MIRACLES

Mi Familia y Amigos,

"For behold, I am God; and I am a God of Miracles; and i will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."

-2 Nephi 27:23

I know that God is a God of miracles. I know that God is a God of miracles because this week we saw them... so, so many of them! About 2 weeks ago Presdient Current told us that if we work hard, pray hard, and have faith, we would find someone in this transfer ready to be baptized in 8 days. Let me tell you... that just about NEVER happens. Normally a person is ready to be baptized in about 3-4 weeks... 2 weeks if they are really prepared. President Current wants us to reach new heights. So we prayed, we worked, and we had faith... and on Sunday we met Cristian. There's not a whole lot of time to explain how miraculous it was that we found him... but to make a long story short, he was a reference from a less active. Cristian is 18 years old, has had a really rough life, but is just WOW. I've never seen someone change so quickly and willingly and with such humility. Just to give you an example: he has his ears pierced. When we talked about the word of wisdom and the law of chastity, he IMMEDIATELY took out his earrings and hasn't put them back in since. 2 days after we taught the word of wisdom, he called us asking if he could drink a coke that was in his fridge, because he didn't want to do it if it was against the word of wisdom. It was so many little things that just blew us away!! We've taught him everyday this week, and I'm ECSTATIC to report that today, at 5pm, Cristian will be baptized... marking the 8th day since we met him. God is a God of miracles. 

This week it really made me think about how beautiful this gospel is!!! In 8 days Cristian made a 180 degree turn. That is the power of this message. That is the power of the Atonement. That is the love of our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. It was just one more evidence to me that this is the true church. I know it! 

I love being a missionary. 

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen

Mi Familia y Amigos,

This week was just so fantastic. SO GREAT!! I had the chance to go to consejos and hear President's plan for the mission and it was such a spiritual experience. I have the best mission president! I feel so grateful to be here in Panama, at this time, with these people. I know that I'm doing what I need to be doing. 

President Current taught us about grace. He started off by explaining these three facts:

 Repentance is change. 

The Atonement makes change possible.

Grace is the power inside the Atonement. 

Grace is the power to endure to the end of whatever we are struggling with. It enables, empowers, endures, and overcomes. It is the most desirable thing to the soul. 

I want to invite you all to read 2 Nephi 25:23 and Alma 24:10-11.. What we can do to access the grace of God?

The only thing that we can do, the only way to acess it, is through repentance. That is the ONLY thing! We will never be good enough, we will never be smart enough, we will never be able to do anything that will "qualify" us for that gift. We can only ask for forgiveness. I have to repent every single day, to be able to receive the most precious gift in the world... sounds worth it. 

Heavenly Father is willing to forgive us. He wants to receive us with open arms! We just have to use the gifts and the tools that he has placed before us, and his grace is ours.  So let's just repent already and receive the happiness that he wants to give us haha!! 

I love the hope, peace, and joy that that brings to my soul!! I love this gospel so much!!!! Thank you for all your love and support... have an absolutely fabulous week!!!! 

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen

Sorry I kind of failed with the pictures this week...

Busy Busy Busy

Mi Familia y Amigos,

This week was fabulous! We had a baptism, a multi-zone conference, a worldwide missionary conference, and we found a new family that is really positive!! I'm so happy!!!!!!! Every week I just feel so much more gratitude for my mission... the best time of my life! And oh hey, 10 months in the mission today! Over the hump... yeesh. 

This week I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be "worthy". At the end of the worldwide missionary conference, President Oaks told us that we are witnesses of Christ, and exhorted us to live up to that. It made me think about how I can "live up" to this calling as a missionary that I have been given. This calling to be a representative of Christ. The Lord works in mysterious ways, because all this week I had little mini experiences that provided the answers I was looking for. During Angel's baptism, we watched the Bible video of the baptism of Christ... It really stuck out to me John's reaction to the Savior's request. As it states in Matthew 3, John didn't want to baptize Christ and stated that he needed to be baptized of Christ, not the other way around. He didn't feel worthy. In my personal studies this morning, I also read in 2 Nephi 4 where Nephi laments over his sins and the natural man. He states, 

"17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

 21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

In both instances, these two  great men of God did not feel worthy of the call that they had been given. They felt weak, and uncapable. YET in both instances, the Lord showed them that they were worthy of his love. The Savior said to them, YES YOU ARE! As human beings, we have weaknesses. We stumble. We fall. But as Elder Bednar recently said, "Don't torment yourself". That doesn't mean that we shouldn't try, that we shouldn't be humble... it means Work hard, do your part, and trust in the Lord. Trust in his power. HE makes us more than we are. He makes us more than we are capable of becoming. You are worthy of his love, and you are worthy of his help. TRUST HIM. 

Well... I'm running out of time... but that was just something that I really loved this week... sorry if it doesn't make much sense haha. But I love you all and I hope you all have an absolutely fabulous week!!! 

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen

Fabulous Week

Mi Familia y Amigos,

This was an absolutely fabulous week!! I love my area so so SO much!! I love my companion so so SOO much!! And I just love being a missionary so so so SOOO much more!! This week was really good if you can't already tell! I just know that I'm supposed to be here, and that I need to be here with Hermana Coc, and I just feel so happy(: Part of that happiness has to do with one of our investigators... his name is Angel and yesterday he told us that he wants to be baptized!! We set a date with him for next week, so hopefully all goes as planned and he will get to take that step on Sunday!! La obra misional es super chevere!!

Well this week I wanted to share with you all something that caught my attention in my studies. As a mission we are reading the Book of Mormon together again, and we are right around 1 Nephi 17. There are two verses that I love from this chapter. The first is verse 13: 

 13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

And the second is in verse 3: 

3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

To me, these verses show just how much the Lord loves us. He loves us so much, that he has given us the treasure map that leads to the greatest of all blessings: eternal life. The commandments are there to protect us. To HELP us. They aren't limitations or restrictions. They are an act of LOVE! I am so grateful for the commandments. I'm so grateful for this gospel!! I know that the Lord loves you. So keep his commandments. Keep the faith. If you can do that, you will always find the strength to go on!

I love you all so much!! Have an absolutely fabulous week!!! 

Love,

Hermana Van Deusen