Guaranteed Change...

Christmas Zone Conference
December 11, 2013
With President & Zuster Robinson and Elder & Zuster Texeira
Half of Mission

Christmas Zone Conference
December 12, 2013
With President & Zuster Robinson and Elder & Zuster Texeira
Half of Mission

One of the challenges of missionary work is the guarantee of change!  We thought we wouldn't experience this as much, because we are in the same home for almost the entire mission with the same companion.  Thank heaven for that! We did not expect to have such mixed emotions about the changes we are faced with every six weeks...our district changes!  Each exchange brings new, exciting young elders and zusters!  It also takes away elders and zusters who we have grown to love as if they were part of our family!

This particular blog entry will change every six weeks with the change in our district.  These people are so dear to us, that we feel we must include them in our memories of these "best two years" of our life in the mission field in Netherlands and Belgium.

President and Zuster Robinson
with Elder and Zuster Romig

Groningen District (17)  

This picture was taken on July 21, 2015

(Last District picture in the Mission Field with Elder and Zuster Romig)

Elder and Zuster Romig returned home on July 30, 2015

Elders Smith, Romig, Zusters Romig, Jones, Elder D'Agostin, Zusters Manning, Fredrickson and
Elder Slingerland, Zuster Karlson and Elders Sosa and Da Silva (District Leader)

Groningen District (16)

This picture was taken on July 7, 2015

Left to right: Elder and Zuster Romig, Elders Slingerland, Smith, Robbins, Bishesar (District Leader)
Zusters Fredrickson, Kimmons, Manning and Jones

Groningen District (15)

This picture was taken on May 26, 2015 at our District Meeting held in our apartment.  We had a "going away meal" since over half our District was transferred to other areas or home.

Standing left to right:  Elders Smith, Moomey, Yocom (Co-District Leader), Robbins,
Bishesar (Co-District Leader) and Key
Sitting left to right: Zusters Kimmons, Jones, Romig, Elder Romig, Zusters Romney and Watts

Groningen District (14)
This picture was taken on May 18, 2015.

On the way to our P-Day Service Project, Elder Shaw received a call from President Robinson informing him that he had been selected to be one of the Singing Missionaries.  His transfer was the following day, so this picture is the last one of our District which includes Elder Shaw.  Regular transfers are next week, and our next picture will include those changes.

Elders Moomey and Key on the Monument
Elders Robbins, Yocom (Co-District Leader), Zusters Jones and Watts,
Elders Shaw, Bishesar (Co-District Leader) and Romig,
Zusters Romig, Romney and Kimmons 

Groningen District (13)
This picture was taken on April 14, 2015.

Left to right: Elder Strickwerda (Co-District Leader), Moomey, Losee, Romig,
Schmidt (Co-District Leader), Key and Robbins,
Zusters Bush, Romney, Front:  Zusters Kimmons, Watts, Romig

Groningen District (12)
This picture was taken on March 3, 2015.

Left to right:  Zusters Romney, Watts, Hopkin, Bush, Elder and Zuster Romig

(District Co-Leaders: Elders Schmit and Strikwerda) Elders Losee, Key, Eby and Woltjen

Groningen District (11)
This picture was taken on January 20, 2015.  There was a change in every single companionship except ours!  We thought at least the District Co-Leaders, Elders Childs and Strikwerda would stay together, but Elder Childs was called to be a Zone Leader in Antwerpen.  We will also gain another companionship of Elders in Groningen because missionary work is progressing very well here.

Left to right: Zusters Doxey, Bush and Bradley, Elder and Zuster Romig,
Elders Childs, Key and Warner, Zuster Hopkin and Elder Strikwerda
(District Co-Leaders: Elders Childs and Strikwerda)

We had to add this crazy picture because we have had such fun as a district this transfer! 

Groningen District (10)
This picture was taken December 9, 2014.  Elder Giles  and Zuster Thorley ended their mission and returned home.  Notice the matching scarfs and ties presented to us at a Sinterklaas Daag District Party.  We have decided that we like dark backgrounds...it is better to see our gray/white hair with!

