Hallo iedereen! So this week brought some great progress with people we're
teaching. We taught Azelea about Tithing, and it seemed pretty reasonable to
her. Although that may be because she doesn't have a baptisimal date yet. ;)
But on Saturday we taught her with Sjaak, a convert of 18 months or so who
just got his mission call to South Africa. We had Sjaak teach the majority
of the first lesson again to her, under the pretext that he needs the
practice teaching, and Azelea acted like she was a completely new
investigator. So we had to hide her beautifully tabbed and marked copy of
the Book of Mormon she's been highlighting like nobody's business the past 6
months. =) It was amazing. It felt we were in the MTC again teaching a
member who was giving answers too good to be true. Finally Zuster Fowler
said, "Okay Azelea, all pretending aside, you talk like you've been a member
for years. Do you really know that Joseph Smith was a prophet? And that the
Book of Mormon was true?" And Azelea thought about it all and said, "Well,
yeah! I do know it's true!" She loves the Book of Mormon but she'd never
expressed that kind of surety about Joseph Smith. So then Zr Fowler invited
her to be baptised with Mosiah 18:8-10 - Azelea responded, "Wow, you haven't
shown me this scripture before." And then said she wants to be baptised, but
things are just too hectic and crazy in her life right now. I stinking love
this woman so much! Her biggest obstacle is coming to church, but things are
getting more flexible at her workplace, so she's trying to come again in a
couple weeks. Please please please pray for her to be able to come to church
regularly and get baptised. She's such a wonderful person and has such a
beautiful growing testimony.
Milene is doing well, but got sick so she couldn't come to church or
the baptisimal service in Den Haag we wanted to bring her too. Bummer! We're
hoping to introduce her to more of the older members who joined the church
when they were young adults around her age - most of the Young Single Adults
in the ward have grown up in the church, and the standards can seem to be a
pretty big change at times. We're hoping to help her see she really can do
this. =)
And Engelien is great. The ward takes so much care of her! But she's
just learning about the Word of Wisdom, and she smokes a lot and drinks
occasionally. So there's that - we just go forward in faith and dilligence
and do our thing. It'll come good.
Um, I don't know what else to say. I really just adore Haarlem. The
ward is amazing and we're teaching a lot of truly amazing, dedicated,
serious people. And just Sunday, Heather (a Canadian au pair) brought her
Dutch boyfriend to church again - he wants to take the missionary lessons
again and see if he really can believe in God and accept this church.
Reminds me of some high school experiences, but maybe she'll succeed where I
failed. ;) I really just love being a missionary right now.
And on Friday we took another trip to the mission home in Belgium for
legality - and I found out I get the stay a 12th transfer!!!!! Meaning I
will be released on October 28th. Wahoo!!! I was pretty surprised, but I
really love being a missionary, and the language is no longer so great a
problem, so I'm happy to stay even longer and experience one more European
Fall. I love you all and I love this work. I know Heavenly Father is taking
care of us all, in His time and His way. I know he answers prayers.

Veel Liefs,


Zr Baxter