December 17, 2012 - Utrecht, Nederland

So a lot is going on this week and I have a lot to talk about. We begin with Skype-ing thing, the best time for us is actually on Christmas eve, we'll be at the church at about 12:30 in the day and because its Pday we are able to wait a little longer to talk to you guys so whenever works for you guys, mainly Mom but everyone else too. So for you that is 4:30 and we can stay late till about 10 or 12(for you guys). We are using the church computer and a camera so I just need to know the skype usernames.

 

Second, this is more for Mom and Dad, My release date is being changed, It will either be the 6th of august or the 17th of september. It is my choice and I need to decide by the 1st of Jan so Im asking you guys to pray and help me make a descision. My first oppinion is the 6th so I can start school, however I'm going to pray about it and ask the Lord. But let me know your feelings, This effects you too.(they both count as a full honorable mission)

 

So everything is going well, we're busy moving appartments and its really hard, we still don't know where the new one is but I'll tell you as soon as possible. Damian didn't get baptized becasue it wasnt enough time to get it ready but its for sure happening this friday!! YYYAAAYYY!! Brian is really possitive still but its hard for him to come to church, lame. Mom asked about tracting, We do a lot of tracting and the people are really polite however it is very rare to find people that way.

 

Um yeah thats about it I think, You guys should get my Christmas pressent probably a day or two after christmas. I love you all!

 

Love, Kevin

December 10, 2012 - Utrecht, Nederland

Hey everyone!

 

Its been a very interesting week so I'll just start from the begining, Monday I think I told you that we got our transfer calls and Elder Armstrong and I are staying together, Then monday night we went to a activity with the Jo-Vo's (young adults) and it was a sort of white elephant thing and I got a dutch cookbook, a pink piggybank and a dutch children's christmas song CD so that was fun, then tuesday we went to a meeting with Brian and we took a member named Mitchel and they hit it off. Then Wednesday comes around, Do you remember that girl I talked about a few weeks ago, well if not she was like a contactiong miracle for me then we finally had an appointment and she attacked us with questions and wasn't satisfied with the answers we gave her, she asked about our believe that we can one day be like God and we tried to explain that you can't understand that part without understanding the rest first but she didn't take it so she gave the book of mormon back and told us not to call her anymore, then as we got ready to go to an appointment with Marianela and Marnix we got a text from them telling us that they didn't want to meet anymore and they wanted to break all contact. Our list of investigators as dramatically dropped in the past week, However the best part is that we aren't even upset, we were both a little bummed right after it happened but honestly for some reason we're doing really well and we have an appointment tonight so that will be fun! Damian should also be getting baptised this week so that will be awesome, I'm supposed to go down to belgium on that day though so we'll see how it all works out.

 

As for Sinterclaus they don't put coal in your shoes if you're bad, you get put in a bag by zwarte piet and taken to spain!!

 

And so you know I'm changing appartments on the 24th so I hope your package gets here before then, Elder Armstrong says it should only take 2 weeks but you might just want to send it to the mission home just to be safe, however that will also mean I probably wont get it till the first part of january, I don't know you can decide. Also If there is room can you send one or two of the begginer piano books? Elder Armstrong and I are using some of our Pday time to try and learn so That would be nice.

 

Well, I can't think of anything else, I love you all!! Stay safe and stay strong!

 

Love Kevin!

December 3, 2012 - Utrecht, Nederland

Hallo, jullie spreken met Elder Suckow, (Hehe, telephone greeting)

 

 So how's everyone doing? I'll quickly answer some questions then tell whats going on. I didnt remember leaving a copy of my blessing and I didn't bring a 4 generation chart, but we didn't use it i the MTC and we don't have a family history center here so its not as big of a thing. As for holidays, the dutch have 2 christmases, Dec 5 and 25, the 5th is Sinterclas which is the birth date of Saint Nocolas, thats when they put out their wooden shoes and Swarte Pete (the black elves) put in little candies and toys, kinda like our stalkings. The 25th is the birth of Christ and the Kerst Man(Santa Claus) but its mostly about Christ I think. Sinterclas we have two Investigator appointments and a dinner appointment so it will be a good day.

