Flemish and Contacts

Hallo familie. :) Happy Voorbereidings Dag!

It has been an amazing incredible week full of so many miracles it is
just crazy. So awesome! Thank you for your emails, as always they
inspire me and give me that boost I sometimes need.

So I have so much to say! Where to begin is always the problem. So
this has been a week of lots of firsts for me. Last Monday night we
had an appointment with one of the ladies getting baptized, Marie. She
is an older Flemish speaking woman, probably in her 60s. She is
probably the hardest person for me to communicate with. At the
beginning of our appointment Zuster Gulliver got an important phone
call and had to take it. Which meant it was just Marie and I sitting
at the table. Haha I kept drinking my water at first because I was
scared to talk. But then I thought, "Zuster Holbein you are being
stupid...TALK." So I opened my mouth and just started talking. And I
honestly know it was the Spirit because somehow it worked! She
understood me and I understood her and it was cool. Zuster Gulliver
said later that she had been half listening and was like "Yeah
companion!" It really helped strengthen my testimony that the Spirit
does help us. Yeah!

Another first - on Friday we did our first contacting on the tram not
sitting by each other. I was so scared but once again I just opened
my mouth and was able to share a pass along card and my testimony with
a man. It was scary but cool. So overall the Spirit has been helping
me tons. Thank goodness because Flemish is hard.

In answer to your question Dad, here Flemish is the Dutch they speak.
There is no difference. So while it is like Dutch, the accent is very
very different and they have some random weird words. And they talk
really fast! Haha little kids are my favorite they talk like crazy.
Please continue to pray for my language skills because I do get
frustrated sometimes. I actually cried to Zr Gulliver a little last
week after a frustrating day. But I know I can do it. Slowly but
surely. :)

Thursday we traveled to Gent one of the most beautiful cities in
Belgium for interviews with the President. I LOVE the Brubakers. I
received a lot of needed counsel; it was great.

In other good news we have found so many new investigators and all
through the coolest ways. My testimony grows everyday that if you
plan and tell the Lord you are going to be somewhere and promise to
talk to everyone he will put prepared people in your path. Our theme
for finding is none shall pass. We do a mixture of different things.
Mostly it is just street contacting but we have gone to doors several
times. Our normal approach on the street is "Mag Ik een kaartje met u
delen?" which means "Can I share a card with you?" And then while they
are looking at it we go into the restoration or families or faith
depending on the card. It is a lot of fun, and we have had so many
hilarious things happen.

We have two very promising investigators both found on the street.
One, Judith, wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon, so we brought it to
her home shared a bit and then read Moroni's promise. There was a
beautiful spirit and after she said that everything we taught was very
encouraging. I thought that was a beautiful way to put it. Our other
is JoJo who doesn't speak Dutch, but he doesn't really speak English
either. Yet we had a beautiful lesson with him, and he said when he
knew it was true he would get baptized.Yeah! The people here are so
ready for the Gospel its great.

Oh, and Zuster Gulliver is great! Really I am so blessed to have her
as a companion. We are very similar and are always laughing.

Other random quick story - the little boys here think its funny to
call us nuns and sing inappropriate songs at us. Of course we never
respond, but the other day after not responding these boys came at
spit at us! Haha how rude! Whatever, it didn't bother me; I thought it
was way funny. Well time is up. The Church is true. I love you all.
The work is great; so hard, but SO worth it. :)

Doi - Zuster Holbein

First Email :)

Family!!!

Oh my goodness I have so much I want to say I think I may just
explode. First of all this email will probably be short and full of
mistakes because the keyboards here are way weird -- anyway I shall
try.

So yes, I am here in the beautiful city of Antwerpen! I was the only
one in my district to stay in Belgium and I am SO happy I am here...
This city is beautiful! My collega is Zuster Gulliver and she is
amazing! This is her last transfer which makes her an excellent
trainer. That also means that I will be taking over the city when she
leaves, so Pres Brubaker told me to get to know the city, get to know
the ward, and get to know the people. Haha, no pressure right?

So if there was ever a time to think this is not the language they
taught me in the MTC now is it! EVERYONE here speaks Flemish which is
WAY different from what they taught us. I have a very hard time
understanding things, but it is getting better! The first night I was
here we met the ward mission leader who does not speak any English,
and has a very strong accent, and totally looks like the old man in
that one Pixar chess playing short film, and I was so lost. Haha, it
has not discouraged me though! I am improving every day, and I smile a
lot.

