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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."

Ecce homo

This week was awesome. We started off by discussing and finishing up plans for transfers on Monday. Then on Tuesday we left very early to take the train to Schiphol and get everything set up at the Sheraton in advance of the new missionaries. We then went to meet them and the APs and President and Sister Robinson in the airport and helped with luggage out of the main hall into the overpass and into the hotel. There were 11 new missionaries, and they are a great group. Elders Lyman and Robbins led the legal and financial orientations and gave them everything they needed to get started. Then we ate a buffet lunch, before heading off to Rijswijk to take the missionaries to the IND for legality. 

On the way back, there was a short delay, due to several trains being cancelled, but we got back to the hotel fine. Elder Lyman and I dropped by the office to make the first city letters and returned to the hotel. My companions departed for a teaching appointment while I stayed with the APs as the greenies napped. After dinner, President Robinson led a fireside/testimony meeting, and that was fun. That night I stayed in the hotel (and that was cool).

The next day, after breakfast, the assistants and president trained the new missionaries and then their trainers. After signing out of the hotel, we took the missionaries and their luggage back to Leiden for the final legal step: the city hall. Upon completion of which, they left by companionships for their cities. Next, we had to deal with the departing missionaries, of which there were only six, and they were better behaved (or just less excited).

The rest of the week was hardly busy at all. We did teach our two baptismal dates and a number of other appointments, but we managed to get our work mostly done. 

"The Larch. The Larch. The Larch."

The silver bullet

This has been an interesting week. Or rather, the last two days have been interesting: on thursday, elder Ballard spoke to the mission in the chapel in Zoetermeer, along with elder Dyches of the area presidency and elder Hallstrom of the presidency of the seventy. It was such a privilege to hear from there and to listen to an apostle of the Lord. It was really a great conference and I learnt a lot from it. Something that was said, was that meetings needed to be instructive as well as edifying. And that was definitely the case on Thursday. The speakers covered a variety of topics, but one thing that I really noticed, was that a lot of what they said confirmed the instruction that president Robinson had given during last zone conference, as well as adding to those subjects. Elder Ballard underlined the importance of doctrine in conversion and how we must focus on that and focus on knowing the lessons from Preach my Gospel. That evening, there was an equally uplifting stake conference for the Den Haag stake in the same location, which we were also able to attend. This time, the speakers focused more on temple work and general life problems, but also on sharing the gospel and using technology.

Yesterday, we went on an exchange with our district leader, elder Besendorfer and went to teach both the people who want to get baptised in October. As well as an investigator we hadn't taught in a month or more, only this time, her parents listened to us too. We also had correlation for the first time in a while (the ward mission leader just had a child, three weeks ago).

Next week is transfers and the mission is welcoming 12 new missionaries and saying farewell to 10 (6 next week and 4 midway through the transfer). Because of the large number, we will be doing all the stuff in the Sheraton at Schiphol. That will really be fun. It will be the first of three transfers for which we will be using a hotel, and the incoming and departing groups will only get bigger until December.

Working in the office is really fun, even when it's busy or when it isn't.

Manhattan Schist

I went on my first exchange this week, on Thursday evening/Friday morning, when I went to Alkmaar with elder Chantry and elder Corsini stayed in Leiden with my companions. We left late in the afternoon and took the train to Castricum, where a member picked us up and drove us to their house, for dinner (pizza). That was a lot of fun and elder Chantry shared a message about opposition. The member then drove us to an older investigator, who was hilarious and really interested (well, she has been going to church for two years, so...) and committed. The lesson was about the plan of salvation and it went smoothly. I had a great time with elder Chantry then and once we got back to the apartment.

On Tuesday, we visited the Sheraton after a good district meeting, to scout out the location and get an idea of what we needed to expect on transfers. It is such a luxurious place. I wouldn't mind sleeping there for a few nights, hahaha (I might, for one, since there's an extra spot).

And yesterday, we had a great dinner appointment with the temple president and our Surinamese investigator: she now has a baptismal date and that's great, because she is really ready for that and has been for a while. We also set a baptismal date with a new investigator who is from Burundi.

Next week, there will be a mission conference and special stake meeting given by Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. So that's exciting, to say the least. And the night before, the Zwolle elders and elder Loorbach will be sleeping over (otherwise they would have to travel across the whole country that morning. 

The stake president is coming to church in Leiden tomorrow, so that should be fun.

fiat iustitia et pereat mundus