Hoi familie!
Hoe gaat het met alles? Cool pictures I got to see that dad sent me, Arizona looked pretty.. warm ;) But actually the weather has been really great the past week.. We can now go biking without coats.. so that's nice.. Really starting to see the beauty of this place, and also now that we're biking so much (didn't bike with Elder Robert because of bike problems) Really starting to see how Hilly this place is.. wow.. There's a town that is in our area called hoensbroek.. and to get there on bike you have to go over a few hills.. good size ones.. and well.. when you have to do that every day, a person gets a little tired.. Last night I just passed out.. So tired.. probably the most tired I've been on my mission so far.. which is good.. I think that when I have that feeling that means I was working pretty hard during the week =) ...and what a week we had.. lot's of up and downs.. Karel the person I talked about last email, we had our appointment with him, and it was one of the best appointments I've ever been apart of.. really neat, set a baptismal date with him.. committed him to come to church, and meet with us three times every week.. it was amazing.. our joint teach said he had never had seen someone so prepared for the gospel.. so really riding an emotional high after friday with the lesson.. it was great because we had quite a few potentials we found the previous week drop us this week.. so it was much needed.. but of course.. stuff happens, Karel didn't show up to church on sunday, and then we get a text later in the day saying he wants nothing more to do with us.. yeah.. a pretty hardcore drop.. been dropped by plenty of people but this was pretty unexpected, pretty heavy.. but work goes on.. we found success in going through the area book, and so we have a number of appointments lined up for this next week.. including a couple of Americans. We went finding on a street where an american family lives.. so it's a street for american's and we made a couple of appointments to come back.. one guy his name is Äsh Henry" is pretty intense, but a cool guy should be a good experience going over to his house.. it's amazing how much more religious military people are.. a lot of people we talk to in the ward and outside that are apart of the military say that the experiences that you go through during war or what not, really makes a person come to the realization that there truly is a god, that there is something more out there.. back to this guy named Ash, he didn't believe that we were americans ha ha He said a few times, you two aren't americans, where do you really come from.. made us think.. wow is our english really getting bad? I guess that's a good sign right? It's a weird thing to be able to understand a person and one moment.. and then they switch the topic and you can't understand anything that there trying to say.. that's where I"m at right now.. talk about the gospel and I'll talk to you for a while.. but talk about anything else.. it's a struggle.. but getting better.. In my planners I write "line upon line, precept upon precept"so that has helped keep a positive attitude and not get discouraged..
Another neat experience, we were making plans and we decided to stop by this one member's home to ask if he could be a joint teach or something, when we went in, I was talking to the wife, and she was saying how we showed up at the perfect time, because she has been going through a lot of stress with everything, and it had finally taken her toll on her.. so we were able to give her a blessing, and she asked me to give her that blessing.. it was neat because after I was finished she said that I said a line in her patriarchal blessing.. so yeah, really neat.
So summary of this week, lot's of highs.. lot's of lows.. spiritual experiences and not spiritual experiences.. had my first appointment with Jehovah witnesses the other day.. it's not very fun being preached too and being told that everything that we believe is false.. so.. yeah fun eventful packed week I just had.. Really excited for Conference.. It's going to be good.. The super bowl of missionary's I remember my MTC teacher calling it.. so looking forward to that..
Love you all.. pray for you all.. thanks for all the emails and letters and love and encouragement and info about your lives.. it's appreciated ;)
Elder Joseph V. Mohrman
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Heerlen...week 7
Hoi Familie!
Easiest Transfer ever!! Didn't have to pack.. didn't have to worry about catching trains, or worrying about bikes.. none of that!! So happy I'm able to stay in Heerlen for another transfer! ;) My new companion Elder Mickelsen has been out two more transfers then me.. so 3 months or something like that.. were a pretty young companionship but it's awesome!
