"SISTERS!!"

Zuster Dixon:)

 GOEDEMORGEN!!

Well everyone...this week I was just exhausted, and still am, but things are going really well and we had a really great weekend!!

I have my new Companion...and she is African American. haha not really but she has corn rows and extensions, because the amazing Leticia Richardson in Groningen did them for her.(I LOVE YOU LETICIA) I am super jealous....haha but not really cuz I dont think I could do it.

But seriously....SIS. DIXON is great!! haha she is funny and we are already having a good time. She also sings, so today we are going to go to the music store and finally buy me a strap so that we can do some music contacting. She is from West Point Utah.

Other people in the zone....well it is basically the same people except now Elder Wright and Elder Thornock are our zone leaders. Elder Wilson and Elder Ord are both staying in Ommoord....

GOUDA

This week we didnt have that many dinner appointments so we were able to go to places to get some stuff done. We went all the way out to Bodegraven and had dinner early so that we could try to contact a referral. Well she wasnt interested, and we talked to another lady who had been positive, and she had read anti-material online, so she accused me of being a polygamist. So that was interesting...I tried to fix the situation a little, and succeeded...sort of. But we will see. Then because we were out in Bodegraven we stopped someone out on the street and she wanted a Book of Mormon and also wanted us to come back...so that was the reason why our dinner appt. had to be cancelled so that we could find her. Pretty cool.

Elder Wilson is scared of heights...

The Elders also had a baptism this weekend and it was wonderful!! We had a great turn out. Sis. Dixon asked me who we could invite the day before....so I just made a ton of calls and sure enough someone came!!! It was actually a lady that dropped us, because it wasnt the right timing, and didnt really agree to meeting with us again, but she liked it, and I know she felt to spirit. It was cool...she calls me her little treasure or her little girl (schaatje, meiske) haha for some reason she really likes me so she came and it was cool! I sang, and it wasnt my best performance, but it was okay. 

Our Street and the Church is on the other side..

Then yesterday was one for the books, let me tell you! TECHNOLOGY IS AMAZING!!! haha me and sis. Conrad had knocked a little bit more on the street that a member had given us in Woerden and we had met this guy that spoke literally no English or Dutch, but had told us to come back sooooo we did. haha and we sat in his house with his family and they fed us and we communicated through a telephone translator. Pretty incredible!! He wants us to teach him dutch....but little does he know, we will be teaching him the gospel muahahaha nooo just kidding...but really not. It was pretty cool. We sang for them, and they were all taking pictures with us and filming us...so who knows where they will end up. Crazy thing is his family is living in Denmark right now she the lady spoke Danish and maybe it had to do with the fact that my ancestors are from Denmark, but I was able to understand some of the things she was saying!! Also to do with the fact, that some of dutch is really similar...but it was cool!! THE SPIRIT IS AWESOME!!! I am telling you. The things you experience on a mission are soooo bizarre. and so great!! When is that ever going to happen again? well hopefully more, because I have still got time. 

story time! Yesterday I was sleeping on the train, because I am sorry I just could not contact one more person this week....I was so tired and I just passed out. When all of a sudden I hear this creeepy voice saying: "SISTERS YOU ARE SLEEPING, WAKE UP SISTERS ITS BEEN LONG TIME!!!!" creepiest thing of my life...did I mention that he was tickling my neck. I had taken my glasses off and literally jumped this guy was leaning over me. and I look at this guy in the face. haha his name is apparently Douglas and we went over and sat with him, and my companion gave him our number but we are going to hand him off to the Elders.. 

Zuster Flux

Lucilene...a member here from Brazil.

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Zuster Dixon has Corn rows from Letitia 

I LOVE THIS WORK...it is sooooo hard, and some days I just struggle getting out and working like everyone else...but there is no where I would rather be. I love it!!

Ik hou van Jullie!!

FIJNE WEEK<

Wees veilig!

VEEL LEIFS,

Zuster Stewart-Chester

"You want to know how many matches it took to light this thing?...the whole box." (see last picturexo0

Finally got these gems from Elder Wilson...I miss you sis. Harris!

