Time Warp - February 8, 2016

Time Warp

There are several things in the life of a missionary that can distort the idea of time, such as no weekends, switched pdays, conferences, etc. For me right now I am getting blasted over the head with reality checks and time warps. Being in Antwerpen again makes me feel like a greenie again, I sometimes get treated like a greenie still, but the past 2 days different people have told me that I sound like a real Dutchman. Nice. And I saw tons of pictures of Elder Conatti and his homecoming (so great, sooo cool) and also emailed my sisters who are back home now. And friends are getting home in the coming weeks, getting ready for school and seeing their families again. And I'm still in Antwerpen haha. It's like beginning meets the end, east coast meets west coast, alpha and omega yaddah.

Maria's gift

I will start with a Maria story. Yeah, you thought those were gone since I left Apeldoorn. False. Maria is still here. We went to MLC this week and Hosea gave me a bag of things I forgot with a big wrapped up box and a letter taped to the top. What. I opened it up and read the sweetest, funniest, most classic letter from Maria about how she is doing, and why she wanted to give me this gift. I opened it up in the car and it was a modern-day translation of the Bible with a white cover around it! Hahaha soooo sweet of her! It made my week! I need a Dutch Bible again anyway haha not exactly the missionary translation.... but I am so happy with it hahah it’s so funny and so classic. We are also keeping in contact with each other through email so I can help her out with anything she has questions about while I am in Antwerpen. Apparently she told Hosea and Parr in Apeldoorn that she needed a rest from investigating, called off the appointment, but then called at the time of the appointment saying she still wanted them to come over to stay friends’ hahaha such a gem. So the Maria stories continue! Which is good, because last week I said something about the former lady I taught here in Antwerpen... yeah we showed up on exchanges with a joint teach and she handed us the Book of Mormon back on the door and said no.... Just another everyday missionary heartbreak.

In other news, we have made contact with Gerald and Eric!!!! The other elders work with them on their records, but of course I want to be there with them since they were baptized here a little over a year ago. They both fell through the cracks in the ward a bit...(happens too much here) so I am on Mission: Rescue. It's is amazing because I have prayed for them so much in Delft and Apeldoorn and Vlissingen. And my prayers have been answered after one year and I get to personally rescue them. 

We taught another former this last week, Fredrick, and ended up resetting a baptismal date with him for May. So cool. I really believe I am here again to research and recall the city that stole my heart and rescue all those I can find again.

Also, the sisters work with a less active family, Dirk and Christel, and Christel LOVES me because I would always tease her back and take her stabs as a good sport haha. So the sisters were in an appt with them and told them they had a surprise coming. We knocked on the door, the sisters took us to the living room where Christel was and she jumped up, starting laughing and yelling then basically ate me alive in a massive hug. It was so great to see her reaction haha I really should have recorded it... that’s the only regret. She was so excited and couldn't stop hugging me for the next 15 minutes. So awesome. Those experiences make your mission gold.

Ivan and I

Quick story: this week we were in an area where we worked with a less active over a year ago, so I called him and asked if we could visit, but turns out he moved to Turnhout! But he said he really wanted to see me and would come all the way to Antwerpen the next day to buy us lunch. Sooo Wednesday we met up with him, had such a great time and laughed so hard AND HE IS COMPLETELY ACTIVE IN TURNHOUT. HE HAS A CALLING AND IS WORKING ON A TEMPLE RECOMMEND. AND I DIDN'T KNOW! It was some of the best news I have heard in a loooooong time! He ended up telling me how I was one of the first missionaries that put him back on the path to church and I wanted to cry for joy all over my fried Turkish lunch. 

We have a good amount of work coming which is nice. Our most solid investigator Anita is on baptismal date for the end of February and is doing so solid. She is a self-referral from the website and has a sister that’s a member in France.

This week has made me think a lot about home and school stuff since Morrell Parr Cook and I are trying to get stuff set up. And everyone is home or going home right now haha. People keep asking if I will die here in Antwerpen. That would be insane. 7 transfers here haha I don’t think it will happen but I tend to stay in cities for forever. Heavenly Father still knows I don't like change haha.

Groetekes uit Vlaanderen! 

