Week 30 - New Companion

Thanks for sending me your talk, I will definitely print it out and read it. I love getting talks and different things from home. It makes me so happy.

My comp is Elder Stanger and he is awesome I am finishing his training and he is a stud he already know Dutch very well and he and I have a lot of information to learn and exchange with him it will be an awesome transfer. He really loves the gospel and he is exactly what I needed. I will be learning from him just as much as he will from me from me finishing his training. So hopefully it will be good.

It’s scary to hear about all these people that I love have all these different things happen to them. It makes me so sad.

I will let you know what I think for sure I have to write a couple of letters so I will try to do that soon.

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Week 29 - Baptism date set for 6 September

I have like no time so I wrote a letter home and took a picture of it.

I am glad to hear that you aren't doing too bad coming home from camp Its good to hear.

I am staying here in Belgium but yeah I am getting a young comp. more details in the other letter.

I wish I could see a meteor shower like that that is awesome I will have to go read that declaration I think that it is a good one.

I will have to write another letter about how I am doing because it is a lot to explain and send it tomorrow because I think that it only takes a week to get home. I am good don’t worry I am doing just fine.

So this week has been interesting. We went to oostenoe and that is a sick beach. We all played volleyball which I actually really like now. I like beach volleyball. It’s a ton of fun.

It was really exciting this week we had a baptism interview with Lieven. He is good to go! I’m so excited the only thing is he had to move back the date to the 6th of September because the member that is going to baptize him won’t be here til then but it’s sick! I’m excited!

This week we biked to France took a picture and then went back on out side and contacted. Really not as cool as I would have liked but I’ve been to France, so that was cool haha yeah.

So transfer call came in and Elder Jones is leaving and I am getting Elder Stranger I think… We aren’t sure how to say or spell his name. Haha hopefully he is a cool dude. He is way young he will be on his 2nd transfer. So his is pretty young so that will be interesting. So yeah, but today we are going to Ieper (Ypres) today so that should be really cool its got some really good history there and a lot of wars were fought there.

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Here are some pictures of Ieper

The Westhoek was part of the Western front during the First World War (1914-1918), or Great War, in particular the area around the town of Ieper (Ypres), where half a million soldiers were killed and millions wounded.

The region contains a great number of places with memories of the war like cemeteries, monuments and memorials, museums, as well as trenches, shelters, craters, and others.

Leeuwentoren

Preach the Ears

Ieper Vestingen - Elder Jardine selfie

Trench

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Zicht van op brug, richting menenpoort

Doorgang onder de vestingen

Elder Jardine

Menin Gate at Ypres

from the right Elder Stranger, Elder Jardine, Elder Grosebeck

Elder Jardine and Elder Jones on the train

Week 28 - I Dare You...

I have had to let go of my ropes Mom, I think that it interesting that you say that because I have had to let go. I called it putting down my weapons. Letting go. so yeah it’s a struggle but I have actually shared a lot about myself and I am way open I think it’s so intense sometimes but I have been open with my DL and ZL on exchanges and they have learned and I may have given them a little head start but I started to get them to think. To see what I am seeing.

(SO transfers are coming up next week and I think that I will be transferred and that Kortrijk will be white washed. Because when I first got here the first Sunday I got a really strong feeling and actually God spoke to me and said exactly "you are one and done so make it count" so yeah I think that I am gone after this transfer which hurts because I haven’t told anyone besides my comp and president when we had interviews. So yeah it hurts because the members got a new branch president and he is really pumped and they plan as if I stay next transfer. So that sucks I would ask that this part doesn’t go up on the blog though. )

Favorite food here is either Nasi which is Indonesian or a doner which is what that thing I sent a pic of a while ago I will have to take a pic of the store because we could never get that in America haha so yeah that’s tasty.

Treat I really like suikerwaffles they are the best when they give you a fresh warm suiker waffle.

Temp right now is like 26-28 Celsius so I don’t know what that is in Fahrenheit

I do really miss the studio. I had a flashback to tai chi because Quirin the guy who used to be a monk had like 30 tai chi bowls and I could ring them like I used to and ughhhh

I would love to come back with you all I think that it would be fun to show you all where I served and the people that I love and have met here.

