Hallo Familie!  Unfortuately I don't have very much time...like at all so I won't be able to finish my letter from last week and I won't be able to write very much this week.  I'll just do the highlights.  Oh p.s. they've asked us not to use the real names of the investigators and familys if we are posting it on a blog but I want you to see the real names so if you would please just change the names of everyone before posting it.

Monday was good i saw amsterdam for the first time, we had dinner with family N**** a member family, and then we met for the first time with our new investigators Wanda and her husband they are really great!
Tuesday we had an amazing lesson with a family that we met.  Familie van O******.  They are really open and awesome.  I can't wait to teach them more.
Wednesday I went to Harlem on exchanges with Zuster Wood.  It was great to be able to serve with her.
Thursday was Zuster Woods birthday so I decorated for her but I also flooded their bathroom oops!  And the cake I bought got all smashed but it was still lekker.  We went to Zuster U*** a less active and I just love her.
Friday was zone conference which was amazing.  It was super long but i learned a lot and we had a cool presentation on the Jewish faith.  I find it so interesting to learn about other faiths.  Also we exchanged and i had Zuster Larson here in Zoetermeer.
Satuday we met with a less active family and that was great, we had weekly planning which I love to do and then we met this really great girl Michaela.  She's awesome.
Sunday we had 4 investigators at church!  That's never happened before!  It was a miracle.  Well that's about all the time I have for this week. 

Liefde,
Zuster Mizell

Hallo familie!  Well it's officially here, a new transfer!  I can't believe how fast these last 6 weeks went but at the same time it's crazy how long it feels like I have been here.  Mission time is trippy.  Well I suppose I'll go through the week.

 

Maandag- There isn't too much to tell actually.  I'm pretty sure I talked about the lesson with our investigator Luisa last week that went really well.  Oh I got two letters this day!  One from Grandma and one from Mom.  Boy do I love getting letters!  We had a great dinner with one of the families in our ward.  We had never been over there before so it was great to get to know them better!  That's really about all.

 

Dinsdag- This was a really hard day.  I honestly don't really remember anything from it.  Oh we did have a spontaneous lesson with one girl her name is Anna.  She says she's open but she really isn't.  She's felt the Spirit really strongly a couple times in her life and she expects to feel it that way EVERY time.  She isn't open to the quiet whisperings of the Spirit.

 

Woensdag- Another hard day, but some great miracles in between.  I got a REALLY sweet blessing from Brother Rahman van Eden that I will remember for the rest of my life.  We met a familie, familie Ommeren and set up an appointment with them for tomorrow.  And I had my first Mona toutja.  WOW!!!  LIFE CHANGED!!  I feel really bad that none of you can have any because they don't make them in America.  Seriously though, new favorite dessert.   ZOOOO LEKKER!!!

 

Donderdag- Another hard day. Did a lot of contacting.  We had a great dinner with a member family, one of the many familie Pannhuyzens.  We got to serve and have a lesson with one of the inactif members Zuster Uljee.  She is seriously sooo cute and one of my favorite people here.  She is from South Africa and just wonderful!!!  And then we had a lesson with our eternal investigator Rens and we just watched the Mormon messages Patterns of light serious by Elder Bednar.  It was actually really good.

 

Vridag- Ok this is where things start getting really good.  So Zuster Rigdon had to go to a half a day meeting so some sisters came down from north Netherlands and worked with me for the day.  So we were doing companionship study when I get a call from my District leader Elder Sosa saying he has a referral for me.  I was excited because referrals are always great but then he told me it was a self referral from mormon.org!!!  She had gotten on herself and requested to see the missionaries!!!  AHHH!!!  So after studies we went straight there to meet her and it turns out she's 18 and feels like there is something more.  ........................

 

 

Actually my time is up and I have to go.  I'll have to finish this later.  Love you all!!!

 

Liefde,

Zuster Cassie Mizell

Hallo familie!  Wow I can't believe that I have officially been here in the land 6 weeks!  I still don't speak Dutch haha.  But wow am I just still loving being here!  So I will be staying in Zoetermeer with my wonderful companion Zuster Rigdon which I am so thankful for!  We did move though!  So I have a new address.  It's Laveibos 153, 2715 RJ, Zoetermeer, Netherlands.  I do still have the key to the other apartment though so I can get the mail there.  Ok so I guess I should go into the week.  Wow it has been a CRAZY week seriously but I'll just tell it day by day. 

