June 2, 2014
So... I'm still alive, boys and girls. I've made it through another week. I'll be honest -- I usually mark important events from the week that I want to tell you all about in my planner. Unfortunately, I left my planner at home today (I know, I'm a horrible missionary). So, I'll do my best.
This past week has been extremely busy, yet not very busy at the same time. I feel like the week zoomed by, but we totaled up our numbers at the end of the week, and we had only had three lessons all week. THREE. What? So, I looked back (because our week had been packed), and I realized how many appointments fell through. I won't share the total number (trying to focus on the positives), but on one stretch, we had seven appointments fall through in a row. Many were confirmed appointments with people we thought were pretty solid. Come on, people. This is eternal salvation we've got to share.
I'm counting my blessings, though. We found some cool people last week, and we worked hard. Whenever things seem to be going badly, it's because something good is on the horizon. I saw Carla at church on Sunday, and I remembered how the Lord really does bless us. If we work hard and stay humble, we will be blessed. Not to quote Kanye West or anything, but I just try to... "keep your nose out of the sky, keep your heart to God, and keep your face to the rising sun." Elder Henderson is doing well -- I'll let you all know as soon as he makes a funny mistake with the language. I'm ready to pounce.
On Wednesday, we had a zone conference in Zoetermeer. I got to see my MTC companion, Elder Price, and talk to him for the first time since last summer! It made me reminisce on those MTC days... Mass-produced food, strange mistakes in Dutch, feeling like a caged animal...and seeing little miracles in myself, with the language and the Gospel. I got to see my old Groningen companions -- Elder Besendorfer and Elder Nelson. It made me reminisce on those Groningen days... Teaching gay people, getting hit by a car, getting hit with hail and rain and sharp winds...and loving it the whole time. I have been so blessed with the opportunity to be on a mission. You know, I was once told that, in hard times on your mission, you just want them to end, but you should try to soak in the moments, because someday, you'll look back fondly on those memories. I'm already starting to, and I'm only about half-way done. Like Neal A. Maxwell says, moments are the molecules that make up eternity.
I was on exchanges on Thursday, serving with a Mr. Elder Hunt here in Lelystad. We had a blast. We got to spend the whole morning helping a member out by laying tiles in the rain and moving sand, so that was exciting. We ended up getting to teach a great, young Dutch couple a first lesson. It went so well, and we should be seeing them at church soon, too. We're blessed.
On Friday, we had exchanges again! I got to serve with an Elder Van de Merwe in Hilversum. That was interesting. We had a good time and did good work, but the lessons... Well, where do I begin. We walk into the first lesson, with this Dutch girl in her late 20's. She has no chairs, so we have to sit on the floor. As we started to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I realized...this woman cannot focus. On ANYTHING. It's not even like she tried to go off on random tangents, she just does it naturally. I wasn't even mad --I was impressed. She asked a lot of random questions about repentance, too. "But what if you fall in love with a man? What then?" I replied, "well, Elder Van de Merwe is a handsome young man...but, I don't think I'll ever fall in love with a man. Either way, the Atonement is sufficient for all people who repent, so..." "Okay. So are you planning on moving back to America when you're done in the Netherlands?" Wow. Amazing concentration.
Just when the lesson couldn't get any weirder... two Jehovah's Witnesses show up at the door. It sounds like a bad joke, I know. They came in (she thought it would be nice for us to talk to each other...) and looked at us. I pictured us all in old cowboy clothes, and it was just like a showdown. Kid you not. After nice conversation, they sneak in some snide comment. Combated. They unleash a new criticism (about something not even important, by the way) about trials -- I had said that God gives us trials to learn and grow. Which, by the way, He does. They combated my response pretty hardcore, and I didn't know what to say, and neither did the Jehovah's Witnesses, so we turn to the investigator. She responds, logically, "but do you know how many guns there are in America? How does the Bible explain that?" Saved by the bell. Eventually, after two hours of sitting on her floor, we managed to escape.
Elder Henderson and I ended up in Almere the other day for a half-hour waiting for a train. So, we went out to do some contacting. Some big African dude comes up to us. "Do you guys know Jesus?" "Well, yes, we do." "Okay, tell me about this 'Jesus.'" Oh no, I thought. This can't be! Not to be racist, but you are African! You love Jesus. We went on for a few minutes... He was quite aggressive. Then, I say, "well, through prayer, you can know these things too. We actually share a message about that. Could we come sometime to share it with you?" He responds..."Man, I love Jesus. I was just messing with you! It says in the Bible to test the Spirit! You passed! God bless you!'' And he walked away. Dang, I thought. I knew that he'd love Jesus.
Until next week. I gotta bounce. Loves!
--Elder Bonney
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