Elder Trevan Scott Reese

"You don't inspire others with your perfection. You inspire others with how you handle your imperfections" - quote I found on an Apeldoorn member's wall

The Comeback Kid - February 1, 2016

The Comeback Kid

It's been quite the time since I emailed last weekend, and so many things have happened in the past 9 days. We received transfer calls a night early on Saturday, but I will get to that in a bit. I will start with Maria:

Saturday night I called her on the phone and talked to her about coming to church. She said she was going to her church and that she wouldn't be coming because of several other excuses as to why she would go to her own. I told her the sisters were willing to pick her up and bike along with her and that she should come visit the church to see and investigate for herself. After 10 minutes of talking, she agreed, and Sunday morning she came! FINALLY. I was soooo happy and she enjoyed the service and Gospel Principles. It was so special to have her there since it was my last Sunday in Apeldoorn because of transfers. But I will get to that in a minute.

We taught her Monday night about the resurrection and she has been reading quite a lot in the Book of Mormon. Amazing, since it took us 4 appointments just to leave one behind. Then Tuesday she called while we were saying goodbye to Dennis and Maaike, talking about how she was scared to be alone and how she felt something leave her house when we did the night before. So for another 10 minutes I talked to her on the phone telling her about the Spirit and how she can always have those feelings around her as she reads and prays and comes to church. She insisted we come by again that day to help her feel better. So we did. We had a great lesson and said some hard goodbyes since I would be leaving to go far away (but I will talk about that later). She gave me a gift in an envelope and wanted to thank me for everything I had done with her for the past 6 months. She gave me 10 euros. Haha what a sweet lady. I told her I wouldn't take it but she INSISTED and so I will always remember Maria with that 10 euro bill.

It was incredibly difficult to say goodbye to everyone in Apeldoorn and those I was close to were really bummed to see me leave. And I am devastated also. So I am coming to you from somewhere you don't even know yet, but somewhere that gives a familiar ring. 

My dream since I was a greenie was to make it back south. To get back to the country I fell in love with and to see the people who shaped how my mission would be lived. Right now, I am sitting in the very same church, with the very same members, and the very same Spirit that fills these blessed streets of Antwerpen. HAHA can you believe it? I'M BACK BABY.

How blessed am I? To make it back to somewhere you have been before, but your greenie city! And I am here with Elder Lott from my MTC group! I still don't think it's true and I have been here for a week almost. Yesterday in church was fantastic, seeing everyone again and being able to bear my testimony again, now in coherent Flemish. FLEMISH. You know I love Flemish. And as soon as I hear it, I switch over subconsciously and speak it back.

Few quick stories: of course I want to go visit everyone I taught here and find those people who might have fallen through the cracks. I really feel like that is a big part as to why I am here. So we went by a lady named Mvr Faes on Saturday, she remembers me and is flabbergasted as we teach her the restoration and I speak Antwerp Flemish to her. Bless the 70 year old lady's heart. She could become the new Maria haha. Also, Zuster Bush was in town with her family, since she finished her mission last week, and we stopped by a less active member who is the COOLEST Belgian lady and she remembered me and was so happy to see me and is willing to teach me French. Oh yeah that's another thing. The first time I was here was to learn Dutch, I am taking this second opportunity to learn French. I was hold a contact with it on the street already but I need it to get better. #giftoftongues

Tonight we will see Zr Van Wauwe, I have spent time with the Schiltz and also with the Evans. These are just names to you, but these people have SHAPED me out here in these countries. I will never ever forget them and the love they extended (and still extend!) to me. 

As a zone leader down here we get to work hard and make this city a model for the zone. Perfect. Say no more. Let me go work in the glorious, hallowed, ghetto, nasty, streets that stole my heart more than a year ago. It's a mission Cinderella being back.

 

It was really hard to say goodbye to my sisters this last week. I got to see 3 of the 4 here and also Elder Conatti, who is back in Brazil now. I have come to hate goodbyes. I tend to avoid them because I don't like them, which also isn't good...

I have been able to be crafted by the Lord in making missionary work become who I am and not what I do. The difference is simple but massive. And I am so grateful to know that.

Count your blessings, it will help you improve your exponent skills.

Love Elder Trevan Scott Reese

Unexpected - January 23, 2016

Yes, I am writing to you today, Saturday, instead of Monday. That's because we headed to Leiden today, and Elder Cook, Hosea and I are all working on college work. We are trying to set up things for BYU and UVU today so it should be good.

