Big Transfer Day, Bicycle Helmets and the First Rest Home Gig

We returned Saturday afternoon, August 15 from the Jovo camp.  We had a young lady with us, Marie Reis who we dropped off in Sint-Niklass.  She is originally from Africa and served a mission in Portugal.  She moved to Belgium a few months ago to attend school and is living with her two brothers.  She is an impressive young lady and we enjoyed getting to know her better.

Maria is the first on the left.  We really enjoyed visiting with her.

Unfortunately, there was an accident on the road to Antwerpen that had the road shut down.  Our GPS rerouted us, but we missed a turn going through Antwerpen and had to spend half an hour getting back on the right track.  This meant we didn't arrive back in Mechelen until about 5:00 PM.  We faced several loads of laundry as we did the sheets, pillowcases and towels we used at camp in addition to a six days worth of laundry for each of us.  I also had to hurriedly pull the conducting template together for Sacrament Meeting and Priesthood the following day and Sister C had to brush up on her primary music.  Despite needing to catch up on a lot of missed sleep the previous week, we ended up working late.

Sunday night the transfer calls came and we learned that Sister Goodman, Elder Roberts and Elder Clukey were being transferred.  We already knew that Elder Johnson, our wonderful district leader was going home.  All four have served in the district since we got here, so it is particularly hard to see them go.  The mission is receiving 28 new missionaries this week, so we knew big changes were coming.  Next month, 30 new missionaries are scheduled to arrive.  That doesn't give the newly arriving missionaries much time to settle in and learn how to lead.

Monday, we enjoyed the last visit from Elders Clukey and Walker before the transfers.  They brought eggs and we supplied the fixins for omelettes, hash browns and toast.  They use our computers for their weekly email time since we can provide two with a higher speed connection than the Church.  It has been so great working with these elders in the same ward.  Together, we have been able to accomplish a lot in cleaning up the ward member list.  They are hard workers and great teachers.  We are grateful that Elder Walker will be staying for at least this next transfer.  He certainly hit the ground running here.  Somehow, we will have to figure out how to get chocolate chip cookies to Elder Clukey in his new assignment in Enschede.

Elder Walker and Elder Clukey digging into the omelettes. 

Time to hit email.

Tuesday we had our last district class for this transfer.  This one was particularly poignant because half of the missionaries in the district were being transferred.  We had decided to take our last picture together as a district wearing our bicycle helmets to show our obedience to President Bunnell.

The Turnhout District demonstrating the latest fashion in the Belgium/Netherlands Mission

We have a hard time playing it straight.

Sister C prepared a delicious lunch of stuffed peppers, salad and rolls.

Our new district leader: Elder Hosea

Putting our best foot forward 

We can play it straight. 

Just not for long.

On Wednesday we went to the city hall to pick up our Belgian ID cards and to apply for Belgian driving licenses.  That went without a hitch and we got the usual friendly service we get in Mechelen.
After that appointment, we also had an appointment for a hearing about a problem with our garbage.  We made a trip to the courthouse when we first got here to pick up garbage bags.  You buy relatively inexpensive blue bags to recycle cans and plastic bottles, pink bags for mixed plastic and very expensive white bags for household garbage.  We also picked up the schedule for garbage collection.  Unfortunately, no one was able to tell us where to put the garbage for collection so we put it where the other residents were putting it.  We put a cardboard box out for recycling that had our name and address on it and receive a registered letter informing us that it had been placed in the wrong place and that we had to contact an administrative officer to see if a fine would be levied.

We met with a very efficient and friendly administrative adjudicator who told us about the nature of the hearing and the process for appeal.  He then asked us to tell him the facts from our perspective and he did a great job of summarizing the issues.  He then informed us that there would be no fine imposed and that we would receive an official notice to that effect in a few days.  All of this happened in Flemish (Nederlands).  We were happy that we spoke enough to be able to lay out the issues and understand what he was telling us.  All-in-all it was a good experience, but we still don't know exactly where to put our garbage.  We hope we have it in the right place now and it did get picked up on Monday morning.


Thursday:  Our first gig at the rest home.  About six weeks ago, Sister Fuenzelida called her sister who works at the Egmont Rust Huis (Rest Home) and suggested that they might be open for a musical program.  We visited there the following week and met some wonderful workers who told us that they could probably use us in August.  They called a couple of weeks ago to confirm the dates and times and Sister C has been practicing her guitar and singing ever since.  She also conscripted me into singing along on a couple of songs.  We performed a 30 minute program on two different floors of the Rest Home.  The residents there are well cared for by a loving staff and volunteers.  There are over 300 residents there.  We also need to find older popular Flemish songs to sing so that they can sing along.

Sister C waiting to go "on stage" at the Egmont Rest Home

Sister C singing an American folk song to the 5th floor residents.

Friday:  Dinner with the Fuenzelidas.  We spent a lovely evening with the Fuenzelida family here in Mechelen.  They had prepared a wonderful dinner.  We asked Sister Fuenzelida to tell us some popular song or two that we could learn.  She treated us to a famous Belgian song and a couple of gedichtjes (poems or sayings).  Sister Fuenzelida allowed to to video them.  She joked that people in the US would all be singing this song in a few years.  The song is titled, Ik spring uit en vliegmachine (I jump out of a flying machine).

Saturday morning:  Mechelen has a lovely open air market on most Saturday mornings.  It is a short bicycle ride from our apartment (or about a 10 minute walk).  Sister C has been on the lookout for fresh corn, since we ride  through fields of corn during the day.  The fields are mostly corn for animal feed, but Brother van Es told us that eating corn was also available.  As we parked our bicycles next to the city hall, the first booth we encountered was setting up the corn display.  We found three different booths selling it and the third had the freshest corn (also the cheapest).

Fresh corn for eating was available, much to Sister C's delight.

Six ears for three Euros.  Unfortunately, the corn was picked two or three days ago.

One of the fish vendors at the market.

Costco doesn't serve rotisserie chicken here, but the vendors do.

Fresh flowers are everywhere and inexpensive.

We had to take this picture to show that we aren't the only senior couple in Mechelen wearing helmets.

Sunday: Sunday was the first time that I operated as the sole member of the Bishopric since Bisho Dixon and Brother Pushnoy were both out of town on vacation.  I asked Brother van Es, the ward clerk to sit next to me on the stand since neither member of the high priest group leadership was there and the Elders Quorum President was also on vacation.  We had three Aaronic Priesthood holder speakers first.  The two deacons had well-prepared talks and used scriptures very effectively.  The priest spoke from his journal of the Young Man/Young Women Camp two weeks ago.  These three young men will be great missionaries.  Brother Mesotten, the first member of the Leuven Ward was the final speaker.  He has held many prominent positions in the Church over the years and is a wonderful servant of the Lord and great speaker.

As we were delivering Brother van Es to his house, we passed a garden with tomatoes and Sister C remarked how much she liked tomatoes fresh from the garden.  When we arrive at the home of Brother van Es, he went into his back yard and returned with two gorgeous tomatoes.  They also tasted wonderful.

Brother van Es with the best tomatoes in Belgium.

A very happy Sister C.

We certainly feel blessed to serve in this little Leuven Ward and to live in the beautiful and friendly city of Mechelen.

Jovo (Jonge Volwassenen or Young Single Adult) Camp

When we attended the Senior Missionary meeting at the mission home with President and Sister Bunnell, it was discovered that we were the only senior missionary couple not scheduled to attend the Jovo (Jonge Volwassenen or Young Single Adult) camp starting the following Monday, August 10.  President Bunnell gave us permission to attend and President van der Put (1st counselor in the mission presidency) called Buddy Gout to see if it was possible for us to attend.  They told us that the private couples rooms were not available, but that there might be room in a room with six bunk beds.
Sister C was determined to go if possible because she has been worried about the Jovos in Belgium.  We were put in contact with Niek Sumter on the Camp Council to see what he could work out.  Niek felt that there would be room and encouraged us to come.  He also sent us the list of things that we were to bring.  This all happened on Sunday evening so we rushed to get things packed and ready.

Monday morning, we started out for Hengelo in Gelderland (not Overijssel) since there are two Hengelos in the Netherlands, quite some distance from each other.  Our GPS reported that it would be about a two hour, forty-five minute drive.  We were surprised that traffic was not bad going through Antwerpen and had a generally uneventful drive.  The camp was held on a dairy farm that had built some nice camp buildings.  The place is called Haverkamp.  (haver means oats).  There was a large building (formerly a barn) that had been converted to a dormitory with two large meeting/dining rooms, a commercial kitchen and two large bathrooms.  There is also a villa next door that had the private rooms where the other couples stayed, along with a kitchen and living room.

The Haverkamp, a working farm with a group camping center.

Camp council members.  The sister on the right, Femke Linders took many of the photos on this blog post.

