...It was the worst of times

                                                                                                                                                       22/3/14

...But not this week. This week was pretty good. We got plenty done on Monday, when meeting with President and Sister Robinson, though elder Cockbain had some issues with the payment system, so that was quite frustrating for him. We had a good time with the Howells and Markhams in the evening. But still no sign of elder Loorbach, so one of the members sent him a facebook message. We read about fasting from Preach My Gospel, with them.

 

On Tuesday, we went to district meeting, and I was asked to speak about virtue. Elder Cockbain was trying to get bills paid that were not sent through on Monday, so he did not stay in district meeting for long. We ate pizza afterwards and had some fun playing ping pong while waiting. That evening, we had our first teaching appointment, with G. (the 13 year old niece of a member). Our first investigator!! She wants to get baptised! (Technically, she wanted to get baptised first, and then her aunt told her that she needed to follow the missionary lessons first, but it's awesome). But the tricky thing is that she is on vacation here in the Netherlands for a few weeks, and her mother is inactive, so we don't know if she will be able to be baptised when she goes home, unless her grandfather can get that arranged...

Wednesday, we continued with preparations for the upcoming transfer and new missionaries. We had no appointment and so we ate at the office.

 

We went to visit sister S. and read from the Book of Mormon and the Bible with her, on Thursday. It always feels so good going over there, so she has some company during the week and can also hopefully feel the spirit as we read. In the evening, we went to eat some pizza with brother Moore and two of his daughters (well, they had already eaten, haha) and he got us each a can of Cream Soda (it's goooood, though a better name would be caramel soda, hahaha). We had fun there too. Brother Moore is really cool. And Canadian.

We were out of the office by 9:30 on Friday, heading for Brussels and we walked around a bit in the centre, until our appointment at the town hall. We got back to Leiden around 4:45. And the carpet had just been cleaned, so we had to walk around the office in our socks (and they got wet). Later, we went to eat dinner at the Brobbeys. And that was also very fun. Brother Brobbey is very energetic and we had a very lively discussion about politics, but it was all in good fun.

 

This morning, we played football for an hour or so and then went to help with a service project at the ASH (American School of the Hague) in Wassenaar, where we scraped paint off of benches. We also so a tonne of police, fire department and military vehicles on the frontage road of the A44 (which will be partly closed for the upcoming nuclear summit in Den Haag.

Brussels - City Hall

 

Victor Hugo's old house

 

Stamps!! (Many thanks to Kimberly Stigter for these :p They belonged to her grandparents and she made sure they got to me, because she knows I collect stamps)

 

Some statue everyone rubs in Brussels

 

That's a lot of gold

 

Moroni?

 

 City hall again

 Elders Bitters and Kartodirjo

 

Grand Place

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the best of times...

A shorter message this week, as I am not feeling very verbose at the moment, nor did anything particularly interesting occur.

Monday was fun, as always. I got called into President's office to discuss some additions to the transfer protocol. As Sister Robinson said, this coming transfer will be big learning experience. And the time after that will be even better. I brought up the heavier traffic and closed roads during the upcoming nuclear summit in Den Haag, which falls during the week of zone trainings. President Robinson simply switched Antwerpen and Amsterdam around, which would make it all work out better. In the evening, we went to family home evening with the Howells and the Markhams.

District meeting was interesting. It was mainly about asking questions and knowing which are the right questions to ask. We did some roleplaying to try it out, and see how we would approach it with an investigator, if they had a concern. On the way back, we dropped by the Ikea to get a wardrobe for elder Lind, since his current one is falling apart, literally: it was held together by tape. We ate at the Brobbeys in the evening: it was great. Brother Brobbey is so enthusiastic, and certainly about missionary-work.

Nothing particularly of note happened Wednesday or Thursday, except for an awesome dinner appointment at the Roberts' on Thursday, where we ate enchiladas and had an overall fun time.

On Friday, we again went to Brussels and I was able to practice my French a little, when we went to exchange driver's licenses of Elder Cockbain, Robbins and Lyman. We ate a doner place and I don't think it was good for my stomach.

