Well, Toto, we're not in Amsterdam anymore

From e-mail dated January 25, 2010.

Greetings from Den Haag. Things here are going well. It's definitely not Amsterdam--it's very different-- but you're right, I feel a little more comfortable with things because I've already been here so often. I know a good part of the ward already, have a general idea about the layout of the city, and have taught a number of the recent converts. When people saw me here that I'd already worked with, they were all really excited and we've got tons of dinner appointments this next week and people who have said to call them to go on joint teach. Hopefully we'll see some awesome ward/investigator interaction this transfer. A lot of the Young Adults here are friends with the Young Adults in Amsterdam, so I'm constantly getting told hello from people and getting small updates on the Amsterdamers. I miss them dearly--and since a lot of them read my blog, I'd like to say hello and tell them I love them (Kim, Joyce, Claire, Mathea-- I don't know if anyone else reads the blog--but if you do, I miss you like crazy!)
Oh! My companion is Zr. Robbins! She and I have been on exchanges 3 times together. And we knew each other from before the mission (we were in the same ward at BYU for a summer), so it will be awesome to get to work with her...
Zr. Robbins and I have seen some amazing miracles this week. On Saturday, the Bishop's daughter was getting baptized. We had some time to do a consecrated hour that morning, and when we prayed about it, we felt really good about going in the area of the church and inviting people to come to the baptism. We had some really good conversations, and one of the men we talked to (Wouter) actually came to the baptism! The spirit really touched him there, and the members of the ward were all super friendly to him. We introduced him to the Elders and he made an appointment to meet with them this week. But it doesn't stop there—he also came to church yesterday!!! He has a lot of questions and is excited to get answers through the members and the Elders (one of the members even walked up to the Elders and asked if he could be the one to go on joint teach with them). I love seeing the work of the Lord in action! When we went finding that morning, we didn't know what would happen—but the Lord definitely did.
This week we've also had some cool experiences with members. We've decided to talk with most of the members we have appointments with over the next little while about the restoration and then commit them to writing their testimony in a copy of the Book of Mormon for us to give away. We then tell them that we will tell them who we give it to and keep them updated with the progress of the person who receives their Book of Mormon. It gives the members a chance to think about how their testimony can influence others, take a role in missionary work, and when these people do progress, the member will feel more of a desire to friendship this person because they received the Book of Mormon they had written their testimony in. When we pick up the Book of Mormon, we are actually going to ask the members if they have someone specific they'd like us to give it to—we did this with one member already this week, and she gave us the name of a friend's aunt who is interested in the church that she'd like us to give it to when we have an appointment. The members who have taken on the challenge are all really excited about it...
I'm really excited to see where missionary work in Den Haag will go this transfer! There are miracles awaiting us. I was studying in the Bible earlier this week, and read in Luke 5: 4-6, 11 about Christ calling Simon to be a disciple. It says, "--Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a drought. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing, nevertheless at they word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: AND THEIR NET BRAKE. And when they had brought their ships to land, THEY FORSOOK ALL AND FOLLOWED HIM.“ This is my theme for the transfer—I haven't seen a whole lot of people enter the waters of baptism... only one of the people I've found, 5 of the people I've taught so far, and one coming up in the near future (yeah Kim!)-- in Den Haag, I will be launching into the deep letting my net down with all my might (if you can let a net down with your might :)--Zr. Robbins made fun of me for that one--can you imagine? 'come on net! Go deeper! Go deeper!'), and the Lord will bring the people in such great abundance that the net will brake, as we forsake all and follow Him. I'm prepared to do that this transfer—Zr. Robbins and I are working on it together.
I love you so much! You are constantly in my prayers. I can't believe I'll be hitting my year mark on Thursday. CRAZY! Time flies by. I've got a lot of work to do.

I love you!
Zr. Fowler