Ward Newsletter Article

Hoi!

Hey everybody!  So this week was pretty good.  Got quite a few new investigators and had some experiences I'll never forget.

Here is a preview of what I sent in to the ward news letter:  

As my time here in the mission field comes to a close I don't have all that much to say, mostly because until I have a moment for me and the Lord to sit down and talk about it I don't feel like I could give everything I've experienced and learned the right words.  There is a scripture that comes pretty close to summing everything up though.  Helaman 3:35 says: 

 'Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.'

Over the course of my mission I have seen that all those who yield their hearts to God are those who are blessed the most, and who are brought closest to the Lord.  They begin to act like him, faith and light fills their lives, and the difference can be felt and seen.  That goes for missionaries, members, investigators....  Everyone.  We are are children of a loving Heavenly Father.  He has a plan for us.  Jesus Christ is central to that plan.  Jesus Chirst is our savior and redeemer.  Our example and our friend.  I love them both and all they have done for us.

Neal A. Maxwell
'Willing to Submit'
Ensign, May 1985

Love you guys so much!

-Elder Hayden Lott

Question of the Week:  Are Belgians crazy about their team in the UEFA tournament, or is it not a big deal?

Answer:  It is crazy right now with the European cup!  Belgium is doing really well and pretty much everywhere we go we see Belgian flags and decorations.  It is hard not to watch the games because they have all been at night and our apartment is really close to the Market square where they play all the games on a big screen.  But the Lord has been blessing us for our dedicating ourselves to the work, and it helps give me conversation starters to ask about the game :)

Belgian Football Team

Happy Father's Day

Turnhout City Hall

A lot of the cards in the world are made here in Turnhout, Belgium.
 It's still kind of eery though walking through a row of
card looking Kings/Queens to get into city hall.

Turnout City Hall
 picture by Michielverbeek - wikipedia

Hallo!

So this week was another good one.  Had some good lessons, church was nice.  We got some new investigators.  1 from Jamaica, and 2 from Suriname.  All really chill guys who can cook really well and are pretty open to the gospel.  A bit of exciting news is that Bxx from Antwerpen is getting baptized this upcoming Sunday, hurrah!  That will be good.  Unfortunately it is right after church on Sunday, so I won't be able to go but still a happy day.  

I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  I know that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are the word of God, and that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is their church here on the earth.

Earthy Father, Heavenly Father
Click here to watch video link

Love you all!

-Elder Lott

[Mom note:  I'm not sure how this week's email ended up focusing on food, but it did!  I just mused in my email that I hadn't heard him talk about good Chinese food on his mission because we had enjoyed a wonderful Chinese meal with some out of town friends.  And I speculated if there were good frozen friets there because they have a deep fryer in their apartment.  And then I did ask about ramen noodles for question of the week, so I guess it was a lot of food focus this week..........]

Question of the Week:  We were discussing with Bishop and his family this week that ramen noodles are not sold in Brazil.  Can you buy them in Belgium/Netherlands?

Answers to questions: You can find Chinese food here in Belgium and it is ok.  But the Vietnamese and Thai food is really good.  Frozen Friets here are pretty good if you don't just get the cheapest ones, and you have to get the right kind of mayonnaise, otherwise its just not the same!  You can't really find ramen noodles here.  Only in international markets can you find anything similar, stuff from Korea and Japan and stuff.  It's pretty expensive though.

Cooking
Mom, in response to some vibes I was getting from your emails...
yes, I've learned how to cook on the mission.
 More than just deep frying and ramen noodles.
 Here is a 4 cheese pasta dish I made this week.

and I made Surinamese rice :)

Christlike Attributes+Pure Desire/Action=Character=Greatness

Geel
[Flag says 'Geel - You get there, You stay there']

Hoi!

So this week was super hot and humid.  We still went out and worked hard though and saw some cool miracles.  We had prayed to know where we needed to go and felt like we should go to a street in the city of Mol.  There we met a wonderful lady from Suriname who is looking for answers about why so many people don't follow God and all the confusion in the world.  We were able to share a little bit with her, give her a Book of Mormon so that was good.  Loving just going out and doing the Lord's work every day.

Learned a lot from the priesthood lesson this week.  A good indicator of true greatness is character.  I feel like Christ's character helped him stay focused on the things he had been sent to do, and that drove him through to do them in all diligence.  I hope to follow in His example, and invite everyone else to do so as well!

Developing Christlike Attributes
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
October 2008 Liahona

Love,

Elder Lott 

Question of the Week: There is a Reggae Music Festival the first weekend of August in Geel.  Leuven has Jazz.  Do you hear reggae or other kinds of music in the centrum or other places around Geel?

Answer:  Yeah we hear quite a bit of music, not necessarily just reggae, but lots of kinds.  We actually pass by a music school pretty often on our way to different places throughout the day and there is always something going on in there. 

logo from reggaegeel.com

In Antwerpen

In Antwerpen

Me + Church in Geel
[St. Dymphna Church]

Belgian Pastries

More Belgian Pastries

Geel, Belgie
Pretty view from an apartment here.

Hot Day in Antwerpen
Elder Waters, Elder Lott

Deep Fryer Hard at Work
Yeah,  I might put on a few pounds in the next month.......

Strawberry Vending Machine

My Favorite Shawarma Shop in Antwerpen

Haha, Got Lost in the Forest

Lunch in Herentals

In the City of Yellow

Geel Train Station
picture from wikipedia 

Geel Belgium
picture from wikipedia

Geel Belgium
picture from Pinterest

Hoi!

So to keep it short,this week has been amazing.  I love this city, it's another one I feel like I was pre-destined to serve here.  Elder Waters and I were able to hit the ground running, get some solid work and adventures in.  Taught a ton of lessons, found a lot of new people and were able to set a new investigator on baptismal date!  Her name is Mxx.  Elder Steenblik and Elder Waters had taught her the first lesson but she was positive enough we helped her set a goal for baptism on July 9th, and she came to church and brought a friend! Super cool.  

Elder Waters is super cool by the way, he is from the Idaho Falls area, super cool.  This is his 3rd transfer.

The Caregiver
Henry B. Eyring
General Conference, October 2012

Love you all!  

Elder Hayden Lott

Question of the Week: "Half of Geel is crazy, and the rest is half crazy,” runs a joke often told about the Belgian city of Geel.  Have you heard the joke, and if so, do people in Geel say this about themselves, or is it outsiders who say it?

Answer:   Haha, yeah Geel is known for being a 'crazy town' because of the psychiatric hospitals and clinics here. I've heard it both from people outside and also here in Geel.  We've met a few people that are being housed in the clinics, some you could tell right away, others not.  But they are all nice! 

[Mom note:  The second link is a little long, but an absolutely fascinating read about the history of Geel and mental illness treatment.  What an amazing town for Elder Lott to serve in for his last area.]

Dis (left) and Luc live with a foster family in the obscure Flemish town of Geel in Belgium.
Luc is 48 and suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder.
Dis is 89, no one even labels his psychiatric disorder.
(Courtesy Gary Porter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Click here for a link to article from this picture

Click here for a link to 'The Geel Question' by Mike Jay