RUNNING!!!!!

Dear Family,

If the pace of this Mission went any faster I think we would 'fall off the wagon.' When Senior Couples go home and say they weren't busy enough, they for sure did not serve in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission :) We are NOT complaining, just trying to catch our breath. Okay, try and follow this so you will know who has been staying at our apartment for 3 days. Elder and Sister van Komen will be leaving the Mission Nov. 8th to go home. Their son just returned from his Mission in the Seattle area.....so he went to Utah for 2 days, then flew to Holland to go home with his parents. In the mean time his brother decided he wanted to come as well........then, a couple that the Missionary son knew in Renton said, "we will be in Holland at the  same time, so why don't we all get together and your parents, Elder and Sister van Koman, can show us Amsterdam. So, for 3 days we have had 6 people here....this week is transfers for the Missionaries, so last night we had 4 Elders here as well. 12 people can get loud in these paper thin walls. We were hoping the neighbors would not call the police. 3 of the 6 Missionaries that live here are leaving. Needless to say the past few days have been an experience. Dad and I said that we are glad the van Komens felt close enough to us to ask for the lodging. They have said 'thank you' 1000 times.

Last week we had Temple Zone Conference Tuesday and Wednesday. We met at the temple at 9:00 am both mornings and did not get home until 6:00 pm both days. Wednesday we came in running so we could get to institute on time. Thank Heaven the Ward was cooking the meal or the joVo's would have had frozen pizza. It is amazing to be in the Temple with all the Missionaries. When we walk into the Endowment room you can just feel the presence of the Priesthood. Several of us were in tears being with these amazing young men and women. President and Sister Robinson gave us such inspirational instruction as well. We came home inspired to step up a notch. Friday we had a special Zone Conference....that made 3 in one week....with our Stake President. Each of the 4 Stakes here in the Netherlands is presenting their vision on how the Netherlands can get those '40 stakes" that were seen to be in the future. President Oddens, our stake President wants to get those who have become inactive, active again. He told us there are 300 names of members of the Den Haag Stake that they don't even know where they are. Out of 2000 Stake Members only 870 are active. He wants us to go after the 'Lost Sheep'. His message was so powerful. He told us how different we are from the Dutch people, so we have to be sensitive to this Culture. He wants the members here in the Den Haag Stake to become more active in Missionary work. He encouraged the Elders and Sisters to have the Ward members go on Joint Teaching more often, as they are the ones that should be doing the fellow shipping. Missionaries come and go, but the members are the ones that should be taking care of the less active and new converts. For the first time since we arrived in the Amsterdam Ward, dad and I have been invited to Ward Council tomorrow evening. We raised a concern we have noticed in this ward.....the black members sit at the back of the Chapel, NO interaction with the Dutch white members. No Ward callings for the Black people who are begin Baptized.....they come a few times then we don't see them anymore. They are not feeling welcomed. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow night. Our Stake President is aware of the problem and will be at the meeting as well. We will keep you posted.

This week we have FHE tonight. District meeting tomorrow morning, where I cook because it is Transfer week. Ward Council Meeting.....then Wednesday institute, Thursday Lelystad. Friday we are going to Alkmaar to meet with the JoVo's at a dinner party, then Sunday will attend the small Branch in Den Helder, which is a 2 hour drive from where we live. We have been asked to speak as they love 'Fresh talks.'I told dad he could give the talk since HE is the Priesthood holder, and can speak a little of this language. We will see.  Because these Branches are so small and don't have  lot of Priesthood, dad was asked to be a member of the Branch Presidency in Lelystad. That is where we go twice a month for FHE on Thursday. Dad told President oddens we had been asked to visit the Wards and branches that the joVo's come from to the Centrum, and he could not do both. President Oddens said our visiting was more important.....this is why FAMILIES need to be Baptized, Priesthood leadership is a real concern here.

The lady next door, Dayna Lee, the one with the witched in her window......a few weeks ago she took the witches down....just before Halloween....and she put some red hearts in their place. Hearts are seen everywhere here in Holland. Well, we commented several times how 'mooi' the hearts were. One day last week a knock came at the front door, and there stood Yvonna with a gift bag. In the bag were two red heart for us. Wow, I was really taken back. These people are amazing. Dad helped me and we hung them in our front window.....More homemade cookies for them!

Christmas decorations are everywhere.....and we found a new 'lekker' treat. At the Holiday Season, little'Ollie Bolen' stands are everywhere. This is a fried bread, like a scone, then they are filled with all sorts of different ingredients. Raisins, Cherries, Banana cream, apples, oh my. It's a good thing we have stairs to run off the calories. These could become 'habit forming'. I have purchased a few small things to bring home to show the Dutch Christmas Traditions. As we mentioned before, we wish we could send home some things that are 'traditional' for the Holidays. As I mentioned about the hearts. MANY of the tree decorations here are hearts. For 2 euro I got a heart with white lights to hang on our front door for the holidays.

Just to finish a few things, then I have to go start 'fixing' for tonight. You will laugh. We have had 3 new couples come into the Mission in the last two weeks, and guess who they are calling for help. It HAS arrived....dad and I are now the Senior Couple of the Centrums. We have spent this past week with Elder and Sister Lyons taking them shopping, answering questions, driving them to Gouda yesterday. I can even tell them what many Dutch words say now. GO OMA!!!! Yesterday at Gouda, Sister Woodhouse came up to me, she and her husband are serving in Rotterdam, and said they needed to come to Amsterdam so I could show her the best shopping bargains........we've come a long way baby!

A quote to sign off....."Be yourself because everyone else is taken!"   We love you. We are sooooooooo excited to put on our 2013 calender the arrival of our daughters. Corey, Happy Birthday tomorrow.....18 and Mission Papers, can't get better than that.

Love, Opa and Oma