Random, Funny, Interesting Things

Well,

My sister ended her mission. I love you, you know?

It's kind of like a countdown, the three of us coming home. It makes me kind of sick in the stomach...

Regardless, the week was well. We get to start teaching a few new people. We get to have lots of windy rainy weather that can never make up it's mind. Rain really hard, break up, sun. Wind comes in, rain, thunder, lightning, calm again. Rain, etc.
It makes life interesting though

We also got to go to the beach this pday. We went with some of the others from our district. Was quite fun. We found a jelly fish, and crabs and stuff....Not sure why I'm saying all this. Maybe babbling?

We also got to have a Mission leader council. Really good. There's a lot of new Sister Training Leaders and Zone leaders now. Old group is getting flushed out.

We also get a zone conference tomorrow. That should be great. 

We got to help out at a wedding reception this week at our church. Elder C. and I served some food, put stuff up and down, etc. It was nice.

You know what I was thinking about? How many random funny interesting thing happen to you on a mission. Like, knocking doors you get so many different responses everyday. You get a lot of the same, but you also get random. You get people who tell you what you believe, they're so certain that even when you try to convince them that you actually know what it is You believe, they won't hear it.
One of my favorite things is when you knock on the door and then they come out of a side door, or peak out an upstairs window. It's like a guessing game.

I also like when you’re talking to people on the street, and someone passes, and your just convinced you have to talk to them, so you turn around to talk to them, and you have to like follow them yelling: Pardon! Sorry! Can I ask you something?
And then they don't hear so you awkwardly follow with your arm out in front of you, trying not to look creepy. Normally your companion tries to look at the ground and follow a few paces behind because he's utterly embarrassed.   

I've definitely done both those things before. Once I followed a lady across a plein, or empty square, like this whole thing, calling out to her. There were all these people eating on outdoor tables on the side, that just stared at me the whole way across. Elder P. laughed so hard afterward.
 I never did get her attention. She went and caught a bus...

ya, 
the things you do in these two years are priceless. You can't miss it. Never really know what it's like till you try it :)

Tot volgende week!
EC

Castricum Skyline

I love it!

I'm late with this and it's gonna be ridiculous short. We went to the Anne Frank house yesterday. That was really neat. And we went to the Rijks musuem. Saw lots of cool stuff again. People can paint...

This week has been great. We are going to Den Helder today to work at a booth in the centrum. the whole district should be there. 

I'm on my 4th transfer here in Alkmaar. I could stay clear to the end if im needed here. I love it. It's beautiful. And the people are fantastic.

I love you all and will talk again next week!

Elder Chantry

Rolling Waters

Well.
This is the first week with Elder C. He's great. He's from Provo Utah. But he's traveled around in his life. He speaks almost every language there is. English, Dutch, Spanish, French, Italian (that's where his opa is from), Some Portuguese and some Duits.
I was impressed.

We started off the transfer with a good meeting with the STL and the District leaders, and are focusing on chapter 5 of Preach My Gospel.

I was studying this week in Doctrine and Covenants. I came across a verse that has meant a lot to me. 121:33. Mostly the first line actually:
 ''How long can rolling waters remain impure?''

Reason. It has been a witness to me of the importance of staying strong, and not giving up. No matter how dirty our waters may be, if they continue to flow, and roll, then they will become clean. I know this topic may be straightforward. But you know how it is; certain things really strike you at times when you need them.

I want to share a couple things to you all that reinforced this. Pres. Robinson, in his letter to us (he sends weekly) Included a poem. Called the Invictus. This poem emphasizes that need for determination for me. Second, is a Mormon message that is new. You may have seen it already. It's called: The Hope of God's Light. That video is amazing. Watching it was a witness to me that God really does know our needs. And if we continue, as "flowing waters" then we will feel of His light, and come off conqueror. 

As Henley puts it: Captain of our soul

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. 

--William Ernest Henley  

-----------------------------------

E. Chantry

Here is the link to the video that Carsten mentioned:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2014?lang=eng

Bridges and Mirrors

I've had a great week this week. We had several more exchanges and then ended it with a great and awesome b-day/farewell celebration with the familie De B. 

