Hoi Familie!!

Hoi there Familie!

The first day of my twelfth transfer is today!  Wow, time sure does fly by.. this past group of missionaries that went home was a little hard for me, I lost three former companions and the sister missionaries that were in the MTC when I first got there!  I now have one companion that has been out longer than me left in the mission, and sister kraemer, is on her last transfer!  Good golly gee, better not to think of such things! =P 

But I am doing just wonderful, had some wonderful neat expiriences this past week, that I would be more than happy to share with you all!  I think one of the neatest cooles stories I have ever heard of happend this past week, a Elder who was going home in my zone, on Wednesday morning an hour before he got on the train to go to the mission office, baptized a man, it was a last second thing, the man had asked that elder to baptize him, and he was scheduled to be baptized the previous saturday, but things didn't work out, because he was moving here to Antwerpen, so they post-poned the baptism a couple weeks and we were going to baptize him here, after the Elder of course would of been home, but our mission president called up, and said if he's ready he should be baptized as soon as possible, and that was on Tuesday night, we go in a mad scramble organizing everything, a long with the other two elders, and we got then the permission to baptize him the morning of transfers, and Elder Wilkins then had the chance to baptize him.. There was only missionaries there, because we called all our district and told them to come, even the ones that weren't being transferred, so for Buddah's baptism we had only missionaries there, no members.. I felt like that's how it would have been in the early days, when they baptized people, no members, just the missionaries.. pretty cool story, we went on a mad-dash trying to fill up the font, because we had problems with that of course, so we were boiling water in big pots, and filled the font, by hand pretty much!  It was crazy!  But it was done, and the man was confirmed yesterday in our ward. 

Had some great miracles with other investigators, Monique and Adela, we have been teaching them for the past 3 weeks or so, teaching them slowly, and very clearly, I think I have never been so bold or clear when teaching the restoration as I have been with those two.. it's been strange, but they got the message, and said that before they would commit to be baptized they would have to pray about it.. well we went over there, and we start talking, and we shared a lessen about the dispensations, and we used pictures and all that, so they could see the history of god and how he's dealt with his children in the past, and of course baptism came up again.. and we asked them if they would be baptized again if they came to know these things were true, and Monique starts asking us some questions, and then said that a couple of days before, she had been thinking about it, and she felt really good, and she feels that it was god who told her that this is a right thing to do.. We were blown away, was not expecting that!  So she's super excited and is preparing herself for the 7th of April, but we want to move that up since she has a testimony now.. just a really neat feeling hearing somone share that they recieved an answer, especially with someone, who there concern about baptism was, that they had already been baptized, and by immersion, and they were fully aware of what they were doing! But she overcame all that, and god spoke to her, and she wants to follow god, so now she's going to be baptized in his church!  And she came to church as well!  Took her a while, because she didn't want to come with us, so she got lost, but she found it, sat in in the relief society, and I think she liked it!  So that was a pretty huge step that she took.. Jen Onzo, (found out that Onzo was the last name of the man =0)  Jen is doing amazing, we've taught him almost everything now, all the major ones, and he's accepted all the things we've shared with no problems, with enthouthiasm even!  Sometimes sitting in on his lessens it doesn't seem real, because he's just so prepared.. it's been a huge miracle, he was also in church for the 4th week in a row.. And then there is Sonia, had a wonderful lessen on the plan of salvation with her and her husband, then on friday we organized for her daughter and her to come to the young womens acitivty, so while her daughter was having a blast, we went also to the church and just had a great conversation with her, she talked about her problems, we listened, and waited and then she started talking about the book of mormon, talked about how she had read Alma 5 all the way through to Alma 34 in one night, said how she's been talking about the book of mormon with her family, and how she wants to send book of mormons to different family members, because she has the "feeling" that it will help them.. then she started talking about baptism.. She is also one, also with her man, that she was baptized, been baptized twice actually, but baptized by immersion, and made the choice fully aware and with the attention of making a covenant with god.. difficult, it's been hard for her to accept that she needs to be baptized, but she understands the restoration, she understands why we are asking her to be baptized again.. she explained to us that a few days before she was thinking, thinking about our visits thinking about her problems that keep stacking up, and she said that she said a prayer and asked god, if the reason why she was having all the problems is because she's not baptized.. that also suprised us, and made us super happy, because now she was asking specific questions about baptism.. She said that all she wants to do is follow Jesus Christ, and if she has to be baptized again she'd do it, but she said that she needs to have a very clear answer for her to take that step.. she progressing, it's coming.. keep praying for, pray that she'll receive that clear answer! 