It's been a good week. I have a Maria story:

We met Monday night and had a great lesson with Dennis, our ward mission leader. She had read in the Book of Mormon and had tons of questions, which Dennis answered really well. We met again Thursday and had a great lesson about the Plan of Salvation. I asked to take a picture with her and she said she wasn't awake yet. ........ haha it was 4pm. Nice. 

A lot of weird things have been happening as far as me staying in Apeldoorn or getting transferred, new changes in policies, new missionaries, and time flying by. I can't put my finger on it but I think things are coming.

It's been a short week and next week will be a lot longer, so I will keep it short. Tomorrow night we get transfer calls, so the next time you hear from me I could very well be in a new city, area, and/or country. Nice eh?

Loves

Elder Trevan Scott Reese

It Snow Wonder the Dutch Pack Their Skates - January 18, 2016

For the first time since I've been in this country, Mother Nature has dumped some snow. Some. Snow. Nothing compared to the Rockies but enough to stop the trains. The Dutch have ice skates up north ready for whenever it freezes, and they skate on the street, straight down the canals and every body of water they can find. It's no surprise they can sweep Olympic speed skating year after year. It's their pride and joy.

I will be blunt. This week was a frustrating one as far as the work in Apeldoorn. Or should I say the lack of work we were able to do. We had our zone training Wednesday, which went really well and stayed time-managed perfectly, but it called for planning time and setup/tear down time. WE had to write our transfer report all day Saturday and went to bed at 3am, and taught the district leaders Saturday morning. Since we wrote the transfer report, we needed to work with our problem child companionships to help them out, so we spent a lot of time with 3 certain companionships that are pinheads sometimes and can frankly be a pain to work with. But we had a good time in the end and learned good things.

I got to go up north twice and that is when it snowed on us. MY two exchanges up there were really fun and we saw miracles both days by being let in at night and one potential investigator even made us a small Dutch dinner haha. She was one of the funniest 70 year old Dutch ladies I have met. She and Oma Peters would thrive together haha

I wrote a piano song a while back and played it in sacrament meeting yesterday. Oma Peters was so excited and happy hahaha she started speaking Vries to me and I told her I couldn't understand hahhaa bless her heart.

Funny AND Wrong

We see Maria tonight. So that story is to be announced. Should be good.

So many people I love head home soon and it's getting hard to see them get ready to go. Zuster Voss and the Romigs gave their final testimonies in zone training this week. They only have 2 more weeks.

Elder Hirsch told me that we have less than 6 months until we are home too. Crazy. I could only have one more city after Apeldoorn. But heck I would be pumped to have Apeldoorn be my last city haha I really can’t bear the thought of leaving these members. Abankie is doing great in Suriname hahaha I LOVE that guy so much. So funny and so pure. 

Bama won the championship, Seahawks are out. Just skip to next season already. Then I will enjoy it with you. 

Love you all, wees nooit bevreesd want de Here God is met u geweest. - door ikzelf verzonnen. Het klopt niet eigenlijk maar geen van jullie kunnen dit begrijpen dus maakt het eigenlijk niet zo veel uit mwhaha.

jouw lieve maatje,

Elder Trevan Scott Reese

Land of Bounty in the Nethermost Part of the Vineyard - January 11, 2016

I don´t know how many of you watch the news still, but back in the states our ice storms here up north made global attention. In the cities of Groningen, Leeuwarden, and Assen, schools and stores and even missionary activities had to be suspended because of the ice storm. People were ice skating in the streets and canals and ponds. It´s like a Dutch snow day. But really the ice wasn´t that bad, no snow, no wind. To be honest, it´s a little wimpy over here and trains will shut down if a snowflake hits the track. Even most Dutch people think it´s pathetic haha. So I think the street and canal skating is what made the headlines.

We set some steep goals last weekend with every intention of meeting them. And we sure did for most of them. When I first got to Apeldoorn, member relations were suffering and missionary work in that regard was real low. It´s a night and day difference from then to today. The ward and missionaries are suUUuper solid and it makes everything so fun, so effective, so spiritual, and soooo nice. We were able to teach a good amount of lessons, most with members present, and get people friendships and progression that weren´t before.

