President Brubaker and I started the grand tour of our mission. We wanted to visit every missionary companionship in their apartments. No surprise visits......we gave them two weeks notice that we would be coming!
On Monday, the 8th of August we made our first visit. Zuster Wassenaar and Zuster Jeffs are living in Dordrecht. They live in the top floor with President and Zuster Roberts. The branch president and his wife take VERY good care of these two! You get really spoiled if you live in Dordrecht! Service Brings Blessings. Zuster Jeffs and Zuster Wassenaar shared this story with us. "Finishing a consecrated hour an old man needed help crossing the street. He was talking about his life and I tried to share a message but he was deaf and blind. He was 92 years old. This man with his cane touched our lives. He had walked all the way from the train station to the water bus. We felt so good inside!"
On Tuesday, the 9th of August we started with the Antwerp Zone. We visited 4 apartments. We started in Antwerp and had a delightful visit with Zuster Harrington and Zuster Rich.
How do you get 13 investigators in one week? Zuster Harrington said we prayed and focused our prayers on women, and the next day we got 5 new investigators. Miracles kept happening throughout the week!
Elder Frahm and Elder Hawkley contemplated President Brubaker's question, "how can we make our mission better?" Their answer was so simple, but true. Find Finding Fun- Do it and then it becomes Fun! Elder Hawkley It was really hard at first, until I just realized that I just needed to do it!
Miracle-Charles, a new member in Antwerp was not able to come to church until the 3rd week of each month because of his work. He decided to quit his job and it wasn’t long before he got another job doing the same thing, same money, but was able to have the week-ends off.
We drove to Turnhout. Elder Bair and Elder Bickham are opening Turnhout. The ward couldn't be more excited! Several ward members found this beautiful apartment! Can that really be a dishwasher?
Elder and Zuster Salden, Elder and Zuster Tibbitts, and Elder and Zuster Everton (just left before we arrived), have been getting furniture all moved in, and have made the apartment look like a cozy home! The missionaries love our senior couples! With these diligent, energetic, faithful missionaries we expect many miracles in Turnhout!
Elder Jex and Elder Pelaquim are serving in Leuven, Belgium. Leuven is a beautiful city, just 20 minutes east of Brussels.
Miracle: "We met someone at the station. We set up an appt. with him. Bernard committed to baptism on the second visit. We taught him about the restoration, and had him read 3 Nephi 11, and then asked him to explain it back to us. He understood it completely! He is excited to come to the ward activity on Saturday, and he is excited to come to church on Sunday."
We spent the night in Brussels. We haven't been back since we moved to the Netherlands.
Wednseday, August 10, we rose early and took a memorable walk to the Grand Place. We have so many fond memories of bringing our new missionaries to the Grand Place to go contacting for the 1st time on their missions.
It was very quiet, and we had the Grand Place all to ourselves. This will be a busy place in just a few hours.
Our first visit was in Gent, Belgium. The Gent elders and the Kortrijk elders were on exchanges. I talked Dutch with Elder Larson while Sott was interviewing Elder Da Cruz. It was good to practice dutch together. Elder Larson has been here 3 weeks today. He loves the architecture of Gent. He is learning Dutch very well from his companion Elder van Doesburg who was born in Holland.
As we were leaving the apartment with the elders, this man came right up to us and started talking to us. We had a gospel discussion with him, and the elders were able to get an appointment for tomorrow!
There is Elder DaCruz' companion! Elder Sanchez and Elder DaCruz are serving in Kortrijk, Belgium. We helped them get back together. They love the ward in Kortrijk. The former branch president (recently called to the Antwerp Stake Presidency) gave Book of Mormons to all his friends during the big missionary month of June, and invited them to church.
The elders live right next to the police station. The street is all torn up, waiting for new cobblestones to be laid. We love the cobblestone streets! After saying good-bye to these great dedicated elders.....
....we took Elder Larson and Elder van Doesburg back to Gent. Here they are in front of their apartment!
HOME SWEET HOME!
We then drove to Sint. Niklaas, Belgium. We found three very excited missionaries. Vincent is spending a week with the elders for a week, finding out what is in store for him in a few months. He has received his call to the France Lyon Mission. He is going to be a fantastic missionary!
Their apartment was very neat and tidy!
Missionary work is thriving in Sint. Niklaas! They are so organized! Busy missionaries are happy!
We can't keep up with the Saldens! They have left their "golden touch" everywhere we go! They saved the day in Almere. The shower drain backed up in their bathroom an hour before we arrived. The elders called the Saldens. They can fix anything, and just get in and get the job done. It was all remedied when we arrived!
Elder Fritzler and Elder Benson are living in Almere, and serving in Lelystad. Elder Waldie and Elder Pitchforth are serving in Almere. They live right in the centrum, a great location, and enjoy having a four some!
Belgium and the Netherlands are so green and beautiful! Could it be that we have had rain almost everyday since June?
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