Re: happy last week of 2011!

Hoi famlie!!

Well.. it was great and wonderful, fantastic even, being able to talk and to SEE most of you yesterday!  I don't really know what to say or talk about, we covered a wide range of things yesterday in our chat!  Umm.. Well after the chat, we went spend a little more time at the El Salvadorian family's place, played some games, fed us hot chocolate and waffels, which was just great because it filled us up right before our dinner appointment with a ghanian family!  Ha ha We didn't play that very smart, they gave us a bunch of food, and it was super good, but trying to force it down.. oh man, i knew i was going to burst, and that was definitely without question the fattest i have ever felt in my entire life! =P  But like i said it was really good, tasted great, and I had a wonderful christmas! =) Today, what are we planning on doing, i think were going to go to the chirstmas mart here in antwerpen, probably look around, panic a little and buy stuff.. you know that sort of thing, and then i've made a goal, that i will write back everyone who has sent me a letter that i still need to write back by the end of the year!!  And so since this is my last p-day of this year, i only have today to do it.. so that's what my day is looking like, shopping, and writing letters.. classic missionary p-day i think!  But then, it will be great, as we have a familly home evening with Isaac and Christiana, were going to teach them about the organization of a ward, going to draw it all out, with pictures and everything!  Well i'm attaching some pics of my past adventours this past week, some ghanian delicasies, and some pics of antwerpen and anything else i choose to send you!  Love you all, thanks again for everything, your love your support, your words of wisdom, stories and updates! 

Your son, bro, and friend.

 - Elder Mohrman

Maandag 19 December, 2011

Familie!

 

Hello!  Or better, Prettige Kerst! 

It's christmas.. again!  Unbelievable.. It's starting to sink in that it is indeed christmas as well, yesterday we went caroling at this senior citizen home.. not sure really what you call that anymore, but it was really neat, as with every song that we sung, the crowd was invited to participate, and to see these older belgiums get so excited when the next christmas song was announced, as they sung along with us there was just a joy in there eyes.. It's interesting, we sang most of the songs in dutch, naturally, but this christmas i really started paying more attention to the words that we were singing, the message of these classic christmas songs, there beautiful.. as I was singing i truly felt like, wow.. i'm praising my god.. I just love the hymns, my goal is to memorize a hymn in dutch a week, starting with the christmas ones.. it's a goal, see how long it will last, but when else will I sing these songs in dutch if I don't memorize them?? =)   Also we went to the christmas devotional for the stake last night brussels, chance to leave mission boundaries, always fun =)  But it was really well organized, really powerful, the missionaries in our zone were able to perform a song, and other more musically talented missionaries and individuals even said that we did a pretty good job.. Before every song that was performed they gave a little history about the composer and where it came from, Silient Night.. what a great song, written by, Joseph Mohr.. it was fun to hear a little about him, and his life, and the inspiration that he received to write this classic song.  So last couple days, busy with christmas type activities, this coming week, it will only intensify.. Were having dinner appointments with members for both Christmas Eve and also Christmas together with the sisters, so were all taken care of! =)  And also after much stress, we organized our whole skype situation, so i can now give you the time so i can see your wonderful faces!  It'll be just swell and dandy, and the best christmas present I can think of!  On that note, thanks for the package and the envelope, i don't know how many packages you sent, but i received one box, and one envelope.. i hope that was everything, the sunny delight, is all gone.. what a wonderful, inspirational choice of drink to send me =)  Also thanks for the oreo's, love oreo's.. 

Also this past week, went to a zone conference up in rotterdam, which is right by Spijkenisse, so i worked up the courage again to ask president, if i could swing by and say hello to Fam. De reus.. and he said yes!  We were going on exchange so brought 3 other random missionaries that they don't know to there house, but it was super neat to be able to visit with them.  Amazing change in there lives.. I say it with all my wonderful expiriences, but one of the best moments in my mission, they set up a missionary wall where they have the pictures and a little paragraph that the missionaries write of the missionaries that they know and become close to, so Elder Da Cruz was there as well as Elder Brown who took my place when i left, Also the other two elders in R'dam south, and they were waiting for me to send my little paragraph to them, so i was able to write my testimony to them, just wonderful, what missionary work is all about.. what a mission is all about.. with it being christmas and all, i've been very reflective this month, thinking back on all my different stages of my mission, how much i've learned and grown, all the people that i've met and built friendships with.. i've been extremely blessed, probably more blessed than what a 20 year old deserves, but i'm not complaining =)  And i just know as i look to the future, and the 9 months that i still have left, i'll be blessed even more, and the best is yet to come.. Thank you all so much for all your support and love, not just you family but also all my friends, i was looking at all my letters i've recieved, and i have a pretty good stack again =0 I'm horrible, but i hope that people realize that i appreciate them so much and there friendship; the people who i've been around has shaped me into who i am.. =) 

Love you all, and wish you a very merry christmas!  

Isaac and christiana is doing great!  She will definitely be baptized the first week of january.. 

Til Sunday familie!  

Love you loads once again,

-Elder Mohrman     

December 12, 2011

Hoi familie!!

