(Note: the first line is in reference to last week when Elder Mohrman asked teasingly, whose email will we open up first now that his sister is also on a mission and entered the MTC this week. I replied it depends how he looks at it as she will be in the Philippines and so a day ahead so we will get her emails on Sunday and his on Monday. So he was told that he could view it as we read his first and then six days later read hers or we read hers first and then his the next day...)
hoi family!
I think I"m going to look at it that you read my email first, and then after six days of pondering over my experiences and stories then you'll be ready to read stefi's.. =D Ha ha Nah Just kidding.. That's exciting for her, I'm glad she has a big group. She'll really enjoy it.. I don't know how much she would have enjoyed being in a situation like I was in.. but I can see that situation I was in was perfect for me, for my growth and the situation stefi is in is perfect for her and her personal growth.. Interesting how people need different things ;) I hope that my few thoughts were appreciated by her..I just feel sometimes to share stuff with the family, and so I do.. If Icould, I'd go back to the MTC, and so I just really wanted to let Stefi know the amazingness of the MTC, because so many missionary's elders and sisters, they don't appreciate it while there there.. That's awesome your reading the New Testament the way you are.. I just finished the book of mormon.. and now I've committed myself to read all the other standard works.. starting with the New Testament, and then Doctrine and Covenants and then I'll tackle the Old Testament.. but I really want to read all the scriptures on my mission..
It'll be fun to be able to share our thoughts to each other as we read the New Testament at the same time! =)
I am learning more and more about the importance of communication. Missions are a great way to learn about patience and working with people. I can't be like I was back home and let people stew and not talk to them about problems.. problems just don't go away with time..and so they need to be addressed sooner than later.. these are good lessons.. If there's just communication with investigators, members and even companions, then things can always be so much better..
I am hoping to be moving on this next transfer so I can work on Dutch more but I am excited to think that I will end with a baptism! It's been so neat to see the progression of Lilian, from coming only for one hour to church, then to two hours the next sunday, and then to all of church.. to now this past sunday she even wore a skirt! Her prayers are night and day difference, she prays to the father in the name of Jesus now.. and it was neat to see that progression.. she's an interesting lady and definitely a blessing for me.
Also last thing, yesterday for memorial day, we were able to go to margratten or to an american world war 2 cemetary.. the biggest in the netherlands.. and you know it's the classic row upon row of white crosses..but they had a ceremony there, and it was huge thousands of people, it was just neat to be apart of and witness.. made me think how these young americans came over to liberate the dutch from physical oppression, and now here I and the other missionary's, young americans come over to free this people from a spiritual bondage.. kind of a neat thought..
I recieved the packages.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I have a lessen with Lilian actually in five minutes so don't have time to write more.. I appreciate everyone’s thoughts..I do want to hear more about people’s missions though.. mom got out her journals and I've committed her to read through them again and share stories with me.. I'd love for others to do the same.. so.. that would mean a lot!
Ik hou van jullie gezichten! (I love ya'll faces!)
Your coolest missionary... son =)
Elder Mohrman
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 23rd
Hoi Familie!
Another week... I'll get straight to our investigators here, Lilian came to church again, this time stayed for all three hours, and even stayed for the Potluck they call it lunch afterwards.. really sweet, she's made progress every week, and it's awesome to be able to see and witness that. In sunday for Sacrament meeting, there were 4 speakers and they all took a different commandment.. we havenn't talked about commandements yet with LIlian but she got bombarded with Word of Wisdom, Law of Chasity, Tithing, and fasting all on sunday! She didn't say anything about it.. so I suppose all is good with her?! ha ha it was interesting We were expecting a few other investigators in church, but they didn't end up showing.. I wonder now after the fact if it was a good thing they didn't show up! Get everything all at once ha ha.. but no it was kind of dissapointing.. we have a young couple as investigators and I was praying and planning and thinking of ways to get this couple to church.. even went to there house saturday night as a suprise visit to get them to church and we got a soft commitment that "they would probably come".. they didn't obviously so a little dissapointing.. but it's okay, because at ward council the first part of there meeting was all about our investigators and a game plan on how to fellowship them and get them to church.. That was awesome.. We weren't even there.. but it's really nice to have the ward working so hard with us for these investigators. That doesn't happen too much.. As for Rick.. he also didn't come to church, he was on fire and was thinking of people to invite to church with him.. the people that he decided on however anti-ed him.. told him we were a cult and bla bla bla.. and so he didn't come, and he's still in contact with the family from church.. so hope is not lost, but he got bombarded by adversity this past week.. rough.. won't answer our calls, so we have to rely on the member to be able to get another appointment with him and hopefully help him out. Oh and Lilian is from Aruba, and I learned from her that Netherlands is the official language there! That's Surniame and now Aruba and a couple other Islands.. I'm thinking future vacation spots for sure.. =)
Hit another wall with Language.. pretty frustrating, but i've been taking all my free time in the morning and at night in studying the language.. Don't know why learning a language has to be so hard.. can't it just be simple? Come naturally.. something like that.. but alas it doesn't.. just have the comfort that it does eventually come!
