It's Good to be Home Again!

23 April 2017

Hello our dear family and friends!  We hope this letter finds you all happy and healthy.  Every bit of good news we hear from home is followed by smiles.   What we see on Facebook and what we hear from you  . .  .new babies, fun birthdays, exciting events . . .we love reading them together.  Thank you for sharing!  And, today we remember our son, Nathan, who would be 31 years old today.  We are so grateful for the knowledge of forever families. 

The weeks are sailing by with new experiences each day.  We enjoy our days in the office.  There is always plenty to do for sure, and as we get to know the others that share the office building with us, and friendships build, we feel like going to work each day is a joy.  And when we need to get away from our desk for a ‘wee’ bit, there is everything we need to do right across the street; grocery store, post office, dry cleaners, restaurants, shopping, you name it. 

After our many hours of travel and sight-seeing in Cornwall last weekend, we weren’t quite ready to get in the car for another long journey this week, but we had an assignment to teach a class in Leiden, Netherlands.  If we hadn’t made our reservations for this trip before Cornwall, we probably would have chosen to fly, but Ron, being the adventurous driver he is, decided to drive so we could spend a couple of culture days seeing the Netherlands, as “we may never pass this way again”.  So Wednesday after work we drove about 3-1/2 hours to the ferry in Harwick, northeast of London.  We drove our car right onto the ferry, parked it, went up 10 levels to our cabin and went to sleep while the ferry took us across the English Channel to ‘Hook of Holland’.  We woke up, showered, ate breakfast, got in our car, and drove off.  And there we were in the Netherlands. 

Our night on the ferry to the Netherlands

We had a fun day driving through the Netherlands and on to Antwerp, Belgium, where we stopped so Ron could by me a diamond.  Oh . . . I guess that part was in my dreams.  J.  And speaking of driving, we were back driving on the right side of the road, but mind you, we are still in our British car with the steering wheel also on the right side.  I don’t know how Ron keeps it all straight. 

We did make our way to Del Rey, the place that Rick Steves says is the very best chocolate and bought some to take back to the office and share.  Side note:  As we were leaving the office on Wednesday, Malcolm wished us a safe trip.  I asked him if he would like us to bring him a tulip or some chocolate.  His answer was,  “I’ll take a tulip if it’s made of chocolate, and if you buying chocolate, I prefer dark.”  A man after my own chocolate heart.  So dark chocolate for Malcolm it was (anything for the boss), and an assortment for everyone else.  Oh yes, and some for Ron and I to stash.   What we didn’t see in Belgium were waffles.  No Belgium waffles.

Thursday evening we went to The Hague Temple.  It was #43 on my list of temples attended.  That is always a bonus of our trips . . . when we can go to any temple, but particularly one we haven’t been to yet.  The church recently acquired more land around the temple and expanded the grassy area and gardens.  It is beautiful and the Dutch are so proud of it.

The beautiful Hauge Temple

Hotel prices in the Netherlands were outrageous, especially during tulip season, so we decided to go the Airbnb route again.  I won’t go into details, but it didn’t work out (bad choice . . .very very bad choice) and we ended up moving to a hotel late that night.  Ron found a newly renovated restaurant with rooms upstairs for a reasonable price, and it worked out much better.  It was nothing fancy, but clean and adequate and since they were so new (open only a week and still working out kinks), they were eager to please and gave us a great price.  Even better.  One of the kinks they were still working out was the electricity in the rooms.  We were lucky enough to get a room that all the lights worked, but when I plugged my hair dryer into the converter, then into the wall, it blew the fuse in the converter.  So two days without a hair dryer.  If you saw pictures of me on Facebook and thought “what is she doing with her hair?”  Now you know.

Keukenhof! The flowers feed my soul.

You may have seen our adventures of Friday on social media.  We went to Kinderdijk and Keukenhoff to see windmills and tulips and had a marvelous day.  The windmills are fascinating.  I am always in awe of the enormity and uniqueness of this beautiful world.  How could there not be a God?

Kinderdijk

Inside the windmill

The operator of a windmill is a Miller. A Miller has to have his own garden and chickens to make ends meet.

A really fun thing about the Netherlands is that so many people ride bikes, and the infrastructure is built for it, with side roads for bicyclers everywhere.  Sometimes it is a little unclear which roads are meant just for bikes.  Can you see where I’m going with this?  Let’s just say it’s good our car is very small.  J  Not to dis Ron’s driving, but we have been yelled at and honked at more in this country than any other.  I just smile, and wave, hoping to convey our apologies.  I was thinking about how cool it would be if America could be a bike-riding country also, and how different it would be if kids didn’t feel it “a right of passage” to turn 16 years old and get a driver’s license, and sometimes even a car.  There are people in the Netherlands who NEVER own a car!  The bike is it.  It would take away the entitlement factor that is so prevalent in so many now.  I love the idea.  But, not moving to the Netherlands just yet. 

In all the parking lots there are at least as many places to park bikes as cars.  Young and old ride bikes as their mode of transportation.  It’s nothing to see a man in a business suit, a women with stilettos, a young mom with a baby seat on the front and a baby seat on the back, someone with a pet in the front basket or tied on the back in a cage, riding a bike.  I really wish I could have snapped a picture of Granny in her red leather boots booking down the street on her bike, grinning ear to ear.  And, I might add, almost everyone was slim and fit!

Ready for class!

