Week 17 - Transfer's Coming, Staying put

Hey, I am glad to hear that everything is good at home. I don’t know why that you all have a bad missing feeling but I am doing actually a lot better and E. Thomas and I actually probably have gotten more along these last few days than ever and it’s sad that it is that way but I think it is because we are pretty similar and that we don’t really mix with ourselves.

I really am doing good though I got to go to Brussels and get a real Belgium waffle and you should see if you can find a recipe for suikerwaffles and make them because they are a really treat haha and they put chocolate and strawberries and bananas all over them so tasty! Oh and I got to spend the day with E. Soloman and E. Wilson which I still need to send a pic of him home. Oh and Graffiti is everywhere in Belgium and they had some sweet graffiti there I was impressed the pic is just the tram that got tagged but its still cool.

I am so excited for this next transfer because I will be with Elder Clafin in Zoetermeer and that will be fun only complaint is that he is going home after next transfer and that is a bit lame because I wanted a young companion that still struggles with language but it will be ok He is a great Elder.

We went bowling last P-day and that was way fun and oh I went to a Greek restaurant with Dave who we spend a lot of our free time with and he is such an awesome guy and It was his birthday so we got Greek food where he served his mission and it was so good and next week I will get a picture of it from him because you wouldn’t believe all the stuff I ate is was so good.

Zone conference was good and it was awesome to see my buddies again. I love all my MTC group they actually are all going to a different zone next transfer which sucks but I will be ok. I am with Elder Clafin my district leader and it will be sweet but I really wish I had a younger companion anyways Elder Clafin will be on his last transfer too so that will be interesting.

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Elder ??? and Elder Thomas

Elder Jardine

Elder ??? and Elder Hendricks

Graffiti on the train

Elder Jardine

Week 16 - This week was pretty okay

Hey this week was pretty ok, yeah better than the last 4 I think...

The pictures I sent are of the temple because it was on our way back from the church that night and the sun doesn’t set until like 10pm here.

The other was the same night from our apartment and then my bike is the one with brown handles.

This week was cool because most of the nights we came home and we played soccer with some kids right outside our apartment we are hoping to get more kids to come because it is really fun and enjoyable and nice to get to know the people in the neighborhood.

We have gotten a few new investigators and are really just needing people to commit to things. We have one though that looks promising she is a mom and is really interested which was cool. We are excited to see where it will go and maybe she will get baptized we are really excited to see her progress.

Basically this next week though I will have to try really hard to keep Elder Thomas focused but probably will visit a lot of people that he has made relationships with and whatever so idk. I did get up this morning and made fried egg sandwiches for us. Elder Thomas was happy about that. I think that our companionship is a lot better than before but I don’t think it will get where I want it to be. Oh well...

It was crazy to hear about the Karate tournament. That is so cool about Randy and his wife going through the temple and I am so excited for them and wish that I could be there. I am glad that everyone is working hard to finish strong that is important.

I think that I will talk to the mission president on Wednesday for interviews so that should be good I will definitely see what the Lord thinks about me training this next transfer. I got to watch some of the videos and that was nice so thank you. I really enjoyed them and it was good to see some familiar faces I miss it.


Tout Zines
Elder Jardine

Den Hague Temple at night

Sunset right before I go to bed

My new bike the one with brown handles

Elder Thomas and Elder Jardine writing home

Den Hague Temple at night

Talking to Kyle on Mother's Day

It was a great Mother’s Day morning even though we missed church we were able to visit with Kyle over Skype. It was so good to see him and get time to visit with him. As we shed tears of joy for his service he shared his joy and happiness for serving the Lord. While Kyle has been in the service of Heavenly Father sharing the gospel we have seen miracles and many blessings in our family and those that Kyle has been able to influence by his example to simply serve the Lord.

Here are a few pictures of our Family talking with Kyle over the internet. It was truly a blessing to see his face and hear him talk about how he is doing.

Elder Jardine 

Ian and Kyle

Kyle and Emily

Kyle by skype

Xarissa and Kyle

Week 15 - Mothers Day!!!

It was so awesome to see you yesterday. So awesome to see all of you and talk with you. I love you so much and I am so grateful that even in times when we were in hard places you would always want to give me everything if I asked for it. So thank you and I love you so much. 

So I went to Amsterdam as you know and so we got up at 6a and left for the trains. Then when we got there we waited in line and then me and Elder Claflin went around to take a few cool pics. 

Then inside Elder Thomas snuck and took the picture of the bookcase that Anne frank hid behind for 2 years up in the annex and then photos of the line outside where we were.

Then some pics of some large building that is important I can’t remember why but it is something to do with the king. 

then some random dude was asking randoms if they wanted to rub sun tan lotion on him in that square and so we followed him after he got dressed to see who he was, Elder Claflin thought he might be someone famous but just got a pic with him just because haha so funny. 

All the others are just of random stuff in Amsterdam and I know that you are going to give me crap for not being in the photos but I am taking all of them so I can’t just selfie everything. 

I love you all back home so much today was a fun day.

The “I amsterdam” letters travel place to place through out the city We are in Vondelpark the letters are there to mark the start of the Vondelpark Openluchttheater (Open Air Theater) season.

Elder Claflin in Vondelpark, Amsterdam

Elder Claflin in Vondelpark, Amsterdam

Elder Thomas in Vondelpark, Amsterdam

 

This is the picture of the bookcase that Anne Frank hid behind and was a secret door to the annex of the house. The entrance is on the right

Anne Frank's House

Anne Frank's House

Anne Frank's House

 

This is outside the Rijksmuseum.

Home to masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Rietveld

 Rijksmuseum

Elder Thomas outside the  Rijksmuseum

Elder Thomas outside the  Rijksmuseum

Elder Jardine outside the  Rijksmuseum

These are pictures of the Town Hall of Amsterdam built in 1665

Town Hall of Amsterdam

Town Hall of Amsterdam

Town Hall of Amsterdam

Elder Claflin and Elder Thomas

Random pictures of Amsterdam

Elder Claflin and a Random Stranger

Elder Jardine and Elder Claflin

Elder Thomas and Elder Claflin

The Train Ride

Elder Thomas and Elder Claflin

Elder Thomas and Elder Claflin

Week 14 - Happy to hear about home.

Hey I am doing better this week I realized that I just had panicked and everything is okay, I promise. I talked with the mission president and it will be okay. I have decided that I will finish my time here and that I will be able to go back to California after and as much as I want to be there now I will be here. I miss California, it seemed to fit me so well and I hope that I can learn to enjoy it here.

We have had some success though. I got to teach some lessons and we have an investigator that we picked up and teach about twice a week so. We think that she will get baptized so that is super cool. We got to have a Zone P-Day today and that was super cool because I got to see E. Smith E. Soloman and E. Isaksen so that was sweet I was so glad to see them. I got to see E. Smith and Soloman on my first day here and that was awesome! It really made that day amazing. I got to see them all today it was great! We played soccer and basketball for a long while so that was great too.

I missed them though that was awesome. Oh I get my bike on Tuesday and that should be good I am excited I am going to get one for 80 euro so that will be great.

I will be ok I promise. 

Tout Zines

Elder Jardine

Here are some pictures 

Elder McGary, Aunt Putney, Elder Jardine

Elder Jardine w/ CA Ward Mission Leader and Family

Elder Jardine & Elder Thomas

Elder Thomas, Elder Jardine, Elder ?, Zuster Voss, Zuster Bradley

Elder Jardine at The Haag Temple