Cura te Ipsum

Another group of arrivals and departures come and gone. Only two arrived, to replace six that were going, including my old companion from my mini-mission in Gent (elder Gomez), a former office elder (elder Pimentel) and elder Loorbach! I was sad to see him go, he has been my longest companion (albeit part-time) on my mission, and we were able to relate to each other's situation since we are both from the same group of stakes, and know a lot of the same people, and are not American. On the plus side, that does mean that I will be able to see him more often than I will most other companions or other missionaries in general.

On Wednesday, there was also a switch-up in the Saturday football missionaries: elder Neptune replaced Bean in Leiden, and elder Bishop replaced Sumter as assistant to the president. I was able to see them both in action this morning, during a fun and intense game of football. Well, apart from getting a fastball from Goff to the leg as he tried to kick it as hard as he could past the keeper. Fortunately, my leg bones are still whole.

It is quite interesting to think of the diversity among our investigators at this time: we are teaching a Surinamese, two Chinese, one Curaçaoan, a Dutch-Honduran couple, a Hungarian and a Brazilian. We have a few Dutch potential investigators, but so far, none of them are really solid. But a few are quite open. 

We were able to work outside of the office all day yesterday, since the carpets were being cleaned, so we went to find people at a different time of the day than usual, and looked up a bunch of people, as well as doing weekly planning. It was fun, but I missed the office work. Fortunately, there were crises during our absence, so we did not have to rush off to do anything.

Anybody Can't Do Anything

It is quite humorous listening to my companions sometimes, they have some peculiar phrasing that comes out fairly often. Probably because they are American.

Today has been busy so far: elders Lyman and Goff helped with a service project at a member's place who lives just across the road from us, almost, while I played football in Wassenaar with the other two (Robbins and Bean). After meeting up again (and eating something at the member's house), we went to the Stigters for lunch and so that they could try the Ninja Warrior Challenge, aka the Brian Clark challenge. It was very fun, and we played darts too. Elder Bean became the third person ever to complete the challenge (even though he touched his foot on the ground very briefly, making him the honorary third finisher). He did it pretty quickly too. Everyone thought elder Robbins would make it, but he was stymied by the second crossing underneath the platform. 

This week, we had a good number of appointments and taught a lot of people. We found only a few potentials, but did set 2 baptismal dates and plan on setting another one tonight, with brother Clark as joint teach. I think I should start keep a list of all the different nationalities I meet/teach. 

Tomorrow, we hear about who is being transferred, so that's exciting. And then on Tuesday, three missionaries fly in and we go through the whole process like we do every six weeks (and of course, pancakes!). 

Don't feel like you're on a "one-way train".

Quando omni flunkus moritati

The first full week of the Robbins-Lyman tenure is over and the office is still standing. And the van still looks like it did before. Yeah, they are doing well and seem to have everything under control, so that's good. Fortunately. And elder Loorbach has been teaching them how to drive with manual transmission, and after a few hair-raising moments, they have almost mastered it and are no longer a menace on the road. They have been doing a good job in teaching and finding investigators: they were not district leaders for nothing. I have also been learning a lot from them in regards to proselyting, and also helping them with the office tasks and such.

Yesterday, we had a great zone conference with elder Boom (an Area Seventy), where he talked about his and the Netherlands' past and then about our futures and what we should and should not do after our missions. About the people we should become and the things we should continue doing that we do on our missions. He also spoke about marriage, much to the ire of certain people. And today, we dropped off the orders at the second zone conference, in Rotterdam, and listened to the dying testimonies.

We had a fun time at the Stigter home on Wednesday (where elder Robbins spoke almost the entire time with a Buddhist). We will hopefully go do the "ninja warrior challenge" (aka "Brian Clark challenge") next Saturday. And yesterday, we ate delicious South African food at sister Anneveldt's house: that was fun too.

And this morning, we played first football and then American football (or eggball, as I prefer to call it). I did not really do as well as I have before, but it went alright. I need to work on interception in football, and also passing in eggball.

"Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together."

It's Just That Simple

I mainly ran out of time for a post last week, and also forgot to write something when I did have a bit of time.

But anyways, the last two weeks have been about as busy as normal, with this last week being a bit busier. Elders Lind and Cockbain finished training their replacements and we send goodbye to the Wassenaar branch, and had a number of really good dinner appointments with members. I will be sad to not be going there anymore and will miss the members, but I am sure that the members of the Leiden ward will be just as nice. Even if we don't eat as much Mexican food as we have eaten with the Wassenaar members, haha

 

The transition to new office elders has gone pretty smoothly, elder Lyman seems to know exactly how to speak to people on the phone and deal with computers and legal stuff. And elder Robbins has picked up the financial tasks, albeit reluctantly, with the necessary dedication. As of Wednesday, I became the senior office elder. Just another 12 months or so and I will be the most senior out of all the people who will then work in the mission office, haha.

 

Times have been tough in the last weeks, but such is life, as Ecclesiastes 3:1 states. But there were also good times, such as driving down to Brussels with elder Lyman on Tuesday and then to Groningen and Amersfoort (via the Afsluitdijk) on Wednesday, with elder Eastmond (to drop off elders Lind and Loorbach and pick up elder Lewis). I got to know both of them a bit more and help out with various matters that needed to be done in the far reaches of the mission. And roadtrips are always fun, of course.

 

As of Wednesday evening, I officially became companions with elders Robbins and Lyman. The second of (probably) 5 or 6 companionships I will be in. Unless the average sentence in the office is reduced or extended.

 

I look forward to what the future may hold.

Aut vita aeterna, aut mortem