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.

Week 17: "that was...BEAUTIFUL"

October 6, 2013

Hey, everyone!

How about conference this past weekend? I have to say, I've never looked forward to or enjoyed conference as much as I did yesterday. It was great. A great family in our branch, familie Leman, had us over for the whole day yesterday, and we got to watch the priesthood, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning sessions (in addition to fun times and food in between). The Sunday morning session we watched live. It's funny -- you hear people cheesily say something like, "no matter how far away we are, we're still looking at the same stars," or something like that. Well... no matter how far away we are, we probably watched the Sunday morning session at the same time. How's that for true Mormon affection?

This week wasn't too exciting, but we did give baptismal dates to a Sri Lankan couple we've been teaching! Elder Toole and I taught them on Tuesday, and we watched a video, "Our Heavenly Father's Plan," with them. You need to understand that that film (it's about 30 minutes long) is made by the church, and is about as cheesy and 80s as you can get. Watch it sometime. Elder Toole and I were literally trying not to bust up laughing the whole time (we'd never seen it before we showed it to them...mistake). Anyways, it finishes, and I'm just thinking, "I can't believe we just showed that to them, they're going to think we're ridiculous..." We ask them what they thought, and they just turn to us, in a state of glorious shock, and say, "that was...BEAUTIFUL." With all sincerity. It was great. They wanted us to come back on Friday, and we left the DVD with them. They watched it two more times, they loved it so much. Elder Bishop and I (on exchanges) came back on Friday and challenged them both to baptism. They accepted (but want to learn more first, so their date isn't for a month or so). That's just how we do it in Kortrijk.

Did anyone else realize that yesterday marks a whole year since President Monson made the announcement about the missionary age change? I can't believe it's been a year. So much has happened since then, and now I've already been out for almost four months. If he hadn't made that announcement when he did, I probably wouldn't be out yet. That's pretty weird to think about. I'm grateful for that announcement, and I'm also really grateful for all the great things that have happened in the past year, in and out of the mission field.

In a week, we get transfer calls! I'll find out if I'm staying here in Kortrijk for six more weeks, or if I'm off somewhere else. This transfer has definitely been an adventure -- going senior companion and taking over a city on my second transfer hasn't been easy, but it's definitely been a learning experience for which I'm thankful to have had. I'll let you guys know next time if:where I'm going!

Keep cool everyone, and have a great week. Tot zo.

--Elder Bonney