You are getting your Sunday letter on Saturday this week because tomorrow, Sunday, we will be doing Missionary work all day. It will be interesting to see what happens at church tomorrow. It is suppose to be 'Fast Sunday',
but a big Easter Program is planned with a ward choir and an invitation
for all members to invite their non-member friends. I will tell you
next week what happened. After Sacrament meeting I guess the Bishop
brings a special Easter Bread and everyone visits. The Amsterdam Ward
has more 'Mix and Mingles" than we have even known. The ward members
see each other so seldom they just love to stay after church and visit.
There will be two Baptism's at 2:00,
then we will leave for Rotterdam for a concert put on by Brother and
Sister Gruppman. They are world renown Dutch musicians. Brother
Gruppman was the one who started the Orchestra on Temple Square and
often directs the choir and orchestra on Temple Square now. They are
expecting about 300 people to attend because this couple is so well
known. It will be a busy Sunday:)
Starting with 'fun facts'. I gave dad a haircut
this week and I am now a Barber along with baking cookies. I was so
nervous, but with him not having much hair, I did a great job.....not
much to notice missing, and dad was very pleased. One of the pictures I
am sending this week is of two Stork's that are building a nest on the
tower of the church. We laugh because we say they are building and
'eternal family'. People that live around the church are really keeping
an eye on these birds because it is the first time in 3 years they have
seen any storks around. The nest is HUGH,and it is fun to watch the
birds bring in the big twigs to build the nest. Another funny thing we
see around here. We sent you the picture of the garbage cans that are
around the apartments......people set chairs, desks, pictures, all sort
of items by these garbage containers....others come along, see what they
want and off they go. We left a chair and a filing cabinet and left it
by the containers...several hours later they were gone. Who needs DI?
We have talked to the neighbors that live in the
apartment on the right of us. One evening the man, we don't even know
their names:( came in and showed us a picture of his little grand
daughter and we were able to show him the picture of our family. One
day when looking out our office window I noticed 2 cats in their back
yard. The next time I saw him I inquired about the cats and he said they
had three. I told him I loved cats and ask if I could come over
sometime and see the cats. Well, yesterday the doorbell rang and when I
opened the door, the woman, wife, was standing with a box in her hands.
She smiled and said:"We brought you an Easter cake." I was really
taken back. I gave her a love and thanked her.....cats, cake and then a
Book of Mormon? We have been told that Dutch people are not friendly
with their neighbors so we were really happy. I will take her some
flowers next week, play with the cats and find out what their names are.
Isn't that sweet.
We went shopping today and the stores were so
crowded we could hardly push the cart down the isle. Easter is a BIG
celebration here. We don't know why because most people are not
religious....they celebrate tomorrow, Sunday, and we just learned that all the stores are closed on Monday for the 'second day of Easter.' Why? I think I am in trouble because I shop for FHE dinner Monday morning. The JoVo's may be having crackers and water this Monday.....so many funny things they do over here.
Last Thursday we had the Elders and Sisters here for
dinner. We asked what they wanted and guess what they
said....breakfast. We had french toast, scrambled eggs, hash browns,
fruit and milk. There is a young couple from Utah living here that
attend the Amsterdam Ward so we invited them as well. There were 10 of
us and it was like having our family around us. We have a unique
situation here having 4 Elders and 2 Sisters in the same Apartment
complex. They become 'our kids away from home." We had a great time.
Today being our wedding anniversary dad bought me
some beautiful roses and gave me a Hague Temple made of crystal beads
made by a sister here in the Amsterdam Ward. We went to dinner in
Rijnsburg with the Pankratz's and the new couple that just arrived this
week, the Moore's. We have a real bond with these Missionary couples
all being away from home, serving in the Centrums, being the same age.
We will have years of fun reunions when we all return home. It was
great tonight because dad and I could tell the Moore's a few things that
we have learned in the past 21/2 months.....it was so nice GIVING some
advice. Sister Moore is from Holland and speaks Dutch. Elder Moore
used to sing in the Tabernacle choir and told us of some of the tours
they went on with the choir. The Morre's will serve in Den Haag which
is the other Centrum in our Stake. We will work together when Stake
functions come about. They are super sweet people.
It has been an up and down Missionary week. Cheryl,
you said you wait to read our emails to see who to pray for the
following week. Pray for the Missionaries. We went last Tuesday night
with Elder Larson and Elder Cundick to visit Levi. Even before we went
into her apartment dad said he just felt something was not right. When
we walked in, there was a spirit that was not good and we felt it. I
was asked to offer the prayer, and I asked that the Spirit of our
Heavenly Father would be in attendance. As the discussion started, Levi
was crying and had her head in her hands...she was suppose to be
baptized tomorrow...Easter Sunday.
She had a very stressful day and had smoked. Elder Larson who has
been teaching her just went pale when she said she had slipped and
smoked. He was SO looking to this baptism. I was able to put my arms
around Levi and love her...she was miserable. Dad bore his testimony
and asked if he could give her a blessing. We were so glad we were
there with the Elders. Dad gave Levi a beautiful blessing and told her
all would be okay, and that her purpose was to be baptized and do the
Temple work for those of her family.....she was in tears for another
reason when we left, and the Spirit of the Lord was once again in her
home. The Elders have visited her each day this week and so far so good.
They taught her about the Temple and she is so excited to do her
families work......she will be baptized next Sunday
and dad will be giving the talk on the Holy Ghost. Satan does NOT want
Levi to be baptized because he knows what a special person she is! Keep
praying for her as well.
That same day, Tuesday,
we met with the Missionary Sisters as they taught Rose. This lady has
been coming to church and we thought she was a member already. She told
us that her mother and dad were Catholic and her dad never felt like he
had his questions answered about Religious questions. Rose said he
died of stress not knowing the answers to his questions. Her uncle was a
Monk and left the Monastery because he had questions about religion
that he had not found answers to. He too died not having found the
'right answers'. One day Rose prayed that she WOULD find answers to
questions her dad and uncle had....went outside and there were the
Sister Missionaries. Don't tell us the Lord is not looking after those
who are seeking. I am going to ask several of our JoVo's and members of
the ward to write their conversion stories so we can keep them in our
Mission Memories. We had a new young woman come to the the Centrum Monday.
She had just arrived from Poland that day and called to find the church
after she had been in Amsterdam just a few hours. She is 21, has been a
member for 4 years. Her mother was an alcoholic and her dad was in
prison. A member of the Jehovah's Witness contacted her and started
teaching her. They told Dorthy, the girl from Poland, not to listen to
the Mormons because they would want her to be baptized into their
church. She always remembered the word Mormon and when the Missionaries
contacted her she was ready to listen and believe. What a strong
Testimony she bore to us. Another young man was there. We did not get
his name, but he is was baptized Friday
night. He had smoked 30 cigarettes a day and was hooked on porn. With
tears running down his face he told us how hard it was for him to
repent and to overcome so many things in his life. He said he was SO
grateful for the Missionaries and the principles he had been taught. He
was so excited to be baptized. These are the stories I want in writing.
We are SOOOO blessed to have the Gospel in our lives. It is hard to
imagine what people have to go through to stop smoking, repent of things
they have done...but what joy they have knowing that all they have done
will be forgiven when they enter the waters of baptism. Missionary work
is amazing!
It is 10;30 and I am tired, and you probably are too
from reading all of this. We will miss the family Easter party but are
so happy you are getting together and keeping the Tradition alive. I
will send pictures in a few days when I download the next set. We love
you all....we love being Missionaries!
Love, Opa and Oma
PS: We think we have the Skype working...lets try it some night with someone:)
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