Left to right:  Elder Giles, Zusters Doxey, Bradley, Fleming and Romig, Elders Romig, Taggart and Larsen (Co-District Leader)  Zuster Thorley   Front: Elders Thom, Rozendaal (Co-District Leader) and Hirsch

Groningen District  (9)
This picture was taken on October 28, 2014.  Zuster Aldous completed her mission the following days and has returned home. Two of our zusters are missing and they are shown in another picture below.  Can you tell what fun we have in this district?

Left to right: Elders Hirsch and Giles, Zusters Thorley, Aldous and Romig, Elders Romig, Thom, Larsen (District Leader) and Holt  Front: Elder Rassmussen

Zusters Bradley, Elting and Fleming

When our District picture was taken Zuster Elting was sick and Zuster Bradley was taking care of her.  We took this picture of them as soon as Zuster Elting recovered.  Zuster Fleming had joined the companionship for Zuster Elting's final three weeks of her mission.










Groningen District (8)
This picture was taken on September 16, 2014.  Zuster Brown goes home and Zuster Wood transfers to Utrecht for three weeks before going home.

Left to right: Zusters Elting, Wood, Aldous, Brown and Romig
Elders Romig, Larsen (District Leader), Holt, Rasmussen and Thom

Groningen District (7)
This picture was taken on August 5, 2014. We lost half our district because of transfers and Elder Lind going home.

Left to right:  Back row: Elders Rasmussen, Lorbach, Lind, and Romig Zusters Romig, Clement and Riley  Front Row: Elders Thom and Rudolf (District Leader) and Zusters Wood and Brown

Groningen District (6)
This district picture was taken on June 24, 2014, a very special day for us...our 43rd wedding anniversary!

Left to right: Zusters Clement, Romig, Meier, Brown and Riley and
Elders Shelton, Rudolf (District Leader), Pugh, Lind, Romig, Knudsen and Hulet

It had been our dream since before our marriage to serve a mission together.  Little did we know that 43 years later, the Lord would call us to serve in this beautiful country where Elder Romig served his 1st mission as a young Elder!

This is one companionship that will stay together throughout eternity!







Groningen District (5)
This district picture was taken while we enjoyed the beautiful Keukenhof Gardens following a special day at the Den Haag Temple.

Zusters Johnson, Hoff, Clement, Meier, Romig and Elders Rudolf (District Leader), Romig, Knudsen, Toole and Pugh

Groningen District (4)
This picture was taken at our District Meeting on April Fool's Day 2014, the day before transfers.
Our District Leader, Elder Van Komen has completed his mission and is going home.  He had several leadership positions including Assistant to the President before finishing his mission here in Groningen.  Elder Besendofer has been in this district since arriving in the Netherlands and is transferred to Amersfoort to be their new District Leader.  Zuster Larson has been with us since we arrived in the Netherlands, first in Amsterdam and now in Groningen.  She has been our Zuster Trainer.  She is being transferred to Gent Belgium and will still be the Zuster Trainer there.  Zuster Clement is our new Zuster Trainer.

Zusters Johnson, Clement, Larson, Hoff, Romig and Elders Romig, Van Komen, Pugh,
 Besendorfer and Toole

Groningen District (3)
This picture was taken at our last District Meeting, February 18, the day before transfers.  Zuster Rigdon has gone home to Fruit Heights, UT. Elder Nelson has gone to Enschede as District Leader, and Elder Peterson has gone to Roosendaal.

Back: Zuster Romig, Elder Romig, Zusters Johnson, Hoff, Larson and Rigdon
Front: Elders Besendorfer, Nelson (District Leader), Peterson and Toole

Groningen District (2)
This picture was lost along with our camera!  We had a change with Elders England and Sandstrom and Zusters Heilner and Rosenlof being transferred. Elder Nelson became our District Leader and Zusters Rigdon and Johnson joined us.

 Groningen District (1)

Back: Elders Peterson, Besendorfer, Romig, Sanderson (District Leader),  England, 
Bonney and Nelson
Zusters Rosenlof, Western, Romig, Heilner and Larson

Amsterdam District

Back:  Elders Christensen, Pimentel, Loorbach, Burton (AP), Bean, Suckow and Romig
Middle: Elders Yocom, Mower (District Leader) Zusters Larson, Andersen and Romig
Front: Elders King and Taylor (AP)

First Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays in Netherlands...

The holidays were a busy, busy time for Elder  & Zuster Romig.  Get ready for a whirlwind synopsis of our events for the end of November and all of December....