Gouda squad 

We had to take a selfie as a challenge and a member had just given us random vegetables so I asked this guy to take a selfy with us...it turned out nicely I think!:)

This is what we found on our way to play basketball in Rotterdam! Elder Gleaves and his greeny from aruba. We arent allowed to cook in the church...funniest part was what they said to us: in the title of my email.


A woman with corn rows did my hair for me after I complimented her on hers:)

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Who knew that weeding would be soooo much fun.

MTC to MLC...because practically my whole district are now zone leaders.  

I dont know if I sent the other picture...but it is our album cover;)

but Elder Ocampo wasnt there so we had to improvise and have Elder Richards join, because he was also in our MTC group.

Goedemorgen!

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Well this week was an interesting on. A hard one....but a good one.

We taught our investigator Michel a lot...the one in a wheelchair, and even had Romy (a new member who is our age) come a long. It was the best lesson yet and the spirit was soooooo strong. We finally committed him to come to church and to a barbecue after to celebrate 4th of July....

The next day on my way home from Belgium I receive a call from his mother. She told me that she does not want us to meet with him ever again. Although it is kind of ridiculous that he is 39 and she is not allowing us, when he has full control over his own choices. We dont know the extent of his conditions and we want to respect her, and she told us that he feels the same way. So it was a stab in the heart kind of...Just because he had also become a good friend and I had done sooo much to try and help him. 

But hey I got to go to Belgium so that was nice. (trying to find positives;))

us drenched after getting dropped...sis parker

Then the next day on exchanges it poured sooooooo much. We got drenched within 5 minutes and we went to an appointment with my shoes just squeaking and farting....and he sat us down and told us that he does not want to meet with us anymore...(now the knife was being twisted)....not going to lie, I saw it coming, he wasnt as positive after all. 

And for the rest of the week, literally all of our appointments cancelled. No joke. It was kind of long...but to look at the positives again, I was able to go to Belgium and MLC and see me friends.

Other than that we are just working hard, and we were able to do service for an old less active lady this week. We weeded. It was wonderful!! It is funny how before the mission, anything to do with the garden is a chore, and if you come on the mission it is a treat. It is sooooo nice just to be able to relax and stare at weeds and pull weeds and sit in the sun. It was a nice project after a long week and she was sooo grateful and proud of her garden when we left.

I wish dutch people would let us help them more. I had to practically beg her to let us help her do her garden. Anyways...

That is just about it. We celebrated Bo's birthday...4th of July with familie de Jonge yesterday with a big American Barbeque it was wonderful!!

Birthdays: sorry i am the worst!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEDDY AND BO AND SHARI AND DAD ALEX (I missed you a while back) 

I LOVE AND MISS YOU...I am working on letters...,but you know me...I am terrible at writing, and I am sorry...I will try to do better.

I MISS YOU ALL!! I know it was a rough week, but I still do love it here. I am looking forward to a miracle filled week full of finding and knocking:) haha.

IK HOU VAN JULLIE!!

wees veilig!!

VEEL LIEFS!

Zuster Stewart-Chester

Elder Muller, Elder Groesbeck and Elder Hosea.

hesther

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I made a cake.

sis. de jonge made a pie...

we couldnt leave out canada of course

making smores

smores..simon de jonge

Anna...she is always sooo serious and cute. It is sooo hard not being able to hold her.

Broeder de jonge.

and of course sis. Duncan took the picture...so I found this later 

 Elder Da Silva also joined in.

  Elder Wilson   and  Estelle

rhemert

I believe in Miracles....where you from?

Zuster Conrad...in Gouda

Goedemorgen!!

Well I hope you arent getting sick of my short miracle emails, because I might not be sending much different for the rest of my mission. sorry....

Miracles this week:

We knocked a lot, and received a lot of referrals langs de deuren....it could have been because I had asked to sing for them and then they point me to someone musical, but it was still pretty cool. We started out with two referrals this week, and ended with 2 and 7 contacted...not many interested but it was still pretty cool.

Also this week I got my first member referral!! haha woohooo it does actually happen here;) We were just asking them to pray for a street for us to knock and she said...this is the street this is the name and this is the house. Right then and there. Pretty cool!! 

