Cambios

Mi Familia y Amigos,

HEY so guess what, the totally unexpected happened and I got changes!! I'm now in the zone Tocumen! I'm a Sister Training Leader... so you know that just a big fun ball of stress.... and my companion is the AMAZING Hermana Coc! We were together in David, and so I was really excited to be her companion! She's from Guatamala! Which means that I've now had companions from Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatamala.... all I need now is Costa Rica and El Salvador and I've got  the whole set haha. I was sad to leave Caceres, but I know that Hermana Lara and her new companion will work lots of miracles there(:

Do to the fact that I had changes, I don't have much time. I just want to share with you all my firm testimony that this church is true. I am so grateful to know the truth. I KNOW that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I KNOW that the church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth. I KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true. I KNOW that Jesus is the Christ. I'm so happy to be apart of the true gospel!! I am so grateful to be a missionary!!!! 

I hope that you can all think about your own testimonies. Ask yourself the same question that Elder Bednar posed in the last conference, "Do you really believe what you know?".  I love you all so much!! Here's some pictures for your viewing pleasure haha

Hermana Van Deusen

Hola!

Hola Mi Familia y Amigos!!

This week was absolutely fantastic because I learned a lot and we saw lots of miracles and have I ever mentioned how much I love missionary work?!?!?!? It's fabulous!! This is our last week before the change ends so we are trying to work super hard and do our very best!! We have a baptism set for this Thursday, so if you would PLEASE pray that everything goes well!!

This week I was thinking/studying a lot about the principle of repentance. What it is, why it's important, how to apply it more, how it is even possible... all of these things were floating around in my mind. Well this week I was reading in Ether 3, and verse 14 really stuck out to me. It reads,

"Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters."

There are so many wonderful things that I learned from this short verse, but what I wanted to share with you all is the fact that it says "In me shall all mankind have life". What does that mean to you?? Well to me, it means that I will be able to breathe. That is the promise of the Atonement, that is the purpose of Repentance... to bring us that relief. To be able to see the light! To have HOPE.

We have an investigator named Guido, he's the guy that is going to get baptized on Thursday(: He has lived a rough life and had lots of trials... We started teaching him because he came to church ALL BY HIMSELF and asked if we would like to teach him hahaha... Miracles people, miracles. As we taught him the principle of repentance and the importance of baptism, we asked him if he would like to be baptized unto repentance. He responded quickly in the affirmative. When we asked him why, he responded, "Because I never knew before that I could have a second chance". THAT is Repentance. It's putting everything behind and starting new. It's taking the hand of Christ.

I TESTIFY that this church is true. That God knows and loves us, and wants us the take that step. Don't hold yourself back... for as Elder Maxwell once said, we shouldn't hold hostage those that the Lord wishes to set free. I love you all so much!! Have an absolutely fabulous week!!!

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen

Happy New Year!

Mi familia y amigos,

Hola!!! Feliz año nuevo!!!! I hope you all had a fabulous new year! It almost felt like I was back home because we got NO sleep. It wasn't from a lack of trying... it's just that here in Panama a holiday isn't a holiday unless there is music BLARING from every house on the block. Yeesh. But the fireworks were beautiful and the food was swell! I love this place(:

This week I also hit my half way mark! 9 months in the mission... like Whaaaat?! 9 months in 2016 completed, now here comes my 9 months in 2017. AHHHHH.... I'm trying not to blink!

This morning I was trying to decide what I wanted to share with you all.... and the subject of my studies this week came to my mind. This week I was focusing on prayer. It's something so simple, so basic... everyone always tells us to pray. It's the go to primary answer. But in my time in the mission, I have seen it's power. Prayer is literally the most powerful thing that we have. In the Bible Dictionary under to word 'prayer', it teaches us that our prayers are the way to tell if we understand who we really are. We are children of God. He is the father of our spirits. BUT we have to decide whether or not we want to accept that divine gift. We will always be his children, but we have to decide if we will accept him as our father. Prayer allows us to grow that relationship, and really get to know him. Sincere prayer can and will bring miracles.