This morning, we played football and it was really fun.

Onesies we got from sister Stigter. (Except elder Lind's, he already had his.

Some Belgian government building

Elder Ames

Elders Lyman, Bitters and Robbins

A gate :p

Military vehicles near the palace

The Royal palace  

food!! :p

We Are All Enlisted

Somewhat less busy this week. Except for p-day. 

On Monday, I got a new assignment, during correlation meeting: as of now, I am in charge of the organisation of transfers. That means that I'll take care of all the logistics of transfers, leaving the training, presentations and other legal/financial stuff up to the assistants and my companions. I will make sure that everyone and everything is in the right place at the right time. And before transfer week, I'll make sure the office staff are ready for the arrivals and departures and prepare any necessary material. I'm basically the supervisor ;) hahahaha. In the evening we went to the Markhams.

Tuesday, we went to district meeting with our new district leader and it was all in Dutch (it's apparently taalweek). It was a good district meeting and I participated in a roleplay with elder Lind (as an investigator) where I shared a scripture with him, to show the importance of using scriptures in lessons. From district meeting, we drove down to Rotterdam to deliver the new Dutch Mormon.org cards to the Rotterdam zone leaders, so that they can distribute them to their zone. Back at the office, a package from my mother was waiting, filled with goodies and, um, spices :p In the evening, we went to eat at the Mules, or rather at brother Mule's cousin's house. It was a good appointment, and also sad, because brother and sister Mule are moving to Vienna soon.

Wednesday and Thursday were fairly usual office days. With a dinner appointment on Wednesday at the Shurtliff home (where we discussed the flaws/traits of Americans and other peoples :p ) and macaroni carbonara on Thursday at the office.

At 9 on Friday, we set off with 5 other elders, to Brussels, to pick-up/activate residency cards and to exchange driver's licenses. In between the latter and the former, we went into the centre of Brussels to find food. We also visited some souvenir shops. By the time we got back to Leiden, it was almost 5 o'clock and almost time to head to the Nieuwveld's for dinner (American pancakes!).

Today, p-day, we played football in the morning and in a few hours, we'll be in Almere to play paintball! Sounds... exciting :p hahaha 

Everyone was rather...

...tired. Except elder Lind. He was knitting.

Some gallery in Brussels

Package from home! :D 

The field is white...

Busy busy busy. The mission welcomed 8 new missionaries this week and sent off 9. On tuesday, elder Loorbach and I drove up to Schiphol International Airport to pick up the baggage of the new missionaries, which we then dropped off at the Golden Tulip hotel across the road from the mission office. The missionaries (of which one is from Brazil, one from Canada and six from the US) were then instructed on legal and financial matters and led through the completion of several forms for registration in Belgium and the Netherlands. After a delicious buffet lunch, the assistants, my companions and I walked with the greenies to the town hall to get them registered. While elder Lind and I brought stuff back to the hotel, the others went contacting and then we met back up at a windmill for pictures. The jetlagged elders were then allowed to go nap while the rest of us returned to the office to ready their assignment letters. After dinner and the best steak I have ever eaten, President and sister Robinson led a fireside and gave each greenie a rock from a mountain near their home, as a representation of how they should be: firm, solid, like a mountain. 

The next morning, wednesday, was transfer day, which meant that over half the mission would be standing in stations and sitting in trains for a good chunk of the day. I went to help/hang out with the missionaries in Leiden CS for a few hours until 12 when I returned to the hotel for another buffet lunch, this time with the greenies, trainers and dying missionaries that had just arrived. Over the next hour, the greenies all left to their respective cities and the other dying missionaries arrived. They then sat around for the rest of the afternoon as they waited for their closing interviews with President Robinson and elder Cockbain (for financial stuff). We played a few games, but mainly talked. I know most of them and got pictures with them, as I hope to do with all departing missionaries:

 

Elder Thueson served in Antwerpen as Zone Leader

 

Elder Hansen was in the same district as me when I served my mini-mission in Gent.

 

As was elder Sanderson.

