It was sooooo good to see you and talk to you family! I love all of you so much, and there's never enough time to talk with skype, but know that I adore every one of you.
(HOW IS MASON'S VOICE SO LOW?!!?!?!)
Well I tried to go off of dairy this week (because I suspect I might be slightly allergic), but it definitely didn't work... Well it worked on my part. I was very good at not eating it when we made our own food, but we had a meal appointment almost every day in which the meal mainly consisted of some sort of dairy product. They were all delicious, but I realized that the mission is not the most effective time to be testing these things out.
One of those lovely dinner appointments was with our investigator! She was finally able to meet and we had a great lesson over the first half of the plan of salvation. She is really good, but we're trying to get her to church and to stay focused during lessons :) We adore her!
Wednesday I got to go on exchanges to Assen with Zuster Jensen, who is from the Portland area. I was excited because I'd heard a lot about Assen from my trainer, Zr Frandsen, and everything she told me was true! It's such a cute little town. Zr Jensen and I did some good finding and it felt so good to do doors and contact on the street. We talked to a man who accepted a Book of Mormon on the street! Then we went to this older family who feeds the sisters every week, and they gave us delicious Bami with some really spicy Sambal! Broeder Keuters explained to me how to make sambal, so that was also cool.
After dinner we went to the home of a less active-part member family. Only the Mom and the son are members, we had a good time. They meet with them pretty regularly and it was super cool to talk to the son. He's 17 and is just so good! He told the sisters before that he'd thought about a mission, but he knew that he needs to do better about coming to church and reading the scriptures. It was really amazing to see how much potential this kid has!
Zr Jensen is such a hard worker and she is so refreshingly obedient! I loved spending the day with her. After daily planning that night we just talked about books as we got ready for bed. I love finding a kindred spirit!
Thursday was the wedding of two JOVO's, Erik and Estrella! We dropped by the reception for a few minutes and Estrella looked radiant! Zuster Romig had made her dress, and had cut and stitched on the lace by hand! It was amazing. We're excited for them :)
We stayed in Amsterdam Thursday night because MLC was the next day down in the mission home. Zr Kimmons worked for that day in Amsterdam and met a ton of the people that I love. When she told me that she saw Chelsey and Paris and Zr Nichols and showed me pictures I can't lie, I teared up. I love those people so much!
MLC was amazing! This coming transfer we're focusing on chapter 12 of PMG and specifically on the Baptismal Invitation. I'm so excited for that! I especially liked Zr Robinson's presentation. She titled it "Standing in the Waters of Baptism Facing the Temple" and we discussed the importance of baptism, because it is what prepares us for and allows us to make temple covenants. It was sooo good! More notes on that later.
The only thing is that I wish I could talk to Zr Whittington as well and let her know how much I love her. She was a huge inspiration to me in the MTC and I'm going to miss her a lot as well!
I know that everything happens for a reason. I see that every day here in beautiful Nederland and I'm so grateful for the chance I had to know Zr Thomas and Whittington. I'm so glad for the influence we all have on each others lives and that we, as humans, all bring something to everyone else that they can learn from. It's so beautiful and complex and yet with the gospel it can become so much more clear and simple.
We really experience that every time we teach one of our investigators. We had another lesson with him on Saturday and he's doing really well. We talked about Baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. He sometimes overcomplicates things in his head and it's rewarding to be able to see him make connections and understand new concepts of the gospel that he's forgotten since he was little. (his mom is a member, he's not, but she would take him to church with her when he was a kid)
There was a funny moment when we were to schedule the next appointment and he said, "how about 20 June?" And I, without thinking, said "Oh that's my birthday!" haha He took it in a way that I didn't want to come on my birthday or something and in the end he scheduled it sooner, so it ended up being better because then it wasn't over a month away haha.
Man, Skyping was weird but good, and I love all of you so much! After we left the Romig's house, we remembered that Zr Kimmons' chain had fallen off on the way there and so I scootered it home :) My left leg is super buff now :)
quote of the week: "All roads lead to knocking doors" -Zr Jensen
haha but also, "A strong human spirit with control over appetites of the flesh is a master over emotions and passions and not a slave to them. That kind of freedom is as vital to the spirit as oxygen to the body. Self-mastery is true liberation."-Elder Russell M. Nelson
Such a good!
Liefs, Zuster Watts