Week 77 (Nivelles)

Another crazy week in the life of a missionary!

We had an exchange with the Charleroi Elders this week, so Elder Belka and I went out to do some great missionary work on the streets of Nivelles. Unfortunately all our rendez-vous fell through, but that just meant we had more time to talk with everyone we met on the road. Even though it wasn't what we had expected, we made the best of it!

On Sunday we had so many people who came to church! We had arranged with a member in the English branch to drive our friend Ryan to church, so Sunday morning we made sure he was good to go, then got to church ourselves. And during the week, one of our friends, Jérôme, who we hadn't heard from in a while texted us saying he would be at church. So when he showed up we were so happy to see him.

And the even bigger miracle was when a mother and son showed up. We'd taught the mom once before and it was an amazing rendez-vous, but then she just kind of dropped off the radar and wasn't responding to our texts. But then there she was at church! She told us about how she was so sorry to not have responded, how she was completely occupied with family/work troubles. And it was neat for me to notice how even though it could have seemed like a lost cause, even though we had lost contact, no one is ever lost from God. He never loses track of His children. And when we are involved in His work, we have to remember that it is His. We are but tools in His hands, and we don't see the full picture. We aren't in charge, nor are we responsible for all the results. But when we do our best, He uses it to bring to pass mighty miracles.

Bon courage!
Elder Wood

I'm not sure what the flowers are for, but they're very nice

With Elder Belka on exchanges

District meeting: Elders Karrati, Belka & Dunn; Elder & Soeur Denton; Elders Melanson, Darrington & Wood

Apparently he met a friendly cow?

They did a service project helping a family clean up their yard.

Food photo: The grateful family took them to a Tex-Max restaurant for lunch today

Elder Wood with a Tex-Mex meal

Elder Dunn with a Tex-Mex meal

Week 76 (Nivelles)

This week was super hectic, but super fun!

We got to go to Paris for a Multi-Zone conference, so we all had a nice reunion with other missionaries we hadn't seen in a while. There was also a special guest, Elder De Feo (of the Seventy) who talked to us about lots of cool things. He spoke about the importance of becoming a true disciple of Christ, and how that gives us the spiritual power we need to fulfill our missionary purpose.

The day after the conference, the new missionary handbook was released! It's amazing, not only because it updated lots of old rules they've adjusted over the years, but because it focuses less on the rules, and more on becoming faithful disciples of Christ. It sounds more loving and encouraging when you read it, and there are pictures! If you want a look at it yourself, it's on Gospel Library and the church website. Definitely recommended.

So the overall theme of this week seems to be becoming. We all need to become better than we are now. We all need to become more like Christ. And that's why we missionaries are out here, to help people do just that.

Bon courage!
Elder Wood

At the Multi-Zone Conference: Elder Wood with Elder Coryell (his previous companion) and Elder Morrison (Elder Coryell's current companion)

The Belgian missionaries on the Thalys train back from Paris after the conference

More of the Belgian missionaries, after getting off the Thalys

Food photo: "A member fed us tartiflette!" (A potato and cheese dish)

"It's getting cold"

"These stoplights look like they're from Dr. Seuss"

Week 75 (Nivelles)

We talked to lots of cool people this week!

It all started out with an exchange in Brussels with the Zone Leaders. We went there on Tuesday and had a great day. One of our rendez-vous was with  somebody who's been meeting with the missionaries for a while now. But when we got to his house, his friend was there with him. And as it turns out, he actually lives to the south of Nivelles, so I was able to give him the address of the chapel and we exchanged numbers so we can stay in touch. What an amazing miracle!

And on our exchange with Charleroi 2 this week, Elder Melanson and I met with Fernand. He's the man we met a few weeks ago who looks and sounds like Indiana Jones. We visited him and talked a bit about the Book of Mormon. He wasn't too interested at the beginning, but by the time we left he was curious about it. He said that he would start looking through it and that he'd learned a thing or two from us.

We also met Tony, he's from America but has been living here for a while now. So we were all glad to get to speak English for a change! Elder Dunn had actually met him on the street a few months ago, but they were never able to see him again. But that day, when we were driving through his neighborhood (after taking a wrong turn), Elder Dunn had the idea to go stop by and see if he was home. So we went over, and lo and behold he was there! And during our amazing discussion, he told us how the only reason he was home was because his car was in the shop. Otherwise, he would have normally been out and about! So if you believe in happenstance, that was a crazy coincidence. Sinon, c'était la main du Seigneur.

Bonne semaine!
Elder Wood

District Council with the Zone Leaders: Elders Luth, Poulson, Melanson, Belka, Wood, Dunn, (front row) Darrington, and Karratti

Elder Dunn and Elder Wood with the children of a family in the Nivelles ward that invited them over for dinner

Soccer on exchanges: Elders Poulson, Swensen, Wood, Luth, Carrillo, and Dunn

Food photo: Chili on exchanges, with Elder Darrington

Elder Dunn at the gare during their trip to Paris this week

"Franglais!"

Week 74 (Nivelles)

This week was just amazing.

We had Stake Conference this weekend, and Elder Kopischke (of the Seventy) visited! What was so great about it was that he invited all the missionaries to the Saturday sessions, so we had three 2-hour sessions of inspired council. And he talked a lot about how members need to work with the missionaries to keep new (and returning) membres active, to not lose them. He also touched on the importance of family and how we need to bring families together in the gospel.

To do so he gave the example of "Jean," A new convert. Jean has family members, living and dead, that need to hear the message of the gospel. So when Jean is baptized, the ward needs to support him in doing missionary work for his living family and family history work for his dead relatives. Because as President Nelson says, "exaltation is a family matter."

We also met with our friend Virginie twice this week, she's really interested in the gospel! She wants to turn her life around, and the member that we brought to teach with had actually gone through similar struggles as her. So he was able to testify of the atonement and Christ's love for her, and it was just what she needed.

An experience that we shared with her happened just the day before our rendez-vous actually. We were talking about prayer and faith, so we shared how the night before, we went out to go talk to some people. The problem was that it was nighttime, about 8 o'clock, so nobody was out and about. We got talking about faith and how neither of us had ever really gone out expecting certain results from our efforts. So we decided then and there to work our hardest, and asked God to bless us to meet someone who would be interested to talk another day. We kept walking down that empty road and when we finally ran in to someone we talked to them. Eventually, we did find someone who wanted to see us again, and we knew it was because of our prayers and our faith to continue working, even when it seemed tough.

À tantôt!
Elder Wood

"This house is giving that car a weird look" (because its windows are half-shaded and appear to be looking sideways)

"Saw this on someone's back car window"

"People come up with funny road names"