happy new year. everyone here in haarlem has been busy with fireworks since...saturday. ridiculous. they are SO loud. it seriously sounds like a war. and the real stuff is coming tonight. good gravy! merry christmas too, by the way! can you believe that was just a few days ago= yes, the equal sign is a question mark. there isnt much to do about that. alrighty. lets get down to the nitty gritty. i dont have much time. my bad. i am uploading photos for you.
monday / christmas eve. this was easily one of the craziest christmas eve´s i have ever experienced. firstly, i heard the glorious news that i have a new nephew!!!!! so exciting! i already adore him. then we went out and did all of our christmas shopping and preparations. we bought instant pudding for the bishop. that was the best gift. he loved it. i made pindasaus for our party with hanneke. we went over to her house and had a fabulous indonesian dinner and then watched nora´s christmas gift. CLASSIC. it was a lovely lovely day. and then....when we got home, sister rigdon and i performed the nativity. yes. the whole thing. it was classy. i shall attach photos of that goodness.
tuesday / christmas! first christmas day rather. we drank eggnog before opening our gifts...as per tradition in the rigdon family. i could not handle it. but i drank it. at least one gulp. woo! we went to the church after that / in our matching sweaters. the hit of every party. we had a beautiful christmas service and then shared some christmas bread afterwards. gezellig. then we went to familie jansens with zuster goudsblom. talk about classy. what a great way to spend christmas. i got some great advice from her for when i return home. and i got it on video. haha. then we went to the bishops house and WE TALKED TO EACHOTHER ON SKYPE!!!! that was lovely. even though i was burning up in my christmas sweater! then we did gourmet for an hour or so, classic dutch party. THENNNNN we watched the best two years!!!! it was so sweet. so beautiful to me. i know almost all of the dutch actors and extras. also all the locations. it brought joy to my heart. i might have to join jonathan thornton in his weekly watching of that film.
wednesday / traveled early to den haag and practiced singing christmas carols with the zone. then we went to sing for an event at the church and on the way there GUESS WHO I SAWWWW!!!!!! yes. ferdi broekman! and i totally gave him a hug. haha. he is like my australian dad. it was sooooo awesome. i hopefully will meet up wtih ferdi and sisca soon. how brilliant!!!! so / the rest of the day was spent singing at a rest home...it was such a cool experience. near the end i was just praying so hard that my voice would hold out. good gravy. i am not a professional! my favorite part of that day was actually at the church when we sang for that activity...there was just one sister i saw...that began to cry as she heard us sing, it was so tender to me. at that moment i realized how much a christmas hymn can effect a soul. so beautiful.
thursday / pretty much the third christmas day. because it was so great. alright. the day was FULL of greatness...but i will just share the best part.
stout/ we wanted to start off today with a hymn
goudsblom/ are you going to sing my favorite one=
stout/ of course! ik ben een kind van God.
we sang it.
stout/ why is that your favorite hymn=
goudsblom/ because that is the first one you sang to me and it has always stayed with me
stout/ i am so glad...because that is our only goal as missionaries...to help people know that they are children of God and that they have great worth... do you know that=
goudsblom/ yes....i know it from deep within my heart.... and i was talking with my daughter about the 19th of january...and she is in support...and i thought...well, i have been learning for about a year now...i might as well make a decision...so....lets do what we need to to prepare.
stout/.....what= you want to be baptized= YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
that is pretty much how it went down. but in dutch. and i cried. haha.
and THEN. i was brave enough to ask her to move it up a week! because i was afraid i would be transfered and not get to see it. and she said yes! so. pretty much / dear sister goudsblom, who first met the missionaries on january 11 of 2012 will be getting baptized on january 12 of 2013. of course we are going to have opposition. but we will fight til the end. and i know that she can do it. miraclessssssssssss. seriously.
the rest of the week was awesome. i have no time to go into details. OH except one more miracle. months ago i met a guy named nathan. he is half dutch half american and he was totally golden. turns out i either wrote his number down wrong, or he gave me a fake one...whatever...i couldnt get a hold of him. i have been praying and hoping every day since i met him to run into him again. then YESTERDAY on the bus to an appointment...guess who we saw. well, we thought we saw him...i couldnt tell because i was behind him...so i am leaning..trying to see...i am sure i looked like a fool...and i couldnt NOT take this opportunity so i walk up and sit next to him and blessedly it was him!!!! haha...i was like...dude, nathan!!!!! no. i didnt say dude. but it wasGREAT. WE FOUND HIM!!!!! Heavenly Father sent us another miracle. amazingggg. and we got his number for reals and will be meeting with him soon! hallelujah.
okay seriously there were so many miracles this week. people are great. wow. wow....okay.
here is my favorite thing. my favorite verse i read this week...
john 10 10
i am come to the world that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly
that is why Christ came. He gives us life, and he makes it awesome. IF we choose to follow Him. its not easy, but easy things are boring! you dont learn from easy. i am grateful for the abundant life i have in Christ. that through His teachings and example, my paradigm is shifted and my perspective is clear. we can stumble. we can lose our way. but that is what helps us have a better life. oh i just the thought of the best poem that would be applicable...but i dont have it with me. haha...its called `good timber`something like...the tree that never had to fight for its share of earth or sun or light...never became a forest king, but lived and died a scrubby thing....
it goes on to say that we are made strong by our trials. just like what you were saying in your email mom...its so true. but our burdens and trials are made light as we go to the Lord. i am so grateful for the many reminders we have. i am currently reading the book of mormon again with a focus on a mighty change of heart. so far, the answer is, our desires. that is where it all starts. i am grateful for this life! it is a beautiful one! i am grateful for you. if you are reading it, the odds are that i love you dearly! i am so grateful for family and friends and just humans in general. you are what make life worth living. i am so happy to be a part of this. i love you all!
/ zuster katelyn marie stout
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