dierbare familie,

I felt very proud reading that you called my city Dort. It is my hometown for sure. I love it here I never want to leave. So it's been a blazer here. a good 36-38 degrees c which is dang dang hot. Well I actually don't know just how hot it is but it feels so hot!!!!!!!

So, first week of transfer two goes like this. Day one I get lost without a companion in Leiden. super fantastic I'm saying all these goodbyes and good lucks and suddenly I look around and I have no companion so I called everyone and their dog and had a nice sister escort me to the train station where I went back to Rotterdam where apparently I was supposed to be. Allllllssoooo before we left for the station in the first place we were achteroping which is basically where one person sits on the back of the bike while the other rides. It's hilarious. I was riding and zr Anjeweirden is on the back well I hear this awful sound and then all the sudden the bike stops and yeah so we are late because some stupid wire thing decided to wrap my tire all in it ah.....it was a sign. So then all that jazz goes down in Leiden and I find sister packer and her 3 suitcases and no bike. So achteroping again....i think not so I stashed my bike and we got home yadda yadda. then we decided to go to Sliedrecht and look some people up before our dinner appointment. Well, it turns for the worst...my bike was making an awful sound but then as Sister Packer was trying to get on the back again. it was done. my wheel bent completely and it was just done. So we walked for days to the appt and then they took us to the station. So as of now both my companion and I have no bikes.

I really don't envy the missionaries that have to walk. It is totally different. It has helped me to learn the bus and train system really quick and also my way around with shortcuts and whatnot. This week has been a challenge to say the least. Also found out it will be cheaper to buy a new bike than to get mine fixed.  I will be probably buying a new bike soon. Thankfully our district leader told us that they may have some at the mission office which would be such a huge blessing but who knows.

It rained that last two days which was so great. we haven't seen rain for weeks....who knew? also, the thunder here is out of this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the loudest I have ever heard everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Today we went to Rotterdam to play futbol with our zone. on our way there we took an intercity train which just means it doesn't stop until we get there. but we are riding along and then we're stopped. everyone starts freaking out saying this isn't normal. we are just chillin on some tracks. and the only thing I could think is....Bane is here. Any second now we are going to hear his scary voice over the intercom. yep, I was so certain. But alas it wasn't true just my IMAAAGINATION.

I don't really know what else to sayyyyyyy, oh wait I do!!!!!!!!!

If you would like to help me out. I think that you all do. Please please do your visiting and home teaching. Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please please please do it! i would argue it is near the most important job in the church. Please do visiting and home teaching and also let your visiting and home teacher visit you. Sometimes it seems like a burden but it is soooooo belangrijk and noodzakelijk and lots of other important words. Please please. If you are not being visited. het mag niet uit!!!!!!!!!! the worst thing I have heard out here is "no one visited me so I'm not going to do my visiting or home teaching" oh GAG me! That is the most absurd thing I have EVER heard. Well, be the faithful home or visiting teacher for some one else, and seriously you don't have to have a lesson or treat but just make sure you leave them better than you found them.

 Let a sister know what I can do for you. what I should pray for and who needs mail..... I need your addresses if you want mail. Also, if you have e-mailed just know that I won't e-mail back, I would prefer to write letters to just know they are on there way if you've e-mailed and I have your address. Keep them coming I love reading emails from you all!

Peace and blessings

Zuster Elting

HEEEELLLLLLOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry I didn't write last week. our email time was cut short. Sad. but alas. So recap from what you missed in a day in the life.
Last week was possibly terrible. One of our companions left and although it really actually wasn't a bad week it just felt off. We had exchanges and I had to lead the city...bad idea. well actually it would have been fine except that day we had planned to go to a dorp we have only been once before and that week we lost the map. So it´s me and a dumb GPS on the phone....yes it was a long day. The poor sister with me was ever so wonderful despite me. It was terrible. That was literally the worst day of my mission so far. but alas turns out I survived and I know more than ever of the greatness of God and my own nothingness.
After having a bummer week we deemed this week ``Redemption Week`` and it has been the best week of my mission thus far!! Funny how that works. Prayer has played a huge role and it´s silly to think I wasn´t taking advantage of prayer like this the whole time. The blessings are there, they are pending I just need to ask for them. It is shocking to see the things the Lord is willing to bless me with if only I ask. This week I feel comfortable with Dutch. It has been a huge blessing and has curbed my fear of talking with people. It has been so wonderful. Our numbers for this week weren´t perfect but ``Redemption Week`` has been a game changer.
SOOOO I may or may not have found boterkoek. if it is ridiculously disgusting and ugly and just ughhhhhh then yes I found it. My companion and I were looking for a treat for weekly planning and I saw a box of what was called Boterkoek and I thought ``could this be???`` so I bought it and it was the grossest thing in the world I tried so desperately to like it but it was impossible and it was straightway thrown in the trash. So I hope that isn´t what our family has been searching for, the coveted boterkoek. I am still looking because I know it´s out there somewhere....but where?
Next order of business, there are rednecks everywhere. We went to a stake activity on Saturday and guess who was on the playlist? Alan Jackson and my girl Shania Twain. Yes sir, Dutch people can be rednecks too. It´s good to know really.
So, Wednesdays are transfers and guess who is staying in Dordrecht????? MEEEE! I am so happy! Unfortunately my trainer is leaving which is a major bummer but we have put it into the universe to be companions again later. I am ultra nervous but it´s going to be a great growing period and I LOVE Dordrecht so I am so happy to be staying. Sister Packer from my MTC group will be my companion and we will be training one another for the next 6 weeks. Yes that means us two 6 week old missionaries are running Dordrecht. The Lord has crazy faith in His missionaries. It is going to be wonderful. I can´t wait to see what she can bring to Dordrecht.

Also I have seen some crazy stuff these last two weeks. I´ll just leave it at that but man crazy stuff.

So, last week all of the sudden I haven´t been as sleepy. Getting up in the morning is easier and I´m not dying mid-afternoon now. I thought, sheesh i guess I'm just barely getting over jet lag. I've been super grateful for that but I was just puzzled for how it just suddenly was okay. Then I got your letter. Thank you so much for your prayers. You cannot even imagine how big of a difference it has made. I just started bawling when I read that it was your prayers. Thank you so much. Prayer is real and God hears you and He answers you! It has been such a testimony builder. Thank you thank you.

I love you sooooooo sooooooo much. I am doing well, I pray for you and I can most definitely feel your prayers. Keep them coming! I need them! Well, have a great week. and tune in next week who knows what will happen here in Dordrecht.

Ik hou van jullie,

Zuster Elting