This week we met with Maria another 3 times. Here we go... We met with her Tuesday to go help her pick up carpet for her hall and she answered, and had totally forgot. So we go inside, she is a little frazzled, but we teach a quick lesson on the apostasy, invite her to read and put her on her way. The next evening we went by again to watch the Restoration movie. Turns out she had no working DVD player. Rebound with a Book of Mormon story lesson. Saturday another city had a baptismal service and we invited her to come. 45 minutes into the service there comes a bundle of blankets with 2 legs into the chapel, sits down, and slowly reveals itself as little ole Maria, not even tall enough for her feet to touch the ground hahaha classic. She was bummed she was too late BUT I told her we could watch the Restoration movie before she left. So we set that up and President Bunnell noticed. He asked if he could join in, so him and Zuster Bunnell became our joint teaches for our lesson. Keep in mind that Maria doesn´t speak a lick of English and still loves to tell off story after story. BUT she watched the movie, like it a lot, got a solid understanding of Joseph Smith now AND told no crazy story. It was really cool. I will never ever forget Maria.

The mission is changing a lot, we found out at leadership council this last week, and in short, our areas are becoming laboratories for other missionaries to come see, observe, and learn from so they can make their own areas excel. The pressure is on.

We have ANOTHER zone training this week.... So we are planning for those 4 hours again when we get time to. But busy is good.

I´ll finish with a gem of a story. Last week with Oma and Opa Kloosterboer. We ran out of hagelslag aka chocolate sprinkles for our sandwiches (yeah its a Dutch thing). So Oma Kloosterboer wrote it on her grocery list to get more. I saw her grocery list on the way out and wrote underneath it to buy a present for Elder Reese haha. SOOO yesterday we went over for lunch and I asked how the week went, if they got new hagelslag, blah blah blah. They were pretty nonchalant about it until Oma Kloosterboer broke out laughing and brought in a wrapped up gift with Holland wrapping paper and Holland glass klompen on it. Opa Kloosterboer thought it was hilarious that I had wrote it on there and they called me a smeercase haha which is like a clever son of a gun (?) In short, I got myself a free box of chocolate hagelslag from Oma and Opa Kloosterboer. They even taped the former grocery list to it haha I love them so much.

I love you all, have a great week.

How are you standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Christ today?

Elder Trevan Scott Reese

Yesterday I Said Tomorrow - January 4, 2016

It still hits me like a brick in the face knowing that this year is the year stated on my mission plaque in which I will be returning home. 2016 is the year that was never supposed to show up on the radar and is honestly as far as I have thought for most of my life. Talk about a wakeup call.

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

Een Heel Fijne Kerstmis - December 28, 2015

It was one fine Christmas this last week. Definitely one to remember. First off, just about everyone that I have talked to was sick at the beginning of the week. And it was no different for me. Ha-ha I´ve never been sick on my mission until Tuesday when we got home and I puked up EVERYTHING from that day. I was just a 24 hour deal and we still worked the whole next day but it relapsed a bit and made me a little sick Christmas morning ha-ha. 

But I´m alive and well and it honestly was a huge blessing that it didn´t affect our work at all.

It´s interesting how on a mission you begin to understand Christmas and not only enjoy it. It is so true, coming from what Elder Holland experienced on his mission. I´ve been spoiled to have had a Belgian as well as a Dutch Christmas. I love Christmas on a mission. I thought it would always be super hard to not be home and not have the same feeling but in the service of the Lord the Spirit fills you with charity and love towards others, and mostly, a gratitude and sense of perspective for the things you already have.

Their service project was in the newspaper -  wish I could read dutch

Christmas Eve we were knocking doors sharing a Christmas message when we found Rene, a nice guy who knew we were Mormons and old us to come back the next morning. So Christmas morning (after my awkward pregnant like morning sickness status) we went and were able to teach him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. And he ended up giving us green tea and I poured it in the cup wrong and ruined the whole cup of tea ha-ha so shout outs to Peter Priesthood over here still not knowing how to prepare tea...

We are teaching a good amount right now which is nice, especially for the season we are in. We got a new investigator this week that was visiting a member and she told us how she had so many questions and was soOOo done being Catholic so we will meet with her Thursday.

There really isn´t that much to tell because I just told everything on Skype Friday... But we had a great few days with loving members. We ate dinner in Zutphen, a city surrounded by a castle and VERY European.

New Years is supposed to be nuts in Holland so there should be some good stories coming up soon.

Love

Elder Reese