Spijkenisse

Hey y'all if you think the weather in Idaho is bipolar during this time of year, feel not alone. Holland is the exact same. Yesterday it poured and was a freaking hurricane outside but we had a car so I can't complain. I actually enjoyed it haha. But hey. These January, February, March, and April showers are going to bring them May flowers.

This week we trekked around the blessed city of Spijkenisse. It’s southwestish of Rotterdam and I am in love with the ward there. Meeting with the members this week and seeing their personalities and go-at-it attitude with member duties and missionary work was fantastic. Spijkenisse has some of the coolest people with the best stories about the Gospel. It was truly inspiring to visit them. There are 2 elders for that ward which is cool to have a ward to yourself (I have only been in the biggest wards in the mission with at least 6 missionaries in each) but still be close to the city of Rotterdam and the benefits of a large area.

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We met with Micha this last week! We mostly talked about his work and his love for plants and gardens but took it back to his smoking problem and got GREAT news. Even with iffy contact between us and the senior couple Romigs, he will go a day or two without even smoking. He told us about the battle between mind and matter, that he recognizes it as disgusting and thinks of cigarettes as horrid but his body can uncontrollably crave them. He is making great progress with that though and we brainstormed ideas for him to turn away the craving when it comes. He just leaves the house and bikes around Delft or walks around the centrum to get his mind off of the craving. We have had much better contact and relationship with him this week and have appointments set up for the coming weeks. He is a unique case too because smoking is his step of faith to discover if God is real. And as he prays for strength his testimony is growing!

We met with Jones Tuesday too.  Elder Conatti and I struggled to find out what to teach. Our whole companionship study we battled to find what to teach and basically thought of every doctrine. We ended up teaching him repentance and it went very well. We didn’t set a baptismal date however, but that is the plan tomorrow!

We had a fantastic zone training Wednesday about recognizing and heeding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And in a week and a half we have TEMPLE CONFERENCE. Man I can’t wait to go to the temple again and receive such rich enlightenment from on high. And this next week we have GENERAL CONFERENCE. So pumped. It also means that it is a sacrament meeting where I won’t be performing so it’s a nice little break.

We had Easter concerts Saturday and Sunday night in Rotterdam and Zoetermeer wherein we sung a 4 part quartet of Come Lord Jesus and it went well. We sang as missionaries in the stake as well as a rendition of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief and I know That My Redeemer Lives.

We also received 6 referrals this week. WHAT. Through an online Facebook campaign so we got some cool potential in Delft right now!

 

Not a super thrilling week by any means but I loved being at the concerts the last 2 nights and seeing people I miss and love from back in the Antwerpen and MTC days. :)

Hope it has been a great Spring break! Go Spartans! :)

Love

Elder Trevan Scott Reese

PS we also went to the beach in Scheveningen last week and the water was ice cubes. It was like 10 degrees. I think that’s like 50 Fahrenheit or something