Time to move to Groningen!

Well goedemiddag everyone!! I hope you all had a great week! First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sister DeVries in the Utica mission! Next week we will be heading to Church in Groningen, so this last Sunday was the last time the Branch in Assen would be meeting together, it is still emotional for a couple of the members and some not so hard, but it will all be good in the end!

We had a miracle happen on Sunday as well! Now here in Assen we work with two part member Family's, and on Sunday they all came to church!!! So we ended up having 5 investigators in Church, which was super awesome! They all enjoyed it and hopefully they will be able to come more often to Groningen!

This last week we had Zone Conference which was super nice, We talked about Goal setting and having more Faith as missionaries. President Bunnell gave a bomb presentation on Faith and it was just a really needed Conference for everyone. Elder Groesbeck had to give his departing testimony which was super sad, I am going to miss him when he leaves...

We didn't have too much success finding this week, the only day we found someone was when Elder Stevenson and I were on Exchanges in Assen. We did a quick look up that was a less active to see if she was coming to church on Sunday, and we had some extra time before Lunch, so we thought we would knock some doors. And it ended up being Sunny that day, so it made knocking a lot more bearable! But we ended up finding 2 potentials that seem to be interested in the Book of Mormon and what we have to share, so Exchanges always bring success!!

So I say the highlight of my week had to have been on the train ride home from Exchanges. Elder Groesbeck and I exchanged back in a city called Zwolle and had a hour train ride back home. Now when we sat down there was 2 cute 10 year old dutch girls sitting across from us. And they were being funny and messing with people outside of the train. They heard Elder Groesbeck and I talking English. One of them in Dutch said, "They are Americans." Thinking I wouldn't understand what they were saying, so I turned and asked them in Dutch, "Have you ever been to America before?"
If you only could see there reactions and faces when they heard me speak Dutch.. haha it was hilarious! We then had some Language Study with them the whole train ride home, they made us ask them English words to see if they knew them in Dutch and vice versa. I have never laughed so hard in my life and have never been so happy getting off that train knowing that even though I didn't share the gospel with them, they thought Elder Groesbeck and I were pretty funny and that is missionary work in itself, just being an example.

I hope you all have a great week and hopefully Spring is under way for everyone else! The Sun is shining here in the Netherlands and that makes me happy! I love you all and will talk to you soon! Tot Ziens!!

-- 
Love Elder Noah Morey

Happy Birthday Elder McBride!

These are the girls we chatted with on the
train ride home that I was talking about!

Playing some Sjoelen with the De Jonge Family,
Sjoelen is an old dutch game!

We went to a Vesting(Fortress) in Bourtange!

Stake Conference in Apeldoorn!

Goedemorgen Everyone!! Well this week was a pretty simple one, not too much to talk about, but there was a couple things and miracles that is worth telling! One cool thing that happened this weekend was that we had Stake Conference in Apeldoorn. Cool fact is that I have been in the Apeldoorn Zone for almost a year of my mission and I was here for the last one not too long ago, so that goes to show how long I have been in this Zone! but we got to sleepover with the Arnhem Elders on Saturday night so we could make it to the Sunday session on time! It was super nice to go back to Arnhem and see that city again.

I had the chance to go on Exchanges with Elder Thornock on Thursday and we got to stay in Assen. It was the first time I met him and he is a super cool guy from Bountiful, Utah and we actually have a lot in common and we had a super fun exchange. We had the opportunity to go to Hoogeveen and go teach a Family from Iraq and a man from Indonesia. It went well with the man from Indonesia, he isn't too open to investigate to know if the Book of Mormon is true, but likes talking with us. The Family from Iraq are super funny, they have a daughter and 2 sons that are hilarious and love the missionaries! 

On Sunday we had Stake Conference and it went well and was very uplifting, they missionaries got to sing, so that was good. President Hulleman is the Stake President and man we he gives a talk everyone is at the edge of there seats. He is amazing and just always brings the Spirit into the meeting!

This next Sunday will be the last time branch Assen will meet together, it will be hard to leave such a nice branch and go to a big Ward, but it will be a great blessing as well! We have many good plans this week and are excited for what this next week holds! 

