Waffles!

 

The 4 Euro waffles are worth the trip. I got mine with strawberries, bananas, chocolcate and whip cream. De-lish!

The Best Day of My Life

Ok, so maybe it only seemed like the best day of my life, but today was pretty great. All last night and this morning I was feeling super anxious about being in Belgium. It is cloudy and cold, and I live alone with cats. Then I woke up an hour late for church and dropped my new jar of strawberry jam on the kitchen floor, shattering every piece. I had a really bad attitude and was thinking to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?"

Then I went to Church. 10 min walk; 20 min tram ride; 10 min walk. I walked in during the middle of the block, and almost immediately a very nice, English-speaking man pulled me aside and asked if I was looking for Sunday school. Turns out he was in the bishopric, and he pulled me into his office and we started chatting up a storm. He was SO nice. Turns out that he works at NATO across the hall from me, and the Bishop works on the floor above us. He was so nice. He talked non-stop at a very excited level about NATO, giving me all sorts of helpful tips. He drew me maps, told me where to travel, and invited me over for dinner. It was awesome. Then he introduced me to a Russian woman (the only Russian in the ward) and we hit off too. By the end of church I had three dinner invitations and a huge list of phone numbers and places I needed to visit.

I went to lunch at a house of a really great family. Husband, wife and five kids. He practices international law and they have lived all over the world. They are pretty young and are about to leave to preside over the mission that includes Slovenia, Bosnia, and Croatia.

This may seem like a pretty ordinary or small thing, but today this was the most sincere tender mercy in my life. It was a clear reminder to me that the Lord knows who I am and where I am, and that no matter where I go, in The Church is where I need to be. I felt the Spirit so strongly and came home with a renewed desire to build and share my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Outside My Apartment

 

Inside My Apartment

 

Belgium

 

Well, I did it. I packed my 65 liter backpack and got a plane to Belgium. After two nights in a hostel I have finally moved into my new apartment. I will be house-sitting and cat-sitting for an American who lives in Brussels but will be out of town all summer.

Courage to Hope Cupcakes

 

Courage to Hope hosted its annual "Night in Moscow" classical concert at the Springville Museum of Art of May 4, 2011. I made and donated cupcakes for the event. It was quite the undertaking, but everything went smoothly. Overall the event helped raise over $1,600 for victims of domestic violence in Ukraine. If you would still like to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.couragetohope.org.