Saturday, August 16, 2014

Week 56: "27 brothers and sisters? Well, you finally got me beat."

July 7, 2014

Well, this past week, we've traveled from the east border to the west coast and back again. Elder Alston and I go on exchanges with all the missionaries in the southern part of the Netherlands, from Zeeland to Limburg, and everywhere in between. It has been a busy week...and it's not gonna get any calmer. It's been a great week - one of the best in my mission. I guess this is the good life.
Last Tuesday, I got to go to Vlissingen on exchanges...out in Zeeland. It was beautiful. Being out there (find it on a map), I'm always afraid that a huge storm will come and just wipe us off the country. But hey -- I'm still alive!
On Wednesday, we had exchanges with the elders in Arnhem. I stayed in Eindhoven with an Elder Childs. He's a great kid. Since I'm not allowed to drive the car, we used public transportation and walking the whole day. Great. Actually, it's interesting how things work out. We had some finding time, so we decided to take a random bus and do finding in the area it brings us to. We get on the bus that left soonest from the station. It starts going, and we get off about six stops later. It's a little neighborhood area. And...we find a guy on the street and set an appointment with him. Who says miracles don't happen?
Actually, a LOT of miracles have been happening lately. We have this one investigator, Genzeer, from Sudan, and he is doing so well. We taught him three times last week, and he came to church for the first time yesterday...and he LOVED it. We had him go to our English Sunday School class (which should be called the African Sunday School class, since almost all the English speakers in there are from Africa...my homies), and he thought it was the best thing ever. It's great to see him learn and progress. He started reading the Book of Mormon a few weeks ago, and he's already almost done with Alma. With ALMA. That's better than me for the first 16 years of my life, and I was born in the church... He says he reads it whenever he misses his family in Sudan, because he feels good when he reads it. I guess he misses them a lot... The gospel is exactly what he needs. He should be baptized before the end of the transfer. By the way -- we were talking with him, and we found out that he has eighteen brothers and nine sisters. Holy cow. I was impressed that he beat my eight sisters and five brothers... His dad apparently had four wives, though.
Also, this Dutch lady who has been going to the church services for months now (but said she didn't want to be baptized) came up to our ward mission leader yesterday and told him that she's decided she wants the missionaries to come teach her and that she wants to be baptized. We have an appointment with her later this week. She should be baptized before the end of the month. MIRACLES.
So, the fourth of July...not really celebrated in the Netherlands. I mean, it is an American holiday. I, however, was on exchanges with the Heerlen elders on the 4th. The elders that serve in the Heerlen American military branch. Guess who got an American barbecue on the fourth of July? Yours truly. Not to mention the members lived in Germany, so I spent the fourth of July with Americans in Germany. While the Germany vs. France World Cup game was going on. Yeah buddy.
Since the Netherlands has made it through the quarterfinals, President Robinson has given the missionaries permission to watch any further games with the Netherlands in them. On Wednesday, we get to watch Nederland play Argentina. Let's go, Holland. Four countries left, and I'm living in one of them. That's what's up.
Well, that's all for this week. Happy fourth of July. Enjoy these summer months without me, because they won't last long.
Peace and blessings. Hou je goed.
-Elder Bonney

No comments:

Post a Comment