June 19, 2021
This past week we experienced one of God's tender mercies that I wanted to write down, it really was a miracle. After a long and exhausting flight across the world, literally, we touched down in Amsterdam from Tokyo. We had both our kids and 9 checked bags and 5 more carrying ons. Everything we owned, a TON of stuff-- more than two people could carry across the airport to find our taxi van.
At first, we couldn't find any carts to put our stuff on and when we finally found carts there was three of them and we didn't want to leave out stuff because was worried about it getting taken and Riley was trying to talk to arrival information and see if there was a service to help but there was for sure moments of dread and 'how are we ever going to do this' and get out of the airport with all our stuff.
Out of nowhere it felt like, a workers asked if she could help and just grabbed a cart and we all did the same and started following her through the airport. We started chatting through the airport and I told her we were moving, hence the million bags. She asked where I was from and I told her we came from Japan, but originally from the US... She asked what part of the US and I told her I was from Idaho and she asked what part of Idaho, and told me she was an exchange student in Jerome, Idaho! It was so cool and random!
She then told me she knew a family that had moved her from Tokyo too but just left, in my head was thinking do you know how many people live in Tokyo! But then she recalled the name "Karissa Stone" and I knew exactly who she was talking about and she said they were Americans family in her church that also came here from Tokyo but moved a month ago to London. We overlapped with the Stone family in Tokyo and met her and actually I chatted with her on the phone just weeks before about moving here.
I then told her we are also members of the church too! She was so excited and I started getting emotional telling her she really was heaven-sent helping with our bags. She told us about the Amsterdam dutch ward and how it really is bilingual and told us to check it out Sunday. She also said she was the Relief Society President and we exchanged information. Her name is Maureen! It was SO COOL how it all worked out and honestly a miracle. I found out she wasn't even suppose to be at "arrivals" but they moved her last minute randomly, not so randomly! She had also prayed to see who she could help today.
God is there and real, working through others to accomplish so much good. It was through Maureen's act of service that we were first able to get our bags across the airport (a truly impossible task on our own) and also we went to the dutch Amsterdam ward (we kinda thought the English ward is the one we would attend) and met lots of people and even had two play-dates this week with kids close to Luke's age and has made the transition so good here. It has almost been one whole week living in Amsterdam and has been so good! Lots of big decisions ahead figuring it all out and where to live-- but we are excited for this new chapter in life.
