Breda is the Best, Dude

February 29
Breda, Netherlands

This week was pretty interesting. On Tuesday, I was on exchange with Elder Ocamp (from Tilburg) here in Breda. We decided to walk up and down this one street near the centrum and contact, and it was a very successful method because these people were on their free time, it was not directly in the centrum so there was not as much distraction from the business, and there were always plenty of people to talk to. In just an hour and a half, we almost gave a complete RAD (Restoration And Doop (baptism invitation)) on the street, gave away several pamphlets, many cards, and found 3 potentials, and a former investigator from Amsterdam. 

We also met two kids going to school, and were surprised to find out that they were American, and one of them was actually a less active member. His father is from Sandy, Utah. He did not seem to have ever been active, but we invtited him to participate in some possible future YSA activities. Also, that morning, a man walked into the church after district meeting and said that he had just moved into the area and wanted to get very involved with a church in the area. We did not see any of these people on Sunday, but we are hoping to encounter and teach them in the future. 

No idea what this is. No Moroni. 

I got to go on exchanges in Vlissingen again too. It is a harder city to proselyte in because the J-Dubs (Jehovas Witnesses) go to all of the houses pretty much the same time every week and these people are sick of them and they think we are J-Dubs too. Sometimes, if you just tell them that you are not a J-Dub then they will let you in. 

Looks like french fries on a hot dog. 

On Friday night we spent the night with the Eindhoven elders because we thought we are going to Kortrijk and we had to be there the next moring so that Elder Stanger could go to DLC. The Zone leaders are in Eindhoven. When they picked us up from the train station, they handed us nerf guns and we had nerf battles until curfew. There are two companionships in Eindhoven, so they live in a house. It was super fun. 

Someplace, somewhere, The Netherlands

The tulips are starting to grow here. They are still pretty small right now but in a week or so they will be everywhere and in bloom. 

This is the last full week of the transfer, time is really starting to move. I have lost 11 pounds since leaving the MTC, but I think I only gained 4 in the MTC. I wish we were allowed to have gym memberships. 

Some statue with some dutch tagging

This coming week, I am going to really focus on earning the trust of the Lord. I want him to know that he can put me with his most prepared children and that he can count on me to contact and bring the Gospel in their lives. I am going to do better in contacting while traveling, visiting others, and will do my best to represent Jesus Christ in all situations at all times. And I know that as I do this, he will trust me and give me his success. 

I am also looking for opportunities to serve others. This is something that has been brought to my mind a lot recently, and I really want to take action on this. Yesterday, Elder Stanger and I saw several opportunities to help others, whether it be carrying their luggage onto the train for them or up stairs, whether it be helping them move some things into the elevator, or whether it be just holding the door. I have noticed that there is a much more friendly reaction when we do these things than when we show up on their doorstep and ask for 15 minutes of their time to talk to something that they are not really interested in. 

Most of our investigators are doing really well. We have them all trying to keep the commandments and get answers for themselves, and we are seeing success. It is the best feeling when an investigaotr really gets the Gospel, when they really recognize how happy it can make them. I want them all just to get baptized and begin already.

This looks like the Royal Theatre

This week Elder Stanger and I had a really intersting converstation. We were trying to figure out how to get our investigators to have better relationships with their Heavenly Father, and we got to talking about how he is everybody's father. Ther eare some certian facts about him. If I were to describe my father, I would say he is super hard working and extremely patient. These are facts about him that anybody who has an encounter wit hhim will agree on. If I tell them these things, they will believe me, but it does not matter to them because my father has no relation to them. But as soon as they realize that he is also their father, they gain a relationship with him. They might see him in a different light, and have a differently based relationship, but it is the same father and the same attributes and principles should apply. It is the same with our Father in Heaven, and I want everybody have their own experiences with him so he becomes important to them. I guess that is why the scriptures tell us that as we become converted, we become the children of God. He is everybody's father, but would we all consider ourselves as his children?

Tot later

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A now a letter from Elder Packard's trainer, Elder Stranger. This was too funny not to post. 

Okay. Here we go. 

As far as spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ like a wildfire, we're doing pretty well. We continue to meet awesome people, and continue to teach applicable, restored truths of the Restored Gospel at every chance we get. We've taught some really amazing lessons, including a lesson where we basically covered and reviewed all of the first three lessons in great and simple majesty, lots of examples, explanations, and diagrams, photos, movements, dances, etc. to be sure the communication level between ourselves and our Eritean investigator was sound, and to make sure he truly understood, remembered and applied everything we had been teaching. It was Glorious. He understands all of the commandments, why we keep them, the Plan of Salvation, the prophet Joseph Smith's role in restoring the authority of Jesus Christ to baptize, and it was just great. Right after that lesson, after he promised to stop smoking and drinking, and keep himself mentally and spirtually and physically pure, we RAN to our train, missed it, did some lookups, and had an angry muslim lady threaten to call the cops on us for knocking her door. No unhallowed had can stop the gospel from rolling forth, and also her husband looked really awkward and embarrassed by her, so it was just a nice, fun experience to write home about. 

There's a great couple of investigators we're working with, and I love them all. They're all progressing solidly. Previously Buddhist soccer mom, to African Refugee, to typical awesome Dutch family, to almost 90 yr old Dutch man, we've got our hands full and our work cut out for us. The Lord is taking care of His children, and His missionaries here in Breda. 

We went to Vlissingen on a Blitz,(a lot of missionaries work really hard in one area for a few hours, finding and teaching as many people as possible) and we found a lot of really cool people. After that, we rode the train over to Tilburg and spent a lot of time contacting people in the centrum, doing the same thing. We had a lot of fun, found a ton of interested people, and then had a super lekker dinner with basically the whole district in Tilburg apartment. It was a sweet chance to wind down a bit and spend some time with the amazing missionaries we know and love, Your's Truly, Breda District. Boom. 

After our long day, we were going to play some RISK (see below), but Elder Packard and I had to book it over to Eindhoven so we could spend the night in Eindhoven for a meeting there the next morning. 

To our pleasant surprise, the Zone Leaders and the elders to Eindhoven were having a Celebratory Friday Night Nerf battle, in which many lives were lost, and many heroic victories and tragic failures were experienced by both of our armies. It was such a great release from working so long the entire week. I slept like a log. 

This week we had some amazing Eritrean food, had a sweet district meeting with some pumpkin soup, I found the Dutch 1970's version of RISK for $2 in a kringloop *second hand store*, went on a ton of exchanges, saw the beautiful wonders of Vlissingen, Tilburg, and Eindhoven. Taught a great last minute lesson in Gospel Principles through the grace of God, some amazing dinner appointments with members I love, and We're going to make some awesome personalized daily planners today. What a great week full of adventure and intrigue. 

Don't think that it's just been a bunch of rainbows and butterflies though. We've been working really hard. We've had some disappointing days. Some crummy lessons. But our character is becoming stronger. We're becoming better, more committed, more dedicated, intrinsically. Failing, getting lost, and making mistakes, but never dwelling in them. Always working harder. Smiling brighter. 

Elder Packard is a fantastic missionary, and it is a privilege to learn from and train him. I'm really thankful for his tallness, hard work, and his sense of humor. Yesterday we had a great powwow on the true meaning of Christmas, and what it means to have a testimony, or to KNOW that the gospel is true and real and palpable. Today is Feb. 29th, and I told him, and he just looks at me with really big eyes, and says "This is rare." 

Great times. 

Great food. 

Great and Marvelous Work.

Love, Elder Stanger