Me and my companion it seems like we've run into and talked to many different people who do many different things.. Só i've made a sort of bucket list.. of things I want to do when I get back from things that i"ve observed over here. It seem like every couple of days the list just keeps growing and growing.. one of them was to become a good cook! And i'm been expermenting while i've been over here.. starting to use spices when I cook meat.. and though it may sound simple and is simple for all you natural cooks, that's a huge step for me!! =P
But no.. all is good.. we have a couple other potentials that we found this past week that we will be looking up, and if you all could just keep Lilian and Rick, and our other investigators in your prayers that would be great ;)
Love you all, and thanks for the emails..
Tot de volgende week! I just have to wonder.. who's email will you all read first.. mine.. or the bugs? =P ha ha
Elder Mohrman
Another week... I'll get straight to our investigators here, Lilian came to church again, this time stayed for all three hours, and even stayed for the Potluck they call it lunch afterwards.. really sweet, she's made progress every week, and it's awesome to be able to see and witness that. In sunday for Sacrament meeting, there were 4 speakers and they all took a different commandment.. we havenn't talked about commandements yet with LIlian but she got bombarded with Word of Wisdom, Law of Chasity, Tithing, and fasting all on sunday! She didn't say anything about it.. so I suppose all is good with her?! ha ha it was interesting We were expecting a few other investigators in church, but they didn't end up showing.. I wonder now after the fact if it was a good thing they didn't show up! Get everything all at once ha ha.. but no it was kind of dissapointing.. we have a young couple as investigators and I was praying and planning and thinking of ways to get this couple to church.. even went to there house saturday night as a suprise visit to get them to church and we got a soft commitment that "they would probably come".. they didn't obviously so a little dissapointing.. but it's okay, because at ward council the first part of there meeting was all about our investigators and a game plan on how to fellowship them and get them to church.. That was awesome.. We weren't even there.. but it's really nice to have the ward working so hard with us for these investigators. That doesn't happen too much.. As for Rick.. he also didn't come to church, he was on fire and was thinking of people to invite to church with him.. the people that he decided on however anti-ed him.. told him we were a cult and bla bla bla.. and so he didn't come, and he's still in contact with the family from church.. so hope is not lost, but he got bombarded by adversity this past week.. rough.. won't answer our calls, so we have to rely on the member to be able to get another appointment with him and hopefully help him out. Oh and Lilian is from Aruba, and I learned from her that Netherlands is the official language there! That's Surniame and now Aruba and a couple other Islands.. I'm thinking future vacation spots for sure.. =)
Hit another wall with Language.. pretty frustrating, but i've been taking all my free time in the morning and at night in studying the language.. Don't know why learning a language has to be so hard.. can't it just be simple? Come naturally.. something like that.. but alas it doesn't.. just have the comfort that it does eventually come!
Me and my companion it seems like we've run into and talked to many different people who do many different things.. Só i've made a sort of bucket list.. of things I want to do when I get back from things that i"ve observed over here. It seem like every couple of days the list just keeps growing and growing.. one of them was to become a good cook! And i'm been expermenting while i've been over here.. starting to use spices when I cook meat.. and though it may sound simple and is simple for all you natural cooks, that's a huge step for me!! =P
But no.. all is good.. we have a couple other potentials that we found this past week that we will be looking up, and if you all could just keep Lilian and Rick, and our other investigators in your prayers that would be great ;)
Love you all, and thanks for the emails..
