Tuesday, July 21, 2015

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