Friends Reunited, Share your talents and Scoop Poop!

She still doesn’t match her socks!

Well well well, what a week!! Family!!!!

First–PIANO–  in Den Haag Centraal (aka train station), they have a [very expensive and nice] grand piano that I was dying to play. We had just gone to look up an inactive in Den Haag and were on our way back. I asked Zr Riley if I could play one song and she allowed me to (haha) and while I was playing Come Thou Fount and Amazing Grace, a Surinaamse guy (maybe 18 years old) came up to the piano and started singing along. He was not singing either of the songs I was playing, but making some sort of strange improv thing…yeah, weird, but I laughed and played louder, so he sang louder and, well, it was cool! He asked me if I knew some other songs, and I didn’t, but he said play that one (Come Thou Fount) again. I did and he said “How does it go?” I started to sing the correct words and this guy started doing harmonies that made me cringe a little. He didn’t notice, just kept singing. I ended the arrangement and stood up, but he said “No, no, sit back down!!” I chuckled and gladly sat down, but had no more hymns in my head. It was the only time since the MTC that I didn’t have one of my hymnbooks on me! I was so mad! The one time I needed it and I didn’t have it. But I sat down and something came out of my fingers. The guy started singing again and I just had to hold my breath and keep playing. I ended that song and he said, “Wow” Then I stood up and gave him a card. Zr Riley came over and we talked to him for a minute about why we’re here. We found out he’s a student in Den Haag and is interested in our music (hymns)—ah! So, we gave him a Book of Mormon and our card and then he played for us! It was improv and the chords were strange, but he had such passion in his playing and his voice that I felt his love for music, strange and dissonant though it may be.

Second–PONGI PO PO– I made pongi po po!!! Dad, I did it! I made a trial run Wednesday morning and then made a really, really good batch Wednesday night (but I failed to get a picture of it with the family, sorry!!!) It was so exciting! I’m making it again tonight🙂

Third–POOPER SCOOPERS– Wouter’s with Zr Young!! Zr Riley and Zr Thomas went to the Mission Home for a leadership training, so Zr Young and I spent the whole day in Zoetermeer! What a blessing that sister is to me:) We woke up and went straight to Wouter’s farm and helped with the cows! But, instead of working directly with the cows, we were the designated pooper scoopers! Bahahaha! Zr Young got a photo of us standing in ankle-deep cow poop, so you’ll have to find it on her blog haha. Man, so much fun. I bought a small loud speaker and turned on my ipod and we were serenaded with hymns while shoveling poop and poop-covered straw into a wheel burrow. Lovely day. Then we went back to the apartment and showered and studied and went to Bagels & Beans for lunch, then finished our lunch break on a bench across from the Temple:) We contacted people, almost taught a lesson, and went to the cutest most dangerous children’s book store in Holland. I spent some money…:) haha. It was a much needed, very good day.

Fourth–CONFERENCE– Wow. Because of the time difference, Conference for us went like this: the Saturday Morning Session (10am in UT) began for us at 6pm, and we watched it with Peter (recent convert from England, hilarious old man1 )and the Elders at Peter’s house. We watched a recording of the Saturday Afternoon Session at 2pm(holland) in Den Haag with the Den Haag stake (not many people came, actually, quite interesting) and President and Zr Robinson. Then we had dinner with the Den Haag ZrS (it was strange being in that apartment again, with Zr Bradley–I had many deja-vu moments–but, it was fun. Cereal for dinner! Haha. Then, at 6pm(holland) we watched the Sunday Morning Session live, plus Music and the Spoken Word:) I LOVED THE MUSIC TALK. And Elder Holland’s and President Uchtdorf’s! Wow! What a great conference! It was amusing to watch the three elders in my district who are leaving within one or two transfers squirm in their seats while all the marriage talks were given; talk about trunky!! Haha, it was funny.

But I noticed that as a missionary, my ears and heart hear differently and think differently about the messages given. I thought about some of our people in Zoetermeer, and even a few in Den Haag during osme of the talks. I love these people and I wanted all of them to join us and listen to the prophets’ voices!!! Amazing, spiritual feasts!

Here in Holland they have 2 Easter Days, and today is the 2nd. So everything will be closed and every one will be inside–but, that just makes pday even more peaceful and quiet and not so rushed and hectic. haha.

veel liefs,

Kessa Mania, Jess, Jessa, & Zr Faa