So this week we had nothing planned really but it turned out to be a busy week and not what we expected. Monday after we emailed we got a call from the office saying that ER needed to go down to Brussels for legality stuff so that means we had to meet them in Leiden at 9:00 in the morning. We had to sleep over cause it takes 3 hours to get to Leiden…that was Friday. So Thursday night we headed down to Leiden to sleep, the elders there are Steele and Gemmel. Both pretty cool guys so I knew it was going to be good. We got there at a good time and so we played some card games. It was a lot like Rummy if you have ever played that. E. Gemmel is from New Zealand and so I told him I used to live in Australia and he thought that was pretty cool so we talked about that and also rugby, haha. In the morning we dropped ER off and went back to the apartment to get ready. The Leiden elders were actually going on exchanges with the APs [Assistants to the President] so they came over and we all had lunch together. It was really fun to be with the APs in a not formal setting like a zone conference. They could be a bit more loose which was funny to see that side of them. Also both Leiden elders and the APs will all be home for Christmas so it was fun to hang with a bunch of old missionaries. I worked in Leiden for the day with Elder Gemmel and Elder Mackay which was fun. We had a car and drove to do some look ups and knocked a bit too. It was neat to see how they talked with people and their Dutch was great!
Also Elder Gemmel is dying [translation: is going home soon] so he wanted to sell his bike. It was given to him by another missionary who had just bought it but had to go home so Gemmel used it for a few weeks and so it is brand new practically. It was originally 420 Euro but he was selling it to me for 100 and my other bike is not working too great anymore so I was like ya sure I’ll buy it. It’s a race type bike but also isn't uncomfortable. I took a few photos. I love it! It rides soooo smooth. Oh, also at the station later that day I saw a guy with an Eagles hat!!! [Elder Fernhout’s favourite team]. So weird cause I have only ever seen three NFL teams here: Raiders, Patriots, and now the Eagles. I tried to stop to talk to him but he had earbuds in and just kept going… sad.
We had service with T again this week and it was good. She had some questions about temples which I answered and after she told me that I have good Dutch so that was nice. We helped her make a shelf. I got the job to make the shelves in a box and ER to sand some planks. I measured the shelves I did with a level and they were pretty much right on. We also helped her carry some stuff around outside like bricks and tiles but then the rain came. We have had sooo much rain again. At least a few hours every single day… it has also been really windy. Anyway, we went to catch a bus after T's and this girl came to the bus stop as well. She began talking to us about the rain and when I asked her if it was always like this she was like, "are you not from here?" So then that launched into a convo about everything but she complimented me on my Dutch which is always nice to hear! That night we traveled to Leiden and the train passed over Lelystad, a part of the Netherlands that used to all be underwater only a bit ago. Anyway, I have never seen anything so flat in my life. I thought Emmen was bad but I couldn't believe it… there were no trees or anything just rocky grass forever.
We had the tacos you sent for dinner two days ago! So good! Thanks for that. Also at T's we had corn and it was not any where near as good as the corn back home. I miss that Taber corn!
Yesterday we had stake conference and it was fun to see a bunch of other missionaries, as well as go north to Groningen. I hadn't been there yet. After the conference I talked with some other missionaries I hadn't seen in a while so that was nice.
I heard from Opa that his dad was born in Hoogeveen. Do you know how close that is?! Super duper close. I go there all the time. It's 15 mins by train. Also, his opa lived in Nieuw Amsterdam which is even closer and he is also buried there, so of course I'll have to go there. All of these places are in my area which I think is super cool. I never knew.
Ya, I heard LCI is killin' it out there and that Football Canada tweeted about us! So great that Jake gets to be a part of that! Also, ya I thought it was super nice to get a note from the Primary. It made me remember that I have a whole ward back home supporting me! Ya, I can still use my planner, haha. Ya, it is really is green and lush here. Also I noticed the trees seem to be taller than I am used to. I remember how brown the coulees are and no leaves on the trees in Lethbridge. We have just have a washer, no dryer, so we hang all our stuff up. Some of the socks I have are super stiff after and others are normal, must be the material they are made from. I got the sweater in Belgium during sales, it was 6 Euro. Super nice for the temperatures lately.
Questions:
1. Have you eaten herring yet? If not, when do you plan on doing that?
2. What have you learned from Dutch culture that you’d like to adopt?
3. I looked up OV fiets, do you have to register to use them then?
4. Do most Dutch kids have cell/mobile phones there?
5. Can you take some companion photos?
6. I saw a picture of Elder Rytting this week in Belgium (posted on Facebook), must have been with his MTC group?! I didn’t see you in the picture, did you go too?
7. How is the cooking going? Are you getting more meals now that summer is over?
8. How is the money situation? Are you learning some good budgeting skills?
9. So do you hear the dutch say “doei” for “bye”?
1. I haven't, haha. Uh, when I am forced to or when I serve closer to the coast. I will definately do it at least one time.
2. Wow, that is a good question. Uh, I guess how efficient they are. You definately see it in the way their transportation is all layed out and just how the people are is efficient. No time is wasted and they do it in the best way.
3. We just rent them with a card that we have that we use for everything: buses, trains, trams, metros, bike. Super nice and efficient!
4. Oh ya, and they get them pretty young. They use a lot more Samsung here than Apple I have noticed. They love technology. They use it all over and implement it into everything they can. Even the advertisements at bus stops have a little nfc sensor you can use.
5. Sure
6. Ya, he went down there with some of his group. No, I stayed in Leiden for the day.
7. Decent. We made tacos and breakfast burritos and some other meals. We had a busy week and didn't get fed too much. T did feed us though! She always has super good tasty food and it is all healthy and full of veggies. I wish she could make all of my meals, haha.
8. Ya, I am doing great here! It’s cheaper than Belgium and we don’t eat out like ever. Also, I don’t buy any sweets really which are more expensive and I drink only water so ya it's good. I did buy that bike but it was pretty cheap.
9. Oh aaaaaaalllll the time! I say it now too haha. Like when you get off the bus you say doe! or doei or when you end a Phone call they say it like 3 times, haha.
Dat is alles.
Elder Fernhout hou doe
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| KD from home |
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| Sock repairs |
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| A new bike |
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| In Leiden with Elder Mackay |
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