Elder John Bonney: Week 54: "It doesn't taste so bad... it's the texture that gets you." **ADDRESS CHANGE**

June 23, 2014

Well, transfer calls came around. It's been a good run here in Lelystad. A good four transfers, almost six months. Yet, on Sunday, while eating dinner at the branch president's home with him and his family, we got a call from President Robinson. It looks like I will be transferred to the great city of EINDHOVEN on Wednesday! Which is funny, because when I was in high school, I had the opportunity to go to Eindhoven twice to compete in swim championships. The last time I was there was February 2012. It rained almost the entire few days we were there, it was cold, I didn't do so hot in my events, and I left, thinking, "dang, this is awful. I never want to come back here again."

Funny how God works. Now, though, I'm way excited to get to serve in Eindhoven. I've heard great things about it, and I'm going to have a great companion, Elder Alston. Also, we have a car. I'll keep you posted.

This past week has been full of interesting things. It's been a good week, no doubt. I'll have to be quick, because we're catching a train shortly to go to Den Haag for a zone p-day activity, but I'll do my best.

More World Cup news -- the Netherlands played Australia on Wednesday, and won. 3-2. We're not allowed to proselyte during the game, because things start to get crazy. We have to stay in our apartment...exciting. But, the fireworks, explosions, screams, and horns we hear outside let us know whenever the Netherlands scored. We decided to go out afterwards to get back to work (at 8 PM). I'm not sure if we were supposed to or not, but it was NOT the best idea. I can only imagine what goes on during the game for most Dutch people. "We scored!! DRINK!" "Amazing block!! DRINK!" "They scored...might as well drink." "He fell over! Drink." "Halftime! Let's see how much we can drink before it's over!" Anyways, we faced the aftermath of that. It wasn't pretty. We ended up riding our bikes to a quieter (read: safer) place close to the dike. It was dangerous in the centrum, and I'll leave it at that.

This past winter has been a very mild winter (compared to other winters, even though if you made assumptions from my complaining, you'd think it was the worst ever), and there are some undesirable consequences -- like bugs. We were riding our bikes the other day, and Elder Henderson and I rode up to go over a bridge... "that's weird looking smoke." "Dude, that isn't smoke. Those are bugs." There was a visible cloud of bugs in the air. We had to ride through it...definitely made a memory there. And that wasn't the first time we'd encountered that sort of thing. If you don't notice it right away, too, you end up unexpectedly getting punched in the face with a cloud of tiny, evil, satanic gnats. They get in your eyes. They get in your nose. They get in your shirt pocket. They get stuck in your awesome looking, well done hair. Flevoland (so, Lelystad and Almere) has it worst, and Lelystad is in the depths. It's great.

On Saturday, Elder Henderson, Elder Kettler, Elder Bishesar, and I went and had a fun little lunch hour together. The market was going on, and we came to the realization that none of us had eaten raw herring before. We're serving in the Netherlands. We HAVE to have it at least once. So, we find the fish stand (in the Saturday market in the centrum, they have stands for almost everything). No one else wanted to ask, so I asked. I asked for herring, and I had to tell him that we were "foreigners and wanted to try the herring thing." Then he gave us exactly what we wanted. It was an experience. The funny thing is, it didn't taste so bad. Just like the way raw fish smells. Okay, maybe a little better. But the texture...it was indescribable.

Yesterday at church, I was looking around. I knew that I'd probably be leaving, so it would be my last Sunday. I didn't know if I felt ready to go. Yes, I was ready for something new, but I wanted to make sure my work in Lelystad was done. I looked around, and saw Carla to my right, with her young son. I saw the young investigator couple with their young son (yes, they were in church again -- they're making great progress). I saw less-actives that we had worked with who were back in church. I saw members that I had gotten to know and learned to love. It's been a great four transfers. I believe that the Lelystad branch is better than it was when I got here. Is that all me? Definitely not. But, I do feel like my work there is done. Great things have happened. I'm ready for my next adventure.

Stay fresh, my friends.

-Elder Bonney

PS. Pics, as promised.