Holy smokes I have made it through an entire week of my mission!! This has
been one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced. I
absolutely love it here. I don't even know where to begin and this email
might be quite scattered but hopefully it will make a little sense!
I don't think I have ever worked so hard in my entire life. I will give you
a rundown of my schedule next week because this week I forgot to bring my
schedule to the computers! But basically in short version we study for AT
LEAST 9 hours a day whether it is language study, personal study, companion
study, or planning lessons. We basically wake up, study, eat, study, eat,
study, eat, study and then go to bed...in the middle of all of that is 45
minutes of gym time and we also teach lessons to investigators! I am
constantly busy and still trying to get the schedule figured out, but I
love what I am doing each and every day!
The people in my district are Hermana Taylor, Hermana Eppley, Elder Fuga,
Elder Skousen, Elder Brazzel, Elder Urhmstin, and of course my companion
Hermana Houston. By the way Hermana means "Sister" in spanish for those of
you that don't know!! These are some of the most incredible people I have
ever met and they all have such strong testimonies. We are all constantly
laughing and having so much fun. They are my family and I am so thankful
for each and every one of them. I will tell you more about them next week!
I am learning a ton. Each and every day. Then language is coming along
but by last Friday, I already knew how to bare my testimony, pray, and
teach a lesson! Our first investigator lesson was on Friday (yes, two days
after we got here) and it didn't go so well....things were a little rough
that night after the lesson but then on Saturday we were able to teach our
investigator again!! I love teaching lessons. Our two investigators right
now are named Marco and Ulises (they aren't real investigators of course)
but they are so sweet and love laughing when I say something wrong in
Spanish! It is great. Marco told me the best way to learn is through
laughing. Yesterday Hermana Houston and I taught him his first lesson and
it went SO well. We talked about temples, families, and Heavenly Father
and he loved it! When we were leaving he said "buenas noches!" (good
night!) and in response I accidentally said "buenas suertes!" (good luck!)
WOOPS...didn't mean to say that and for the next 15 minutes Hermana Houston
and I laughed so hard because that wasn't the only thing I said wrong
during our lesson with Marco! Anyway, I love what I am doing here. We
have already taught FOUR lessons and the Holy Ghost is speaking to us the
entire lesson. Things just come to mind that I know aren't me, they are
the Holy Ghost telling me what I can say to bring my investigator closer to
Christ.
The got to watch a film of Elder Bednar's Christmas devotional
from a while ago. It is called, "Character of Christ" and it is AMAZING.
Plus Elder Bednar is one of my favorites. He talked about what we can do
to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar said how we need
to turn outward as the Savior did, instead of inward like the natural man.
His examples were when the Savior was in the Garden of Gethsemane and when
He was on the cross. He had asked Peter, James, and John to keep watch and
they had fallen asleep THREE times. Then, guards came and in that time
Christ was betrayed with a kiss from one of his followers. One of the
guard's ears was cut off and in the midst of the betrayal and all that He
had gone through that night, Christ turned outward by not worrying about
himself, and instead healed the guards ear. The other example was when
Christ was on the cross. He had suffered through so much that day as well,
and yet on the cross as he hung there, Christ turned outward and instead of
asking Heavenly Father for help, he asked Heavenly Father "forgive them for
they know not what they do." Christ is an incredible example. I wish I
had more time to tell you about the devotional that time but I only have a
couple minutes left.
I love all of you so much. Thank you for the letters, packages, support,
and especially the prayers. I can feel all of your prayers each and every
day by the way my Heavenly Father helps me. I love the MTC, I love my
mission, and I love serving my Heavenly Father.
con amor,
xoxo Hermana Van Boerum
P.S. I saw Elder Jesse Smith and we got to take a pic the day before he
left (pic below)
Mom, Hermana Parris isn't in my district but she is so so cute.
.
There is a pic with Sister Whitney Back from Olympus.
pic of my district, my companion is to the left of me!! love her.
P.P.S I have way too much candy and junk food
LOVE YOU ALL CHURCH IS TRUE!!!
been one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced. I
absolutely love it here. I don't even know where to begin and this email
might be quite scattered but hopefully it will make a little sense!
