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Dec. 29,2015

Hey ya'll!

It was nice talking to you last week! Nothing's really changed so I'm going to keep it short. But remember that I love you and above all: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

take care, 

Hermana Van Woerkom

JUST KIDDING! Okay okay it was really nice talking to you guys on Christmas! Love the package and my companion and I, a long with 2 other sets of elders enjoyed the treats Santa (mom and dad *wink wink*) brought me. Well as I told you before everyone celebrates Christmas here on the 24 not the 25. Unfortunately the 6 of us didn't get invitations to anyones houses for Christmas. So we celebrated it by going to the church, popping some popcorn, brought my jellybeans, and played a good round of phase 10 multiple times, as well as the game Risk. That was Christmas Eve, and then the next day we celebrated by going to TGI Friday's for lunch, and then skyping ya'll after. THAT WAS DEFINITELY THE HIGHLIGHT! Ya'll look sooo good! I mean didn't get to see Lonnie and her fam, but I imagine they are still their crusty selfes. Just kidding. After talking to ya'll it's weird to think that's the last time I'll see everyone before coming home! Talk about exciting, but I'm super nervous! AHHH real world again! 

I can't believe that 2015 is coming to an end but, BRING ON THE NEW YEAR! 

New year and new time to make resolutions right? BUENO, as a person being very seasoned in making new years resolutions and BREAKING THEM THE NEXT WEEK, here's some advice from, NOT ME, but one of the homie apostles that's been around the block a time or two and has a lot more wisdom than me, HOLLA at ya Elder HOLLAND! 

He invites us to read one simple scripture in Luke 17: 32 and it states, "remember Lot's wife". Okay, now he invites us in his talk "Remember Lot's Wife: Faith is for the Future", re-read the story of Lot and his wife. 

He then states in closing, " So, as a new year starts and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives. So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had. Apparently she thought—fatally, as it turned out—that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as those moments she was leaving behind."

So now this is my invitation as well. DON'T LOOK BACK!! Look forward with faith on what you can become! OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SENT US TO EARTH TO SUCEED NOT TO FAIL! I'm so grateful for the time I had this year to serve my Savior, and am looking forward to the time that I have left this new year to serve. 

Love you all, stay safe, and have a happy new year!

Hermana Van Woerkom

 

 

 
Well here´s hoping that your Christmas will be better than these poor piggies who have to spend it in someones garage waiting to be Christmas dinner haha. 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Wow it's crazy I'll get to talk to you in 2 days! I'm more excited than when I got my package of goodies haha! Well let's start off on all the festive things my companion and I did. So Christmas party number one was a "christmas devotional" of sorts where we each ward in the stake had to go up and sing something. So our ward dragged my companion and I into this activity and we sang "Angels We Have Heard on High" first. And then we sat down and thought we were done for the night. Then we are watching these other wards go up and sing Evangelical Christmas songs. This was pretty funny because it was jumping up and clapping type of songs. As my companion and I are listening to them, the choir director from our ward grabs my companion and I and tells us that we will be singing "The little Drummer Boy" with the bishops wife, but we will be singing the 2nd part in English. WHAT WE DIDN'T PRACTICE ANYTHING! So I'm here trying to teach my ward the "rum pum pum pum" part because they don't sing that part in Spanish, they just have words. So we roll up on stage like a hot mess of people. I go up first and the bishop's wife sings and I initiate the "rum pum pum" and everyone tries to follow, but fail, as my companion turns around and shhh's them haha. Then it's our turn. So my companion and I start singing. As we do the first "rum pum pum" I move the page up on the screen of the phone and my companion gets lost and reads the next line from the top of her head and sings, "I am a poor boy too pa rum pum pum pum.....I GOTTA GIFT TO BRING..." and I start to giggle, because if the drummer boys poor how does he have something to bring....then she bumps me with her elbow...so the audience starts laughing....and then I lose it and start laughing uncontrollably. And then you know what happens next? THEY CLOSE THE CURTAINS ON US! TALK ABOUT EMBARRASSING! We didn't even get to finish the whole song, WHAT A FLOP! And that's not even the end of it! The whole stake was talking about the "white girls" everywhere. The Zone Leaders told us that the members in their bus said that we were the sisters they see all the time that are soo happy....yeah probably think we are the crazy ones! And THEN the other ward that met in our building had members that would laugh when they saw us...run up and then shake our hands to tell us how much they loved the show last night....and then as they walked away I start laughing and the bishop in the other ward comes up to me and says "Hermana Van, your always laughing aren't you". Oh my heck. By this time I was dying. My comp and I are still looking for the video. Someone has to have it haha. 

