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