Yes, so big changes this week. I will still be in Brugge but I will have a new companion obviously as ER is dying [translation: Elder Richards is going home]. I get to meet him tomorrow. What is really interesting about my new companion is that he will be a greenie. In other words, I am training this next transfer. The president called a few nights ago and told me the news and let me tell you I was not expecting this! I am really scared but I am ready, I am willing to do it. It is going to be scary because we are in a really hard area accent wise and I still have a little trouble understanding people and there's no doubt that the greenie will also have trouble as I did when I first arrived. So this next transfer is going to be really really different than the last 2. That's the big news. I am emailing from a library in Gent right now and don't really have that much time. ER still hasn't left yet but we are having a good time and he's buying a lot of chocolate, haha. I'd say he's excited but also kinda sad, he loves the mission field but it will be nice to go back home.
Haha, yes I saw those pillows, I was thinking more like flowers or Brugge scenery or something. But I'll look at the dogs haha. [on what kind of throw pillow I'd like. Brugge is known for its tapestries and they make beautiful pillows].
Questions:
1. Tell me about the changes this week … who is your new companion? Where is he from? How long has he been out? How is his Dutch?
2. How did it go with Elder Richards leaving this week?
3. How did the missionary work go this week?
4. Did you go to church in Gent this week? What is the ward like there? Did all the members of the Brugge Branch make it?
5. Did you travel anywhere this week?
6. Do you know yet how it will work to talk on May 14th, Mother’s Day?
Answers:
1. will do
2. not gone yet but he's all packed and ready to go
3. okay it was kinda crazy, found a lot of potentials for next week though!
4. No it was in Brugge for the last time
5. not really but I'll be going to Leiden tomorrow to meet my new greenie or groentje
6. nope haha, no idea
The Extra:
I don't think I'll have much time to write much down [on PDays] because we don't get to email from the church anymore :( Anyway this one will be more spiritual because I think you'd appreciate it. We talk lots on the mission about developing Christ-like attributes and there's a bunch of them listed in PMG. One of the ones we talked about lately was humility. Which is one of my favourites. Humility is in part the absence of pride. We see the cycle of pride in the BoM often with the Lamanites and the Nephites. It starts when wicked people are being really bad, so they are humbled by God, by things such as famines. At a certain point, they realize they need God and that they can't do it alone. They are then blessed and helped by God and the people then again begin to prosper in the land. As they continue in their prospering they get so wealthy that they forget God once again and become a wicked people once again because of pride.
Pride is never good and something I learned is that comparing yourself to others is a form of pride which causes contention and is never good. It is so easy to compare ourselves to others and we do it so often. But as we learn to be grateful for what we have, we recognize God's role in our lives and are more peaceful. If we don't become prideful we have no need to be humbled which is not fun. DON'T EVER PRAY TO BE HUMBLED!!! BAD THINGS HAPPEN AND YOU WILL BE HUMBLED!!! But if you need to it is probably going to be good for you in the end. So yes, develop the attribute of Humility, but like all attributes, you can't develop one without the others. They are all interwoven. Gratitude is also a great one to develop. All these things/attributes bring peace in life. Really they do. And everyone can do better. We must always be working on improving ourselves and trying to become more like Jesus Christ.
To continue with some of my favourite things about it here I'll mention the trees along the roads. Something I absolutely love that they do here is they put trees all along the back country roads and along bike paths as well. It might be the photographer in me but it is so pretty! All the leaves and greenery, it looks so nice! I think I've taken some photos of them already but I'll try and take some more.
Something we did in church this past Sunday that I really found insightful was they asked us all to write down our 5 most valuable possessions, not necessarily physical. If you really think about it, it can be kinda hard but it helps you realize where your priorities are. So try it and be honest with yourselves! Is there something you need to work on? Remember 3 Nephi 13: 19-21, where are your treasures? Are they corruptible and earthly or eternal? I know that true happiness comes from laying up treasures in heaven where they will be safeguarded from corruption.
This past week I got the awesome chance to work with Elder Tanner, one of my old MTC companions, for a whole day. We did a lot of stuff and had a bunch of fun. Also went to a new place called Torhout. Very small but I love the little places like that the most. We found where we were going and after it was time to go back to the train station. I told Elder Tanner that I knew a way that would be faster, turns out I didn't and when I reluctantly admitted I had no idea where we were. We looked at a few signs and followed them eventually to the station.
For lunch we had some amazing Turkish food called Kapsalon. As we were eating a fight broke out between these two 14 year old boys. One of them wrecked the other and there was a huge crowd of people. A few other 18 year old by standers were laughing at the kid and it was so mean! European teenagers are not the same.
We had an appointment with Omar that was good and by then the day was over. We had a lot of other little stories but that would take forever to write down.
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