Short email, but it's good to hear from her.

Hey,

We didn't find anyone new this week, but we did teach a few lessons, so, it wasn't so bad. But this rain! Oh my goodness. I'm so tired of being soaking wet! It just pours and pours. It's rained everyday for the last 2 weeks. Obnoxious, but whatever. The ward is good, like every unit, it has it's problems and drama, but it's good, they don't really need the missionaries for anything except finding and teaching people, so that's nice. I love not having to teach one of the lessons every sunday, or running around with a bunch of stress. These people know what  they are doing.  Yes, I always wear a seatbelt in a car, even though I'm hardly ever in a car, and yes we have carbon monoxide detectors. no, we don't hear when missionaries pass away. And no, I do not want to die on my mission. I have never ever wanted that. Never. yes, Sister Fredrickson and I get a long. It's a lot of fun.

We were invited to teach the first lesson with a member family for FHE this week, and it was so much fun! Like, I haven't really enjoyed doing that super much in the past, but it was a lot of fun this time, they're just a cool family, and after the lesson, they taught us to play this Dutch card game.

Other than that, we've been doing a lot of finding. When it's pouring rain, we take cover and ring bells, which is favorite, so I can't complain there.

sorry this email is so short, but I dont have any time because people have been coming in and out asking me 700 questions. Whatever.

but I'm good. :) I love you! Have a good week.

Love, Karoline

Rainy Days and Mondays and her Greenie is doing well!

So, I've got like 10 weeks left. Weird! Everyone is constantly reminding me that I'm going home soon. Members, missionaries, friends, it's crazy. (not really her family though :)  )

Sister Fredrickson is doing well, and her language is coming along fine, even when she doesn't think so. Just so you know, we don't know how to do any contacting when we come into the land. At the MTC they only sort of teach you the lessons, but as far as contacting or anything like that, that's up to the trainer to help them.  We do have zone conference this month, next week, I think. And then  next month is mission  conference, because Elder Ballard is coming.

I went on exchanges with Sister Greenwell this week and she was super helpful! I got lots of information about Den Haag out of her because she had already served here. Speaking of Den Haag, I got us home this week from some random place without even having to use the map! It was quite the accomplishment.

We were walking out of our apartment the other day when this random guy starts yelling at us, which is normal, I usually just ignore it, until I realize he's asking us if we're Mormon missionaries, and he's speaking English. This poor guy thought that Mormons didn't leave their compound in Utah, and he never thought he would see a real missionary. Well surprise! We exist. It was a nice chat, but towards the end he started getting really rude, but whatever, that's people for you. But he was asking me about my schooling and I'm like well, I have my degree in neuropsychology, and he's like what? but you're Mormon, you can't be smart. And I'm like um, wow, thanks? Anyway, we got rid of a lot of stereotypes with him that day, and hopefully he won't hate Mormons so much in the future.

What else... hmmm.... we found a new investigator this week. So, we'll see where that goes. We biking someplace and I just stopped and talked to him. We taught him a street lesson and have an appointment with him on Tuesday, and Sister Fredrickson was part of her first Book of Mormon placement, yay! Other than that, there's not anything too interesting going on this week... oh wait. We visited this 90 year old man who lives by himself, but definitely shouldn't because he could die any second, and his house is covered in garbage. And he definitely has a crush on me. He asked me to write him a note in this book that he has that all these famous people, like queens and kings have written in, and then I signed it with my first and last name. Definitely a mistake, because he wouldn't stop calling me Karoline after that. then he was talking to Sister Fredrickson and he was talking about how pretty he thinks I am and that he would like to be my boyfriend. I just look up from writing and I'm like well, we have to go, have a nice day! At least it added some spice to our day.

Okay, I have to go, we have to go to Leiden to do immigration stuff for Sister Fredrickson, but I love you. Have a great week and day. Miss you!

Love, Karoline

Starting New With a New Missionary

Well, it's been a little bit of a stressful week. I picked Sister Fredrickson up in Leiden on Wednesday, at 9, meaning that I had to be up at 4 in the morning. Lame. anyway, I got her, attended the meeting thing they have with all the trainers and greenies, and then we headed down to Den Haag 

Picking up Zr. Fredrickson at the Mission Office

We make it to the apartment only to find it a mess. Oh my goodness. So messy. And then we had a dinner appointment that the sisters had left a not saying we had, and left a name, but no address, so we looked it up in the ward list, and went to the place. So this guy answers and lets us in, and it's not long before I realize he has no idea what the heck we are doing there, so I'm like do we have an appointment? And he's like no, and I'm like oh... and poor sister Fredrickson is just like uh, what's going on. But then we realize that the appointment is with his exwife, who clearly doesnt live there anymore. so he calls his exwife, and she brings the food to us, and then we all end up eating there together. Meanwhile, we are waiting there for 40 minutes while we wait for her to come. oh my gosh, it was easily the most awkward dinner appointment I've ever had.

