Anticipation!

Today is the day!  We all patiently waited for President and Sister Robinson to arrive!

They arrived happy and excited to be here!

We felt so good about the Robinsons!  President Robinson served in the Netherlands as a young 19 year old missionary.  He speaks Dutch, which will be a great blessing for the mission.  Zuster Robinson has been learning Dutch in the MTC!

Monday Celebration!

Elder Klippel's birthday was celebrated on our last Monday in the office!  

Happy birthday Elder Klippel!

Elder (Duco) Van Doesburg brought lots of love with him!

We feel so blessed to have the best office staff!  We feel so comfortable leaving with Elder Calkins and Elder Klippel in charge!

Elder and Sister Pankratz are so invaluable and will be a great blessing to the new mission president!

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go.......
Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our HEARTS,
and we are never ever the same."

The Passing of Our Dear Sister Cornelia Moore

Our mission received Elder and Sister Moore a few months ago.  Sister Moore was born in Holland, and you could just feel her excitement to "be home"!

 Sister Moore instantly won the love of the missionaries, the young adults in the Hague, and all she met.

 She had insurmountable amounts of energy.  Even with her health challenges, there was no stopping her capacity to share love wherever she went.  Even with a broken wrist she continued to find ways to keep cooking for the Young Adults.  Elder Moore would joke and say, "I have become her hands."

Sister Cornelia Moore passed away suddenly in the land where she was born.  We have no doubt she continues to bless those dear loved ones whom she has been re-united with, and there is much rejoicing going on to welcome her back"home".

One last Joint teach with the Zusters

Zuster Jones and Zuster Schwab and I spent part of the day together.  I was so excited, because we were going to ride bikes to their appointments, but then it started to down pour and we decided to take the car instead!  

These two missionaries are so prepared and love being missionaries!  Their apartment is so organized and cute!

There is so much missionary work going on in Gouda!  

We figured out a way to get our camera to take a picture of the three of us!  I love these two sisters!

A few days later, I went with Zuster Moses and Zuster Palenikova and met this wonderful member!

Zuster Moses and Zuster Palenikova love being in Amsterdam together!

I loved being with them.......

It was SOOOO hard to say good-bye!

I will never forget you!

27th Transfer!

We were praying for good weather, and we got it!  After many weeks of rain, we basked in the warm sun with three wonderful, amazing, extraordinary missionaries who are preparing to go home.  

Elder Mickelsen, Zuster Jeffs, and Elder Schwartz stole our hearts!

 We thought it fun to take a photo of the assistants taking a photo of us!  We will be coming home too, so we could not be too sad!  We are really empathizing with them!  So many mixed emotions as a missionary, as you leave so many wonderful people behind!  

Bon voyage and totziens!!!

New Missionaries Anticipate The Beginning of The Best Two Years!

We were all at the airport anticipating the arrival of our newest missionaries!  We were so excited when they walked through the big doors!

What a great threesome!

 Sister Fallegos and i instantly bonded with each other, and she shared her conversion story with me, as we walked together through the airport to meet Elder and Sister Pankratz with their luggage.

 The missionaries had worked up an appetite.....we warned them how BIG the pannekoeken are!

 After getting all their legality taken care of at the town hall we brought them to the mission home for a short nap.  The weather was perfect for enjoying the sunshine!

 Sister Gallegos will be serving in Dordrecht with Sister Tanner

 Elder Van Komen will be serving in the Hague with Elder Mohrmon.

 Elder Praag will be going to Gent Belgium, and his trainer will be Elder Schow.

 Elder Hansen will be serving in Amsterdam with Elder Maughan.

What an amazing group of missionaries!  

The McKay Garrett Family Comes to the Netherlands

Wow!  Elder Garrett (McKay) and his family just completely took us by surprise on Monday!

It was the best day ever to be reunited with our dear McKay!

All Mission Zone Conference - A Most Memorable Moment

As President Brubaker and I walked into the church in Rotterdam, words cannot describe the overwhelming feeling that came over us, as we felt the love we have for every missionary in our mission.  They were all together for the 1st time in 2 1/2 years!

The room was filled to capacity!  Oh, what a joyous occasion!  We felt an overwhelming feeling of the spirit as we repeated Our Purpose, and Doctrine & Covenants 4 together.  You could feel the love the missionaries of the Belgium Netherlands Mission have for the Lord whom they serve.

President Brubaker taught the missionaries as he reminded them why we are here.  He taught them so beautifully about the love God has for each of them, and how he loves his missionaries.

Elder Hendrickson and Elder Christensen listened intently to President Brubaker, as he shared with the missionaries the status of the mission.  We feel that the missionaries in our mission are trying to be the bet they can be!  And we are seeing amazing results!  

During the last 18 months baptismal dates have increased dramatically, new investigators the missionaries have found has dramatically increased, investigators at church has been on a steady incline, and baptisms per missionary has increased!  This brought big smiles to the missionaries!

The Light of the Gospel Shines in Elder Guanana's eyes!

Keeping Our Hearts Soft

Sister Brubaker spoke to the missionaries about what was closest to her heart. 

We learn from Nephi how to keep our hearts soft.   

If ye will not harden your hearts; and ask in me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.  I Nephi15: 11

1.  Ask  I Nephi 16:5

2.  Be Humble and Give Thanks 

3.  Faith and Diligence

4.  Service - Go and Do

The Belgium Netherlands Mission is blessed with eight extra-ordinary, superb, dedicated senior couples.  The missionaries had the opportunity to ask any questions or advice they had to five of the most seasoned, experienced senior missionaries.  We were all fed words of wisdom and learned a lot about our missionaries by the questions they asked!