We were assigned to a bedroom with that had two bunkbeds (room for four) with a sink.  Fortunately, they were able to give us the room to ourselves and assigned us the end bedroom in hopes that it would be quieter (and perhaps to keep the snoring seniors from disturbing others).  We were thrilled with this arrangement, given what we had been told to expect.  The mattresses were firm and covered with thick plastic which made for uncomfortable sleeping in the hot weather.  Of course, the noise from the Jovos and the mosquitoes pretty much made for a less than comfortable sleeping experience.  We didn't come to rest - we came to serve and we were certainly grateful for the opportunity.  Somehow it also made it easier for us to relate to the Jovos.

Tending the cows, the daily milk pickups, etc. went on throughout the day

Sister C feeling right at home.

Jovos enjoying the ambience in evening attire (Wednesday evening)

Monday afternoon, the Jovos played get acquainted games and we had a meeting with Buddy and Beryl Gout who are the advisors for the camp.  They are an amazing couple from Groningen.  I knew Buddy's father when I was on my first mission and Buddy certainly looks a lot like his dad.  They are near our age and full of life and energy.  Our main assignment is to be grandparents to the Jovos and to be particularly on the lookout for people who might be alone.  We had other assignments during the camp including helping with some activities and providing transportation since many young people in Belgium and the Netherlands do not have cars.  One young man rode his bicycle about 120 miles to attend the conference.

Elders Kleyn and Butler waiting for things to start

The Camp Council President and Buddy Gout telling us what to do.

Senior Couples receiving instruction from Buddy Gout at the beginning of the Jovo Camp

Elder Romig, Elder Kleyn, Sister Kleyn and Sister Butler trying to figure things out.

Buddy and Beryl Gout and Elder and Sister Robison pondering the heavy weight of responsibility

On Monday evening Buddy Gout had organized an activity highlighting the plan of salvation.  The Jovos took their turn pretending to be born, thinking about what they wanted to accomplish on earth and reviewing their accomplishments in the spirit world.  Finally they entered the a room that had coconut milk, white chocolate and mints where they could think about the purpose of their life on earth.

The earth angels of death.  Sister Kleyn showed great energy in pursuing those who didn't want to die.

The "Birthing Room" with the Butlers and the Caldwells

Sister Kleyn chasing down the last stubborn Jovo who didn't want to "die".  She was relentless
and he finally gave up.

On Monday evening after the activity, we were debriefing as senior couples and discovered that Sister Tieneke Keijweg (who had been on a home mission with her husband last year) had also served in the Netherlands mission when we did 46 years ago.  She was then Sister Last.  We had to take this picture of two former Netherlands Sister Missionaries.

Sister C and Sister Tieneke Last Kleijweg from the Old Netherlands Mission ca 1968-69

On Tuesday morning, we began our adventure of sharing three showers with 100+ young people.  We found that we had to shower early to have a chance to get them.  The first morning, the only open shower was missing a shower head (this was corrected the next day).  At least the water was warm.  It was fun to see the Jovos studying individually and then together under the able assistance of Hans Noot.

Later in the morning, I received a phone call from President Bunnell asking me to take the lead on preparing a senior missionary guide.  We had talked about this project at the Mission Home on Friday evening and he had outlined a few areas and made assignments to individuals to prepare sections.  I had been thinking about the project since that time and had felt that I would have to a bit more when the President called.  I had already started preparing a guide for missionaries to help them with some of the common practical issues that many of them seem to struggle with and that served as a good format and outline to begin the project for President Bunnell.  We also thought this was the perfect week to work on the project since all of the senior couples were together at the Jovo Camp.
In the evening, President Boom and his wife from the Antwerpen stake presented information on marriage.  It was an energetic presentation, tactfully delivered and enjoyed by the young people.

Yes!

The Minions looking at a "No" answer

Banana, courtesy of the Minions

President and Sister Boom presenting

Near the end of the session Sister C introduced herself to someone she did not know and was
surprised to find Sister Sanna Brandenberg who had been in Bergen, Norway for six months
as an exchange student and knew Sister C's brother Elder David Allphin.  She had been to
FestiNoord the week before (along with eight other Jovos from The Netherlands and Belgium)

Sanna Brandenberg and Elder Allphin in Denmark.
We got this email and picture the day after we took the other one.

Wednesday afternoon, we embarked on service projects.  Our group was assigned to work at a zorg boederij (a farm for people with disabilities).  When we arrived, the farm was locked up and the neighbors told us to drive around the corner to a manor house.  At the manor house, the Jovos met the owner, a lovely lady who told us that the farm manager was on vacation and had left no instructions about what needed to be done.  Our Jovos asked if there was anything else that we could do and she said that the entry gates could be washed since they were covered with green.  The Jovos and us launched into the project and in a couple of hours, the green was gone.

