Going full speed

From e-mail dated June 7, 2010.

Wow, it sounds like life never slows down for ya'll.

Things here have also been going full speed. It has been great and hard and wonderful. It's true what you said about me spending a lot of time on my knees seeking the Lord's counsel for working in this threesome. Luckily, since we're in a threesome, I gave my desk to Zr. Cranford and I made a dresser in another room my study desk--so it gives me a little privacy when I really need to kneel down and talk with God (which I've been doing even more of than usual this last week). But despite the difficulties of working in a threesome (in adjustment, companionship unity, and arranging the schedule), we've been seeing A LOT of miracles!

I got the package you sent this week. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Zone Leader Council in Dordrecht and received the package then. It was such a wonderful council. We talked about baptismal calendars. We've been trying to use them more often, but now we are going to start using calendars in our first appointment and show people that we have a teaching program that will prepare them to be baptized and in that way help them set a baptismal date and be more focused on the purpose of our visits (they will know beforehand what we are going to talk about in our appointments)... I am so excited to see how it will change the mission. It gave me a lot of insights and I think the baptismal calendar is pure inspiration. I can already see how it's blessing the lives of the people we meet and helping us work most with the people who are most committed. I'm positive it will help the people we are teaching to stay more focused and progress more quickly.

Quincy is doing wonderfully. At our appointment this week, he said he talked with his parents about him being baptized, and they say that they support him. He wishes that they would investigate the church with him right now, but he said, "Just like all you as missionaries can do is invite people, that's all I can do with them. I can't force them to learn more, but I know that they will see how it is blessing my life. I'm just grateful that they aren't opposed to me joining the church." Hopefully we will be having an appointment at a member's home next week with his entire family there—the family is the family of Quincy's friend who is on a mission and Quincy's family wants to get to know them better.
Isatu and Mary are doing well. They are still excited about being baptized...

Brigitte was out of town this week, but she's doing well. We talked with her this morning to set up an appointment for this week. It's sometimes so hard when your baptismal dates can only meet once a week-- but she's progressing well and really developing a testimony of the restored gospel.

Bisou is one of Brigitte's friends and she has been going from church to church for years trying to find the right one. She likes the one she goes to now, but still feels like there is something more. We've had a couple of appointments with her this week and she is finally finding answers to questions she's had all her life. We invited her to be baptized, and she is concerned about whether she should be baptized a second time (she was baptized as a baby), but we told her that we will be talking about it this next week and committed her to pray and to ask God what his will for her is. She said she will continue to prepare to be baptized and she knows that God will let her know if that is right. Her current date is for July 10.

We also set a baptismal date with another new investigator named Alfred (we call him Brother James). He is from Aruba. We met him almost 2 months ago and he was leaving on vacation. A month and a half later, we met with one of his friends and at our appointment, his friend said that Brother James had met us and really wanted to meet with us. They both came to Regina's baptism and we started meeting with Brother James after that. He came to church yesterday for the first time and liked it. His baptismal date is July 10.

Things here in Den Haag are busy and going well. We have been trying to go on splits and have been taking members finding a lot—which I think has been really good for the members. They really like it and they now see a bit more of what we do. This week is a full schedule and we have a lot set up to take members with us this week. I'm excited to see the miracles that happen.

We also had a baptism this week in Den Haag! A couple of months ago, Zr. Reber and I were going finding and we had felt really good about a specific street. Well, we spent the whole hour there knocking on doors only to have every door slammed in our faces. No one would even talk to us for more than 2 sentences. At the end of the hour, we were walking back to our bikes and there was a man on his bike putting flyers in the mailboxes. I went up and started talking to him. He is from Cameroon and his name is Philip. He didn't have a lot of time, but we exchanged phone numbers. We gave him a call and set up an appointment for the next week. After that first appointment, he came to church and has only missed one week at church since. We gave him to the Elders to teach and he just got baptized on Saturday. It was wonderful! Last week Sunday we were in Sunday School and were talking about honesty. The Sunday School teacher went around the room and asked us all what we want to be more honest in this week--he had just learned about tithing and he said, "I want to make a goal to always pay an honest tithe." His baptism was amazing! It was such a wonderful experience!

The gospel is true! I know it with all my heart! I love the gospel. It's such a blessing that we have to be able to share it with those who have not yet partaken of this wonderful fruit. I love you so much! Have a wonderful week!

Zuster Fowler

P.S. the picture of me with the girl is Lorianne from FA.