2021 - Not a time for getting rusty - There's plenty of learning to do.

 

What an amazing and wonderful time we have had studying the Book of Mormon this past year.  Just having the time to "dig into it" has been wonderful and makes us grateful that we have had the time "given" to us (because of all the covid restrictions) to do so.   

Now we have time to get into the Doctrine and Covenants in the same way.  As we have started into the study of the Doctrine and Covenants we are finding it to be equally as uplifting and informative as we had in our Book of Mormon studies.  We are grateful for and look forward to further reading of the Doctrine and Covenants, listening to and participating in the many discussions associated with it.   We are grateful for those who have spent the time to study and prepare the lessons we are now able to  learn from.  

We are also grateful for the ability of having online lessons and discussions both in our personal studies and the shared auxiliary lessons that are planned for us.  As with all things, practice is making this opportunity much more accessible and it's slowly becoming comfortable.   We keep hearing the phrase "the new normal" and we can see that with all of  the changes comes much good and a lot to look forward to in all aspects of our lives.  

We definitely need to be preparing and taking our vitamins, as President Nelson advised, in order to be able to fulfill the opportunities that lie ahead for us.   

We were beginning to feel a little 'un-needed' in our calling here in the Netherlands but with the changes in the Mission and the continual drop in  the numbers of missionaries being sent here, we are enjoying a new responsibility.   There are many empty apartments and because there are no new missionaries and couples coming to replace those who have gone home these apartments are in need of either being closed down or maintained and checked regularly.  We have been asked to help check these apartments, inventory their contents, inspect their conditions, clean what needs cleaning (that was our idea) and help with inspecting the apartments of the missionaries who are still here.  This has given us motivation to get moving and planning and doing some good each day.  

                                                                              Another advantage to having this responsibility is     
            that we are seeing more of the beauties around us

                                                                                                                                                                                                           
and sights that we haven't seen before in different parts of the mission area.   

                                                                                                           

This is in Gent, Belgium. 

 There are so many old cathedrals and churches to be seen there and castles that look like the ones in the fairytales.  We've also seen amazing places in Antwerp, Rotterdam, Breda, and the cities all around the southern Netherlands areas

                                                                                                  We walked out to the end of the walk just before the ocean when we went to the "Hoek van Holland", (where the ships leave from to take their goods to other parts of the world.)  That's where you see Henk in the foto on the bottom right        of the collage above and here where he is showing thumbs up for making it to the very end of the walk.

We came back with wet feet because the water splashed over the sides and left big deep puddles but it was worth it!!

One of the things we just had to do while in Belgium was get  some of the Belgian Frites. (really big fat french fries)  

They smell so good and when you walk past one of the many fry shops it just lures you until you give in...  

They are served with a BIG dollop of mayonaise and yes, it's not something we dare get very often.