"Totes Netj"

So much snow! "het sneeuwt het sneeuwt!" 

So, this week we had a ton of stuff poppin', most of which I  can't remember if I am being honest, but I will do my best to remember ..."Remember who you are...you are my son and the one true king" (Lion King).

Tuesday we had Zone Training in Appeldoorn and that's always fun because you get to "evenchill" with the other missionaries while learning amazing things about how we can improve ourselves, our companionships and our teaching skills..."proselyting skills, BOM skills...investigators only want missionaries who have great skills." (modified Napoleon Dynamite)

Giant Bike (only in Nederland) in Apeldoorn

And after that, we headed on over to Coevorden, where a family in our branch lives, for dinner. They live about 500 ft from the German border...So close and yet so far:)

Beautiful snow...experimenting with camera lenses:)

Well, the rest of the week we taught lessons and helped the lady who we do service for (she finally had her baby!)  So, with three babies one and under, it's pretty fun!:)

Playing with one of three babies!

We taught an amazing lesson to the mother of one of our investigators who is getting baptized (the investigator, not the mom...yet:) and she was so interested in what fast/testimony meeting was that she came to church yesterday!  Uber exciting:)

Super interesting to ride a bike in so much snow!

Zuster Dobler riding!

There she goes...

This week was also the week of the brownies-we made that killer brownie castle for the branch potluck and some members liked it so much that they requested we make one for their daughter's birthday as a service project and then I was feeling a little consternated (no, read the word again, it's not what you think) because we were making all these brownies for other people and it was making the house smell lovely, but we weren't able to eat them, so we made some for ourselves.  The only problem with baking is that all the numbers are rubbed off on our oven so even if we did know what celcius was (fat chance Europe), it's still Russian Roulette with the temperature so we just have to check in every once in awhile to make sure it's not too hot.

A member on Saturday gave us a "chocolade fles" which is just chocolate in the shape of a champagne bottle and she wanted us to send home pictures of us with "alcohol" so our our parents would be flabbergasted...it's literally just chocolate, but she thought it was a pretty good joke:)

Chocolate Champagne bottle from a member

On Sunday, we were contacting for a tad and guess what?! We got our first door-slammed is too strong a word- but it was definitely more than just closing it like a human being, anyway somewhere in the spectrum of "complete indifference/lethargic persona" to "I don't give a whole roll of Ritz crackers and cheese about what you have to say" kind of closing of the door, if any of that made sense. 

But it was my first one where they just didn't say anything-no "geen belangstelling" (not interested) or nothin'.  So now we are official missionaries:) I'm still waiting to be chased off someone's property at gunpoint but we'll take them as them come:)

And just now, literally 20 minutes ago, whilst writing this email, I got hit on by some funky dunky dude who was asking me it I was in a relationship/do I have a boyfriend/what am I doing here in Assen/would I have any interest in being in a relationsihp and so on...it got super awkward, super fast...for him.  He left and then had to come back for something and then said bye to me...what a hunk.  So that's what been going on here in Assen:)  My Dutch is improving (or so I think) each day (at least I was able to shut that guy down in Dutch, so that's something).

Enjoying a beautiful snowy day in  Assen

This week I've been really focusing on how important it is to realize the universality of the Atonement and how it is "toepasselijk" (applicable) for everyone in every situation.  In Alma 42, Alma is talking to his son Corianton, who's committed a pretty hefty sin, to say the least. But, what I found the most interesting was that in the last verses of Alma Chapter 42, 29-31 Alma reminds Corianton that he is still called of God to do a specific work and he needs to go out and do it.  "And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance. O my son, I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do let the justice of God and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full say in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust of humility."  

The Atonement is there for us to repent and move on so that we can progress, which is our main purpose here in this life: to progress towards becoming as Jesus Christ.  We need to allow the Atonement to relieve us from our guilt, shame, pain and realize that we are all called to a specific work here in this life and we will always be called to it; thus, we need to accept the infiniteness of Christ's sacrifice and let it take away everything that's holding us back.  He loves us and His arm is forever outstretched if we but accept Him fully into our lives.

Happy February to all and to all a Merry February!  wait...

Love, Zuster Dobler

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power, and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."  D&C 123:17

Very Funny Liahona Magazine:)