Tot de volgende week! I just have to wonder.. who's email will you all read first.. mine.. or the bugs? =P ha ha
Elder Mohrman
Monday, May 16, 2011
May 16th
Hoi Familie!
Kind of a strange different week this week. Felt long and slow because I was sick at the beginning of it, and then we traveled a lot as well. Had odds and ends things that we needed to do as well, but it was good, saw some pretty neat miracles this past week. Liliana we set a baptismal date with on saturday. It's for the 4th of June.. and she came again to church.. she's a shy lady, and she really only feels comfortable around us, and the first sunday she only came to the first hour, this sunday she stayed for the second as well.. which was good because she got to meet a few people in the ward and talk with them. So next week we hope she'll come firstly but then stay for all three hours.. Relief Society would be great for her.
She's the fourth baptismal date I've set during my time in Heerlen. As you know none of them have gone through, but I'm sure hoping she does.. She needs it more than anyone just with her history and what has recently happened to her... so please continue to pray for her!
We also had a dinner appointment yesterday with an awesome american family, and the mother took a co-worker to church and then to the dinner appointment, we talked to the guy for a few hours and watched prophet of the restoration with him.. It was a neat appointment. And while we were there we got a call from another member saying that he has someone that he's been talking too that is almost ready to meet with us!! It's been crazy how many little miracles me and my companion have seen here. Sometimes I feel we don't really deserve it to be honest! But were being blessed a lot, and so I won't complain! =)
The american's name is rich and when we were at church during sacrament we were sitting with lilian, and I look over and sister woodbury, (woodbury's is the name of the awesome american family from before) she started beckoning me to come over because Rick (the co-worker had shown up) So I went over there and sat by him and started talking a little bit. He didn't feel comfortable staying for sunday school, so he went into the primary room with Sister Woodbury as we went to sunday school with Lilian. After that, Lilian left and we went to the primary room to get Rick to go to preisthood, but he liked it in there so we spent the 3rd hour in primary! Crazy, haven't been in primary in a long long time.. but it was fun, it was a neat expirience. The adults in there were great, and while the kids were doing activities they were just making Rick feel at home. At the dinner appiontment, we were joking around about how he would be a perfect primary teacher.. ha ha hopefully we'll meet with him again soon.. the guy is loaded and he has like a 18 bedroom house here in the area, and he lives alone.. drives a really sweet car, the newest edition of a charger.. so really interesting.. he was also an actor way back when and is really good friends with the person who directed the movie "twilight"and also "jesse" from Full- house.. interesting huh?
well those were the highlights of the week, had some really good food, one dish was from a suriname lady, it was fried bananas with fish =0 and this salad thing.. interesting meal most greasiest thing I've ever eaten I think.. and also I can't beleive how much fish I've eaten while i've been here.. and I have to be honest, it's not too bad.. maybe the fish in Utah just is horrible, and real fish doesn't taste that bad? I dunno.. maybe it's just the people cooking the meals ha ha
But anyways, hope all is well, love you loads,
Tot de volgende week!
Elder Joseph V. Mohrman
Kind of a strange different week this week. Felt long and slow because I was sick at the beginning of it, and then we traveled a lot as well. Had odds and ends things that we needed to do as well, but it was good, saw some pretty neat miracles this past week. Liliana we set a baptismal date with on saturday. It's for the 4th of June.. and she came again to church.. she's a shy lady, and she really only feels comfortable around us, and the first sunday she only came to the first hour, this sunday she stayed for the second as well.. which was good because she got to meet a few people in the ward and talk with them. So next week we hope she'll come firstly but then stay for all three hours.. Relief Society would be great for her.
She's the fourth baptismal date I've set during my time in Heerlen. As you know none of them have gone through, but I'm sure hoping she does.. She needs it more than anyone just with her history and what has recently happened to her... so please continue to pray for her!
