More July

This is our Den Bosch district. Elders Andrews, Calkins, Brownell, Bastiaens and Everton. Sisters Jeffs, Reber and Everton. 



So everyone rides bikes. The bikes have seats for and aft for kids. This is Maare and her mother. She is about 6 months. I think we have seen younger kids up front. The kids and parents don't wear helmets

Here is a set of twins riding aft. Thier brother riding his own bike. I am impressed with the families in the Netherlands. They seem to be larger and more focused on the children than in the USA. We gave the mother a pass-along card but she was a bit unsure of our intent.





Sister Everton has planted flowers which we have on our balcony and at our front door. The get plenty of rain. We have had only one hot day this summer. Most of the time it has been raining and temperatures in the 60-70s. We live on the top floor of a 6 story flat.

 

This is the back side of a long boat that goes up and down the rivers. There is a cabin for the captain and his family to live in. They have their laundry drying today. The boat was moored near the Dordrecht city center.

This couple live in our flat. They participate in a group that dress in authentic costums and dance. We went to one of thier productions a few months ago.

This is our neighbor Dikie. Sister Everton is showing the layers of dresses she has on. The dresses were layered to keep the women warm in the winter.

This is Quinton. He was baptised by his father Jackson.



 

We had Soule and Peter over for dinner with Sister Jeffs and Reber. We learned that Soule is a voetbal (soccer) fan.

This is Sharon with Elder Osmond and Michelson. The Elders cooked lunch for her. She is daring. It turns out that she was an investigator that I taught in 1974. It was an amazing afternoon to catch up on things and reminisce.





This a well know violist playing at the baptism for a Sister in Gouda. Her husband is also internatioinally know. They have an academy in the Netherlands. She was playing a Bach Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 with Sister Perry accompanying at the piano.

This is Moises. He speaks Portugese and Dutch. It was his birthday so we dropped by with the Sisters. He comes to church during sunday school every week.



We were running through the sacred grove after a lighting storm. At one point, we saw piecies of wood all over the ground. Then we noticed that this tree had been hit by lighting. It hit the tree about 30 feet up and traveled down the trunk to the ground.

  

Brugge, Belgium



We took the Sisters to Brugge Belgium for a p-day. Brugge means bridge. The old inner city is surrounded by a moat with a number of bridges. There are a number of points on the moat where you can take a river boat tour of the city.





Our tour guide and boat drive told us about the sights in French, Flams, German and English.




We were taking pictures of the sisters at this balcony when young lady offered to take one of us all. She was from Greece and had taken the lessons from the missionaries. She did not join the church but had a soft place in her heart for the missionaries.

 

Brugge has many old beautiful buidlings. It was hard to get good photo but a few of the close-up shots worked out like these flowers on a balcony.



We had to get a Belgium waffle. The look on my face indicates I just realized the belgium waffles that Seth or Matt makes are much better.