The Brubaker Family

The Brubaker Family

President Brubaker and I are excited to be here as the Mission President and companion of the Belgium Brussels Netherlands Mission! We love your sons and daughters, and feel to thank you for the wonderful missionaries you have raised! This is a very unique mission. Our mission includes two countries, and five languages, not including many dialects spoken in the Netherlands. The missionaries are teaching many people from all around the globe. With the help of the Spirit, the missionaries are finding those who have been prepared to receive the Gospel. This is truly the best mission in the world, and we are honored to be a part of it. We will try and take good care of your sons and daughters. We love them so much already!

We have 5 children and 11 wonderful grand children. We have so much fun together! We are grateful for the support they have given us as we prepared to leave for three years. Our home is in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have raised our family in the Millcreek Holladay area. We enjoy many activities together. We are happiest when we are hiking in Southern Utah, cross-country skiing into our rustic cabin in the Uintahs, enjoying a good game of Train or Settlers of Catan, or just being together and sharing a meal with each other. We love our family so much!!!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Joy Comes By Sharing the Gospel

Vanessa Wijders, Almere, January 22, 2011

Vanessa Wijders came in first contact with the missionaries (Elder Mickelsen and Elder Sticht) in Almere in December of 2010 when she was invited to a lesson by her friend, Unique Terborg. Unique Terborg was only a few days from her own baptism and was very excited to share the gospel with Vanessa. Vanessa is 28 years old and was born in Suriname but has lived in Nederland for several years. She explained to the missionaries that she grew up with a Catholic background but was not a very active church goer and she had never found answers to her questions about religion. With the help of her friend Unique, the elders then began to teach her about the restoration of Jesus Christ's gospel and it was at that moment when things began to click for Vanessa. This first lesson with Vanessa can easily be considered as one of those golden lessons that missionaries dream about. For example, she told the missionaries, "this is really wierd, but it feels like I have learned about all these things somewhere... I just don’t know where though."

Her baptismal date was set at the first appointment with the elders. From there, Vanessa cruised towards baptism. She was a very diligent student of the scriptures and always possessed a contagious enthusiasm. People love being around Vanessa because of the light that she has within herself. She not only loves to have fun, but she has a sincere and burning testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

During the week leading up to her baptism, Vanessa was giddy with excitement. She kept asking the elders (now Elder Mickelsen and Elder Osmond), "Are you ready!? Im ready! Are you ready!?" Vanessa was definitely ready and she was baptized on January 22nd, 2011. Now she is preparing to enter the temple along with her friend Unique. Vanessa is already a wonderful addition to the Almere Ward and is a great example to those around her. Way to go Vanessa!

(Written by Elder Mickelsen)


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