It's like a virus, a virus of righteousness! Or a debacle!

Elder Muller's District

Elders Muller, Silva, Hills and Da Silva!

Having Fun!

Monday, July 6, 2015

So this is going to be a weird email I think. A lot has happened. Honestly I don't really remember a whole lot that happened, mostly because things have been overshadowed by the events of the past couple days.

I will hit on a few points. We were able to teach the first lesson to E--- (the guy from Albania who has come to church twice now, I think I talked about him before) and set a baptismal date with him for August 15th!! WHOOOOOOO!

I also had a really great exchange with Elder Warner in Rotterdam Zuid (South). We taught the sweetest English lady ever. We also threw down on a potential investigator in their area. She just kept asking us questions on the door, and we spent an hour answering all of them. She couldn't believe that we had all the answers. #BecauseItsTrue

We also had a crazy lesson with a guy named O-- from Sint Maarten. That's where the virus part of the subject line comes from. (the debacle I will discuss later). He was talking about the light of Christ and how it's like a virus... A virus of righteousness! Then he started beating his chest. It was just an insane lesson haha.  

So this week has also been really really HOT. The temperature broke records here. Thankfully we've been keeping up with appointments and/or getting milkshakes to get us through the day. :) (Very few places are air conditioned.)

Also, for the 4th of July, we had a BBQ with a family. It was a lot of fun, and they actually had REAL HAMBURGERS! What people here call hamburgers are totally different than American hamburgers. Unless you taste it, I can't describe it, but it's not ground beef. We actually had American style hamburgers which was a nice treat. 

So on to yesterday, the debacle. 

First off, church. Church was very good. An investigator who we haven't had contact with in almost seven weeks showed up to church for the first time that I've been here, and stayed all three hours. Cool miracle to end the week.

After church it got a little more complicated. You see, le Tour de France came through Rotterdam yesterday, starting at 12.30 (which is right when church ends).  The entire city center was shut down for the race. What was even cooler, is that our apartment is right next to where the race came through!

This is a map of part of centrum (center) of Rotterdam. The red line is where the race went, and the blue dot on the island right above is where our apartment building is. It's a two minute walk. 

Pretty awesome. We watched them ride through on the street. We were maybe 15 centimeters from the bikers!! They were so close to the edge of the road, it was ridiculous! They almost took out a couple people.  

 le Tour de France

So Sunday was also a special day because it was transfer calls. So everyone knew that this transfer was going to destroy the mission. We got a new mission president this past week, 45 Elders have gone home the past two transfers, and we've only received 18 to replace them. Nobody realized just how crazy it was going to be. 

So I am getting transferred. I'm not really sure how to explain where I'm going, but I'll do my best. Rotterdam Noord (North) is being closed,  Elder Hills is whitewashing into 's-Hertogenbosch with a greenie. I am moving to Capelle aan den IJssel with Elder Shaw, and will now be the piano player for the Singing Elders. (<= description below) So I will still have the same area, but we are moving apartments to the other side of the city. Which is really, really annoying. There are whole reasons behind it that I won't go into, because you kind of have to be here to understand, but its pretty lame. So I am half white washing. New apartment, same area, different companion. Elder Shaw was born in North, so thankfully he already knows the area and the members a bit. That will be nice. 

(Let me try and explain this transfer lingo Elder Muller is using! There have been great changes in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission. As of July 1, many missions across the world had new Presidents beginning a three year mission. These men and their wives spend three years in these missions running them. They are also unpaid by the Church, and are doing this on their own to serve in furthering the Restored Gospel. Elder Muller's mission has received a new president. In the last two transfers (which happen every six weeks), 45 Elders have completed their missions and returned home. But only 18 new Elders have entered into the Belgium/Netherlands Mission, so you can see that leaves a big gap of missionaries to fill areas. The big difference is partly due to the wave of young men and women who entered the mission field when the age was lowered in October of 2012. Young men can now serve at 18 (it was 19), and young women can serve at 19 (it was 21). Our missionary force is still very high around the world, but it just so happens not many have been assigned to Elder Muller's mission.

So his apartment is being closed, and he will be moving to the other side of Rotterdam to a new apartment for Elders. So white washing means the two missionaries come into an area where neither have served before. Usually a transfer will be one missionary of a companionship so that at least one knows the area and members. So Elder Muller is "half whitewashing" because since his new companion started his mission in the Northern area of Rotterdam, he is familiar with the area! It is all very complicated in this transfer! That is why Elder Muller is saying it is so crazy!

Elder Hills is moving into a new area with a "Greenie", which is a missionary just coming into the mission field from the Missionary Training Center! Elder Hills will be this young Elders trainer! They are being "white washed" into an area that Elder Hills has never served, so he knows no one there, and doesn't he know the area!)

So Singing Elders. This was something that I figured would be coming my way. Our mission has four Elders who tour around and perform a musical performance in order to generate referrals. I will now be part of that as the Piano Elder. This also means that my schedule will change. Instead of being a normal missionary, we will now work in our area only on Monday (which is p-day), Tuesday, and Wednesday. Thursday through Sunday will be used to practice, or traveling to different areas to arrange performances. It will be quite the change. We will travel the entire mission to perform.

So I'm really not sure what to expect these next couple transfers. I will be in this group for probably six months or so, a quarter of my mission. It means I'll be here in Rotterdam for a long time most likely. Thankfully I really like it here. It's going to be a crazy couple days.

OOOH something I forgot to mention last week cause I ran out of time. E--- went to the Temple to do baptisms! WHOOOOOOOOOO! #TempleAchieved (This is the young lady who was just baptized!!)

Well I hope you all have a good week!

Loves!

Elder Muller

Choose Jesus!