Those Who Served Missions...

[Analytics]

My mission was the first time I heard the word J-W (Jay Dub). Also the first time I remember hearing the word shafted.

Dog mines: dog poop. Always seems to find your shoes.

Dogged: An appointment where the other guys don't show up. Sometimes called it "gehonded".

dope: baptism (Dutch word, and actually spelled doop).

langs de deuren: tracting. Literally along the doors.

Companionship inventory: where you and your comp explain what you dislike about each other.

splits: Not a mission word per se, but I don't really use it in any other context. When was the last time you went on splits with a non-missionary?

Elder Ballard 10: street contacting. Elder Ballard promised us we would increase baptisms (double I think) if we would contact 10 people on the street each day while traveling to other appointments or tracting. I hated doing this as I am introverted. Tracting was hard enough and only somewhat bearable because of the language barrier.

White Bible: the missionary handbook with all the rules. Basic guideline: if it might get you injured from danger or strain, don't do it unless it's working your butt off getting people baptized.

Groentje: Greenie (new missoinary). Oddly, this ia also the Dutch word for vegetable (greens).

[_asbestosman]

And how can I forget biking. Not only are bikes common for many missionaries, but bikes are especially important in Holland. None of this is mission specific however.

fiets: bicycle.

achter op: ride on the back of a bike. If your bike is broken, often you would ride on the back of your comp's bike. Not comfortable, but it beat running and most bikes to have a good rack in back.

schweinhund: pig-dog(?) Supposedly German cussing from the Dutch who thought we were Germans because we wore helmets.

Mooie Helmpie: "nice hemlet". More Dutch ridiculing of our helmets.

Greenie butt: a sore bum experienced by newbies when they start biking.