Staying in Amsterdam

From e-mail dated 3 August, 2009

Well, transfers are this week--and both Zr. Miller and I are staying in Amsterdam...

As far as when I will be coming home from my mission, I'm not positive about when that would be-- but most sisters only stay 11 transfers--and I feel like I need to come home in July rather than August-- but when it gets closer to when that decision will be made, I'll talk with President about it.

So, what has happened in Amsterdam this week?

Well, Monday we went to Volendam--a tourist town--where we took pictures with our District in traditional Dutch costume. We have an "official" picture, but if I have time I'll send some of the random ones attached to this email.

Tuesday we had a lesson with Frank--the man who was supposed to get baptized this week-- well-- he no longer wants to get baptized. We had had a lesson with him on Saturday and afterwards he was calling all of his friends to invite them to come to his baptism, but everyone was telling him that they wouldn't come. So, then he began to ask people why they wouldn't come and what they knew about the church. Only one person had ever even heard of the church before--he apparently used to be a member and is now a pastor for another church. He told Frank that we worship someone besides Jesus Christ and that after he is baptized he will be taught different things than what he has already learned--he also told him that there can't be any other scriptures than the Bible and told Frank that he shouldn't be baptized. Frank is really really confused and he has said that we can still come over and talk about Christ, but that he doesn't want to be baptized and doesn't want to read the Book of Mormon anymore. We encouraged him to read the Book of Mormon again and pray about it again because God is the only one who can really tell him what comes from God. So, as for now, we are not meeting with him regularly anymore, but we will stop by in a couple of weeks or so.

Wednesday we had a Zone Conference in Utrecht, and it was really great. We talked about the Atonement and how that is our main message. The spirit was amazing! That night we had a lesson with our investigator, Melvin, about the atonement. It was wonderful! The spirit is so strong when you talk about Christ and what He has done. It really was phenomenal.

Friday we had a good time doing some finding on the Jennerstraat. It really made me laugh--oh good memories from my friend Jenner Black. We had some really interesting conversations, and I couldn't help but try and compare them to the personality of Jenner, since we were finding on "his street."

I want to close up with testimony of the Atonement. I know that Christ lives. He loves us. He is my Savior, and your Savior. It is through Christ that it is possible that we could come to earth, that we could experience all we are experiencing, and that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. One scripture we use a lot when teaching about the Atonement is Alma 7:11-13. I remember one night my freshman year of college I was really really sick. I was curled up on the couch in our kitchen and I was studying from the Book of Mormon. I came across that verse, and it spoke to me in a way it never had before when it says that Christ has taken our pains and our sicknesses upon Him. I had such an overwhelming confirmation of the spirit then that He knew what I was feeling as I sat curled up on the couch, feeling like my body was going to die. I know that He did it all for me--and I know that He will help me as I am working my hardest on my mission.

I love you all and I pray for you daily.

Zuster Chantelle Fowler