First week in the Netherlands!

Arriving in the Netherlands! Sister H., Sister Stevens, Sister M., Sister L., President R., Sister R., Sister B., Sister A., Sister W., Elder R., Sister M., Elder R., Elder C. (also from Colorado Springs)

First meal (pannekoeken) in the Netherlands, in the city of Lieden

This week has been an eventful week for me as well. I'm in the Netherlands for my first area, Heerlen. Clear down south. It is essentially an English ward because of the military people and nearly all the members speak English. It is in fact the ward a family from our ward lived in, and there are plenty of people still here who remember and love them, including our Bishop and his family. They had us over for dinner the other night.

I am doing very well. One of the families in the ward GAVE me a bike last night, which was super nice. I didn't get jet-lagged.

Meeting Sis. N.

My companion, Sister N., is awesome. She's from Herriman, UT and she's a professional speed-skater, or was, and is the coolest trainer ever. She's also a sister training leader, which is kind-of like a zone/district leader a little bit, which means we go to lots of meetings. Including one we just finished which is in Antwerpen, Belgium, which is where we are right now. Heerlen is awesome and the ward is spectacular. We've been a little slow getting started because we are reopening (the city has been closed for 3 weeks), but this week should be great. We've got 4 appointments. One drawback is that it's so far away from everything--3 hours by train to get to Leiden and 4 hours by train to get here. But I love it, and this week is just a little crazy. We'll get it all figured out soon.

The missionaries here are awesome, missionary work here and everywhere is awesome, life is great, and the gospel is true!

Thought for the week is found in the Bible Dictionary under grace and in Ether 12:27.
[Grace--A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ. It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts. Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the Fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible. This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches.]

[Ether 12:27: And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.]

Sorry I can't write out more, I'm out of time.

I love you all!

Love,
Zuster Stevens