 

Tuesday was a day filled with wonders!  Wonders is actually miracles in Dutch.  So we had an AMAZING District meeting with so much spiritual uplifting.  Boy do I love district meetin every week.  I made our famous spaghetti cassarole, wow I don't think that's how you spell it haha, and everyone LOVED IT!  We did service for one of the members in the ward and helped her with some yard work.  I mowed the lawn for the first time ever!  WOAH!  But it was a weird lawn mower and more like a vaccum for grass haha.  Then we had dinner at familie Pannhuyzen which was so great as always, then we went over and met with Bishop and his wife which was super great!  Also I had two ice cream cones mmmmm. LEKKER!!!!  Then we met this really cool guy Jimmy who has just lost his mom and is looking for God.  That night we got home and president Robinson came over to tell Zuster Rigdon that her grandma had passed away and then he also gave her a calling to be the sister training leader!  It was a lot for her to take in, but she is soooo amazing and strong.  Also I found out that I'll be staying with her this day which was a huge relief that I didn't have to wait until Sunday. 

 

Wednesday we had a really delicious breakfast at another familie Pannhuyzen.  There we met up with Zuster Stout who just finished her mission.  She was Zuster Rigdon's trainer and is like her best friend so it was really good for her to be able to talk to her after the previous night but also hard to say goodbye.  Then we had the most amazing lesson ever!  We went to the cute girl Lila, she is 21 and when I said the prayer afterwards she was like I got the shivers what is that feeling!?  And we were like that's the Holy Ghost.  And then we taught her about the restoration and she was like actually I've been reading the BvM and I already believe that's it's true and I think it's amazing that you believe in prophets now.  So we were like well will you prepare to be baptized on July 13 as you come to know these things are true?  and she was like yes of course!  And we were all like YEAH!  and then we were like will you continue to read in bvm and pray to know if it's true and she was like I promise you I will read in the book.  Anyway it was just amazing.  Oh also this day we were planning on moving into our new apartment monday but Zuster Rigdon decides this evening that we should do it tomorrow!  AHHH!!  So we went crazy trying to pack everything for the next morning. 

 

Thursday we moved into a beautiful new apartment!  It is so nice because there isn't a ton of junk from all the other old missionaries, just the things we need. We did lots of organizing and stuff but unfortunately we didn't get to do a lot of missionary work this day.  These guys came at 7:50 in the morning to work on our water heater and we had to let them in which is totally against the rules and we weren't even dressed!  Luckily a zuster cam over from the ward which was a huge blessing because she helped us soooo much to pack up all of our junk.  We had a lesson this day with this guy named Jaco.  He had actually met with zusters before but he still just isn't really open and ready.  Someday. We did meet two cute girls though while doing a look up.  One is actually a member from the Phillipiens and they both just seem open and willing to learn!  Oh also something funny, I have sooooo many problems with my bike hahaha.  Everyday something funny happens with my bike.  So as you know the Dutch people here are SOOO good at ridding their bikes and they can like carry stuff and everything.  I was trying to carry a box on my bike and I totally ran into some bushes hahaha it was pretty darn funny.  I guess I'm not quite Dutch yet.

 

Friday was alright.  All our appointments fell through but we had a great dinner with Zuster Van der Scheer.  Also we went to Harlem and I brought back Zuster Wood for exchanges so that was good.  OH today I had the BEST ice cream flavor I have EVER tasted, hazelnut crunch.  SOOOO LEKKER!!!!  Oh also this day we contacted this one lady that called us bad people for being religious.  It's really hard to see when Heavenly Father's children are so far away from Him.  They have just given up hope.  They are the ones that need the gospel the most.  I pray for them.

 

Saturday was well a weird day.  It was great because I got to be with Zuster Wood whom I love to death.  We talked to 60 people today with one guy who was interested.  That's hard.  We also had some.....interesting conversations with people longs de deur.  This one old man has cancer and he wants to believe sooo badly but he just has no hope.  Then this couple that kept saying how open minded they were and how they hate the rules of the church and how they believe in the fourth dimension of your mind where all your ancestors live,.....ya it was weird.  But we did eat lunch by the temple which was beautiful and we had ice cream.  Also the weather this week was just beautiful!  It finally felt like summer, but today it's already gone and it's cold, cloudy, and dreary.  Haha I guess that's the Netherlands for you.  Also this day we had two lessons that fell through.  One with Angleo and one with Eevert who was home but had his daughters lie and say he wasn't.  I just wish people would say they aren't interested rather than lead us on and then avoid us.  It's frustrating. 

