huge snow storm.  After dropping Zuster Pierson off at the train station, I stayed at Familie Navarro's.  The plan was to be there until Zuster Hill arrived but because of the snow, she wasn't going to make it until the next day.  Zuster Garvin came and spent that night with me and then Zuster Hill arrived the next day.  I was in bed for the next five days but she jumped right into working!  The members in Den Haag were so committed to helping us that one would come and stay with me while another would go out and work with Zuster Hill.  I can't even imagine being new and going with complete strangers who spoke a foreign language for the day!  She was amazing!  I only had a transfer with her but I loved every minute!  She is about half way through her mission now!  I love you!

Zuster Jeffs was absolutely delightful and one of the greatest blessings of my mission!  She was such a happy, positive person.  For being a greenie, she had amazing Dutch skills!  I still was sick a lot when she came and she was so patient with my frustrations and disappointments.  We had lots of adventures together...a mouse, thousands of cookies, yellow sticky notes, and lots of miracles!  I was so happy that she was taking over Den Haag.  She was so outgoing and friendly that she really got to know the ward and the area and was so prepared!  We laughed a lot and had some amazing, spiritual experiences together.  She is also still out...and I know that she is loving it!  She will be a blessing to all of those that are companions with her!  I love you!