Rotterdam!

Baroniestraat 18a
31ED Rotterdam
NETHERLANDS

So theoretically that should be the same address I send you last week, butif not, there's how to reach me now! So hello, wunderbarre familie andvrienden! I'm now hailing you from echt Nederland, the land of windmills,comprehensible (mostly) Dutch, and normal American keyboards! So hopefully Iwill be able to include a little more this week. The zone leader inAntwerpen should be checking my mail for the next couple weeks, so hopefullyanything already en route to Antwerpen will make it to me in time.

So now I'm on a bike in Rotterdam! I'm in a trio of sisters. Zr.Knoelk is a wonderful senior comp with a few more months left from Idaho,and Zr. Kabenda is a middle-aged (in mission terms - in real life she's 24)Surinamse missionary. She's definitely helping me learn Dutch more quickly,so that's pretty great to work with her. They're both pretty fabulous and wehave a lot of recent converts and a few people getting baptised soon, so wekeep pretty busy.

I find it's really fun to claim Louisiana as my home - members arealways excited to meet someone not from Utah (so I play down the fact thatI'm a one generation removed Utah Mormon), and as we're biking around thecity all day it's some slight consolation to remind myself that Southernwomen don't sweat - they glisten. =) There's a lot of good work here inRotterdam. I find the Dutch is a LOT more understandable, which is quite arelief. I'm actually participating alot more in teaching, which is great,but also shows me how much work I have to do and how much more I have tolearn!

The ward here is just superb. We meet in a meetinghouse built in the1950s - it's due to be remodelled shortly, but it's a lovely building. TheRelief Society held a babyshower last week for a recent convert and anotherward member, and it was fabulous to see how this ward welcomes new members.It was also hilarious to kick back and celebrate with Dutch women - they areso great! It's such an open friendly culture with the members, and I'veenjoyed everyone I've met so far. As far as comprehension goes, I understandenough to reasonably fake my way through conversation, and I just try to letmy love for these people shine. Small talk is always an adventure in secondlanguages, but it's all good.

So my first week here we had a 16 year old girl working with us on amini-mission. Let me say that tracting with a shy 16 year old is quite theadventure! I told here I'd bring the courage if she'd bring the language...So I did most of the talking and I hope she wasn't too embarassed as Imauled my way through the Joseph Smith story in my Neder-Engels, brokenDutch to people on the street. We both survived, so life is good. =)

I'm not sure what else to say... I think I'll continue to like itmore and more here. The longer I'm a missionary, the more I realize familyand faith are all that really matters in life - everything else we do aremerely appendages to it. There are some wonderful recent converts here whoare so happy with the gospel now in their lives, and that's reallyremarkable to see. I'm enjoying what I do - it really is wonderful to beable to just serve people. One blessing from leaving Antwerpen at the sametime as Zr. Barkume was seeing how fond people were of missionaries - it wasreally uplifting to see we do make a difference, with members and peoplelearning about the gospel alike. But it's really the Spirit that touchespeople when we visit them and teach them. Sorry this letter is so haphazardly written - I love you and am sogreatful for your letters and prayers! Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Zr. Christa Baxter