We also had a dinner appointment yesterday with an awesome american family, and the mother took a co-worker to church and then to the dinner appointment, we talked to the guy for a few hours and watched prophet of the restoration with him.. It was a neat appointment. And while we were there we got a call from another member saying that he has someone that he's been talking too that is almost ready to meet with us!! It's been crazy how many little miracles me and my companion have seen here. Sometimes I feel we don't really deserve it to be honest! But were being blessed a lot, and so I won't complain! =)
The american's name is rich and when we were at church during sacrament we were sitting with lilian, and I look over and sister woodbury, (woodbury's is the name of the awesome american family from before) she started beckoning me to come over because Rick (the co-worker had shown up) So I went over there and sat by him and started talking a little bit. He didn't feel comfortable staying for sunday school, so he went into the primary room with Sister Woodbury as we went to sunday school with Lilian. After that, Lilian left and we went to the primary room to get Rick to go to preisthood, but he liked it in there so we spent the 3rd hour in primary! Crazy, haven't been in primary in a long long time.. but it was fun, it was a neat expirience. The adults in there were great, and while the kids were doing activities they were just making Rick feel at home. At the dinner appiontment, we were joking around about how he would be a perfect primary teacher.. ha ha hopefully we'll meet with him again soon.. the guy is loaded and he has like a 18 bedroom house here in the area, and he lives alone.. drives a really sweet car, the newest edition of a charger.. so really interesting.. he was also an actor way back when and is really good friends with the person who directed the movie "twilight"and also "jesse" from Full- house.. interesting huh?
well those were the highlights of the week, had some really good food, one dish was from a suriname lady, it was fried bananas with fish =0 and this salad thing.. interesting meal most greasiest thing I've ever eaten I think.. and also I can't beleive how much fish I've eaten while i've been here.. and I have to be honest, it's not too bad.. maybe the fish in Utah just is horrible, and real fish doesn't taste that bad? I dunno.. maybe it's just the people cooking the meals ha ha
But anyways, hope all is well, love you loads,
Tot de volgende week!
Elder Joseph V. Mohrman
Monday, May 9, 2011
May 9th 2011
Hoi Familie!
Just like what you all expressed in your emails, it was really great to be able to talk with you all. Kinda sad that it's over! That hour flew by! You all sounded just how I remembered.. crazy huh? ;)
I was just happy I was able to make it through the call, I've been battleing with this virus for the past two weeks, and it got me last night.. threw up in the middle of the night. . oh man not fun! But hey such is life.. good thing it's P-day, can take it really easy =P
Liliana the lady that we met on saturday, and then who came to church yesterday, called us again today and we were able to meet with her right before this at the church. Really neat. We watched "To this end was I born" and just shared our testimony about how Jesus Christ is how we find peace and rest of soul. That he is the only person that truly understands us, and can help us. Felt like it was a good lessen.. It was great because My companion and I were on the same page, we had planned on watching another movie with her one about the restoration, but we both felt something about Jesus Christ would be better for her.. She's amazing.. still don't know quite what to think about her.. since she came into the scene so fast. I explained breifly her story over the phone, but I'll give you more detail.
We were walking doing a consecrated hour, and we were walking by her, when she asked if we were from the church, and if we could pray for her.. she said she had a lot of pain and sadness in her life, she just seperated with her man after finding out that he had been cheating on her.. and her daughter chose to believe the guy rather than her, so she is going through some real heavy stuff. We were in the middle of a parking lot of a grocery store, so we walked over to some trees away from everyone else, and she's talking a mile a minute about her life and about her situation, and I'm just feeling we should give her a blessing, well then áfter talking with us and spilling her life to us for about 5 minutes, she asked when we have church service, we told her tomorrow at ten.. said she wanted to and will come and also that she wanted to be baptized, and asking how we baptize in our church and how long it takes to be baptized.. wow.. at this point I couldn't decide if she's crazy or not.. but one thing led to another and we said we could walk to our church since it wasn't far, and pray there for her.. so we walk to the church, my comp made some lemonade for her, we gave her a blessing.. and a church tour.. asked us again when she can be baptized.. we said we have to teach her first about our church and doctrine, and she has to come to the church 3 times. So she said she'd come, and she did the next day.. stayed for sacrament meeting, which was powerful because it was mother's day and the primary sung a mother's day song and what not.. she had to go after sacrament, but we set up another appointment, and then our appointment today was a suprise.. so pretty neat.. she literallly came out of nowhere asking to be baptized.. don't know what's going to happen, she's going through a mid-life crisis so don't know if she's all there... pretty neat that we've been given this opportunity to try and help this woman.