I'm so happy that you all were able to be together this past week!  Sounds like it was a great time for everyone!  Especially the little munchkin!  Man, i think he's already more spoiled than i ever was!!! =P ha ha thank you for the pictures, they are saved on the good ol' memory chip and i will print them off as soon as I can!  Love pictures =) 

This past week.. hmm.. it was good.. but slow.. really good with a few investigators that we have, mainly our chinese friends emily, and ling.. had seperate lessens with both of them, and taught about the nature of god and also Jesus Christ.. it's exciting to see there excitment and more exciting to see that there beggining to understand.. it's been slow, especially with ling, but we

made huge progress with her, and i'm really excited for our next lessen with her, as it will be on alma 32 and the faith cycle.. i love that chapter, i've had many wonderful expiriences sharing that chapter with people.  I had, once again another confirmation about the love that heavenly father has for all of his children, and how EVERY single person has there own needs and concerns.. With Emily and Ling, there both from china, same background, same everything really.. and so we were planning to pretty much share the same lessens with both.. but through the course of the different appointments, as we really listened, the direction of the lessens went different ways, and we were able to understand a lot more clearly what they needed as individuals.. it was neat, hard to try to explain through email.. but anyways, it was awesome and a neat expirience for me, just wanted to let you know! =)  Christiana.. wife of Isaac.. doing wonderful, we had three appointments planned with her this week, only one actually went through.. the other two we just talked with Isaac, that man is on fire, and he's hungry for more knowledge.. he was hit this past week with every single major anti matarial you can think of.. Blacks with priesthood, polygamy a few other things i don't remember.. and he has taken everything in stride and is just progressing so rapidly, it's amazing.. We were planning on teaching christiana about the nature of god.. and that was last monday, but she was busy with the kids so we just taught it to Isaac instead.. turns out he still beleived in the trinity, but we explained it to him, invited him to pray about it, and he was totally great.. and then later in the week when we shared the same lessen with christiana, isaac was a powerful joint teach.. and really helped christiana.. it was just wonderful.. Isaac, he talks a lot about religion with everyone now, and especially with his close friends and family.. he exclaimed to us that he doesn't understand it but when he's engaged in these conversations he just gets these ideas of what to say to these people, and he doesn't understand it as he never studied the subjects before.. it was neat to then tell him, that's the gift of the holy ghost that you just recieved giving you the words and leading you to what to say.. when we told him that he thought for a moment and then a big smile came on his face.. and he said " that's good.."; truly a remarkable man.. They fed us also this week, traditional ghanian food.. super good, but super hot!! man.. I've gotten Ghanian food a lot here in this city, and all of it is so spicy and hot!  They just laugh at me as i eat, since my white face turns red, and theres tears in my eyes.. but i'm managing!  I can now eat a full plate of "mild" ghanian food =P 

Life is good, like i said this past week was a little slow, and we need to pick it up and do better, which were both committed to do.. so yeah, other that what i've already shared, nothing else to report.. Found out who were going to dinner with on christmas, a family in the ward, they've also invited th sisters, so.. it's going to be pretty crowded and not a lot of time, as we all need to talk with our families, but the family does have skype i believe, and i would love to skype this christmas.. so.. probably next week or something i'll give you the information, because i don't have it yet, and if skype doesn't work out, then the phone works as well, no problem =) 

Love you all, thanks for everything, have a wonderful week!

Your son, bro, and friend

Elder Mohrman

Another great week filled with miracles and blessings

Hoi Familie!!

Thank you so much for the emails, I know and realize that it was a super busy and exciting week for everyone!  Our family is growing!  Two new additons past few years, not bad!  I wonder who the next addition will be?? =) 

Well this past week, we had a lot of meetings, that sucked up a lot of our time, but still managed to have some great expiriences, A lot with members, which was really great.. Last monday we went to a chinese buffet with some youth here in Antwerpen called the Wok van (of) Antwerpen, I won't tell you how much it cost per plate, but it was really neat to spend some time with them! 

We had a really great lessen with Isaac and Cristiana this past week. Isaac recieved a picture of the temple of Den Haag, from the ward, and he had hung it up on his wall, so we talked a little about temples with him, told him of goal that we have of getting him the priesthood so he can baptize his wife!  He was pretty excited about that possiblity, and what was even better, we had a plan to teach christiana about Pres. Monson, and we found out there are a couple of sessions of conference that have been translated into twi!! We picked a random talk by president monson so they could listen; and what did he talk about.. Of course, temples.. It was perfect, and Cristiana really understood!  Making progress.. Also got in re contact with some old investigators and that also went really well, jimmy don't know if i talked about him, but we had lost contact for about two weeks, but we got another appointment, and it went really well.. he came to church with his daughter, and both I think really enjoyed it!!

Well today, were off to a city called st. niklaas to celebrate a holiday they have here called St. Niklaas!  Pretty much the same thing as santa claus, but different.. so get to expirience some culture this P-day!! I'll take some pictures for sure! 

Well I sure do love you all, thanks for everything all the emails and what not, sorry that the emails are getting shorter and shorter, a member came in and distracted me.. sorry I panicked!! 

But take care, and Fam; De Reus is getting baptized this weekend!! So excited!  Nico got the priesthood, everything is set and ready to go.. I asked my president if I could go back to spijkenisse to be there with them, but i live to far away so i won't be able to go, but it's been wonderful being able to stay in contact with them!

Okay love you all!!
Elder Mohrman

some new photos...dec 5th

Just  a few pictures.. Thanksgiving dinner.. ate at a chinese buffet called the Wok van Antwerpen.. A member who is a train conductor that let me where his hat and tie.; and then a picture of me in the now!  5 minutes before I sent this =) 

 Elder Mohrman today....Dec 5th :)

 As a train conductor...

 Thanksgiving dinner...

At chinese restaurant...funny thing this picture...sure looks like when joseph was a little boy and would sway as he was learning to walk...he would hold my hands and bounce side to side when he heard music...the belly looked just like this and hmmm, look at how similar the faces are :)...oops sorry Elder Mohrman for commentary...

Hoi Hoi

Hoi familie!!

