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We had zone conference this week again in Apeldoorn, on Tuesday, and we were early this time, instead of half an hour late. It was fun seeing and speaking with elder Cockbain again. He is now zone leader in Apeldoorn, together with elder Bourne (whom I know from when he lived in Antwerpen). I spoke to him about the changes that had happened in the office since he had left and followed-up on various stuff. It was really an instructive and uplifting conference, with training on the new facebook campaign (with the "My Family" book as material) that will start on Monday. President Scheltinga (counsellor to the mission president) trained on using the Book of Mormon in teaching. Sister Robinson also gave a training on our uniqueness and how we can use that in finding people.

Yesterday, we went to Brussels with a few district leaders to exchange their driver's licenses for Belgian licenses. It went mostly well and we ate some food we bought from the Carrefour, before heading back to Leiden. And just as we got back, I got to speak French again to some lady that called as a self-referral in Rotterdam.

This week was rather peculiar, in that we had a dinner appointment on every weekday and also got fed by the girlfriend of an inactive member when we randomly dropped by, hahaha.

There were a lot of people at football this morning, including three new faces (One was invited by a member, and I think the other two go to the Wassenaar branch). I had some good plays, but it was definitely not my best game. Hopefully, we will go paint at some investigator's place today. 

Still nothing definite on replacements for my companions, even though they have been here a while.

"Something's going on. It has to do with that number. There's an answer in that number."

The Rock of our Redeemer

The week has been great, so far. Yesterday, I had the privilege of going to the temple with an investigator, to sit in the waiting room and watch a video that the temple president showed. He also gave an explanation. The investigator, an older lady from Suriname, loved the experience (as did I). She is so enthusiastic about the church and really wants to get baptised. But does not really see the point of getting baptised before she (and her aunt) get back from vacation (which will not be until early next year), because she wants her aunt to be there when she gets baptised.

We had a few lessons the rest of the week, but not a whole lot. And next week will be about the same, since we have a dinner appointment every day except Sunday, hahahaha. The members here really do love us it seems. They have also been giving us a lot of referrals and that's really great.

This morning we arrived at the field to play football and set everything up. A few minutes into the game, we realised that the very dark clouds to the west were moving our way. We heard thunder pretty soon and within half an hour, it started raining. A few people got freaked out by the lightning and rain and left, but six of us stayed to play on. Fortunately, none of us got hit by lightning, so that was good, I guess, hahaha. It was a fun game though.

Helaman 5:12

Scholar's Mate

Now on my fourth district leader on my mission. Though he is obviously a younger one than the second, he is still a good district leader and we had a good lesson on the Book of Mormon. But no time for roleplays, which is ok. The lunch was a bit weird: I think the sisters had not calculated properly the number of people there would be, for some reason.

Last Saturday, I bought myself a box of chess pieces and made a board from cardboard that evening. I played Lyman and Robbins through the week and won 4 games. Lyman beat Robbins once, too.

We taught some good lessons this week. And sister Robinson came with us to teach three of them on Wednesday. That was really fun. First we taught the Dutch-Honduran couple, followed by a drive to Wassenaar to teach the Zambian and then a correlation with President Lister of the Wassenaar branch, who just got back from vacation, and finally, we met up with President and taught a Brazilian mother and son. That was a really intense appointment: they are re-doing their apartment and the mother is really in a tough situation and got rather emotional (and kissed elder Lyman on the cheek, hahaha) and cried at the end of the appointment, but fortunately, sister Robinson was there.

On Friday, we welcomed a new senior couple, our second elder and sister Romig. When we got back from looking someone up in the morning, I found the package from Deseret book on my desk (containing a book of facsimiles of manuscripts dictated by Joseph Smith, a really cool journal, some notebooks and a tiebar). It was really nice.

This morning, we played football again, and I finally scored, against a defending goalie (instead of a goalie that is just standing there, which I also did twice today). I also passed the ball well a few times, but Robbins mostly failed to get the ball in from my passes.

1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6? 4. Qxf7#

Ars longa, vita brevis

We're approaching transfers again! This transfer has gone by so fast. It's surprising. But also good. I am past my 6 month mark now and it still surprises me how fast that time went by. Before I know it, I will be home again. Yeah, I know, it's cliche, but it really has gone by quickly.

In another few weeks we will be having a visit from Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve and he will give a mission conference. Which means that the entire mission will be gathering to hear from an apostle. In just over a month. And some time after that, the first of three large transfer groups will arrive, all three necessitating hotel bookings. Those will definitely be some busy and exciting weeks, to say the least. 

We taught a really positive (as some might say, golden) couple from Colombia this week. Even though they were said they were Catholic, we had no problem teaching them about the great apostasy and restoration. They really were prepared to hear what we had to share.

There was also a dropped investigator that we picked up again this week, and showed a Mormon Message to. Both her and her son are really positive and will be in church on Sunday. Now we just need to get Jill to church and teach her again (since she was on vacation), and our progressing investigators will be back to normal.

"Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind."