Week 29: "How many toads does God have?"

December 30, 2013

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Little Drummer Boy." (Especially when Josh Groban sings it, but that's irrelevant.) I always imagine this poor little guy, who wants to bring a gift to the Savior, but has nothing to give. He does have a drum, though. And while he doesn't think that it is an appropriate gift for the Savior, he decides to do the one thing he can do -- play his drum. He plays his drum for the baby Jesus. He gives the one thing he knows that he can.

That's how it is with me. I don't have a lot to give. In the grand scheme of things, I haven't accomplished that much in my life. I don't have an appropriate gift for the Savior. But, I can give my time and energy. I can sacrifice a couple years of my life as a gift. But even then, I guess it isn't really a gift -- it's more of an expression of gratitude, trying to repay an unpayable debt. And you know what? I'm still getting even more out of my mission than I'm putting into it. Fortunately, the Lord doesn't ask us to repay Him. He just asks us to do the best we can with what He's given us. To play the best beats with the drums that He's given us. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm going to stay out here for a little more time, trying to beat out some nice rhythms.

Remember our investigator who was baptized into another church? Well, we had an appointment with her on Monday. Words can't even describe... Sometime during the appointment, she prayed to know the truth. She told us that this is what she needs to do. She knows that it's true. We've met with her three times since then, and she's on track to be baptized in a couple weeks. The honest seeker of truth will find it.

I had my first Christmas away from home! It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Also, the weather was surprisingly nice on Christmas (Christmas Eve had awful weather -- serious wind and rain -- but Christmas had clear skies). The ward in Groningen is apparently known for giving gifts to their missionaries. After the Christmas program, we went into the room where there was food and snacks, and, underneath the tree, there was a mound of gifts for me, Elder Nelson, and the sister missionaries. I think I got around fifteen gifts from the ward. A lot of chocolate and socks, that's for sure. I really appreciate the ward's generosity and desire for a fatter Elder Bonney with warm feet.

We spent Christmas evening with some members from our ward who were kind enough to let us Skype our families there. Skyping was good. It was like I was back home for a few fleeting minutes. We also had a delicious Christmas dinner with the members. It was a nice Christmas.

On Second Christmas (yes, that's a thing in Europe), we sang at an old people's home as a zone. It was uplifting. I got to see Elder Blackhurst, who I knew at BYU. It was cool seeing him, especially since it's been just about a year since we opened our calls. Time goes quickly.

Oh. During an appointment this week, I was asking an investigator how many paths God has for us. (Spoiler alert: correct answer is one.) In Dutch, there are two words -- "het pad," which means "the path," and "de pad," which means "the toad." I knew that. However, when these words are pluralized, things change. Which I didn't really know. Generally, if such a word were to be pluralized, the plural would be "de padden." (All plurals are always "de" words.) But, when you pluralize "het pad" ('the path"), it becomes "de paden" (yes, it's pronounced differently than "de padden," with two d's). "De padden" means "the toads." Long story short, I had a confused investigator wondering why I was asking about God and His toads.

Keep playing those drums.

--Elder Bonney

PS -- First picture is me with "Tex" Baptiste, the oldest member of Groningen ward at 96. He's a stud. We visited him on Christmas. Second picture is me with Elder Blackhurst, who's been with me since the very beginning, long ago, at BYU. How far we've come.

Week 28: "What is going on?! Nobody is wearing pants."

December 23, 2013

This is the week in which we remember Christ's birth.

Over 2000 years ago, He was born. He did a lot of extremely important things, things of significance which I cannot even begin to describe. He lived a perfect life of service and love. Fast forward to now. I, Elder Bonney, am in Europe, spending every day just trying to share a special message with those who will listen. And enjoying it. Isn't that crazy? Why would I do that?

Because of what He did. These two years are NOTHING compared to his life of service and sacrifice. Whether you believe or not, it doesn't change what He did; I know it, and I'll be eternally grateful. True happiness is achievable because of His sacrifice. The very least I could do is give two years. Don't ever forget the reason for the season.

We've been gone a lot this week. On Tuesday, we helped "blitz" Leeuwarden as a district -- the Leeuwarden sisters have been struggling to find new people, so the district leader decided that a blitz would be the right solution. A blitz is when all the missionaries in the district go finding for an hour or two in the city of one companionship, and then they give all the potentials they find to that companionship. The last time the district blitzed Leeuwarden, though, they only got one potential (who turned out to be a crazy and possibly violent and possibly homeless man...). So, it was a risk to do it again. This time, though, lots of members of the district were praying that this blitz would be successful. On Tuesday, at 1 PM, we all went out. Around 2:45 PM, we came back. Leeuwarden got fifteen new potential investigators in that time period. The Lord provides.

On Wednesday, my companion had to go down to Brussels for legality. I was paired up in Enschede with Elder Torniainen for the day -- a smiley greenie from Finland. We had a fun day (even though all their appointments fell through). It was funny -- he's telling me that I've been out so long. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was on my first transfer. I thought, come on! I'm not so different than you! Am I not still a greenie? Then I realize that I've been a missionary for almost six and a half months. Time goes by too quickly. Anyways, at one point in the evening, we walk outside of some sort of bar, and there are a lot of people -- including a lot of girls in short skirts. Elder Torniainen (who sometimes says things that sound funny in his English) says, "what is going on?! Nobody is wearing pants." I realized, wrapped up in my jacket and scarf, that wearing short skirts is ridiculous in this time of year. Apparently it's even more ridiculous to do so in Finland. Who knew? Go figure.

My love for the members here just keeps on growing. Something happened to a less active member, and my comp and I went and visited him in the clinic yesterday. This less active and I had become good friends. He was in a rough state. Seeing him like that broke my heart a little.

We were visiting an inactive old man, Tex, with a cool member of our ward, Jan. Jan asked Tex about a certain missionary, if he remembered a certain missionary. Then Jan says, "he was the missionary who baptized me. I love him." You could just see the gratefulness in his eyes. I think he started to tear up. Since Jan and his family were baptized when he was a kid, he's served a full-time mission, married a convert he met on said mission, been sealed in the temple, raised a strong gospel-centered family, and had many important callings. This gospel changed his life. I can only hope that I do the same for someone else. In 50 years, I want someone to say, "did you ever know Elder Bonney? He helped me find the gospel that changed my life." I want to help someone else find that happiness, the happiness only found in this gospel.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Fijne feestdagen.

Much love,

Elder Bonney

Week 27: "Elders, Elders!! I got baptized!"

December 16, 2013

Hey everyone.

Well, another week, come and gone... Time just doesn't stop, I guess. This past week has been a good one. A few ups and downs, but overall, a good week.

Might as well start at the beginning. On Monday, we had an appointment with Angela, one of my favorites -- she's from the Dutch Caribbean, middle-aged, and really wants to change her life. The way she was found is also miraculous, but that's a story for another day... We've taught her a few lessons, and she's great. But (here's the 'but')... At our appointment, she comes up to us, excited, and says, "Elders!! Elders!! I got baptized!" We just looked at her, dumbfounded. Oh, Angela. We'd had a baptismal date with her for Dec 21, but someone else had come to her and told her she could get baptized on Dec 7. She took the earlier date. We talked to her about priesthood authority on Monday, and got things sorted out. Turns out, the first lesson (given last transfer by two younger missionaries in English...) was good, in that she felt the Spirit strongly and knew the truthfulness of their words. Problem? She didn't really understand what they were saying. Yeah. It was like a little kid, told that their mom would be really happy if they drew her a nice painting on the wall, who then runs up smiling to tell the mom what she did. That's exactly what it was like.

We had a zone conference on Wednesday. It was held in Amsterdam -- it was the first time I've been in Amsterdam since flying in to the Netherlands. President Texeira, from the First Quorum of the Seventy, spoke. It was mind-blowing. Lately, a big change has been going on internally, and that just topped it all off. There aren't words to describe the conference. It was really good. (I know I just used words to describe it, yes, but they aren't adequate.)

On Thursday, we were on exchanges. I was out contacting with another missionary, Elder Peterson. (Irrelevant: SUPER productive contacting session.) These two Muslim, thug looking dudes come up to us. They ask how we'll know that it's Jesus when He returns. The conversation turns weird... One of the guys gets really into it, and says, "you WON'T know! You can't know! For all we know, HE could be the one!" pointing at Elder Peterson. The other Muslim freaks out... "dude, he definitely isn't Jesus! You can't say that!" Elder Peterson: "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that I'm not Jesus..." It was funny.

In this past October General Conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson referenced a story in which a gardener is cutting a currant bush, and the bush produced some sort of liquid that made it look kind of like it was crying, asking why he would cut the bush. Simple answer: the gardener knows best. (Look up the talk if you haven't heard it.) I've experienced that on my mission. This isn't easy, and there have been times of struggle, in which I've asked Heavenly Father, "Why would you do this to me? Why would you cut me down, when I'm trying so hard to be a good missionary, a good person?" The simple answer: He knows best. He knows what's best for me. Slowly, He's molding me into the missionary --into the person-- that He knows I need to be, for the rest of my mission, the rest of my life, even. It isn't easy. But, I am grateful for His loving guidance and help, even if it is through trials. I've changed for the better. He knew that I would, and He knows that I can be even better. He's willing to help us all change, if we accept His loving corrections with a willing heart.

Until next week, homies.

--Elder Bonney

Week 26: "And I wish you a fine evening up there."

December 9, 2013

Goede morgen, dames en heren, omas en opas, jongens en meisjas!

Yes, I stole that from a train conductor. Anyway, this past week has been good! It was a slow week, I can't lie. A lot of appointments fell through, and the weather was AWFUL. But hey, just another day in the life... It was a good week, though.

So yeah, the weather. It has been getting progressively worse. Last Thursday (which was the Dutch holiday of Sinterklaas!), we got texts from members telling us to watch out and that the weather was code red. Great. After an appointment fell through, we were walking to Groningen Centraal to catch a bus. It was raining, but we figured we could make it before it got too bad. Mistake. It started to hail. And, I'm not talking little, fun hail. This was painful hail. It was traumatizing. It stopped hailing soon after and just started raining, but the weather didn't get much better. It snowed the next day. Since then, we've had lots of cold rain and wind. To top it off, I lost my gloves sometime at the beginning of this transfer, so I don't have any right now. Saturday night was the worst... It was way cold and windy, and it wouldn't stop raining. I was soaked. My hands hate me.

Sinterklaas! I've already told a little bit about Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet... Sinterklaas is like Santa Claus, but he isn't. Apparently the Americans stole Sinterklaas and turned him into Santa Claus (who Dutch people call the "Kerstman" -- literally translates into "Christmas man"). Apparently Santa is Sinterklaas' brother. It's weird. Anyway, Sinterklaas brings gifts on the 5th of December. And, our ward mission leader and his wife invited us and the Groningen zusters over for Sinterklaas...he brought us gifts too! It was great. We had a super fun night with them. My best Sinterklaas yet.

Funny story. Elder Nelson and I have this one investigator from Cape Verde. Middle-aged, manly black dude. He's an honest seeker of truth if I've ever seen one -- he's read a lot in the Book of Mormon, and each appointment he has new and insightful questions. He notices things the average reader doesn't notice. He's not trying to prove it wrong -- he just wants to be sure that he doesn't take the wrong path. Good on him. He's great. We had a good lesson with him this past Friday, and he said the closing prayer, as usual. He said a good prayer, but then to close it off, he seemed a little lost for words, and then he said (in Dutch)... "And..and I wish you a fine evening up there. Amen."

I gave a talk yesterday -- my first sacrament meeting talk on my mission! I was supposed to give one in Kortrijk, but the first time I was supposed to give it, it was canceled due to a visit from a member of the stake presidency (who spoke instead). The second time I was supposed to give it...I got transferred. But, I did get to give one up in Groningen! It was on testimony. It really showed me how much help the Lord has given me with this language. I gave a fifteen minute talk, and the language wasn't even an issue. I was more worried about giving a good talk than anything else -- I didn't have to worry about it being in Dutch. Less than six months ago, I walked into the MTC, not speaking Dutch at all. Yesterday, I taught investigators' class and gave a talk, both in Dutch. The Lord won't require anything of us that He won't help us accomplish. It's amazing.

By the way, my six-month mark is this week. I'm about 1/4 the way through. Crazy, huh?

Keep it real.

--Elder Bonney

PS -- Elder Nelson and I, during a great ending to a rough day, with our gifts from Sinterklaas.

Week 25: "Oh, of course! You're American. You guys can't ride bikes!"

December 2, 2013

Hey, guys!

I can't believe that it's already December. I remember sitting in the MTC with my buddies, and we were all talking about how we would just need to make it to Christmas. It seemed so far away! Now, Christmas is in a little over three weeks. It's crazy how time has flown.

This past week has been good. It didn't exactly fly by, but it was a good week. Elder Nelson and I haven't had to go through any real adjustment period with each other -- we've been sharing an apartment for the past six weeks, so this new transfer wasn't a huge change. It is different, not having the other two elders here anymore. It's a little lonely. I miss Elder Besendorfer and Elder England -- it was good having some second-transfer missionary spunk in the apartment. But, Elder Nelson and I keep things lively. We will see success together.

Now that there is only one companionship of elders in Groningen, we've combined our investigators, and those appointments have kept us pretty busy. We're working with a few investigators who are preparing for baptism, working with miracles that happened in our respective companionships at the end of last transfer, and we're starting to see some of our own. Except the first day we had together was...an adventure.

Elder Nelson and I have decided to do this thing where, when we go out finding, we can't come back unless we have at least one potential. Elder Nelson suggested it, and I thought, no biggie. Elder Besendorfer and I always got potential investigators pretty easy. So, when we headed out in the morning, we went to go do some finding. We talked to people. And we talked to more people. And we talked to more people. We almost got some information..but we didn't. An hour went by. Two hours went by. The time we planned to take lunch went by, minute by minute. By this point, Elder Nelson (mind you, he's a big guy who likes his food) and I (a slightly smaller guy who likes his food too) are going crazy. We just want to go home and eat. So, we are talking to EVERYONE. Literally, everyone. It was crazy. We were desperate, but we realized that if we let our desperation show, no one would want to make an appointment. We finally got a number from this one younger woman. I ended up having the best contacting day of my mission. And, we rewarded ourselves by going out to Subway. Even though, they have a six euro thirty centimeter sub, instead of a five-dollar foot-long, it still tasted a little like BYU Subway. Nice.

Later that same day... I was hit by a car. Yes, a car t-boned me on my bike. I had to go to the hospital, and I broke my leg. Okay, stop gasping -- that was a lie. I didn't have a scratch on me, miraculously enough. My bike, on the other hand...well, the damage done to the back wheel rendered the bike unusable. Great. This Asian, middle-aged guy gets out of the car, and we start to have a rapid-fire argument in Dutch. Great. The driver (who turns out to be his also Asian, also middle-aged wife) pulls the car over and gets out, starts apologizing, then sees my name-tag and realizes that I'm not Dutch. She goes, "oh, of course! You're American. You guys can't ride bikes!" Implying, of course, that Americans don't know how to ride bikes. You all will be proud to know that I held back any racially insensitive comments about her ethnicity and her driving. It's not like there are jokes about Asian driving or anything. Even though we never agreed on whose fault it was, we apologized and went our separate ways. I locked my bike to a nearby pole. I ended up having to buy a new wheel (go figure) that costed just as much as my used bike had. Greeaaat. But, so is it. It's not like that was my sixth bike accident on my mission or anything...

Two of our investigators who have baptismal dates came to church this past Sunday! It was definitely a miracle. One of them (she's around 40 and from Curacao) hadn't ridden a bike in about 20 years...and she rode one to go to church! Oh my goodness. I just about died, it was so great. And, I got to witness the BEST fellowshipping ever at church that day. One family just took her under their wing and were SO helpful. It's always good to see people who are friendly too investigators at church. It makes me feel great.

I have to go. But, you all have a great week! Also, Tex asked us to dance again yesterday. Go figure.

Stay true!

--Elder Bonney

PS -- The Book of Mormon. Pure pleasure is inside. I may or may not be standing in front of an ad with George Clooney holding a coffee cup.

Week 24: "Dance."

November 25, 2013

Hey everyone! So, before you all get excited...this week's email is not going to be too long. I apologize in advance. (Before you get un-excited, we got transfer calls. Stay tuned.) My companion and I went down to Zwolle this morning and got back not too long ago, and there are other things we need to do. Writing you all is important. Buying food may be -dare I say it- more important. If only we had more dinner appointments...

This past week, Elder Besendorfer was gone a lot. On Tuesday, we had a zone training, and after that we had exchanges with the district leader. On Wednesday, we had exchanges with the zone leaders. On Thursday, I was graced by my companion's presence for a few short hours...then, he had to go to Den Haag with another elder from the other Groningen companionship before they both went down to Brussels the next morning for legality. They got back Friday night, and since then, we've been working together.

In summary,  I got to work with a lot of different missionaries this week. I learned different things from all of them. On Tuesday, I worked with a young elder, from Elder Besendorfer's group. Working with him was definitely interesting. It taught me things about Elder Besendorfer, if about anyone -- I am truly blessed to be able to work with such a spiritually in-tune man. This elder wasn't bad to work with, by any means, but I truly am straight-up BLESSED to work with my current companion.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend the day with Elder Eastmond -- the elder who trained me during my first transfer down in Kortrijk. He's also one of my zone leaders right now. Working with him really showed me how much I've grown since my first transfer. A lot has happened since then. I've had to have a lot of faith. I've had to work very hard. And, working with Elder Eastmond showed me just how much that helped me grow. We taught two lessons together that day -- one in Dutch, one in English. They were powerful. I've changed the way I teach. I've gotten more confident, and we just worked really well together. It was amazing to see.

On Friday, I was with Elder Nelson. Elder Nelson is the senior companion of the other Groningen elders -- the ones we live with. That was a fun day, and also it gave a little insight. A little insight, because... he and I are now companions. The other pair of Groningen elders has been struggling a lot, and they are now being closed -- they're getting closed, our trainees are leaving Groningen, and we're getting paired together. It's definitely interesting. I have mixed feelings. But, our exchange on Friday was prophecy. Go figure. I'll miss Elder Besendorfer a lot. This has been a blessed transfer. But, I'll take whatever the Lord gives me and run with it.

I gotta run. But, I'll grace you all with an email next week.

Wait.

So, Elder Besendorfer and I were with the sister missionaries, and we were visiting this super old guy. Tex. We visit him once a week. He's great. He's totally an American cowboy. Seriously -- he grew up in one of the Mormon colonies in Mexico. Super old, and I *think* he has short-term memory loss, but he's hilarious. This week, he was telling us all about how ladies love him, but he doesn't know why. He's 96. Anyways, when we were leaving, the sisters asked if there was anything we could do for him. He responded to them immediately: "Dance." Oh, he's quick with his words. I was impressed.

Keep dancing. Until next week.

--Elder Bonney

PS -- Taken at zone training this past Tuesday. Elder Muse (Elder Besendorfer's trainer and one of our zone leaders), the Groningen Zusters (Sisters Larson and Heilner), me, and Elder Besendorfer.

Week 23: "She just threw gingerbread at us. Wow."

November 18, 2013

Hey guys!

This week went by pretty quickly too... Wow. Some days feel like they will never end, but somehow I'm surprised at how quickly the week went by. It's funny how time works.

So last week (not this past week, but the one before) was a REALLY good week. Elder Besendorfer and I taught a lot, and we got a lot of work done. This week...not so good. At least, that's what numbers would tell you. But numbers don't mean a thing, right? It was a good week. Though, there isn't that much to write about. I'll do my best to appease you all.

My companion and I have this one investigator, and he has had a baptismal date for a while. (It's relatively far out, though -- I think he wants to make us work for it.) We'd made an appointment for Monday, but...he called and canceled. Helaas pindakaas. We optimistically rescheduled for the next day. Again...canceled. Again, rescheduled for the next day. Third time is a charm, right? No. Called. We rescheduled for the next day (you can tell we really care about this guy -- if a girl back home stood me up three times, I definitely wouldn't try for a fourth time...). We came by Thursday morning. Turns out, our investigator had been looking for a job (this we knew -- getting a job would really help his life out, help him start following the commandments and alles). He had found a job, and he had been in the training process! Also, he had had to go to the hospital because he was pretty sick, and then he sprained his wrist, so when we finally met with him, his arm was in a cast... In conclusion, he hadn't just been whimsically canceling his appointments. We sat down with him, talked with him, and he still really wants to be baptized. We laid out everything he would have to change to be baptized (including the often overlooked but undeniably crucial *church attendance*). He said he was willing to do it. I have to say, I doubted a little. He hadn't been to church in months (he's been investigating for a while). We show up to church...he isn't there. Go figure. We finish the first hour and pop out into the hallway -- who do we see, but our investigator, walking in the door. That was fantastic. To top it off, we had two other investigators in church on Sunday. It was great. In conclusion -- don't give up SO easily. Who knows, your investigator may have gotten sick, sprained his arm, and then been in a work-training program.

You know what's cool? The temple. Our mission president has said that being baptized is like walking into Disneyland -- it's cool and everything, you're in Disneyland! But why did you come to Disneyland? To just stand around? I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule (who are probably rolling their eyes right now -- yes, I'm sure you have a justifiably traumatizing experience with rollercoasters in your past), but (generalization warning) most people go to Disneyland to get on the rides! And THAT is what the temple is. Baptism is just the first step. The temple is the real goal.

Of course, I have a story daarmee. So, Bessie and I are sitting in our apartment, in our weekly planning session. We decided we need to visit more less-active members. But who... This one member, who I had met once before, popped into my mind. He's about 30, lives with his girlfriend and his daughter. Doesn't come to church that much (I've seen him there once). Anyways, we call him up. We want to come over sometime. Sure thing, when? Whenever is best for you. Tomorrow? Tomorrow it is. So, we went over the next day. We started off by asking him if he wanted to go to the temple someday. And when. He said yes. And relatively soon. I asked him if he had any problems with any of the commandments (gotta get this guy temple worthy!) and...*drum roll please* he and his girlfriend had decided to separate, because she wasn't happy in the relationship! Now, I know I sound like Johnny raincloud over here, but bear with me -- I'm not excited about his probably broken heart, or the fact that he'll only get to see his daughter a couple times a week, or...wow, I'm starting to think this isn't a great thing anymore... But, he will be living all the commandments now! Well on the way to being temple worthy. And, he brought his mom AND his aunt to church the other Sunday. In regards to his girlfriend, I feel justified in saying that he's losing something good for something better. I mean, you can't get much better than the temple.

Also, Saturday was Sinterklaas, an annual holiday here in the Netherlands. Basically, he comes up from Spain once a year on the Saturday after Sint Maartin (another holiday, that happened on Monday). Sinterklaas, that is. He's like Santa Claus, but he isn't (Santa is the Kerstman here -- who they say is the brother of Sinterklaas). Anyway, when Sinterklaas sailed up from Spain to the Netherlands this year, he sailed into Groningen. While my comp and I were trying to contact people by the centrum. Needless to say, no one wanted to listen to us. But, it was cool to see Sinterklaas sail in...it was a huge celebration, and it was broadcast all over the Netherlands. Also, there were little "Zwarte Piet" people everywhere -- Zwarte Piet is a comrade of Sinterklaas, and he takes the bad kids with him back to Spain, where they work in the coal mines, and the coal dust makes their faces black. People really like to dress up like them. They also throw these little gingerbread things (about the size of coins) at people. I never thought I'd get gingerbread thrown at me while riding my bike. Go figure.

Until next week. In the meanwhile, don't let Zwarte Piet bring you back to Spain.

--Elder Bonney

Week 22: "There's Mormons in the neighborhood."

November 11, 2013

I honestly feel a little apostate, emailing right now, because this week has flown by -- I can hardly believe it's Monday again.

So hello, everyone! This past week has probably been one of the best weeks of my entire mission. My companion and I have been working really hard, and we've been so busy these past seven days -- rushing from appointments from one end of Groningen to the other, talking to tons of people, meeting new investigators -- there's not enough time to think about...time. I am loving it, though.

This past week, Elder Besendorfer and I were out street contacting, when we hear (in a VERY American voice), "oh, there's Mormons in the neighborhood!" Obviously, I'm a little confused at first (happens to me occasionally). We responded, to the owner of this voice, "Hey! You know us?" "There's only one guys who'll walk around town with a suit and a name badge on." Turns out, this guy is from the DC area, and he moved to the Netherlands because his kids live here with his ex-wife, and he wanted to see them grow up. Tender. And, he owns a haircut studio. Basically, I know where I'm getting my hair cut next time I need it -- in this cool cat's shop.

We were knocking doors the other day (definitely NOT my preferred method of contacting, but when it's pouring rain, you do what you can), and one man opened his door, said, "hey, you guys are from Salt Lake," and beckoned us to come inside. We did. Turns out, this guy is an inactive member of the Groningen Ward. He was a little crazy. He spoke English to us -- when we asked him how he spoke such good English, he responded by telling us that he speaks English when talking to himself. Okay, buddy! He showed us his false teeth (which he refused to put in, so he was bijna impossible to understand when he spoke Dutch), talked about aliens, and was doing other strange things... We shared a quick, sincere message. I gave this trooper (who was a teeny bit drunk) a hug, then we got out of there.

Just yesterday, Elder Besendorfer and I were riding our bikes to an appointment. It started raining. Which, by the way, is not in the least unusual here in Groningen. We bike in the rain just about every day. So when it started to rain, I wasn't surprised or upset, just a little wet. So, we're riding along (get the mental picture ready). We were crossing a pretty quiet intersection. Suddenly, we hear this noise, like really hard rain hitting the ground, rapidly approaching us. Oh, great. Time to get soaked. I was more than a little surprised to discover that this sound wasn't rain, it was HAIL hitting the street, hail which then proceeded to hit me and Bessie. I'd say it was definitely bigger than a BB, but smaller than a peanut. It only hurt a little bit.

Tomorrow marks five months since I entered the MTC. Wow. Time is flying. I can honestly say that I am enjoying my mission right now. My companion and I are working hard. We're doing what we were called here to do. We have investigators progressing towards baptism. We ride bikes a lot. Missions aren't easy, but right now, I don't know what could be going better. I'm in a great city with a great companion, and we have a great sense of purpose. And, as of last night (when we visited one of our investigators who is overcoming problems and progressing towards baptism), I can honestly say that I felt the Spirit while sitting in a house that stood a few houses away from a red-light district and smelled strongly of marijuana. It's great. Dang, I love my job.

Until next week. It'll come sooner than you think.

Much love.

--Elder Bonney

The photo? I'm not sure. A golden find of Groningen.

Week 21: "Dude. You just kicked a hedgehog into a river."

Hey guys!

So I'll start off by saying that this week's quote will NOT be explained. All that needs to be known is 1) I was on exchanges with another elder, and we were in Leeuwarden 2) There are hedgehogs in the Netherlands 3) One was kicked off of a bridge.

That said, hedgehogs are undeniably cute, funny-looking little animals. Seriously. It sounds un-manly to say, but it's true.

This past week flew by. Last Tuesday, we got to go on splits with the zone leaders, Elder Muse and Elder Eastmond. It's funny -- they were companions in Groningen before Elder Eastmond headed down to Kortrijk to train me. Now, my mission 'dad' is my zone leader, and I'm serving in his favorite city. Go figure. Elder Muse and I went out and got a lot of work done that day. It was fun.

On Wednesday, we had exchanges with the elders to Heerenveen, another city in our district. The elders to Heerenveen work in Heerenveen itself and the surrounding cities -- primarily Leeuwarden. I worked with an elder from the group below mine (the same group as my companion). I have to say, the people in Friesland (the province that includes Heerenveen and Leeuwarden) have been some of the meanest I've encountered on my mission so far. We ran into this one guy, who was telling us that we can't share what we do because we can't *know* that it's true, we only think we do. Saying we were not intelligent and all that and other not nice stuff. We testified powerfully and from the heart, but we did so kindly. He was kind of stunned. Then he changed the direction of the conversation and said that people like us are "bad for the Netherlands" because the people don't want us. People aren't the nicest, and many don't want us. But we're out here to talk to the many to find the one.

Halloween! I can't believe it's Halloween. I remember last year's Halloween night so well -- hanging around BYU campus with two of my best friends. Oh, this year's Halloween night was so different -- being a missionary in the Netherlands, participating in a ward young adult activity that we were asked to go to. It was fun, but so different. We carved pumpkins and had some fun activities, led by the senior missionaries (who I ADORE). I dressed up as one of those Mormon missionaries. It was hilarious.

There actually isn't too much more to write this week! Elder Besendorfer and I have been working really hard to teach some new people. We've set a big goal for lessons to investigators next week -- it's something over ten. I usually don't find it appropriate to share or focus on numerical goals or achievements -- numbers don't matter, and every mission is different, but Bessie and I are working really hard to find "the one" who will listen sincerely. Anything over ten lessons in a week is serious success for us missionaries. But, I'm working harder than I ever have. We'll see success.

Hang in there, everyone. Stay great.

--Elder Bonney

This is from the Halloween activity. Elder Nelson (one of the other Groningen elders) and I were with two JoVos. We all made a rather gruesome Jack-o-Lantern, under their direction. Kijk eens aan.

Week 20: "Here, take this euro. TAKE IT."

October 28, 2013 

Hey, everybody!

This past week just flew by. Right after P-day ended a week ago, my companion and I boarded a train to Den Haag, where we spent the night with the Den Haag elders. The next day was temple conference -- all us missionaries (half at a time, because the Den Haag temple is pretty small) got to go to the temple, followed by a conference led by the APs and the mission president. Getting to go to the temple was a fantastic experience. Everything done inside was all in Dutch -- which I hadn't anticipated. Plus, it's the temple, which is always a wonderful place to be. One elder put it very well, when we were standing outside the temple afterwards. He said, "so many of the people here don't know how fortunate they are to have this little building in their country." So true.

This week was relatively slow when it comes to giving lessons and teaching new investigators. However, Elder Besendorfer and I worked our tails off, so I feel good about it. We found some new people to teach, and I'm getting to know my way around this big city. It really is a cool place. Still very rainy and very windy -- this morning, when riding our bikes to the church building to email, we got soaked in the rain. And we haven't even eaten BREAKFAST yet. The wind is still a demon. But, what can you do? Besides get very wet and have a windburned face.

Oh, serious note. Yesterday afternoon, I unfortunately caught a glimpse of one of Groningen's two red-light districts. It's sad, really. Something I always heard about, never really thought about. But they are there, and it's so sad and so..just..evil, you know? Prostitution should never be acceptable. Ever.

So story time, to brighten the mood! Yesterday evening, around 6 PM (oh, yesterday was daylight savings here in Europe, so it was even darker than usual), Elder Besendorfer (I'm going to start calling him Bessie for short; Besendorfer takes too long to type) and I were contacting people on the street by the centrum. First of all, Sunday evening is apparently date night, and that makes it hard. I mean, who wants to talk to two young guys on date night? (I'm slowly starting to forget what the word 'date' means, being a missionary for so long...) Anyways, we're out contacting, with not too much success. We're talking to this man, when this drunk black guy (I have no clue what his name is, but I've decided to call him Paul) comes up to us. He starts going OFF in Dutch. Here's a rough translation of our conversation:

---

Paul: "Hey, can you guys give me some money? I got nothing!"

Elder Bonney (that's me): "Sorry, we don't have anything to give you."

Paul: "Why not? Aren't you guys children of God?!"

Me: "Yeah, and you are also a child of God!"

Paul: "Really? Am I really a child of God?"

Me: "Oh, you are definitely a child of God."

Paul: *Aggressively* "So tell me -- is God white?"

Me: "I've..."

...Paul doesn't let me finish, starts going off on why I should give him money...

Paul: "You know, I'm more religious than you!"

Me: "What do you mean?"

Paul: "Because I'll give you my money. Here, take this euro. TAKE IT. It's all the money I have."

Me: "Hey, I don't want your money."

Paul: "Okay. You know, you guys are okay. I like you guys."

Then Paul got on one knee and bowed to us. We walked away awkwardly. Then he got up and started singing. Interesting guy.

---

We also walked up to two guys who said they didn't want to hear our "message about gay people." We told them our message was for everyone. They still declined. We left with a cheerful, "well, enjoy your evening!" then went to go teach one of our gay investigators. Yes, we have two of them, and no, they aren't associated with each other. And yes, they both believe with their whole hearts that the Book of Mormon is true and are willing (and have begun) to change their lifestyles. And yes, our message is for everyone.

Until next week. Loves!

--Elder Bonney

Me with one of my MTC buddies serving in Den Haag, Elder Cook.

 Me with Elder Blackhurst, who I've known for over a year now. There with me every step of the way.

Week 19: ''Oh, you have a Flemish accent. That's cute"

October 21, 2013

Hoi, everyone!

Yes, I am now in the great, icy north -- Groningen! Last Wednesday morning, after some sad goodbyes (Chile and his friend got up early to come to the train station to say goodbye), Elder Toole and I boarded a train to Antwerpen. From there, I bid Elder Toole farewell and got on a train with some other missionaries to Rotterdam Centraal. Then, another one to Leiden...then one to Utrecht Centraal...another to Zwolle...then finally, one to Groningen. All the while with all my luggage and a bike in tow. And thus was the longest transfer possible in the mission completed.

My new companion is Elder Besendorfer. He's going on his second transfer (I'm going on my third), and I'll be his senior companion and help him finish up his in-field training. Technically, I'm a trainer...weird. Elder Besendorfer is from Spanish Fork, Utah. He just graduated high school this past May. He knows the scriptures like the back of his hand (what 18 year old has read the Book of Mormon 17 times??), and he's basically an apostle. His Dutch is coming along well, too, for a second-transfer missionary. We make a good team -- I can speak Dutch well, and he is a monk when it comes to knowing scripture. We're both ready to work hard and see some miracles.

I haven't been here for too long, but I am loving Groningen! It is definitely a change from Kortrijk. The wind here is insane -- I've almost gotten blown off my bike a few times (not even joking) and there was one time when we were riding at a pretty good speed, then a gust of wind came head-on, and we literally almost stopped moving. Also, the rain here is cold, and when combined with the wind, it's killer. But, this city is great. It's so big -- so many university students, too! And holy woah, so many bikes. It is said to be the number one or number two biking city in the world. I believe it. Oh, and the language here is way different than Kortrijk!! I miss my Flams!! I had a way hardcore Flemish accent when I got here...it was embarrassing. I'm still trying to eradicate it. Dutch people make SO MUCH fun of Belgians. Last week, at a young adult (JoVo) activity, I was asked to introduce myself. I said (with a little bit of a Flams accent) that I was still trying to get rid of my Flams accent. One of the guys told me that my efforts to change were "schattig" (closest translation -- cute, in a sort of condescending way. Like, oh, you think you can speak real Dutch. That's cute.). But, it's almost completely gone now. Gelukkig.

The ward here is pretty big, as far as Europe wards go. About eighty people were there yesterday. There are two sets of elders (us, then Elder Nelson and Elder England, who we share an apartment and a lot of fun with) and one set of sisters (Sister Heilner and Sister Larson). It's nice, having other missionaries in the city.

Well, it's early and I'm tired, and I can't think of what else to write for now. I'm sure I'll have many interesting stories to come. Stay cool, stay real. Peace and blessings.

--Elder Bonney

 

This is my last picture with Elder Toole.

Me with my new comp, Elder Besendorfer, after a very wet ride home from an appointment.

Week 18: "So, I heard you're taking quite the trip." **ADDRESS CHANGE**

October 14, 2013

Hey everyone!

SO, transfer calls came. Where do I begin...

This past week was a little full of anticipation and curiosity. As a second transfer missionary in my first city, just about everyone (including myself) pegged my staying vs. leaving at about 50/50. As you can probably imagine, I just really wanted to KNOW what I'd be doing. One day this past week, Elder Toole asked me where I'd want to go if I left. I said either Rotterdam or Zwolle (both in Nederland, where I have family heritage) or Groningen (where Elder Eastmond, my trainer, served for six months before coming to Kortrijk. He deemed it the 'promised land'). I really didn't know, though.

Last night, we got a call. I was told that my work here in Kortrijk is done, and it's time for me to go up north. FAR north. To Groningen, the northernmost city in our mission. I honestly couldn't believe it. Groningen is one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, and it is also one of the coldest. Look it up, if you have the chance. I'm excited as all get out, but I'm super sad to be leaving Kortrijk. I've learned a few things in Kortrijk, many regarding bikes, but also many about myself and what the Lord wants for me. These past two transfers have changed me, not only as a missionary, but as a person. In the movie "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration" (super good -- if you haven't seen it, member or not, it's free to watch online, and I highly recommend it), Joseph says, in the midst of the pioneers' hard work building the temple, "you know, the Lord isn't just building a temple. He's building us." Or something like that. And, that's one thing I've seen on my mission -- it isn't just to find others and help them build their relationship with Christ. He's also teaching me and helping me become something.

I don't have too much more time today, but this past week was a blur. Elder Toole and I set another baptismal date with an investigator, and we found some new people. The witness really did come after the trial of our faith. I really was excited for the things we'd do next transfer -- Kortrijk had become my 'promised land.' Also, it's gotten way colder this past week, and the humidity really seeps through your clothing. Needless to say, I can only imagine how Groningen will be. We actually talked about Groningen this past week -- "Man, it's so cold out. You're gonna have to buy a good jacket soon." "Yeah, I can only imagine what it's like up in Nederland. Like, way up in Groningen? It must be so cold!" "Good thing neither of us are there for the winter. We Belgium boys would freeze."

So is it.

My new address is as follows:

Elder John Bonney

DD Eisenhowerstraat 38

9728 RW Groningen

the Netherlands

Please don't send mail to the Kortrijk address anymore...because, it won't get to me for like a month. If you have sent anything in the past week, email me and let me know!

Well, on Wednesday, I do the longest transfer trip possible in the mission -- from the southernmost area to the northernmost. Wish me luck.

I love you all, and have a great week. Next time, I'll tell you all about the 'promised land.' Until then, keep calm and carry on.

--Elder Bonney

PS -- attached is...I don't know. I thought it was fitting at the time.