Sonia and her kids were also in the church, so church was very packed and very busy, and my companion and I were running all over the place trying to make sure everything was in order... tireing but fulfilling for sure.  Some Americans from Utah were there visiting, a man took a picture with me and had me give him your guys phone number so he could call and let you know that "your son, is doing well!" All I could remember is dads number so I think that's the one that I gave him.. Hope I didn't mix up his and the house number =0  Also one of the sisters from my olders who went home, came to Antwerpen with her parents, like I said that was super weird, and also we had a lot of other people come to church, less-actives, and what not, a really good sunday, and as icing on the good week, Isaac taught the english sunday school for his very first time, so it was pretty neat to see.. he's continuing on his path and his progression.. he asked some questions about the sister who was with her parents, and I said, that's what some parents do, they come pick up there son or daughter, and I told him that you were coming in september, and that I was going to come like that sister missionary and visit him and Christiana with my parents.. He was excited =)

Well love you family!

Take care, and have a wonderful week, thanks for all the emails!

--Elder Mohrman

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Hoi Familie!! Febuary 27, 2012

Hoi Familie!

Hoe gaat het met leven??

God is great, and we had another wonderful week in this city called Antwerpen!  So many miracles!  So much to share, where to begin, where to begin.. well let's start off with the investigators, Jen!  He's amazing, he's doing it, he had an addiction to marijuana, pretty severe, but for the past few weeks, ever since we introduced the word of wisdom, he's made self goals, and plans to stopping, planned the whole thing out, and he's followed through with everything, and his final day was this past saturday, and in celebration he wore a suit for the first time to church, to show that he is a new man, on a new path, he's wanted no help from us, because he has said that it's something he must do by himself, but we gave him a priesthood blessing after church, more of a sealing of his own committment to stop, it was neat, he was emotional and thanked us for giving him the blessing.. were hoping to move his date up a week because he is just ready.. amazing man, he's went to parties where there was temptations of every kind, and he' s stared it in the face and overcame everything that satan threw at him! 

Next stop Sonia, we had an amazing sunday, one of the best sundays of my mission that there wasn't a baptism.. serious, and I don't say that lightly.  After church, after the exprience with Jen, we went by Sonia, she wasn't able to come to church, we were worried so we came by, you know the norm.  We start talking, she asks questions about trials, and why does god sometimes acts like he doesn't answer prayers.. we read a couple of scriptures from the story of alma and his people after they fled the presence of King Noah, how they were put in bondage when they had done everything they were asked to do!  She got it, and she was comforted, she hasn't been reading because of the stress and tiredness of life, we again turned to th book of mormon and read great verses about scripture study, again she got it, and committed to read every day, rain or shine, tired or not, she said she would, the spirit was very strong, and finally we started talking about baptism again, i've shared her story I believe, from the first contact with her, to the period of no conatct, to once again having contact, all the prayers and fasting on behalf for her, her concern about being baptized again, because she has already been baptized.. all came together at this point, and she said that she has been connecting the dots, and she shared some personal stories about her life and how she now sees that god was preparing her for this moment to accept his gospel, she said that she hopes she can be baptized next month, her only concern is financial and she needs to save up and what not for her baptism.. we once again turned to the book of mormon, read the classic Mosiah 18, told her that this was what God expects and requires of her to be baptized and that it said nothing about money in there, spirit was so strong, first time that she had ever said that she wanted to and was planning on being baptized, we extended a date, and she accepted.. and even if she doesn't make that date, she'll be baptized, she's committed herself to this.. it was amazing, and her daughter Joanne is also on board with a date now for March 17th.. So much joy, so much happiness, it was truly a miracle, Sonia connected the dots and is going to be baptized!! 

