Monday, February 24, 2014

Missionaries Companions at the Monument...remembering what this is all about...


Note:  Newest companionships added at the end of this blog
A snow-covered monument that still warms the heart!
We have the distinct privilege of having the monument commemorating the first baptisms in the Netherlands here in our working area.  They took place on October 1, 1861 in the canal by a tiny dorpje called Damwoulde, Freisland, Netherlands.  It is a beautiful spot...peaceful and sacred...but definitely not a convenient  bike ride.  And definitely not a trip you'd want to take on a bike in rain or snow or wind!



As we anticipated another six-week transfer, we realized that those missionaries serving here had never seen the monument!  We decided to spend our preparation days each week taking the companionships out to the monument.  We will continue to do this with each new missionary throughout our time in Groningen.

Elder Romig had felt a deep, sincere urgency to make this possible, and our first companionship to go with us were the Leeuwarden Zusters Rigdon and Hoff pictured below.

Zuster Rigdon & Zuster Hoff
January 27, 2014
We had a wonderful time with the zusters at the monument, visiting a schoenen factory, and going to lunch.

At District Meeting the following morning, Zuster Rigdon was very excited to share a "miracle" with the district.  She had learned some family history with ties to missionary work in Netherlands.  Her mother, VaLynn, wrote the following to us in an email:


" I was writing to Chelsea about her great, great, great, great grandfather the week that you took her to the monument where the first baptism in Holland was. (When you took her there she didn't realize the relationship).  Her grandfather was born in Franeker, Friesland in 1812. He was married in Leeuwarden in 1835. He met the missionaries and was baptized while he was working in Wales. He later moved with his wife to Utah and later settled Malad, Idaho. When he was 48 he was asked to return to Holland to be the first missionary there. He served (his name was Aune Weigers van der Woude) with Paul Schettler. They served in Amsterdam and then he went to Leeuwarden. While there he introduced his brother and sister in law to the gospel. They were  the first baptism's in Holland. So Gerrit van der Woude was Chelsea's g,g,g,g granduncle baptized by her g,g,g,g, grandfather! I told Chelsea that President Robinson was inspired to send her to Leeuwarden and that you were inspired to take her to the monument."






We are so grateful for those feelings of urgency!  It is such a testimony to us of the need to follow through with feelings...don't ignore them!  Zuster Rigdon has finished her mission here where her Great-great-great-great-grandfather began a marvelous work.

Zuster Rigdon with her mother and sister, when they picked her up from her mission.
Elders Petersen and Besendorfer
February 3, 2014

Elders Nelson and Toole
February 10, 2014
Zusters Larson and Johnson
February 17, 2014
Elders Van Komen and Toole
March 31, 2014








The molen in the background of all the baptismal monument pictures is being refinished.  We expect to see a new coating of thatching the next time we take a companionship to the monument.










We had a special District P-Day activity riding bikes to the monument followed by a picnic.  It was such a wonderful activity, that it deserves an entire blog to help us remember.  The following four companion pictures were taken at the activity.
Zusters Meier & Johnson
May 5, 2014
Zusters Hoff  & Clement
May 5, 2014
Elders Rudolph & Pugh
May 5, 2014
Special P-Day Service Project 
July 28, 2014 - Cleaning the Monument
Zusters Clement, Broekzitter, Brown, Riley, Wood, Romig and Koulen
Elders Rasmussen, Lind, Rudolph, Cockbain, Romig, Thom and Bourne
July 28,2014
Elders Rudolph and Thom
July 28, 2014
Elder Rudolph is our District Leader
Zusters Wood and Riley
July 28,2014
Zusters Koulen, Wood, Riley and Broekzitter
July 28, 2014
Zusters Koulen and Broekzitter served "Mini Missions" for three weeks.
Zusters Brown and Clement
July 28,2014

Elders Rasmussen and Lind
July 28,2014
Elders Cockbain and Bourne
Zone Leaders
July 28,2014
Zusters Elting and Wood
September 1, 2014 
Zusters Aldous & Thorley
October 20, 2014
Elders Hirsch and Giles
December 1, 2014
Zusters Bradley and Fleming
December 8, 2014

Elders Strikwerda, Childs (Co-District Leaders) and Rozendaal
December 22, 2014
Zusters Doxey, Greenwell and Bush
January 5, 2015
Elders Corsini and Robbins (Apeldoorn Zone Leaders)
January 19, 2015



We have seen this beautiful monument in all possible kinds of weather, but today was a first for us!  The fog (or 'mist' as they say in Netherlands) was so thick that we could not even see the picturesque molen in the background.  In fact, for Senior Couples with natural, un-dyed hair, the hair disappeared in the picture as well!  We asked a passing cyclist to take this picture for us. She was happy to help, visited with us for a few minutes and told us how she planned to bring her walking group to visit the monument.  She also mentioned that she has relatives who live in America who are Mormons.


Elders Warner & Key
January 20, 2015
Elders Eby & Key
February 9, 2015


Special P-Day Service Project 
February 23, 2015 - Monument Maintenance   


Elders Schmidt, Strikwerda, Losee, Zusters Bush, Watts, Romney, Hopkin, Romig, Elder Woltjen
Elders Eby and Key sitting on top of the monument.  Elder Romig was the photographer.

Elders Schmidt & Strikwerda
Groningen District Leaders
February 23, 2015
Elders Woltjen & Losee
February 23, 2015

Zusters Bush & Romney
February 23, 2015
Zusters Watts and Hopkin
February 23, 2015


Elder and Zuster Johnson (Rotterdam)
Elder and Zuster Romig (Den Haag)
Elder and Zuster Romig (Groningen)
April 18, 2015 following the JoVo Volleyball Tournament

Elder and Zuster Romig (Groningen)
Elder and Zuster Romig (Den Haag)
Elder and Zuster Robison (Office / Amsterdam)
May 2, 2015 following Senior Couple Training

Special Groningen District P-Day Service Project 
May 18, 2015 - Weeding the Monument & Planting Flowers

Elders Moomey and Key on the Monument
Elders Robbins & Yocom, Zusters Jones & Watts, Elders Shaw, Bishesar & Romig,
Zusters Romig, Romney & Kimmons



Riding bikes to the monument is a fun part of this P-Day activity.










We had to include this picture...the best photo bomb ever!  Elder Bishesar's "floating head"!
Each service project encludes lunch at a picnic table close to the monument.  Notice the
Kentucky Fried Chicken?  Each companionship contributed to our picnic, and we provided the
special chicken and cole slaw.  Elder Key is on crutches, but still joined the fun and service.

Elders Yocom and Bishesar
Groningen District Leaders
May 18, 2015
Elders Robbins and Key
May 18, 2015
Zusters Kimmons & Watts
(Zr. Watts is our Apeldoorn Zone Zuster Trainer)
May 18, 2015
Elders Moomey & Shaw
May 18, 2015

Zusters Romney & Jones
May 18, 2015


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