Unconditional Love

Masstricht, Netherlands

Dearest devout readers,

It is June in the Netherlands and boy, oh boy, does it feel so:) It got up to 33 celcius (91 fahrenheit) one day and I'm getting every weird tan line that a sister missionary can get: watch, sockjes that you wear with flats, varying neck line tans:) Hilarious!  I shall be a white and slightly less white mess before the summer's over:)

Let us all take a moment to understand that in exactly one month I shall be 20 *mind blown*.  Ik kan niet voorstellen
(I cannot imagine) where the time has gone. Christmas is in 6 months!  But I digress:)

"This is where I live"

This week was as amazing as all the rest; we worked super hard this week and found a lot of awesome new people, so 3 new investigators!  Incidentally, they are all single 20-30 year old men.  It's so crazy, we have ONE female investigator and the rest are guys.  How does that happen?  Makes it very important to, as missionaries say, establish expectations, at the first lesson.

Funny story: one of the investigators that we found op straat, (on the street), who really seems to be doing well and who wants to come to church next week *geek out*, got a little too excited when he found out that I don't have a boyfriend and he may have "jokingly" invited me to go to Indonesia with him...totes awk.  Well, we've decided that Zuster Twiggs will call him and make the appointments from now on:)

Zuster Twiggs and Zuster Dobler

But, learning from that incident, and perhaps a few others, I think I might just be safer to tell people that do "have someone".  It makes the "establishing expectations" that I talked about, a lot easier:)

Aachen, Germany

Thursday we were in Aachen, GERMANY for a few hours (20  miles away) and I realize how much I don't know about Germany or German anymore *one manly tear*. 

Bundesrepublik Deutschland

When we crossed the border and got back into the Netherlands, I definitely felt more comfortable and I was able to understand a whole lot more.  Agh!  Oh well, it was bound to happen:)

Aachen Dom

But yes!  We were in Germany, though it was the southern part, so not as special:) but we got to visit the Aachen Dom really quickly and that was so beautiful!

Friday, we also had the most beautiful lesson with one of my favorite investigators ever (not playing favorites), Eric.  He found us on Konigsdag and we've been teaching him ever since.  He's a former Jehovah Witness and after he left JW, he tried to become atheist, but couldn't. But he doesn't know what he believes in anymore-he definitely believes more than he thinks.

But that's just such a joy and miracle to watch how he is letting down these high walls he has built up over the years and is starting to nurture the idea that God does exist and that He loves him. 

He is so special and I am excited to see more progress as he comes to realize that we're not here to convert him, but help him to be able to see the difference that Christ can make in his life and invite him to act upon that change of heart.

We also had two little miracles yesterday when the people we gave our number to, who said they'd call, actually called! That is a miracle in and of itself!

"The corner of enlightenment"

Well, I am just blown away with how happy missionary work makes me.  It's crazy, but you meet the weirdest and most amazing people who are all in the same boat as you; we are all just going through life trying to do our best, to the best of our knowledge and it's amazing to talk with them and learn about their lives.

We talked about unconditional love in Relief Society yesterday and I think that's one of the biggest lessons I've learned, to love people:)  Have a great week and love one another!  Remember Christ loves everyone else as much as he loves you!  ("A gem of ice lit by hope's eternal flame" - Barbie and the Magical Pegasus)

Love, Zuster Dobler