Last Saturday at I Holland was insane. It's the biggest market in europe and it only happens every couple of months. Imagine two massive warehouses and they're just filled with stalls of things for only 2 euro. I found my winter coat for 7 euro and a shirt and sweater for 2 euro each. It was wondrous.
We also went Stedelijk museum where I saw two authentic Picassos and a Jackson Pollock. I think I died and went to heaven. It was amazing and I'm going to have to go back.
General Conference, right? Wow. I just can't believe how wonderful and powerful and motivating that was. I love it. We got to watch it in English, and I was really grateful. It's interesting because I really think you get more out of gospel things when it's in your own language. And besides, in Dutch the whole "Lord, is it I" quote is directly translated "It's not me, is it Lord?, which loses some of it's meaning in my opinion. Conference was a really cool humbling experience. I loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk about gaining a testimony on the Saturday morning session, where he shared 1 Corinthians 2:14, 16. Some knowledge is gained spiritually and some is gained by other means, but you can't base your spiritual knowledge on something you learned from what you could see or touch. I love the scripture in D&C that says, "seek wisdom by learning, but also by faith" Faith and humility were huge themes (at least to me) from conference. I loved the counsel "Do not delay the moment to seek to grow your testimony of light and truth." and "the church is not a place only for perfect people: it is a place where we go to be perfected in the name of Jesus Christ." The gospel is all about becoming better slowly, day by day. M, M, D, I hope you're reading the scriptures and praying every day and trying to learn all you can! Now is the time to gain a testimony. Every time you read the Book of Mormon, pray about what you've read and pray to know it's true. I've already seen a lot of people who lost their testimonies and it's just really really really sad.
Sometimes there are people who really doubt their testimony because they have read some anti literature or about the history of the church from anti sources, and I was feeling sad about it one day. I was listening to MoTab, like a classic missionary, but they sang some words that really helped me, "That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never no NEVER no never no never forsake" If we're not progressing in the gospel, we're losing light. The path to eternal life is like those moving sidewalks at the airport that is going the opposite way. If we stop moving forward, we can't help but be pulled back.
Satan is going to fight his hardest, but we have the power to crush his head. I've been reading in 2 Nephi for personal study in the Isaiah Chapters, and I actually really love them. They're the "what not to do chapters" and they really are so bold and intense in the language that is used to describe what will happen to those who know the will of the Lord but still rebel. We have knowledge, and that means we have a responsibility. God is really clear about that.
I think a few of my goals after conference are to be more humble, and more charitable. I loved conference, but we still have to watch the Sunday afternoon session and Women's conference. I'm excited to get even more of that good stuff! Ah I love it!
We had a blitz in Rembrandt plein last week with the elders. We were just all in this one little square talking to people about the gospel. The first guy Zr Djoukeng and I talked to asked me if I was Anastasia because my rain poncho totally looks like her jacket. That made me happy. We talked to a ton of people from all over the world. Zr Djoukeng speaks fluent french, and we found two separate people who spoke only french! That was really cool. We talked to a guy from Austin, Texas whose sister is a member of the church. A girl from Seattle that's here on an exchange program and said she was looking for a church to go to so she could feel a sense of community while she's away from home, and just so many more cool people who all had their own story. I love talking to people!
I tried my first ollie bollen this week. They're a lot like scones, and are delicious!
One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Peter 2:9. If you read it look at the footnote. It's pretty great. I love you all so much!
Wish me luck today, I'm going to try haring..... so that'll be a good
I'm now accepting letters at my residence. (Please contact my mom for the address, she is too paranoid to post it here. ;)
Packages still need to be mailed to the office.)
Zuster Djoukeng goes home this week! So that's really sad and we're doing everything there is to be done in A'dam today because it's her last p day.
haha love you all!
Doei
Zuster Watts
ps galatians 6:11