Week 85 (Nivelles)

First week of the new transfer!

Transfer day was crazy. Everyone who had a companion transferred met up at the train station in Brussels at about 9:00 am, and we all said our goodbyes. Then we saw that our new companions weren't scheduled to arrive until almost 4:00 pm. So we grabbed something to eat, talked to people on the street, called people to set up appointments, and otherwise kept busy until their train got in. Then we shoved all the luggage in our tiny car and drove with the Charleroi Elders to go do a baptismal interview. Not even time to drop things off at the apartment!

We were helping a member with his cows a couple days ago, and had quite the scare. One of the cows recently had a baby, Mandarine. We let it out into the enclosure for its first time, and she was happily running around. But then she ducked under the electric fence wire (it was turned off of course). The first time she just wandered back in to her mother, nothing wrong. But then she did it again. This time, she wasn't so lucky. Two of the dogs saw she had gotten out, and they ran over and grabbed her by the back of the neck. When Elder Van Den Berghe and I noticed, she was yelling and trying to get away, to no avail. We instantly ran over and tried to get the dogs off, but they kept circling back to grab her again. Eventually, I was able to grab one and hold him still while Elder Van Den Berghe held the other one at bay and got the baby back in her pen. She didn't seem to be hurt physically, but as the member said, "I don't think she'll be leaving the pen anytime soon."

I thought it was a great parable. It perfectly illustrates why we should keep the commandments and not be "too critical of the barrier." As did Elder Bednar, "I invite and encourage you to reflect on this episode" and see what else you can learn from it. And don't hesitate to tell me what you think of it!

Bon courage!
Elder Wood

Last district photo before transfers. Back row: Elders Wood, Darrington, Belka, and Dunn. Front row: Elder Melanson, Elder & Sister Denton, and Elder Karratti

District lunch: Elders Karratti, Dunn, Wood, Darrington, Melanson, and Belka. He reports that the frites were not necessarily the "best frites in town" but they were pretty good.

Back in his old area, Charleroi

Saying farewell to Elder Dunn at the train station

Mandarine running away

Loading up the luggage at the train station

Elder Van Den Berghe made ratatouille!