SUNDAY
Doug was set apart as a counselor in the EQP today. He will be a great asset to the ward in this capacity. We are coming to love the good people of the Utrecht Ward.
MONDAY
The Monday Mission Zoom Call is a great way to bring the entire mission together each week for an hour. There are updates and instruction from the Office staff, Social Media Team and the APs. Missionaries are invited to share miracles from their week. Sometimes we have a 'guest' and then President Watson finishes the last few minutes.This week Sister Brandenburg, the Matron of the Den Haag Temple taught us for a few minutes about the temple.
3 Ne 17:2-3 "...ye cannot bunderstand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and aponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and bprepare your minds for the cmorrow, and I come unto you again.
She likened this verse to the temple. I have heard this comparison before and I think it can directly apply to our temple experience. Once we have been to the temple, for the first time or after dozens of times, we are to go home, ponder the things we have been taught, pray to ask for more understanding, study more about the ordinances and covenants we have made, and return to the temple for added insight, inspiration and revelation.
Doug spent a few minutes on the Zoom call to remind the Elders and Sisters to be more aware. We have had several minor car accidents the past two months, no one hurt, just scrapes and dents to the cars. But all those things will need to be repaired and that uses the sacred funds of the Church. He used Alma 57:21 as a starting point. " Yea, and they did aobey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness;..."
He taught them that they not only need to obey with exactness, but observe diligently and carefully. He is a master at teaching principles using the scriptures, including temporal things like being more aware when you are driving, parking or biking.
TUESDAY
My morning walk today took me past a few windmills. Here are just two of them. The Summer Solstice is today. Since we are so far north, the daylight hours start early and end late this time of year. We love the long hours of light!
WEDNESDAY
What seemed like a quiet start to the day turned into a busy time. Several missionaries stopped by the office. Elder Blanken and Elder Wray had been to the IND for E. Wray to start the residency process. Elders Norton and Bevell (ZLs) came to have District Council with the SM District. Elders Anderson and Zarges came to pick up items. But the most urgent was Elders Adams and Boland. Tomorrow four of our Elders (Adams, Cottam, Ornelas and Hoopes) are meeting with someone from Belgium and our legal counsel from Frankfurt to hopefully facilitate getting driving licenses for our missionaries. There is a list of documents they must take, including one that is not available to them. They are taking cash and the Mission credit card to pay the fee. It all seems to have happened rather quickly, with just a days notice to collect all these documents. Doug was on the phone with several people including Su Ann Kauer from Mission Travel trying to secure the needed documents. I went to the ATM to get the cash for them to take. Elders Adams and Boland were waiting at the office for word from SLC about the documents and none of us had eaten dinner. So I walked home and got some salad fixin's and brought it back for the four of us to eat. They finally got on their way about 20:00. It seems we have done all we can to get driving licenses for our missionaries in order for the work to move forward efficiently. We certainly need the Lord to open the way from here.
THURSDAY
After spending the day at the office, we drove to Utrecht to pick up a family from the Utrecht Ward who is moving back to Utah. Brandon and Kathryn Passey and their 3 year old daughter, Ella have been here since last August. They are expecting another baby in about 6 weeks and have decided to return to his parents house until after the birth of the baby. If the research opportunity that he is hoping for works out, they may be back in September. We used the Mission's big van and it was a good thing we did!. They had lots of luggage including a salamander in a bag full of water packed in a lunch pail inside a backpack!! (Not sure how that will get through Security) They also had many things to donate to whoever might need it.
We drove from Utrecht to their hotel near the airport. Turns out, it was the wrong hotel and so we got directions and headed to the other hotel. Finally got them settled in their room and headed back to Gouda. We were so grateful that we 'accidentally' heard on Sunday they needed help. One of their plans was to take the train. It probably could have been done, but the amount of luggage, a little child and a very pregnant mama would have made that a crazy endeavor! We brought all their donated things back to the office and will take care of it from there.
FRIDAY
We drove to Hengelo to deliver a table and some mail to the Elders there. Since we were going there (about a one hour and 45 minute drive) we did the apartment inspection for the VandeWal's. We thought it would be a surprise inspection since this is the first time we have done it, but they had a thought that the VandeWal's would have us do it and admitted they had cleaned really well. Their apartment was very nice but the most exception thing was the IMPRESSIVELY CLEAN stove. Turns out, they actually clean it at least once a week. Good for them!
Elder Johan van der Put, Elder and Sister Glauser, Elders Gideon Ross,
Landon Thomas and Jacob Price
We enjoyed taking them out to lunch at a near-by cafe. I love getting to know the missionaries a little better when we can meet with them in small groups.
The long-awaited day is here! 50 years ago, Doug and his companion found, taught and baptized Albert and Henny DeWilde. They had four daughters under the age of 8. Brother DeWilde passed away about five years ago, but we have reconnected with one of the daughters, Judith, through FaceBook and were able to set a time to go meet with her and her mother. It was a sweet reunion for Doug and a lovely time for me. The hour-long visit was mostly in Dutch. Doug does so well with the language and I am grateful to be able to understand almost all of it . I don't speak the language, but feel very blessed to be able to understand quite a bit, especially in settings like this. I feel it really is a blessing and gift from God.
Sister DeWilde and Judith both shared the struggles the members of the Church face here. They are few in numbers and spread out. The support for young people is limited. Doug asked Sister DeWilde if she would like a Priesthood blessing and she agreed. It was a spirit-filled time. Even though they have not been active in the Church for a while, the Spirit was very strong. This could be the very reason we are in Holland at this time. We hope to be able to see them often.
SATURDAY
Today we had appointments at the Den Haag Temple for an Endowment Session. We went with our friends, the VandeWal's. We were there a little early for the 11:30 session and because we have been asked to be Ordinance workers here, President Brandenburg set us apart at that time. There were at least five languages used during our session, Dutch, Portuguese, French, Spanish and English. It is amazing how the workers are able to work with so many different languages! I felt a sweet spirit there and it was reaffirmed to me that the covenants we make and keep are definitely the path back to our Father in Heaven. It is good to be back in the Temple and I am really looking forward to being there regularly with our missionaries.
A beautiful day at the Den Haag Temple.
Doug and Marcia, Gerrit and Norma VandeWal
I spoke with Sister Brandenburg, the Temple Matron, about our visit with Sister DeWilde yesterday. Because Sister DeWilde mentioned the Brandenburg's I wondered if it was the same family. Sure enough, Sister Brandenburg has been her Visiting Teacher/Ministering Sister for about 20 years. It was so nice to make another connection with the DeWilde's.
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