Another week, almost another month.. and things are still just going great!  Isaac was confirmed, and he asked me to do that honor.. it was great, first time that i have given someone the holy ghost who wasn't dead!! It was a neat expirience the spirit was strong, and it was neat to talk with him a little afterwards about it.. He's on fire, we had an appointment the day before he was confirmed and we focused on his wife Christiana, she understands but doesn't speak english really.. just the native Ghanian dialect (one of them) twi, so we brought a twi speaker with us, and long story short, it went great and we set a baptismal date with her for the first week of 2012.. It was great, she is super excited, and wants to follow the example of her husband.. there two little girls just love church!  They participated in the primary program in sacrament meeting yesterday, did absolutely great!   Our other family were teaching Kwame, who also has a baptismal date with his 10 year old daughter Elizabeth, doing awesome as well, came to church again, for the second week in a row.. Elizabeth participated also in the program with her little siblings, and then a recently baptized family with also a bunch of little children, that we have been working with, they came and those kids also participated in the program!  Half the kids there were from those three families, me and my companion couldn't help but feel good knowing that through our efforts, half the kids who go to primary are from families were working with!! 

It was another great week with new investigators, our other investigators have all caught the missionary bug, and keep bringing there friends to our appointments!! Ling our chinese student, she brought two of her friends to our last appointment, appointment made for this coming tuesday.. it was great.. Kwame, that brother is trying to convert the world, his uncle waited two hours at there house before our appointment to meet us, to let us know he wants to sign into our church.. So were going to share the restoration with them this coming week!! These are just a few examples, isaacs daughters with there husbands we met with this past week; all agreed to hearing more, just a great great story!!

But gotta go, getting kicked off the computer,

Love you all!!

Peace love

Elder Mohrman

Photos from Nov 21 email...Isaac baptism with family...former district photo and playing squash

Happy early Thanksgiving!

Hoi familie!!!

Transfers.... and... yeah i'm staying, no big shock there =) So christmas in belgium, looking forward to it! Elder Frahm, he also is going to stay with me, we both thought that he was gonzo.. but his prayers were answered and he will now be my second companion that i will have for longer than 1 transfer =O And we are on fire right now, blessings up the wazoo!! it's been absolutely crazy here.. Isaacs baptism did indeed go through, what a great expirience.. humble man.. and he brought all his family to church to see him get baptized! We had a scare though, mid-way through church our ward mission leader comes to us and says that there is no water in the font, but that there's a foot and a half of water in the church basement!! the hot water pipe busted and was spraying water all over the place.. the ward wanted to cancel the baptism, and of course we didn't want too.. were scrambeling to try and find a solution and finally we figured out we could still fill the font, but just with ice cold water.. Well our ward mission leader really wanted to cancel the baptism, but we had him ask isaac, and isaac said "i'm ready, i will be baptized".. amazing.. and so isaac was baptized in ice cold water with his family all watching.. powerful, the spirit was very strong.. I had my first opportunity to translate, i translated a couple of talks that were given at his baptism into english.. interesting expirience!! But it was good.. Isaac shared his testimony after he was baptized, and bared powerful testimony on the book of mormon, and also his expirience a couple weeks ago.. he likened the cold water like how he felt that day.. super neat.. Then he said his next greatest wish is to see his family also be baptized into this church.. it was great, after it was all over, isaac's wife, who just had a kid so we haven't really taught her, she told elder frahm that now that isaac is baptized we can focus on her.. so neat, and the daughters are also super excited and were going to be going over and visiting with them this week as well, with isaac as the joint teach!! It's just miraculous.. that's a good word. =) We have two other baptismal dates at the moment, kwame and his daughter, both came to church also, both loved and had a great time, and kwame knows a member in the church really well, and told us that he will come every week, this is the church for him!! That was super great, as now he has a foundation we can build on, and also a friend in the church who is also super excited and said he wants to help us teach kwame's family! Ultimately, these past two weeks have been hands down the best in my mission, in terms of success seen, production all that.. we had 9 people come to church last sunday! Three times the standard of excellance for my mission.. absolutely crazy and great, and things are just continuting to roll here.. Not much is changing in my zone, the sister companionship is changing though in antwerpen.. an old friend is coming, sister kraemer.. that's going to be crazy, haven't seen or been around her since my first transfer!! It should be fun, everywhere in the zone miracles are happening, it's been so fun being the zone leader and seeing all the different miracles take place! I'm not even scratching the surface of what i could be talking about, but i suppose this will have to do for this week.. life is good, i'm going to try and send you some photos.. this fancy computer at our church has a slot for my memory card!! how cool.. well okay, thanks for everthing, i guess the next email, i expect i'll have the news that i'm an uncle =0 Unbelievable.. in a good way of course =) I'm going to have a great thanksgiving this year, going over to a members home, and they said not to eat lunch before we come over.. theres going to be a lot of food, it's going to be great!! A lot different from last year that's for sure!!
Love you all loads!
-Elder Mohrman

De tijd vliegt voorbij...

Familie!! Vrienden.. Kennissen.. buurmannen en vrouwen.. Hallo =)



