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