You are getting this email early this week because the next few days are 'out of control'! Tomorrow
right after our Church services we go to Gouda for the JoVo dienst for a
3 hour fireside, dinner and Testimony meeting. We are taking 3 of our
JoVo's and wish we had a bigger car to take more. We were asked to make
cookies for this event....there are about 85 that will attend. Monday is FHE and thank heavens for tosti's because yesterday I was told I had to prepare dinner for the Zone Training that is held Tuesday...40
at that meeting. The 2 Sisters that usually help will NOT be able to
help this time...so deLeeuw's catering service will fix the luncheon. Monday I will prepare the meal for Tuesday because we have to leave at about 8:30 am to make the meeting by 10:00. Then Wednesday
is Institute and a member of the Stake Presidency and a High Councilmen
will be at our JoVo Centrum so we can shown them around and hopefully
get some help making our Centrum more bright and cheery. The JoVo's
have put out a face book plea to get LOTS of them there that night so we
can plead our case. I will just make Taco soup and cookies for that
night not knowing how many will be there. Each week is a guessing game.
Thursday and Friday we go back to Amersfoort to help with the Elders apartment. No Aubree, Oma and Opa are NOT on a 2 year vacation:)
This week we had FHE Monday and the YSA's made French toast. They had a fun time and it was great because I did not have to do anything but watch.Tuesday
was District Meeting and I made red Jello for that because it was
Valentines. The Elders and Sisters loved that. It was transfer week so
we had to say goodbye to two of our Elders...so sad to see them go. But
now we welcome two new ones. We have met Elder Cundick...grandson of
Robert Cundick, but have not met Elder Andrews yet. With the day being
Valentine's...while we were at the Diemen shopping Centrum Elder deLeeuw
happened to stumble onto a the" Happy Chinese" Restaurant. He asked if I
wanted to have dinner there...dumb question...first time in 11/2 months
we have dined out. So we splurged. I just sat and almost giggled
because I did not have to cook the meal or clean up after!!!!! We took a
picture of the food presentation we will send....beautiful. We laughed
because people here love their dogs almost as much as Dayna Lee loves
Sophie. They take their dogs EVERYWHERE. Two ladies just came in the
restaurant with their dogs and no one said anything. The dogs just laid
down like they had been there before. Even on the stores that had 'no
dogs allowed' there are dogs.
After we ate I went into the Estos store...like a Walgreen's. The
man at the counter ask where I was from because I asked him to speak
English. When I told him Utah he got excited and said;"beautiful Utah.
I have been to St George and Hurricane. What a beautiful place with
all the red rocks." It was neat to hear him talk about home. He told me
to come back so maybe next time we will take a Book of Mormon. Can't
get any more Utah than that:) Wednesday
at Institute we had a good turn out. The JoVo's have been studying the
Old Testament, but the Stake would like "Eternal Marriage' taught. The
Kids seemed excited when the proposal was made, so next week the lesson
will be on marriage. We hope maybe we can get one couple to the Temple
before we come home. It is amazing the stories these YSA's tell about
their families. Many of them are the only member in their families that
are members of the church so they get NO support from home in going to
church, FHE, Institute, and getting married in the Temple.....do they do
what they know they should or please their family. We are so
blessed...never take your Testimony or membership in the church for
granted. How blessed we are to have been born into the Gospel and have
friends that have the same belief as ours. We are spoiled for sure. We
could just cry when we hear these kids tell of their circumstances.
Thursday and Friday
were spent in Armersfoort helping with the apartment. What a filthy
mess we are trying to clean up. We were on our hand and knees scrubbing
the floors, carpets, cupboards, windows. This week hopefully the new
floor can be put down and the drapes put up so the Elders can move back
in. This time if the Elders even think of keeping a dirty apartment the
Senior Couples will kill them:) Friday
it was sweet because dad (Elder deLeeuw) found the apartment in
Armersfoort he lived in 50 years while serving in that city. We took a
picture so will send that. It brought back a lot of memories for him.
He has written down all the addresses where he lived, so when we visit
the towns he served in we will look up those addresses and see if the
apartments are still there.
Today, 4 of us Senior Couples took the Tram and
ventured into Amsterdam. WOW, what a big city with more people and
bikes than one can imagine. We went to the Rijks Museum where there are
many of Rembrandt original paintings along with paintings and many
historical items from the Dutch culture. It was interesting, as we
walked in there was a scanning machine to put purses and backpacks
through. As I walked up to the machine with my purse one of the
Security guards looked at my Missionary badge and just waved me on. We
either think he knew about the church and knew we carried no weapons or
just thought this 'old woman' would not harm anything. We hope it was
because of the badge. People notice that badge and ask what it is. We
are happy to tell them:):):) We also went on a canal boat tour. The
Architecture in Amsterdam is something that needs to be seen. Some of
the buildings were built in the 1700's. Because the stairs are so steep
and narrow in the buildings, when anyone moves in or out, the furniture
has to been lifted up by a gable and a rope outside through the
windows. Each building has a different character look...I will send
pictures of that also. We ate frits at a little store then went to a
bakery that was to die for....we walked about a 100 miles I'm sure but
had fun. We got familiar with the Tram system so we are really part of
the culture for sure.
It was warm for a couple of days, but today the wind
was blowing and tonight it is pouring rain. We are eager for
spring!!!! The ducks and geese are in Heaven.
We
love and appreciate all your emails....the Balls sent a darling
Valentine wish from a talking pig. We have watched it over and over and
laugh every time.We are loving being Missionaries and go to bed each
night very tired....that is a good sigh that we are not just sitting
around. Because of the busy week we have not been able to go with the
Elders and Zuster while they teach, and we miss that. We feel of your
prayers.
Elder and Zuster deLeeuw AKA: Opa and Oma
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