I can't beleive that it's already close to the end of transfers.. next week we find out!! Not that i'm worried that i'm getting the boot already.. just crazy to think i'll be on transfer 10!! Craziness.. but it's good.. we had a miracle week this week.. We had a zone leader council once again this past week, and our mission president told us, that as zone leaders we need to be getting standards of excellance every week, as an example for the other missionaries.. You don't know what standard of excellance probably means, but in a nut shell it's numbers that if you reach, your doing really well, in fact excellant.. hence the title.; go figure right =P Well.. on my mission i have never hit standards of excellance in every categorie in one week.. not many have.. put things into perspective a little bit, and the past few weeks we haven't even been close either.. but this week, literally by the grace of god, we made it.. saw so many miracles.; we had people show up to church that we had no idea who they were, but were able to make appointments with them.. it was just great, and obviously a mission isn"t about the numbers, but the numbers represent people, and the people that we have representing our numbers are solid, and Elder Frahm and I are both really excited about the coming weeks.. Isaac, is super excited about his baptism.. he can't stop talking about his "miracle". in fact to his friends and family as well! He's already talked to many people and many people will support him and come to his baptism.. the potential is great.. and that's just the potential from this one man.. we have some other really amazing people that we have met and are teaching/ beginning to teach.. Jimmy I have no idea if i've talked about him yet, but we had a powerful lessen with him this past week.. such a spiritual lessen.. we really took the time, to plan out the restoration lessen, based on his needs and focused it on the scriptures, one of the best lessens i think i've had on my mission.. what a wonderful feeling to know, that you taught to someones needs, and it really touched them.. his biggest concern, was why isn't this message the story of joseph smith being told to people??!! people need to know about this! We did assure him that we were doing our best.. we have a lessen this coming wednesday, and we are, at least for now, planning on extending the invitation to be baptized.. but for him i'm really optimistic.. and of course, he has a family.. a wife and kids.. and if he comes the family will follow.. that's what were really being blessed with right now, is families.. we are teaching many, many families.. and we set a baptismal date with the head of a different family, his name is Kwame, he's also from ghana.. and he's committed to coming to church as well.. we'll see, these people have a long way to go, but there on the path, and it's really looking good.. I was laying in bed last night, after gathering all the numbers and what not from the zone (zoneleader responsiblity =P) and i was just thinking about all these people, and all the potential we have with these families.. little overwhelming!! I'm not used to having to keep so many people in my thoughts and trying to juggle them and plan for them.. this is easily the busiest time of my mission, and my last city i was pretty busy as well =) I guess i'll learn (be forced to learn) a lot of valuable skills, of planning and priortizing.. these next couple months will definitely be a time of much growth for me!! But.. it truly is amazing to see gods hand in the work, to see these people to teach these people that have been prepared by god.. it's humbling when I take a step back and think about it.. 20 years old, and this is what i get to see and expirience.. =)

Ward relations are going great, really have seen a lot of progress, and building friendship and trust in the ward.. i don't know what more to write about.. life is great.. still alive.. driving here hasn't killed me yet.. wow.. driving in utah will be nothing when i get back!! =) i'm going bowling.. after this, should be great.. okay, i think that's about all!!

Love you all; thanks for all your support and love,

-Elder Mohrman

Another week on this mission thing =)

Hoi familie!!

Week was one of a lot of joy and a lot of frustration as well.. saw so much success at making appointments with people, and planning was so enjoyable this week!! My compnion and i tried to focus on the small things, confirming appointments finding joint teaches, building relations with the ward.. and it was great in that regard!! peoples free agency though.. frustrating at times, confirming appointments the night before, even day before!! and them not going through.. going to peoples houses to get them to church, and there not there.. unbelievable!! but you know.. its okay; because we were blessed with all our hard work, with one of the busiest weeks i'm going to have on my mission.. we have some solid positive investigators now; that the appointments will 98 percent go through.. and we have members assigned to go with us like never before, really positive investigatrs that we found this last week.. one man is a headquarters referral; he is the most doctrinally prepared man i have ever met.. knows that Jesus christ is his savior but has done research on the bible, and found out how it was formed, and that shook his faith, so he wants to read every book about jesus christ he can find to solidify his faith and find out what the truth is.. loved the book of mormon, were going over there again tonight.. isaac, had a really powerful expirience with him this week, he has arthritis, and it was acting up on him this week, when we met with him he couldn't move out of his chair it was so bad.. felt like we should throw a curveball in our plans and taught about the preisthood, and offered a blessing, we were on exchanges, so it was me and another elder, and we gave him a blessing, after we said amen, he just sat there for a moment, and then started to cry, spirit was so strong.. when i was giving him the blessing; i have never been impressed to say before "be healed".. scared to say those words, that's intense, but during the blessing felt it come so strong; and i tried to fight it, but the words came out.. like i said pretty intense.. we leave come back another day and he tells us when we left he got up, and with his arms outstretched called his daughter into the room and said "i can walk!!" and he was better, so he could go about doing his work and chores.. amazing.. he said that after i said amen with the blessing, he felt this warmth and energie working in him, and he couldn't control it and the tears came out.. pretty neat expirience to see a man overwhelmed with the spirit that it brings him to tears.. Isaac it ready to be baptized.. i've had some pretty amazing expiriences with blessings on my mission, looking back.. there is a line in my patriarchal blessing that says i'll see the gift of healing in my life, and that is definitely true, i've been blessed to see the power of the priesthood in action on my mission..
Well.. life is great, things are really looking good here, we've persevered and were getting blessed for it, we have nothing but a positive future ahead of us.. that was a weird sentence.. pretty dutch =P
but love you all, and thanks for all the emails, i'm thinking of you, and appreciate you even though i don't have time to write back to all of you this week!!

