We had some top-notch appointments

There are two things I think I forgot to mention in the last zillion emails...

1 I got a new pair of shoes for 25 Euro at the second hand store.  Mmm, they're actually super nice.

2 Do you remember Emmanuel?  When I went on exchanges with Elder Pitchforth to Antwerpen, we met a member there who set up an appointment with his bestest friend Emmanuel.  We went there and taught him and ever since, he's been gobbling up the Gospel.  Om nom nom nom.  Well, he got baptised 2 weeks ago.  Wham.

Oh, of course it's very important to mention that I will be staying in Leuven for another 3 weeks at least.  Something was worked out with the Government, so Elder Rozendaal will also be staying for that time also.  Why 3 weeks?  This last transfer was shortened by a week and the next is cut in half.  Oh, okay.  So I'm not quite sure if the Curse is broken or not.  Because had I left, I would have been a week under the Curse.  If I leave next transfer, I'll be 2 weeks over.  If I stay a fourth, the Curse is definitely broken.  I suppose we'll see.

This has been a pretty mixed week.  I was feeling pretty sloppy at the beginning of the week so we swung by Turnhout to drop me off.  Elder Farmer got a lung infection and was bedridden for an entire week.  Us two sickies chilled there swapping manly stories and being sick whilst Elder Rozendaal and Elder Christiansen returned to Leuven to teach Louise again.  Elder Farmer was of course sick the next day so we both missed the Zone Training.  After that, I returned back home--but not after discovering Elder Rozendaal hurt his back.

I'm still not 100% sure what happened, but on the 2-zillion hour long bus between here and Turnhout, the bus driver slammed her brakes, sending Elder Rozendaal tumbling.  His back smashed against a few things and ever since then, he's been having tremendous back pain.  We went to a family-doctor here and she said that he has serious bruising on a large muscle in his lower back, and he was advised to take it easy for a few weeks until it fully heals.  Dangit.  So that pushed us back a bit this week, but nevertheless we had some top-notch appointments.

We were going to visit some gypsies, but didn't.

We also met with our good friend Victor this past week.  We had to have an appointment in the bus station due to his schedule, but it was a good one.  At the end, we tried to commit him to a date, but he's very busy.  He said he would like to be baptised, but he cannot set a date because of how busy he is.  Somewhat frustrating, but still positive.

We also visited family Setta.  Only the family actually living there was there during the lesson, unfortunately, but it was still a good lesson.  Ivan, the first one we met, is very impressed by our message.  His mother told us that he reads in the Book of Mormon a lot, comparing it with the Bible and talking with her of the things he discovers.  She said he comments how neat and orderly we are, how we teach the gospel and it's accompanying moralities instead of going outside and partying.  He himself is a quiet fellow (and only 14 might I add), but I can tell a testimony is growing inside him.  Wow!  I feel he will be the pioneer of his family.

We're going bowling today.  Yay!

Also, I found a free bike.  It was outside with a sticker that said, free bike.  I am going to fix it.  Mr. Hobby here...

We also met with Daniel and Eric.  I won't lie, that was a difficult lesson.  Did you know that Daniel is a full-fledged preacher of his church?  We are teaching a Pastor. Yipes.  As such, he knows the Bible inside and out and has a lot of tricky questions.  The interesting thing is that if he simply keeps reading the Book of Mormon, he'll find all of his answers.  Still, I had a very good personnal study session this morning and wrote a 3 page essay on why the Book of Mormon is written how it's written.  Daniel said something about how the Bible starts off right away talking about God--in both the new and old testaments--but the BoM starts off talking about Lehi and his visions.  I came up with a few ideas, but essentially the main theses (you could say) is that the BoM is written to the Jew, and the Gentile, and as such, it is written in a manner that appeals to both readers.  It says in the Bible a babe must first have milk before he can have meat.  It is the same with the BoM.  Why slam readers with enormous doctrine and scare them?  No, you have to ease them into it, one step at a time.

Anyway, that's what I found.

Aaaand we also visited Willy.  Our best friend Willy.  We took control right away and told him we wanted to talk about the Word of Wisdom.   http://www.lds.org/topics/word-of-wisdom?lang=eng

"The Word of what?!"

"Uh...the Word of Wisdom..."

"Wisdom?  The Word of Wisdom?"

"Yes..."

Willy was exasperated.  "I had a dream about wisdom last night.  Somebody told me about wisdom and that I had to get it.  I have to get wisdom.  I woke up and thought, 'hmm, wisdom'.  And now you come talking about Wisdom?"  He raised his hands.  "Oh Lord!"

Wow, what a start of the lesson.  As we taught it, he was somewhat doubtful actually.  Smoking, he said, is one of his only friends.  And apparently African Coffee is good for you.  Anydoodle, Bishop (who was with us) was a great help and we told Willy that we're his friends.  After more testifying, Willy agreed to live it.  He said such an earnest prayer at the end.  Begging for the Lord to help him--asking the Lord to help us guide him.  After he was done, he was in tears. It was a powerful lesson.  Now that man needs to come to church.  I certainly hope he can get his car fixed.

Wow, I wrote a lot.  So I'll stop.

Tot volgende keer,

Elder Burgess