Okay then we had 2 ward Christmas parties that we attended which was fun. One was for our ward and then we went to the other wards as well because I guess we are just that popular now with the people after our performance...no lol, but we went as well with our investigators that couldn't make it to the first one. 

After that we had our Mission Christmas dinner which was fun as well! We did a talent show and now that you know of our show stopper last time we do have to say we did a pretty dang good act as a zone. We did the 12 days of Christmas, but things that pertain to the mission. They loved it to say the least! I'll have to send the video! 

But, now the highlight will definitely be seeing the family for Christmas! Can't wait to see ya'll. After looking at the pictures this week ya'll have definitely changed. Don't know for the better or worse...JUST KIDDING! But seriously, soo stoked!

Well take care and catch ya in 2 days. 

love,

Hermana Van Woerkom

P.S. did I mention that yesterday was my 14 month mark? SAY WHAT? 

 

 

 

​EGG NOG! Careful they don't tell you if they put alcohol in it! 

ANOTHER TRANSFER BITES THE DUST,

And.....I'm still in 100 fuegos with none other than my homie sista Hna. Bossard haha! After the two crazy incidents we've had here we both thought we were out of our area and they were closing it. We both started planning for what we logically thought was coming: packing, cleaning, and prepping our investigators for what we thought would be us heading out and them putting elders in. It was super SUPER sad to say the least because all of our investigators (especially two brothers) were now telling us that they were praying for us to stay. And they would put the emphasis that they were now praying on their knees because we had a lesson about the power of prayer and the importance of kneeling haha they are super cute kids. Really pulled my heart strings, and I told them that sometimes it's not what we want, and our needs sometimes aren't in Heavenly Fathers plans that he has for us. So anyway, I've washed all my clothes the night before and we both head out the next day to find out where we are going. On the drive to the church we were talking about what a bummer it was that we won't be together for Christmas and that we will have to get to know someone knew for the holidays. So we get in the church and they read out that.....WE WERE STAYING TOGETHER IN 100 FUEGOS! We were soo excited, the only thing we were missing was the chest bump haha. We make such a great companionship! We are now nicknamed the figher fighters of 100 fuegos haha love it. Well even though we aren't going atleast we got our laundry done and a good deep cleaning of the house right haha. 

Our investigators are excited to say the least and we are more than thrilled to be here for their baptism! My companion and I have been teasing saying that either President must have forgotten what happened to me in our area OR the Lord must trust us an awful lot to be here. I'm definitely agree with the second one. Our Heavenly Father must have a strong, REALLY strong reason as to why we are both here in this area. Obviously, we haven't finished what we started and I'm excited to be able to continue seeing this area grow. 

And guess what!?! IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! Sounds like baby Gavin's trying to be Santa and stuff himself in the fire place, splitting his lip open! That crazy kid! Looks like ya'll are getting ready for the season. WHAT'S even MORE important and ya'll need to get ready to SKYPE! HOLLA! So I'll get you in on all the details next Wednesday so be ready to chat! This is the most funnest time, but the most stressful time for me because I want to see everyone. YOU ALL STRESS ME OUT! HAHA cause I love you too much!

Take care and see you next week!

Hermana Van Woerkom 

Dec. 9th

Hey everyone! 

Well this week has been SUPER TOUGH! But, you can't know the good weeks without the bad ones right? And this one we've hit the lowest of lows. For starters one of our baptismal dates fell.  We were asking her the baptismal questions...well first off she's not completely there...she's like a sister phillips. Anyway I asked her about her coffee habit and if she's quite. She said no and said its tradition because she's with her family. I said she has to change it because she can't get baptized if she's drinking and I told her we encourage her being with her family but maybe change it to herbal tea or hot chocolate. Then she said I know the church is true. And I asked if she thinks JS was a prophet...she said yes....and then I said do you think he could receive revelation for us....she said yes...and then I if you think all of that you have to know that the WOW is the word of god....and she said she will not be baptized....SUPER BUMMED. 