-Elder Mohrman

Hoi Familie :)

Hoi familie!!
It was a really great week for a lot of different reasons! I got to see my area a little bit this week; going on a few different exchanges; went to Kortrijk and also to Leuven; which is right by Brussels.. so amazing how old this country is, night and day difference than netherlands.
I had some pretty amazing expiriences also this week; i don't know if you remember that elder from belgium, that served in our area in utah year and a half ago; but he lives in leuven; so on exchanges i was able to go visit him.. kinda nervous about it; since he's been inactive for the past 8 months, and the elders to leuven called him a couple days previous to ask if they could visit and he had said no.. so didn't know what to expect, but i took the opportunity and visited him anyways, and he answered the door, and it was really great visit. He said that he was really happy to see me; and that i was the first person that he has seen since his mission from his mission.. also said that he'll come to antwerpen ward in a couple weeks to visit me there.. so neat; i never did say goodbye to him, and never told
him how great of an example he was to me.. but i did that night; and i think that he was touched.. really neat; i felt like i accomplished or did one of the reasons as to why i was even called to this mission.. and then heard news from spijkenisse and a couple of people there are going to get baptized, or made those girls; one being pat; so excited to hear that; she had been going through some difficult times but now she caught some fire again.. and then saskia de reus also now has a baptismal date.. so sweet; i really feel like i'm undestanding the scripture out D&c 18: 15-16 more and more as i progress in my mission.. i found all that out the day i was in leuven; and it was the most joyous days of my mission that wasn't a
baptismal day.. it was amazing.. Isaac here in Antwerpen was not baptized this week, but he is definitely planning on it; we all felt like it was a little fast, and we were able to explain baptism a little more to him, and he is super prepared.. loves church, was there again on sunday, and he hinted to me that he was for sure going to be baptized this month.. really neat to see a man truly converted
and for the right reasons.. We are teaching a chinese investigator named ling; she's great; and we have had some powerful lessens on prayer and the plan of salvation,, it's so interesting teaching people without a background of god.. i love it, because it's so exciting to see them find him.. i think back on sun; and i
feel like ling can end up like him! other than that; were dealing with some other investigators; still love them, but our focus is definitely on finding right now.. cool expiriences that i wish I could share; but i'm out of time.. love you all; and thanks for all you do!!
Tot ziens!
Elder Mohrman

A great week in many ways!!!

Hoi Family! I sent emails i believe to all who sent them to me.. i hope =0 but for lack of time; quick summary of the week.. went to the temple and had a zone conference where a member from the 70 came and spoke to us.. really powerful.. went to zone leader council.. that was pretty cool as well.. learned all about what it takes and what i need to do as a zone leader.. taveled a lot.. joys of being a zone leader, sometimes you get to sit in the car for a while.. isaac, an investigator that we have, he is going to get baptized next sunday.. that's exciting.. and yeah.. life is good.. =) I was thinking and one of the greatest blessings about being a missionary i've realized, is the opportunities we have every day to ask specific questions to our heavenly father, and receive specific answers in return.. the whole concept of personal revelation fascinates me.. because it's a miracle every time that we feel the holy ghost and receive an answer.. i look back at the moments of when i have felt the holy ghost.. and in the moment, there is no better feeling then that of the holy ghost.. so cool; =) love you all loads; sorry this is short; promise next week will be better!! but felt i needed to take some more time in the personal emails to people!! dag! and tot volgende week! elder mohrman

Mixed emotions ....

Familie!

Another week.. another transfer?!! It's that time once again, where we missionary's find out our future for the next six weeks.. well.. I'm no longer district leader to start off with.. Elder Klippel who lives in the apartment he's now district leader, and also he's training.. cool for him.. he'll do great.. That means that Elder Guanuna, the elder that's been with me my whole time in Spijkenisse, in the apartment, he's being kicked out.. and he's now going to my old city of Amsterdam, he's pretty excited.. but kinda sad that our time living in the same apartment is over, he's become a good friend.. Elder Da cruz.. he's become senior companion! Elder Brown, who replaced me in heerlen.. is now replacing me again!! So now i'm heading onto my 5th city going into my 9th transfer.. and the city that i'm going too.. *drum roll.. Antwerpen! The second biggest city in Belgium.. so there you go.. both countries can now be checked off the list! I'm excited, i've heard a lot of great things about antwerpen.. it was the old assistant city.. and now it's the zone leader city for the antwerpen zone.. so yeah.. i'm no longer a district leader, but now I've been called to be a zone leader! Which means.. I get a car.. i am going to drive in europe.. unbelievable, I think that's the thing I'm most nervous about! It's a stick shift, which will be fun, but I haven't driven in over a year, 13 months to be exact.. and now i get stick shift in crazy belgium.. please include my safety in your prayers at night!! =P As you can probably imagine, I have mixed feelings about this.. I'm excited about going to Antwerpen, about going to belgium, about how much I will be stretched with this new calling.. but at the same time.. I love spijkenisse.. I love the people here, both members of the church, and also the investigators.. it's hard.. I don't like goodbye's, and I've already said goodbye to some of people I've taught.. rough. Hendryetta the dutch girl who is still working on being baptized.. she sent some beautiful texts this morning thanking me, and saying she considers me a true friend.. and thanks for listening and helping her.. that's neat.. i copied her text into my journal.. Tom, my old dutch friend, I haven't told him, but that's going to be a rough goodbye as well.. we had such a spiritually intense lessen with him this past week.. where we bore our heart and soul to him, telling him as clearly as we could about the message that we share.. it's the most bold i've ever been with an investigator, and he responded really well.. i've never told anyone that I loved them before, but I told Tom that.. and it's true.. as a missionary you learn what love is.. and the different type of love that's out there. The ward, so many great people, I don't know how I'm going to be able to visit them all before I leave, in fact I know I can't.. and that's hard.. I wish they gave us more time in between transfers, so the departing missionary can say goodbye.. but tonight, I'm going to go play squash with the men of the church.. they have a little club, and they compete for this trophy.. there all going to be there, and I'm going to have a chance to play them all.. there cocky.. it's funny, but they said that if I beat them, I can sign my name on the trophy that there competing for, and one of them said, if I did manage to beat them, I can take the trophy with me.. I can't wait.. but really neat that they would organize this for me.. so many bonds and friendships made here.. Well the antwerpen zone is the zone that heerlen is in, so I'll be able to go back and visit.. which will be really nice, see some old faces.. but this is truly the next chapter of my mission and I'm looking forward to it.. thanks for all your prayers and support I love you all..
I asked for the address for my new apartment.. and I think it is

