Final transfer

From e-mail dated May 24, 2010

Note from Chantelle's father:
We received a letter from the mission home last week stating that Chantelle's release date would be August 2nd. This was very confusing to us since she had already told us she would be coming home around July 8th or 9th. We even called the mission home in Brussels to verify her release date, and they told us that August 2nd was correct. I informed her of this when I e-mail her last night. Her response is in the following paragraph. -- GRF

So, the office called me this week since you called them and asked me if I had talked to President about my release date. I told them we had decided I'd be going home in July--but I didn't know it was an option to go home in the middle of the transfer! They just asked are you going home in July or August. Now part of me wants to stay until August 2--I thought it was end of August that they had mailed you about! Okay, I just called the office--it's not an option to go home in the middle of the transfer-- so my official date is 8 July. They are going to email you about that as well.
Now, for the news about transfers. Zr. Reber and I are staying in Den Haag--but I am also going to be training again. So we will be in a threesome (a first since the MTC-- but there didn't really count since I was never with my sister companions anyway). It should be an adventure and also a challenge. We are really going to have to be conscious of her needs and feelings--we've been together two transfers and have learned how to teach with each other, and I can imagine that that will be difficult to bring someone else in (especially someone who is brand new and doesn't understand Dutch very well). We are also going to have to be conscious of unity as a companionship--it will be a good thing to have three people because we are so busy and will now have the opportunity to go on splits more often-- but it could also make it seem like there is a third wheel sometimes. Pray for us that we'll be able to build unity between the three of us so that the spirit can work through us.
We have had a really awesome week this week!
Monday we had a lesson with the man I had written about a couple of weeks ago--the one who came up to us in the park saying that his neighbor had put our card in his mailbox. Well, turns out that this man (Tibor) is a Jehovah's Witness-- so it was quite the appointment-- actually it went really well. He had invited another JW to come as well and we actually had a really open conversation about what we believe in and it wasn't until the end when they started trying to prove us wrong through the Bible--at that point we had to leave and we just testified of the importance of prayer and that the only way to know if it was all true was through prayer. In the end he actually took a copy of the Book of Mormon and asked if it would be possible to have another appointment after he had read. We said that we would be willing to if he wanted to and that he could call us for an appointment--we didn't set a new one right then because if he really is interested he'll call us, and we're not interested in Bible Bashing.
Wednesday we had a wonderful appointment with Brigitte and her husband. We brought a French speaking member with us and watched the Restoration. It was wonderful! At the end of the movie Roger said he felt emotional as he watched it. We then read Galatians 5:22 and he said that these were the things he felt. He didn't come to church with Brigitte this week-- but hopefully he will come along soon.
Thursday we had an AMAZING appointment with Isatu and her children (Mary and Abu). We went through the baptismal interview questions with them so that we could know what we still need to teach before they get baptized in June (they still haven't set a specific date), and they were all bearing powerful testimony to us about the Savior and about the restoration. The spirit was SO strong! Isatu told us how grateful she is for the Savior and that His church is back on the earth. She is getting more and more light in her eyes every time we teach her. At the end, 4 year old Abu gave the closing prayer. As he prayed he said, "Thank you God that we have found the true church." It was such a wonderful moment! I love being a missionary!
Friday we had an AWESOME appointment with Quincy. His mom wasn't there (she's been a little off-standish lately-- we think her social connections to her other church are making her question whether it's good to investigate). We talked with him about the restoration of the priesthood--and he had studied a lot about the priesthood. As we talked with him about how it was lost and restored through Joseph Smith he said, "This all makes sense. No wonder the world was in such a mess." Afterwards we asked him what he was feeling about the church and about baptism. He said he wants to be baptized! He said that ever since he walked into the JoVo Contrum for the first time that he felt at home and he feels the spirit has been guiding him to learn more and more. He said the only thing that is holding him back is a lack of knowledge. We talked about how you will not know everything, and our Joint Teach (Zr. Scherf), who was baptized when she was his age, talked about how she knew it was true through the spirit and even though she didn't know EVERYTHING, that she knew it was right and that now, 30 years later, she still learns something new about the gospel almost every day. He said he is going to think and pray about baptism and let us know when he wants to get baptized. He then came to a baptismal service on Saturday (one of the Elders'investigators got baptized) and really felt the spirit and told one of the Elders that he'll be baptized within a month. We'll see how it goes--but hopefully he'll be able to be baptized before I come home!
Well, my time is almost up. I hope that it's going well for you all in reading in the Book of Mormon. It has been AMAZING! I read in Alma 42 today and had so many insights about the Fall! I love it!

And I love you!
Have a wonderful week!
Zuster Fowler