Waffles, Chocolates, and Worn Out Shoes: A Change in the Wind

Good morning! Well my companion has decided that we are going to Brugge today! Sweet, I have been wanting to go. Yet it is a 2.5 hour train ride so this is going to be short and sweet because we have a train to catch, also it is 730am and i am not quite functioning yet! So these are highlights of my week: Exchanges with Zr. Robbins on Wednesday. And we had a lot of time knocking doors... and well we are in Europe and these people are very open and comfortable in their own skin so needless to say way too many people came to the door either naked or just in underwear! Scarred for the rest of my life. Taught a lesson on a door. Got stranded out in Geel. Had a dinner appointment with Familie D'Haene (Dad look Jan D'Haene up. He is an artist and has incredible work) their house is the coolest little artist cottage with a huge art studio and his art work everywhere. His wife is not a member but she finished reading the BvM and knows Joseph Smith was a prophet. Very cool experience! Exchanges with Zr. Duncan in Lokeren. We traveled out with this little dorpje and got off too early, following the map and walking. Made it out to the middle of nowhere, and you know that when there is no more sidewalk. SO we walked in the countryside of Belgium through corn fields! We walked for a good hour and it was beautiful! I felt like I was walking through a painting. Needless to say I took some corn... they will never notice! We finally made it out to this specific dorpje the Sint Niklaas Ward wanted them to go to. They prayed about a street and so we started knocking it. First door we knocked turned in to a potential investigator. Kept going and no one was home. Get to house 26 and a woman in loading her car. Her name is Vanessa. We start talking to her and it starts to rain so we walk into her garage. She begins to unload and express her feelings towards religion and the circumstances in her life. You can just see in her eyes how tired she is. Feeling like she gives and gives and doesn't get anything in return. Struggles with her family and her personal health. All these obstacles. Zr. Duncan did a fantastic job at talking to her and making her feel valued. I pulled out a Book of Mormon and read Alma 7:11-12, bore my testimony and handed her the book. She was surprised that we wanted to give it to her. I talked about my mom, about the role of a mother and how strong they are. How valued they are by Heavenly Father and by their children, whether they are obnoxious teens or adults. The spirit was so strong in that garage out in the middle of no where! She took the book and they will go back this week. Wish I could go. But I love going on exchanges to be able to be apart of those small moments! Went to the Turnhout Food Truck Festival for dinner Saturday night. Was a cute little festival. I ate a Kangaroo sandwich/hamburger thing. Man oh man it was delicious! So after 10 months of being on a mission, I finally was a translator at church. I don't know if finally is the right word. I felt like a greenie again with a Dutch Headache. Man that is a hard and exhausting job! But it is a pretty cool feeling to be able to translate.... my Dutch still has a lot of room for improvement but was able to translate sacrament and then relief society! Okay well shoot dang I could go on! Just know that I am alive, working hard and finding moments to play soccer every chance I get. Ha (: I love being a missionary. It is an incredibly hard experience, but when you kneel down at night to pray to Heavenly Father, and even if you just don't know what to say, He is there. I promise you that. He comes to you and reassures you that he knows, he loves you. Pray to Him. He wants to hear from you. Thanks for the love and support! Have a great week! -- Zuster Young