 

Yestday was great!  It was a great relaxing day just spent with memebers mostly.  I met with the Tettero family and had dinner.  Savannah is writting their daughter Rosanne.  I saw her letter to her.  It's sooo cute they are writting each other.  We took some pictures at their house that they are going to send in her letter to Savannah.  Well that's about all for this week.  I've got to go but I love you all!!!!!

Well hello my dear family!  Can I just say what a week!  It has truly been a rollarcoaster of a week so I guess I should go ahead and get on with it. 

So Monday after I emailed you all, we went to Delft this cute little town and I got to go inside my first European cathedral.  Wow was that amazing!  I just love the history and the architecture.  I felt like a part of history.  It was really neat.  Also Delft is famous for Delft Blue.  If you don't know what that is look it up and you'll recognize it.  I really wanted to get some but spent my money instead on getting gifts for Dad and Brenton.  So after our fun P-Day activities and some LEKKER choloade, we came back to Zoetermeer for a dinner appt.  She had forgotten us so we ended up going to the store and buying meat, cheese, crackers, fruit, carrots, and aloe vera water which is delicious!  It was like homemade lunchables.  Then we sat in a park and had dinner and then we played on a teeter totter.  I have a great video of it =)  Also we did a lot of contacting and met a family with 5 kids!  WOAH!  We went back another day and gave her the BvM.  She said she's super busy but she will read it and then give us a call and let us know whether she is interested or not.  Also she said she felt good having us there, just very comfortable and peaceful.  WHAM!  She felt the Spirit!  If only she could recognize what it was. 

Ok Tuesday we had District Meeting.  Boy do I LOVE District Meeting.  It always soooo edifying and I learn so much!  Also our District leader Elder Stanley is just legit so that's always great.  I learned something that I really want to share.  So I don't know if you all know or not but it's a possibility that I might train next transfer which is approximately 10 days from now.  I am freaking out but the week before last I was REALLY freaking out!  But one of the sisters in our district (she was in my MTC group) talked about faith.  She said when we read in first Nephi about Nephi building a boat we are always so quick to judge Laman and Lemuel.  They didn't believe he could do it.  But if we were there would we have believed he could do it?  He had NEVER built a boat before in his life.  We so easily believe and have faith that God could help Nephi build a boat but when it comes to the hard and challenging things in our lives do we have the faith?  Are we more like Laman and Lemuel?  I know I certainly am sometimes.  It's the same God and the power so if He can help Nephi build a boat, He can certainly help me train a greenie.  Anyway that was just one thing that really stuck out to me.  We had an appt. this day with a new investigator named Lila a cute muslim girl.  She wasn't there but we were able to reschedule so that was good.  Also on Tuesday was BEAUTIFUL weather!  We road by one of our investigator's apartments and she just happened to come out exactly as we were ridding by.  Coincidence?  I think not!  She has read almost the whole book of first Nephi and she really likes it.  Also she has a lot of problems with her husband but she said she has been praying and things are already getting better with him.  She said she takes that as some kind of answer!  Wow God is sooo good!  She is already starting to notice the miracles and blessings that she can have through this gospel.  Also this day I found and bought a bike for only 85 euro.  That's pretty good and it's a relief to have my own bike.  Also we met this referal from the Den Haag Zusters from forever ago.  Her name is Alexandra and she is cool but crazy.  We spent most of the time talking about the differences between the Netherlands and America.  Also it was the birthday of a lady in the ward so we stopped by and dropped off a birthday card.  Oh FUNNY story.  So we were contacting and looking on in our map book when this guy on his bike starts to ride by and starts ringing his bell and dancing.  HAHAHA IT WAS SO FUNNY!  Zus. Rigdon and I couldn't stop laughing.  It was just really great =)