Another positive investigator we have is from bejing, china.. we met her on the street, and had a church tour with her and watched the restoration dvd.. our joint teach was a chinese guy around the same age, and it was a really powerful lessen as well.. I love teaching people that ahve no background with god.. and seeing them feel the spirit for the first time.. anyways she said she wants to learn more.. not so sure on baptism because she doesn't know what her family will say..(there in the government =0) but she definitely wants to learn more..
Those are probably the two most positive people that we have so far, but we also have other families that I wish I had more time to share with you all ;)
Love you all.. I pray for you guys always, and thanks so much for being a support for me ;)
--Elder Joseph V. Mohrman
Just like what you all expressed in your emails, it was really great to be able to talk with you all. Kinda sad that it's over! That hour flew by! You all sounded just how I remembered.. crazy huh? ;)
I was just happy I was able to make it through the call, I've been battleing with this virus for the past two weeks, and it got me last night.. threw up in the middle of the night. . oh man not fun! But hey such is life.. good thing it's P-day, can take it really easy =P
Liliana the lady that we met on saturday, and then who came to church yesterday, called us again today and we were able to meet with her right before this at the church. Really neat. We watched "To this end was I born" and just shared our testimony about how Jesus Christ is how we find peace and rest of soul. That he is the only person that truly understands us, and can help us. Felt like it was a good lessen.. It was great because My companion and I were on the same page, we had planned on watching another movie with her one about the restoration, but we both felt something about Jesus Christ would be better for her.. She's amazing.. still don't know quite what to think about her.. since she came into the scene so fast. I explained breifly her story over the phone, but I'll give you more detail.
We were walking doing a consecrated hour, and we were walking by her, when she asked if we were from the church, and if we could pray for her.. she said she had a lot of pain and sadness in her life, she just seperated with her man after finding out that he had been cheating on her.. and her daughter chose to believe the guy rather than her, so she is going through some real heavy stuff. We were in the middle of a parking lot of a grocery store, so we walked over to some trees away from everyone else, and she's talking a mile a minute about her life and about her situation, and I'm just feeling we should give her a blessing, well then áfter talking with us and spilling her life to us for about 5 minutes, she asked when we have church service, we told her tomorrow at ten.. said she wanted to and will come and also that she wanted to be baptized, and asking how we baptize in our church and how long it takes to be baptized.. wow.. at this point I couldn't decide if she's crazy or not.. but one thing led to another and we said we could walk to our church since it wasn't far, and pray there for her.. so we walk to the church, my comp made some lemonade for her, we gave her a blessing.. and a church tour.. asked us again when she can be baptized.. we said we have to teach her first about our church and doctrine, and she has to come to the church 3 times. So she said she'd come, and she did the next day.. stayed for sacrament meeting, which was powerful because it was mother's day and the primary sung a mother's day song and what not.. she had to go after sacrament, but we set up another appointment, and then our appointment today was a suprise.. so pretty neat.. she literallly came out of nowhere asking to be baptized.. don't know what's going to happen, she's going through a mid-life crisis so don't know if she's all there... pretty neat that we've been given this opportunity to try and help this woman.
Another positive investigator we have is from bejing, china.. we met her on the street, and had a church tour with her and watched the restoration dvd.. our joint teach was a chinese guy around the same age, and it was a really powerful lessen as well.. I love teaching people that ahve no background with god.. and seeing them feel the spirit for the first time.. anyways she said she wants to learn more.. not so sure on baptism because she doesn't know what her family will say..(there in the government =0) but she definitely wants to learn more..
Those are probably the two most positive people that we have so far, but we also have other families that I wish I had more time to share with you all ;)
Love you all.. I pray for you guys always, and thanks so much for being a support for me ;)
--Elder Joseph V. Mohrman
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