Ok so I have so many stories. The first night we arrived in Brussels
they took us to the beautiful grand plaza or whatever it's called to
contact: Scary! Zuster Pierson and I went to the side to pray, and
as soon as I opened my eyes there was a man standing right in front of
me! He said something in French but I said sorry, I do not speak
French to which he responds, "Oh you are so beautiful!" He kept
saying all this stuff like that and asked why I was there so we
started to talk with him about the gospel. Haha, he wasn't too
interested and kept asking what he could do for me. I told him to
look up the website www.mormon.org and learn more. I went to shake his
hand to leave and he leaned in and kissed me! Haha haha, it was on the
cheek and normal I guess but it freaked me out for a second. Pres.
Brubaker thought it was very funny and said it was a good thing I was
leaving the city ;-) Anyway it is true that you never forget your
first contacting experience.

The work here in Antwerpen is amazing! I am lucky, I walked into three
baptismal dates! A girl named Heidi and her mother and a woman named
Monica are all set for May 30! Since I have been here we have found 8
new investigators and have seen so many miracles. We meet so many
people every day, and have had several wonderful lessons on the street
and off. I love these people and have met people from all over the
world. The language is slow, but the members yesterday said it was
already very good. I had to get up in church and introduce myself and
bear my testimony; oh I was so nervous! It really did go well though,
I was blessed.

Today has been great so far; I just had my first Belgium waffle -- YUM...

Well I love you all. Thank you for your love and support! The gospel
is wonderful and so true!

From now on I will only be able to read emails from family members.
Friends will need to write me by regular mail at:

Alfons Schneiderlaan 172 Bus 2
2100 Duerne, Belgium

I pray for you all! Thanks again!

tot ziens,
Jane

Off to Europe!!

Hello Friends,

Jane called home yesterday (Monday 4/12) from Salt Lake City and
Atlanta. She was thrilled to be going to the mission field at last!

She spoke so glowingly of her time in the MTC. She loved the classes,
her fellow missionaries, learning Nederlands, studying the scriptures
more than ever, singing, teaching and drawing close to our Lord. To
her it was Heaven on earth.

She seemed to speak Dutch so fluently on the phone with us. We were
surprised at first, but then not really so surprised. Jane is a woman
of great faith, gifts and diligence. Surely, her tongue will be loosed
(When has it ever not been!?!).

She bore a firm testimony to us out of real conviction, true
knowledge, and the gift of the Spirit. Even though it all was in
Nederlands, we knew as she knows.

Then today (Tuesday) we received an email from her Mission President,
President Brubaker, with the accompanying photograph. We are not
exactly sure, but it seems that Zuster Holbein will be working in
Antwerp, Belgium. We will find out more next Monday, P-Day.

Please feel free to write brief supporting words to Zuster Holbein at
jane.holbein@myldsmail.net. President Brubaker emphasized that
communications with missionaries should be positive and faith
promoting, not making them miss home or all the things that you and we
are doing back here.

Thank you for your love, faith and support!

Gordon & Jerry Holbein

Leaving on a JET PLANE!

Hurray for last P-Day in the MTC! We have travel plans and we checked
today and I have my visa and am good to go! Hooray! I am both beyond
excited and slightly terrified. Anyways, today is a super busy P-Day,
we have to start packing and lots of other things.

So yes much to talk about and only a little time to do it. We leave
Monday morning. We report to the travel office at 6:00AM and our
flight out of SLC is at 9:45. We fly to Atlanta (I love that
airport!) and we have a two hour layover. We get into Atlanta at 3:35
and then our flight for Brussels leaves at 5:45. I am going to try
and call sometime between then. And that will be in KY time. We are
lucky to only have two flights and not a long layover! We arrive in
Brussels on Tuesday at 8:35AM which will be 12:35AM in Utah time and
2:35 KY time. Oh my goodness I cannot believe this is actually
happening! Haha so so so cool.

I have loved my time at the MTC but I am ready to go out and serve the
people in the Netherlands or Belgium depending on where I am sent.
Apparently the mission president's wife has a blog and when we get
there she will post pictures and say where we are going. My first
P-Day will not be till the Monday after I arrive so you should find
the blog so that you can know.

I'm trying really hard to not freak out or get scared or anything,
since we all know I tend to freak out more than is needed. I find
real strength in the scripture Joshua 1:9. The Lord tells us to be
strong and of a good courage and that he will be with us whithersoever
we go. The other night we were singing How Firm a Foundation and the
words of the 3rd verse brought me a lot of comfort as well. "Fear
not, I am with thee oh be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will
STILL give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee
to stand, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand." I know that while
I have been here at the MTC the Lord has definitely given me aid and I
know that as I leave he will STILL give me aid.

