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...