July 25th

Mi Familia y Amigos,

I just want to tell you all how grateful I am for each and every one of you!! For all of your love and support, and letters of encouragement(: You all are the best!

This week was a wonderful week. My companion and I were really trying hard to be dilligent and open our mouths, and we were able to see the fruit of our labors. This week I was thinking a lot about what my Mission President said at our last zone conference. He said, "Our purpose isn't just to open our mouths and talk with the people, our purpose is to open our mouth and convince them". Here in my mission, we have this thing called LPE's (lessons to find) .... it's a system that my former mission president instituted to help us increase our teaching numbers... but basically the goal is we try to talk with as many people as possible and have mini lessons with everyone we come into contact with. Well, we are kind of lazy with it.... we talk to people, but we generally just hand them a pass along card and invite them to visit  mormon.org. Which, isn't bad, it's an invitation to learn more... but they weren't convinced. They weren't convinced that we had a special message that could bless them and their families forever. So that was our goal this week... to open our mouths and invite the spirit to convince them. It made all the difference. We testified of Christ, we testified that he came here to the Americas, we testified of prophets, and that we have one today. We TESTIFIED. And their was power in those testimonies. As a missionary, my purpose is to open my mouth and find the people that the Lord is preparing to hear the word. To testify with words, to share pamphlets, and teach lessons. But as members of Christ's church...our purpose is to testify to others through our actions. Through the way we live our lives. To show them that we BELIEVE the things that we claim to believe, and we ACT like disciples of Jesus Christ. That we love our Savior. And they will be able to see that... to see the light we have, and they will want it. This Gospel is a gift, we should act like it!!!  What a priviledge it is to have this knowledge!! Moral of the Story? Remember who you represent.... people are always watching(: I love you all and I hope you have a fabulous week!!! 

Love, 

Hermana Van Deuces

Hola!

Mi Familia y Amigos,

This week was filled with a lot of ups and downs!! But mostly ups!! My comp and I both got sick this week... so we weren't as productive as we would have liked, but we still had some pretty amazing experiences! 

This week we started a mission wide goal of reading the Book of Mormon... we read about 3 chapters a day, with the goal of completing it in 3 months. My mission president and his wife are really putting emphasis on the fact that our purpose as missionaries is to convince the people, and we can't do that without the Book of Mormon and the Spirit, and how can we invite the Spirit and testify of the Book of Mormon, if we aren't already convinced ourselves? Each day we "leer, meditar, y apuntar" or "read, ponder, and take notes". I have read the Book of Mormon several times, but this week I have learned more than I thought was possible. This project isn't just strenghtening my testimony, it's fortifying my conversion. I wish that I could share with you all of my notes and insights... but there's no time for that(; And let's be honest, my personal revelations won't mean as much to you as your own. But this week we were contacting and met a woman that let us in... and to make a long story short we started teaching about the Book of Mormon. In my 2 1/2 months here I have testified about the Book of Mormon a hundred times, but this time it was different. This time I almost started to cry, because in that moment I realized how truly grateful I am for this book. The Book of Mormon is the evidence, the evidence that all are seeking... It is the proof that Jesus is the Christ, and that this is his church. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ, and through it we can come to truly know our Savior. I testify, with everything in me, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. That it is true. It's true! How lucky we are to know and love it. My invitation for you all this week is to delight in it's words. Feast upon the words of Christ... find the answers that Heavenly Father might very well have put there just for you alone. The Book of Mormon is for you. Read it!! I'm out of time... but I love you all, and I'm so grateful for your wonderful examples and all your support. I hope that you all have a wonderful week!! 

Hermana Van Deusen

July 11, 2016

Mi Familia Y Amigos!

Forgive me for not writing last week... but there wasn't much time, nor much to report! But it's all good, I'm writing now(; All is well here in David!! It's hot, humid, and really wet.... the usual! Our investigators are doing awesome, and we have two really solid baptismal dates that are coming up in the next week or two. Woo Hoo! There have been a lot of changes in my mission as of late. Our new mission president arrived a couple weeks ago, and the mission is in an adjustment period. President and Sister Current are wonderful, and they entered the mission ready to work with a very distinct vision. Our new "motto" for the mission is 3 Nephi 5:13...

 13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

As well as Helaman 5:12...

 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation;    
that when the devil shall send forth his 
mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure  foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall

I absolutely love it. As a missionary, I am a disciple of Christ, and my purpose is to invite others to come unto him... but how can I possibly hope to do that, if I'm not already there myself? When Christ is our foundation, we can do anything. We cannot fail! It's not possible. What hope there is in that message, and what a delight it is to share that message. Always remember that as members of the Church, we bear the name of Christ, and there is power in his name. Build your foundation on Christ, so that you may be worthy enough to help bring others unto him as well. I love you all and I am so grateful for your support in helping me build my foundation on my Redeemer. I love you all and I hope you have a fabulous week!! 

