ohhh snap. hello my dearest familie! GOOD GRAVY. i am here in the great lands of the nether. happily so. as you all well know, my first area is amsterdam. life is good. life is crazy. ongelofelijk. last week was easily one of the longest weeks of my life. truly. most of it feels like it was spent in a queue in the london heathrow airport. because it was. alas, twas a good time spent with my dear mtc district. i already miss them all so much. my new companion is awesome. she is crazy. in a good way. we get along well. although, this week i just don't fully feel like myself. i guess i am just trying to adjust to all the insanity. people tell me my dutch is good and that i shouldnt worry or freak out or become discouraged, but i cant help but feel this insane amount of pressure to get it down fast. UGH. i don't like it. i am trying but i just dont know how to make myself absorb it any faster. well, i didnt have to buy a bike... they had one for me to use, alas, its not the nicest thing..kind of falling apart but it will do. we will just see. we bike everywhere, all day, through all weather. it is crazy. i love it. and i hate it. the blasted wind is ALWAYS against us. truly. there is a magical analogy within that. i will figure it out and write a poem. it is super cold. so cold. well, when we are outside at night. other than that, its all good. no snow though. okay this weather bidness is boring me. you all know EXACTLY how it is. we went grocery shopping today. that was fun. but even at that moment i felt stressed. things that usually don't worry me are giving me anxiety. ridiculous. perhaps it is because i am severely lacking sleep and so stressed over the language. i shall conquer this, no worries. okay - so on to the amazingness that is indeed, missionary work. the salvation of souls. TOTALLLYYYYY not the missionaries. it is Heavenly Father. He is so good. we have had much success this week. cool story. many years ago during the days of myspace i created a page. i said i was from amsterdam. don't know why. alas, a random person added me and we became friends and i have no idea how i stayed friends with him for as long as i did, but i got his address before i came here and told him vaguely that i might stop by and two months later, in my first area, we go to his house, he is home and IS TOTALLY MEETING WITH USSSSSS. bam. i know i know i know i know there is no coincidence in that. just TELL me that is a coincidence! ahh!!!! he is going to get in the water. i can feel it in my bones. okay and so yes we've had a few crazy lessons and good finding success. i am in the area where BOTH of my mtc teachers served so i had seen so many photos and heard stories of many of the people here, its crazy now to meet them. i love the ward and love everyone we've met, so cool. yes yes yes. i've been able to give part of the lessons and teaching is not worrisome to me at all. i feel very comfortable when we teach. i just get kind of freaked out in busy conversations on the street because people talk so fast and i can understand alright but not well enough to respond in a normal amount of time, so, i will be working on that this week for sure. people say, oh it will come, dont worry..blah blah. WHENENNENEKJSDK:JFSKDFK i am so impatient. no im not. alles goed. i will be patient now. patient with myself. Heavenly Father wouldnt send me here just to make a fool of myself. its all good. yes indeed. dont worry about me. this is just how i express myself, eh. haha. okay. forgive the insanity. i only have six minutes left!!!! okay - here is what is up. here is what ive learned. well, relearned. "when we persist in doing the difficult, the easier it becomes, not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased." amen. classic. also. "people are just people. they shouldnt make you nervous" truly. people are the same everywhere in the world. when it comes to the basics at least. everyone is just trying to get along the best that they know how. people need love and kindness. every single one. okay. yes. that is why i am here, eh? i shall continue to figure out how to tell everyone that, in dutch.

THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH. for everything you all do for me.

the prayers, the love, the support. i am so abundantly blessed!!!!!!!!!

i love you all and pray for you all. everyday. okay so my pday is monday.

we only have half an hour. soooo, if could once again post all questions at the bottom or so...that would make it super easy :) also, i shall be more concise with my thoughts. possibly. haha. okay.

LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.

tot zienssss! oh, and i shall bring photos next week. i havent taken any, thats why there aren't any. yes. sorry about that. life is just too crazy! kkkkkk, lovelovelove.

ps- bekah i shall respond to you via snail mail. :)