Already we have a lot of potential investigators that we found in the past week,and i've noticed how much my contacting has improved just being with him.. it's great. He's from South Jordan, and he went to Bingham High school, and played tennis there.. and he's just as much of a sports nut as me.. we have had a lot of good quality I would say conversations concerning sports ;)
I thought I would share one cool experience.. like I said we found a lot of new people last week.. one of them is a dutch man named Karel.. When we knocked on his door, he was actually reading a Jehovah Witness Pamphlet.. but he let us in, and we were able to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon, and explain about it.. he told us how he believed in the bible but it was difficult to read.. and he said that the Book of Mormon seemed easier.. when we prayed with him at the end, in his prayer he sincerely asked if he would receive an answer that the Book of Mormon was true.. it was really neat, I've never heard a more sincere prayer about whether the Book of Mormon was true or not on my mission..hopefully all will go well with him, we have a return appointment on Friday.. But thanks Mom and Dad for the emails.. And I hope the rest of the family will enjoy there week..it's finally starting to be beautiful weather here.. we get a couple of days of awesome sun.. then a couple of days of coldness.. but the past three days have been sunny, so hopefully that will continue.. Love you all.. prayers are always being said you guys! ;)
Elder Mohrman
Easiest Transfer ever!! Didn't have to pack.. didn't have to worry about catching trains, or worrying about bikes.. none of that!! So happy I'm able to stay in Heerlen for another transfer! ;) My new companion Elder Mickelsen has been out two more transfers then me.. so 3 months or something like that.. were a pretty young companionship but it's awesome!
Already we have a lot of potential investigators that we found in the past week,and i've noticed how much my contacting has improved just being with him.. it's great. He's from South Jordan, and he went to Bingham High school, and played tennis there.. and he's just as much of a sports nut as me.. we have had a lot of good quality I would say conversations concerning sports ;)
I thought I would share one cool experience.. like I said we found a lot of new people last week.. one of them is a dutch man named Karel.. When we knocked on his door, he was actually reading a Jehovah Witness Pamphlet.. but he let us in, and we were able to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon, and explain about it.. he told us how he believed in the bible but it was difficult to read.. and he said that the Book of Mormon seemed easier.. when we prayed with him at the end, in his prayer he sincerely asked if he would receive an answer that the Book of Mormon was true.. it was really neat, I've never heard a more sincere prayer about whether the Book of Mormon was true or not on my mission..hopefully all will go well with him, we have a return appointment on Friday.. But thanks Mom and Dad for the emails.. And I hope the rest of the family will enjoy there week..it's finally starting to be beautiful weather here.. we get a couple of days of awesome sun.. then a couple of days of coldness.. but the past three days have been sunny, so hopefully that will continue.. Love you all.. prayers are always being said you guys! ;)
Elder Mohrman
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Heerlen... week 6
Hoi Familie!
Sorry.. late again.. but had a really fun p-day! We went to the three
point mark.. where germany, netherlands and belgium meet.. that was neat to
go to.. the highest point in the netherlands is also right by there.. then
we went to an american grave site.. i forget the name, but i have never
seen those cemetaries with the rows and rows of white crosses.. that was
really neat also, really feel a lot of gratitude for all those americans that
gave there lives for freedom.. after that we went to a city called
valkenburg and got to explore an old castle.. it says it was the only fortress in the netherlands.. it was pretty amazing.. amazing how they can build such
buildings with the technology that they had.. but that was my p-day.. so a lot of traveling and a lot of sight seeing! but we have great members here,
that let me use there computers ;)
So transfers this week.. and yup.. you can guess.. I'm packing my bags again! ... oh whoops, just kidding, I'm actually staying!!! craziness, but now my companion is the getting transfered.. he's going to a city called eindhoven which is actually in our district, and the elder there, elder mickelson is coming to be my companion, so they just switched places.. I couldn't be more excited to know my companion this time around as I know elder mickelson pretty well, he's going on his 6th and he was actually elder de meesters greenie right before i came.. so i replaced him in amsterdam.. and we've been in the same zone every transfer i've been in the land.. really cool guy, from salt lake, and went to byu.. likes sports.. so it's going to be a lot of fun i think!! I had a feeling that Elder Robert was going to be transferred and I made a list in my mind who would be a good companion to help keep and expand the work...my thoughts kept coming to Elder Mickelson even though we are both young in the mission field. Heavenly Father knows what we all need and I have learned from each companion many things. I don''t have a lot of time, so you get a sorry email this week =P but thanks for all the emails1 almost had a heart attack
