July 21, 2014

Hey now hey now
This is what dreams are made of!

aye. I keep spending like hours to try to figure out how to send pictures. Well this week... there was a wedding of the elders investigadores. That was fun. We all went to the little court house to get them married and they got baptized Saturday. Pretty cool.
 Hey I got the pics going so I’m just going to send a bunch now!

July 14, 2014

Tu me has dado muchas bendiciones Dios
Por eso quiero dar tambien segun tu voz

GREAT WEEK!!!
Okay well. The week was just like any other. Saturday was a bunch of walking to the point where I actually just got tired of knocking doors. I just wanted to talk to someone but no one would answer. Well we just kept knocking. Then Sunday I slipped my last $ into the fast offerings envelop even though we still have 3 more weeks to go this month. and then we walked to our sector to knock doors of those that said they'd come to church with us but just as every other Sunday we walked back empty handed just as they are about to sing the opening hymn. We got to the sacramental hymn and all of a sudden mi compañera said ¨look¨ I looked over to the shut door of the chapel and in the window I saw jaquelene y oscar fonseca! I was so thrilled! We have been working with them since I first got to Cañete and this was their first time to church. I felt like I tripped over my companion and fell to the door to welcome them inside. We sat down again and my eyes just filled with water (gracias to praying for the gift of tears .lol). Gosh you would think they already got baptized with how happy I was! But every next step is one step closer. I feel so so so thankful that our padre celestial can change hearts and that he can work miracles all in his time.

You want to know how we did it? Well they obviously already knew that we wanted them to come to church. So I tried to take it the way that Dad has taught me and sit back. We didn't really mention it for the last few visits and this week we just left an invitation to church on their door Saturday morning. God is incredible.

Our president of the branch was reading the churches statements about abortions and gay marriage. After saying that men and women should be legally married. Someone’s phone went off of the beginning of celebrate good times " do do do do do do do do WaHOO!!"

This week we were able to have another conference with our president. He is super great! And he is from Arizona. The best part is that suddenly we get American food at our conferences. Like alfredo and cinnamon rolls. I about just died.

We also had an intercambio with the sister capicitatores. She made a comment about my family and I realized how many comments I have received about my family since I’ve been here. Other then you all being tall blonde and beautiful... these are a few I remember.

"la familia de hermana van es loca" Hermana Moscoso after mother’s day 2013
"Have you always been so obedient? Your parents must have had a lot of trust in you... *confuzed* they must love you!" my personal favorite. january 2014
I can tell what your family must be like. Just like you... but a whole bunch of them". After looking at the calendar of my family! lol

I love you all and wish you the best week ever!

Hermana VandeMerwe

July 7, 2014

tengo gozo en mi alma ho
que brilla mucho mas...
We sang that song to a family and the little boy looked at us with such disgust and then started screaming. He hated it. ¨did you like the song?¨ ¨NO!¨
We found this amazing family. We were able to teach them all as a family all together which I feel like I haven't done for so long. We are teaching lots of families but they are always there at different times. This family all gathered around the table and listened and they are just so great. There is NOTHING BETTER than teaching the entire family.
We also had a fhe with a family ma that finally came to church so we made brownies with them.
And another miracle. We went to the church to teach a young woman English with her friend that isn't a member and so we go and while we are there some guy just walks into the church (our hands) and says he wants to learn more... well okay.
So we gave the nonmembers a tour of the church and then start teaching English. But he doesn't want to learn English, he wants to learn about the church. So we split and my comp starts teaching him while I teach English. And I’m just so proud of her. She taught the whole restoration while I was pretending to help with English but really listening to her inviting him to baptism and then putting a date.... God really does just work miracles.
So question if Tate and Brock get my emails? Wouldn’t that be sad if I came home and found out you hadn't received any of them. They’re just the only ones that don't answer... teenagers these days.
Also. I think the only thing I need is more Dramamine mom. I hope you haven't sent that envelope yet. But that is something that's very necessary. I might be giving you all hugs in clothes with throw up all over them.
Oh and our new presidente is GREAT! VERY GRINGO! But I like it. lol. I’m very excited to learn from him, I know I’ll grow a lot from his teachings!
Love you all! Sorry so short!
Hermana VandeMewe