 

Ok so Elder Armstrong and I have had a rough week, we had to drop Juan because he wasnt progressing, and some other things happened that just made it a long hard week. however this week is looking to be a lot better! Transfers are this week, we are staying together but a lot of people are getting changed, I'm not sure why but things are looking up. As for the weather, It snowed today for the first time this year, and its already melted, It doesn't snow much but rains a lot. And becasue of that I need to buy some good warm gloves(I won't spend too much Mom).

 

Um... I think that's it, I love you all! have a great week! Everyone stay strong, this change with Dad is hard especially on him and Mom, pray always for them. My patriarcle Blessing says I'm part of the choicest families on earth, and I know that is true. Love each other, pray for each other, and if you find it hard just read how firm a foundation verse 3. Again I love you all and you are all in my prayers!

 

Love, Kevin

November 26, 2012 - Utrecht, Nederland

How was everyone's thanksgiving? I hope you're all feeling better, It sucks bing sick over the holidays.

 

So everything has been going great this week, kinda rough at the begining but then ended really good, Elder Armstrong was able to teach Marianela and Marnix and they're both doing great! I was on exchanges so I wasn't there but I was told it was an awesome lesson, and they both came to church on sunday so thats awesome too! We havnt talked to brian in a while which is sad, we really need to get another apointment this week. Damin is really good, he'll be baptised next week if everything works out, Juan however isnt going quite as good, he's going to decide this week if he want's to be baptised or not so pray hard for him please. We also started teaching another family from Congo, and they're really cool so we'll see how that works out.

 

As for the music and everything, I'd still like the MP3 Player becasue then I'd be able to listen to it quietly during studies(helps me focus) and any spiritual music is great, President Robinson isn't really strict about it and says if we can feel the spirit when we listen to it its ok. As for the DVD, as long as the music isn't too crazy I think I can watch it on a pday, so send it and I'll ask if I can watch it and if they say no then I'll keep it in my suitcase. and little movie clips are fine.

 

Elder Armstrong is from Cedar City, Utah. I'm not sure what else to tell you, things are going great, hard, but great. I feel stronger each day and more confident. My Dutch is coming slowly but I try not to let that bother me. umm.... yeah, I love you all! and I have a talk that I want you to listen to, Its called "Why 1820" by Hyrum Smith If you can't find it I can send it but that is a pain so try to find it.

 

K I love you all!

Kevin

November 19, 2012 - Utrecht, Nederland

Hows everything going? Is everyone excited for Thanksgiving? They don't celebrate that here so normally the Elders don't get to have a thanksgiving dinner, However, we happen to have a family from California living here so he's doing a big dinner on Thursday and also Sunday for the ward, we have an appointment on Thursday so our thanksgiving will be Sunday this year.

    The food isn't all that strange here, their mayonaise is a little different and is used like we would use cat-soup, and they also have this thing called an Oillebolle, Its a spongy scone with powdered sugar on it and they only have them in chrismas time so I got to try that the other day, they're really good. Um, thats most of the strange things I've eaten, haring is a summer thing so I won't gat that for a while.

    So this past week was both awesome and sucky, 1st, last tuesday was our Pday like I said, and we were with two other elders for the day so that was cool, and Elder Armstrong and I make it a point to always pray for referrals to help us in finding, and tuesday night we got one from another city for a girl named Marianela, they said they had talked to her for abut a half an hour and that she is super positive and has been looking for the true church for a long time and they actually got a soft commitmet for baptism, but she lives in Utrecht so they moved her to us and so we went and taught her wednesday night along with her boyfriend, She is crazy positive, golden in every sense of the word but her boyfriend Marnix is a little new to the whole religion thing so he's a little slower, however she has a baptismal date for 29th of Dec and she's going to talk to him and everything, so that was a supper awesome day. Then Friday was supposed to be great too! Four appointments, two have baptism dates and so its just supposed to be great! However our first appointment fell trough because he had to work, our second appointment wasn't home and our third had too much studying to do so thats three out of four gone, well thankfully Brian still worked out and he actually took us to see some of his friends and we gave them Book of Mormons and it was a little weird because one of them was like "AMEN, PRAISE JESUS!" type of person but in dutch so it was a little strange, however they accepted the books and said they would read them.

