New Years in the Netherlands is nothing short
of a war zone. It was one of the coolest things to experience as we sat on our
roof and watched a 360 panoramic of constant fireworks for an hour straight. I
took a few videos, of course they do no justice, but I hope it helps to gauge
just how nuts it gets. President Bunnell had us do a lot of goal planning while
staying inside New Year’s Eve and we have some ambitious stuff set up to hit
Apeldoorn like a wrecking ball.
First off, MIRACLE. We met with a less active
member this week and his friend Nicole was there again so we taught her a first
lesson, gave her a Book of Mormon in French and invited her to be baptized. She
accepted and so we decided to go all out and we have a baptismal date with her
planned for the 2nd of April. Such a neat blessing.
Basically, being out for a year and a half and
being able to use experience and skills developed from your mission so far, you
don't want to deal with crap and lazy investigators and soft, fluffy stuff. So
in every appointment with a member, less active, investigator, whoever, we are
snatching their friends or other people who are visiting them at the moment and
turning them into new investigators. We don't have time to sort through doors
and doors and doors to find people so we have decided to find while teaching
and it has got us several member presents and new investigators and now a
baptismal date. It would have been so much more helpful to have known and
practiced it over year ago as a greenie. I'm afraid I am becoming more and more
Dutch ha-ha because with everyone, especially dumb missionaries, I will be
blunt and to the point and probably chastise them with a little sting to get
them focused on the right mindset. So what do you know, the Dutch people CAN
teach you something ha-ha.
Now I know you are waiting for some Maria
stories. It was a good week for those. Monday she called while emailing in a
panic YELLING on the phone how she had made too much cheesecake and how it was
going to expire before she ate it all alone. She commanded us to come over and
eat it, so Tuesday we did and taught her about Priesthood. Nice. Wednesday she
calls flipping a lid about how she had made too many oliebollen (a Dutch scone
thing that’s really good) and how we needed to come eat them and pick them up.
So Elder Hosea and another elder went over and ate them and brought all the
extras home. Breakfast. And apparently in their lesson she turned through the
Book of Mormon pictures too fast and ripped one out on accident. Based on
description, her reaction looked as if she had just condemned herself to the
brimstone pit of hell. HAHA and she told Elder Hosea not to tell me because I
gave her that book at the beginning. So she doesn't know I know that, she was
supposed to come to church with members but called off her ride, and now we are
going over Tuesday at noon to pick up a carpet by the Dutch Home Depot and
take it to her house with the car. And probably teach about prophets. We
accidentally set 2 back to back appointments with her but I'm pretty sure she
doesn't realize so we will just go over Tuesday and Wednesday and probably eat
more food and watch the Restoration movie. She IS progressing though step by
step. We have to teach one point of one lesson as an entire lesson sometimes
but bless her heart she is in the right direction. I will get photos soon.
Sidenote: I'll be following up to see if she ever bought a smaller vacuum for
her eye. Gotta prevent that.
This last week we found other new people and
taught a good number of lessons. We set high goals this week so I ask that you
PRAY that we can get those to happen. Please. Thanks. You are all the best.
Have a good week.
Elder Reese
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