"Where Do I begin....I'm Here!"
So I'm here. Living in the freaking Netherlands!!! Oh geez so much stuff to tell you guys... But I have very little time due to the guy that was giving my companion a haircut... So I'll have to keep things pretty short, but I'll try and tell you all more next week.
This country is crazy. I was in Leiden for the first day, doing a bunch of legal stuff around the city, ate some amazingly delicious pannenkoeken, took a nap, learned a little more about the mission, and proselyted for a bit. The proselyting in Leiden was amazing. I just went out with one of the AP's and he would open a conversation with somebody on the street and I would try to jump in whenever I could. I (and the AP) were quite surprised how much I could actually say... Gift of Tongues is true!!! And everyone loves to hear that I just barely got here, that always makes them a bit interested.
Anyways, my first area is.... Hengelo! North-East right on the border of Germany (which supposedly we might go to a bit...) and it has a wwweeeiiirrrd accent! The best way I can describe it is that they say all their words like we say "mountain" in Utah (just kind of swallowing the middle of the word). So for trying to learn a language, it's pretty freakin difficult when they don't enunciate well. And everyone speaks so freaking fast!!! Anyways, I can proselyte okay on the street... But every other situation, I can barely keep up with what people are saying... I've got tons to learn!!! Tons and tons and tons! And the Netherlands is really beautiful. I'm so excited to go around and do more stuff here! Pictures will be sent hopefully next week.
My companion's name is Elder Huff from Gilbert, Arizona. He's actually way cool and luckily, really enjoys music. He apparently has wanted to train somebody for a long time, and I'm his first, only, and last. He's been out about 22 months and has about 9 weeks left now. He's really chill and doesn't ever make me work too hard, but I guess he's constantly surprised by how much I've been talking and not being stressed and stuff. And he's happy that I'm not a messy guy, which brings me to my next point...
Our house was disgusting and extremely messy when we first got there. The elders leaving it, basically apologized, tried to help out a bit, but the place needed a deep, deep, cleaning. So we've been changing things up here and there, and then today we actually had the 1st counselor from our ward and another member come and do a ton of deep cleaning with us. So now the place is pretty nice if I may say so myself. Super grateful. One story about that: The bathroom used to smell super duper disgusting because apparently one of the last elders thought it would be funny to pee on the tile walls................. I don't get the punchline. Anyways, it's clean now thank goodness, but that was a rough first week in there! Oh and also, I guess Europeans often just give birth at home instead of going to a hospital.... So one of our coaches I have now taken the liberty of nicknaming "the birthing couch" after what the last elders notified us of. Anyways I've warmed up to the place now and all is good. Very interesting though. The toilets have an "observatory deck" as we like to call it. I'll send pictures of all of this stuff later on, when I have more time.
Door knocking can be kinda frustrating sometimes, but also very funny and very enlightening as well! Oh and we got 3 potential investigators our first day door knocking! Which apparently is really awesome for this mission. And 3 more another day! Super cool. 1st door I knocked here though, this really beautiful girl opens up, and I kind of forgot my Dutch a bit. So that was fun.
So I love you all and am very grateful for your letters! Keep 'em coming please! I'll write back individual letters hopefully next week! Bye byes!!
This country is crazy. I was in Leiden for the first day, doing a bunch of legal stuff around the city, ate some amazingly delicious pannenkoeken, took a nap, learned a little more about the mission, and proselyted for a bit. The proselyting in Leiden was amazing. I just went out with one of the AP's and he would open a conversation with somebody on the street and I would try to jump in whenever I could. I (and the AP) were quite surprised how much I could actually say... Gift of Tongues is true!!! And everyone loves to hear that I just barely got here, that always makes them a bit interested.
Anyways, my first area is.... Hengelo! North-East right on the border of Germany (which supposedly we might go to a bit...) and it has a wwweeeiiirrrd accent! The best way I can describe it is that they say all their words like we say "mountain" in Utah (just kind of swallowing the middle of the word). So for trying to learn a language, it's pretty freakin difficult when they don't enunciate well. And everyone speaks so freaking fast!!! Anyways, I can proselyte okay on the street... But every other situation, I can barely keep up with what people are saying... I've got tons to learn!!! Tons and tons and tons! And the Netherlands is really beautiful. I'm so excited to go around and do more stuff here! Pictures will be sent hopefully next week.
My companion's name is Elder Huff from Gilbert, Arizona. He's actually way cool and luckily, really enjoys music. He apparently has wanted to train somebody for a long time, and I'm his first, only, and last. He's been out about 22 months and has about 9 weeks left now. He's really chill and doesn't ever make me work too hard, but I guess he's constantly surprised by how much I've been talking and not being stressed and stuff. And he's happy that I'm not a messy guy, which brings me to my next point...
Our house was disgusting and extremely messy when we first got there. The elders leaving it, basically apologized, tried to help out a bit, but the place needed a deep, deep, cleaning. So we've been changing things up here and there, and then today we actually had the 1st counselor from our ward and another member come and do a ton of deep cleaning with us. So now the place is pretty nice if I may say so myself. Super grateful. One story about that: The bathroom used to smell super duper disgusting because apparently one of the last elders thought it would be funny to pee on the tile walls................. I don't get the punchline. Anyways, it's clean now thank goodness, but that was a rough first week in there! Oh and also, I guess Europeans often just give birth at home instead of going to a hospital.... So one of our coaches I have now taken the liberty of nicknaming "the birthing couch" after what the last elders notified us of. Anyways I've warmed up to the place now and all is good. Very interesting though. The toilets have an "observatory deck" as we like to call it. I'll send pictures of all of this stuff later on, when I have more time.
Door knocking can be kinda frustrating sometimes, but also very funny and very enlightening as well! Oh and we got 3 potential investigators our first day door knocking! Which apparently is really awesome for this mission. And 3 more another day! Super cool. 1st door I knocked here though, this really beautiful girl opens up, and I kind of forgot my Dutch a bit. So that was fun.
So I love you all and am very grateful for your letters! Keep 'em coming please! I'll write back individual letters hopefully next week! Bye byes!!