June 30, 2014

Open thou my eyes...
And I shall see

Oh my. I have like no time because I accidently turned off my computer and then it took like my whole hour and it's almost 6 so we'll be heading out to work right after in like 10 min. but hey as long as I’m here...
We had a good week. Our new president came and we get to meet him tomorrow! Ah! So exciting. It’s going to be a little weird. Also we got permission from him to watch the game... sigh. I must admit it was a very good game.
Mormon 6:1.
We watched it at a members house over lunch.. And then went over to a baptism at the church. And then that night.... miracle!
A few weeks ago we found this inactive knocking doors and he said his family weren't members.. Bingo. so we went back and his wife said to come back Saturday so we come back Saturday and a girl answers and says her parents aren't there so I was like "okay, we'll pass by another time then" and she was like "but I’m here" all tentatively. Sweet! She is adorable. And her mom came back just a little bit after. We taught her all about the resercution and she was so excited to come to church the next day. And did she come. YES. You better believe it!

Tonight I’m going to finish my goal of reading the book of Mormon by the end of June so that I can read it one more time by the end of my mission. And I LOVE IT! So can I just recommend reading it out loud... wow? It’s like watching an action movie.
And I totally got your package and I love EVERYTHING IN IT! For real. Everything works and looks great! I took some pics but I can't send pictures from canñete. Hence why you haven't received any for a few months. Wow how the time flies.

I love you all!
Have a great great week!
Hermana VandeMerwe

June 23, 2014

And I could live like this forever. It's fine by me.
And my Dutch blood with conquer the Chileans. And so I was sent here. We got to watch the game today! wahoo! Honestly the people here don't really freak out that much about the games here. It’s kind of sad. but as I was watching the game I noticed that even those that had paid a thousand dollars to go to the game were just like, "clap.... clap." so I don't know what people want. That was a pretty important game though. Did you guys all see it!?
I finally realized why I can handle the rain... apparently it's what our family has been doing forever. As mom explained lagoon to me. I just thought of all the times we did the same thing in Disneyland. Pretty sure it rained in Holland... England... pretty much everywhere it goes it rains. I guess we go in the off seasons... haha. But who would have thought that all of that would be preparation for the mission? That's right. We don't let the rain get us down! Bring on the rain!
As far as the light goes... i don't really have any ideas.
When I think of light, I think of truth. When I think of truth I think of studying because well... we can't be saved in ignorance.
I also think of the hymn "la luz de la verdad" and how at the very beginning of my mission my trainer did some example of how with a little flashlight there's little light and therefore not that much truth, but with a big flashlight there is more truth. ... I didn't get it at all. And therefore I’ve hated the song ever since. I’m not sure if it's because I just didn't get it or if it's because it was in Spanish...
I also think about the stars which is dumb. I should thing about the sun. Guess I still have lots to learn....
This week we had no one at church.. Again. There was also "rain" (really just a light mist). I use that as an excuse because everyone else does. Usually on Saturday as we're outside fighting the billowing water tempest we say a prayer asking God to send it even harder enough for Sunday as well so that it doesn't have to rain the next day and then we promise that it won't slow us down and that we will work with all diligence just so that there is no rain on Sunday morning.
Brock and Tate and Richard.. and dad I guess to really just all of you but it reminds me of brocks story. ...
So this week. I’m just there cooking away... we like to eat eggs. They are fast and easy. Anyway. All of a sudden a fire erupts in our kitchen. And I start yelling "there's a fire. There’s a fire!" lol. It really wasn't big at all it was just kind of hilarious. There were like two nights before when we were cooking at our eyes kind of started to hurt.. but no big deal just quickly finish and turn off the gas. Well I guess this night the gas leak decided to erupt right on top of our pile of matches. Just a foot away from our tank of gas. Luckily we've got some pretty fast missionary ninja skills. We didn't even loose a match...
I love you all!
Vamos Chilenos!
Hermana VandeMewe

June 16, 2014

Anything you can do...
He can do better.