Last week my companion and I started praying that not only we would be able to find the people that are prepared for the gospel, but that the people that are ready for this message would be able to find US. The second day after we added that to our prayers, we were sitting in a park waiting for one of our investigators. My companion and I were sitting there reading our scriptures, when all of a sudden this guy came up to us. He said, 'I noticed that you were reading the scriptures, and I felt the need to come and talk with you... do you mind if I sit down and we talk a little bit about?' ... haha, my companion and I were like... Uhhhh, yes! Sit right on down, here's a pamphlet!

I know that God hears our prayers. I know he's really there. I testify that he loves you. He really, really loves you. Take that time to talk to him. He holds the keys to everlasting peace.

I love you all so much, and I hope that your week is absolutely fabulous!!!!!

Hermana Van Deusen

Merry Christmas!

Mi familia y amigos!!

I love you all so much and I hope you had a fabulous Christmas!! Today everyone in Panama has the day off so it's been a struggle to try and find internet.... SO I literally have no time today. BUT my Christmas was fabulous!! It was definitely different, but it was so fun to be able to spend Christmas with some people who I have truly grown to love and consider as family. Not to mention I got to talk with my family so that was fabulous haha! Well, that's my little update for this week... But I love you all!!!! I'll be more specific in next weeks email, I promise!

Moral of the story: The church is true!!! And I love this gospel!!!!!!!!

I love you all!!

Hermana Van Deusen

Perseverar Hasta El Fin

Mi Familia y Amigos,

This week was just... wow. Another week of miracles, and experiences that truly taught me what it means to be humble. As a mission, we are studying the Doctrine of Christ, and this week our principle was Endure to the End...well Friday we met a woman who defines exactly what that means. Her name is Nuria, she´s been a member for about 4 years but right now is inactive. The unique thing about Nuria is that she is paralyzed. About 3 years ago she had a stroke that left her completely disabled. She couldn´t talk, she couldn´t walk... and she was left to take care of her 12 year old daughter alone. No husband, no family close by, and a mountain of difficulties. As we talked with her, she told us her story. After her stroke she couldn´t work, and thus had no income.... She shared with us how there had been more than one occassion in that she and her daughter came close to starving to death. One day they were so hungry that they had to eat DOG FOOD because there was nothing else, and no money to buy anything, but she testified of the miracle that it was that she had something to sustain her that night. She told us how for 6 months she hasn´t been able to pay for the pills that the doctors prescriped, but then explained that God is strengthening her now more than ever before. She told us that the doctors told her that she would never walk or talk again, but she smiled and said ¨But I put my trust in the Lord and look at how I am now!¨ It literally brought me to tears to hear her words. I have never met anyone so humble. So completely humble. I looked at this woman, barely able to walk, living in a tiny, dirty house made of blocks, telling us about some of the MANY challenges she has had, and doing it all with a smile on her face! She testified of the power of prayer with so much conviction, that the spirit was palpable! She told us that a few weeks ago she had prayed to Heavenly Father that he would send her his angles, and then we showed up. She said that our visit was a testimony to her that he listens.

It was such an amazing thing to see. I´m happy to report that we called some members on Sunday, and after 10 long months, that Sister was finally able to take the Sacrament. I felt so grateful and humbled at the fact that she called us her angels, even though we had done nothing but read a few verses from the scriptures with her. She has endurance, and I KNOW that she will receive a DIVINE reward for her stamina.

As part of my studies, I found a scripture in 3 Nephi 15:9... I encourage you all to read it, and think about how we can "look unto (the Savior)". As I pondered this scripture, I realized the power of a "look". For example, when a woman is giving birth, she looks to her husband and draws the strength from the nervious/excited expression on his face. When a child is doing a school play, they are nervious until they look at their parents and see them smiling with a thumbs up. When a Grandparent is in the hospital, the smiling look of their loved one's brings them that inner peace that everything will be alright. Their is power in a look. So how much stronger are we, how much more confidence we will have, if we "look" at the Savior. If we open our eyes to see him. THAT is what gives us the strength to endure to the end. THAT is what supports us on this path to eternal life. It's him! It is always him.

