An Example of the Believers

Transfer week! Again. We were again in the hotel across the street from the office for the new and departing missionaries. This was the biggest transfer yet: 20 new missionaries and 17 going home. This meant that on Wednesday at lunchtime, 57 missionaries were eating lunch in the hotel's restaurant (besides the office staff): 20 new missionaries, 20 trainers and 17 departing missionaries. Needless to say, it was very busy. It was fun to talk to everyone as we got them started on the legal processes. 

It is always sad to see the old missionaries go. Especially when some of them were some of the best missionaries in the mission. Same for the sisters that left: almost all the experienced sister missionaries are gone. But I am sure that their replacements are up to snuff. It does change the equilibrium and the shape of the mission somewhat, with so many young sister missionaries. Much like it will change again in May and July, when about 60 elders go home and (hopefully) get replaced.

There were not so many changes in my district (the Amsterdam district), but we do now have two new missionaries that are being trained, an elder and a sister. And next week is zone training. 

Today, we will play munchkin again with the assistants and go to Stake Conference in Haarlem this evening. Apparently a new stake president for the Den Haag will be called tomorrow! So that is rather exciting.

"He does not believe that does not live according to his belief" - Thomas Fuller

Around the World in 80 Days

It is so odd to me that it is almost time for another group of missionaries to arrive (and for another to go home). But next Tuesday, 20 missionaries will fly in from the MTC. The biggest group to arrive so far this year (and since I got here). Fortunately (for my sanity), the next few groups will be much smaller in comparison. But it is always fun to be at the hotel for the orientation and trainings and such.

We had a great appointment with an investigator from South Korea (the potential that we looked up a few weeks ago and came looking for us after). She fed us and asked a lot of questions. She has decided that she needs to make up her mind and join a church. (I just hope she chooses the best church for her). And this evening, our fantastic Burundian investigator will be baptised!!

The Belgium trip this week was cancelled, and the next one will be in two weeks. But it was not such a bad thing, since 30 packages, at least, came in this week (mainly Christmas packages for missionaries). And in 10 days, we get to go deliver all those packages to the missionaries during zone trainings all over the mission. Hehe. We will be sure to wear Christmas hats when we do that.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - Saint Augustine

Praise the bridge that carried you over.

On Wednesday we had a terrific zone conference in Rotterdam, with Elder Moreira of the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy as guest speaker. During the first half, President and Sister Robinson and the assistants spoke to the missionaries about obedience and various other things to help work better with the wards and branches. After lunch, four elders did a wonderful musical number, with one playing the piano and the other three sang. It must be one of the best musical numbers I have ever heard during a zone conference/training. After the departing testimonies by a bunch of missionaries that go home in December, Elder Moreira and his wife spoke to us. They were great talks and it was really uplifting and inspiring. Additonally, Elder Moreira was very funny and made jokes the way through. A great speaker.

The next day, we drove to Zoetermeer to drop off the orders for the other three zones. We ate some food and listened to the musical number that was done again, at Elder Moreira's request, while we were there. The rest of the week was good, without too many surprises. We did get a lot of packages the whole week. Probably between 5 and 15 from Tuesday to Friday. They were mostly Christmas packages for missionaries. When there are 150 missionaries in the mission, there are going to be a lot of Christmas packages.

For the 4th week in a row, we will be playing Munchkin with the assistants. Though probably less long than last time, since they have to go somewhere in the afternoon. But it will be fun. 

"When prosperous the fool trembles for the evil that is to come; in adversity the philosopher smiles for the good that he has had." - Ambrose Bierce

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-02-36-president-monson-on-gratitude?category=prophets-and-apostles/gospel-topics&lang=eng&cid=HPTU112514512

Coming and Going

Two new senior couples arrived in the mission on Tuesday, along with an Peruvian elder. Also, two sister missionaries left that morning. One of the senior couples had previously lived here when his father was mission president, he then later served his own mission here and then as mission president himself. It's quite an interesting story. We now have quite a few senior couples in the mission, and the numbers will presumably stay the same until next summer. 

There was another Brussels trip on Thursday and we took down 8 people for various legal things. It was very fun, and we saw the beginnings of the Christmas market and tree in the centre of the city. For the rest, the trip went smoothly and there were no riots, haha.

Our best investigator, from Burundi, will be baptised next saturday, so that will be awesome. He is soooo funny, and just cracks jokes so much. This is his third time being taught by the missionaries and I really hope for his sake that this time is the right time. He would really benefit from church. (Though to be fair, so would most people, haha).

Last night, we played Munchkin with the APs again, and today, we are going to Amsterdam for the turkey bowl (an annual event in the mission where the zones all assemble, one or two together, and play American Football). 

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.

Hark all ye Nations

We had a really great experience on Sunday, when we went to look up a potential investigator that two other elders had found. At first, she was unwilling to let us in, talking about the risks of letting three strangers into your house. So we said we would meet at church some other time, and then we returned to our car. As we were in the process of pulling out, we saw someone walking along the street and one of my companions joked that it was probably the potential. It was. She told us that she had felt like she needed to talk to us, so she left her house to go find us. We re-parked the car and walked with her to a bench and talked a bit. Shortly thereafter, she invited us in to her house and we taught her about the restoration of the church. She asked a lot of really good questions.

The rest of the week was pretty good, but we had fewer opportunities to teach than normal. But we did teach our baptismal date. The Christmas packages for the missionaries are slowly piling up in the office. We already have a dozen and three tables are almost covered. I cannot imagine how many there will be for 150 missionaries.

