Nicholas Fernhout in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission: Week 4 at the MTC

[It was a short letter this week...]

Things I want to tell you:

1. I had a double bleeding nose at the beginning of the week! ya that was a mess, I was in my Sunday dress clothes.

2. A guy in my zone ate an entire banana, peel and all, haha.

3. Elder Cameron had some extra Canadian flag iron on patches so I put one on my bag.

4. I was called as District Leader!

[Questions from home:

1. What did you study this week in Dutch?

2. Are you learning more about the Gospel each week, do you study different Gospel topics?

3. Did you get mine and Grandma Noel’s parcels?

4. Do you need me to send you anything because this is probably the last week I can send something for it to make it there on time before you leave.

5. Are you getting excited to go to Belgium and the Netherlands? Do you know when your visa will be approved and do you have a departure date?

6. What is your favourite part of your day?

7. How is your cold, are you feeling better now?

8. How was the temple last week?]

1. We studied conjugation of verbs in all the tenses yay!

2. Ya I learn a lot about the gospel, it is all intertwined really tightly with the language.

3. I got your parcel a while ago, on Friday. Not gmas though. I was so happy when I got the package! And its amazing, everything you put in there was something I was just about to buy like the notepad or stain pens.

4. There's a couple things but nothing really worth sending.

5. Oh yes, we are all super pumped. I get my flight plans this Friday so that is exciting, I don't know anything about my visa though and I'm pretty sure my date is Feb 7.

6. The best part of my day is either gym or when my day is over at 9:30 and I can go home and chill for a little bit.

7. I am healthy again now!

8. Temple was good as usual. I did an endowment session.

From our Hangout chat:

-Nick was able to eat dinner with Elder Brett Sheen and Elder Ryan Black last night before they left for Winnipeg today, Elder Matt Stewart will be the one picking them up from the airport, all Lethbridge boys!

-He grabbed a sack breakfast this morning and asked for yogurt, a banana, bagel and chocolate milk because you have to be in Sunday dress to eat in the cafeteria.

-The new MTC President and his wife sat with Nick's district to eat in the cafeteria for a meal.

-He is now understanding why I ask him to turn his socks right side out before throwing them in the wash, its much easier turning them before than after and such a pain he says, haha.

-He really appreciates all the emails from everyone!

-Three new elders called to Turkey arrived in the zone last week, one is from Edmonton and Nick played Rugby against him in the Edmonton tournament last year. Also, only elders are called to Turkey, not sister missionaries.

-When elders leave the MTC and leave things behind, the remaining elders like to go raid their stuff (he compared it to a zombie apocalypse). He scored some envelopes!

-He is used to the schedule and doesn't get tired anymore during the days.

-He really likes learning Dutch and is getting used to the grammar and language construction: for the word should you combine = zouden + moeten and then conjugate them to the subject; could = zouden + kunnen.

-This week for TRC (Teaching Resource Center) they are skyping with members in the Netherlands for 20 minutes to teach a practice lesson.

-He lost a bet with the district last night and has to speak Dutch all day today but doesn't mind.

-One of his favourite times of the week is on Tuesdays when the rest of the zone goes to dinner an hour early because of choir practice and he and Elder Tanner go to the computer lab and watch Mormon Messages for an hour.

-He fills in his time with a lot of scripture reading.