CONTINUALLY LEARNING

I can hardly keep track of what's going on here! haha It's like we're flying around inside a whirlwind and I'm trying to grab as much stuff as I can in the middle of it. Don't worry I catch a lot, it's just from time to time a refrigerator slams into you... Not always in a death kind of way but it sure does feel like that when I wake up in the mornings.

So worth it though. I'm learning SO much! Unfortunately this week had to be a painful one, but hey I'm still breathing and smiling :). It's kind of been an Alkmaar week too. I don't know if you know Sis.VR but she is down here in the zone on a mini-mission right now! I was able to have a really good talk with her. She helped me see a few things I hadn't before, like why I had to leave Alkmaar so soon. She helped me see that it was probably another way the Lord was protecting me, and my heart.  I was very grateful to see her again and boy is she an example to us all.

Upon reading one of my blogs she said she determined to go on a mini-mission but there were SO many uncertainties if she left. She put them all aside, trusting that if it was the Lord's will He'd provide. And He has, like He always does. Sometimes I wish I had more faith like that, to let those things that matter most to me go into His hands so that I can go and serve Him with all my heart, might, mind and strength. I have worked on this, and I'm getting better, but there's always room for improvement.

Maybe not brothers by birth, but brothers forever. 

Then the very next day I got to see R and Br.D B which was SO GREAT! Can I just say how stinkin' proud of R I am! From all the stories he was telling me about his life he is on a roll and is setting a righteous example for those around him.

A true blessing. 

Mark my words, that young man is going to have a huge impact on the world around him :) and I get bragging rights cause he's my brother! :) Mama and Papa D B definitely did things right when they raised their family. Every single one of them shines with the light of Christ. True examples of goodness.  

Which brings me to another happy realization: I love Rotterdam :). It's a VERY different kind of love than I've experienced before, but it is still love and respect. Heavenly Father helped me see the other day how amazing they are. 

I've made a lot of mistakes here, none on purpose, of course, but it is tough for me because I want them to have my best self. There has been some struggles here and the people could be upset with the missionaries, but they keep going. They continue to reach out to us in love as if we were their own children. No matter what we do, their love is unconditional and unwavering, and they don't deserve anything less than that. I'll always love them for that. 

As for the Zone things are going AMAZING! Progress is being made here and steps are being taken that have needed to be taken for two years. The Lord is blessing us in His tender mercy and giving us opportunities to finally work with Stake and Ward Leaders to bring the members and the missionaries in harmony one with the other. Both sides are ready to work and are willing to get to understand each other. It's literally the perfect situation for miracles.

To help this unity along we're asking all the missionaries to base their spiritual thoughts with members in Preach My Gospel. By sharing this amazing book with members they can better understand us and why we are the way we are, why we do the things we do. It's the perfect foundation for us to be able to move forward in unity one with the other. The perfect foundation that missionaries will be able to build off of for years to come. 

I have had some hard things this week and a person questioning me. It been tough, but thank heavens that we have the opportunity to serve others. Best balm for a broken heart? Forget yourself and go to work. Don't have a work to do, go find one or better yet someone to help. That's what healed my soul and got me on my knees. The pain ebbed away and my heart opened enough to forgive and move forward. I still feel a little fragile but I'm better than I was :)

 

Saying good-bye at the MTC

Well I love you all! And SKY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Gosh you're just going to be so grown up when I get back it's crazy. I keep thinking when I meet 15 year old that I've got a brother that age, but NOPE you're 17 (on the 3rd)! Weird thing is, I've never seen you as a young kid/a 15 year old, it's just kind of the number that's been frozen in my

Schuyler now.

head.

 You're too solid to just be 17, seriously. Things may be twirling around it a million miles per hour and you may not be able to make heads or tails of things but your head is on straight. That's why your our Peter, our rock. That's why you're Tim Drake, the fundament of hope in the Bat-family. Thanks for being you Sky-guy and for always taking an interest in the things I was interested in :) we make a pretty good team that way. There's no one else I'd rather have as a brother and no one better Sam could have for an older brother with him right now. LOVE YOU AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love, Elder Cooper

Culture Note: Everyone in the Netherlands has an agenda! Seriously, you pull out your planner to make an appointment and they pull out theirs to do the same. Say all you want about the Dutch but they know how to use their time efficiently. One of the greatest blessings for me out here was learning from them the importance of time and how to schedule it properly. Being on a mission helps with that but it helps when everyone else around you is doing it too! :D