Then the cherry topper is we had another late night incident with some crazy in the street. So the question that President is thinking about is whether or not this area is safe for the sisters. I'm hoping that we can stay together one more transfer, but I'm feeling that that idea is fizzling out quickly. But, President receives revelation for the mission so we know that he'll put me where I need to be and he'll know what needs to be done with the area. 

Well this was a little bit of a low as well but, something that we all grew from, as a companionship but our investigator as well. So this investigator is really really looking for the true church. Her boyfriend just joined but doesn't want to join the church for him or for anyone. Which is good, however she is having a hard time finding the answer that this is the true church. She's committed some major sins before in her life and she feels like she's never going to be forgiven. Me and my companion then shared with her our experiences with the Atonement. My companion is a convert of the church and there  was a time in her life when she was a  little less active, so she shared some powerful experiences that she's had with the atonement. Then she told us about her progression that as missionaries our experiences with people accepting and rejecting the gospel and how we've felt. I then began to share with her how hard and amazing it's been as a missionary to see everyone progression. I then said that I've had the opportunity to have a glimpse of how Heavenly Father see's his children. It's so amazing to see everyone progressing in the gospel, and then sometimes our investigators make a wrong decision. AND IT'S SO HARD FOR ME TO WATCH!  You just want to take their agency away! But, we can't and Heavenly Father won't because he loves us so much and wants us to make our own decision  even if it hurts him. Needless to say that lesson was packed with the spirit and she is still searching to know if the church is true. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here and the experiences that I've had, EVEN THOUGH they've been rough. 

I'm glad you've had a great week and an amazing cruise,

love and pray for you always,

Hermana Van Woerkom 

Hey, everyone!

Sounds like Thanksgiving was a hit! I do have to say that we have amazing members here that loved us sisters so much as to give us a Thanksgiving haha. Family Martinez invited us over Thursday night for dinner. They told us that they knew of our holiday and wanted to celebrate with us because they haven't had two American missionaries together in a long time and wanted the full effect of a Thanksgiving. So that's probably why they didn't invite the elders, but don't tell them anything haha just kidding. 

Well this week hasn't been the best finding people in their houses, however we have been blessed in so many other ways. We've found two new families to teach! It happened as literally ALL OF OUR APPOINTMENTS FELL THROUGH! So as we are walking in the rain, soaked, because we forgot out umbrellas, we began to contact and literally ran into a mom who was watching these two crazy white chicks trudging in the mud. As we began to share with her, her husband pulls up on his motorcycle from work and wanted us to come back to teach more this upcoming week. The next family that we found we had been teaching their sons because they are in the english class that we do at the church. So we set up an appointment to visit one of the sons and he wasn't home, however the parents were home and invited us in (because it was raining again haha). So as we began talking we started to share the first lesson with them. These are just two families that have a lot of potential I'm super excited!

Hope all is well and can't wait to see pictures from the cruise!!

Love you,

Hermana Van Woerkom

even if it hurts him. Needless to say that lesson was packed with the spirit and she is still searching to know if the church is true. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be here and the experiences that I've had, EVEN THOUGH they've been rough. 

I'm glad you've had a great week and an amazing cruise,

love and pray for you always,

Hermana Van Woerkom 

Dec. 2nHey, everyone!

Sounds like Thanksgiving was a hit! I do have to say that we have amazing members here that loved us sisters so much as to give us a Thanksgiving haha. Family Martinez invited us over Thursday night for dinner. They told us that they knew of our holiday and wanted to celebrate with us because they haven't had two american missionaries together in a long time and wanted the full effect of a Thanksgiving. So that's probably why they didn't invite the elders, but don't tell them anything haha just kidding. 

Well this week hasn't been the best finding people in their houses, however we have been blessed in so many other ways. We've found two new families to teach! It happened as literally ALL OF OUR APPOINTMENTS FELL THROUGH! So as we are walking in the rain, soaked, because we forgot out umbrellas, we began to contact and literally ran into a mom who was watching these two crazy white chicks trudging in the mud. As we began to share with her, her husband pulls up on his motorcycle from work and wanted us to come back to teach more this upcoming week. The next family that we found we had been teaching their sons because they are in the english class that we do at the church. So we set up an appointment to visit one of the sons and he wasn't home, however the parents were home and invited us in (because it was raining again haha). So as we began talking we started to share the first lesson with them. These are just two families that have a lot of potential I'm super excited!

Hope all is well and can't wait to see pictures from the cruise!!

Love you,

Hermana Van Woerkom 

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