Sep 3 - 9, 2023
SUNDAY
On Sunday morning, President Watson sends an email to all the missionaries outlining events for the week and includes his weekly blog thoughts. Following is this week's message:
Early on Friday, we said farewell to our departing missionaries at Schiphol airport.
An hour later, we welcomed 11 new missionaries to the Netherlands.
It was an emotional rollercoaster of a day.
Elder Ranse Cottam drove us back home.
For those who know Ranse, or have met him for even a moment, will know that he is filled with and serves with the “pure love of Christ”.
Love indeed, is the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus Christ.
His parents and little sister were coming to collect him, mid-afternoon.
What unfolded during their visit was beautiful.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” – Matthew 5:8
It was a sweet reunion.
After 2 years, a family together again, in pure love.
It was heavenly, as if “angels above us are silent notes taking” (Hymn 237 – Choose the Right)
The feeling of pure love permeated the room, filling our hearts and souls.
I beheld joy.
For a moment, Heaven's doors were unlocked.
I beheld wonder.
In the stillness, God's presence surrounded us.
I beheld pure love.
I witnessed the love of a mother for her son, and a son for his mother.
They sat, snuggled next to one another.
Time stood still.
With one another, they linked arms, held hands - tightly, yet gently, wrapped tenderly, in each other’s love.
Honouring sacred covenants, I observed the selfless love of a devoted mother and son.
It was beautiful.
In that moment, I was changed, by the pure love of Christ.
Tears came easily for all of us.
Motherhood is a divine role.
Motherhood is about loving and nurturing others.
Symbolically, Ranse was held by two mothers, arm in arm, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, surrounded with pure love.
I will treasure this angelic sweet memory – forever.
I hope and pray that our hearts may be filled with charity, the pure love of Christ.
MONDAY
Today, we announced in the Harvest Report and at the Mission Zoom call that the missionaries should start contacting the new Health Advisor Sister Omer, the vehicle coordinator Elder Johnson and financial secretary, Bonnie Johnson directly. I guess that means we are really going home!
It was so good to talk with Adam, serving in Argentina, via a video call. He looks and sounds so good. We are so pleased with his service to the Lord. He is having wonderful experiences that will deepen his conversion to Jesus Christ. The experiences and circumstances are different than ours in many ways, but the motivation for service is the same.
His new Mission Leaders have introduced the Mission Culture recently. I thought it was beautiful.
Along the left side - ESCUCHALO - Listen or Hear Him. A Christlike attribute for each letter: Example
Service
Consecration
Unity
Charity
Modesty
Love
Light
Obedience
TUESDAY
Norma VandeWal, Bonnie Johnson and I did the shopping for the Orientation lunch tomorrow. I have shopped at Sligro so much the past 20 months, the employees there know me. Today as I was reaching for an item on a shelf, the "Deli guy' came over and asked if I needed help. I have greeted him many times, he and Doug have had conversations, but I didn't think he knew much English. Today, I asked how his day was going (which I have asked before but with kinda a sign language response). He spoke in halting English, but said it was going fine at work but not at home. I asked what was happening at home and he told me his wife is dying of lung cancer. We had a good, long conversation about life after death. I want to go back at least one more time and give him a Plan of Salvation booklet in Dutch so he can fully understand it. It was the second time in a week I have had a gospel conversation with a store clerk. A wonderful feeling comes as we share what we know in a normal and natural way.
We went to dinner with Bonnie and Steve Johnson and Dave and Shauna White. These are both great Senior couples. This is one of the hard things about leaving...the people we serve with. The White's are specifically serving as Young Adult Missionaries. They cover the entire mission and want to visit every ward and branch. It is a huge assignment. They would love three more couples to come work with them so there could be a missionary couple for each stake.
WEDNESDAY
There were lots of Good-byes after the meeting. We have grown to love these missionaries so much. Thankfully, most of them will be in the US and most of those in Utah so we hope to see all of them occasionally.
More training in the late afternoon for the Johnson's. We feel very confident that the finances and vehicles of the mission are in good hands.
The Watson's daughter is here in The Netherlands for a couple days so Sister Watson left early to meet up with her. That meant President needed a ride home. We spent that 30 minutes in the car with President Watson as he shared some of his frustrations. We felt very blessed that he trusts us that much to share those things. He just needed to vent.
After taking President home, we arrived at the office to see Sisters Bair and Anderson trying to make an online purchase for their assignment. None of the mission credit cards would work. We tried our personal credit card. Nope. We tried the Dutch Bank Ideal payment system. Nope. Finally they gave up and will contact a couple of the Elders who have done something similar to see what piece of the process they are missing.
But since we were there so long, when Sisters Wade and Gilbert came back from their dinner appointment with the Johnson's we were still at the office. Sister Wade is usually so bubbly and upbeat. We could see something was different. Finally, when Doug asked her if she needed anything, she asked for a Priesthood blessing. We are so thankful to be at the right place at the right time that he could bless her. Normally, we would have been home two hours earlier, but because of things that 'just happened' we were there. The Lord really is in the details of our lives!
THURSDAY
More training today! It is Steve Johnson's birthday so the four couples in the office had lunch together with the famous Jumbo chocolate cake to celebrate.
FRIDAY
Elder Ethan Bishop arrived two weeks ago. He is serving in the Utrecht Ward so we see him often. He and Elder Leman were at the office today on their way to a lunch appointment and a lesson with a new member. He said "Hey, Sister Glauser, do you know Carlene Beckstrand?" Yes! She was Carlene Ainge in HS but we have recently connected on FB. She was Elder Bishop's 1st grade teacher and his dad was a counselor to Bishop Beckstead so they know each other well. She told him to find Sister Glauser when he got here. Small world in the Church! I love these connections!
Yesterday, the Elders from Sint Niklaas called Doug to let him know they had a bike issue, but because of it they had a miracle. He asked them to write it in a few sentences and send it to us...
SATURDAY
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