Another week down!!

Another week down in the best country in the world :)

This has been a great one! Missionary work has treated me well. It is absolutely nothing like I imagined before my mission. It is actually way fun and different everyday. I'm so grateful to be in this country. It really honestly is the best mission in the world. Especially when we look around and also realize that we have the best mission president and missionaries as well ;) 

I'll stop making you jealous and move on. My bad. 

 

This week has been great! Missionary work is starting to seem more natural. We are putting a lot of time and effort in the non active members in the ward so we spend a lot of time with them. They are so amazing and we have one non active, Melvin, who is starting to come back. He likes us a lot and we went over to his house and helped him move couches, I shared a message about prayer and how we recieve answers, and the next day he came to church. We are going to visit him every week. His wife makes us great african food as well. My favorite food here so far is probably stroopwaffels, because their cheap and just amazing, or I love the african food that people make. Some of it is disgusting like the fish from african with all the bones and stuff in it, but the rice is killer. Also, I really like cheese and they eat cheese and bread here with ever meal. I'll start taking pictures of stuff and send them home. The food is great. I think I have gained like 3 pounds just these past 2 months. Expect the old Austin to return faster than normal ;) Especially in the winter. Everyone says in the winter here, everyone gets fat. Everyone. I will probably just look better at the end of the winter. I'm not a follower. I'll be the leader ;) 

 

We have had some pretty cool experiences here. I have seen miracles and I love it. Esther, our baptism, is a miracle. Me and Elder Alston went to teach her on Friday. We have been teaaching Esther really fast and she seems to accept everything, so me and Elder Alston were both worried with what she really understood. Fridays lesson we just went in and asked questions about what she knew. We asked about Prophets and she nailed that question, then the Priesthood. She said "Yeah, like in the Catholic Church, they have the priests and stuff. Thats the Priesthood." We were like... haha no. Now she understands though :) Then we got into a good discussion. She is so prepared and so happy. We told her next time we were going to talk about some things like the commandments and she said "Like the ten commandments?" we said yeah and she said "Yeah, I follow them and I quit smoking 3 years ago and dont drink either". Wow, this was cool. Before we even brought up the Word of Wisdom, which was one of our worries, she ways shes totally cool with it. She is so funny. She called us after we left and said "I really really like wearing earrings, necklaces, and rings. Am I allowed to wear those in your church, because I can give them up if not." We just laughed and said of course you can! Then she hung up and called again in five more minutes and said "What about perfume? I really love perfume." We said of course once again! It's amazing how prepared she was. She said she doesnt know why she quit smoking 3 years ago, but now she does. She is funny and has the typical african culture. She always tells us how fat she is and how she needs to walk an hour a day to lose weight. Her dr. told her haha. She said when she walks, she sings a song that goes like this "I'm going to follow jesus, and nobody can stop me". and repeats, and reapeats. She is crazy, but sooo amazing. She says that since her two sons are still in Nigeria, we are her two sons now. She cooked us great food on Saturday. She is getting baptized on the 12th, and that will be sooo amazing. I am so blessed. This work is so up to God. We are nothing without him. This is His work. We are just tools. I'm grateful for a companion who can teach me that as well. 

 

We had zone conference on Thursday and that was great. It was in Rotterdam so it was really cool to see that city as well. The spirit was so strong in zone conference and I learned a lot. The work in Europe is exploding, and its only getting better. We are in a "Dry Fly" mission, not a "Chumming" mission. My dad will get that :) It's really amazing. I love this country! 

We get the keys to our new apartment in Enschede today. We dont know yet when we 

are moving there. It can be any time really! I will let you all know when I get my address there. I think me and Elder Alston will both stay one more transfer here. I really hope so! At least one more. The Ward is still doing great. They feed us almost every night! Thats a huge thing in this stake. 6 months ago, Elder Holland came and spoke to our stake and told them they need to be better mormons and feed the Elders.... They took that seriously I guess haha. Tonight, we have a dinner appointment with a great family. The mom cooks great, the daughter is cool, and the Dad speaks Twents. This is a dialect of Dutch here in Hengelo area. Its absolutely impossible to understand him. I just shake my head yes and dont know what I agree too. Oh well. I'm not hear to stress about language, I'm hear to be a missionary :) We have had great experiences and I'm sure they will keep coming. Yesterday in church, President and Sister Robinson came and spoke to our ward. It was the fifth sunday, so they came. It was really cool to hear from them. They are amazing people. I'm so grateful to have them guide us missionaries for the next two years. I'm glad that I wont have to have a change in the Presidency while I'm here. They go home the same transfer I will! Thats so cool. I'm not looking forward to going home though. You guys all have to witness another bad BYU team, Utah getting lucky, and other stuff going on. Have fun :) I'll sit back here next summer and watch either Belgium or Netherlands win the World Cup. Especially since both are ranked in the top ten :) I'm so excited. 

Missionary work is going hard over here. We're doing good, and we as missionaries feel all of your prayers! Help the missionaries at home! It's impossible without the members. 

Thanks for everything! I miss you all. Have a great week. I pray for you all, and I can feel your prayers! I'm excited for another quick, but eventfull week. Ik hou van jullie!

Elder Elkins