Thanksgiving is an American holiday and all the missionaries serving in the Groningen District are from America. So we hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner we'll never forget.  The only night that we could find free time in all our busy schedules was on Sunday, November 24, 2013. We asked each companionship to bring a food item to share and we provided the turkey (NOT AVAILABLE IN NETHERLANDS), dressing, broccoli casserole, 24-hour salad and rolls.  We were not able to find a turkey bigger than a chicken, so we roasted chicken breasts in bags and it tasted great.  We had yummy food and great company!

Elders England, Bonney, Sanderson, Besendorfer, Peterson and Nelson.

Zusters Heilner, Western, Rosenlof and Larson

We started the meal with a Romig tradition passed down from when Elder Romig's sister, Peggy, was on her mission.  Each of us had three kernels of popcorn and shared something we were thankful for with each kernel.  It was a sweet experience hearing the heartfelt gratitude of these wonderful young elders and zusters.

























A very important part of the night to remember is the phone calls received because it was "transfer night".  Each companionship was altered (except us) with four of our district members leaving including Elder Sanderson, our District Leader.  Elder England, and Zusters Heilner and Rosenlof were also transferred.

Elder Jose A. Teixeira

A very exciting event took place in Amsterdam on December 11 and 12, our Mission Zone Conference with a visiting General Authority, Elder Jose A. Teixeira and his wife.  Our mission has so many missionaries that the conference was divided into two groups, one met on Wednesday and one met on Thursday. We, as Senior Couples, were asked to help those days with preparations and presentation of food for about 90 people each day.




We were asked to prepare an African Fruit Salad for each day.  The fruits, because they are "exotic fruits", had to be ordered in advance to be ripe and ready to eat. We picked up the food from Makro (like Costco on steroids) on Monday, enjoyed FHE with the JoVo's that evening, and drove to Amsterdam on Tuesday (for this Zone Conference we drove over 400 kilometers).  Luckily, we were able to stay in our old apartment while we were there.  When we got to Amsterdam, we began cutting fruit, and cutting, and cutting, and cutting for about 6 hours each night.

One day's fruit included 9 large papayas, 32 mangos, 10 fresh pineapples, and 40 bananas...

We were delighted to have "house guests" each night while we were there, first night with four elders, next night with five zusters, and next night with four elders.  The guests were put to work cutting fruit the first two nights...we were SO GRATEFUL for their help!

"Houseguests" on December 10: Elders Muse, Claflin, Bosco and Eastmond

Zuster "Houseguests" & fruit cutting helpers on December 11.

"Houseguests" on December 12:  Elders Ipson, Sumpter, Praag, and Gomez.

It is nearly impossible to express how wonderful it was to be part of the training from President and Sister Teixeira as well as President  and Sister Robinson!  President Teixeira shared story after story after story to emphasize the points of training for us.  And each story was a personal experience!  We were especially humbled to hear of his conversion and the miracles that took place before, during and after.  It was amazing to be there for two days and hear new miracle stories on the second day, including more about his conversion.  What an inspirational man he is!  The training and instructions we received from Sister Teixeira and the Robinsons was invaluable and put to use even before we returned home.  What an amazing spiritual feast!


Sunday, December 15, started with an event we were dreading...until it was over!  We were the scheduled speakers in our Leeuwarden Sacrament Meeting.  We each spoke in Dutch, Zuster Romig gave a talk for about 3 minutes and Elder Romig spoke over 20 minutes.  It was terrifying for each of us!  Terrifying but extremely satisfying once it was over!  Isn't it amazing how hard "firsts" can be?!

After Sacrament Meeting we drove to Zwolle for a JoVo Dienst, (Young Adult Gathering) with Zusters Rigdon and Western riding along. After the Dienst we headed to Apeldoorn for a fantastic Stake Christmas Concert, where we enjoyed an evening filled with near professional music, both singing and instrumental.  The concert was used as a missionary tool, and there were many, many investigators attending.  We sat by some investigators who were attending with their neighbor, and all of us felt the spirit of Christmas as we listened and sang along.

Elder Romig with Bishop and Zuster de Ceuninck van Capelle

We had a delightful surprise while we were waiting for the program to begin. Sitting right in front of us was a man Elder Romig had not seen since his first mission to Netherlands, Paul de Ceuninck van Capelle.  Paul was about seven or eight years old when they met in 1969 in the city of Hengelo.  Paul's mother and siblings who were old enough, had been baptized by Elder Gary Romig, Brent's brother.  Paul has remained active in the church, in fact he is the Bishop of the Hengelo Ward! We also met his wife and some of his children.

After the concert, the Leeuwarden Zusters returned home with people who lived closer to them, and we returned to Groningen with the Groningen Zusters.  We finally arrived home at about 11:30 p.m. after driving a total of 370 kilometers!

The following Tuesday, December 17, our District Meeting was held in Leeuwarden instead of Groningen.  We fixed tacos for the missionaries after the meeting, then participated in a "blitz" of  downtown Leeuwarden.  We paired up in groups of four, then two's, and contacted people all through the center of town.  It was VERY successful, in fact, we returned to the church and had two separate discussions take place with investigators.  In total, we had names and information for several people who the missionaries are teaching and following up with.  The "blitz" was a first for us, and we loved participating!

Recently we have participated in several lessons with either the elders or the zusters.  Each lesson we have helped with has been a sweet and spiritual experience for us and we are so thankful for the opportunity to share this beautiful gospel with people who are hungry for more truth.

During the week before Christmas, we visited each of our Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching families to invite them to a special Christmas Service.  Our families cover ALL of Friesland, and we loved seeing the beautiful countryside...driving just over 200 kilometers to visit all the families.

Sunday, December 22 was a special day in Gemeente Leeuwarden with President and Zuster Robinison, our Mission President and wife, visiting and speaking.  We had sacrament meeting first, then a special Christmas Program, then a potluck meal.  We had over 90 people attending, including several of the investigators we had contacted during the "blitz" as well as less active members.  Our average attendance is around 40 people.

In the Netherlands, Christmas is celebrated on three days:  Sinterklaus dag (December 5), and religious 1st Christmas (December 25) and 2nd Christmas (December 26).  Sinterklaus dag is when St. Nicholas and his helper Swarte Piet bring gifts and fill wooden shoes with treats. 1st and 2nd Christmas are feast days and people attend church. 

We had the special opportunity to join a family, the Rijken's, from our branch for a meal in Heerenveen for 1st Christmas. They had the Elders and Zusters from Leeuwarden and us join them at their home.  After eating, the missionaries each had the opportunity to visit with their families.  We were able to Skype with all six of our children and their families before we went to bed.



































2nd Christmas included singing Christmas songs with the entire Zwolle Zone at an old folks home. 
The home is close to the Groningen church house and there are two members who live in the home. Elder Romig took this picture.


The Christmas season and December could not end better than with the birth of a new grandson, Jaxon Brent Romig, son of Jed and Ashley, on December 28, 2013!  Jaxon weighed 8 lbs. 8 ounces and was 20 inches long.  We are very, very thankful for modern technology and Skype so that we could talk with Jed and Ashley and see Jaxon soon after he was born!  Our arms longed to hold that little boy, but we know that we are doing what the Lord needs us to do at this time in our life.

Jaxon Brent Romig, born December 28, 2013
8 lbs 8 oz - 20 inches

Leeuwarden Branch...Home away from Home!

Leeuwarden Branch Presidency
Rik Brandenburg - President Dan Brandenburg - Elder Brent Romig

Leeuwarden is a beautiful city 60 kilometers to the west of Groningen in Friesland.  We both serve in the Leeuwarden Branch.  Elder Romig serves in the Branch Presidency and Zuster Romig serves in the Primary Presidency.  It has been challenging with the language barrier but we continue to work at learning the Dutch language.  We have both said from the beginning of our mission that the Dutch people deserve to hear the gospel in their own language.

We travel to Leeuwarden at least weekly and other times more often.  We normally have around 40 people in attendance at our Sacrament meeting, and our goal is to double that amount through convert baptisms and activation.  Elder Romig conducted his first Sacrament meeting a few weeks ago on the same day that Zuster Romig conducted in Primary.

Primary and Priesthood are our first meetings followed by Sunday School with or Sacrament meeting being last.  On the third Sunday of the Month everyone brings a food or snack item to share with others.  It gives us a good chance to visit with friends.  We have many members who must travel a great distance, and they leave for homes with a little nourishment.

