I can´t do this anymore. I can´t try to
squeeze in a week´s worth of things that happen in Den Helder into an email.
More stories will be told back home in the 208, such as our encounter with the
rehabilitation police, a torrential downpour when an important member present
lesson falls through, the adventures in Amsterdam last Monday, teaching a
classy Dutch family while the father smokes the biggest cigar I´ve ever seen,
and attempting to make a trendy song cover with a former member as a distraction
while tearing pornography off the walls. All this at the slight expense of
being a Mormon missionary.
But those aren´t the stories I´ll share today.
They all have their times and places, but I will tell you a miracle or two from
this week and save the rest for those days back in the states.
We were able to finish painting Tsigereda´s
house this past Wednesday, and you can judge our work in the pictures
below from her red and white walls. It came out really nice and we were able to
have amazing lessons with her this week while preparing her for her baptism. We
stopped by again on Saturday and she told us how much they had missed
us in those 3 days, since we were usually over there for a few minutes every
day to keep painting. That was awesome to hear and the 2 kiddos were so excited
to see us and take pictures during our lesson about the Sabbath Day.
Yesterday we had church in Haarlem for the
Western Europe stake conference broadcast which was so good. Elder
Christoffersen spoke and Sister Oscarson about the strength of the church here
and the example they are in the world in times of terror and turmoil and it
touched me so much. I was so happy to hear and know how aware the leaders of
the church in Salt Lake are about these members and investigators. Also, Sonja
came too! She got a ride down with a member and loved the service so much. Even
though it was a broadcast she thought it was so good and even recognized people
she knew from other branches. Really neat miracle at church yesterday in Haarlem.
The subject of the email also pertains to
Sonja. We have been asked to call her Oma now, which means Grandma, and we are
her new grandchildren that she likes to flaunt to her neighbors when we go
over. For our Plan of Salvation lesson this week we brought a member of the
branch presidency along who would be giving her rides to and from church. He is
72. She is 71. Draw your conclusions, people. Here was the following dialogue:
Sonja: Do you want anything to drink? Coffie
maybe?
Elder Penman and I: Water would be best, it's
warm out today.
Sonja: Alright, whatever.
*joint teach arrives*
Sonja to Rinse (joint teach): Anything to
drink? Coffie?
Rinse: No, no that's okay, I'll take a glass
of water.
Sonja, looking at the three of us: You know,
if I'm going to become a member of the church I'm going to get a lot skinnier
around you folks.
Elder Penman and I: laughing
Rinse: Even skinnier?
Elder Penman and I: dry heaving on the couch
And that set the tone for our lesson (and
their fellowshipping relationship) that was constantly interrupted with such
sassy/flirty comments from the 65+ers. Hilarious lesson, really. But it was
also really good and focused on understanding God's plan for us. Also explains
why it was almost 3 hours long.... But moral of the story, she loved church,
wants to be baptized, just might find a husband, who knows, loves her new
grandkids and is incredibly sensitive to the Spirit. All I really need to say
about her is that she worked on the Dutch navy ships for a long time around
lots and lots of sailors. A very strong willed, sassy woman. Gotta love Oma
Sonja.
I feel that´s an adequate description of the
week, plus or minus a few major stories saved for later.
Love Elder Trevan Scott Reese
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