Elder and Sister Salden ( couple far left)...............where do I begin?   You would think they were in their thirties!  With the help of the other senior missionaries, they have changed the physical environment of the missionary apartments in our mission!  There is no job too big for them!  Oh, how the missionaries love the Saldens!  Sister Salden has taught the missionaries how to keep a missionary apartment so the Spirit can dwell.  Everyday is "fine as frog's hair."  They werent' able to finish all of the apartments in one mission, so they returned 3 months later for another round!

Elder and Sister Pankratz are back for a second mission too!  Oh, how happy we were when they decided to come back!  They keep us straight in the mission office!  Elder Pankratz takes care of the mission vehicles, and closing and finding new apartments for the missionaries.  It would take volumes to keep track of all he does to help us.  Sister Pankratz is our "angel".    She prepares lunch for us each Monday when we are in the office.  She takes care of all of the referrals, supplies for the missionaries, and is my helper with the baptism stories for the blog.  Anything I need help with, Sister Pankratz is so willing to help!  

Elder and Sister Anderson are serving in Rotterdam and are loved by all the young adults they help in the young adult center.  They help us with the orders of a most memorable memorabilia for the missionaries as they prepare to finish their missions.  They give all the information to the Andersons of what they want on their Delft plate.  Countless trips are made back and forth to the factory in Gouderak!  One of their most favorite things to do is go on joint teach with the missionaries.  The missionaries are so excited when Elder and Sister Andersen are free to come with them!

Elder and Sister Everton are the every ready, willing to go anywhere at a beckoned call to keep our missionaries healthy!  The missionaries feel so much love from them, as if their own parents were there to take care of them!  They are amazing!  As if they didn't have enough to help us medically, they spend any extra minutes fixing up apartments, and helping with a new Young Adult Center in Utrecht.

Elder and Sister Van Komen are serving in the northern most part of our mission.  There is nothing these two can't do!   Elder Van Komen  has been serving as the  Branch President in Leeuwarden, with his wife by his side filling in wherever needed.         Several weeks ago the Heerenveen Branch and the Leeuwarden Branch were combined.  He is now serving as the 2nd counselor in the new Branch Presidency.  They keep way busy by helping  with the Young Adult Center in  Groningen.  How blessed we are to have them in our mission.       

We have three other senior couples who have joined us over the last 6 months.   They are so dear and precious to us, and brighten the lives of our missionaries!  Elder and Sister DeLeeuw are helping with the Young Adult Center in  Amsterdam.  They love serving in Amsterdam.  Elder and Sister Moore are serving in The Hague and love helping with the Young Adult Center there.  Elder and Sister Anjewierden are serving in Deventer in the Young Adult Center.  They most recently replace Elder and Sister Bush who we greatly miss.  The Anjewierdens love their new calling!   

The missionaries had all worked up an appetite!

l-r Elders Schow, McDaniel, Klippel, Schwartz, Mickelsen, Harry

Elders Huff, Armstrong, Stanley, Nigh, Sanderson, Farmer, Harvey, Thueson!

l-r Elders Burton, Burgess, Andrews, Stoddard, Mower, Sisters Palenikova, Stout!

l-r  Elders Guanuna, Moscon, Shoemaker, Kunz, Christensen, Hansen, and Wright!

l-r  Elder Calkins, Sister Jeffs, Elder Taylor, Zuster Tanner, Zuster Schwab

l-r  Elders Davis, Cundick, Pitchforth, Van Rij, Nielsen, Benson, Brown, and Elder Maughan

l-r  Elders Wait, Hendrickson, Benson, McCarlie, Wang, and Mortensen

l-r  Elders Ambach, Bjork, Da Cruz, and Elder Bickham.




l-r  Zusters Davies, Townsend, Jones, Elders Christensen, Roemer, Andrews,  Douglass,
Zuster Hinchcliff

l-r  Elders Leach, Merrill, Van Overbeek, Davies, Zuster Gardner, Elder Pope, Zuster Herring, and Elder Schulte

Elder Jones and Zuster DeLeeuw

Zuster Everton and Zuster Jones sharing a moment together!

Are we ready for birthdays?  We all look forward to sharing our love for the birthday missionaries!

The uplifting, sincere comments that the missionaries comment to our missionaries who have had birthdays in the month of June put big smiles on their faces.

Sister Moore!

Elder Maughan!

Elder Klippel!

Elder Mower!

Sister Stout!

Elder Taylor!

We have loved spoiling our missionaries on their birthdays!  Sorry we didn't get a picture of Elder VanRij!  Happy birthday to Elder Van Rij too!  

HAPPY MISSIONARIES SO EXCITED TO ALL BE TOGETHER!

I love you all so much.  You have touched my heart, and I will never be the same. 

I feel like a parent sending my child off to college.  

Don’t forget to say your prayers and study your scriptures everyday.

Keep your room clean.

Remember who you are.

Your Heavenly Father loves you very much.

Return to Us With Honor.

But in reality I am the one leaving.

I hear your wise older spirit giving counsel to me.

Don’t forget to say your prayers. 

Read and study your scriptures everyday.

 Remember who you are. 

We will be okay.

 You have a Father in Heaven who loves you dearly.

How can my heart hold so much love for so many great missionaries?  We have the best missionaries in all the world!

veel liefs,

Zuster Rebecca Brubaker