I stay here, and I get Elder C. His parents are from Mexico I believe (?) And he's super nice from what I know. And of course he's one of the other couple billion people who speak Spanish just to remind me that I don't. .. hehheh. It's cool though

Elder I. has been a great companion. I’ll miss him. He has really finished his mission strong. He's done a lot here in this area. He should be proud, along with his family.

-------------------------------------
I said I would talk about my zone training. I want to talk about it cause it follows up on the monologue I’ve had lately ...

The training was really the best one I’ve taught yet. We began with workshops, role-plays etc, and that went well. I had a language section, where we had to teach 'members' a gospel topic by using a random analogy (like snowboarding and faith)

That wasn't bad. Elder I. and Sis. E. had their own station. After that, and after lunch, we had training. Where each of us taught a segment, and we had musical numbers in between. (if you haven't seen the music video 'Because of Him' on the church website you got to watch it. Amazing. That's one we used)

The segment I taught was about conversion. All three segments worked together, but specifically on mine I talked about the why behind conversion. I tried to share with them as much as I could, and I hope the Spirit made the difference.
---What I taught and what I learned I want to share with you all a little:

(Along with a lot of things, I used two talks especially to help me: "Challenge to become" Elder Dallin H. Oaks. And Elder David A. Bednar's talk on conversion in the Oct. 2012 ensign. Just fyi)

Last time on conversion, I talked about living what you believe to be true. It is the essence of conversion.
                        It is. It is creating good habits, setting proper priorities, organizing ourselves to be more like Christ. Seeking and acting on opportunities to place others before yourself.
I say all this to give you examples of what I mean. These are all things you all know. Sis. E. said it best when she explained conversion is manifest by our consecration. Consecration being our willingness to give up Whatever the Lord may require from us. And also giving up things even when it's not asked of us, doing it because we see that it is necessary.
                     
But I realized something very important. Doing the things the gospel preaches does not necessarily bring conversion. It puts us in a position to become converted, but does not bring the change itself. That is done by you. Example: You must build a bridge. This bridge represents your conversion. It can carry the loads in life and support you and bring you where you need to be. Each piece of the bridge, concrete, cables, beams, etc represent testimonies or compliance to, different gospel principles and doctrines. You can collect an impressive pile of these pieces, but that doesn't build your bridge. All you have is pieces. You become converted as you understand how those pieces fit together. If you have a vision of what they can become, and know what their purpose is.

I want to end this, with an image. Something that I thought of awhile back, and has stuck with me. I don't know what the final judgment will be, but this image has made me think a lot:  Imagine you have died, and you are in a long hall way. You walk to a door at the end, and as you do your past life flashes around in your mind. You open the door and see you’re standing in a huge court room. But, it's completely empty. You expected a huge crowd for your judgment.  You wonder where everyone is, but then you see a door off to the side, a small one, and so you go through. On the other side is a room that’s small, and has only a skylight up above. The dim light lights up an object on the other side of the room. You walk up to it and see that it is an old, full-length mirror. You look in and see yourself, and for the first time, you really see yourself for who you Really are. No more deception, bias or ignorance. You know you. Your character, who you have become, is right there.
It becomes Obvious at that point that there really is no need for a judgment, because you already know what the judgment is. It's not a waiting for the final test score to come in. It's a realization of who you have become, while taking the test.

I have to go now. I love the truth the gospel brings. And the clarity that it can give when we really seek it.

Met liefde,
Elder Chantry
van Alkmaar

I Screamed Loud...

Well well well.

We had a good week. More exchanges. I got to go to Zaandam again. That was great. I enjoyed. Made an appt with a former investigator lady that me and Elder K. found last year at almost the exact day.
Weird.

What else...
We had a great p-day today. We went to those bunkers again be cause it was really fun.
HEH, it rained though. Typical. Saturday was 35 degrees, and SOOO humid. And we got cloud cover and rain today. lovely :)

It was still great though. We had a blast. We played capture the flag at one point. And we won the first one :)

The second one I had the flag, and I jumped into the bushes to get away. Sad thing was they were covered in thorns. So I screamed loud and kept running. Other sad thing was there was stinging nettle all over, so as I type my legs burn and prickle. It's nice ;0

It would've worked but my team abandoned me and then I got sabotaged by a drop hidden by bushes, then as I turned around I got tagged in the back, and the momentum carried me into another drop hidden by bushes and so I fell into more thorn bushes. So I screamed loud again.

