Well This just in! We had transfers today and I've been taken out of PARADISE! :( Super bummed, I wasn't expecting it, but it makes sense due to the amount of time I have there. I suppose I was just in denial because I have my baptism on Saturday of one of my investigators. I'm hoping that she can get baptized now because the day that I went to say goodbye to them is the same day she told us that she might not be able to be baptized because she was teasing her sister and her dad (her parents are less active members) told her that she isn't responsible enough to be baptized. She has the strong desire to be baptized and you know how siblings are (I won't mention names CASEY cough cough) they love to tease and pester. So we told her that she has to obey what her parents say and be good...so her baptism is in pending. If all goes well and she behaves well, she can continue with her baptism...and now I'm looking for members to go on exchanges so I can be there.
Now
I am in the concrete jungle of Santiago. This is definitely a first and
foreign concept for me! Lots of cars and movement, but luckily I'm not
in the heart of the city so it's a little more calm. My new companion is
Hermana Bossard! She is from the same group as my daughter Hermana Baez
so I know her a little bit and is super sweet! So I'll get to be her
step mom! Anyway she's from California and we are excited to start the
work here in La Union, Santiago.
Okay
ya'll wanted a long letter today haha so I'll make sure to give you my
spiritual tid-bit for this week. So last Sunday we had a stake meeting
where we talked about the missionary work as well as Sacrifice and the
Obedience. In the meeting the stake president shared the story of what I
find is the perfect story of sacrifice and that is the story of Abraham
and his son Issac. I learned that as members and children of God we are
asked to obey our father in heaven. As imperfect beings its difficult,
impossible, or sometimes ( and I feel like I fall in this category)
undesireable to obey as with the story of Abraham. He loved his son
Issac, but was asked by the Lord to sacrifice his son. The thing I find
interesting is that in this story sacrifice and obedience goes both
ways. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, as well as Issac was
willing to obey the will of his father and the Lord. I also had the time
to read this week the parable of the rich youth...um I can't remember
how to say it...haha... anyway it's the parable where a young man goes
to Christ and asks him what he needs to do to enter into the kingdom of
heaven and Christ says that he needs to keep the commandments. After
saying this the young man replied that he has been following all the
commandments, and then Jesus replied then sell all your possessions and
follow me. In the end the man was upset and walked away. I found after
reading that a lot of us now can compare ourselves to the rich young
man, sometimes we aren't willing to make the sacrifices we need to obey
our father in heaven. As members of the church there will always be
times where we need to make sacrifices whether its with our time or our
talents. And if we don't sacrifice and obey or follow up with our
callings or be the members that we really need to be, we won't receive
the blessings that the Lord has for us.
But,
I'm glad everyone's doing great and I LOVE hearing that it's snowing!!
It's still hot here ahaha but it is starting to cool down at night! Love
you!!
Hermana Van Woerkom
Oct 22
Hi everyone!
So this week has
been fantastic! We have 2 baptismal dates set for this next month!
Fingers crossed I can be here for one more transfer. I´m sure praying,
but I´m hoping that you will pray too haha. And we had 7 investigators
at church! Yoohoo! Other than that nothing too exciting is happening
here, minus that we have been without water for 5 days! Haha it´s been
interesting. We have gone to a members house to take a shower for the
last couple of days, but we are hoping that the water will come back
soon! Fingers crossed! Well it sounds like that things are starting to
get cold there in the states! I do have to admit that here it´s the same
temperature, in the 90´s BUT at night its starting to cool off to the
80´s. I know crazy right haha. And I do have to admit that I get cold at
night! It´s a little sad haha. I´m so glad you guys are having a blast
this Halloween! You need to send more pictures!!
Well
I didn´t have too much time to write this week because we were playing
baseball with members and came back late. BUT know that I love you and
that I pray for you every day! Keep me posted on everything and send
more pictures.
And
before I go HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LINDSEY AND LONNIE! AND TRAVIS THAT'S THIS
WEEK! Hope you guys have fun on the cruise and that Kellie and Travis
had a great time in Japan.
Love
Hermana Van Woerkom
Nov. 11
Service Day!
So this last
week was national service day! So we went around and cleaned up the
streets where we lived with the members. It was nice because I got to
get to know the members a little bit more. And what better way to end
last week than with a baptism! Winnifer got baptized and her mom and
sister ( who are less active members) came to the service to support
her. It was nice to go back after 4 days haha but it was a little sad
too. The members who knew I had left were glad to see me and the members
that didn´t know I had left were sad to see me go again. It was
especially hard to say goodbye to Gabby, one of my little buddys in the
primary. I promised her that I´d be back before I left the mission and
that I´d come back with my family to visit again. So yeah you now I have
to keep my promise haha. They have my heart in Puerto Plata.
My
area is very different. It definitely isn´t in the countryside or a
small town like I´m use to. But, I´m learning to love them just as much
here. The members are super nice. They are wanting to help in the
missionary work as well as with my cooking skills haha. We have dates
here for baptism! I´m excited to see their progression.
Well
looks like your on the count down for the cruise! I´m excited for ya´ll
keep me posted on everything and most importantly send the pictures of
your adventures! Love you tons!
Hermana Van Woerkom
Nov18th
Hey family!
The count down
begins! I'm so excited to hear that ya'll are getting ready for the
cruise! Sounds exciting! Please calm Lindsey's fears and buy the kidnap
insurance. Let's be honest, if anyone on that trip were to get
kidnapped, as the hunger games lady would say, "the odds would ever be
in her favor". haha LOVE YOU LINDSEY! But, really you guys are going to
have fun but be safe!
So
this week hasn't been too eventful, but we have gotten to see some
special things happen. So first I'll start with one of my favorite less
actives. She is such an amazing lady that has come from a really
difficult situation. She's lived most of her life in New York, but now
has to live here. All of her family lives in New York and she's
struggling with some financial situations here. But, I have learned so
much from her. She's had problems with the law and drugs in the past and
seeing the situation that she's in now, it would make sense for her to
feel alone and abandoned, but that's definitely not how she's taking it!
In fact, it's the exact opposite, she has turned to the church and
Heavenly Father for help and has overcomed almost all of her
difficulties. On Saturday we had several appointments planned for the
day and almost every one of them fell through. So we made are way around
contacting and happened to find ourselves contacting close to her
house. Once we started passing by she asked us to come in and visit with
her. We shared a brief message and she opened up and said she was so
grateful we came by because she was struggling through something very
personal and knew that it was an answer to her prayers that we came by.
In short, I can't really go into details of all that happened, but you
can tell that God has plans for each and every one of us and we can be
that instrument for Him is we choose to be and follow the promptings we
get. It's just amazing being a missionary and seeing the true conversion
we can all have if we are dependent on Him who can heal us.
Well
as for Thanksgiving, we are going to party hardy next Wednesday and get
our Turkey Lurkey on for P-day. Hopefully we can make it
american....with the latinos haha my companion and I thought it would be
funny if we did indian hats and pilgram hats...only if I could be one
of the indians haha. I think we will try to make pumpkin pie too! It's
not a holiday without it right?
Well
here's some pictures for ya'll! This was P-day eve and we bought
icecream and did face masks! And my companion has BYU vocal point and
she had 70's music....so we kinda went all out haha just kidding
Love you all and take care!
Hermana Van Woerkom