Wednesday was probably one of the best days on my mission so far. We started with some contacting int the morning and also looked up another family, familie Kook.  We always seems to come over when she has no time but she still seems positive to meet with us which is good.  Oh ALSO I almost forgot!  We got our first member referal!!!  Zus. Rigdon and I literally screamed and danced around after.  It's a family of 4 with kids all old enough to be baptized.  The Dad is an inactive member and he knows that he needs to come back.  The Mom doesn't seem as interested right now but she will be.  They have just been having a really rough time and then seem to know a lot of members here by no coincidence.  I'm so excited to see where this leads.  Ok so also this day we had our Enlgish lesson with Suzan.  She's a really cute muslim girl who is 17 and is just dying to go to America.  We teach her english, which is actually harder than it sounds because I have no idea how to teach english, but she isn't really interested in the gospel.  Jummer.  Anyway this day we had the Harlem zuster coming to us and they ended up being really late!  We were so frustrated but because we had some time to kill we ended up contacting and met this lady named Caroline who said the elders had taught her for 3 years!  Zuster Rigdon told her a little bit about the temple and she was just in awe.  Then we asked if she wanted to maybe start learning again and she said yes.  She also said she would come to church!  She might be a little crazy though....we can't tell haha.  Anyway then we had a FANTASTIC dinner with familie Pannhuysen.  Man are they funny!  We just had a great time and then I sang for them.  Then we had our lesson with our new investigator Angelo.  It was actually the first lesson Zus. Rigdon and I had taught together and it went AMAZING!  We started to comit him to baptism and before we even finished he said yes!  Also he agreed to meet twice a week and come to church.  I was literally dancing around from joy the rest of the night. 

Then came Thursday.  We did some contacting in the morning and met this really neat kid named Joshua.  He's only 18 and moving to Den Haag so we gave him to the Elders there.  He was super chill but it was a little weird because he MIGHT have flirted with us.  Of course my face turned BRIGHT RED, thank you Dad haha.  Then we met this woman on the street who already has a BvM and we set up an appt. with her.  Then we were trying to look up a less active member and we went to her house and she wasn't there.  Then on our way somewhere else we saw her on the street!  WOAH!  Then we had a great dinner with family Rahman van Eeden.  It's really neat because the Dad is a muslim convert and we learned the best way to teach muslims the gospel and he just has a really neat conversion stories.  One of the coolest I have ever heard actually.  Then we had an appt. with our eternal investigator Rens.  He has been coming to church for 3 years now but still isn't baptized.  But we have been able to comit him to starting all over again and really working towards a baptismal date.  He agreed to try and read in the BvM everyday.  He is FINALLY progressing!  YAY!

Friday we had weekly planning which is one of my favorite times of the week!  I know funny right!?!  Who would have thought that I would like 3 hour planning sessions!?!  Anyway it was great.  Then we got pasteries at Bakker Ammerlan YUM!  We had a lesson with Zuster Uljee an inactive member.  She is one of my favorite people here I just LOVE HER!!!!  Then we finally had a meeting with the Bishop.  He wasn't very positive though.  I think he feels a little discouraged over the missionary work here in Zoetermeer because there hasn't been very much success in a while.  Hopefully we will bring him some hope.  Then I had delicious keppling which is really good fried fish.  Then we gave away flowers to a random stranger and got really lost haha.  But it's all good.

This is a hard one.  Saturday was a hard day full of a lot of dissapointments.  =(  We went to Pijnacker most of the day.  It's an area fairly far away and the weather was pretty miserable.  We did meet a couple of potentials but not many.  We talked to 60 people this day.  Then we were supposed to have our lesson with Angelo but he has just dissapeared again.  We called and texted him and nothing.  I was soooo dissapointed.  It turns out that one of the biggest dissapointments ever in life is seeing someone give away a chance to learn about the gospel.  We did meet one cute lady with two kids though so that was positive. 

Yesterday was hard too.  No one came to church and Zus. Rigdon and I just got to feeling really discouraged.  But we had a great dinner and FHE with familie Lake and then we went and visited Mingming.  She is this adorable chinese woman we gave the BvM to.  We went into her house and had a lesson with her.  She is buddihst and has a bit of a hard time understanding and believing abou God.  But we gave her a great lesson and she said she reads the BvM and says she feels good and peaceful when she reads it and takes that as a good sign.  We told her that was the Holy Ghost.  She seems interested but really just wants to read it first. 

Zuster Cassie Mizell