More March

Elder Swensen who is our Area Medical Advisor visited us. We met them at Kinderdijk. 3/21

When we left Kinderdijk we saw this family riding on the dijk. I thought they were stylish.

This is Annafluer on her bike. It was dang cold. She is married. She and her husband have motorcycles. They do not have a car. They help with the YSA program in Utrecht. 3/12

This is Isabelle. She visited us with her mother who is investigating the church. The sisters came and we all had dinner and then a lesson. 3/17

Sisters Rich and Schwab fixed lunch for district meeting. We had a picnic on the church patio with hamburgers and strawberry smoothies. It was the first warm and sunny day of the year. 3/27

This was taken on transfer day. We picked up sister Palenikova's bike and luggage. She was headed to Amsterdam. Sister Larsen went to Den Haag. Sister Hill went home. The Elders took over the nicest apartment in the mission. 3/28

We saw this old Harley in Merksem which is a suburb of Antwerpen. Notice the shifter on the side of the gas tank. I thought the shifter on this vintage was down on the crank case. You can see how they make a chopper from this bike by removing the spring supported seat.



It has a side rider and New York City license plate holder. 3/30



Mary the Turtle



This is Mary the turtle. She has lived in Sharon Stuip's home for many years. She sleeps in the sink every night. In the winter when it is cold she likes to spend the day under the wall heater to keep warm.

This is Elder John Copier in 1974 doing a wheelie. He was a dirt bike fanatic and could do a wheelie forever on a dirt bike or bicycle. Sharon wanted to get a picture.  I had forgotten that the bike tires were white.  Carolyn noticed I was wearing levi's. It was P-day. Sharon said I was a rebel.



Sharon cooked hamburgers on their outside charcoal grill. Elder Copier is on the far right.

Willemstad



The sisters had a referral from SLC in Willemstad.  I looked it up on google maps. The satelite view showed the city was built in the shape of a star with a moat around it.  They did this for protection long ago, so it is a very old city.



We are not sure what this building is. We plan to come back when it is warm to explore this little city.

There is a molen near the center of town.

There is also a harbor. The city is located on one of the lagest rivers flowing out of the Netherlands.

There are also lots of sail boats. I would guess in good weather this is a busy place. You can see the grassy berm which surrounds the city for protection and is located inside the moat. The star shape of the moat and berm makes it easier to defend the city.

Basketball

Quincy played basketball in a league where each city had a team. Like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Quincy lives in a small city but they were competitive. He was surprised when we came to watch his game. The other players parents were there. Quincy's mother came to only one of his games. He kept looking at us with a big smile on his face. We made him nervous at first but then he settled down and played well.

This is his team and coach. He was the only black player we saw in the league. Luke, who is stading on the otherside of the coach has an African father. It was a strange trunky  feeling to watch Quincy play basketball. It brought back the feelings we had when we watched Ben.

This is Quincy at YSA FHE. He has pasted pictures and quotations of the prophets into his scriptures.

More February

This is at the baptism of John. Elders Neilson and van Rij from Turnhout were present. 2/11

This church is in Middleburg. We were in the Zeeland province with time between apointments. Middleburg was Paul Nordin's first city. It was a special feeling to walk the streets of old Middleburg and think about Paul. 2/16

Friday the 24th we visited Hilverson, Amersfoort, Zwolle, Goude, Den Haag and Rotterdam picking up stuff and making deliveries.

This is what the car looked like when we got it fully loaded.  They should never give Seniors cars.

This is our favorite way to go grocery shopping. It was a beautiful day when we left so we asked a man to take a picture of us as we rode by a pond by the shopping center. 2/25

We were in the shopping mall in Sterrenberg and saw this Chess Master. It would take him a few seconds to make a move and then he would move to the next player. 2/25



This is Hans and Matilda at their baptism with Bishop and Sister Roberts on the right. They are wonderful members from Ghana. 



Here are the sisters with Barbara and Stacy. Stacy is Matilda's daughter and Barbara is Stacy's friend.  But Barbara lives with Stacy and they are just like sisters.

The bishop from Gouda is also from Ghana. His children are here with Stacy and Barbara. The tallest young man is Emanuel. He is planning on a mission but has a few years before he can go. They are a wonderful family. 2/25

Stacey and Barbara came to YSA in Utrecht. They frosted and decorated the banana cake Sister Everton baked. Those are strawberries on top.  They hurried and finished eating so they could wash the dishes. They are gracious and kind and very polite. They have been well taught by their mothers.  Stacy is 17 and Barbara is 18.

YSA Valentines Dance in Rotterdam

Joachim (on the left) is the Stake YSA leader and is part of our Utrecht YSA group. He helped the disk jocky pick music.

Amy who is the cup cake expert and friend of Sister Everton and Season was helping serve food.




This is Mithell and his brother Jason (or maybe Jason's twin Brandon) with Quincy. 

 

The gym was decorated very nicely for the event. Everthing was organized and decorations put in place by the YSA committee.

Gent

We visited the old part of Gent with the Antwerpen Zone missionaires. We visited a castle which has been rebuilt.  Here we are standing under an original arch at the entrance to the castle.

I wish I had a picture of these Elders when they stood in the center of the square in old Gent and sang Happy Birthday to Sister Everton. Sister Everton had been inside McDonalds checking on missionaries with minor health problems. When she came out, they started singing to her. It was beautiful and she loved it. The missionaries have a great love for her.  We had taken them oreo cookies, fla and milk.  The milk in Belgium is warm in cartons and has been radiated.  Apparently is tastes awful.

This is Sister Palenikova in one of the castle rooms.

This is exiting the gate of the castle into old Gent.