More December

This is Maria. She was taught the gospel by Elder Osmond. Elder de Cruz stands next to Elder Osmond. He is from Brazil and is the closest thing I have found to a Stake President in a 20 year old. Maria has had incredible challenges in her life but remains happy and positive. She loves to go on joint teach lessons and bears a very strong testimony. This picture was taken after a musical Christmas fireside in Rotterdam.

This is Quincy on the left. He is 17. He was baptized by Mitchell who is a YSA in Utrecht. Quincy wears a "New Missionary" badge to church. He plays basketball on a city team and wants to play on an NBA team. We hope to see one of his games soon. Mitchell's twin brothers have been inactive but are coming back thanks to Quincy. They are the reason he learned about the church.  Quincy has just been called to be our new YSA leader.

We have been working on a new apartment located in South Rotterdam. It needed paint, drapes and laminate flooring. The apartment is on the 7th floor of a flat and has a private balcony with a beautiful view of the neighborhood Mosque. Sister Everton loved to stand out on the balcony and capatured the moment with the birds flying by and the sun on the red brick houses.

We ventured into Belgium with Sisters Rich and Moses. On the way home we stopped for excellent pizza at an Italian restaurant in Antwerpen. It was a rainy night so after eating, we splashed through the narrow cobblestone street that opened up to a huge church and beautiful square.

We were riding our bikes in the old city of Dordrecht when the sun came out on the grote kerk.

Every time we go to Leiden, which is the location of the Mission Office, we pass over a bridge and Carolyn says this is her favorite canal (one of them). On this day the sun was out and we had to stop and capture  the moment.