Now, do you
know who you are? Oma is getting so good at this language stuff. Can't
say much with the right pronunciation but am getting so I can read
things. Here is your test for the day. I was baking some bread and
these are the instructions: Het product in een voorverwarmde oven op 220
degrees C, in 8 tot 10 minuten afbakken,totdat de korst een mooie
goudbruine kleur verkregen heeft. Basically...put in an over that has
been warmed to 220 degrees C and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the
rolls are golden brown in color.
This has been a busy week for us. After a month we
are FINALLY getting to know what we are suppose to be doing with this
YoVo Centrum. On Thursday we went to Den Haag and saw what they were doing and on Friday
went to Rotterdam for a YSA valentine dance, and to see their Centrum.
Yes, look on your map of the Netherlands and see where we have been
this week. From Rotterdam clear up to Den Helder which is the most
Northern part of Holland. We took a picture of the North Sea....still
can't believe where we are and what we are seeing. As we have traveled
this week we have seen many of the old wind mills which makes Holland
Holland. We did not like Den Haag or Rotterdam because they are just
big cities with lots of apartments. In Den Haag there was something we
DID enjoy. Right in the middle of the city is a large park where people
were ice skating on a pond and a 'farm' where there were goats, a
couple of cows, rabbits, pigs and chickens. It made Opa feel right at
home. There was a snack shop by the park where we had stopped to get
something to eat before going to the Centrum. When you order frits
(fries) here they are served with a container of mayo...we should
introduce 'fry sauce' because the Dutch love ketchup too. Anyway, we
had left over frits so stepped outside where there were LOTS of ducks.
We started to feed them and they became so aggressive that one duck
grabbed a fry right out of my fingers. We have pictures I will send.
We attended the Hague Netherlands Temple on Thursday on our way to Den Haag. What a sweet experience. The Temple is very small and has only 4 sessions on Thursday and Friday and 3 on Saturday.
You park in a parking garage under the Temple which is nice. They
have a Garment Distribution Center in the basement where Temple clothes
can be purchased. When we walked in I asked if anyone could speak
English and had 4 Zusters take me 'under their care' for the rest of the
session. The name that was given me was about a mile long so one of
the Zusters gave me a short name I could pronounce. I had to wear the
headphones and Opa tried to listen to the ceremony in Dutch. We will try
and attend as often as we can. The Temple is in Zoetermeer which is
about 45 minute away.
The YoVo's are so amazing and we love them so. Monday
after a dinner of Lasagna and cucumbers..the people here love
cucumbers. The activity was to clean the stage in the cultural hall
where the YSA have their games, pool table, ping pong, hockey table.
They were having so much fun and we felt for the first time they were
'letting their hair down' and really enjoying each other. I had made a
Texas Sheet cake and they were rubbing cake in each others
faces...kids...just having fun. When the evening was over the President
of the YoVo's made the comment: "The Spirit is back". This is what it
is about....having a place where the YSA want to come. Wednesday
I made a chicken salsa casserole, you will all want my recipes, and
Rice Krispie treats. At the Makro, like Costco, I can buy American
marshmallows which melt, I put in some Carmel syrup I had, and wow...two
pans were gone in an instant. This week being Valentines I will frost
the cookies I made...homemade:) and we bought some chocolate hearts we
will give them as well. We are trying to make the room we meet in more
inviting. I am going to take a couple of lamps we have here, put a
white table cloth on the table, some flowers....we meet in a dark,
dreary room so tomorrow
they will be surprised to have light and hopefully feel more warmth.
We are taking two or three of the YSA Council to several of the wards
that come to our Centrum and encourage them to attend the Amsterdam
Centrum. We are starting to see the vision of this calling....it is a
full time calling.
Tuesday
after District meeting we met with the Elders and Bregjet...the 87 year
old. She calls me her Zuster and we have quite a bond. She always
meets the Elders at the church and will not give them her address.
After our meeting I asked for her address and asked if we could come
and see her. She was SO eager to write her address and phone number and
told us to 'come'. We got a Valentine card for her and will get a plant
and go see her Tuesday.
We will get her ' in the water' with love! We were suppose to go on
splits with the Zusters today but their contact was ill and cancelled.
This week is transfers and we know for sure one Elder that will be
leaving this area. We learn to love these young Elders and Zusters and
then they are transferred. Part of Missionary work.
Today I took the books that Melissa sent to
Sacrament Meeting. I have fallen in love with a Zuster from Nigera that
has 3 beautiful little girls. We sat in front of them and I told the
girls that after the Sacrament they could look at the books. Mary Ann,
the mother, gave me a great big kiss and told me thank you, thank you.
The girls looked at these books over and over. They wanted to take
them home but I told them they were 'church' books and I would bring
them next week. This family may be moving to Provo and that would be so
sweet. When we get home we could keep in contact with them and
hopefully you could all meet them. If any of you get by a Seagull Book
store could you purchase some .99 cent little activity books and maybe
when Dayna Lee comes in May could just put them in the bottom of her
suitcase. There are several other children that were looking at the
books so they will be enjoyed.
We have had several beautiful sunny days which
really make us want Spring to come. It is still cold -3 degrees C.
Today we woke up to snow and it has been snowing off and on all
day....but the daylight hours are getting longer. We aren't complaining
just cold.
We love what we are doing. The member of the Stake Presidency that is over the YoVo's instructed us to have Tosti's on Monday....toasted sandwiches...which really takes the pressure off of me. Tomorrow night the YSA want French Toast and Hot Chocolate. Wow, no big meal to prepare. Tuesday
for District meeting I am taking rolls, ham and cheese so another
simple meal. I am getting smart:) Opa takes out the garbage, feeds the
birds and helps me with the preparation of the meal. He has fixed
several things in the apartment so all is well. This week we will
probably need to help with the Elders Apartment. A new Senior couple is
coming in March so an apartment needs to be fixed for them. When people
here move they take everything...lights, curtain rods, floors, stoves,
furnishings..they strip the apartment clean...so the church has to come
in, put down new flooring, light fixtures, curtains, appliances,
furniture etc. What a pain. Opa fixed the bikes so when to weather
warms up, (we are NOT true Dutch) we will start to ride. Right now it
is up and down the stairs all day...when we come home tired it is a
chore to climb up for bed.
Love you all, and we love the emails from you. A
taste of home:) Will send pictures in the next couple of days when I
get them downloaded.
Elder and Zuster deLeeuw
Opa and Oma
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