laarsebaan 374
2170 merksem
Belgium

But that doesn't seem right to me.. so if you would like to send some packages or letters, there are zone conferences and also zone leader councils that will be taking place soon I'll have every opportunity to pick them up in the office and the office address is

schipolweg 66
2316 xe leiden
netherlands

I guess Antwerpen will be my city for the rest of the year.. probably, anything can happen but at least til the beginning of december.. I also today sent two packages home.. filled with junk i've collected in spijkenisse and heerlen.. but I also put a lot of dutch stuff for you all, treats and lekker dingetjes.. so enjoy ;) Also two memory cards full of my memories.. so hope you enjoy going through my life for the past 6-7 months ;)

Well family.. I love you, I think about you and pray for you guys always, and next email you'll get will be from belgium!

Tot Ziens!
Elder Mohrman

and yet another "where's Elder Mohrman" siting!

http://belgiumbrusselsnetherlandsmission.blogspot.com/2011/09/miracles-in-rotterdam-south.html

A new "where's elder Mohrman" siting....he is in four or so pictures...

http://belgiumbrusselsnetherlandsmission.blogspot.com/2011/09/importance-of-district-leaders.html

Conference time again...i love conference...

Familie!!

Another week.. another month.. wow de tijd vliegd voobij.. You know, i´ve heard from a few of you that I don´t express much feelings in my emails.. sorry for that.. so if your wondering how i´m feeling.. and I know you all are.. you wonder´ers.... simply put .. i´m happy. We sometimes use that word lightly in the english language.. say it without thinking what it really means.. but that´s truly how I feel right now, i´m just happy. It´s a good time on my mission :)
One because god is just pouring out blessing after blessing, and were growing so much with our investigators, Bas, who is battleing depression, didn´t have the best week, but at the same time didn´t have the worst week either.. he´s making progression and it´s noticable, and what´s neater is that he notices it as well.. Pat.. we had an appointment with her husband, he´s pretty arrogand and a prideful, but the end result is he´s going to read the book of mormon, and he´s given permission for her to be baptized.. officially.. Tom.. my dutch friend.. I found out this week I was giving him too much credit, he´s not around 55.. turns out he´s 62, but we met with him twice this week, hasn´t happened that much, we watched the thomas s. monson film with him.. I was able to see the holy ghost touch this man through the stories and words of our prophet.. and see that he hasn´t had this feeling in his life very much.. he has a lot of what we would say in dutch "drempels".. but he´s progressing, ever so slowly he´s progressing, and being filled with the light of christ.. Eliza.. our young lady friend we met a few weeks ago, she came to conference, and met so many people from the church, and I think she liked it.. at least enough to come back and give it a try to see if it´s the church for her.. My district.. there awesome, all of them. Learn so much from them, and were really united as a district.. also adds to a person´s happiness.. At General conference I was able to see my chinese friend from Den Haag, Sun.. who was baptized after I left.. it was so sweet to see him, and see him on the same day as Dwight and Natasje who also came.. and also Aaltje, who also came.. All these people who I´ve taught and they were baptized all in one place watching conference as members!.. it was a happy moment :) General Conference is always amazing, you get filled with the spirit, and you hear things in different ways that just click and mean a lot for you.. I loved the story of the seventy, in his first week was feeling overwhelmed.. and down.. who came into the elevator.. president monson.. told him to look up.. it´s always better to look up.. I thought that was such a beautiful simple example of what the role of prophets are.. there here to remind us to look up.. keep our focus clear.. All of conference was amazing, naturally, and I could talk forever about all of it.. really suprised about Provo.. really neat..
Well this past week has also been a very chinese filled week... ate at a chinese buffet with some members last monday, and then coming back from district leader council, I talked with a chinese man on the train, about comic books of all things.. that led to faith and what I was doing and I guess my testimony of what faith is touched him enough, that were now going to meet him, and he´s going to take us to a comic book store.. hopefully we´ll be able to get him to the jovo centrum.. I think he´ll come.. he´s a cool guy.. Also again I got to see sun again, and the Rotterdam north elders have a chinese investigator named lee, who will be baptized this month.. pretty cool to see sun helping this guy along.. Anyways.. a lot of things have happened.. life is happy..
Love you all,
Elder Mohrman

Where's Waldo...oops I mean Elder Mohrman...

Elder Mohrman's mission president's wife is wonderful at maintaining a mission blog...posting events, stories etc. It can be found here:

http://belgiumbrusselsnetherlandsmission.blogspot.com/

Some of the pictures are from zone conferences etc and lo and behold...I can spot the blonde Elder from Payson...so there will be specific links and see if you can spot Waldo..oops I mean Elder Mohrman...

Here are a couple of links:

1. Recent Zone Conference - Sept 14...he is in four of the pictures...usually you can click on the pictures for better view...

http://belgiumbrusselsnetherlandsmission.blogspot.com/2011/09/two-zones-come-together-for-zone.html

2. Mission President visited a ward on a Sunday...(this one is too easy...he is in two of them)

http://belgiumbrusselsnetherlandsmission.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-sunday-was-blessed-by-spijkinesse.html

3. Mission President and wife toured the apartments in the mission... (he is in three of these...)

http://belgiumbrusselsnetherlandsmission.blogspot.com/2011/08/saturday-in-rotterdam-spijkenisse-and.html

doing great....

Hoi familie!!

