I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

From e-mail dated 22 June, 2009

Hoi!
So-- first things first-- I'm getting transferred. Zr. Baxter will be training again (there are two sisters coming in, so she doesn't know who yet--) and she is staying in Haarlem. So, I'm heading off to-- AMSTERDAM!!! I'm pretty stoked. It'll be a great experience. I'll be serving with Zr. Miller. She's pretty great. I'm a little nervous to move cities and to have to learn to teach with a new companion and everything-- But it will all go well...
This week in Haarlem has been crazy busy. Here are some highlights.
Monday we were walking through the park, talking to people, and we met a man who moved to the Netherlands from Kosovo many years ago. When he learned that we were from America he said (talking to me), "I knew you couldn't be Dutch--you look too Muslim! You're hair is too dark!" Well, now I know why I have such a problem with being hit on by men from that area of the world. Thanks for the dark hair, dad. Just kidding :) After that the man couldn't stop talking about how much he loves America because of everything that America has done for the people of Kosovo--he loves Bill Clinton and told us that he has pictures of him in his house because he is the one who lead the Americans to help his people. It was so different to hear someone who only had positive things to say about America and he was SUPER enthusiastic about everything American.
Tuesday we had a special Zone Conference with all of the Dutch missionaries because this is President Woodland's last Zone Conference. It was super rainy that morning, and the roads were super slick. I had a pretty big bike crash--but Heavenly Father was watching out for me because on a normally super busy road, there were no cars. I'm pretty beat up from my run in with the ground, but I'm healing well. Zone Conference was amazing though. We talked about using the Book of Mormon better in finding and it was GREAT! Ever since then, we've had some amazing experiences using the Book of Mormon in finding, and have given away more copies of the Book of Mormon this week than we usually do in two or three weeks. We have had to come home to get more copies. And the people who take it are genuinely interested and want to meet and learn more.
Wednesday we had dinner with Familie Scholten--they are basically my parents here in Haarlem (man, I'm going to miss them!)...
Okay, only a few more minutes-- but we had an AMAZING experience with Didi--the woman from Bulgaria. We were talking to her about her experience with the missionaries in Bulgaria, and then we pulled out a Book of Mormon in Bulgarian and asked her if she remembered this book--her face lit up and she asked where we had gotten it. She said she had lost hers in a move years ago. We told her that we wanted to give her the Book of Mormon, and she started to cry. She was so happy. The Book of Mormon has such an impact on people's lives! I loved being able to see that moment. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it can change people's lives if they are open to the spirit as they read it. Read it daily--it will make such a difference.
Okay, gotta run-- time is up. I'll be writing next week from the big city of Amsterdam!

Veel liefs,
Zuster Chantelle Fowler