Just Call Me Zuster: Week 58

The Nielsen family (visiting Netherlands with their newly-RM son) sent me this photo!

Yes she was.

C ! / personal progress with Dharmz (:

Zuster K!

Can't have too many of these pics! / Zuster U!

Dag Familie Riley,

great seeing you all yesterday on Skype! Hope your Mothers Day was a good one, Mom. (: On Monday, I went to the Rotterdam Markthal with a less active and her investigator daughter for a second time- this time, with Zuster K and C, instead of Leah and Lara who took us last time- and it was really nice getting to know them better and spending the day together. C is so busy with work (she works at a center with handicapped children) so it's hard to meet regularly, but she feels really positively towards our church and has great questions, especially about modern-day prophets. I really hope we can get in with her soon and teach her more.

We went over to Zuster U's that evening to make Indian vegetable curry (which was so delicious and she had all her real S. African curry powders brought with her from Durban), and it's been neat seeing her come back to church- she's had a rough life, but she has a lot of faith, and keeps a positive perspective.

On Tuesday, Zuster Bradley came to work with me here on exchanges, and we swung by the house of Melony- a middle-aged Dutch lady who recently ran into some Elders in Amsterdam and talked to them because she lives in Zoetermeer near the new church building and had gone to the open house last year, and even though her friends tell her that our church is a sect, she was curious about what we believe in and really enjoyed the open house. She was super friendly and we set up an appt for a tour/ lesson at the church that coming Friday evening. The coolest part was that Lucie, who is getting baptized in two weeks, came as a joint teach, and testified and answered questions like a pro.. it was so cool, especially for Lucie to realize how much she does understand and believe. Lucie and Rosanne are just doing so well- so excited to be baptized, inviting their friends and family, talking about being sealed as a family in a year.. really applicable to the theme of "standing in the waters of baptism facing the temple" that our mission will be focusing on next transfer- namely, helping investigators prepare for a life of sacred ordinances as opposed to seeing baptism as an end goal.

Because Rosanne is 10, we like to teach with activities- ie we were reviewing the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy, and dished up a bowl of ice cream for her. (Luckily, even Dutch McDonalds menus use the word "sundae" btw). Then we had her take out her favorite sauces for rice/ pasta/ fries- ie curry ketchup, mayo, pesto. We talked about how these sauces are good on a lot of things, and would represent hobbies/ pastimes that are good- family vacation to Disneyland, grocery shopping, jogging, even sleeping in, etc. So, if they're good, they'll be good on a Sunday (sundae), right? So we poured them all over the ice cream, and talked about how just like there are better things for a sundae- cherries, nuts, whipped cream, there are better things for a Sunday- going to church, visiting sick and elderly, writing in your journal, thinking about spiritual things. Even though Rosanne is young- almost 11- she really is making this decision for herself and understands things, really cool.

English lesson was so funny on Wednesday night- we were teaching our students about words with food/ meals, and playing hangman, and Hohannes (from Armenia, speaks Dutch) stumped us with a word- peelmen- which apparently is a Russian dish, and Zuster Lemich and I could not stop laughing, because of course the whole point was to learn more English, not Russian, words, and Peter, the British recent convert older man who has crazy stories (and pictures..) from his days as an ice-skater in the European travelling circus, kept saying in his British accent, "Do you two ever stop giggling? Are all American classes taught like this?" which of course just made it worse.

I almost ran over a little boy on my bike the other day while speeding along Dorpstraat, but whew, crisis avoided. My bike has slowly been deteriorating over the course of my mission (it's held together by duct tape and stuck on the highest gear and has jangly metal wires bouncing all over the place), but I'm determined to not have to buy another one.. it can just be a little dangerous when one of my brakes decides to stop working. (: We went to the Markham Family's place to eat on Saturday which is such a treat- they are vegan!- and it is so fun to get to know them better, they are so cool and good. The members are so good to us missionaries here.

Know that I am happy and safe and doing well, and love you all! Thanks for the prayers and support! Fijne week,

Zuster Riley (: