Weekly Rundown - November 9, 2015

Hey everyone, this week we are cut a little short on time so I will try to write fast. First off, TRANSFERS began yesterday and I am staying here. Thank goodness because people were scaring me saying that I was going to Amsterdam at the last minute. But I get to stay, even though Elder Abankie is leaving to Emmen.

This last week was incredible full of splits, exchanges, and the temple! Saturday we went to Zoetermeer for another of Elder Abankie´s temple sessions and it was packed. They had to pull chairs in and have translation into French, German, and English while the session was in Dutch. IT was really cool to see so many people at the temple, travelling from far away to take part in that blessing. 

Now, reasons why yesterday was one of the funniest, happiest, craziest Sundays of my mission:

1. Elder Abankie and I are taking selfies at the door of the church with members, Oma Peters walks in, looks at us and says Tjongejonge basically meaning ´you dorks´ before being escorted to her seat in Relief Society.

2. In a full Gospel Principles class we begin reading about the Brother of Jared, someone states what his real name is (Mahanrimoriancumr or whatever) and Elder Abankie mistakes it for a recited prayer used to convert to Islam. Perfect.

3. We had the primary program in sacrament meeting. Not much tops hearing the songs you loved as a kid being sung by 25 kids, in the language you have fallen in love with. Classic.

4. We had our annual lunch with Oma and Opa Kloosterboer in which Oma Kloosterboer got caught in a laugh attack, making it next to impossible to finish our erte soup with class.

5. JOSE. WE had a lesson yesterday reviewing the Restoration and following up with her commandment keeping. Last week I told her she could choose 2 of the 4 days between appointments to have a cup of coffee, and to go buy new tea. I ask her about it, and she bought a bunch of new tea, and drank coffee ONE of the 2 days then swore off of it afterward. She kills it, every time. We planned her baptismal service yesterday and she was so giddy and excited :)

6. We ate dinner last night with Oma Peters. We thought she was making pannenkoeken for us but so when we asked about it she looked at us like we were crazy and said she would never cook something like that for missionaries of the church hahaha then she went on to teach us Fries many more unnecessary words that exist in the Dutch language.

7. Top that off with insane transfer calls and number reporting and it was quite the Sabbath Day.

My new companion is Elder Childs which is gonna be great. I have been around him quite a bit and he won´t put up with crap (are there is a lot right now) so hopefully we can sternly corral this zone into order. 

It should be good. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your prayers for Jose. She is such a killer investigator. We practiced baptizing yesterday and she is so pumped haha only 2 more weeks! 

We have zone training in a week and a half, transfers, new planning and tons of adventures in front of us. And we only have 5 weeks this transfer so the Lord is gonna smash all those miracles and adventures and moments of pure insanity into 35 days. Let´s go.

 

Love

Elder Trevan Scott Reese

So the temple is getting work done right now and a crane ended up hitting Moroni up top. So now he is at a slight 20 degree slant. But the new one is ordered and UPS should be here in 3-5 business days.

Never Underestimate a Zip Line - November 2

This week´s title inspired by another classic occasion on what seemed to be an ordinary missionary day, but that which actually becomes something that lures around you for the days to come. 

Friday. We had taken our casual 2 hour trek up to Groningen to work with the Zusters and visit the Romigs for the day, helping out for the Halloween party and observing things the zusters might have needed help with. Had a glorious lunch at KFC (the ONLY place in the Netherlands with free refills, quick shout out) and taught a wonderfully pure and senile man named Peter about the Restoration and addiction recovery. Following, we biked past a zip line, decided to stop for 5 minutes with the zusters and try it out. (FYI there are no hills here so a zip line is much less impressive than you would expect). The first time went great. The second time, with perhaps too much confidence, my foot slipped off the wet platform and I am soon flying down the line. I wasn’t high enough on the rope so I came flying into the muddy ground, momentum still increasing and I am being dragged on my back in the grass HAHA until I give up, let go, and lay there looking into the cloudy skies hearing only the tickle me Elmo laugh of my wonderful companion and the sisters. So now I have a filthy bag, I still have to wash my coat, a degraded sense of dignity and a memory to share with you all. Moral of the story: Beware of pride, boy.

In other news, Jose is KILLING it right now with her progression towards the 21st. We taught the Word of Wisdom, Prophets, prayer, scripture study, church attendance, and the 10 commandments this week. And she takes it like a champ. She is planning on getting tasty substitutes for tea at work this week and to stop with the coffee ASAP. I can tell that she doesn´t fully understand the whys or why nots to the commandments we teach, but she has the light of testimony in her eyes that says ´´it doesn´t matter, that´s just how it is´´ MONEY. She and Familie Van Vriesland that we teach with are first class missionary dreams.

I was also able to teach a killer first lesson with a new missionary this week and his reaction and pure joy over this new investigator was a highlight of my week. 

Every week is an adventure and we end up all over the country in a span of 7 days. This week we plan on heading to the temple in Zoetermeer so Elder Abankie can go again before he heads home to Suriname. Lucky for me, I get to be the dead weight companion that goes along (Hookah)

The members in Apeldoorn are still fantastic like before. We eat with Oma and Opal Klosterboer every week and the members constantly want us over to visit on Sundays. Love them. 

This week has its fate in store. But for everything ridiculous there is always a miracle attached. An equal and opposite reaction. #ThankyouIsaacNewton

Love you all wherever you are in the 50

Eder Trevan Scott Reese

A super awesome member, Amaro, has this mural painted of a scripture found in the ominous book of Omni. Its pretty chill.