On Thursday, we took the train to Brussels again. This time, there was no protest/riot, so it was a lot calmer in Brussels. We took the missionaries to see the centre of the city and get some food before we had to go take care of legal stuff. It was a very fun trip, though we missed our train and had to wait around in Antwerpen Centraal for a bit, but I did not mind, haha.


“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” - Shakespeare

For Unto us a Child is Born

(I know it is a bit early for Christmas references, but we are already listening to Christmas music, so it's ok, haha)

Transfers were last week, and 17 missionaries arrived, which is the most I have ever brought into the land. Naturally, we were at a hotel, though the Golden Tulip, this time. It was very fun to talk to them and see how enthusiastic they all were. They are definitely fine additions to this mission and good replacements for those that departed. They were all prepared to contact people on their very first day (and in a jet-lagged state). I am also quite impressed with their Dutch.

That whole week was very busy, and rather stressful too. But we survived and now my new companions and I are the three office elders and my old companions have moved on to other places. On p-day, we went to Naturalis (again) and had a good time there.

This week, we recovered from last week and caught up on various tasks. There were not so many big changes in leadership and such, and just a few white-washes. The biggest task (especially before transfers) was opening up the city of Lokeren. Two sisters were assigned there and will attend the Sint-Niklaas ward. 

On Thursday, we went to Brussels by train with all the new(-ish) missionaries assigned in Flanders and the Eindhoven zone. We only realised what was planned for that day by various unions when we were approaching Antwerpen and elder Lyman called to tell us that something was up. It turns out that there was a major protest (between 100 and 150 000 people) in Brussels. In Brussel-Centraal, there was a lot of people and firecrackers going off all over. But that was not even the worst of it: apparently, cars were burning near the south station and there were clashes with the police. We were safe though and I had a really fun time.

Today, for p-day, I hope to play some boardgames with my companions and the assistants.

Nain

This week was pretty crazy. Elder and Sister Robison got down to their work as the new office couple, under the guidance of Elder and Sister Winmill, until Wednesday evening, when they were dropped off at the Sheraton in Schiphol. Early the next morning we went to say goodbye to them at the airport (and by early, I mean that we arose just before 5 o'clock in the morning).

On Tuesday, Elders Lyman and Johnson went to Lokeren in Belgium to furnish an apartment that is opening there, so we went to district meeting without them. No day this week was normal, except Friday and today, with the exception of a lesson in the middle of the day each of those two days. Sunday will also be unusual because of transfer calls.

I am quite looking forward to next week, when 17 missionaries arrive and 12 go home. It is weird to think that it is almost the end of the year already (almost time to put on Christmas music).

Young man, I say unto thee, Arise

Iron Horse

One of the busiest weeks I have ever seen, outside of transfer week itself. Starting with the normal busy Monday, with various meetings about the week and transfers. Then on Tuesday, we went to the temple. We saw the newest video there, which was much better than the older one, hahaha. It was as always a very inspiring and uplifting experience. It was great. After that, we headed over to the Zoetermeer church and got that set up for lunch (Subway sandwiches instead of the usual Domino's pizza). After which, we heard departing testimonies and had a zone training led by the zone leaders and sister training leader of the Amsterdam, Apeldoorn and Rotterdam zones. It was an interesting set up. The next day, the other three zones went to the temple, and we dropped off their orders and the food (and we stayed to eat too of course, as well as to listen to the departing testimonies). Later in the day, four sisters arrived in the office to do their departing interviews and stuff and elder Yocom and I had to stay in the office to take care of that. 

The next day, we drove to Brussels with a few district leaders to take care of driver's licenses. And then Friday, Lyman and Johnson took the greenies down to Brussels for their legality. And this morning the new office couple arrived and my companions took care of signing them in and stuff. 

We have not really had a normal day this week. I did have a lot of fun though, so it was not terrible, just busy. Additionally, I did not have much responsibility, I just was there as support really. But 10 days from now will be transfers and then I do have a bunch of responsibility. But it will be even more fun, so who cares, hahahaha. 

Philosophia vero omnium mater artium.

Silence

On Wednesday, my companions' replacements arrived and they started training. For the next three weeks, until Robbins and Lyman leave and Yocom and Johnson take over, there will be 5 of us in the office and teaching our investigators. That will be (and has already been) very fun and productive (hopefully). 

Thursday, they continued training and I supervised as the Winmills took Lyman and Robbins for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. In the afternoon, I took elder Johnson to the Golden Tulip to talk to someone about the hotel stay during the transfer week at the end of the month and sort everything out for that. It went smoothly. Elder Lyman and I also took over the appliances we picked up last week (from Almere) at the dump in Leiden.

Yesterday, elder Lyman and I drove to the sisters' apartment in Haarlem to remove a cooker and a fridge so that a member could install the new cooker. We had a good roadtrip and drove to the dump in Leiden again on the way back to deposit the appliances. 

This morning, we played football with a smallish group and then went to the Stigters for a lunch appointment, and so elder Robbins could complete the Ninja Warrior Challenge. And this evening, we have a baptism! :)

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

10010100101

As usual on non-transfer weeks, the week got a whole lot busier towards the end (for some reason that's how it often is). There was zone training on Thursday in Amsterdam, a Brussels trip on Friday and, of course, football on Saturday. 

The training was really good and inspirational and edifying. It was focused primarily on our studies, with a bit of training on improving our teaching appointments. This is in connection with the PMG chapter of the transfer: chapter 2. The zone leaders and the sister training leader gave the training and of course everyone else participated to varying degrees.

When we went to Brussels, we took only one elder in the car with us, as the others were travelling by train or in a senior couple's car. The trip was probably one of the shortest we have ever had. And we were back much earlier than expected.

For the rest, the week was not really exciting or unusual, hence the shortness of the post. Maybe more next week

"There is no spoon."