Is it raining or am I drooling?

Transfer Verdict: T U R N H O U T! Going back down to Belgium!! Words can not describe my excitement. My new companion is Zr. Voss, she is the new Sister Training Leader. #sidekickforlife Anywho, sad to be saying goodbye to Gouda. I will miss the people here. My time in Gouda has been like none other, my personal Gethsemane. I am walking away a different person than when I got here, and leaving Gouda better than I found it. Gouda is a special place, and has a huge chunk of my heart. I felt at home here and like family to this ward. Yet, I am a Belgian baby and am so excited to be heading back to Belgium. Gouda's Final Moments: 1- Started the week by going to the Blijdorp Rotterdam Zoo. Felt like a little kid again! 2- Lucilene (Brazilian investigator who has been investigating for a year now, but hasn't been able to get permission from her husband to be baptized) came into church yesterday, said hello and went straight to our Ward Mission Leader. This last week she was praying and received an answer that she needed to be baptized. She told her husband and he told her that if that is what she truly wants then do it. So LUCILENE IS GETTING BAPTIZED this Saturday! She was so calm and relaxed about it, but had this glow and huge smile on her face all of church. 3- Saturday afternoon: 1 Russian (Bishop's wife). 1 Brazilian (Less active & mother of recent convert). 1 Bulgarian (Investigator). & 2 Missionaries. All together for a huge Russian feast. Three very strong personalities with their heavy accent English together just talking away. Talk about a super member present lesson! I have magnified my calling to the fullest this week...sometimes as a missionary you are given extra strength to keep eating. Yep. Sometimes you have 3 appointments in a row and you are just given food. And when you have a dinner appointment (every night) they assume that missionaries starve and expect you to eat the table clean! No wonder missionaries gain on their missions! But I can't complain...such yummy food! 4- At Church yesterday we had S I X investigators at church. With our Ward Mission Leader, two members, my companion & I plus six investigators- that was the largest Sunday School class I've had my whole mission. Also, Aurora brought a friend to church! Zr. Romney and I had to give talks in sacrament so that was fun. Cool to go out with a bang like that yesterday. 5- Thursday night we were out in dorpjes all day, had dinner on the train at 730pm, got back to Gouda at 8 and so we had an hour left to work. We started making our way to Leis to invite her to church on Sunday since we were speaking. I saw a woman with her dog on the other side of the street and decided to go talk to her. First of all I scared the poor old woman and second of all that was one of the worst conversations. This woman was a Catholic and long story short she has her own ideas and that is enough. Has had some dreams and so she knows that there is life after death. Well homegirl would not give me a chance to speak. Every time I opened my mouth, like a typical stubborn Dutch woman she talked louder and over me. Oh my lanta I was getting so mad. So I bit my tongue and let her get out all she needed to say. Finally her husband came out and said there was a phone call for her. Needless to say I walked away pretty frustrated. Anywho we get to Leis' house and toevallig the door was open. She just got home about 2 minutes ago from walking her dog. She was pretty excited to see us and let us in. Immediately she starts telling us that she has "been trying to pray everyday. It isn't very long but I give thanks and ask for help." Started to explain her health problem and was scared she would have cervical cancer. She (being a believer in the universe) prayed and asked "If there is a God, help me to be okay." Two days later she, Wednesday, she got a call from the hospital and all is clear. The next day, we show up again. I noticed the Book of Mormon was out on the t.v. stand and instead of put away in her closet. Gave me chills. We had to go talk to that grouchy old woman to wait time or else we would have missed Leis because she was out with her dog. Sometimes the Lord works in very mysterious ways. Leis is going to be a slow investigator but there is no denying the spirit that is with her and the Lord doing his work on her. It is kinda of sad to see all these miracles unfolding and now I am out of here. However I know Gouda is in good hands and everything is in the Lord's hands. I have accomplished everything that I came to Gouda to do. This was my time in the refiner's fire, to simply find myself. I promise you that when you lose yourself in the service of God. No matter how hard it may be, you are going through everything Heavenly Father has planned. You are being molded and shaped every second in every aspect. You will find yourself. I love Gouda. I love these people. But I am ready for the next adventure! -- Zuster Young