The lady then explained a bit about the history of the house that dated to the late 1700s.  It had been a combination barn and house for many years and then a second story was added.  She told us that her father had purchased the property, but that it required extremely hard work to keep it going.  She told us that she and her sister when they were young were responsible for 25,000 chickens raised for slaughter.  She also said that the terms for purchase of the farms are favorable, but that it is an enormous challenge to pay the ongoing costs.  They occasionally receive government grants because of the historic value of the property, but they all require a match.  She told us that her son was getting married in early September and had wished that the gates were cleaner.  She had told him that there was no way that it could happen.  Sister C exchanged email addresses with her and photos of the Jovo group working on the project.  This is a classic example of the charm and creativity of the Jovos here how they turned an unfortunate situation into an opportunity.  We saw this many times during the week.

There were three amazing sisters from Alkmaar working in the kitchen, along with Brother Kleijweg.  They did an amazing job of preparing the meals, dishing them up and then doing the clean-up.  There were quite a number of special orders that slowed things down considerably: e.g gluten free, vegetarian, special meat concerns, etc.

The chief cook preparing soup dishes.  Sister Ida was amazing.

Wonderful meals.

Taking care of special dietary needs

Time to snap beans with Sister Tieneke Last Kleiweg and Sister Ida

Sister Kleiweg hard at work.

The five minute rest taken by the Kleiwegs.  They are amazing!  It was so fun to renew friendships.

Thursday evening, was a formal dinner and dance.  The senior couples were tapped to wait the tables, do the dishes and general clean up.  This was quite a job for old folks.  We started serving at 6:00 PM and didn't finish with clean-up until after 11:00 PM.


Friday afternoon, we were assigned to go with a group in the center of a nearby village to do a fun activity.  They were assigned to read a scripture (feeding the 5,000 with two fishes and five loaves of bread.  They had to identify all of the nouns in the scripture and find things that were representative of the nouns.  They either had to trade (they were given two candles) to get the items or had to take pictures of them.  They also had to place a Book of Mormon and many of the activities required them to interact with strangers (getting a man to take off his boot so that they could take a picture of his naked foot.  Our group was charming and creative and the village people were friendly and cheerful.

The first assignment was to get a picture giving someone a Book of Mormon.  These were the first people they met
and they accepted a copy.  Great young people are hard to resist.

Here they are posing for the picture.

Reading the scripture about feeding the 5,000.  They had to identify nouns and then
find the nouns in the village.

Having fun with a fellow customer in the bakery while trading a candle for five
stale buns (representing the five loaves).

These young men were will to have their picture taken with one of our beautiful sisters.

The twelve baskets assembled for us by the owners of a store.

Posing with a large pair of scissors.

Trying to talk the pet shop owner into trading a candle for two fish.
He wouldn't do it, so we had to settle for a couple of licorice fish at a drugstore.

The group by a gorgeous windmill in the village.

We found a house with lots of ship models.

Getting a man to let us photograph his bare foot while reading the scripture.

We all had a lot of fun with this activity.

Sister C being photographed as a sick person (she overheated in the church).
Coincidently, an ambulance came driving by.

The best Italian gelato ever!  By the time we got here, everyone was a bit
hot, so I decided it was time for a treat.

We were all charmed by this little village.

In the middle of the village was a beautiful Church that dated back to the 1600s.  All of the Jovos were very musical and the two men were great pianists and organists.  The church organ was locked, but they got permission to play the piano and sing a hymn.  This went over very well and they returned later in the day to sing a few more.  The people in the church loved it and it created a great spirit on the activity.  Of course, we had to treat everyone to a scoop of Italian ice cream.  The shop in town served the best we have ever eaten.

Friday evening, the Singing Elders put on a 90 minute program and that was followed by a testimony meeting outside by a campfire.  The Singing Elders are full-time missionaries who present a program once a month somewhere in the mission.  There are four of them (two companionships).  They have a special program focusing on the meaning of life and following the life of a typical family with music and text.  Typically there will be more than 100 non-members at their programs so it has been very impactful. testimony meeting was wonderful and we have so much respect for these great young people in Belgium and The Netherlands.  The future of the Church here looks bright.

Saturday morning was camp clean-up time followed by a closing devotional presented by our area authority Elder Boom.  The senior couples sang a barbershop quartet (with eight voices) called the Mosquitos.  This was introduced to us years ago by the Oliphant boys at an Allphin family reunion.  They certainly sang better than we did, but the Jovos seemed to like it and we had fun preparing it.

The Gouts, Butlers, Kleyns, Robisons, Romigs and us.
These senior couples are amazing.  Buddy and Beryl Gout do an amazing job.