Zone Service Day at the Mission Home

The Den Haag Zone was invited to a Service P-Day at the Mission Home on August 22nd.  This new mission home is located in Leidschendam, just south of Leiden.   All of the elders, sisters, and senior couples met at 10:00 am to get their service assignments.  Elder Beckstrand was asked to work in the backyard to help cut away the over-growth along the canal.  I (of course) was asked to cut up fruit and vegetables in the kitchen.)  Sigh.....  That's where I always end up.

Sister Brubaker needed help carrying in all the bags of groceries from her car.  Food, food, food!  You can't let these young people go hungry after they've pulled weeds all morning.

Oh, what a pretty array of delectable picnic offerings.  We are certainly being spoiled today!

President Brubaker is the master chef!  The hot dogs over here are called 'worst' and are about 1 1/2 times the size of a normal hot dog.  Very spicy and tasty.

The fruit and vegetables took a couple of hours to cut up, but everything is finally ready.  I even got a chance to pull weeds for a half hour - just so I could say I had earned my lunch.

Sister Salden cuts the buns in preparation for the barbeque.

It may look like Elder Tibbitts and Elder Beckstrand are loafing.  Well, in point of fact, they are - but not until they got their assignments done.  Elder Beckstrand took charge of the pruners and made quick work of the overgrown trees and shrubs along the canal.

It took the missionaries quite a few minutes to scrub the dirt off their hands before lunch.

Sister Hill asks permission to read her mail from home while she waits for the others to clean up.  It's always a good day when you get to read news from home.  (Hint, hint....) 

The rule of the mission is that the sisters ALWAYS go first when the food is ready to serve.  It might just seem like a courtesy - actually, it's to ensure that they get something to eat before the elders go through the line and consume everything in sight!

These are such great young people.  They work hard, they pray hard, and they serve with all of their hearts.  A P-day activity such as this gives them a little break to enjoy each other, share stories, and gear up for the week ahead.

"There's lots of meat!  Come and get it,"  calls President Brubaker.  (He doesn't have to ask twice.)  A delicious lunch was enjoyed by all, then we loaded the car with missionaries and drove back to Amsterdam to prepare for JoVo FHE.  Most peoples' work is from sun to sun.  A missionary's work is never done!  Aren't we blessed???