Another Week

Dear Family,

... It's been an incredible week. I love it here in Antwerpen. And I love working with Zuster Fritz, we have so much fun together. President Brubaker always says if you're not having fun, you're not doing it right. I agree with that! Brugge was amazing last week. It really is like a fairytale town. Julia, Mom, and Brittney -- I got you each something made with lace, and I got to watch the ladies making the lace. Super cool and way pretty. The best part was meeting Zuster Van Wauwe's friend Dirk. It turns out he did speak Dutch and we had an awesome day talking with him. He accepted a Book of Mormon and told Zuster Van Wauwe that he was very impressed with us -- that would be the Spirit. We're seeing him again in 2 weeks when we go to Brussels for a P-day and we're going to get him together with the elders.

So we set 2 more baptismal dates this week! We now have 7 people who we are helping prepare, and oh boy are we busy! It's so crazy but so wonderful. Florence and Samuel are the story of this week. We met them in the train station about 2 weeks ago and gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon. When we went to teach them they had already read through 1 Nephi 5 and they loved it. They had so many questions about authority and baptism. Yes, they brought it up! It was so great! They committed to October 17th and we are so excited to get them ready. The ward has been so great with coming on joint teaching appointments too, so they will feel right at home. Everyone else is progressing really well. I love these people so much. Haha I frequently feel like a proud parent or something.

Anyway, we had a awesome lesson with Juliette and Hendrik on the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Wednesday. Br Nuyens came along, and it was more like a big discussion which I love, that's how lessons should be. And I had this really cool realization during the lesson. Right before we went to teach them all this frustrating stuff kept happening; people just fell through and it was blah. Really, I felt gross inside. But then as soon as we started the lesson, I felt this warmth inside, and I got really happy. So it sounds really stupid and really simple, but I realized in this “oh duh” moment, that I love talking about the gospel. It brings me so much joy. Nothing else can replace it. People would think that coming to Europe, you know, if you are having a bad day you should go sight seeing or shopping or do something cool -- but no. That's not it. It's just being with people, helping them, and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings happiness. I'm so blessed to be able to do it all the time! It's a happiness I've never felt before.

So here’s the crazy moment of the week. This part you HAVE TO MAKE SURE MY ROOMMATES SEE. :) So last night we went to a young adult fireside to talk about missionary work. We walked in and were talking to some people when all of a sudden we heard a group of boys talking in English. We turned around and asked them why they were speaking in English and they said because this guy doesn’t understand Dutch. And I looked at the guy they were talking about and it was this guy named Fernando who my friend Nikki dated Freshman year! SO CRAZY. He recognized me and we were both very… “Oh my goodness, what are you doing here?” Haha it turns out his parents are Belgian so he is here for a few months. Weird. But cool to see him. The world really is so small sometimes.

Elder Ballard comes this Wednesday! I am so excited and also SO nervous about playing my flute. Elder Relitz and I are playing “Beautiful Saviour.” Pray that it goes ok! I will definitely tell you all about it next week. Also, next Sunday is a special stake conference and Bishop Burton is coming. That will also be great!

Dad you asked about the Dutch -- haha it's funny, I guess I haven't really thought about it in a while. There are still moments when I get frustrated like when really old people speak Antwerps, a dialect that NO ONE understands. But I've noticed if I don't get frustrated and just pray and do my best, the language comes. I love it. I think Vlaams is beautiful and I'll be sad to leave it when I go to the Netherlands. I will forever have my Belgian accent though and say all the little French words they use. Haha for example here they say "Wat 'blieft?" when they don't understand, and in the Netherlands they say "Wat zegt u?' So I'll probably sound Belgian for the rest of my life. Oh well. ☺

Thanks for all the support, love, prayers, letters, cards, emails and everything. This gospel is true. The world needs it. We are all children of God and it's our duty to share the knowledge we have with others. Everyone on the earth chose the gospel of Jesus Christ once, we just have to help them choose it again! Ik zie jullie graag.

Met liefde,
Zuster Holbein