Christmas in Malibu is my favorite Christmas song:)

This week was temple week, mandatory flu shots and a branch talent show where we, the missionaries of Alkmaar and Hoorn, performed a grand ol' skit.  We also went to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam today for P-day:)

So, Tuesday night we had quite a crazy rip to Zoetermeer because the trains weren't riding, but eventually, we got there and then Wednesday morning we headed over to the the temple:) 

Beautiful Day at  Den Hague Temple

Then we had Zone Conference, where we were geestelijk-ly opgebouwed (spiritually fed), saw old friends, and got flu shots.  It's been getting colder and colder, wetter and foggier.  
I was on an exchange with Zuster Watts in Enkhuizen on Thursday and it started to rain from 15.00 to 20.00...but we had a great day where we had some great lessons and met this slightly crazy man who serenaded us on his harmonica and guitar and let me look through his pirate telescope thingy...didn't see anything, but let's not disappoint.

So, for Branch Talent Show, Zuster Hanny played the ukulele and we both sang, "Somewhere over the Rainbow" whilst our talented and ever so willing elders did the hula in traditional Hawaiian garb. 

I contacted this super European lady from behind and called her "meneer..." (sir). From behind with short gray hair, baggy jeans and a big baggy winter coat, I couldn't tell!

I did see a few miracles this week as I continued to pray and pray and pray for something, progress, not necessarily by my definition, but to see the joy that I know the Gospel can bring people. And we were able to find one of our potentials again and had a lesson with him!

"Therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

Jesus Christ is the minister of reconciliation - His purpose.  His glory is to offer us the opportunity to reconcile ourselves to God. What I've come to understand is that it's necessary for us to live in a "fallen world" and experience humanity in its raw, not sugarcoated reality.  It's the only way that we can, for ourselves, exercise our agency and reconcile ourselves to God through Jesus Christ.

People all need to experience "rock bottom" (granted, rock bottom varies according to each individual) and finally look inside themselves (shout out to Lion King) and truly consider their life and the eternal consequences of each of their decisions.

Like the Prodigal Son, we all reach a moment when we come to ourselves, "And when he came to himself", and realize who we honestly, truly are.  No one can figure it out except us and the Lord. Because he knows exactly who we are.
Liefs, Zuster Dobler

"I know what I want. I have a goal. I have opinions, a religion and love." - Anne Frank