Wiser, that's a weird looking word. Thanks so much for the birthday video and everything (including the part where Chris flips me off, I laughed really hard at that by the way... freakin Chris...)! I love and miss you guys a ton! I still haven't gotten my birthday package yet, but I've called and it's at the Mission Office. I'll probably get it June 11th. Maybe sooner, but that's our next zone training and so we'll get our packages and mail then.
So I'm just gonna say right now, I'm doing good. I'm not depressed, but this week has been really rough. Just looking forward to the future. It's just another one of those weeks where life kinda sucks. Saying goodbye to my former companions and roommates was sad on Wednesday. Then my new companion Elder Paur showed up and we got on our train to head home from Antwerpen. Everything was going well and we had to change trains at Hasselt, we put all of his stuff towards the back of the train and waited for the train to go. But then a conductor jumped on and said we had to go to the front half of the train because the train was going to split and go to two different cities. So we hurry and grabbed all of his suitcases and his bike and ran to the front end of the train. We got on in time, sat down, the doors locked, and then I figured out that I didn't have my shoulder bag with me. So I hurry and told the conductor once I found him and he called somebody else, but they couldn't find it. I called the Hasselt station, a couple other missionaries back at Antwerpen, but nobody could find it. I called a member and she filled out an online "lost items" form for me and she's been checking the Hasselt police station as well. I've talked to a bunch of different people since then, but nobody can find my bag.
It's a really simple black shoulder bag that cost only five euros. Inside is a BoM, a bible, my planners, my camera, and then the thing that I'm really mad about. I was planning on sending my photos to you guys for the last year and a half, so I put them on a USB and I was just going to send them to you guys that day. But that USB was still in my bag. So all of my photos for the last year and a half are gone. We're still searching, but I feel absolutely sick. I've been praying my heart out and a lot of other people are praying that I'll find my bag as well, but it's been almost a week now. Our phone number and several other useful phone numbers are easily to be seen inside my planners, if somebody looks in those. The only really valuable thing in there (to a stranger) is my camera. So anyways, please pray that it will somehow turn up. I feel horrible about it.
We're also trying to take over all of the missionary work for what used to be two companionships in a city that I've only been in for one transfer. But now my planners are gone and so I have little to nothing. I'm calling Elder Warner and Elder Parr every once in a while to get info from them, but it's super hard. And my companion's good. He's been on his mission just one transfer less than I have. He's struggling a lot adjusting to these new situations though.
My birthday was pretty good. The day before, a member family baked me a delicious chocolate cake. The day of, we woke up early to be at District Leader Council, then we went to Turnhout to give a baptismal interview (the guy passed and he's really cool), then it took us like 3-4 hours to get home on trains, then we went to the family of that girl who just got baptized and they all sung for me and the girls gave me a few of their things. That family is just full of love. Then yesterday another member family also made me a delicious cake that was kind of like strawberry cheesecake, my favorite!
I haven't bought anything yet, because I'm waiting for the summer sales to start here. That'll probably happen in a few weeks. I just needed to take out all of my personal money because my reimbursements (for mission money I've spent on travel and stuff) hasn't been sent back to me yet.
Something else cool this week was that Laticha (who just got baptized) asked if I could give confirm her a member of the church this last Sunday. That was a cool experience =) it's sad that she's got so many trials from her own family though.
I love you guys a lot. I'm super sorry that my photos are lost, but I really hope they turn up again somehow. I'm really sorry. Should I buy a new camera or just try and have my companions take photos and send some to me? If I bought a new camera, I'd only really use it until I got back from my mission, because then I'll have an iPhone. But let me know what you guys want.
Love you guys and have a great week!