Den Haag

The rest of the week was us trying to find Sister Fredrickson a bike, because they were all super awful, or like $400. We ended up having to go to Delft, which is super cute btw. Anyway, eventually we found her one, so now that's all taken care of. It's a lot of fun working with Sister Fredrickson, she reminds me a lot of myself about 16 months ago, so that's fun. She's from Kaysville.  Den Haag is huge, which is great, because it means theres a lot of people here. There aren't really any investigators, but that's okay. We'll find some. The ward is huge, it's like being in Utah again. weird. Most of the members were pretty shocked to see two new sisters... but they'll get used to it. There are 8 missionaries in the ward, and soon there will be 10 when we get our new senior couple. The apartment is not nice... it's easily the least nice of the ones I've lived in, but I already knew that because I've stayed here a few times.. The temple is not in our area. The temple isn't in Den Haag. It's in Zoetermeer. Yes, they still have the 12 week program, so that's what we use. 

Zr. Fredrickson and Zr. Western.

This week we had an appointment with a less active lady, who is less active because of health reasons, and she totally guilted us into staying a long time with her. We were trying to leave and she's like, well surely you can stay longer, you are two new missionaries in Den Haag. You can't possibly have an appointments. Well, she was right. So we stayed. 

I can't really think of anything to say, becaues the majority of the week was looking for a bike, teaching sister Fredrickson how to contact, and getting lost in Den Haag in the pouring rain. But it was a lot of fun. :) So yeah.

Love, Karoline

Just some Random Photos From Others (May 2014-Aug 10 2014)

Assen

Assen

Assen

Assen

Aswin and Zr. Western

Familie Loorbach

Zrs. Western and Packer

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She's Going to be a Mommy! A Transfer, a Greenie and a Wonderful Experience in Sacrament Meeting.

We had a great week, but first, transfer news: I am leaving. And I will be going to Den Haag, and training. Meaning me and my little greenie will be whitewashing. I'm terrified, haha. I wasn't expecting that call at all. There's only one sister coming in this transfer, and I wasn't expecting to train her. I didn't even consider it a possibility. Crazy. So we'll see what happens. Den Haag is one of the biggest cities in the Netherlands, and it has the biggest ward, so that should be exciting. (It's also where the temple is located.)It's too bad I only got one transfer with Sister Woodbury, but I think she will like her new companion too, so everything should be good there.

My new address is:

Apeldoornselaan 105

2573 LD S-Gravenhage

Nederland

So, one of our investigators is going to be baptized in September. She's the really awesome one we've been teaching all transfer. Anyway, she probably has the biggest desire to be baptized of anyone I've ever taught, so it's cool. It's too bad that I won't be here for it, but it's okay. She and her daughter, and her niece were at church again yesterday, this makes time number 3, and the ward finally integrated them. Everyone is back from vacation, so there were actually people at church to fellowship them, it was great. 

 (Inserting the experience where they first taught this woman.  So on Tuesday, Sister Packer and I taught what was easily the best most spiritual lesson of my mission. It was sooo cool. It was with the member referral that we finally got into contact with last week. She's a young mom with  2 kids, and all she wants is to find out what God wants with her life. During the lesson she just kept asking like really amazing questions and she took notes and everything. There was a point in the lesson where she was talking about faith and how sometimes she just needs a sign, like everyone else. And so we're sitting there talking about faith when all of a sudden she stops us and tells us to look around. And we're like uh? Okay? And then we notice that the room is exceedingly bright. And mind you, this is at 9 p.m. and it's been raining all day. Then she proceeds to tell us about how she's never seen light so bright and that the sun was directly behind our heads and that it seemed like it was noon. It was cool. And then we move on and we ask her to end the lesson with prayer, because that was a big focus for her during the lesson and she was really hesitant, but then she began to pray, and it was just like the most amazing thing ever. She just opened her heart and said the most sincere prayer I have ever heard. And then she started to cry, and I have never cried during a lesson  before, but I definitely shed a few tears during that one. Then after, she was just like, I want what you girls have. I want to know all about your church so we have an appointment with her again tomorrow. She's just so cool. It was definitely a reminder to me that God has prepared people and that what we are doing as missionaries is making a difference.)

Friday, after weekly planning we were out contacting, and the whole world was hating us, and no one was accepting our cards, so sister Woodbury gave one to a cat. It was the only thing that accepted the gospel that day, haha. Hopefully that cat really enjoys Mormon.org. (Maybe the cat will find Karoline's profile http://www.Mormon.org/me/C7YB/Karoline)

Saturday, there was some kind of party going on, and there were drunk people everywhere, even on the trains, which is super unusual for Assen. I think people were just celebrating the end of the summer. Anyway, it just reminded me how much I hate alcohol. Seriously, seeing people who have been using it, you just look at them, and you're like wow, you're stupid, look at you. But that's how I feel about that. 

We taught a couple of really good lessons this week. Yesterday, I was sitting in Sacrament, and I was looking at our little branch, and seeing our investigators, and the inactives/less actives who have come to the branch since I was transferred here 12 weeks ago, and I knew then that I was going to be transferred. Like, I just felt the end of my work there. It was the greatest feeling though, knowing that I had fulfilled my exact purpose in being called to this city. It's great leaving with the feeling that I've done what I was expected to do here. And now, I'm probably off to my last area, which is exciting. By the way, since the mission office has apparently forgotten about me, I should be home October 30th. My last day is the 28th, the 29th is transfers, we spend the night in the mission home, and the 30th I should be arriving home. 

Bernadette, Zr. Western, Zr. Woodbury

Okay, I have to go. Love you.

Love, Karoline