We
are SO excited for our newest Missionary, Elder Corey Harper. He will
serve the Lord in the Ventura California, English Speaking Mission. The
only bad thing about the call is, he leaves before we return home ;( The
Lords work needs to carry on....so Oma, send him hugs through Face Book
and say, we will see you in two years. Corey, we are so proud of the
fine young man that you are. THANK YOU!!!!!
Missionary
work IS moving on. We start the influx here next transfer. Dad and
Elder Pankratz have 8 apartments either already under contract, or in
the process of. 8 Sisters will be leaving the Belgium/Netherlands
Mission in the next few months, and 35 will be arriving. Sister
Robinson said she is going to purchase Kleenex by the case lots. She
knows us girls and how we like to cry. Isn't this just all amazing. We
were reading in D&C:88 verse 73......."The Lord will Hasten his
work, in his time". We can truly see this 'hastening'!
Let
us tell you how apartment finding goes in the Netherlands. Dad goes on
line to the City where an apartments needs to be found. He finds what he
thinks would be good for the Missionaries. A street address is given,
but no apartment number. You have NO idea how many apartments are on one
street. So, if we were even to drive to the street to check it out, we
would have no idea what apartment we would be looking at. Then, you have
to fill out a paper to get an appointment....then you hope you do get
the appointment to see the apartment. Dad had an appointment for Monday
to see a unit that would have been perfect. Got an email yesterday
saying the unit had already been rented. This is the process for
everything. 22 apartments before July 25th
is what is keeping the Mission on the run. President Robinson has put
in a plea to the Missionary Department for an office couple to come
ASAP.....we leave in July. Know anyone who would like to serve?????? WE
NEED THEM!!!!!
A
couple of weeks ago as we were leaving Institute, we noticed a couple
talking to one of our YSA's. Later that evening we received an email
from Tim, the YSA, that the couple were complaining about all the noise
that the church members make 'late at night' when leaving the parking
lot. We just smiled and thought, Dutch People. The church building is in
the middle of many apartments, so their back decks ARE looking on the
parking lot. Well, last Sunday, these same folks met with the Amsterdam
Ward Bishop with the same complaints. They said they did not like the
noise of cars honking at midnight......hello,
no one is in the locked parking lot at that time. Car doors slamming,
people talking, our YSA's out on the lawn in the summer. The leaves
falling from the church trees over the fence in their yard........Oh my.
The Bishop explained that the church has been there for 50 years, and
they knew the church was there when they moved in. He also invited the
couple to attend church, so they could meet the 'nice people' who are
their neighbors. Of course they declined. SO, now at all our meetings,
we have been reminded to be quiet when we leave the church, not to
honk....which no on does, don't slam car doors.....don't know how the
leaves falling will be handled. Gotta love these Dutch.
Remember
last year when we told you a Stork nest was build on the Church tower.
One had not been built there for 7 years, and the local folks were so
excited. When a stork builds a nest it is a sign of good luck. Last week
the nest was removed from the tower, because it is a LARGE nest. When
we went to FHE Monday,
we noticed another stork, or maybe the same one, building another nest
on the tower. The twigs they carry in are Hugh......poor things, having
to start all over. Signs of spring for sure.
Wednesday
evening one of our Young Adults called and told us she would be late,
and that she was bringing someone. In the middle of class the door
opened, and in walked Kim and Quincy. Quincy is the young man we met at
JoVo camp last summer who said we were the first to say we loved him. He
has had quite a year with some trials in his life, has had to do some
repenting, but his sight has been on serving a Mission. Last week on his
face book page he announced that he WAS filling out his Mission
papers:) He lives in Ziest, which is about and hour and a half drive, so
we don't see him often. He wanted to surprise us Wednesday,
so came by public transportation, which takes several hours with all
the transfers, to attend Institute and give us a hug. He is just
glowing! He calls us 'mom and dad' and told us we were one of the
reasons he has tried to stay strong in the Gospel. He asked if we would
go to the Temple with him when he receives his Endowments. It was hard
to say good night and good bye to him. We hope to see him next Sunday
in Gouda. That same evening Glenn, the young man from Venezuela, we are
loving back into activity, came into the class looking so 'down and
out.' We take him home each week, as he does not live very far from our
apartment. We asked what was wrong, and he told us he had been 'kicked
out' by the lady he has been helping. He came home one night and all his
things were on the floor and she just told him to go. She has been
threatening this for some time, but now it happened. Quincy talked with
Glenn, as they both have gone through some of the same trials, and told
him to stay strong in the church, read, pray, and all would be alright.
We knew Quincy had come on a night HE was needed. The visit with Quincy
did seem to brighten Glenn's spirit. When we had given all our hugs,
good nights, and slaap lekker, we had Glenn in the car. He just started
to sob......"What am I going to do? Where am I going to sleep tonight?"