So General Conference was amazing! Thank you so much to everyone who
sent their testimonies to me of the things they heard. We are so
blessed to be able to have a living prophet on the earth today! We
woke up Easter morning to a very snowy Provo! It was crazy, but when
I thought about it, snow actually fits perfectly with the message of
Easter. Early in the morning it looked so beautiful outside, the snow
was pretty and untouched and it reminded me of the scripture in Isaiah
1:18 where the Lord promises that he will make our sins "white as
snow." The atonement has an incredible power to cleanse us and make
us better people. I have a real testimony that as we offer our broken
hearts, Christ will heal them and return them to us renewed and clean
and whole.

I loved all of the talks, I don't think I could or really have time to
discuss any in particular. I had some really cool experiences with
having questions answered. I think this was really the first time
maybe that I have gone to conference with questions and the amazing
thing was... they were all answered! In full! It was a wonderful,
spiritual experience. I tried to go in with questions for myself and
for my investigators. While some of my questions were kinda personal,
this is something I think was cool. When we contact here I always
have trouble coming up with ways to say how the gospel blesses
families aside from "it will make you really happy" so I went to
conference with the question "How does the gospel specifically bless
families now?" Haha and yeah, as you all know, that's totally what
conference was all about! It was great! I took so many notes and I
know everything I learned is going to help so much. I also am trying
to apply what they said about teaching children to how I will teach
investigators since they are all children in the gospel. Oh and
Saturday night we got to watch the young women's broadcast which was
great. I recommend Pres. Uchtdorf's talk, it made me cry.

Last Friday we got to go to the RC and talk to real people on the
phone! Haha it was AWESOME. Most people didn't answer, but I did get
to talk to about 4 people and some of them where pretty receptive. It
got me pumped for leaving. So I have been thinking a lot about my
time here at the MTC and what I have learned. I have made this little
list of lessons learned at the MTC.

The Spirit is everything. You can't be an effective missionary
without it, regardless of your talents.
Lessons go a lot better when I do less talking and more listening.
The power of the Priesthood is real.
Everything is funnier in Dutch.
It is possible to have a prayer in your heart always. The Lord
answers prayers exactly when we need them.
The atonement is real. It works. There is comfort waiting for us if
we will open our hearts and let the Lord in.
Your testimony is the most important thing you have. Bear it if you feel weak.
No one is perfect! Ether 12:27 is so true.
There is power in the hymns. Some of my most spiritual experiences
here have been while I was singing.
A positive attitude changes everything. Be happy! Your attitude
affects more than just yourself, it affects people around you.
You have to trust the Lord. He knows a lot more than we do.
Put yourself 2nd.
Everything works out for those who love God.

There are a lot more things I could say but I am out of time. So we
leave Monday, I will be calling sometime between 3:25-5:45. Think of
questions you have cause I know I don't usually have time to respond
to everyone's questions. If you want to send any mail, I need to get
it by Saturday morning. There is no mail Saturday night and I'm not
sure if we will have time Monday morning. That goes for dearelders
too. Those have to be sent by Friday night.

Thanks again to everyone family and friends. I know and can feel of
your love and support. Know that I have a testimony of this gospel.
Last night in the devotional we were singing the Primary song "Armies
of Helaman," but when we sing it here we change the chorus to say "we
are as the armies of Helaman. We have been taught in our youth. And
we are NOW the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth." I
got goosebumps like crazy when we sang that. I am so grateful for the
opportunity I have to bring the world the truthfulness of the gospel.
As Dad says, the gospel WORKS. It is real. I love it! And I love
you all.

Met Liefde-Z. Holbein

Waiting on the Flight Plans

Hello Family :)

It has been a wonderful P-Day! We just got back from the temple which
was a peaceful, great experience as always. I seriously feel so
spoiled getting to go every week. I know that in the Netherlands we
get to go at least twice and maybe more if we serve in the city but it
has been nice here to have one so close. It's definitely a habit I
want to keep up when I get back. So Gelukkig Pasten! Happy almost
Easter! And conference weekend! Talk about good stuff. I am so
excited to be able to watch conference here in the MTC as a
missionary. We have all day Saturday off and we just get to watch
conference and have study time. I'm so excited! We are very very
blessed to be able to hear the words of the prophet and apostles.
Thank you so much for the Easter package! It was so nice of you! I
loved everything. Haha and yes I am going to share the chocolate with
everyone else. Easter has the best candy thank you so much. :) And
as always thanks to everyone for the letters and cards. It's going to
be a big change when I get to the Netherlands and can't get mail all
the time. Haha but it's ok, I really can feel everyone's love and
prayers.

