Our Three Week Tour of the Mission Begins

In light of all of the recent world events, we have been thinking of how we can best insure the safety and well being of our missionaries. Now with a smaller mission, we felt the desire to visit every companionship in their apartments this month. It will take us three and half weeks to vist thirty three cities where our missionaries live. This will give us an opportunity to dedicate each missionary apartment and to see first hand all of the living conditions of our missionaries. At the end of the three and a half weeks we hope to not only dedicate all of their apartments, but to educate and encourage the missionaries to have a week’s supply of water and food at all times. President Brubaker feels the need to personally see that each apartment has an operational CO detector with fresh batteries.

Today was our first day and after visiting with each missionary we feel a stronger bond with them. This will be a wonderful opportunity to to be more unified with our missionaries. And as in most service we feel that we will be the greatest benefactors.

Our first stop of the day was in Antwerp Belgium. Zuster Bennett and Zuster Gulliver welcomed us with open arms! After interviews we were the happy recipients of homemade soup and grilled pizza sandwiches! These two love being together! They were in the MTC together, and now at the end of their missions are companions.

Zuster Gulliver and Zuster Bennett

Elder Wood and Elder Relitz are setting a great example for the other missionaries in their zone. This truly is a picture of their apartment! President Brubaker and I were so pleased to meet with them and feel the excitement that these two missionaries have for being the best they can be. I had the privilege of looking at their Area Book while President Brubaker had interviews. I loved learning more about the investigators that they are teaching.

We brought gifts for them! They were excited to receive new comforter covers and their very own bulletin boards!
We then drove to Gent, Belgium. Elder Favero, one of our newest missionaries, and Elder De Bruin live in a beautiful city! Elder deBruin is from Holland. Lucky for Elder Favero. He will be speaking perfect Dutch very soon, as this week is Speak My Language Week-only Dutch spoken for one week! We had another wonderful visit with them. It is great to feel the excitement of a new missionary, trying to apply all learned during his life and at the MTC! Elder Favero is doing very well!

I fell in love with the Centre in Kortrijk, Belgium! This tower reminds me of the fairy tale Rapunzel!

Kortrijk, Belgium

Elder Garret and Elder VonDuesburg live above or right next to the Police Station. They can feel reassured that they are well protected. Elder Garrett wanted us to see his bicycle! Riding along one day, part of the handlebar just fell off! Luckily Elder Garrett is okay, but his bike didn't fare so well! Elder van Duesburg is also from Holland. He and Elder Garrett love missionary work, and have a desire to learn how to talk to everyone about the Gospel.

President Brubaker has never seen a bike quite like this one- a new tire is in order!