We are experiencing a lot of first right now.  Sunday the 15th of December was our first time to speak in our Sacrament meeting.  Can you say humbling experience?!  We were both told by the members and missionaries in attendance how well we had done, but weak knees and sweaty palms didn't feel very confident!  We are both so used to just speaking from the heart and sharing our feelings without notes.  We both had written our talks first in English and then translated them into Dutch....no easy thing to do.  We both asked some Dutch people that we know to help with the translation.  Zuster Romig asked her study buddy from the MTC and one of the Missionaries (who is Dutch) to help her and Elder Romig asked one of the JoVo's (Young Single Adults) from Groningen to help him.

We love serving in the Leeuwarden Branch and being with the members.  We have two full time Zuster missionaries (Zusters Rigdon & Western) in Leeuwarden and two full time Elders (Elders Peterson & Besendorfer) in Heerenveen (about 25 kilometers from Leeuwarden).  Their attendance at church meetings in Leeuwarden are a great support to the Branch.

Leeuwarden & Heerenveen Elders & Zusters
assigned to the Leeuwarden Branch when we first arrived.
Elder Romig, Elder Sanderson (District Leader) & Elder Peterson
Sister Romig, Sister Western & Sister Rosenlof.

Groningen District: Elders Peterson, Besendorfer, Romig, Sanderson, England, Bonney and Nelson
Zusters Rosenlof, Western, Romig, Heilner and Larson

This was our district when we first arrived here.  We have had a transfer and leadership change since then.Our District Leader is Elder Nelson (Elder Sanderson went to Rotterdam), Elder England went to Vlisingen, Zuster Heilner transferred to Maastricht and Zuster Rosenlof went to Almere.  We now have Zusters Johnson and Rigdon.  The district was cut by one elder companionship.

We have fallen in love with Friesland!  The countryside is like the countryside Elder Romig remembered from his first mission to Netherlands.  It is vast fields of green with canals separating farms.  There are sheep, cattle and horses grazing everywhere.  We see molens and modern windmills everywhere.  The homes are beautiful and well-kept.  The schilderachtige dorpjes (quaint villages) are beautiful!  Swans are seen EVERYWHERE in Friesland!  We have been told that they are protected here.  It is quite common to see them in the green fields. We have also been told that many of the Dutch Masters loved the sky over Friesland and would come here to paint their skies.

Notice how the swans with their necks touching almost form a heart.

The green countryside goes on and on and on!  Mooie!

The homes and many buildings including barns & sheds have the symbol of the swan on them like the picture above showing the swan on both the home and the barn. Below is a close-up.

Friesland swans...originally made of wood, now some are made of plastic 
because wood is so expensive.

On the way to church we spotted a flock of swans off in the distance 
and took a picture...even in the rain.

And even more on the way
 home from church.

 

Another closer view with a molen in the background.

Notice the tile as well as thatched roof on this home.  There is so much humidity that moss grows on roofs,trees, fences and just about everything!

In the countryside, farmhouses often have the barn attached to the home.  The home has the tile roof, while the barnroof is thatched.  Friesland is known for these two types of horses...the big, beautiful black ones and the Fries poniesshown here.  The ponies are full-grown but about the 
size of a small Shetland Pony.

 It was a delight to see this molen in the background in the small dorpje of Sumar.

Elder Romig with Zr. Oppermann

We have fallen in love with this dear lady, Zr. Oppermann.
She takes the taxi to church, and it has been our blessing and opportunity to take her home from church each Sunday.  It is our privilege on the Sundays when she is not able to come to church because of poor health to bring the Sacrament to her at her home.

Zuster Oppermann is one of our Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching Zusters. We have loved getting to know her!  Her husband passed away this year and her family lives in the
United States and Canada.

Zr Romig with Zr Oppermann

Her husband had served several times as the bishop of the Amsterdam Ward where they raised their family.  They served a mission to Siberia and we love hearing the stories of that special time in her life.  She once told us that her husband said she is a "glass half full" person.  Her positive and happy personality is so easy to love!

Not far from Leeuwarden is the site of the first baptisms in Netherlands.  

We posted a picture of this in an earlier post.

It is amazing to see the growth of the church here, and it is exciting 

to imagine the fulfillment of the prophesy given that there would one 

day be 40 stakes here.  We currently have 4 stakes and our short-term 

goal is to build a 5th stake. We have much work to do!