when I saw the browns emailing me11 =P ha ha just kidding, thanks for everything,
and glad everyone's lives is going great! Love,
Elder Mohrman
Sorry.. late again.. but had a really fun p-day! We went to the three
point mark.. where germany, netherlands and belgium meet.. that was neat to
go to.. the highest point in the netherlands is also right by there.. then
we went to an american grave site.. i forget the name, but i have never
seen those cemetaries with the rows and rows of white crosses.. that was
really neat also, really feel a lot of gratitude for all those americans that
gave there lives for freedom.. after that we went to a city called
valkenburg and got to explore an old castle.. it says it was the only fortress in the netherlands.. it was pretty amazing.. amazing how they can build such
buildings with the technology that they had.. but that was my p-day.. so a lot of traveling and a lot of sight seeing! but we have great members here,
that let me use there computers ;)
So transfers this week.. and yup.. you can guess.. I'm packing my bags again! ... oh whoops, just kidding, I'm actually staying!!! craziness, but now my companion is the getting transfered.. he's going to a city called eindhoven which is actually in our district, and the elder there, elder mickelson is coming to be my companion, so they just switched places.. I couldn't be more excited to know my companion this time around as I know elder mickelson pretty well, he's going on his 6th and he was actually elder de meesters greenie right before i came.. so i replaced him in amsterdam.. and we've been in the same zone every transfer i've been in the land.. really cool guy, from salt lake, and went to byu.. likes sports.. so it's going to be a lot of fun i think!! I had a feeling that Elder Robert was going to be transferred and I made a list in my mind who would be a good companion to help keep and expand the work...my thoughts kept coming to Elder Mickelson even though we are both young in the mission field. Heavenly Father knows what we all need and I have learned from each companion many things. I don''t have a lot of time, so you get a sorry email this week =P but thanks for all the emails1 almost had a heart attack
when I saw the browns emailing me11 =P ha ha just kidding, thanks for everything,
and glad everyone's lives is going great! Love,
Elder Mohrman
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Heerlen ....week 5
Hoi Familie!!
So.. yeah.. it's wednesday.. ha ha whoops! Nah actually it's not my fault. You all know the great ol' party in louisianna called "marty gra"? Well here, in south holland it's called "Carnival" and it's a week long party here where everyone get's dressed up and drunk.. and well.. all the stores were closed monday, which inclueded the library where we do our emails =0 And nobody was home member-wise that we tried calling so couldn't email on monday!!... and we travelled to Antwerp on Tuesday so had no time there.. so you all get my email today!! So hopefully you weren't having silly thoughts about me forgetting to email.. There was and would always be a reason!!! =)
So Carnival.. I guess ít's a catholic tradition? No idea how or why? Same with Marty Gra.. and also they have it in Rio also.. but it's a week long.. party I guess you could say.. Started last thursday and yesterday was the last day. People just dress up in funky costumes.. mostly clowns.. but saw a lot of pirates and weirdo costume that looked straight from a dr. suess book.. so pretty much halloween.. and they dress up all day, every day.. and starting on saturday they have parades in the different cities in the area, and it's just funky floats with people in funkier costumes, drinking beer while dancing and singing to "carnival" music. Horrible stuff... you have to be drunk in order to like it.. So crazy though, on sunday we were getting out of church and Heerlen was having there parade, and to go to our bus stop we had to walk through it.. nuts. I've never seen crazier people in my life. I was seriously in loony toon land! We saw a couple of members who ditched out on church there at the parade, ha ha they were pretty suprised to see us.. interesting how people make excuses to ditch out on church! =P But on Monday we were able to go to another parade with a member, His name is Bro. Mazurik.. don't know if I told you about him.. he's from poland.. knows Josh Wilson really well.. but that was pretty fun, seeing the parade, and expiriencing the cuture.. even if it is crazy! They throw out bags of tortillas from the floats.. no idea why.. but we have a nice supply of tortillas now! I think the weirdest part of the parades for me, was seeing the people in the parade all dressed up.. dancing and drinking while they march.. and then seeing the people watching the parade also all dressed up... Everyone dresses up!! Last night, as we got back from antwerpen, we had a lesson fall through.. which was kinda a bummer since we asked Bro Kitchen, a member who just arrived a few weeks ago come as a joint teach for us.. so he arrived and took us out to dinner.. really cool guy.. but as we were eating in this resturant we start hearing this carnival music again! We look outside and there's another parade going on!!! A night parade.. I guess one last one to top off the week.. It was crazier then any of the previous ones.. techno lights.. the floats were bigger and better... craziness.. glad that week is over.. made finding pretty hard, as you can imagine.. had a few times we knocked on doors, and have someone in a clown outfit with a beer in his hand answer the door.. strange is a simple word to describe it!
