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26-09-2015

It feels like ages since we had our last zone training. I barely knew what to expect (though that may also have something to do with it starting at 9 and ending right after lunch, at 1. But it was definitely a good training. The zone leaders, sister training leader and district leaders spoke about how to better work with investigators so that they trust us, how working with your companion(s) will help the teaching and about setting baptismal dates. We did some roleplays with members from Zoetermeer and Den Haag and that was educational.

The few days leading up to zone training, I spent working on a video for the zone leaders, for zone training, wherein all of the missionaries in the zone filmed a short "I'm a Mormon" video. Some of them were most amusing. And everyone liked how I put them all together, but most importantly, I had fun making it.

The new office elders are getting trained and stuff and all that is going well. We have bit too much fun at times, but such is to be expected when you have 5 elders cooped up in a small apartment, haha. And nothing has been broken so far, so all is well. The old office elders are doing the best they can to transfer everything related to their work in the office with very little time left. As of now, they will not have much, if any, time to do further training than on transfers matters. But for the next few months, they'll only be a phone call away. (I just realised that at the end of January, these two will be on their own, since there will no longer be any former office elders and I will be gone, too. I guess I better teach them all they need to know before then). 

One of the perks of getting new companions in the office with a known departure date, is that we get lots of dinner appointments so that they can say goodbye. Unfortunately, the new guys were excluded for some of them, but they'll have their time. It is definitely strange to think that the next time goodbyes are being said, it will be me saying them. I have outlived 4 companionships in the office. Three of them I partially trained and the 5th total will outlive me.

At some point during the week, on the way back from Katwijk, we dropped by the house in which we used to live. Since it was nighttime (and all the light fixtures had been removed) it was dark inside. Combined with it being empty of everything, it was quite weird. But a good way to say goodbye to the house, used by missionaries for over 22 years (and by myself for 19 months of that time).

An old friend of mine dropped by the office on Friday (probably to see one of my companions, that served in Zwolle) and we had a short chat. She returned from the mission field some four months ago and is studying in Leiden.

"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - George S. Patton