But what about 2nd Christmas?

That's right America, the Netherlands has TWO Christmases, so this week is gonna be something else:)
So on Saturday the branch had a Christmas party and I have to say, it was THE best Christmas party I'd ever been to; all homemade Indonesian food, a little nativity scene set up by the Primary kids, singing kerstliedjes, (Christmas songs) and visiting with awesome people:)  I met an old lady named Johanna but she goes by Joh (Yo), so I thought that was pretty funny; (One of Johanna's many nicknames is YoYo).  I also thought about how that's going to be in 150 years when I introduce myself as Johanna. But, seriously, the best Christmas party evah and of course my camera was dead but have no fear because Brother Loorbach took lots of pictures and he's going to email them to me, eventually. My camera is all set for Christmas though, so have no fear!

Like I said, we'll be at the Loorbach's who are absolutely my favorite. And after that, we've been invited to the deJonge's Christmas party (I'd like to think it's very exclusive). So de Jonge is basically "Jones" and there are 10 de Jonge children all over the Netherlands and they are all active members of the church (Brother de Jonge is our ward mission leader). So we're very excited:)

For 2nd Christmas we're actually with an investigator/the pregnant lady we do service for and her in-laws, so that'll be a great opportunity for some missionary work:)

Okay, the big news this week: our apartment flooded...the shower drain was clogged with heaven knows what (having shared a shower with three sisters with long hair, she most certainly can guess with what!) and whilst I showered, the bathroom flooded and then we realized that all the carpet around the bathroom was soaked too, so we just spent about 2 hours with towels soaking up as much as we could and now we just have a fan on it all day to dry it out, so we will see...so that was an "adventure" of some sorts I suppose.

On  Tuesday we had zone training in Apeldoorn and I did get your packages Mom, and two from Oma and another from Kerstin and Michael, so thank you oh so much!

Apeldoorn

On Monday we were walking out of our apartment and a guy was like "Nederlands of Engels?" (Dutch or English?) and Zuster Voss was like, "both"...and he offered us free meat...no thanks you manneer...
We're staying really busy with lots of service and visiting inactive members; the pregnant lady that we do service for... apparently someone spilled turmeric all over her white tile floor the night before so we spent a good 2 hours with a steam mop working to get the yellow stains out (Mom, you need to get a steam mop-it will change everything).

The members are still going on about how funny it is that I mentioned that we don't get a lot of rain in California...I don't know, but Z. Voss said that Dutch people really like to talk about AMERICAN weather, which doesn't make sense because why would you care about the weather when you are not there?

I'm getting to know the members better and better and I love it:)  Yesterday, the branch president announced that before the talks we would be hearing from the choir (I didn't know we had a choir) and then 2 boys from Primary, probably 6 years old each, sang a song for the whole branch in Sacrament meetings. So cute.

We've been getting a lot of Christmas cards from the members  "Fijne Kerstdagen en een Gelukkige Niuewjaar"!

A daughter of one of our investigators, who both want to be baptized (when they pick a date) taught us the Dutch Rudolph the red nose reindeer-Rudolf de leuke reindier (I do not how to spell that in Dutch).  Anyway, directly translated, one of the parts is "Earlier he had not friends, he was lonely every day", so sad.

I just got into Alma this week and I am learning so much that I never knew before.  Last week I realized that one of the sons of Mosiah, who was working to destroy the church with Alma the younger was Ammon, the ultimate example of all things missionary.  That was something that never occured to me; we hear all about Alma the younger's conversion and we get like two verses about the sons of Mosiah remaining strong in the Gospel, but I never put it together that Ammon's was a powerful and complete 180 conversion too.  It just goes to show how powerfully the Gospel can change lives, if we let it.
I found a cafe/bar called "Cafe Obelix" with pictures of Obelix on the windows and I got pretty excited:) 
Yes, everything went perfectly with buying my bike, I just used the Euros that I already had. Like I said, I got both packages from you (thank you so much!) and then three from Germany (Vielen Dank!)  So thank goodness I wasn't sent to Japan or Honduras (there are often challenges for missionaries to receive packages).  I will take lots of pictures for Christmas, I promise! (like I said, my camera was dead:(
Our apartment is pretty big and is just perfect (minus the soaking floor and the homey mildewy smell...oops)

I  just realized that this year I'm going to be 20, which is much less appealing when it actually becomes a reality, I am working on processing that; I'm only going through a semi-end of teenager life crisis, so don't worry.  

My advice for anyone about to go on a mission, practice riding a bike, having learned when you were 6 is great, but it is most definitely not enough.  I am getting so much better, but I still have a long ways to go:)  You see little Dutch kids learning how to ride bikes and there are no such things as training wheels; those are apparently only for weak, unbalanced American children.

I love the pictures you sent of the missionaries singing on Euclid with hats and scarves and the whole schebang:)

 I don't think I'll ever have to wear a sweater in California again:)

I'm giving a talk on Sunday so that's exciting.  He is the Gift or Hij is het geschenk is such an amazing resource to share because who doesn't like a Christmas video?  It is just an amazing way to remember that the whole message of this Gospel is love-love enough for Heavenly Father to give us His Son, love enough that Christ died for us. God really did love the world that He gave his only Begotten and it wasn't a gift just for Christmas, but it's a gift that we can receive daily, if we choose.

Things are great and I'm really enjoying getting settled and building relationships with all the members and investigators. Like I've said many time already, the people here are truly special and I feel quite at home with them:)

Have the merriest of Christmases everyone!  Listen to Piano Guys and David Archuleta and some other random blonde guy who sings like and angel sings "Angels we have heard on high" (or something to that effect).  It's so wonderful to think that we were the angels singing praises that first Christmas night:)

Apartment in Assen with festive decorations

Well, I love you all and I can't wait to talk with and see you! (Skype)  By the way, the Dutch think that PB and J is so weird as is PB and Nutella - they'd rather have butter and Nutella because butter is a neutral layer (as if Nutella isn't fattening enough!:)

Fijne Kerst, Zuster Dobler