dearest family - what a week this has been. i am super duper tired. that is to be expected though. i will tell you of my weeks happenings.

on tuesday we had a lesson with roos, we taught the law of tithing and it was a lovely lesson, at the end, i told her that she was actually ready to be baptized, she had learned everything and that if she wanted to...she could join the baptismal service on sunday and get baptized. she got really excited but said she would have to pray about it. the next day she hadn't decided officially, she felt that either on her original date or on easter would both be good, but she wanted a solid answer. the next day (thursday) we had a lesson by a members house and she decided to get baptized on easter! i was SO HAPPYYY. what a brilliant day. she asked me to speak at her baptism. so i gave a talk in dutch, about the holy ghost. ahhhh! it went well though, it was a beautiful day. Roos brought roses for everyone there and tied a little packet of seeds to each one, it was so cute. oh man. she is going to be such a pillar of strength to this ward! hallelujah! next week she will receive the gift of the holy ghost...and then in one year she can go through the temple, and i will be able to go with her! hoooooorah! :)

things are coming along well with our other investigators. we are teaching a man named andre from the ivory coast. he is so sweet. its a little more of a slow process because he speaks only a little english. french is his mother tongue. so we rely on the spirit to get the message across! and it works! :) we have a baptisimal date with him for may 6th.

our other investigators are moving a long at a slower slower pace, but the work is moving! we are doing our best but we have to rely on the Lord. it can be super overwhelming at times. which is also a given for mission life. one of our investigators, gina, doesnt want to meet with us anymore, it was a heartbreaking phone call. i felt like i was being dumped. oh wow. it hurts! but i know that Heavenly Father will never stop helping his children. but we also need to do our part and ASK for help. i was reading in the book of mormon this week about alma the youngers conversion and how for three days he was racked with the pains of hell, and he remembered what his father had preached about the atonement and mercy of Jesus Christ, and as soon as he cried out for help, in THAT VERY MOMENT, his pain was taken from him! i've read this story so many times, but i never really had read it, realizing that he had remembered the mercy of Christ, and DESIRED to change, he really did desire mercy and he asked for it, that is the most amazing part. what a great lesson i learned from that. we have to be willing to ask. alma spent the rest of his life serving the Lord and working hard. but how sweet was his joy! and the other side of the story, his earthly father was by his side praying with all his soul for his son. love is a powerful powerful thing. this morning i read an older talk by e. uchtdorf "the love of God" it is easily my FAVORITE talk ever written. oh snap. it is so beautiful.

well - life is good. life is hard but it is BEAUTIFUL. i am so grateful for you all. i love and miss you dearly. thank you for your prayers.

lovessssssssssssssssssssss! - katelyn marie stout