 

I met elder Farmer in Spijkenisse, I believe. Although I probably saw him before that.

 

Elder Christensen, former legal elder early last year.

 

Later in the afternoon, my companions and I headed for a dinner appointment with the Moore's, a Canadian family. When we got back, we watched some ice hockey from the Olympics in the hotel, as we waited for the testimony meeting of the departing missionaries to be finished. Then my companions went home and I went up to the rooms with the departing missionaries, as there were 7 elders and 4 rooms (and two per room) so I had to stay. We played cards until about 10:30 and then elder Sanderson wanted to sleep, so I went with him (instead of with elder Hansen, as planned). The others apparently stayed up until about 12. The next morning, the alarm went off at 3 and we got the train with the assistants and president and sister Robinson at 4:38. 

 

Elders Thueson, Sumter, sister Robinson, and elders Nish, Christensen and Stanley, waiting for the train.

We arrived at Schiphol in about 20 minutes and got Elder Nish checked in and sent away, as he would be flying alone, to Canada. We then got the rest checked in and said goodbye. Afterwards, the remainder of the group, returned to Leiden and I ate breakfast with the assistants and sister Rigdon and Omozokpia.

Sister Omozokpia and Sister Rigdon

 

They were later picked up by their mothers and business slowly returned to its normal pattern. That evening, we went to eat at the Garcias and the next day, was even more back to normal, except for our expedition to pick up Mormon.org cards, and to find a washing machine.

Saturday, we helped the Wellmans move into their new apartment and spent most of late morning and early afternoon assembling Ikea furniture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven days

This has been a busy week, with the usual office busy-ness of Monday, Zone Conference on Tuesday, preparing for the new missionaries arriving next week on Wednesday and Thursday and another trip to Brussels on Friday.

Even though I was not driving, yesterday was still so tiring. Possibly because, as one of the office elders, and the one not driving, I was kind of baby-sitting the missionaries in the van, haha.
Elder Cockbain drove the van and Elder Lind drove the Corsa, with a total of 14 occupants. Two more met us in the central station in Brussels. It was nice getting to know some of the other missionaries in the mission. As there was not much else to do during the roughly 2 hour drive (each way) but talk. And also tell jokes.

Tuesday was great. Elders Van Komen and Lewis (the assistants) gave a training on how to do roleplays and then split us into the two zones (Apeldoorn and Amsterdam) to work with each assistant for a fifteen minutes or so. Elder Van Komen taught about attitude during planning. How we should not come home and get all grungy before starting to plan lessons. Also, about how it helps to mention specific investigators in our prayers and to think about them and learn about them. Elder Lewis spoke about finding people through members. We then had lunch and people whose birthdays fell between january and march were asked to stand and then in one minute each, everyone was able to compliment them. After that, we returned to the chapel to listen to the testimonies of the 4 missionaries who are dying this transfer. (Oh, and just so that no one gets worried, dying is missionary lingo for being released/going home).
After hearing from them, Sister Robinson spoke about the little things that need to be changed in the mission, using the example of a gate on the farm she once lived on, how if it moved just a quarter of an inch at the pivot, it would move several feet at the other end. So some things can be changed just a little bit and the resulting difference will be much bigger. Then President Robinson spoke to us about unity and then the assistants spoke on similar topics (I particularly loved what elder Lewis said about fear and his experiences with it). Read this: 1 Nephi16:29. Just because.

I was kept well occupied on Wednesday and Thursday with preparations for the new missionaries, as well as getting some things ready for the departure of others. While it seemed last week that we would only be getting one missionary next week, their visas came through and we'll be getting 8!

Another week has passed

So, it turns out that I am probably living in the same house that Judith stayed in when she was on her mini-mission some 5 years ago. So not only are we serving in the same area (albeit with different primary occupations), but I might even be in the same house as she was. That's funny. I might have to ask people (who've been here more than five years) if they remember her. Though I would be surprised if there were many who were here 5 years ago. People in this branch move about a lot.