As for the missionary work in heerlen, we didn't have much fire this week.. had a few people drop us, including bobby who I talked about last week, that was a bummer as he was our most positive person.. just didn't want to change, used his free agency =0.. had others say they want to meet in a couple of weeks which would include Grace the other one I talked about =0.. but we were blessed in other ways.. we got a baptismal date, first one that heerlen has had in a long long time.. and then we got a lot of referalls from other missionary's in our mission.. which doesn't happen very much.. so had a down week.. but.. we got other things that we can build on... interesting how things work out like that..
Really enjoying the ward here.. we get to eat out at member's homes about 2 times a week.. so not much.. but the families that have had us over are amazing.. this past week we ate at an English families home.. and a half american and half canadian family.. awesome people.. it's so neat to see and get to know people from other cultures and countries.. something that really doesn't happen much in utah!
But a couple of stories from this past week, we gave a turkish book of mormon a couple of weeks ago to this muslim woman, who said her husband was depressed.. we went back about a week ago and met the husband for the first time, and set up a lessen. We taught him, and although nothing came out of it, we were able to give him a blessing.. not often that you can say you gave a muslim man a blessing.. but he said he enjoyed christian churches and said he would like to come to ours.. so hopefully down the road something will happen.. but it was neat expirience nevertheless.. so i've been itching to play basketball or any sort of sports for a while now.. months!! And I found out that there was a basketball court right by our house, so I bought a cheap basketball from a sports store, and we've been able to play a few times.. On monday after the parade we were able to play for about 3-4 hours.. so nice.. but interesting experience with that on monday.. there were a few moroccan kids playing soccer.. (the hoops are on this miniature soccer court) so we were just shooting, and they didn't pay any attention to us, same with us to them.. and then as they were playing this soccer game, the oldest one kicked a ball and it came really close to Elder Robert's head.. He just said "pas op" which means "watch out" because well.. it almost whacked him.. they freaked out.. the kid who kicked it started swearing under his breath.. some little tiny kids who were watching, started making fun.. saying "pas op.. pas op.. pas op.." being really annoying.. swearing at us.. saying there going to blow us up.. blow up america.. making fun of america.. vulger things.. swearing constantly.. never.. in all my life have I heard stuff as bad as what these little kids were saying, just the disrespect to complete strangers.. it was crazy.. I couldn't believe it.. we ignored them, just kept shooting.. after about 5 minutes of non-stop garbage from these kids, we finally just asked if they wanted to play basketball with us.. and so we played them in basketball.. owned them.. they had no chance.. no one here can play a sport other than soccer... but it shut them up and instead of trashing us constantly they ran there mouths about other things.. we said we'd play them in soccer since they played us in basketball.. so we played soccer with these kids, and actually didn't do too bad, but even then they were running there mouths.. But they said after we were through we were welcome any time to come back and play with them.. I dunno.. maybe we'll go back sometime.. =P Me playing soccer.. who would have thought =P
I can't think of anything else exciting that happened this week.. thank you all for your emails.. really glad I was finally able to read them!!
take care, can't wait to hear from you all on the normal day, monday!
-Elder Mohrman
p.s. Yeah, haven't heard much about the phillipines living condition wise.. so nothing to share on that regard.. all I know is that The phillipines is a blessed country.. a country that the church is growing so much in.. She's (Stefi)going to see lot's of success on her mission, and really see the gospel touch many peoples lives.. I can't remember if I put this in one of my emails or not, but I have listened to a couple talks from Gordon B. Hinckley and he talks about him opening up the phillipines to missionary work.. and how much it has grown in such a short time... and how it is still growing.. beautiful temple there.. =)
Thanks for all the updates.. don't know if I have shared this but one of the assistants played basketball at timpview.. his name is elder brockbank.. He worked out with Tyler Haws and Brandon Davies.. all them.. so I get to talk basketball with him everytime I see him, it's pretty sweet, he's a nice guy.. crazy to think I played against him.. which I did.. he started for Timpview in 08 and 09.. there's also a elder in my younger group that I've played against in basketball he's from "sugar salem"don't know if you rembember that team.. so pretty interesting.
So.. yeah.. it's wednesday.. ha ha whoops! Nah actually it's not my fault. You all know the great ol' party in louisianna called "marty gra"? Well here, in south holland it's called "Carnival" and it's a week long party here where everyone get's dressed up and drunk.. and well.. all the stores were closed monday, which inclueded the library where we do our emails =0 And nobody was home member-wise that we tried calling so couldn't email on monday!!... and we travelled to Antwerp on Tuesday so had no time there.. so you all get my email today!! So hopefully you weren't having silly thoughts about me forgetting to email.. There was and would always be a reason!!! =)
So Carnival.. I guess ít's a catholic tradition? No idea how or why? Same with Marty Gra.. and also they have it in Rio also.. but it's a week long.. party I guess you could say.. Started last thursday and yesterday was the last day. People just dress up in funky costumes.. mostly clowns.. but saw a lot of pirates and weirdo costume that looked straight from a dr. suess book.. so pretty much halloween.. and they dress up all day, every day.. and starting on saturday they have parades in the different cities in the area, and it's just funky floats with people in funkier costumes, drinking beer while dancing and singing to "carnival" music. Horrible stuff... you have to be drunk in order to like it.. So crazy though, on sunday we were getting out of church and Heerlen was having there parade, and to go to our bus stop we had to walk through it.. nuts. I've never seen crazier people in my life. I was seriously in loony toon land! We saw a couple of members who ditched out on church there at the parade, ha ha they were pretty suprised to see us.. interesting how people make excuses to ditch out on church! =P But on Monday we were able to go to another parade with a member, His name is Bro. Mazurik.. don't know if I told you about him.. he's from poland.. knows Josh Wilson really well.. but that was pretty fun, seeing the parade, and expiriencing the cuture.. even if it is crazy! They throw out bags of tortillas from the floats.. no idea why.. but we have a nice supply of tortillas now! I think the weirdest part of the parades for me, was seeing the people in the parade all dressed up.. dancing and drinking while they march.. and then seeing the people watching the parade also all dressed up... Everyone dresses up!! Last night, as we got back from antwerpen, we had a lesson fall through.. which was kinda a bummer since we asked Bro Kitchen, a member who just arrived a few weeks ago come as a joint teach for us.. so he arrived and took us out to dinner.. really cool guy.. but as we were eating in this resturant we start hearing this carnival music again! We look outside and there's another parade going on!!! A night parade.. I guess one last one to top off the week.. It was crazier then any of the previous ones.. techno lights.. the floats were bigger and better... craziness.. glad that week is over.. made finding pretty hard, as you can imagine.. had a few times we knocked on doors, and have someone in a clown outfit with a beer in his hand answer the door.. strange is a simple word to describe it!
