Whelp, this week was literally one full of garbage. They closed down our old apartment, which left my companion and I with the senior couple to get rid of everything inside. Brussels requires all garbage to be sorted between three different bags, so we spent a few mornings separating old food, old missionary clothes and old books into different piles in the apartment. On Saturday, we rented a van and took everything to the dump, where we got to once again separate the garbage, appliances and old furniture into different piles at the dump. I know you wish you were there.
After we were done with the trip to the dump, we went to the sisters' soon-to-be new apartment and got to ... you guessed it, build all the IKEA furniture. It just never ends.
On Saturday night right before we were about to go to bed, we got a call from a member of the bishopric in the ward, asking me to speak in Sacrament Meeting the next day. Our ward is so cool, I got to respond to his request with "Sure, what language do you want it in?" I spent part of the first hour of church figuring out what I would be speaking on, with the intention of doing the same for part of the second hour. Normally in place of Sunday School, we have an investigator class. At first, we didn't have enough investigators at church to have the class, but a bunch showed up at the last second and we decided to throw one together.
Sometime in the middle of the opening prayer of the class, we realized that no one had a lesson and no one had the intention of being the instructor, which meant that I would probably be the one to teach. By the time we said amen, I still didn't have a topic in mind, much less a lesson plan. It all worked out fine though, and we finished in time to make it to the next meeting I would be speaking in.
This week, Elder Wood and I have been focusing on trying to find a family to teach. Apparently it worked, because we went from teaching one family to teaching four, which is about four more than I've ever taught on my mission so far. One family is from Tonga, and the father is actually already a member. His wife is Anglican, and they have a little newborn son. Can anyone say "perfect?" At the end of our first visit with them, the mother said she was really happy that we were over and felt something special when we were there. The father said that there were a handful of things that happened to him that day, and he took our visit as the final sign that he needs to do something with the church.
Right after we walked out, Elder Wood and I gave each other a little high five and spotted another young family walking down the street. We went over and contacted them, and they gave us their address and asked us to pass by their house this week. With pleasure.
A third family is from Brazil and told us they want to come to church with us next week. Stay tuned for some results of our recent family hunting.
Last P-day, Elder Wood and I found a European version of DI where they sell clothes by the kilo. It just so happens that ties are very lightweight, so Elder Wood got four ties for three euros. We might have to hit that place a second time.
All in all, it was a decent week. Sometimes, if we're in a tall building, I get to look out the windows over the city and say to myself, "I'm in Brussels and we get to go to Paris every month. Cool. I'm pretty lucky." That usually brightens the day.
Have a good week!
Elder Wilson