Hermana Van Deusen

3 Months in the Mission!!

Here are few updates from Kayleigh this week:

Nothing too exciting happened this week, but I am so bummed that it is the fourth of July.... and I'm not in America... and ya. AHHHHH lame.... but I hope you guys are having fun!! 

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The temple is amazing. I've literally been dying to go these past few days... my soul is craving it!! Our ward went last week, and we were going to go too.... but then at the last minute we had to go to a conference and didn't get the chance. BUT on Friday we have to go to Panama for Migrations, so we will get to go then!! 

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I'm trying to think of what else happened this week.... OH our new president came!! He's strict. Which is good... it's what our mission needs. We have the worst numbers in all of Latin America, and he is determined to change that. So wish us luck!!!!! All good things! :) I'm looking forward to seeing the change in the mission. 

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It's now mandatory for Hermanas to have pants. We have to have at least one, and they said we could buy long skirts if we preferred it, so that's what I'm going to do. All the sisters are bummed because its SO HOT. But it's for our safety so I'm trying not to complain. 

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Nothing much else to report... I'm doing well. I'm happy, my investigators are doing awesome, and I'm finally getting the hang of things... FINALLY. I can't believe it, 3 months in the mission... what is life?!?!?! Well, that's about it. I love you all.... Have a fabulous week!!! 

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Hermana Van Deusen

Week 7

Familia y Amigos,

This week was absolutely fantastic!! Dario got baptized!!! What a blessing!! So I haven't really talked about Dario that much so let me fill you in... He's a 13 year old boy that we have been teaching for about 6 weeks. He's really cool and I just love him!  With all of the other investigators I get nervous about my Spanish and how to word things right and all that jazz, but with him it's so simple and comfortable, which in it's own way has helped me to realize what it means to teach/be a missionary. His conversion has been really fast, and it's really amazing to see such dedication in someone so young. His baptism was so special. The room was full of members that came in support, and I can honestly say that I've never been so happy for someone else in my entire life. The joy that comes from seeing someone make a change and accept the gospel, is something that can't be explained, only experienced. What a blessing it is that the Lord let's us witness these beautiful events... this is truly his work!! So yes, a wonderful week it was for me! 

I don't have much time today, so I will leave you with that!! I love and miss you all so very, very much. Thank you for your love and support... it means the world!! Have a wonderful week! Remember who you are. 

Love, 

Hermana Van Deusen 

A little more from another letter:

...I've consumed more ants than I thought possible. We had dinner one night with a sister... and the bread she gave use was COVERED in ants.... and we ate it. Because we are missionaries. And that is what we do. Also I ate cow tongue last week. It's not good. 

...Life is great!! Oh changes!! My companion stayed (tender mercy), but my district completely changed. They shut down our district leaders area, so the whole zone got mixed around. So instead of three districts we now have two, so we are with completely new people. But it's all good... I love my zone and the people in it!! And six more weeks with my comp so yay!! 

Week 6

Mi Familia y Amigos!! 

Well this week was much, much better!! My companion and I are still sad about Nelly of course, but we have visited her a couple times since then, and I am confident that she will be baptized soon!! HOPEFULLY this change! Speaking of which, I've completed one whole change!! Woo Hoo!! Six weeks in the field!! I can hardly believe it... six weeks flew by. Time flies when you're having fun though, right?! Well, there isn't much to report. We have a baptism coming up! Saturday Dario, a 13 year old investigator we started teaching my first week here, will be baptized!! He passed his interview and is all set!! I am really excited for him, it's so cool to see kids that young have a true desire to follow their Savior and be baptized. It's inspiring! 

Well like I said, there's not much to report, so I'll share a scripture that really stuck out to me this week. The focus of my personal studies lately has been the power that Christ has to heal us. Physically, spiritually, the whole shabang. I was searching las escrituras, and I found the scripture mastery scripture Isaiah 53:3-5, 

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows,and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God,and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." 

I love the last part of verse 5. With his stripes, we are healed. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was so selfless. So completely selfless. Every single thing that the Savior experienced was for us! For you! He is begging us to let him heal us. He already payed the price.... we just have to use the gift. But that's the thing, he won't force us to be healed. He is standing with his arms out stretched... we just have to come. Come unto Christ!! I can't emphasize this enough! I have met so many people throughout my life and my mission that are hurting, but they don't utilize the Atonement. They won't humble themselves enough to realize that EVERYONE needs help. EVERYONE needs to be healed. Don't be that person!! BE HEALED. The Lord wants to help you, trust him!! 

I don't mean to ramble, but I am so passionate about this particular subject!! I feel like I talk about it every week... but that's okay because I'm a missionary and that's what we do haha(: Invite others to Come unto Christ! Anyways, I love you all and I hope your week is absolutely marvelous!! Haz lo justo!! 

Hermana Van Deusen

Hey I took like 4 pictures this week... progress!! I ATE A COCONUT!! Check that off the bucket list!!