The DC4-Reaper Has Landed!

Well,
The training went well. I enjoyed it. I think they got the message too. Elder T. and I made space helmets. Out of tinfoil and coat hangers. I was pleased :)..... as far as decorations that was all, but we did make videos that were played throughout the training. The idea with that was to keep it interesting. The main part was the workshops. My companion our sister training leader and I each did a section. We split the zone into 3 groups and had them move every thirty minutes. It was cool cause we based it off of one of president’s trainings from a while back that we felt they needed. There were six points to it so we each did 2. I talked about setting spiritual goals and staying on purpose to find teach and baptize. . Cool thing was we never told them that's what we were doing. We just taught the points and at the end we gave them time to write down their ideas and plans at the end....
Anyways, it went well. The zone really liked it, and from what I’ve heard I think it taught the desired message.....

As zone leaders we for sure still have time to teach people and go finding and everything. There's just more time than usual spent on random stuff. For example, after the training on Wednesday, we cleaned up, and then we had to drive to the mission office in Leiden to get a key for some elders who had locked themselves out of their place. Then we came back and taught a lesson to a less active mom who wants to start coming back. Then we drove to the elder’s city and gave them the key.. . just random......

For example, we went on two exchanges this week, and while I was gone Elder T. got let in to a potential investigator’s house. They taught her the first lesson and set a baptism date with her for March and set weekly appointments. Really cool! We’ve been really trying to pick the work up in this area. And it's coming around. Another mother and her two daughters we're teaching are also reading in the Book of Mormon, and are making progress again. :) So it's working.

Love you guys!
ELder Chantry

Zone Space Training

Dinges...and Zone Training

This Wednesday is our training for the zone. President will be there with his wife to watch. A little pressure. But not much.
I hope it goes well. Were' trying to combine a well tailored training for what they need, with fun and exciting. Hence our theme is space travel. And we're going to go on a space odyssey in the middle of our training. Complete with homemade videos, the meeting should be wonderful :)....

Here's something we've been doing this week. I wrote this to president, but I thought I’d include it here....

 We've been applying the idea of Elder P. and I. to set spiritual goals for the day's work. We've been doing it our selves, and having our district leaders assign different goal ideas for companionships and then following up at the end of the day to see if they were successful. We've seen miracles from it all ready. More than that though, I've seen that it helps give a solid focus through out the day and gives finding and other activities more of a purpose. Time goes quick as opposed to trying to kill time.
  
Rotterdam is a big city. There’s two wards in it. One for north, and ours in south. The church came originally in 1800's but many people moved to Utah. It built back up through the 1900's, but it kinda shrunk again in the 80's 90's etc. We’re building it again. :)

It's fairly different then België. Although not too much so. Hard to explain. (btw, the tunnel type building from the picture, I think that will just be appartment complex. they go all out sometimes)
  
I think I go now. Tot volgende week. Trouwens, ik bid voor jullie. I love you all

Elder Chantry

A Photographic Post

All the information included as captions come from Elder Chantry's email. Enjoy!

Same view as below but on New Year's Eve with the fireworks.

View of the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam North. 

Feeding the birds. If no other animal they have birds in the Netherlands!

Give it up for another Elder Chantry pose in North Rotterdam.

Example of some great graffiti they have like art there.
 

Panorama photo of a church in Dordrecht.

These figures represent people walking at sea level as opposed to the level of Rotterdam. 

Elder Chantry on a bridge.

North Rotterdam. People live in the buildings on the right.

Typical "Dutch" or Rotterdam picture with boats, bikes and canal.

Replica of Noah's Ark.
Do you see the giraffes?

Short and Sweet

Anyways....
New years was crazy again. SOO many fire works. And when 12am oclock strikes it just explodes. I'm so proud of everyone here. They welcome the new year with style and pride :)

What else?
Transfer news. I’m staying, and with Elder T. So he shall finish with me, poor man.
But it’ll be great. We have a zone training this month, where we give the teaching. So I’m looking forward to that.. In the Rotterdam district every single companionship is staying the same. Weird huh? And the other district in our zone is getting a few transfers. On Wednesday we have to go to the train station and help all the different missionaries getting transferred get on the right trains with temporary companions etc ... just organizing stuff...

Went on two exchanges this week. Really cool. Got to teach a lesson on a big cargo boat. Proud of that. (I use teach liberally. it was in Spanish. I was with an elder who speaks Spanish, I said like 5 things. but it helped a little I think :)
  
Elder Chantry

Happy new year!!!!

Feeling the Love of Christ

So Christmas time was active for us. We went with the other two Elders in our ward (who we do a lot with btw) and we went caroling to members, less actives, investigators etc... Was really cool....

