Week 12 - Groningen (last week of Transfer 1)

Groetjes mijne familie, 

Here's something sad/ unexpected: We found out late last night that my trainer aka mom aka Zr. Meier is leaving me and going to Haarlem on Wednesday! I'll sure miss working with that loving/ hilarious/ patient/ bubbly yet genuine/ spiritual li'l lady. 

This past week has been full of some hilarious moments, though-- as in next-day hilarious, in-the-moment shocking. When looking up some former investigators from the area book on Wednesday, we decided to 2-2-5 those houses (knock 2 doors on either side and 5 across the street) which turned into running into a possessed or ridiculously high on drugs man yelling at us through his window and then flinging the door open and staggering/ kicking/ reaching for us... later in the week we were stopping and talking to people on the street on our way home, and met a young Muslim Afghan man who wasn't as interested in our message as he was in cooking for (only) us- I think we'll let the Elders take him if he turns out to be "interested," especially considering how he hugged Zr. Meier twice (luckily her bike protected her). That same evening, we talked to a young Dutch man who seemed genuinely interested and gave us his address to swing by and drop off a Book of Mormon (he told us that if he wasn't home, his roommate B would be interested), but B turned out to be his best friend's Dad. Haha he probably thought he was so funny giving us a fake address, but it actually turned into an interesting discussion and an opportunity to answer lots of B's questions about our beliefs, until he kindly but very concernedly told us that we needed to dress more like the young Nederlanders if we wanted people to take us seriously- he was worried that Zr. Meier's combat boots (which she bought downtown and are very in style here) and my flower shirt/ thin belt/ dark skirt/ green coat (one of my favorite mission outfits..), and our "simple bikes" made us look Amish. Haha we reminded him that the card we had just given him had our website on it (technology-related).. he really was a nice guy though, and we'll take as a referral and stop by and say hi if we're in the neighborhood (maybe I'll debut my pioneer bonnet just for him). 

Now for our (well, ''our'' as in mine and Sister Wood's- who I'm sure is awesome (haven't met yet), it's just sad to see Sister Meier go so soon-) new miracle onderzoeker: On Sunday, a cute as can be Groningen-native 18-yr old girl walks into Church and tells us that she got back on Wednesday from spending her senior year of High School in Utah where she went to church every Sunday, and wants to meet with the missionaries asap- she doesn't want to wait and lose this feeling (her parents aren't too fond of the idea, though). She told me that she learned how to be truly happy and have fun while still respecting herself, and when someone asked her if she was a member in Sunday School, she said "nog niet" (not yet). Wow. And J, the young hipster musician texted us when we were trying to set up an appt. telling us she's really busy with exams but that she's planning on coming to church this week (without us mentioning church), and T, her mom, loved the BoM with Donny Osmond's picture, testimony, and signature in the front cover that we brought by for her ("oh, that ''lecker ding" Donny, what a collector's item, wow can't wait to read what he wrote, oh, that "lecker ding"). And J (onderzoeker) and her son came to church with their new carpool buddies G (a little less-active, we meet at her house) and her daughter. Ah Groningen is blessed. 

Love you all!

Zuster Riley (: 

**lekker... oops I spelled it the German way, lecker. Btw, "lekker" means tasty/ nice/ delicious/ enticing.. used to describe, food, the weather, and apparantly Donny Osmond (;. 

--Zr. Meier wants me to make her raw vegan brownies today before she leaves (she's getting transferred! :( ), could you please send me the recipe? 

--I have a late birthday postcard for Isaac and threw away his address after writing him from the MTC (assuming I would get it again once he replied and see his return address but still waiting for that haha), what's his current address? 

 One more thing: look up on history.lds.org "That We Might Be One: The Story of the Dutch Potato Project," it's really touching, and I know Familie Dallinga that is mentioned in there, and Broeder Weenig who is the first Dutch speaker (wearing a greet jacket with a blue scarf and has brown hair, he's in the bishopric in wijkgroningen)! 
http://history.lds.org/article/dutch-potatoes-video?lang=eng