Speaking of the Netherlands...we get our travel plans on Friday!!!
Tjonge jonge! Talk about time going by fast. I can't believe I have
already been here that long and that it's time to leave! I am so
excited/slightly nervous at times. I'm sure this next week and a few
days are going to go by really fast. I'll email you next week and let
you know about my flight plans and when I'll be able to call home and
all that good stuff. We got a new Dutch district last week. 3
sisters and 8 elders. They are all really nice and the sisters are
really sweet. It's weird not being the new ones anymore! But it's
cool because there are now 22 Dutch missionaries here. It's great
when we sing! We're almost as loud as the Germans who have so many
missionaries. I'm sorry Julia, but we always tease the Germans and
tell them that Dutch is so much better. Then they always pull a
"President Uchtdorf said our language is what they speak in the
Celestial Kingdom." Haha it's funny. I wonder if we will be able to
understand each other when I get back.

So many good things have happened in the past week! It's been quite
eventful. So I'll start with the best news first. On Thursday
morning we taught Al the Plan of Salvation. We didn't think that we
would be teaching him right in the morning so even though we had a
lesson prepared we hadn't really gone over it together. And when we
are teaching in Dutch we ALWAYS want to go over it first. I was kinda
nervous going in but I've learned that being nervous doesn't do
anything so I tried to get over that real quick. Anyways, we started
teaching him the lesson and we talked a lot of the purpose of our life
on this earth and agency and then we started to talk about the
atonement and how it is through Christ that we can return. Then all
of a sudden Sister Pierson mentioned something about baptism. So I
had us read from 2 Nephi 31 and we talked about how Christ was
baptized and we needed to follow his example. And then before I even
knew what I was saying I heard myself say that we were having a
baptismal service on April 9th and I asked him if he wanted to be
baptized! I heard Sister Pierson breathe in really heavy haha I think
I surprised us both. But then the best thing happened... He thought
about it for a minute, got a really big smile on his face, and then
said YES!!! Haha oh my goodness it was the best feeling in the world!
I thought I had misheard him, but then Sister Pierson was smiling and
we both got really happy and told him how great that was. The rest of
the lesson went great. I seriously walked out feeling like I could
fly I was so happy. We're teaching him again tonight and I really
hope that everything is still ok. But yes, the Spirit is incredible
and it was all around awesome!

Other random things-Sister Pierson and I got to go off campus Thursday
and Friday morning for two doctors appointments she had. That was a
nice little change. I got really excited to go out into the real
world haha and I wanted to find someone to talk to but unfortunately
everyone I met was already a member. Haha not unfortunately, but you
know what I mean, it would've been cool to talk to someone who didn't
already know about the gospel. Still it was cool. We actually drove
right past University Villa which was kinda weird. I said hi to
everyone out the window. :)

I saw a ton of people I know this week. It's funny knowing people who
work at the MTC. Of course I see Daniel at gym every week but I also
saw Jordan Hymas, Chuck Krebs, and the my friend Eric from the villa.
It's cool to be able to see people. I got to bear my testimony to
Eric in Dutch which was a lot of fun. Oh and some day last week, I
don't remember when, but I came into class and JD (from my old ward)
had left a note with some scriptures on my desk. It made my day! I'm
really grateful for all the great examples I have had of people who
have gone on missions.

I'm about out of time. Thanks again to everyone for the support.
Please know that everything is fine here. Haha better than fine. I
love being a missionary. I love everything about it! Learning about
the gospel and teaching it to people is one of the best happiness in
the world and I'm not even in the field. I'm so grateful to be a
member of the true Church on the earth today. I know that Jesus
Christ lives. He is my Savior. The power of the atonement is hard to
comprehend but it is so real and it is only through Jesus Christ that
we can return to live with God. I'm grateful for the tender mercies
of the Lord that I see in my life every day. I know that as we strive
to become better people and to serve with all our hearts the Lord will
make up for our weaknesses. I know that the Book of Mormon is the
world of God. I love reading from it and applying it to my life. I
can see myself in it when I read. So many times I feel like Nephi, or
like Alma the Younger, or like Moroni. I love putting myself into the
scriptures. I completely agree with what Joseph Smith said, we really
can get nearer to God by reading that book than any other. Thank you
to everyone for their strong testimonies. I love you all!!

Doi-Z. Holbein