I don´t have a lot of time.. but I made some bullet points that I wanted to say to you all!!
First.. We went to tom´s choir last monday.. it was interesting.. we didn´t sing in it.. just listened.. as dutch as it could have possibly been. Interesting expirience.. nobody was really happy that we were there, but Tom was. We committed him to reading everyday in the book of mormon til general conference.. and I shared with him that lamp story you sent me dad.. it was an amazing powerful lessen.. he said he would do his best, then he said he would do it.. going back tomorrow night, and he said he´s going to bring a neighbor with him to the appointment.. so that´s really neat.. Tom.. wow.. He´s probably one of my more favorite investigators/people i´ve met on my mission.. who would of thought that a relationship/friendship could be built and mean so much between a 50 year old dutch man and a 20 year old american kid.. Amazing...
We set a couple more baptismal dates this week! One with Pat.. really excited about that, she got permission from her husband, and she´s pretty much saying forget the in-laws.. I want this for myself.. she still has a long way to go, but she made that step in committing to a date.. really happy about that.. also set a baptismal date with Bas, the man we were told to go visit by a returned visiting missionary pete arens.. He´s doing amazing, and he wants to make the changes in his life.. i´ve never seen someone so dedicated to the committments that we give.. Pretty amazing story..
So hendryetta did not go through.. but aaltje did.. pretty special seeing aaltje get baptized.. had a lot of flashbacks to where she was when I first met her, to now seeing the glow in her eyes.. one of the more amazing stories from my mission I think.. but of course there´s opposition in all things, and aaltje and her familie aren´t doing so hot right now.. which is affecting hendryetta.. but hendryetta is still committed to being baptized.. she just needs a lot of prayers.. so thank you for all the prayers that have and will be said.
I have more that I could and would like to say.. but I´m in a hurry, just wanted to give some updates on these people.. the 20 year old girl that we found.. she´s now investigating.. really cool appointment.. so the lord is still blessing this area, and i´m still blessed to be in it!
Transfers are the middle of october.. i have no idea if i´ll be transfered or not.. normally it´s between 3-4 transfers in one place.. this is my third..
Love you all, thanks so much for your emails!
Tot ziens,
Elder Mohrman

Hoi! Week.. yeah.. Been a while here in Spijkenisse!

Hoi familie!

Another week gone by.. crazy.. time flies.. but it was a great.. setting up week.. I mean that we set up a lot of things this past week, for this coming week.. Hendryetta is getting baptized.. with her sister Aaltje.. really awesome, and amazing, and a miracle.. still have to get past the baptismal interviews.. but there doing awesome, and I have complete faith they'll get baptized this saturday. It's pretty unique situation, I taught both of them, set up both of there baptismal dates.. yet they'll be baptized in a different city. In fact today, we have a lessen with Hendryetta in R'dam south, out of our area =0 I don't know the other ward at all, that'll they'll be going too, so I can only hope and pray that they get fellowshipped!
Tom.. our big friendly dutch man.. he's amazing.. he's been telling people at his work and his church that he's been meeting with "mormon missionarys' and of course people have been freaking out, and asking him "aren't they trying to convert you?!!" and he's been telling these people, "yeah, maybe.. but there doing it in a way that's not hindering".. pretty neat.. he's still reading.. still praying.. the only problem with this guy is, that were getting to be too good of friends with this guy! We get distracted on so many different topics that we struggle sometimes talking about the lessens!! But we decided we needed to show more support for him, so i called him up this past week, and said were going to go to his church tonight, and listen to him sing in his church choir.. it's going to be crazy.. as dutch as they come churches.. I think that he might even want us to sing with them.. how about that huh.. singing in a reformed dutch church's choir... that would definitely go in the journal ;) Óur families are also making great strides.. with lot's of enthusiasm.. i don't think i've ever made such strong relationships with investigators before.. I thought Heerlen was good.. man.. doesn't compare with how well things are going here.. It's great! We have lot's of potential for this coming week as I hinted at earlier.. yesterday, we were doing some finding on a street going door to door.. first house, lesbians.. awkward.. second house.. Jehovah witnesses.. third and 4th houses.. rude dutch people.. then the last house on the row, this golden 20 year old, who said she's looking for a church, has never heard of us or the book of mormon, and asked us to come back and tell her more.. i've never had someone ask us to come back on my mission.. well jehovah witnesses.. but they don't count.. it was pretty sweet, especially since our focus for our mission is families, and young adults.. we have both here right now..
well two minutes left of my internet time, just wanted to say I love you all.. thanks for everything, i'm going to be sending some packages home, with dutch goodies.. hope you enjoy.. and okay, tot de volgende week!
Love
Elder Mohrman

A Family is Reunited Through the Gospel!

Sampsons, Natasje and Dwight, Spijkenisse, August 27, 2011

Dwight and Natasje were found by missionaries over a year ago. They were very interested in the message the missionaries had to share and also when coming to the church, found out that Natasje was related to several members in the Spijkenisse ward. Over time they gained personal testimonies of the truth of the message, looking forward to the day that they would be able to be baptized. However, Dwight and Natasje were not married and due to circumstances, were not able to be married for some time. After going through some hard times they fell out of contact with the missionaries and the church, but by themselves working out personal problems, they were married in the Spring, then came back to church unexpectedly, where once again we were able to meet with them, and prepare them for baptism. They were baptized August 28, 2011 by Elder Davies, and then confirmed a week later on September 4th by President Broekzitter, who also is a family member of Natasje's. They are a wonderful young couple, looking forward to the day when they will be able to go to the temple and be sealed for all time and eternity with their two little sons Dj and Jd. (Written by Elder Mohrman)

one year anniversary...

Hoi familie!