Also from one of our referrals from last week (also from going langs de deuren(knocking)) it was just from this Muslim guy who had said that this lady had been through a rough time and needed our message. So we came back and guess what. She was interested!! Took a Book of Mormon and scheduled an appointment with us...(in a month, but all well).

sorry that I dont do very much follow up on some of these referrals...if you are ever really just curious about what actually happens with them just ask. Usually if I stop talking about them that means they arent investigating...but not always!!

We had zone Conference this week and it was really good!! I had to give a small presentation on being more creative and making new finding ideas. It went well I think. haha but zone Conference was good, learned a lot, and received more things that I need to work on. (it never ends in this work...it is wonderful!! :))

I am sooooo exhausted!!! Yesterday I could not stop laughing at everything Elder Wilson and Elder Ord said...I think I was ready for my pday haha, but today I get to go play basketball!! I am excited, and this week, because sis. Conrad has to do Legal work...I get to go to Brussells!! YIPPEEEE!! haha

I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!! 

The time goes by soooo fast and I can already tell that this week is going to be a fast one!

Ik hou van jullie!!

Wees veilig!

VEEL LIEFS,

Zuster Stewart-Chester

Bikes.....

Zuster Conrad Isnt she cute:)? haha she will hate me for this

Gouda

Zuster Conrad and I:) 

"Remember, every time you look up at the moon, I, too, will be looking at the moon, not the same moon of course. That is impossible."

GOEDEMORGEN!!

hajkhdflkjashf 

This is how fast I wish I could type, but then it always just turns out like that...emailing is such a pain sometimes haha....and I am not that good at managing my time...so I just never have time!!

Anyways. This week was really good.

Actually it was really good!!! Nothing too crazy, but just saw some small miracles throughout the week, and especially yesterday.

I sang in church yesterday, and there were two people who had come to listen to a family member speak in sacrament meeting....(non members) turns out he is a musician and they were really touched by my song. It was super cool, and they were way too nice, and kept bringing it up...A LOT. 

Then at church, Broeder Van Hensen Van Uningen gave me a referral to look up...it was just a less active that had popped up to him, so we decided to do it just after church. So we did and it was super good. She was extremely surprised, and not necessarily happy that we came, but she was nice, and let us in. She isnt very willing to come back, but it was still cool, because we had a great small lesson with her. She had had a bad experience with the church as a member, and it made me very angry that that was even the case. We all need to do better at not judging members around them, and just loving each other....anyways. I just sang her I heard Him come...and you could tell that she felt the spirit. It is great, because in the song it says to never let His light go, and to hold on to Christ. I think it hit her. We separated a little awkwardly, but I just hope that spirit testified of the love that Jesus has for her...I know it did, because I felt it as I sung. I just hope she realized it.

After our dinner appointment with the amazing familie Markus, we had had a lesson planned with this super flaky young guy who had already cancelled a couple lessons, so we were not expecting it to go through, but when I called him he was still good for it, so the Elders came and we had an AMAZING lesson with him. The team unity was incredible, and we were able to always bring back what he was saying and going off topic to the message of the restoration...(Elder Wilson helped me out with that one) and we were all able to bear powerful testimony to him. He took it super well, and is super willing and open so it was great.

Also that lady from England that we had found before doing service last week, we went to her house as well, and expected her to have been busy, but she was ready for us when we got there. She said she had been soooo excited all week, about getting the Book of Mormon. It was incredible. I have never seen anyone as excited about the Book of Mormon as she was. She was literally giddy about it. haha so I am excited to see how she feels about it later.

Also I went on enxchanges to Tilburg we both did and just worked there, because they are really struggling with the work there, and because I had to teach a district meeting with the zone leaders in that zone, because Tilburg is not technically in our zone. (sorry for the run-on sentence) we just knocked a lot of doors, but it was great, because me and sis. Musgrave just tried singing to people, and actually had some success...not too many people actually interested, but were able to hopefully bring the spirit.

and...I ate dinner at President Boom's brothers house who is the area 70 here in Nederland sooo that was pretty cool.

It has literally pooooouuuuuuurrrreeeed almost the whole week this week. haha but somehow we have stayed pretty dry. 