I don't have time for all, but I want to share a story of someone we visited Christmas day. It is a good example of what I'm learning about true Christmas spirit. And of just plain Christ's Spirit.... here goes:                     (I copied what I shared to president, cause I like the way I put it)


"This Christmas week went well. In that we were able to go caroling to many different members, less active members, investigators etc. I enjoyed being able to be out and active on Christmas day. I agree with what was said, that it's a time to come closer to Christ.
When we were visiting people we thought of a member who has recently starting coming back to church. We visited her and when she opened the door we just starting singing a Christmas hymn. She loved it, and at the end she started to cry and had to go back in her house a minute before we could come in. She told us that she was home alone for Christmas. That her son who was with her (adult aged) left to spend the day with her daughter, and she couldn't go along because relations were strained, and it would be too much for her daughter. It was really sad to hear. But she was very glad we had come by.

While we were visiting and watching a Christmas video with her Elder W. thought to call the members that we would eat dinner with later that night. He explained her situation and asked if she could come along. The members were very gracious and invited her warmly. When we told her she was invited her face lit up and she was delighted. She expressed her gratitude that night at their house, that she was able to come, and that her lonely Christmas turned out to be a great one.
I am eternally grateful for Christ's ministry. Cause it's not just his teachings of good things. It's His actions of love that we can learn to follow and make such a difference in someone's life.
I saw other similar experiences these last couple weeks, and I am again grateful for this Christmas season, and for the chance to be a part of allowing others to feel the love of Christ.
Cause that, in my opinion, is what Christmas is all about."

I love you all.
Happy New Year. don't get too crazy. (We have a great view of the city, so we'll get some Great firework showage. We have to go in at 4pm and stay in ‘til the next day. They go hardcore with fireworks here on new years)

Fijne Jaar wisseling!!

Elder Chantry

Prettige Kerstdagen

So the conference with Texiroua or something, was great... We had it on Thursday, and then on Friday the zone leaders and sister leaders met in the mission home and had another training with him.
It's kinda like having a really hard core workout. You feel beat up and sore as heck, but you know your gonna get stronger from it.

He did a great job of raising the bar. Pushing us to work harder, and to achieve more. He said that as leaders, we are not supposed to sustain the status quo. In the parable of the talents, that's what the servant with one talent did. And look what he got. As leaders we are to stimulate growth and progression. . There's really no point to a leader ship position, he said, if your not going to make a difference with your stewardship.
                I'll admit I felt pretty small.. heh... But I appreciate the push. He's very much right after all. The Lord's work is hastening. And now is not the time to put the talent in a drawer to "keep it safe'" ..

We're shooting for the stars here. And if we miss, at least we get the moon eh? (I heard that somewhere)... I'm excited to implement what I learned and then help the zone do the same.

That's the main highlights for my week. We made a Christmas tree out of those long thin foldy balloons one night :).. It's kind of losing air though, so we might have to get a replacement using some other material....looks cool though...
  
Merry Christmas to you all. I'm really loving the Christmas time. Elder Tex. (something) said that we need to make the most out of the Christmas on our mission. It's a really special chance to get closer to Christ. That's my goal. I mess up my goals from time to time, but I'm still trudging through towards them. If I stop and mourn my mess up too long then I don't get any farther....

Love you again...
ik ga nu einde. 
Prettige Kerstdagen!!

Elder Chantry

Tis the Season

So let´s see what´s worth saying,,,,

We were fairly busy this week... I was on exchanges for two of the days. One day with one of the elders in Utrecht, and the other with one of the Assistants to the President. That was fun. That day was Sinter Klaas. Meaning, everyone does gifts for each other and they play games and eat pepernoten etc, and have a jolly time. I went to Amsterdam and we did it at a member’s house. All the elders and sisters came in the area (with a onderzoekster as well) and we ate what they call ´gourmet´ which is basically where you get a bunch of raw meat on a plate, along with random other things and there´s several grills on the table, and you all just grill it up, talking all gezelig, and it´s great fun.. I got to see Elder S., he´s serving in Amsterdam now. Great day...

We got to eat at many different members’ houses, although I was gone for several on exchange. We went to Antwerpen Monday to pick up Elder T.´s wallet. someone found it and turned it into the police station (he lost it there a couple transfers ago when he was there). . So then after that we went to Brussels with some other elders and saw some cool sights and churches. 

We made many cookies and cards for members :) we´ve been giving em out to spread the good cheer weet je wel? tis the season... That´s been fun. 

This coming week is the conference and then leader council with Texieroua or however you spell it. Everyone is excited for that. It´s gonna be good. They come into the mission, and he doesn´t have already what he´ll talk about. He interviews the Pres. and the assistants, goes finding with random companionships, and then he, does the conference for two days in a row, then the mission leader council and then a few more things and leaves. Just by talking to people he decides what we need to be taught. It´s really intense actually. 

I say. I´ll put some pictures up now. Love you all. Tis the season!!! Remember that =D

pic 1 an awesome view of the water and factories en alles en ook wat on our way back to Rotterdam Monday.
pic 2 the outside of a church in Brussels. 
pic 3 that´s the inside of a church. That´s where the preacher would go to teach. Super intense artwork. And you can see other statues of saints and stuff on the pillars (Belgium used to be Very catholic)

Elder Chantry!!

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3