20 Oct 2011 Eindhoven & Heerenveen FHC

We spent the night in a nice motel in Zoedermeer. This is the first place I have seen with a real bath which I took advantage of. The next morning,we met Bro Max Vanderputt at the Ward which is located in a mall. On one side is a delicious fries place and I ate a huge bag with Bernaise sauce on it, yum!! He took us on a tour of the chapel which was also three stories high but very narrow. He told us some great missionary stories. I hope I don't forget details in relating this story.

In the 60's a girl from Utah was called on a mission to the Phillipines (English speaking mission). Before she left, her father gave her a blessing. In this blessing she was told that she would be able to grasp the native language and she would be a success with the people there. She thought this strange as she was called to speak English. When she arrived in the Philipines she was given a native companion who spoke the Tagalog tongue. After a few weeks of giving lessons in town in English she asked her companion to teach her Tagalog. She learned the language just as her father said she would and she decided to go out into the bush (outer areas where the native people live) and teach in their language. At the end of her mission, the President told her father that she was a God send to that mission. That she had converted 900 people and they were all baptized. Many were converted as whole congregations at one time. Because of her, the mission changed to requiring all missionaries to learn the Tagalog language. It was a great story and we loved speaking to him.

ZOEDERMEER FAMILY HISTORY CENTER















Drove to the Eindhoven FHC but no one was there, the chapel was empty but we were able to get in touch with Sister Karssen, the director of the center. Her son came over and directed us to her house where we were able to spend a little time talking to her about some marvelous experiences happening here in the Netherlands.

She told us about a gentleman who is not a member of our church who comes to the Family History Center daily to do genealogy. Each time he comes in he asks her a little bit more about why we do genealogy. One day she asked him why he did and here was his answer. " There are so many spirits around me pushing me to do this work. I feel them all around me every day. Why do I feel like that?" She could hardly wait to tell him. She said that the feeling is because these spirits who have died are waiting for someone to do their baptism and temple work for them". He said, would you take all the work I have done and put it into your church records?" She said, I think you should be the one to do that. She then told him all about temple work. One of these days he will ask for the missionaries. This work and missionary work go hand in hand.

EINDHOVEN FAMILY HISTORY CENTER



We drove to the Heerenveen FHC which took us three hours from Eindhoven. We met Bro. Stein a member of the Bishopric. It was also a little hard to find because it was over the top of a bicycle shop. The owner of this shop rents the rest of the space to the church. It is amazing all the places they put chapels, but it works. It is three stories and had a chair for people who can not climb the stairs. How sweet it is. We delivered the computer and everything seemed to be in order here also. There is a nice chapel and a big kitchen with table and chairs that are used for ward family dinners that are put on every week. I love these small branches.

HEERENVEEN FAMILY HISTORY CENTER