About your talk... um I would say that you should just say that when a child says something listen and try to understand because I know myself and it was harder to share things if I tried to bring it up and then it ended badly with someone upset. I would never want to bring it up again. I think that you just have to accept that we aren't perfect by nature and that we have the atonement so that when we fall short (when not if) it’s there to be used. I think as parents we would try to keep our kids from sinning but that’s not what will happen. I think it is more important that when a child is bringing something up that we teach and love and that’s how you can be the most open. I think that if you love unconditionally and do what Christ did when the Jew wanted to stone the adulterous women and just love them and then teach them to not sin anymore and how we can use the atonement will have a greater impact than grounding them or taking away the temptation. Idk that’s my ideas.

We had a lesson with our investigator, Lieven that was too good. I am pretty sure that Heavenly Father spoke to Lieven through my mouth. It was way intense I have never got that good of a feeling before. The spirit has never been stronger and I really was testifying with the power of God's voice behind mine. That was a really cool experience. Then in the middle of the Lesson I just felt to challenge him to stop smoking and then he said back "do you dare me" and I just gave him back "you know what I DARE you to stop today." Then he stood up and looked at me for a second and then said he would do it and then we shook hands and I told him that I believed him. We saw him at church on Sunday and then he said how he was perfect and how he had stopped completely and he just was changed by the atonement. It’s definitely real. It was so cool to see him because he seemed so much more alive and free from smoking.

Transfer calls happen this next Sunday and then next Wednesday is transfer day. When everyone moves. So I will let you know where I will be next transfer next Monday

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Week 27 - I Lost My Suit Coat

So Yeah this week was pretty good. We went and played some sports today for p-day and that was really fun. We got to get some energy out but now I am really tired and can’t really remember anything about the week. So I am just going to write to you mom.

Sounds like a crazy week. I think that is pretty stressful. I don’t know what I would do if Noah was gone I don’t think I could handle it. I think I would have probably started packing. I wouldn't be able to focus anymore. yeah idk it made my heart sink to hear that he got into that kind of a crash that is really crazy I don’t have words to describe how I feel I am glad though that he is ok and that everything is going ok.

I fasted with everyone too I only got two meals though because a member wanted to feed us. I wish I could have done more.

Mom I promise to be safe we have to wear helmets now so yeah I always have and I always will.

I think I am going to try to write a few letters and send them soon.

Oh so I have some bad news too. So my suit coat either got lifted off of me or I dropped it and it got picked up. It was the gray one the same ones that the pants ripped so yeah I am more sad about what I lost in the jacket than the actually jacket. I lost my key chain from Ethan that he bought in Scotland and had our family crest on it and my oil vile, and then some other things like my planner so yeah I am without one suit. Sorry I didn’t mean to lose it was draped over my Timbuktu 2 bag and then it was gone so yeah I am sorry.

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Elder Jones, Elder Jardine, Bro Quirin getting some Ice Cream

Towers of Our Lady church, founded by Baldwin of Constantinople in 13C

Week 26 - I really testified and it was really cool

So this week was great I had a really cool experience with a non-progressing investigator and we made him progressing. I kinda threw down in our lesson and felt a little bad after but I told him what he had to do to be baptized. I really testified and it was really cool because we had just read 3 Nephi 11 and it kinda struck a chord with him and it was cool to see it click. It was really cool when I testified and then "the feeling" came into the room and testified to your soul and it made me realize how god speaks through us because I would not normally say those kinds of things. It was cool to see the spirit testify to his soul and to mine. It made me realize what I do know and how much I really understand this gospel.

So I got sick this week so the members were really nice and one of our part member families brought us food. It was awesome and so nice of her. (she is the non-member) I am on the healing side and coughing up the last bits of crap in my chest. All is good. Mom you don’t need to worry too much about me.

I love everyone and I really can’t wait to get back and see everyone again I really missed it this week, don’t get me wrong right now my place is here but I really do love all of you so much and I am excited to get back into it. I am also excited to show off this new me.

So the pics this week are with Lieven and Quirin and Quirin has the beard so you know who they are

Then the other are of me and Marnix and I skyped him in the MTC and also he helps us a ton he says his house is our house but in Dutch and he basically helps us with everything.

Tout Ziens
Elder Jardine

Elder Jardine and Bro. Marnix

Streets of Kortrijk

Elder Jardine

Lieven, Bro. Quirin, Elder Jardine, Elder Jones

Elder Jones

Elder Jardine and Elder Jones