One year down:) 6 months to go!!

Dearest all, Happy Halloween!  Exactly a year ago, I was in the MTC walking this way and that, completely unaware of what this year would bring: rain, spiders, amazing people, oliebollen, testimony strengthening experiences, "finding myself" sessions, and all that jazz:)

I'm oh glad that I have a whole 6 months left to just do "all the things!" and live in the moments that I do have here in this tiny country with an outrageous sea level...#nonexistent.  This week, we went to Zaanse Schans, the ultimate tourist-y place ever with some JOVOs (YSA) from the branch and snapped some pics of windmills, Asian tourists, and us having a grand old gesellig time:)

So, I've composed a spoof to the holiday classic, "Grandma got run over by a Reindeer" to relate to you all my experiences this week past. Ahem.

"Zuster Dobler got flet up by a greyhound, walking around Hoorn on All Hallows Eve. You may say there's no such thing as creepers, but as for Hanny and me, well, we believe."

No, there's no need to get in a tizzle or any kind of fit, I just happened to meet a rather brusque greyhound who was a little too confident in himself; I had to promptly shut him down. But his owner was nice and took a card:)
Oh! We also met the nicest, genuine people yesterday and had three street lessons with them:)  One of them has apparently "mee gemaakt" e'erything and was even a bouncer in the Red Light District when he was younger...hmmm but he's on the search for something and we talked to him for about 40 minutes along the canal (that casually runs through Hoorn:)

Also talked to some Dutch youth (they're probably about our age, but as a missionary I feel 87 all the time...) and had a legitimate conversation about the possibilities that are open to us, if we are first open to figuring out if God exists. There's probably no greater thrill/goosebumps (kippenvel) that you can get when you can look someone in the eye and promise them that if they pray today and ask God if He's there, they will get an answer.  I love it:)

Sometimes life is hard and as people, we don't like that. this week alone, I talked to at least three people who have very clearly told me that they don't believe in God and that they don't want to, but if things were to get harder, then maybe they'd be open to the idea of Him. That's not a thing, people.  God is not an easy, comfortable God. He's not a last resort resource or emergency storage that we use when everything is spent and break out when all the other, better stuff is gone.  We think that because God loves us (which He does!) that everything is peachy-dory and that it's going to be blue skies and sunshine the whole time. And then when it doesn't, we blame everything and everyone (including God) except ourselves.

Now, we're not necessarily able to control every situation in our lives, but we are always able to control ourselves and how we feel, approach, and embrace a situation. Sometimes things just happen because, although we are in control of ourselves, we can't control others and sometimes that makes for not the most ideal situation.   But, we need to also remember, that God works through us to expand His works, and manifest Himself to us and others.  Christ allows for Lazurus  to be sick, to die, to let Mary and Martha mourn and grieve and suffer for a time and yet, nothing is for nothing.  Christ promises, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?  (John 11:40)

That's my Ponderize for this week and probably forever:) If we believe, we will see the glory of God.

Liefs, Zuster Dobler