The Best Two Years 2004

The Best Two Years follows four missionaries living together in a Haarlem apartment, navigating language gaps, culture, and the rhythms of a Norwegian Dutch landscape as they carry out their faith in the Netherlands. At the center of the story are four young men who share a dorm-like home: Elder John Rogers, Elder Emmit Johnson, Elder Steven Van Pelt, and Elder Hezekiah Calhoun. Their day-to-day life is structured around short, hopeful conversations, long bike rides through cobbled streets, and the steady routine of teaching and service. Their mission president, President Sandburg, decides to place a fresh recruit under Rogers’ mentorship, and the new arrival, Elder Hezekiah Calhoun, arrives with a buoyant energy that instantly alters the apartment’s dynamics.

Calhoun’s unbridled enthusiasm is both a blessing and a trial. He speaks with contagious optimism, tries to engage strangers despite his limited Dutch, and treats each interaction as an opportunity to share his beliefs. Into this mix rides a thin thread of humor and human error—his willingness to try anything to bridge language gaps leads to endearing mishaps, and his sunny persistence gradually earns the trust of his companions. One providential correspondence appears when Calhoun meets a man from the United States who speaks English. Their brief park conversation leads to a later encounter at a market, where Calhoun gives the man a Dutch Book of Mormon and a phone number. The man calls, and what follows becomes a turning point for the team: a meeting in their apartment, where Calhoun, despite the language barrier, helps the man connect with their message by providing an English version of the Book of Mormon, and the group discovers his name is Kyle Harrison, Kyle Harrison.

Kyle Harrison’s arrival and interest in learning about their faith becomes a focal point for the missionaries. They arrange a second discussion about Joseph Smith and the First Vision, and Kyle shows genuine curiosity, deciding to continue exploring the church. This budding outreach is set against a backdrop of tension within the apartment. Johnson and Van Pelt clash over personal boundaries and a taped message from Johnson’s girlfriend. Johnson’s habit of using a certain, mild stand-in for stronger language — and Van Pelt’s insistence on accountability — culminates in a heated moment that spills out of the living room and into the hallway. A miscommunication escalates into a dangerous moment when Van Pelt, trying to intervene, is hogtied by Johnson with a rope right as their mission president arrives later. The scene is chaotic and intense, but it ultimately yields a sober but corrective response from President Sandburg.

The president’s reprimand is measured but decisive. He anchors his guidance in scriptural references, reminding the team about patience, perseverance, and proper conduct on and off duty. He gently urges Calhoun to continue improving his Dutch, humorously noting a moment when Calhoun, speaking Dutch, quips about the physical toll of walking and cycling. The president also advises Rogers to resume regular letters home to his mother, encouraging at least one weekly note for the remainder of the mission. These discussions establish a tone of responsibility and reassurance, underscoring that growth, not perfection, is the mission’s true aim.

As the days pass, Johnson’s behavior evolves under scrutiny, and Van Pelt remains a steady if sometimes frustrated presence. The emotional current of the apartment shifts as the team continues with multiple lessons at home, each session building toward a hopeful conversion. Kyle embraces the path more fully after additional discussions, and the group schedules a baptism. The decision to baptize Kyle Harrison is entrusted to Rogers, a surprising choice that signals pride and trust from Rogers toward his trainee.

The baptism takes place in a river, timed with the moment when Rogers must prepare to depart for home. The goodbyes at the train station are long and tearful, marking a bittersweet closing arc for Rogers and Calhoun. In the final scenes, Calhoun’s Dutch shows real progress, and he speaks with greater ease and fluency, signaling a hopeful maturation that resonates beyond the apartment walls. The film closes on a note of quiet triumph, emphasizing growth, faith, and friendship as the true outcomes of their two-year sojourn in a foreign land.

With all the walking and bike riding, my rear end has become quite beautiful.