So...it's about that time again, boys and girls.
This past week was one of those weeks that just kicked my trash. It was kind of like getting an intense massage, you know? While it's happening, it can hurt a bit, and it sometimes feels like you're getting injured; but, afterwards, you feel good and just want to sit and do nothing. It's a good thing it's P-day. (Also, I wouldn't mind getting a massage right now and could probably use a good one, but that's beside the point.)
I'll just start off by saying that Petra was confirmed as a member yesterday in church! I was lucky to be able to stand in the circle while she was confirmed. A member from Amsterdam came to do the confirmation, and the Spirit was really strong when he gave the blessing afterwards. It's those moments that make it all worth it. I got to give a talk in sacrament meeting, too, about developing Christlike attributes. It went really well -- even surprised myself. Ik schud het uit de mouw.
I'd like to say that the situation we have in Eindhoven right now is complicated, but the more I think about it, the more simple it is -- we haven't been getting enough new investigators, and within the past few weeks, most of our investigators have either gotten baptized or gotten dropped. So, the big man Elder Rudolph and I have been hitting the...cobblestones. We're working hard to find some new people to teach. It's coming along well, and we've been seeing miracles, but it's slow and steady.
We did have an appointment with our Polish homegirl, though, way out in Venlo! For those of you who don't know where Venlo is, it's way out there -- almost in Germany. I get a lot of sleep done on that drive, and Elder Rudolph (fortunately for us and the cars around us) doesn't. Anyway, we met with our investigator in the Venlo library, in a talking café area near the back. We had a really good appointment and talked about a ton of different things. She is so great -- I'm pretty sure she'll get baptized (she just wants to read the whole Book of Mormon before she does...).
After our lesson, which went really well, Elder Rudolph had to use the restroom in the library, so Polish homegirl and I waited for him. We were talking, when this black lady comes up to me, looking at my nametag. She asks me who we are and what it says, and I tell her. Then she asks me, in Dutch (with an obvious foreign accent), "Oh, so you know Jesus Christ? Even though He lived 2000 years ago?" Then, Polish homegirl jumps in (she speaks perfect Dutch), and she had my back all the way. The whole time we were being super nice, too. In the end, it turned out that that lady was from Syria, and she blamed Christianity and the United States for all the bad stuff in Syria. She started jabbing her finger at my chest and full on screaming at us, and we were just trying to leave. Eventually, some other people in the café got up and told her to keep it down. It was really sad, to see so much anger and hatred in a person. But, our investigator had a nice conversation with us afterwards, outside of the library. She talked about how there are so many people like that -- people that don't understand who WE are or what WE believe and aren't interested in hearing it -- they just want to point fingers and get angry. It's a little off-putting, but hey -- I survived.
I got to go on exchanges with an Elder Strikwerda in Amersfoort last week. It was pretty fun -- definitely an exchange to remember. At one point, we're waiting at a crosswalk with our bikes, and this possibly homeless, probably crazy African man comes up to us -- "hey -- how many names does Jesus have?" We talk to him a little bit, then say we need to leave. He points at me and says, "well hey -- I love you." As he was walking away, he kept his finger pointed at me and mouthed a couple times the phrase, "I love you." It was actually pretty funny. So much strange love. Better than hate! He and the Syrian woman should get together sometime.
Also, Elder Strikwerda and I knocked a door, and a man answered. After talking to him for a little bit, he told us he wasn't that interested, so we asked if we could give him a card. "Dat mag altijd." (That's always okay.) We gave him a mormon.org card, and he immediately put it in his mouth, shook our hands, and closed the door. People. We also taught a couple of nice stoners -- one told us that they weren't sure when the appointment was, so the logical solution was to smoke some marijuana while they waited. One of them was so high, he couldn't even function in the lesson. The other was interesting. We taught the Plan of Salvation (tip: if you are NOT going to teach a lesson to people who are high, it's the Plan of Salvation), and we were talking about the three kingdoms of glory. He asked, "well, do you think there could be a fourth option? What if I tell God I don't want to be in one of those places, but that I want to go out on my own and explore and discover in the universe?" I told him that I just imagine him reaching the gates of heaven, and God inviting him in, and him responding, "you know, I think I'll just find my own way." Well, my friend...go get 'em. Good luck.
Well, I've got to go. There's a lot to get done today, and it...just started raining. Great. I think summer is ending :( At least I enjoyed my last summer on a mission while it lasted.
By the way -- our graffiti was obscenely defaced. I say no more.
Keep spreading the love, like my crazy friend.
--Elder Bonney
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