dearest family:

what a week! let me just start with the big news, because, why not.

I AM STAYING IN HAARLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!! and...I AM TRAININGGGG!!!!!!!!
woohooo! i am so excited. really. this is going to be an adventure! i can still remember my first day in the land like it was yesterday. it is all still clear and fresh in my mind - and yet, in one transfer i will be the oldest sister in the mission with zr.palenikova and only have 4 transfers left. sooo - time does indeed fly on wings of lightning. well. enough of this. lets get down to the nitty gritty!

monday: jamari (the kid from canada) came to haarlem and we showed him the great sights and fabulousness of the netherlands for his last day. he ate a fresh stroopwafel, fed pigeons, tried to speak dutch..etc. it was a delight. now he is home filling out his mission papers! woo hoo!

tuesday: adventure day. temple conference. we missed our train. got on the wrong tram. wandered about in search for a temple. FINALLLLLY made in only one hour later than we shouldve been there but luckily we were in time for the session. BARELY. it was so great. so so so great. i love the temple.. i could go every day. amazing. and because of our crazy experience. taking 3 or so hours to travel there...i realized - that is absolutely nothing. there are people to travel days and weeks and save money for years to make it to the temple. and then i realized...and there are people who have waited hundreds and hundreds of years for their work to be done. how blessed we are to be able to help them! what a great work. i love it.

wednesday: a crazy morning of serendipity led us to be at ABSOLUTELY the right spot at the right time...i stopped a lady named Mvr. Cavdol and after i asked her if she knew about the book of mormon...she answered with teary eyes...that her daughter had just been killed and her grandchildren came to live with her, their father who is a bad man was let out of jail and this all happening only a few weeks after the death of her dear sister...she was so distraught...and didnt want anything more...she said she could barely stand there to speak with us. i told her that i was so sorry and asked if i could help...she said no but kept talking...she talked and talked...and after a while i was able to tell her that she is loved, and that God is aware of her and that she will see her family again...i asked for her name so that i could pray for her at least...she wrote it on a post it note...thanked me for my words and walked away. this experience is one of the most touching i have ever had on my mission. how great the goodness of our God. i really hope i meet her again and that she wants to listen...but even if i don't, i am not worried because God knows her, where she is, and is taking care of her. how grateful i am for Him.

donderdag: a great day. great appointments. great people. whilst biking into the centrum, an old man waves at me and says "hoi schat! (hey cutie) i love you! ha ha ha" it was hilarious. later that day one of our appointments fell through and we were distraught - but our joint teach saved us and made us a cup of hot chocolate and shared inspiring stories with us to buoy us up. (we have the greatest ward in the world)

vrijdag: moeder was jarig! we celebrated this great day by going to den haag for a special zone training. we talked about having better relationships with the ward members and being a blessing not a burden. our stake president also gave a small culture lesson so we could understand the dutch better. he said...americans are a people of invites. if you meet them they will naturally invite you into their home, or to stay with them on vacation etc etc...but the dutch dont do that so readily so be aware of this. you are lucky to be invited into their homes, that is an honor...etc etc...the funny part of this is that the VERY NEXT DAY after cleaning the church, i was saying goodbye to a sister in the ward just in case i was transfered, she gave me a big hug and said you are welcome to come stay with us whenever you come back to the netherlands! haha oh man! how great! it was so sweet and also very ironic. :)

oh yeah...one more thing about friday. we arrived home - i hang up the keys and suddenly i smell gas. really really strongly. i look at the stove and its on!!!!! i turn it off and we leave. just as i shut the door i realize that the keys are still inside. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!??!?!!? so as we race downstairs - i call the fire department and explain the situation...including my foolishness of locking the keys in. we bike with such speed to a member home with the spare - on the way i hear the blaring of the firetruck...knowing exactllllly where they are going. we have never biked so fast in our lives. when we get back...the elevator isnt coming so we take the stairs...ten flights...haha...reallly. we run and hand the keys to the fireman who are standing at our door. they walk in and can't even smell it. they open the windows and check some things. they tell us to buy a new knob for the gas because its broken and dangerous. i was shocked. i thought it was dangerous....they say...yeah it can be dangerous..."have a nice day! dag! " seriously?! it was such a strange strange experience. i am glad that nothing exploded. and hopefully ive really learned my lesson about emergency situations. ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE KEYS.

zaterdag: we cleaned the church. it was SO MUCH FUN. why? because it turns out that i really like to clean, more than i used to. and also - it was because there were many great members there all working together to make it happen. the unity was strong and people were happy to do their part. i thought it was fabulous! i am excited to clean the church when i get home.

zondag: a great great sunday. wow. one of the best ever. we had 5 investigators at church, glory be! many of the members were asking about transfers and worried that i would leave - it was so so sweet. i felt so loved! it was really an ideal sunday.  the members were talking to our investigators and sitting with them...the talks in sacrament were PERFECT and clear and beautiful! oh it was amazing!!!!! the spirit was strong and very important things happened for these people. so great. later that night we got the call from president telling us the news. i was filled with relief and joy that i was staying here. i am not ready to leave these people! they are too great! i am so grateful to be here still. hallelujah!

well my family and friends. life is BEAUTIFUL. prayer works. the scriptures are AWESOME. and going to church is the greatest thing to do with sunday. these three things i have named: the trifecta of salvation. because they all help us stay on track. they help us stay balanced. these are three actions that if done with a sincere heart - will truly bring us eternal life. :) i am so grateful for the many many many blessings of our loving Heavenly Father. how blessed we are! thank you all for your prayers and love. i am so grateful. keep it real and tot volgende week!

daaaaaag!
- zuster stout.