I love you all and will talk to you soon! Tot ziens!

Love Elder Morey!

From Wet!!!

To Sunny!!!!!

Found a Tree House!

Traveling to Stake Conference

Change is Difficult..

Goedemiddag everyone!! Well this was a crazy week for us here in Assen! Do I have some crazy news for you all! But first I would like to wish you all a Happy Valentines Day tomorrow! :) I will be spending it with my beautiful Companion and will do something nice for him!

Well this week was a great planning week for us, we have made some super good plans for Elder Groesbeck's last transfer on his mission, mainly just me trying to keep him from not being too Trunky! But this week we didn't see too much success knocking or getting in contact with other investigators.. but hey that is alright we just keep trying!

The reason I set the subject of this email that Change is Difficult is because recently the Assen Branch got some news from the Stake Presidency during Unit Conference and that news was that Assen is being shut down and moving to the Ward Groningen... Now a little side note, Assen is one of the strongest branches here in the Netherlands, so everyone was super surprised to hear that they're shutting it down. Emotions were everywhere and to be a missionary there I literally felt the pain and sadness of the members. I love them very much and care for them. I had the chance to stand up and bare my testimony to them that as a missionary in Assen I am here to serve them and to help and support them all.

A couple of the members were upset, but understood the decision that was made, though hard to swallow. Our Branch President gave a great talk on about What is your Identity and Where do you stand. He gave a great example of how much he has moved in his life. But one thing that never changed was home was with his Savior, Jesus Christ and even though he was moving constantly, he still had his faith with him.

I have recently been thinking and studying about Optimism. And one of the best example of that was one of our Prophets, Gordon B. Hinckley. He always had a great outlook on everything, he was known for saying, Have Faith, Be Happy, Don't get Discouraged, All will be well. I know that to be true, The Lord has his hand in everything. Sometimes we may not think that is right, but He has a plan and that is better than what we can ever Imagine. I am grateful to be serving where I am and to be able to go through this hard time, I know it will benefit me in a lot of ways! 

I love you all and will talk to you soon! Tot Ziens!!
-- 
Love Elder Noah Morey

Blijf nog even met Elder Groesbeck!!

GOEDEMORGEN everyone!! Well this week was a super awesome week for us, we saw a lot of miracles on exchanges and there is a lot of exciting things happening for next transfer. But first shout out to the Patriots for winning the Super Bowl. P.s. Tom Brady, i still think you are a cheater... but on a good note.

First, we got transfer calls this Saturday and Elder Groesbeck and I will be staying with each other for another transfer and I am super excited to be sending Elder Groesbeck home, we are planning on having a hard working last transfer together. We get along really well and have a lot of fun and it makes  missionary work great!

Well I had the chance to go on Exchanges with Elders Mikkelsen and Vander Werff. Elder Mikkelsen and I went to Hoogeveen to contact referalls from a campaign the church did called Joy to the World. and at the end of the exchange we had found 4 potentials and 2 of which are more than likely to be Investigators, so that is awesome. Elder Groesbeck and Elder Reaveley ended up finding two new investigators as well and they are the first investigators that we have found this whole 6 week transfer!

We also had the chance to teach some Part member families and the first lesson was us teaching them how to do Family History. Needless to say is that I need to be more educated, but for the most part is was good! The other Family is from Iraq and the Father is the only Member in the family and he is flying to Iraq to see his father who his really ill so we taught him how to give a Priesthood Blessing and taught his family about the Priesthood and they have the cutest little family!

We are super excited to see what this next transfer has in store for us, the weather is getting warmer and the work is as well. The branch is strong and feeds us weekly so that is really great. The work is good and life is good as a misisonary, love the gospel and how much it means to me. I learned from Gordon B Hinckley that Attitude, Believing in your self and having Courage is key to being happy and self Reliant. I love you all and hope you have a great rest of your week! TOT ZIENS!!

-- 
Elder Noah Morey

Staying Together for Elder Groesbecks Last Transfer!!!

Watching the District at Night

Exchanges with Elder Vander Werff 

Elder Groesbeck Likes is Always Sleeping on the Bus!!!

Elder Mikkelsen and I on Exchanges in a Kringloop (DI Store)