But of course, the day was not over, Moniek and Adela people we set baptismal dates with last week, also weren't at church, so we stopped by and visited them.. Moniek the super positive one, she comes out, and is so excited to see us, she sits us down and explains how she was going to be late to our church, so she just decided to go to her church, while she was there, she heard a voice saying "go home,"  she heard it three times, before she finally decided she should listen and go home, she arrived 5 minutes before us.  She was so amazed, and we were so amazed, and she said that she will always come to our church that she learned her lessen, we had felt that since she had her answer maybe we could move her date up to March 17th instead of in April, but she didn't give us a chance to ask, she asked us if it would be possible if she could be baptized on the 17th since she heard we were having a service then, we said yes of course!  We explained however what needs to happen though if she will be baptized on that day, and she is fully committed to doing it.  Amazing, and then we decided to share all these miracles with our ward mission leader, Brother Nuyens who is a 70 year old man who just does his best, we tell him our stories and miracles, and he gets choked up.  Amazing, amazing, amazing..

Well I hope you all have also had a good week =)

Love you loads,

Elder Mohrman

Another good week...

Hoi there Familie!!

Another week, another month!  Had a pretty okay week, not so much excitement as the previous week, but nevertheless a good week.  Last week a man came to church, his name is Onzo, born and raised here in belgium, came with a member, just to check it out.  Loved the church, loved the baptismal service, and we met with him twice this past week talking about a lot of different things, he's awesome, keeping committments, really excited about what he's found here, came to church again this past week, had some great lessens, on the restoration and prayer in priesthood that really touched him, and to top it off, he went to school with some members, and they were super excited to see him come to church, I've never had members come up to me before and ASK to come on joint teach.. pretty cool, things are looking very good for him, he has a good foundation already to carry on in learning the gospel.  He was the only one though that came to church.. pretty sad, saturday night, we committed 9 people to church, all said they would come, all had been reminded 3-4 times in the week, but.. helaas.. they didn't show, not to say there not positive anymore!  Just means we have to work that much harder, and pray that much harder for them!  Sonia, love that woman, but I feel like she might be the modern day Job!  Everything you can think of is just piling up on her.. Its so sad to see, because it's hindering her progression!  But were fighting for her, I don't think i've ever prayed more intensly for someone on my mission, she's a special one, and she'll come around, she just needs prayers!  So pray for her, and if and when you go to the temple, please put her name in the temple.. She became super sick this weekend which is why she didn't come to church, it's amazing, sometimes with some people, you really feel the adversary working against them, he really doesn't want sonia to be baptized.. but solutions are being found, and she also has a good foundation in the church with members and what not, and she'll weather this storm.  Kwame.. his addiction is killing him!  But we had a great lessen on saturday, we asked him to make a goal, of when he can be stopped with alcohol and Weed, and he said one month, so we gave him a poster of jesus christ being baptized by John the baptist, and told him to hang it up on his wall, and to hang up a calander right by it, and every day he goes without smoking or drinking he can cross of his days, a way for him to see how much he truly is progressing.. we'll see what happens, but we haven't given up on him!  Really cool exprience with another investigator, her name is monique, she is a friend of another investigator and she sat in on a lessen a couple weeks ago, she has been searching for a church for a very, very long time, has been to every kind of church you can imagine!  And she's heard nothing but bad things about the mormon religion, and so finally since we were there, she decided to finally find out what we were all about!  She asked us the classic questions about who and what is "mormon", and if we believed in the bible, so we were able to explain, what the name of the church really is.. she loved it.  She said "Oh, I like that name much better!" and we said "Yeah, we do too! Because it truly is the church of jesus christ!"  Well anyways we didn't have an extra book of mormon on us, but the other investigator had an extra one, and she gave it to her friend monique to read, who was super excited because she said that she was going to ask her friend for a book anyways because she had nothing to read, and she said that she'll read it!  Then on Saturday, I was cooking, then I had the thought, call Monique!  So I told Elder Da Cruz to call her and she had been reading like crazy in the book of mormon!  Can't put the book down, and she said that though she hasn't read all of it, she believes it's the word of god, were going over tonight to have a lessen with just her, I'm excited for how it will go.. so lot's of wonderful miraculous things just keep on happening here in good ol' antwerpen! 

Love you all loads!

Elder Mohrman