   So I will try and get some letters out this week its just really hard because we don't have a whole lot of time even on Pdays but I'll do my best, By the way Elder Armstrong and I are doing great together, We're both a little quiet and have a hard time talking to people so we're working on ways to get over that and I think we found a good idea so we'll try it. I'll keep you guys in my prayers that you will be led by the Lord for the thing with Dad. Thats a big change, but I know you guys will do what you feel is best. Stay srong and keep your faith strong. I love you all!

Love, Kev.

 P.S. Thursday is my 3 month mark so have a Great Thanksgiving for me! :)

November 13, 2012 - Utrecht, Nederland

OK so I'm not dead, its just we had pday today on tuesday instead of monday, and don't worry, I brought more change mom :)

  So this week has been better, the lady we had been kinda teaching got really angry when Obama won, she hasn't officially droped us yet but we don't thing we'll be getting any farther with her so its kinda sad. We're still teaching Brian, he's doing really well and actually wants us to teach some of his friends this friday so that will be cool. We're also teaching a guy named Damian and a guy named Juan, they both a baptism dates, Damian is really excited to be baptized, Juan keeps pushing his date back so we're trying to help him take that jump. We also got two new investigators over the weekend and they were both miracals in their own way, I'll tell you about them in the letter I write home this week, Elder Armstrong says letters take about a week to send.

  So 'I've been slacking off on my picture taking and only had a few since I got in the land, so I decided to take a lot more and have taken a few today so I think you'll get another card before chrismas.

  As for things I need for Christmas, the biggest thing I'd like is a recipe(sp?) book that we got for last Christmas, I couldn't find mine so I didnt bring it. Music in any form is fine, CD's mp3 player its all good, and also maybe a scarf or two, that ones not as important but its always fun, the rest is all your choice. Also I should be able to skype from a computer from a member, but we don't know how that will work exactly so I'll let you know.

  So hows everything at home, Dad says you got snow, we probably won't get snow for a few weeks, is everyone ready for christmas!? The real chrismas holiday is on the 5th of december, they do something later in the month but its not as big, anyway santa is skiny here and his elves are black, its kinda weird. 

  Ok I need to write my mossion president still, So I love you all! Stay strong and stay safe, you're all in my prayers!

Love Kev

November 5, 2012 - Utrecht, Nederland

ok Today will be short because I don't have a lot of change for the
internet. We go to the library to use the computers there and they
only take change.
So this week has been rough, Saturday was supposed to be super awesome
but nothing worked out so I was a little bummed. Hopefully things will
get better. I bore my testimony in Sacrememt meeting yesterday so that
was cool. 

To answer some questions, I brought my address this time and I'll also
try and get some real letters out this week too, we just don't have a
lot of time during the day to worry about things like that. I payed
€100 for my bike aprox $140 I think. Its a lot but its supposed to be
a good bike and I havent had any problems so far. The $100 dollers
that I pulled out was to get help get me by till my card got money put
on it but its entirely refundable so I'll get it back. Um what else, I
heard about the hurricane but not much, we have an investigator that
says she will drop us if Obama wins, she loves Mit. They give us a lot
of money for food and stuff so I'm not too worried about it, they have
off brands here too so I buy them a lot. We also eat with families, we
have 4 dinner appointments this week! 

OK I need to go, I love you all!!! 

 Elder Suckow 

van Bijnkershoeklaan, 75 

3527 XB Utrecht
Netherlands 

 PS Hoi just means Hi