We dropped Jill and Edie at the airport. What a busy place! They needed to get Covid tests, get checked in and through security. The first two things worked well, but getting through Security took them two hours! Their departure time came and went, but after getting through security they ran to the gate to find the flight had been held because so many were still trying to get through. 
They made it!!
Meanwhile, we were back at the office catching up and preparing for Zone Conferences with Elder Kopische this week.
TUESDAY
Norma and I went to Sligro again. We are getting to know the employees there as we go so often to get food to prepare for Zone Conferences and other missionary gatherings. I enjoy working with her on these assignments. We both like to be organized and do as much as we can ahead of time. And we both want to make sure the missionaries get enough to eat so we typically get more than we need. But the food is never wasted...the Elders and Sisters are always willing to take home the leftovers.😁
Elder and Sister Kopische were at the Office today for the Mission Leadership Council with the APs, ZLs and STLs. What a wonderful opportunity for these young people to be in such a small group with a General Authority.
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
Zone Conference in Antwerpen (Wednesday) and Utrecht (Thursday).
Just some excerpts:
Sister Watson
Referring to 3 Nephi 11. It wasn't until the third time the people heard a voice from heaven that they understood. We need to study and read again and again and continually look steadfastly toward heaven.
Read Study Pray Learn Act over and over so we can have a lifelong conversion
President Watson
President explained the Enos Challenge that he had learned about from Elder and Sister Gifford Nielsen a while back. It is to read the Book of Enos for 30 days, pondering one verse each day. He gave us twelve things he learned from his study of Enos:
-slow down
-studying is better when you take your time
-truths about Jesus Christ are everywhere
-asking questions is powerful
v.4 Has my voice reached the heavens?
v.9 What does it mean to 'pour out your whole soul'?
-pray and ask for help to understand
-pay attention to your thoughts and listen to the Spirit
-visualize and ponder
-substitute your own name in the scriptures
take time to make every scripture your scripture
-liken the scriptures to your own life
-connect the ideas in the verses
-share what you learn
-record your thoughts in your journal
Promise: You will come to know Good, personally and intimately.
I started this Challenge and I feel it will be very insightful for me to slow down and dive deep into the concepts of these 27 verses.
Elder Erick Kopischke
"Read the Book of Mormon each day until you feel the Spirit" - Pres Henry B Eyring
Conversion to Jesus Christ is a lifelong pursuit
Some answers to prayer are 'Wow!' But most answers to prayer are just daily life.
How do I know God hears my prayers?
Trust the feelings (Spirit) that lead you to do good. God will not always tell you what to do, but he will warn you if it is wrong. The Sacrament prayer promises you will always have the Spirit to be with you.
Book of Mormon
Alma 31:5 And now, as the apreaching of the bword had a great tendency to clead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God. Substitute names of individuals for 'the people'. Personalize the scriptures.
DC 20 How can we have the faith of the early missionaries?
-v 5-6 5 After it was truly manifested unto this first elder [Joseph Smith] that he had received a aremission of his sins, he was bentangled again in the cvanities of the world; 6 But after arepenting, and humbling himself sincerely, through faith, God ministered unto him by an holy bangel,... even when we make mistakes after having received a remission of sins we can repent
-v 9-12 9 Which contains a arecord of a fallen people, and the bfulness of the cgospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also; 10 Which was given by inspiration, and is confirmed to aothers by the ministering of angels, and is bdeclared unto the world by them—
11 Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are atrue, and that God does binspire men and call them to his cholywork in this age and generation, as well as in generations of old;
12 Thereby showing that he is the asame God yesterday, today, and bforever. Amen.
All four authors of the Book of Mormon saw Jesus Christ
Nephi and Jacob quote Isaiah, who also saw Christ
Mormon and Moroni
The story of the Brother of Jared who also saw Christ is included
The Book of Mormon is the ultimate testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The importance of the scriptures:
Alma 37:9 Yea, I say unto you, awere it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have bconvinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their cwords brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
Two things every missionary (Service or Teaching) can do
1. All can love
2. All can help
Help people come to church (or whatever the invitation might be). Explain what to expect, who they will meet, what a Sacrament meeting will be like. Call a few members to let them know to watch for the new person. Call or text the day before to remind and encourage.
Why do we go to church?
Revelatory experience
Renew covenants
Investigators don't have covenants to renew, so they come for the revelatory experience
Zone Conference is always a spirit-filled day.I know it is focused on the young missionaries but I come away motivated and renewed.
FRIDAY
After a busy week we are back in the office trying to catch up. We stayed late and got home around 7:30, started to make dinner but got a call from Sisters Lybbert and Doyle who had just left the office as well. Their car was making a 'funny noise' so they stopped to investigate and found a screw in the back tire. Doug told them to drive back to the office (they were only a few minutes from there) and we would meet them there. So back to the office we went and offered to take them home to Den Haag in the van. We are grateful to have good relationships with the Elders and Sisters so they know they can call us for things such as this.
SATURDAY
Doug went to the office early to take the Sister's car to the KwikFit to get the tire fixed. I met him about 9:00 to start our' road trip' to pick up broken or extra bikes and deliver needed items.
We first drove to Grimbergen (near Brussels), picked up three bikes from the storage at the church, then drove to the Elder's apartment to drop off one of the bikes and other items.Elders Richard Vellinga, Logan Brown, Daniel Ornelas and Wyatt Lee
Because Elder Vellinga, one of the Zone Leaders, was there on exchanges, we gave him the items for the Antwerpen Merksem apartment and didn't need to stop there. Since we had a few minutes we stopped at the Atomium.
From there we drove to Breda to get bikes and drop off a treat bag. Seven companionships turned in their fuel receipts on or before June 1st which made them part of the First Day of the Month Club. We started last month to give a little treat to those people. Seems that the word is out and now others are starting to do it. It makes it so much easier for Doug to finish the report if he doesn't need to call and remind everyone about the receipts.
Elders Charles Kewish, Anthony Wood, Thomas Boland and Christian Adams
Our final stop was in s'-Hertogenbosch to get two bikes and drop off a First Day of the Month treat bag.Elders Kael Bybee and Collin Olive
We had a lovely day meeting each of these Elders. This is really the joy of our mission...to get to know these dedicated young missionaries and feel of their enthusiasm for the work.
They made it!!
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