Worth it :)
I make it dramatic sounding but it really was fun.

Pics!
I included a typical street that was decked out for the WK. (World Cup) it was like that in many places. Many even more intense. It was awesome.

Also me last p-day when we took pics by windmills. Fun fact: the drive between Alkmaar and Hoorn (to the west of it) is actually pictured in the Best Two Years movie (I was told. I can't remember when) But it's gorgeous. 

ik hou van jullie!!

Elder C>

Street during World Cup.

Straf Schoten zijn de slechtste manier om een wedstrijd te beslissen

Wednesday night,
I lay on the ground.
With my heart broken.
(in pieces)

I would go on and rant about it, but I discovered sadly enough that it doesn't help.

I'm proud they got 3rd. That's cool.
Maar niet de beker.

Anyways, they played well. I enjoyed watching.
And other things happened this week as well. We started teaching several new people in our area. Things keep picking up.

The zone is still doing well. We worked on exchanges a lot this week. And we had stupidly humid weather. It could be a decent 23 degrees, but because it's so humid, it's terrible. I just sweat. wah wah. It's nice and green here. We were at a member’s house and they were showing us their garden, and it made me want to plant things. We bought a basilicum plant, and that's sitting in the appartment. Otherwise, we have a tree growing out the side of the building between cracks in the brick. That’s about it though.

I'm rambling now. 

I let you go now. I'll send pics volgende week.
hey, fijne week!!

Elder CHANTRY!

4-3 met straf schoten

Well Proud I am, of Nederland. And winning again.

And very proud, of the Amsterdam zone. The missionaries here are busier than ever. They have so many people they are teaching. We ourselves are seeing an increase. We found a few more people to teach, and we have a busy plan this coming week.

Right now all the dike alarms our going off. You can hear it all throughout the city. They are designed to go off when the dijks break and water is flooding Nederland.

..........

BUT don't worry. Cause they test them on every first Monday of the month. :)


So Mom reminded me of an experience with Elder C. On Konings Dag. We had spent the day in Amsterdam. And we were going back home. I had left a bag in the Elders appartment, but I didn't need it. We could just get it next time we saw them. We were heading back on the train, to get to a dinner appointment on time. So we're all in a hurry (hence not going back to get the bag)..
                     
Well, we ride the train, and arrive in Heiloo. We get out, and go to check out. See, the transportation here works with little cards. That have an electric chip in them. And a little machine scans them and checks you ''in'' to the train. And ''out''. Well, turns out that little card is slippery. And when one puts it in his pant pocket it falls out. I went up to the machine, and I couldn't find my card. I search bag, pants, alles, nothing. I tell my comp "man, I left it on the train.” I then hear the whistle, and the train rides away....If you could've seen the look on my face.....

Well, that's bad. But we have to go. We parked our car at the station, so that we could drive quick to the dinner appointment.  We were real clever. Turns out clever isn't enough to counter-act idiocy. As we got to the car, my I realized I didn't have the car keys. I madly search my bag (for the 4th time in so many minutes) and my worthless gap-openness pockets.. And then I ask Elder C. My conversation went like this:

‘‘Elder, do you have the keys?''

‘‘No. I thought you put them in your bag''

'''WAIT. I did........oh......"'

''What?"

''I put them in my other bag''

''And that bag is....''
                                                                                                                                                    (In Amsterdam)
''........AAARGH!!"

So, we were forced, to walk home. Now, it wouldn’t be so a big deal, if we weren't now gonna be late to a dinner appointment. My comp had the idea, to take the bikes from the appartment to dinner. So we rush walk home. Finally get there, and grab the bikes.

Fun fact about the bikes, one of them is what's called a 'fouw fiets'. A foldable trasportable bike. So it's tiny and doesn't make you look dignified. The other one was a normal one. Down side was, it has no brakes.
The good part was, we got there. No one got hurt, and we weren't even too late in the end.

The moral of the story, is don't trust me with anything.

 Love you all! Glad the 4th was fun. And Joseph Happy BDAY!!! Have the greatest time 14 jarige jongen :)

Elder Chantry!