The title of this week
conveyed through a proud moment of mine that occurred this last Tuesday. New
missionaries are opening a new city in Lokeren Belgium so we helped furnish and
build furniture for the apartment. We travelled with the zone leaders and on
the way back i spotted our majestic Star Spangled Banner waving in the Belgian
sky. At first I had no hesitation, but one quick double take later I realized
the gravity of the situation as that flag flew gallantly outside a
Harley-Davidson motor shop. You betcha I pledged allegiance then and there. O
say does that Star Spangled Banner even here wave. Highlight of my life.
Transfers are here!
Its pretty crazy that its been 6 weeks already but looking back i feel like i
was a jet lagged zombie forever ago. Elder Peterson is leaving to Amersvoort up
in Nederland so I will be taking over Antwerpen with my new companion Elder
Shelton starting Wednesday. I am really pumped to start a new transfer and
feel a little more useful and productive.
I would first like to
apologize for the blandness of my emails lately. We email in the morning and i
can never remember anything that happened during the course of the week. Funny
things do happen here but most of the time I am just deadweight with my
companion until i learn how to do everything haha.
I did get to go on
exchanges with Elder Van de Merwe this week who is our district leader which
was a blast. I got to be myself FINALLY and he is the craziest America
enthusiast too haha. we both LIVE by country music and the World Cup and
Olympics and America. His family is the Van de Merwes we know back home in
Boise too. Super cool. We went to appointment to this 19 year old kid named
Gerard from Sierra Leone who speaks perfect English and Dutch. We were able to
teach him the second lesson of the Plan of Salvation and he is one of my
favorites because he will stop you mid sentence and ask his question. so nice
so we dont have to guess. He took it all in and kept repeating, "Wow ive
never heard of this before but it makes so much sense." We got to the
Kingdoms of Glory and that was where he had a hard time. We wanted to know why
God would separate us like that if he loved us all so equally. I was able to
explain the law of how mercy cannot rob justice and how if it did God would
cease to be God. He understood PERFECTLY and the Spirit was so strong. So good.
He had been reading in the Book of Mormon but know he was able to feel what we
taught him and how hopeful it is to have this plan set before us. Elder Van de
Merwe was explaining the Atonement and said something about "Because of
Him" and instantly the idea of the video popped into mind. I asked if we
could pull it up on his phone so we did and we watched it with the Spirit SO
strong. It all clicked for him. He is a 19 year old kid who wants to do good
and love God and know he knows where he can go if he does. He kept telling us
"How do I get to the Sun Heaven? Everyone should want that." So neat.
So right now we are setting him up to go to the Sun Heaven. so cool. He closed
with a prayer that he would never forget what we had told him and that he could
live so he could return home. Oh boy it was so neat. The power of Christ is
real and that video helped him realize that so much. Elder Van de Merwe and I
were pumped. Such a fun exchange and he is staying here in our district so i
will be with him again.
I ate Nigerian food
called FuFu last night haha so weird but it wasnt too bad. its like mashed
potatoes in a soup with meat and you eat the whole thing with your hands. How
do you eat soup with your hands? i dont know but i pulled it off somehow. And
our Ghanian member was very impressed with it being my first time.
Elder Morrell got a
crazy transfer call and is coming down to Belgium! Second transfer and he will
be in Genk so we will we each other in zone trainings and the turkey bowl. So
pumped for that.
We have been able to
recover most of our investigators this week so we are on a good track with
things now. The Zusters ahd a baptism Sunday and it was so nice and
spiritual and i got to play the piano for the intermediate which was cool. Its
so neat to see people feel t he Spirit so strong when they perform these ordinances.
In my studies I had
been recently studying over justice and mercy which was sooooo perfect because
I got to use it all with Gerard. God loves us all so much and wants us to come
back to Him. But he is a just and perfect God so we must do things to go back.
He gives us commandments to be happy and follow Him so we can return and be
worthy to live with Him. Elder Holland's talk over a strict God is so perfect.
Too often people are following the doctrine and example of Christ until
something gets hard or they dont like it so they jump out and say God is not
loving. God is not a comfortable God. We cannot expect a God that pats us on
the heads, sits back and watches as we frolick and pick marigolds. Not only
does God rock the boat, but he doesnt even row it. Man is creating God in his
own image.
I hope this week is
fantastic.
Elder Trevan Scott
Reese
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