The not so fun thing about the Netherlands is that if you have to use a public ‘toilet’, you better have a 50 euro cent piece on you, because it costs to use them, and not because they keep them super spic n span clean. L

Saturday morning we taught our Spokesperson Training class to the new Director of Public Affairs for the Netherlands, Kris Kleijweg, and his assistant and master of the internet, David Geens.  Kris is a retired IKEA Executive, (pronounced E-Kay-a to non-Americans) former Hague Temple president, former area seventy, and former Stake President (sorry to my non-LDS friends for the Mormon jargon used).  He is a humble giant, yet small in stature.

David is an absolute genius in everything to do with the internet and social media.  He is CEO of his own company of 35 employees.  He lives in Belgium, proud to be Flemish, and makes sure everyone knows it.   He was also clear to say that “French Fries”, the real ones, came from Belgium, not France.  I knew I loved Belgium!   He shared with us his conversion story. 

Practice media interview with David

David was raised believing there was no God.  His family did not practice any sort of religion.  When he began studying at University, he realized that there is too much in this world for there not to be a God, and so he began to look for a religion.  He was introduced to the Catholic Church and even felt he had a calling to become a Priest.  As he began to study in the Seminary, he said, “What I was learning was not matching up with what I already felt in my heart.”  He quit the Seminary and continued his search for the right church for him.  Meanwhile, he married and had two sons.  His oldest son is severely autistic, and he and his wife knew that they needed to be the best family they could be for him, and raise him in the best of circumstances, which they agreed would include religion.  His wife had previously been introduced to the Mormon church and had an old copy of the Book of Mormon.  He read it in three days and knew it was true.  It took his wife a little longer, and they had decided that whatever they did they would do together, so he waited for her to be ready.  They were invited by an acquaintance to a church activity, which happened to be a Halloween Party (where he dressed up as a red devil!)  He spotted two young men, walked over and asked if they were missionaries.  When they said yes, he said, “When can I be baptized?”  A Golden Contact for sure.  He and his wife were baptized three weeks later.  That was five years ago.  Four years ago his family were sealed together in The Hague Temple by Kris Kleijweg, our new friend, and then Temple President.  In June he is coming to Utah to be a witness to the marriage of the missionary that baptized him.  The wedding is in the Provo City Center Temple.  His story warmed my heart as the spirit bore witness to me of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Next to us L to R:  Kris Kleijweg,
President Bunnell, David Geens.

Ron and I told David his story needed to be written for the Liahona (monthy church magazine).  He regularly consults with the Area Office in Frankfurt on social media matters.  In his expertise, he had come up with a brilliant idea for missionaries to reach college-aged kids and make them curious about God, religion and prayer in this increasingly secular society.  He had arranged lunch after our meeting with the mission president of Belgium/Netherlands to share his brilliant idea.  They invited us to join them, so we met President Bunnell from Salt Lake City.  If you know of a missionary in the Belgium/Netherlands mission right now, they are in good hands.  He is a wonderful man.  (And he treated us to lunch!)  As it turns out, President Bunnell had been praying for a way to reach this age group, as they were challenged to do so in mission president training last year. He loved David’s idea, as it was very brilliant, and they began to work out details right there at lunch to lay it out.  It will be interesting to watch it unfold.  That’s the cutting edge of Public Affairs.

Our hotel in Rouenm France

As if we haven’t driven enough, we decided to drive towards Normandy after lunch.  We weren’t sure we would have the opportunity to get there again while this close, as the other times we are going to Paris we will go by train.  We drove without a hotel reservation, deciding when we were tired we would stop.  As it turns out, we ended up in a very nice Marriott in Rouen, France, using points!  I had such a good night’s sleep in a super king-sized Marriott bed.  I wish every hotel could pattern after Marriott.  It was just a touch of home which I’ll call a tender mercy. 

Omaha Beach, Normandy

We had an interesting morning.  We were up and getting ready for church.  I paused from getting ready long enough to take my morning meds and vitamins.  In with my daily meds I had put an Ambien for the trip just in case I needed it.  It somehow got mixed in, and with my meds I took the whole Ambien (which if I take one to help me sleep, I only take ½ or less.)  About 20 minutes later, I was worthless.  I put my dress on backwards, felt dizzy, and looked drunk I think.  Until we figured out what happened, Ron was pretty scared.  He quickly determined that there was no way I could go to church, so he stuffed me into the car and began to drive towards Normandy.  I kept telling him, “I’m fine.  Let’s go to church.  Really, I’m fine!”  I was so fine I don’t even remember it, or most of the morning, for that matter.  I basically have spent most of the day in the car sleeping it off.  Wicked stuff!  We did make it to Normandy and had time to visit Utah Beach and Omaha Beach.  Omaha beach is where the American cemetery is.  It felt much like visiting Arlington Cemetery and Pearl Harbor.  It was quite a spiritual experience.  However, we felt bad all day about missing church, one of our favourite things to do when we are on the road.  I’ll be re-thinking where I put the Ambien when we travel from now on. 

Utah Beach, Normandy

The Chunnel!

After Normandy, we drove to Calais, France and boarded the ‘Le Shuttle’ transport train to travel through the ‘Chunnel’ back to our temporary homeland, Great Britain.  We were on the train sitting in our car for about 35 minutes.  Three hours later we were back in our flat, getting ready for another week of service to the Lord.  We always wonder, “What new and challenging experiences will we have this week?”  Of course, we can all ask ourselves that question wherever we are. 

“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.  And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.”  Mosiah 4:27

We love and pray for you all.  We appreciate all the goodness you bring to our lives.  Have a wonderful week!