As for the missionary work in heerlen, we didn't have much fire this week.. had a few people drop us, including bobby who I talked about last week, that was a bummer as he was our most positive person.. just didn't want to change, used his free agency =0.. had others say they want to meet in a couple of weeks which would include Grace the other one I talked about =0.. but we were blessed in other ways.. we got a baptismal date, first one that heerlen has had in a long long time.. and then we got a lot of referalls from other missionary's in our mission.. which doesn't happen very much.. so had a down week.. but.. we got other things that we can build on... interesting how things work out like that..
Really enjoying the ward here.. we get to eat out at member's homes about 2 times a week.. so not much.. but the families that have had us over are amazing.. this past week we ate at an English families home.. and a half american and half canadian family.. awesome people.. it's so neat to see and get to know people from other cultures and countries.. something that really doesn't happen much in utah!
But a couple of stories from this past week, we gave a turkish book of mormon a couple of weeks ago to this muslim woman, who said her husband was depressed.. we went back about a week ago and met the husband for the first time, and set up a lessen. We taught him, and although nothing came out of it, we were able to give him a blessing.. not often that you can say you gave a muslim man a blessing.. but he said he enjoyed christian churches and said he would like to come to ours.. so hopefully down the road something will happen.. but it was neat expirience nevertheless.. so i've been itching to play basketball or any sort of sports for a while now.. months!! And I found out that there was a basketball court right by our house, so I bought a cheap basketball from a sports store, and we've been able to play a few times.. On monday after the parade we were able to play for about 3-4 hours.. so nice.. but interesting experience with that on monday.. there were a few moroccan kids playing soccer.. (the hoops are on this miniature soccer court) so we were just shooting, and they didn't pay any attention to us, same with us to them.. and then as they were playing this soccer game, the oldest one kicked a ball and it came really close to Elder Robert's head.. He just said "pas op" which means "watch out" because well.. it almost whacked him.. they freaked out.. the kid who kicked it started swearing under his breath.. some little tiny kids who were watching, started making fun.. saying "pas op.. pas op.. pas op.." being really annoying.. swearing at us.. saying there going to blow us up.. blow up america.. making fun of america.. vulger things.. swearing constantly.. never.. in all my life have I heard stuff as bad as what these little kids were saying, just the disrespect to complete strangers.. it was crazy.. I couldn't believe it.. we ignored them, just kept shooting.. after about 5 minutes of non-stop garbage from these kids, we finally just asked if they wanted to play basketball with us.. and so we played them in basketball.. owned them.. they had no chance.. no one here can play a sport other than soccer... but it shut them up and instead of trashing us constantly they ran there mouths about other things.. we said we'd play them in soccer since they played us in basketball.. so we played soccer with these kids, and actually didn't do too bad, but even then they were running there mouths.. But they said after we were through we were welcome any time to come back and play with them.. I dunno.. maybe we'll go back sometime.. =P Me playing soccer.. who would have thought =P
I can't think of anything else exciting that happened this week.. thank you all for your emails.. really glad I was finally able to read them!!
take care, can't wait to hear from you all on the normal day, monday!
-Elder Mohrman
p.s. Yeah, haven't heard much about the phillipines living condition wise.. so nothing to share on that regard.. all I know is that The phillipines is a blessed country.. a country that the church is growing so much in.. She's (Stefi)going to see lot's of success on her mission, and really see the gospel touch many peoples lives.. I can't remember if I put this in one of my emails or not, but I have listened to a couple talks from Gordon B. Hinckley and he talks about him opening up the phillipines to missionary work.. and how much it has grown in such a short time... and how it is still growing.. beautiful temple there.. =)
Thanks for all the updates.. don't know if I have shared this but one of the assistants played basketball at timpview.. his name is elder brockbank.. He worked out with Tyler Haws and Brandon Davies.. all them.. so I get to talk basketball with him everytime I see him, it's pretty sweet, he's a nice guy.. crazy to think I played against him.. which I did.. he started for Timpview in 08 and 09.. there's also a elder in my younger group that I've played against in basketball he's from "sugar salem"don't know if you rembember that team.. so pretty interesting.
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