Anywho, this week has not been busy at all and I have had time to do plenty of studying and thinking and some writing. On Monday, we met with President Robinson and the assistants and I shared a message on making the right decisions now so you will not regret it later, or something like that, from the Liahona.

On Monday evening, we heard about an emergency transfer, and found out on Tuesday that elders Bean and Goethals were moving from Kortrijk to Leiden and Den Helder and elders Argueta (from Tiel) and Cook (from Den Haag) taking their place and Thomas taking Argueta's place. All very complicated and unexpected, so we had to bring up a bed and mattress to Den Helder and the same to Leiden as they would both be threesomes. This comes about two weeks before the actual transfers, so I'm curious what will happen then. 

Wednesday and Thursday were normal office days, with the ET happening on the former and most of the zone leaders dropping by on Thursday after mission leader council.

Friday we again went to Brussels for legality, to pick up some legal cards/documents. This time, we only went with one other elder (Elder Thueson) and met elder and sister Evenhuis upon arrival. On the way back we stopped off at the Burger King and then dropped elder Thueson off in Rotterdam. And finally arrived back at the office around 5 o'clock. At 7, we went to the brand new Zoetermeer building for the open house for our branch. The building is big! It looks like the ones in America. And it's the new stake centre.

This morning we played football with the Leiden elders and two brothers from the branch, or rather, *I* played with them as my companions chickened out and sat in the car, while the rest of us were out in the rain. But it was a good workout and a fun game and seem to be getting a bit better haha.

Well, here are some pictures, finally:

 

Arrrr!!! :p

Schiphol airport and planes!

haha Elders Nelson and Toole, on the way to Brussels

 

Former police station in Leiden, looks cool. I wonder if we can visit

Second week

As was mentioned in last week's post, I've been travelling a lot and this week was no exception: Zoetermeer on Sunday, Amsterdam on Tuesday, Brussels on Wednesday and Friday and Den Haag tonight.

After church in the Wassenaar branch on Sunday, we went on splits with the Zoetermeer elders. I went with elder Cockbain and elder Christensen to a "Church for Bikers" in Katwijk, located in the old military chapel of the Valkenburg air force base. Meanwhile, elder Lind and elder Losee went to a lunch appointment. The church lived up to its name: leather jackets and beards seemed to be the unofficial the dress code. At first sight, the motorbike parked in the middle of the church and the high tables with drinks and biscuits made it seem more like a reception or other purely social gathering. But one of the members shared a message from the old testament that would not have been out of place in an LDS lesson (Although the use of motorcyle handlebars with a chain wrapped around it might have been a bit too much for some). The people were very friendly and some even showed interest in visiting our church on sunday.

On Monday the assistants to the president and President Robinson himself came in and we had a meeting on the situation and the assistants processed the numbers from the missionaries. Sister Winmill made a yummy taco salad for lunch. I helped elder Cockbain with financial matters (mainly reimbursing the missionaries and paying bills) while President Robinson met with the assistants and then with elder Lind and elder Cockbain. That evening we went to eat with the Markham and Howell families (not sure whose house it was). 

Tuesday we had district meeting in Amsterdam. I last saw elder Kemp not long after he arrived in the field and now he's our district leader. It was a very entertaining and interesting meeting about joint teach and taking members to appointments with investigators. After pizza for lunch, we returned to the office to get some more work done. And that evening we ate at the Carruths.

Another trip to Belgium on Wednesday, to pick up a document for a New Zealander who will come to this mission. After some more office work, getting people paid, making sure apartments are in order, answering e-mails... we went to the church building in Leiden to talk to the young men about missionary work for an hour. We roleplayed a conversation with a non-member friend in pairs and discussed how we could give someone a Book of Mormon.

The next Belgium trip was Friday, but this time, we took the mission van and 6 other missionaries (4 elders and 2 sister missionaries). But the trip was for naught, since the guy with whom we had the appointment was not there (he is apparently on holiday). But we did have a good time and we picked up three driver's licenses. On the way back, we dropped the missionaries off in Den Haag and went to the Nieuwevelds' house for dinner and to share a message.