We choose to go to the moon:)

Hey Everyone!  This will probably be a shorter email; we've been in Belgium all day and finally got the chance to email just now, so lees maar lekker and I shall begin to regale to you all the happenings of last week:)

First the rain...

Then the rainbow...

Well, it was Zuster Manning's birthday on Monday, so we went crazy at Albert Heijn (the classiest of Dutch grocery stores) and had choco-broodjes, muffins and pannenkoeken with strawberries and nutella and whipped cream daarop:)

Anyway, it was also bevrijdingsdag this week, where the Netherlands was liberated from the Germans in WWII and some members took us and the elders to a memorial ceremony at a cemetery; it's so interesting to see the war from another country's perspective.

P-day Adventure to an American cemetery in Belgium, to
 attend a ceremony commemorating the end of WWII.

We also went to some caves, and carved our name on a "missionary wall".  It was super dusty and I got a wee sunburned:)

"Missionary Wall"

On Tuesday, we had a grand ol' adventure travelling back from district meeting on the train- boomen op de spoor and noem maar op (trees on the track and so on:)  Seriously, I think if the public transportation system goes down in the Netherlands, they'll have a national crisis on their hands.  I'm pretty sure the economy and society as we know it would just freeze.

We had an awesome first lesson with Nicky, the guy we found last Sunday-he's such a great person and wants to come to church this next week!  We were having a grand discussion when these two Islam teenagers (and I'm using the term teenager very liberally, they were probably maybe 14?) and they started asking us where in the Bible it says that Christ is the Son of God and all these other questions and wouldn't ya know it?  Nicky started defending Christianity and the Bible, etc. when not three days ago he was saying how he thinks Jesus doesn't exist and stuff. "After the trial of your faith" anyone?

We also had a great dinner with a new family in our ward-they have fabulous stories to tell and toevallig (by chance), the husband speaks Arabic (they're all from America) and we have a few investigators who are in need of Arabic! There you have it:)

Sunday was a fabulous day; we skyped with our families and hung out with the Bishop's kids whilst waiting for said skyping.  It was a wonderful day in every way!  

Anyway, that was my week in a nutshell.  I just love being a missionary, I really do.  The joy that I feel as I see how Christ's love softens people's hearts is something not of this world; you might even say celestial...what?  But, seriously, it is such a blessing to be able to help these people in any way that I can, to help them realize that someone out there loves them and would do anything for them.

Missionaries experiencing daily "Celestial" Joy

The Gospel is more than true, it's right. It feels right and it makes things right.  I am just finishing up reading The Book of Mormon again and I am already looking forward to reading it again.  I always tell people, "you've got nothing to lose". If you read the book and know it's true, your life an only get better - and if not, then all you've done is read a book and you can put it on your shelf and it will look nice amongst the others.

"Book of Mormon?   You've got nothing to lose!"

 But, give the Book of Mormon a chance and allow the Spirit the opportunity to work within you to make you better.  It is an example of God's love for us. 

Of course!  I'll give it a chance! :)

I love you all!  Peace n' blessings jullie! (you all)
Liefs, Zuster Dobler

"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." John F. Kennedy