We also had another super awesome lesson with this guy from Africa and I learned some Tigrinia (I think that is how you spell it)..

I love and miss you all, but I love it here...sorry. haha

Ik hou van jullie!!

Wees veilig en gezond!

Fijne week verder!

VEEL LIEFS,

Zuster Stewart-Chester

Zuster Musgrave....pooring rain completely drenched.

Zuster Conrad made scones...

This picture is going up on a wall somewhere:)

When someone graduates from highschool they put a flag with their backpack hanging on it outside their home.

Hello, it's us....

A member took us out to eat this week....it was really yummy!!!  


Goedemorgen allemaal!

Well this week was a good week...

"REALLY good" (nacho)

"It started out like any other"

anyways...I dont know why I am randomly quoting things right now...sorry.

But it really was a good week. It was just a great example, of if you just go out and work when you are supposed to be working then God blesses you.

This week we handed out 7 copies of the Book of Mormon, which is pretty cool...(the only reason why I kept track was because we were doing a competition in the zone)...but I should keep track more often. 

I contacted this super cool lady on the bus this week. She was from Aruba, but super nice. She had told me how she had been strong in her church in Aruba, but coming here it was a different feeling at the church, and didnt like that people just went to church because they were supposed to, and thought that church could also just be at home...we had some good discussions, but she got off too quick and I only had the chance to give her a card...she quickly said in general where she lives...(in a very broad description in broken dutch) sooooo we are going to gooo check it out and try knocking it until we find her haha. 

But it was cool, because she had told me that she had missed her bus, and we had actually missed ours as well (which would have taken us in a completely different direction to get home) soooo it was meant to be. "toeval bestaat niet"

Also this week was the first week that a dutch person has ever let us do service for them. They are always so funny and like to do things themselves...but we were knocking doors, and they were doing there garden so I asked if we could help, and they said yes...(very skeptical...but they said yes:)) so that was huge, and then we were able to talk about why we were there and where we were fun, pretty cool....who knows if she is actually going to ever become an investigator...but she was very nice, and now has a good positive outlook on the church, so maybe in the future.

We also found a super cool lady from England right before doing service, and she is super interested!! We stood and talked to her for a while, about life, and England, and she wants a Book of Mormon and we scheduled an appt with her for next week wooohooo!!

Also had an interesting lesson with a Rastafarian guy who got SUPER upset that we wouldnt just come into his house (because we didnt have a joint teach or a third woman)

and for literally 45 min...he just kept bringing it up, and I had to explain it soooo many times ahah. He is funny.

Then last night was the best of them alll!!

Rewind to a couple weeks ago when we had a district blitz in Gouda...well Elder Thornock and Elder Ord had contacted a lady from Poland who wanted a Book of Mormon...

Elder Thornock had said it was at the end of the blitz, and that he almost didnt contact her and she was accross the street on the other side, but he chose to do it anyways...and I am sooo glad that he did. Well looking through the area book recently we had found her husband in there as a potential as well. So we would have eventually gotten to her, but Elder Thornock helped it to be sooner. 

Last night our appointment got cancelled so we decided to stop by. 

(if any of you have not seen the remake of hello by adele the missionary version you need to look it up because this is exactly how it happened and how we felt). 

They totally let us in and it was white in there house and she gave us delicious cake, and we talked about the Book of Mormon!! IT WAS SOOO AMAZING!! They were sooooo nice, and kept complementing me about how strong my spirit wasand they could tell I had a lot of faith...I just bore testimony that God had helped me throughout my whole mission and that sometimes it is hard, but it has been sooooo worth it, and I never want to leave. She was from Poland and her husband is from Peru. They are the coolest. He has a mullet of dreadlocks haha. But they are really positive...and we gave them the Book of Mormon in their languages and sadly they are going on vacation until August, but they will be baptized one day;) haha

It was super cool...walked home in the rain, and didnt even care.

I LOVE THIS WORK!!

Following the spirit in the lesson is such a rush!!!! I never want to leave this place! haha lets just move here and I will still be a missionary.

 I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!!

IK HOU VAN JULLIE!!

wees veilig!

VEEL LIEFS,

Zuster Stewart-Chester