I don't think I have ever worked so hard in my entire life. I will give you
a rundown of my schedule next week because this week I forgot to bring my
schedule to the computers! But basically in short version we study for AT
LEAST 9 hours a day whether it is language study, personal study, companion
study, or planning lessons. We basically wake up, study, eat, study, eat,
study, eat, study and then go to bed...in the middle of all of that is 45
minutes of gym time and we also teach lessons to investigators! I am
constantly busy and still trying to get the schedule figured out, but I
love what I am doing each and every day!
The people in my district are Hermana Taylor, Hermana Eppley, Elder Fuga,
Elder Skousen, Elder Brazzel, Elder Urhmstin, and of course my companion
Hermana Houston. By the way Hermana means "Sister" in spanish for those of
you that don't know!! These are some of the most incredible people I have
ever met and they all have such strong testimonies. We are all constantly
laughing and having so much fun. They are my family and I am so thankful
for each and every one of them. I will tell you more about them next week!
I am learning a ton. Each and every day. Then language is coming along
but by last Friday, I already knew how to bare my testimony, pray, and
teach a lesson! Our first investigator lesson was on Friday (yes, two days
after we got here) and it didn't go so well....things were a little rough
that night after the lesson but then on Saturday we were able to teach our
investigator again!! I love teaching lessons. Our two investigators right
now are named Marco and Ulises (they aren't real investigators of course)
but they are so sweet and love laughing when I say something wrong in
Spanish! It is great. Marco told me the best way to learn is through
laughing. Yesterday Hermana Houston and I taught him his first lesson and
it went SO well. We talked about temples, families, and Heavenly Father
and he loved it! When we were leaving he said "buenas noches!" (good
night!) and in response I accidentally said "buenas suertes!" (good luck!)
WOOPS...didn't mean to say that and for the next 15 minutes Hermana Houston
and I laughed so hard because that wasn't the only thing I said wrong
during our lesson with Marco! Anyway, I love what I am doing here. We
have already taught FOUR lessons and the Holy Ghost is speaking to us the
entire lesson. Things just come to mind that I know aren't me, they are
the Holy Ghost telling me what I can say to bring my investigator closer to
Christ.
The got to watch a film of Elder Bednar's Christmas devotional
from a while ago. It is called, "Character of Christ" and it is AMAZING.
Plus Elder Bednar is one of my favorites. He talked about what we can do
to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar said how we need
to turn outward as the Savior did, instead of inward like the natural man.
His examples were when the Savior was in the Garden of Gethsemane and when
He was on the cross. He had asked Peter, James, and John to keep watch and
they had fallen asleep THREE times. Then, guards came and in that time
Christ was betrayed with a kiss from one of his followers. One of the
guard's ears was cut off and in the midst of the betrayal and all that He
had gone through that night, Christ turned outward by not worrying about
himself, and instead healed the guards ear. The other example was when
Christ was on the cross. He had suffered through so much that day as well,
and yet on the cross as he hung there, Christ turned outward and instead of
asking Heavenly Father for help, he asked Heavenly Father "forgive them for
they know not what they do." Christ is an incredible example. I wish I
had more time to tell you about the devotional that time but I only have a
couple minutes left.
I love all of you so much. Thank you for the letters, packages, support,
and especially the prayers. I can feel all of your prayers each and every
day by the way my Heavenly Father helps me. I love the MTC, I love my
mission, and I love serving my Heavenly Father.
con amor,
xoxo Hermana Van Boerum
P.S. I saw Elder Jesse Smith and we got to take a pic the day before he
left (pic below)
Mom, Hermana Parris isn't in my district but she is so so cute.
.
There is a pic with Sister Whitney Back from Olympus.
pic of my district, my companion is to the left of me!! love her.
P.P.S I have way too much candy and junk food
LOVE YOU ALL CHURCH IS TRUE!!!
3 Attachments
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| Cute cousin Anika and Jesse in the MTC Can't get too close :) |
| Anika and Whitney |
| Anika's district |
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