And to the MTC, we say, "Tot ziens!"

Travel plans arrived last Friday! Which means that we leave this Monday! Here's the dealio: We leave the MTC at 8am (possibly the most humane hour I have ever heard of missionaries leaving), and go on a bus to the SLC airport. We take off from SLC at 11am and land in Amsterdam at 8am Tuesday morning Netherlands time! With an 8 hour time difference, that is a 13 hour plane flight, folks. Non-stop. Oh yeah. I'm super excited!

Netherlands (on left) and Belgium flags!

My district: including 2 Elders going to Suriname, Dutch speaking, who got here this week

In other news for the Netherlands, the coronation of the new king (the previous queen has been in for over 30 years) occurs the day we arrive. That should be plenty exciting.

Quick update on our fake "investigators" that our teachers have been acting as. I don't know if I've mentioned them before, but one of them just got "baptized," which was exciting even though it was fake. 3 more class periods before we leave!

Elder Scott's talk last week was on personal revelation and it was fantastic. I wish I could just read you the whole thing, but I can't, so here are some thoughts: D&C 6, 8, and 9. Prayer is gratitude. Heavenly Father wants us to grow, that's why He gives us challenges and sometimes lets us make the decisions on our own. He loves us!

This Sunday Elder David Evans (executive director of the missionary department) came and talked to us and he was amazing. He spoke about repentance and it was so good because it was such a powerful reminder about what a gift repentance is. Our Heavenly Father LOVES US and He wants nothing more than for us to be happy. Repentance is such a wonderful opportunity for us to experience the Atonement for ourselves and KNOW that it is real. because it is. Commandments are given for us to rejoice (see Mosiah 2:4 - And also that they might give thanks to the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and had appointed just men to be their teachers, and also a just man to be their king, who had established peace in the land of Zarahemla, and who had taught them to keep the commandments of God, that they might rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men.), and I am so grateful for it. Also, he quoted an Elder he knew once from when this Elder got delayed going to the field for visa problems: "I have promised the Lord two years of my life...I will do whatever the Lord wants me to do, wherever He wants me to go. Don't worry about me. I'm fine." May that ever be what we all say.

Love and lots of it,
From your favorite Zuster,
Zuster Stevens