Cheyenne´s Grandma was baptized several years ago and faithfully brought her granddaughter to church. Cheyenne very diligent in coming to church; but due to circumstances and her age, could never get baptized. Finally, the Lord provided a way and made it possible for her to be baptized. Cheyenne was thrilled with the opportunity and having learned so much in church and with previous missionaries was already prepared. She was baptized two weeks later.
Christiania Forina, 29 January
Antwerpen
Elder Mohrman, Isaac, Christiana, Elder Da Cruz and the three children of Isaac and Christiana
Christiana Foriwaa, comes from Ghana and is the wife of our recent convert Isaac Boakye. During his teaching process, she was pregnant with and delivered their third child, and so did not participate as he learned and accepted the gospel. On Nov. 20th, the day Isaac was baptized, Christiana came up to us and said, "Now that he, Isaac, is baptized, you can now focus on me." And for the next two months we were able to teach Christiana all the lessons, with Isaac being able to baptize her. She has a wonderful testimony and understands the gospel very well; even though we had language barriers. Isaac and Christiana have made the goal of building a good Christian home for their three small children, and preparing themselves to go to the temple to be sealed as a family for eternity. Here in Europe, or back in their Homeland of Ghana.
There are no senior missionaries in the Antwerp Zone! Elder Mohrmon and Elder Da Cruz made a wonderful meal for us!
Wednesday was spent with the Utrecht District. Elder and Sister Everton take very good care of their district! They made homemade vegetarian and chicken enchiladas. The missionaries could eat to their hearts content! A little spoiling don't you think?
On Thursday we met with the Rotterdam zone in Rotterdam South Chapel. Elder Schwartz let the Anderson's have a day off from all the cooking they do in the Young Adult Center. He made us the best sweet and sour chicken! Yummmmmm......my favorite!
We had sunshine in Apeldoorn on Friday! We were all so excited and happy!
Apeldoorn district has their own private cook! Brother deYong is from Indonesia, and is the best cook! He loves to cook for the missionaries almost each week! Elder Sanchez is a very fine and devoted District leader!
President Brubaker was interviewing Elder Burton when we were outside enjoying the welcomed sunshine!
Debbie, Tristan and Andy John
January 21, 2012
Almere
Debbie is half Nigerian and half Scottish. She is also the mother of Andy and Tristan. Debbie is extremely faithful. During our first appointment with her, she asked, “How do we know if we are baptized by someone holding the correct authority of God, like Jesus went to John the Baptist to be baptized because John had the authority to do so.”From that moment on, it was like she had found the treasure she had been long searching for. Everything we taught her sounded familiar to her and she knew it was all true from the “get go”. Her sons, Andy, 16 and Tristan, 12, soon joined her in the search for the truth.
They were baptized together as a family on January 21, 2012!
Written by Elder Li
Elder Benson, Willem De Bruijn and Elder Jones
Willem was one of those investigators that just happened to fall into our laps. We were in church one day and a member grabbed my two companions Elder McCarlie and Elder Alexander and pulled them out into the hall. A couple of minutes later they came walking in with Willem. Turns out that he had walked into the church and was wanting to learn more. We set up an appointment and began teaching him. Over time, we learned that he had a friend that used to live here in The Netherlands but has since moved to Nigeria. She is a member of the church and she invited him to seek out the church and learn more. The teaching process was slow at times and we even got to the point where we thought we were going to lose Willem. We decided that we needed to take more time to teach him; and as soon as we did that, we could notice a change coming to him. Over the next couple of months we were able to see Willem change from someone that didn’t really have a goal in life to someone knowing what his purpose was and eagerly wanting to learn more. It took some time but Willem finally reached the point that he was ready to be baptized. He was baptized on the 21st of January and has been happy ever since. I will forever consider it a blessing to be able to interact with this great son of God.
The Deleeuw's were up the next day so excited to meet their district! We were amazed that the were there! Jet lag did not slow them down at all!
Amsterdam District
l-r Elder and Zuster DeLeeuw, Elder Larsen, Elder Guanuna, Elder Mickelsen, Elder Crittendon, Zuster Jeffs, Zuster Stout
We had very patient missionaries waiting for us!
Gent District
l-r Elder Hawkley, Elder Wilcken, Elder Maughan, Elder Shoemaker, Elder Stoddard, and Elder Brown
1. He called him by name
2. He taught from the scriptures
3. Ponder what he had learned
4. Repetition-Moroni visited Joseph Smith three times and repeated the same instructions four times.
We felt like old friends, when we first met Elder and Sister DeLeeuw! A dream come true for them and prayers answered for the Young Adult Center in Amsterdam! They are in for a real treat!
We gave them a tour of Leiden, and so exciting for them to see their first windmill!
Elder and Sister Pankratz are well seasoned senior couple trainers. After lunch, the Pankratz stopped by the train station and got their passport pictures taken for legality requests. Quick on the draw.....I was able to get a picture of them walking back to the office!
Elder Shoemaker is already on his 2nd transfer, and Elder Hawkley can't believe how fast the time has gone! He shared his departing testimony with us all. He is so focused and is ready to stay that way for the next 5 weeks!
I spoke to the missionaries about Christlike attributes from PMG Chapter 6.
President Brubaker talked to them about spiritually preparing themselves, and tailoring the lessons to the needs of the investigator.
ASKING APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS AT THE RIGHT TIME REQUIRES THAT YOU ARE IN TUNE WITH THE SPIRIT, THAT YOU LISTEN TO THOSE YOU ARE TEACHING, AND THAT YOU FOCUS THROUGHOUT THE TEACHING EXPERIENCE
WHERE TO LEARN HOW TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?
WHERE DO WE LEARN TO FOLLOW THE SPIRIT AS WE TEACH? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland answered these most important questions. Missionaries were taught that the hours from 6:30-9:30 will make or break their mission. This is the Lord's time when he can mould and teach a missionary through personal and companionship study.
The missionaries could not have agreed with Sister Everton more when she said missionaries do not like to be sick! She taught them how to avoid getting sick!
Elder Benson, Elder Brownell, Zuster Pàlenikova, Zuster Larsen, and Zuster Kremer all have birthdays in January!
Elder van Overbeek enthusiastically lead us in the jovial and fun Dutch birthday song!
We all learned important principles from the story of Nehemiah. Missionaries have many distractions and these were discussed. But as Nehemiah was tempted to come down from the wall, he didn't let the distraction take over. He did not come down from the wall, and he stayed focused an unified. He worked on building the wall, and was able to complete it in 52 days, because he had a great work to do, and wouldn't let anything get in his way.
My dear brethren, like Nehemiah, we have
a great work to do. We stand overlooking
the horizon of our age. It is my fervent
Prayer that in spite of temptations, we will
never lower our standards; that in spite
of distractions, wherever they may come
from, we will not lose focus on what matters
most; that we will stand resolute and
together, shoulder to shoulder, as we valiantly bear the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that we may be worthy of the holy priesthood of Almighty God and, to a man, lift our heads and with unwavering voice proclaim to the world, "We are doing a great work, and we will not come down." In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
President Dieter Uchtdorf
Elder Stoddard and Elder Andrews had to leave a few minutes early for legality appts. Elder and Sister Pankratz volunteered to drive them and get them back in time for their appts.
The Rotterdam and the Antwerp Zones are happy to be missionaries......
in the best mission in the world!
Sister Salden shares her wisdom with Elder Benson and Elder Wayman.
Oh, how the missionaries admire and love the senior couples in our mission.
The zusters in the Antwerp and Rotterdam zones. They are the best of the best!
