greeeeeetings! all is well - i totally got the dear elder yesterday and it worked out perfectly! thank you :)

you asked how i REALLY am doing. well, i am really doing well. there are hard days. super hard days.

days where i just make it through. moments when i have to go into the bathroom and weep silently. but who doesnt have those days?

at any moment in ones life. it is normal. blessedly - our Heavenly Father ALWAYS comes through. if i am looking, he ALWAYS gives me answers

and blesses me. sometimes its hard to fully see why we are going through certain trials whilst we are in the midst of them...

alas, i do not know the meaning of all things but i do know that God loves us and that all of these things will work together for our good.

of course - i know i'm just preaching to the choir here. you all know this and have been beautiful examples to me. yesterday, sister dalton

of the YW presidency came and gave the most beautiful talk. she told the story of the saviors birth in luke, in a totally knew way to me.

she applied it all to missionary work in that, like the shepherds and angels we are called to spread the good news and rejoice in our Saviors birth.

it was a beautiful message. she said "discouragement is not an option!" and i loved that. discouragement is super lame. i hate it. it is such a struggle though.

of all the things i have learned here though - the most important is to RELY ON THE LORD!!!! to "trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean NOT unto thine own understandings, in all ways acknowledge him and HE SHALL DIRECT THEY PATHS!!!!" classic. its vital that we know for ourselves. that we look to the lord ALWAYS. i have great teachers and examples here but none of them have taught me what the spirit has. and i think that is exactly what is most important right now. i can't trust in the arm of flesh. totally can't. that is what i am working on. BLESSSSEDLY we are not without guidance! ahh! this sounds like a missionary lesson?!? whatevs. i continue to learn and rely on inspiration through the scriptures and prayer and fasting and and and. we are not alone. yet, it is our choice, every single second how we live our life and what we believe. i am trying my best to pour my heart and soul into this work and as long as God knows that and i do what He wants, alles goed! we are accountable to Him. thusly- i shall continue on with a steadfast faith in Christ! we are all so loved. so so so so so loved. love is the greatest. LOVE IS THE ANSWER. i know. i say that all of the time. only because its TRUE. love never fails. i read chapter 13 of Corinthians a couple times a week now, because it is the most brilliant chapter to me. i highly recommend it! :) okay - so, mtc haps? ummm... on monday - my favorite missionaries, the danish missionaries, left for Denmark. it was a solemn day. i shall miss them dearly. i shall also be sending the SWEET awkward photos home soon. they turned out beautifully. today we get a new dutch and danish district. snap! EIGHT new sisters! it shall be so busy but fantastic. i know two of the sisters already. it shall be a lovely time. can you believe i only have less than THREEEEE weeks?!?!?!?!?!?!? ongelofelijk! ik kan niet dat geloof! maar, ik zal proberen. oh my dearest family and friends - i adore you all. i pray for you all. i am SO blessed to have so sososososos many beautiful people in my life who constantly love and support me. hallelujah! there is GREAT REASON TO REJOICE! errryday! this world is BEAUTIFUL. ik weet dat! well - yes. cool. awesome. geweldig. hmmm.....

uhhh - i am not sure what to say now? when the clock has only a few minutes left i kind of freak out and forget everything i wanted to share. not awesome. i shall work on that. ok. i have a question

who originally wrote and performed "turn turn turn"? the byrds right? an elder in my district says that its false. i beg to differ.

someone with worldly resources, please can you help me? this is not important...but, really.

okay. LOVESSS!!!!!!! TOT ZIENS mijn geliefde familie! :) ik houd van jullie!

- zuster katelyn marie richard sue duncan kmar stout