Beste Familie and Vrienden,

Hoi weer! So this past week was a wonderful Christmas in Holland . Tuesday we had district meeting at our chapel and then a combined zone Christmas gift exchange. We played a pretty intense white elephant game, which was especialyl funny since we had drawn names and bought pretty person-specific gifts. Let's just saying seeing Elder Scherbel yelp for joy when he got to snag Zr. Crowther's (a senior missionary) baking molds was pretty hilarious. Gotta love how missions bring out hidden talents. =) Afterwards we carolled by the Grote Markt and Cathedral / Library in Blaak, in the center of Rotterdam . We have a super musical zone, so it was really wonderful, and lots of people were touched and stopped and listened. Yesterday we tracted into a girl who had stayed for 45 minutes or so - she wasn't all that interested, but thanked us profusely for how beautiful we sang. It was nice to just sing a testimony of Christ.
On Christmas Eve we had a ward music night. The American member of the Relief Society Presidency, Zr. Pond, had volunteered us to sing and had taught us a nice fun rendition of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," which was pretty great until they announced they were going to have a more spiritual Christmas Music Night this year. Undaunted by the Dutch reading of Luke 2, we still sang out part and even got smiles out of most of the audience, but it was pretty humorous how incongruous our part was. Nonetheless, I think most people enjoyed it. Funny times.
Christmas day we had a brunch at the church with one of the wards, and then visited Anielda, an old investigator who called us to make an appointment out of the blue. About 18 months ago she'd been investigating but the father of a couple of her kids was also a recent convert (I'm not sure when he got baptized in the whole fathering process... I've never seen him at church tho) and apparently told her some things about the church that don't quite make sense. She now wants to learn for herself, and it's incredible to see how determined she is to really investigate the church and she what's right and what she agrees with. She would have been at church on Sunday but was super sick. We visited her later this week and between her Dutch and English, Zr. Matos's Spanish, and DVDs in Portuguese, I think we can effectively teach her. =) Oh languages.
So later we visited this American family from the South with the elders (they wanted us to come along and carol) and that was funny to have such a long conversation in English with someone not wearing a name tag. =) The wife is totally a dry Mormon, and it was fun hearing a Southern accent again. On the bike ride home next to a beautiful Dutch lake and windmills the family called! So we got to the church and then I got to talk to everybody at home, which was delightful. The only drawback to having so many wonderful siblings is how short 30 minutes becomes divided up between everyone. Please tell Dan I was just feeling exceptionally grateful for all my family and I hope he's not weirded out that I told him I love him (along with everybody else). =) I really do have great brothers-in-law.
That night we ate with Andre and Monik and Andre's ex-wife and son. Apparently he hadn't seen her in 13 years, but the whole evening went along really happily. She was a lovely, gracious woman. I hope they can continue being amiable.
For second Christmas (that's right - they have two of them here, just like hobbits and breakfast) we visited a lot of people and carrolled and gave them fudge. We also ate with Helen Nooitmeer, a recent convert from Suriname . Ingemar got to come, and it was good helping him get to know more members.
Lenneke is still doing great. Sunday Andre invited her to come eat dinner with us (he's learned if he invited a third woman we can come over... I think we're going to be fed by him a lot more frequently now. I've never known someone so grateful to the missionaries.) and to our surprise it was an absolutely lovely time. I love seeing the random people the gospel brings together. We had a nice lesson on eternal marriage (one of Andre's questions, but Lenneke had already read the Proclamation on the Family online because she's just like that) and it was good.
Things are going well. If I transfer, which I suspect I will, I will leave next Wednesday (not two days from now but the next), so please mail accordingly. And thank you for all your letters. They really mean so much, even though I often don't have time for meaningful replies.
And today our district went to Kinderdijk, a lovely water area with 15 or so windmills. So now I'm officially a Dutch missionary. =) Anywho, you should google it, because it really is a lovely place.
I love this gospel and the way it brings such light into people. It's getting pretty cold again, but I'm staying warm and I'm happy here. Please know I love you all and am thankful for your support and prayers.


Love,

Zr. Christa Baxter