I'm sorry this email is so long, but it was a great week! I love you all so very very much, and I hope that your CHRISTMAS is absolutely fabulous! Remember who it's all about.

LOVE,

Hermana Van Deusen

"Christmas" apparently means "EVERYBODY PAINT YOUR HOUSE" here in Panama haha

MIRACLES!

Mi Familia y Amigos,

This week was a week of MIRACLES!! Oh my goodness it has been so fabulous. Let me give you an example of just how much the Lord was helping us this week....

So about 3 weeks ago we got a referral from some other missionaries for a sister that lives in a SUPER far away part of our area. WELL we decided Wednesday that we were going to go out there to try and find her. The only problem is that the missionaries only gave us her name and house number. In the United States that would be sufficient, right???? Well Panama is a different story... because about 95% of the houses don't have numbers, and if they do, they aren't in order. SO we go out there, get off the bus, and look at each other with a kind of "where do we start?" expression. Well we decided that our best option was to ask a group of old men that were sitting outside of this little store close to the bus stop. We asked, "Hey, do you guys know a Maria Rodriguez?" And they were off. Turns out about 8 people with the name Maria Rodriguez live there. They started spitting out names and directions telling us to go this way and that way and maybe it is her but no her last name is Ricardo but maybe it's the widow of Juan and then there's that lady over there but I can't remember if her name is Maria or Marta but my neighbors name is Maria but she's catholic and hey do you guys want a soda?... and it was about 25 minutes of that.  UNTIL an angel came. His name is Ariel, and he said that he would take us to a Maria Rodriguez that lives down the street and we could see if she's the one we were looking for. So we were like, Okay! So we go, and turns out, it wasn't her. BUT she said that there was another Maria Rodriguez that lives down the street that might be the one we were looking for.... so we go, and turns out, it wasn't her. BUT her neighbor told us of a Maria that lived on the other side of town... so we go, and turns out, she wasn't home. BUT some people across the street told us there was another Maria that lived on the other street... so we go, and turns out, she wasn't home either! BUT her husband was!!! And so we asked, is this house number 21???? And he said, "Why yes it is". 2 HOURS OF SEARCHING BUT WE FOUND THE HOUSE!!!!! So we asked if we could share a message with him and wait for his wife to get home. We taught a lesson about the Plan of Salvation, and it was beautiful. Maria Rodriguez got home just as we were finishing up the lesson... she was shocked to see us, but they both told us to come back and share another message. I believe in Miracles.

That was just a little thing. I don't know if she will get baptized, or how her story will turn out, but the Lord wanted us to find her. He didn't make it easy, but by making it such a struggle, he showed us that he is always there. Not to mention the fact that almost everyone in that town knows us now haha. As I was contemplating this experience, I thought of what it says in Mormon 9: 15-19, "God has not ceased to be a God of miracles". He hasn't ceased and he never will. His hand is always there. He is ALWAYS helping us! Sometimes we just have to take the time to see it. Sometimes we have to ASK to see it. As Nephi stated in 2 Nephi 4:35, "I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh". Ask for a miracle. Have faith.

As it says in one of the best Christmas movies ever...

"Seeing isn't believing, Believing is seeing"

I love you all so much!!! Have a FABULOUS week for me!!

Hermana Van Deusen

Staying in Caceres

Mi Familia y Amigos,

Well I officially have no time because there was no electricity at all today (happens more than you'd think) and so we are just now getting the chance to write... so to sum this week up...

Changes came and I'm staying here in Caceres... woot woot! Which means I'll be here for Christmas and New Years and all that jazz.. not to mention my half way mark *yeesh. Life is good, the work is progressing, and I'm just so grateful to be a missionary!!

So that's about it! I'm alive and well!!

I love you all and I hope that your week is wonderful and beautiful and full of lot of hot chocolate and Christmas Lights!! I promise that next week my email will be better!!

Love,\

Hermana Van Deusen