This week has been great. We had miracles of finding new people to teach!
On Monday we contacted a younger teenager pretty much handing him a copy of The Book of Mormon right off the bat. After explaining what it was we asked him if he would like to know if it was true. He said he would and shared with him how he could know it was true. Then right there on the sidewalk offered a prayer to know if it was true and felt something! he said" I can't describe it". We shared if he felt a peace? He said, "yes". It was such a cool experience to share with him and seeing him want to read The Book Of Mormon.
We had another experience where we decided after a lesson fell through to go contacting this contacting led us to finding 2 new people to teach 2 girls who were walking passed us. One said,"I'm Atheist" and kept walking, but her friend was more hesitant to keep walking. When we walked up she was smoking but soon after stopped. They were suffering a lot. Adar the first to talk to us had been kicked from her house and no longer able to be around her baby, I think. She began to open up to us and said she would read The gospel Of Jesus Christ pamphlet. I turned to Rita, the one that said she was "atheist". When we spoke to her she opened up and they began to ask us questions. The pamphlet we left her she said she would read. We got the contact info of one of them and hope that the Young Single Adult Elders can get a hold of them!
It is really a miracle to be able to read the scriptures and the opportunity to study! The ability to Learn comes when we ask God for help and the desires we have allow us to set goals. We will not do anything on our own we don't truly desire to do.
The weather In California is great! The beach breeze can be felt all the way to Fountain Valley which is just a few miles inland right above Huntington Beach. I love being out here we get to talk with so many different people and life styles. The goals are to do our best! Each day to be better then the next. We contact (talk to people) talking to them right on the street and before I know it are at their homes sharing with them what they can do to be happier!
When you talk to someone it is so different every time. Reactions are a mile high.
OH AND WE had an amazing service opportunity! To help out with the special Olympics in our area. The City of Fountain Valley was a host town for one of the over 30 teams, not really sure how many but putting a number out there, and It just so happened to be the Netherlands Special Olympics team! I'll include pictures but it was so much fun. The feeling of love in the room was so great! 2 different people (languages) from 2 different places all come together to have fun! We helped out with the banquet or breakfast on Thursday and got to eat with the team after doing so. They had a few members of the church from the area The Van Dyermides. They were all brothers and put on a concert singing sons for them the whole time! The team and the leaders (who spoke the most English) loved the event. I even learned a few words :)
Love you all!
Elder Van Kammen!
The pictures below include drawings that the team left behind using the crayons provided to write on the paper on the table. The note in the picture says the first part meaning great and wonderful and the second word "van tasties" meaning VERY TASTY meal
The other pictures are the band that played and the other is one where we helped put up the balloons you see hanging up :)
While out with one of the youth in the area we knocked on the door of someone and before we left asked if we were thirsty we said yes and she ended up bringing to the door an entire jug of juice plus 3 bags of chips and a 2 lb bag for later, oh and crackers.
On Monday we contacted a younger teenager pretty much handing him a copy of The Book of Mormon right off the bat. After explaining what it was we asked him if he would like to know if it was true. He said he would and shared with him how he could know it was true. Then right there on the sidewalk offered a prayer to know if it was true and felt something! he said" I can't describe it". We shared if he felt a peace? He said, "yes". It was such a cool experience to share with him and seeing him want to read The Book Of Mormon.
We had another experience where we decided after a lesson fell through to go contacting this contacting led us to finding 2 new people to teach 2 girls who were walking passed us. One said,"I'm Atheist" and kept walking, but her friend was more hesitant to keep walking. When we walked up she was smoking but soon after stopped. They were suffering a lot. Adar the first to talk to us had been kicked from her house and no longer able to be around her baby, I think. She began to open up to us and said she would read The gospel Of Jesus Christ pamphlet. I turned to Rita, the one that said she was "atheist". When we spoke to her she opened up and they began to ask us questions. The pamphlet we left her she said she would read. We got the contact info of one of them and hope that the Young Single Adult Elders can get a hold of them!
It is really a miracle to be able to read the scriptures and the opportunity to study! The ability to Learn comes when we ask God for help and the desires we have allow us to set goals. We will not do anything on our own we don't truly desire to do.
The weather In California is great! The beach breeze can be felt all the way to Fountain Valley which is just a few miles inland right above Huntington Beach. I love being out here we get to talk with so many different people and life styles. The goals are to do our best! Each day to be better then the next. We contact (talk to people) talking to them right on the street and before I know it are at their homes sharing with them what they can do to be happier!
When you talk to someone it is so different every time. Reactions are a mile high.
OH AND WE had an amazing service opportunity! To help out with the special Olympics in our area. The City of Fountain Valley was a host town for one of the over 30 teams, not really sure how many but putting a number out there, and It just so happened to be the Netherlands Special Olympics team! I'll include pictures but it was so much fun. The feeling of love in the room was so great! 2 different people (languages) from 2 different places all come together to have fun! We helped out with the banquet or breakfast on Thursday and got to eat with the team after doing so. They had a few members of the church from the area The Van Dyermides. They were all brothers and put on a concert singing sons for them the whole time! The team and the leaders (who spoke the most English) loved the event. I even learned a few words :)
Love you all!
Elder Van Kammen!
The pictures below include drawings that the team left behind using the crayons provided to write on the paper on the table. The note in the picture says the first part meaning great and wonderful and the second word "van tasties" meaning VERY TASTY meal
The other pictures are the band that played and the other is one where we helped put up the balloons you see hanging up :)
While out with one of the youth in the area we knocked on the door of someone and before we left asked if we were thirsty we said yes and she ended up bringing to the door an entire jug of juice plus 3 bags of chips and a 2 lb bag for later, oh and crackers.