And the Rains Came Tumbling Down

Hey y'all, my first full week here in Netherlands and I'll just say... it was a rainy one. I am not kidding when I say that it has rained EVERY SINGLE DAY!! And we don't have a car here like I did in Kansas, so we just get all of it! It's a good time. One of the members here said that they're loving all the rain because I guess they had a bad drought last year. But I'm just hoping and praying that whoever built our apartment was one of the wise men so we don't get washed away... Sorry, lame joke.

Anyway, rundown of this week. This week was honestly a little bit on the slower side. We unfortunately had a lot of our lessons fall through and it's Europe, so no one really enjoys talking to us. But something really inspiring that I haven't thought of before, I learned from Sister Buysse, my mission president's wife. During my interview with her last week, she told me that my job as a missionary is to allow people to exercise their agency. It's one of the best gifts we receive from God, right? Everyone has to choose to follow Christ or not, but they can't choose His gospel if they don't know about it. So my job is to tell them about it and let them decide for themselves if it's what they want for themselves or not. And who knows! The crazy guy who slammed his door on me might get baptized by the next missionaries that knock on his door, or the next ones! God has a plan for everything and it will all work out how it should in the end!

So last cool story, Sunday was kind of one of those slecht days (not so stellar). We were stuck out by Germany all day and it was hailing and cold and one of those great days, right? But we get a call from this member who wanted to throw a birthday party for a new member in our branch and wanted us to come. So a little background on this member, she's from Venezuela and is literally about to have her baby any day. Her husband is someone we're teaching and he's from Syria. Problem is, neither of them speak Dutch or English and they're living at the refugee camp in our area. And I'll tell you, it was such a super awesome pick me up after a not so super day!! Everyone was so happy and you could tell how much it meant to these two people, who have so little, to have someone think of them! God is mindful of us and what we need, right when we need it!

So this week it was kind of a struggle with it being so slow. Sometimes people are really mean when they reject us and unfortunately made me wonder more than once, why? Why do so many people reject what I'm trying to give to them? I was reading one day this week in Alma 14. Alma and Amulek were preaching to the people of Ammonihah and a lot of people rejected them and persecuted them. There were a few people who chose to follow them, but they ended up being killed for believing in the gospel. And then to top things off, Alma and Amulek are put in prison and mocked and rejected by the people. Alma was like one of those super great missionaries in the Book of Mormon and even he was rejected and ridiculed! And guess what, our Savior, Jesus Christ was too. Accepting this great gospel is a big decision. We can't truly understand or appreciate the super great things unless we also experience the tough things also. I love you all lots and enjoy this week!

Love,

Zuster Kapp

Pics: A true Dutch windmill and flower pots from our branch relief society