What a week! It was a week blessed with new investigators! We have a couple of new families investigating now, one was a referral from malaysia!! Random.. but awesome, there a really awesome family.. I feel like they'll be a lot like Tom in investigating the church.. slow and thorough.. but that's okay, because when they finally get that testimony they will be amazing members! Dwight and Natasje are doing amazing, they set up an appointment with there neighbor and us at there house on tuesday, love those people.. they say that there going to come to utah to be sealed in the salt lake temple.. but who knows.. it's just awesome they have there eyes set on the next goal! Hendryetta is getting ready for her baptism along with Aaltje.. Aaltje is being taught by the other elders now, we gave her over after we set the baptismal date with her, and she's on fire, and they both will be baptized on sep. 24th, in r;dam south.. really excited! ;)

We also finally had a lessen with the referral family from Malaysia.. really neat people, and they have agreed to take the lessens and see if the light that we have to offer is something that is good for them. We also met another family, and turns out the husband was baptized when he was 9, and then his mom left the church when he was 10 and he's never been back since.. he wants to come back, and we've developed a great friendship with them, and they've also agreed to take the lessens.. The teaching calander is great! I love it, because it explains our purpose so clearly.. I really feel like our investigators that we have, know why were there, and know why there investigating, and know that there investigating.. The ward is amazing.. I wish we could use them more, but our appointments always seem to be bad timing for them.. so were working on changing our appointments to work with our members schedules.. there more than willing and eager to help, so it's really a blessing being here, working with these members. Things are going great with Elder Da Cruz, I enjoy immensly being his companion, and also enjoy it when he goes off in one of the many langagues he knows!

The apartment is great, get along with all the elders, one elder here, is a lefty.. played baseball.. loves sports.. yeah.. we get a long really well ;) We switch off from playing catch every morning to.. sit down when you read this.. jogging! WHoa.. came out of nowhere I know.. but hey.. I figure why not start off my 21st year doing something i've never done before? So we've been jogging.. crazy.. never thought I could be so out of shape.. I've been gaining a lot since I've been in spijkenisse, when I left heerlen i weighed 76-77 Kg.. now I'm up to 83 Kg.. which is somewhere around.. well I'll let you figure it out =P Life is great.. Ward is amazing.. what i've noticed now with the dutch people, it takes a while to crack them, but once you crack them, and make a friendship make a bond.. the bond lasts, and it really means something.. It's been really neat getting to know, and making these bonds with these members here in spijkenisse.. today we did some more service for our bishop who's having back problems.. and we've been finding little odds and ends to do to serve these people.. don't know what else to say, so i'll say tot ziens for this week!
Love you all,
thanks for everything!
Elder Mohrman

Hoi familie!

Hoi familie!

First email.. as a 20 year old!!! Crazy huh?? Birthdays are definitely different out here in the mission field.. what i did you may be asking.. well.. had lunch with a member.. did a few hours of finding in the sun.. looked a few people up.. had a birthday dinner with another member in the ward.. looked another person up, and went home.. exciting huh? ;) Nah I made that sound lame, but it was really neat having a lot of missionary's call and wish me a happy birthday, a senior couple drove out and dropped off cookies for me.. on sunday, I went over to a members house (from peru) to celebrate her grandson's birthday, who's birthday was also on september 3rd.. and after we sang to him, cut out his cake, the sister went back into the kitchen and came out with this big ol' cake saying "Happy Birthday Elder Mohrman!" It was so cool, so then everyone sang to me, and I was able to cut the cake.. she even got me some presents.. some socks.. and other random things that a missionary would need.. I was really touched, super nice of her to do that!
So that was my birthday.. the rest of the week.. shipped Elder Davies out to Den Bosch.. Got my other companion Elder Da Cruz.. Dwight and Natasje were confirmed members of the church this past sunday.. and oh.. so get this, This lady who was 79 or something, she passed away in another city, and she requested that missionarys, since she loved them so much, carried her coffin along with her family.. well the elders in the city weren't able to make it, so they asked us if we could do it.. we had nothing so we said why not.. and so I went to my second funeral in as many weeks, and this time carried the casket of the lady.. interesting expirience.. the family were non-members.. so it was really interesting being in the room with just the family when they put the lid on the coffin and seeing the family say there last goodbye's.. A very interesting expirience.. then after the service in the church, we thought we were done, and the son who organized it, asked if we were going to the grave site as well.. and then invited us to ride with him.. turns out the son was excommunicated for different reasons.. but he loved his mother very much, and talked a lot about her, and her service in the church.. we get to the grave site and we help again carrying the coffin to the actual burial site.. and were just standing and are with this family for everything.. all the private moments and what not.. just a really interesting expirience.. a little awkward not going to lie.. but intersting.. so in short.. i carried a dead person on my mission.. cool huh?! =P
Investigator wise.. Tom is awesome.. he's progressing slowly, but that's okay, he is making progress and it's very visible.. our last appointment, he usually has some problem with the book of mormon that we have to answer about.. but this last appointment, he finally said the the whole story of 1st nephi was very beautiful and very interesting to see the reactions of laman and lemuel and then of nephi dealing with all there.. "crap" for lack of a better word.. he really enjoyed the baptismal service, and is still committed to coming to a service of ours.. he's also in his church choir, and so we said we wanted to go to his church and listen to him sing.. think he appreciated that.. building a really great friendship with that man.. Naika.. after an amazing first appointment with her a few days ago.. she did not come to church, and then she sent us a text message saying thanks.. but no thanks.. so another classic story of someone getting anti'd.. pretty sad.. but it happens.. had enough of these expiriences on my mission to not let it get me down.. but still a bummer nevertheless.. But we have a great week planned.. let you know if anything amazing happens! ;)
Love you all, thanks for everything and the birthday wishes..
Tot Ziens!
Elder Mohrman