Elder Hayden Bishop Belgium/Netherlands Mission: I love the principle "giving is better than receiving" It just shows how good God is

Elder Bishop playing the piano in Amsterdam Centraal

Hey everybody! Sounds like a busy, and cold week! I can't believe it snowed a few days ago! It has only been raining here the past three days, and it has been really cold and wet here, but still no snow... It was a really good week though with a lot of miracles.

Monday was a better Pday than the last one even though we started off in the hospital haha. We were only there because Elder Silva had to get this xray for some paperwork that needed to be done from the office. It was really fast and easy, and after that we took it easy and went to some shops and saw some of the city. It was a nice Pday.

Tuesday we had District Meeting which I Always look forward to, because we have really cool missionaries in the district. After District Meeting, Elder Cooper, Elder Hunter, and Elder Silva and I stayed after to practice a musical number we will be performing at the next zone conference. Elder Moreira from the area 70 in Portugal will be holding a zone conference and President Robinson asked us 4 to give a musical number. I will be playing the piano and the other three will be singing a medley of Joseph Smith's first prayer and O my Father to the tune of Homeward Bound. It's gonna be so good. And Elder Hunter sang a solo in the last General Conference during the Priesthood Session in the missionary choir, so yes, he is good haha. That night we had a dinner appointment with Sister R. She is a nice old dutch lady who had us over and enjoyed our company. We went with the IJmuiden Sisters. (IJmuiden is just north of Haarlem, and they are in the Haarlem ward). It was a fun appointment.

Wednesday we were on exchanges with the Alkmaar Zone Leaders, and I was in Alkmaar with Elder Pouwer. It's been a miracle that I have been able to go back to Alkmaar so much after having served there. That was my favorite branch, and one of my favorite areas. We had a great day too. We went to lunch at McDonald's haha and then went to visit T. He is a former investigator who I taught with Elder Farmer. His girlfriend is a Jehovah's Witness and she called them over after he went to our church and they bashed us pretty good, and since then he didn't really want us to teach him any more, but he is really cool, and we just stopped by to see him because it had been a year since I saw him last. We knocked on his door and he answered. His dread locks were long as ever and he was holding a new baby boy! It was crazy to see how much has changed in his life since I saw him last, because it doesn't even seem like that long ago since I taught him! It was good seeing him though. After that we taught a lesson to a recent convert. She is our age and we taught her about Eternal Marriage, so it was automatically a little awkward haha but it went well. After that we got back to the car, and Elder Pouwer realized that he lost his wallet! It was pretty bad. We looked everywhere and couldn't find it. We were praying as we retraced our steps back to the McDonalds. It had been a few hours though and we began to lose hope. We figured if it was there, some punk teenager would've stolen it. We were almost there when we got a call from an unknown number. She told us that she found the wallet in the McDonald's. I told her that we were headed there right now and she told us that she would meet us there. He got his wallet back! She was a nice middle-aged Dutch woman who gave us that wallet and smiled. We thanked her and then she turned back and drove off. Her face lit up though when she gave it to us. It was a miracle! We prayed and thanked the Lord, and continued on to our dinner appointment. I have been studying the topic "Riches" in my personal studies lately though, and this story goes along perfectly with what I have been studying. In Jacob 2:18-19 it talks about how we receive riches and what riches we should be seeking for. I realized that we only get riches if we don't want them for ourselves. We need to want them and seek for them so that we can bless others. I have seen that so many times on my mission, and I think that's part of the reason why missionaries grow so much in the two years, because everything they do is for others. We pray for others, study for others, and serve others, and we are blessed so much. I just love the fact that our Heavenly father uses people to be the means of blessing others, and then he blesses those people even more. Just like we were blessed with getting the wallet back, but that lady was blessed so much more. I could tell when I saw her face light up. I think the saying, "giving is better than receiving" is based off of this principle, and I love this principle. It just shows how good God is.

That night we ate with the 't Hoen's. They are one of my favorite families out here. It was fun being there with Elder Pouwer and Elder Cooper. We just needed Elder Strikwerda and it would've been just like last year.

Thursday was a miracle day. We had an appointment with the lady we found doing the "Chocolate" contact. We had a great first lesson with her and set a date for her to be baptized! She is very religous. Her mom is even an evangelical pastor haha but she is searching for the truth and searching for that feeling that it's right. We committed her to read and pray, because that's how she will find that answer and get that feeling. It was a miracle. She is a solid investigator now, all because Elder Silva wanted to see me use the word chocolate in a contact haha. After that we had a lesson with our other two baptismal dates. We had a nice lesson with them and are becoming good friends. They are such great people. It was a really good day for us.

Friday we had a lesson with F. He will be receiveing the Aaronic Priesthood this coming sunday so we taught him about what the Priesthood is. After teaching that it reminded me of how great the Priesthood really is. It was a nice lesson, and afterwards we had an appointment with another new investigator we found knocking doors. His name is D and he is from India. He is catholic but not active. He wants to grow closer to Christ, and we had a great appointment with him. He is a cool 26 year old guy who started his own business. We are going back this week to continue to teach him. That evening we biked and biked and biked in the rain...

We woke up Saturday morning and biked in the rain some more haha it was a pretty long day on saturday, but it was still good. We met with the Hoorn elders and practiced the musical number some more that evening. Sunday was a nice day. We had church of course and the first hour I was with the primary practicing for the primary program haha I am playing the piano, and it was SO funny! The kids were crazy! but so cute. After church we had correlation and then a dinner appointment with Sister C She is such a funny woman and we have a lot of fun over there. It was a nice end to a great week. I can't believe I only have 3 left... I gotta get going though, but I love you all so much!!!! I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Bishop