Cardenas.

Mi Familia y Amigos,

I hope you are all enjoying your memorial day weekend! This was an interesting week here in Cardenas haha. Cardenas is so different from all of the other areas that I've had... so different... but not in a bad way!!! Basically I feel like I'm in America... I've taught like 5 lessons in English so far, which I mean, is weird. I can't speak English very well anymore, the members make fun of me haha. The people that live here are very intelligent and are deep-thinkers... which is both a positive and a negative. To sum it up... I'm adjusting!! BUT I absolutely love my companion. This is Hermana Ramsey's last change, but she is so focused and is such a hard worker! We have fun and I know that I'm going to learn a lot from her!

This week I've been thinking a lot about faith. Faith as explained in Alma 32 "is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true". This scripture has helped me so much not only this week, but throughout my whole mission. Faith and hope are 100% interconnected. One is not possible without the other. To me, faith means to believe in the potential that Christ gives us. It means to have hope even though we can't see ourselves becoming what we so desperately want to be... it means knowing that with Christ, we can do it all. I firmly believe and testify that faith is the beginning of it all. If I can nurture and grow my faith each and everyday, I can receive the light that I want. I can glow(:

I love you all so much and I hope you have a fabulous week! Believe in yourselves, excuses are for the weak... Philippians 4:13

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen

New Adventures....

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​Mi Familia y Amigos,

Well.... this week was changes week... and guess who had changes?!?!?! ME. I left my beloved area of Nueva Esperanza and am now here in Cardenas. Cardenas is in Panama City, and it's actually really cool because the temple is in our area!! We get to see it every Sunday when we go to church(: The only down side about Cardenas is that it's kind of known for being a really difficult area as far as baptisms are concerned. Our area is what you might call "rich". We have a lot of people here from the U.S. and other European countries... just to give you an idea, we are the ONLY area  in all of Panama (other than the Assistants) that has an IPhone haha. BUT I'm really excited because there are a lot of people here with potential and I am 100% sure that we are going to have a lot of success here. It's kind of weird to think though that this is probably my last area before I go home... YEESH.

My companions name is Hermana Ramsey. I've met her before in consejos de la mision and other things like that. I think we will have a great change together(: She goes home in July so I'll be her last comp. It was sad to leave Hermana Denning, but I know that she'll do great things in Tocumen.

BUT HEY!!! Yesterday we had another baptism!! His name is Albert. He got baptized in 8 days(: It was probably the best way I could have left Tocumen. He is a friend of Cristian and Glenis, and he is so excited about the gospel!! He's only 16 but wow he's made a lot of changes in his life in this short amount of time. It was such a blessing to be apart of his story(:

Welp... to end I just want to share one scripture with you: Alma 26:16. I really really love this gospel!!

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen

Mi Familia y Amigos,

This was a fantastic week!! There's not much time to tell you guys all HOW fantastic it truly was... but just to sum it up... ORLANDO GOT BAPTIZED!! Who's Orlando you ask??? Good question, I've never talked about him in my letters before haha, but it's because we just met him last Wednesday. He was a reference from one of my recent converts, Cristian. Orlando is 20 and got baptized 11 days after we met him! He truly had the desire to change... and he acted on it. It was one of the coolest experiences of my mission. 

I truly, truly love my Savior Jesus Christ and am so grateful for the potential he brings into my life. He makes it possible for me to change. Isn't that incredible??? I testify that repentance is the way that we show him that we love him in return. 

This gospel is AMAZING!! I love being a missionary!!!

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen