Week 25 - I actually had a miracle this week

I don’t have a lot of time today but I want to write to everyone today. I will just answer questions this time.

It is good to hear about your walking mom and about everyone is pitching in to get the house better organized. I am sure that is needed. I also think that it will add breathing room to everyone’s lives. I think that will also help a lot.

I write like 13 people so don’t worry I get plenty of emails and I love it, I wish sometimes to hear from some people, but then I would need more time to write. I also have found that I don’t like writing a lot on P Day about the day to day things because I write that in my journal every night. Oh well I try my best.

I don’t really miss too much about home, actually, I pretty much have everything I need and actually monsters are cheaper here (ha-ha and I actually don’t really drink that anymore anyways.) I really miss fountain drinks because it just has a different taste than bottled or canned soda.

Flemish is a pain because basically in Belgium they have 3 languages and so anywhere you go you have to learn a different dialect so here in Kortrijk they have a different way of speaking than up in Antwerpen so that is a little weird, but also cool. However Kortrijk is the worst one. Too bad, I can speak pretty good Dutch though. I love it and I only get caught up on certain words.

I actually had a miracle this week with an awesome recent convert who used to be a monk and he spends most of his time reading LDS material now and it’s incredible. I love this man. He is so cool, his name is Quirrin. He actually knows about CHI (SO COOL) I was speaking and I was prompted to share one of my more personal experiences and I really didn’t want to but I did it anyways. The Lord gave me the words to speak and it was incredible and it wasn’t perfect but it made me think to myself that “I got this.” I continued though the whole thing and then bore my testimony and then I got "the feeling" or “that moment” when you can literally feel the spirit testifying to your soul. It was there. It was incredible.

Don’t worry about me getting hugs Mom, I get hugs from basically all the elders so it’s good.( ha-ha) not usually your comp but everyone else. I think that the last mission pres. started that, so it’s cool I guess.

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Elder Jardine in New Flat

Elder Jardine Taste of home

10 full size Twix Candy Bars

Food???

Train Station ???

Train Station ???

Elder Jardine not excited about New Bike Helmet

Elder Jones walking down street

Elder Jardine

Week 24 - Learning to speak Flemish, New Area, New Companion

I thought I was going to stay in Zoetermeer and had made plans for the week. I was surprised to be transferred. Belgium is just different though. Seems run down, that’s the only way to describe it really. The members are amazing and do a ton for us so that’s really cool. They basically are the missionaries so that’s intense.

So Flemish is supposedly Dutch, but it basically sounds like they took an Irishman and then gave him a French accent and then made him speak Dutch. Basically isn’t Dutch anymore so they call it Flams. I can speak really pretty and pure Dutch because Den Haag is where the purest form comes from and what I think actually it sounds the best. Flams is just hard. I can’t speak it so people think that I am weird because I have the hard ``g´´ and here they have almost a ´´h`` sound. It’s gross.

Oh, and I was wrong about church being in France, it’s really close to France. It’s a walk away from the church so not too bad. We will probably go there soon.

Elder Jones is great. We get along really well and he is a cool kid. He is only 2 transfers out longer than me. So we both are pretty young. That makes it interesting, so yeah.

Teaching is good, pretty much the same. The members are really involved in the missionary work and there are some really strong members in the branch.

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Elder Jardine

Elder Claflin enjoying a break and ice cream

Our bikes in the street

Elder Jones

Belgium Chocolate

Week 23 - Getting Transferred - Kortrijk, Belgium

I am getting transferred so we got a new mission president and I have met him and talked with him quite a bit, which is good.

So
New area
New companion
New mission president

Exciting I will be in Kortrijk in Belgium with Elder Scott Jones

I have no idea about anything there but yeah so I get to actually go to church in France. So that’s pretty cool haha.

I don’t have too much time but I really just have been learning a lot this week I really have been just learning about myself and just been doing really well in my studies. Dave is basically my best friend in this area I have been blessed with best friends everywhere I go so far even when I was home. God continues to give me someone to be best friends with everywhere whether it be my companion or a member or whatever. I am glad to have that blessing. I am really sad actually to leave Zoetermeer. It is definitely a blessed place. Dave is older he is 41 and is very wise and looks at me the way my instructors did at home. It’s been a little frustrating because I don’t see what they see and I feel like I have got something special and I don’t know what.

So I went and ate sushi last week or two weeks ago but I finally got the pictures and the video of me eating eel so that was pretty good. It was tasty and actually my favorite of all the sushi haha was way fun. I also am going to get some pictures form Dave pretty soon that I will be able to show some other cool stuff.

I need more patches those are handy I patched my tan pants and I have a feeling that I will need more so those are really good.

Should I use the card when I buy things and then tell you guys or should I pull out cash from my debit card I am a little hesitant to use the card but if that’s what is better than I will do that you and then tell you.

Also Elder Claflin is going to have an 8 hour layover and I told him that maybe you could pick him up as a family or you and Dad and go get something to eat or something. He will be there from like 12- 9 ish or something like that but if you want he said that it would be cool to see you guys and then I would be able to give him a few things to take to you guys. you would probably pick him up at 5ish there and then spend an hour or two in Salt Lake if yes then send a quick response and I will check tomorrow at district meeting and then give him your number to call and find you guys. Cool let me know.

I love you mom I missed 4th of July but I go some socks ;)

Oh also I went to the world championship beach volleyball tournament and It was so sick I loved it!

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Sand Volleyball on P-Day

Schools Out

Trying some Sushi

Zuster Lemich, Zuster Riley, Zuster Nyakoh, Elder Claflin, Elder Jardine

World Volleyball Championship Arena

World Volleyball Championship Arena

4th of July Socks

Elder Jardine on his bike

Elder Claflin hitching a ride with Elder Jardine

Fireworks

Elder Jardine Trying eel sushi