He had asked if we could take him to the place he had been living to get
his belongings. When we got to the address and he got out of the car,
dad and I just looked at each other. It was 10:30
at night, and this young man had NO place to go. What to do??? We as
Missionary couples are not suppose to have anyone stay at our apartment
other than family and other Missionaries. Dad said, "What would the
Savior do....he would take him in." When Glenn came back to the car with
his belongings, and we told him he could spend the night with us, he
cried again. He had not eaten all day, so at 11:00
he ate 3 sandwiches, fruit, juice....we could have cried. We took him
up to the loft where he would sleep, and he said that was like a 4 star
hotel room. The next morning we fixed him breakfast, made a lunch for
him, and hugged him goodbye as he left for school. We broke every
Missionary rule as we let him stay Thursday night as well. What would YOU do???? Friday he went to stay with a friend in Den Haag for the weekend. Monday
Glenn has an appointment with a social worker that hopefully will help
him find a room to stay in. We hope he can stay in the Amsterdam area so
he can continue to attend the Amsterdam Center. Some nights we come
home emotionally exhausted, just from listening and loving these YSA's.
Sara, the sweet YSA from Portugal that is here working as a nanny,
emailed us Friday night asking if she could spend Saturday
with us. We have so many that attend the Amsterdam Center, alone,
working, and we are their only 'family.' When they meet together at FHE
and Institute, it is hard for them to say goodnight, because they feel
the comfort of each other being members of the church. That is why the
Centers are here.......and we are blessed to be part of that:) Sara and
Emese, our Hungarian YSA, got together and 'hung out' Saturday.
Saturday
we spent the day with two of the Elders that serve here in Amsterdam.
Elder Sumpter was born and raised in the Netherlands, but has never been
to Volendam, a quaint fishing village on the Noord Zee. Volendam is
just a 15 minute drive from Diemen....and we can drive there without the
GPS:)! It was raining and cold, but we had fun just walking and looking
in all the shop windows. There are Foto places that you can dress up in
Traditional Dutch clothing and have your picture taken. Elder Sumpter
and Farmer had their pictures taken as a 'companion' remembrance. They
bought matching ties as well. These two Elders really work well
together, and it shows with their Missionary work. We have seen some
'not good' companionship's, and that shows too. It was a nice break from
shopping and cooking for us too. We hope that when you girls come the
weather will be sunny and warm. Speaking of Missionaries.....Elder Van
De Graaff left to go home this week. He served as an AP here in
Amsterdam. When we said goodbye to him Tuesday
he told us he was excited for us to come home so he, and the other
Missionaries that will be attending can come out to our house and
'party'. He said we can have a Missionary reunion each week, and I can
bake cookies for them :) Will this never end......hope not!
Speaking
of the weather. This past week we had several beautiful sunny, almost
warm days.....we thought hooray, spring. I even put a few of our winter
things away. NOT......Saturday
was rainy and cold, and the forecast is for snow the first of the week.
So much for spring. We woke up this morning to a 'skiff' of snow, and
wind......it is cold!
Today
in the Amsterdam ward there were two Baptisms. A young girl age 8 or 9,
and another YSA age man, Shenlin Liu from China. The Missionaries met
him 6 weeks ago at the Diemen Zuid (South) train station. He is here
attending school and will leave as well in the near future. Some of the
'Dutch' members are not happy with the Missionaries Baptizing people
from other countries, and have made some remarks about that fact. The
Elders and Sisters have the attitude.....ok, then you invite your
friends and neighbors to church who are Dutch, but in the meanwhile, we
will Baptize those who are willing to listen, learn and commit to
Baptism. Shenlin does not speak Dutch, so all talks had to be translated
for him into English. As we have mentioned many times
before....Amsterdam IS a 'melting pot' of Nationalities.
We
have a crazy busy week ahead of us. If we are not in the Mission
office, we are looking for apartments, two Zone Conferences, one of
which will take us into Belgium. We have to go to see what is done when
we have to do Zone Conferences without the Pankratz's. I have been in
tears a couple of times feeling so overwhelmed. I have to plan shopping
and meal preparation several days in advance to make sure the right meal
is at the right destination. Remember, this is OUR journal writing, so I
write what is happening so we won't forget. You can read on if you
want.....Monday. Lunch for the Mission President, office staff, AP's, and anyone who attends the 10:00 Meeting. Tomorrow 11. 3:00, look at an apartment in Hilversum. 7:00 FHE...another meal. Tuesday,take Abby, the wife of the American couple, to the airport at 6:30 am. Her husband left Friday for a new job in Texas,,,,Senior Couple Seminar at the Mission Home. Make salad. 3:00, look at an apartment in Zoetermeer. Wednesday, shop and cook for Institute that night, make sloppy Joes for Zone Conference Thursday (enough for 60). Thursday Zone Conference in Leiden 10:00. Tessa, one of our JoVo's from Alkmaar is having her Patriarchal Blessing that day 4:00 in Den Haag and wants us to be with her. Leave Zone Conference early to have Tessa in Dan Haag by 4:00. Friday (Milts Birthday), Be at Mission Office 8:00, load Mission van with Mission orders and head to Antwerpen (Belgium). Saturday, take one of the JoVo's who's birthday is also on the 15th, for a birthday lunch.....shop for Monday's two meals. Sunday
LONG GOUDA day. Our week in review. See why the tears.....and no time
for office training this week because of other obligations and meetings.
Whew....if you don't get an email next weekend, you will know why.
We
are off to a Stake Missionary Fireside. We really do love being
Missionaries. We are here to serve, and that is what we hope we ARE
doing.
We send hugs and loves. We feel your prayers in our behalf......but please keep praying:)
Opa and Oma
Vader and Moeder
Elder and Zuster deLeeuw
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