No wicked man could ever write such a book and not good man would ever write it unless it was true and inspired of god.
.. bisabuelo de Elder Holland.
This week we had our last conference with Presidente Martinez. And Cambios today! I’m staying here with hermana Davidson from Northern California. That means only two more cambios left/ one more change. I received my Trunky letter as well... I will be leaving the 23 de Septiembre.
I received the package. It’s right here by my side. But I haven't opened it yet. I'll have to go home and get a knife. Plus you know what happens when you open packages in front of everyone.. You have to share so, I’ll just wait a little bit. (You win more with patience).
Actually I’m really working on my patience. Well actually it's just the beginning of working on it... I just decided I need to be more patient because gosh Satan is bugging me SO BAD!!!! But. I’m calm. Everyone stay calm. God is stronger. We almost had Victor, the 17 year old in church again along with his whole family. the family concha who we've been working with and are SO COOL but we called to remind them about church in the morning and they said they didn't want us to pass by any more cause they had made their decision to go to the iglesia evangelica. Obviously we passed by anyway... they'll be coming to church on Sunday :)
We also found Cecilia who has all these crazy stories about this crazy world and at the beginning she was like I just don't feel anything... I just don't have the faith.. blah blah blah" I was a little concerned because we weren't really fulfilling our proposito but by the end of the lesson she said that she liked being with us and that she just felt really good and she didn't know why and that she wants to start a new life... hhmm,
also we found this one lady in the street like 2 weeks ago who lives far away but said she wants to come visit our chuch sometime so on Saturday afternoon we called her to remind her about church and she said if it wasn't raining she'd come (goodbye church attendance for the next 4 months) but anyways. So we called her and then a few knocks later we found her in the house of her daughter... crazy!
Also, there is this lady Carmen who came to church all by herself after an invitation from a member. RIGHT ON MEMBERS. She wants us to teach her now. :)
So everything is going pretty swell here.
saw a man taking a dump in the middle of the intersection, hosted a grand sleepover with all of the hermanas in our zone in our cozy abode, heard about some weird religion in brazil where they possess their brooms to do their cleaning, also that the catholic church and the evangelica churches are going to unite (HA! the last thing we need), I came to the conclusion that there are no nice men with mustaches and we also got a little wet. But you know what they say....
without water we can't fill the baptism fonts.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Hermana VandeMerwe

June 9, 2014

Happy Aniversary Haaaappy Aniversary
Way to go grandma. I am so proud of you walking around the temple. I miss those walks around the temple. It sure does make a difference when walking...
If you ever get tired just remember what the pioneers do. They walk and walk and walk and walk. However, don't ever worry about taking a break to pass out a few pass along cards or to share your testimony with your non lds neighbors, knock a few doors, sing a few hymns.. Making up a few of the words, laugh at the silliness of the world or simply smile to know you're not a part of it. With time, you'll get to your destination.
So last week I started explaining my day to day life to mom and so I’ll try to finish it up a little more today.. You’ll have to ask her for the beginning.
.....
So then I rise and break into some heavy heat p90x exercise. We try to do some sort of mixture that consists of some half jumping jacks (not because I’m lazy thank you. the ceiling just isn't tall enough) some lunges and sometimes some crunches on the bed. Sometimes I use that green string for my arms... I use to do like a hundred in all directions and I’m now at a good 10 lifts before dying. I’ve noticed that the majority of our ejercicio we can do in our slippers and yet it still wears me out so... we also do great zumba including hula dancing to give said the little stream. Sometimes we'll go for a nice run but by the time we get up and dressed it's more like a 5 min jog around the block... which tends to be sufficient.
That brings us to about 7:45 when one of us pops into the shower... oh sorry I forget to be descriptive. That's when I turn on the estufa (if it's not already on) with a few good banging clicks and a mouth full of gas we start heating up the room. (Sometimes I take this action right when I get up to wake up my companion as we first have companion prayer and then individual prayer).
...
Okay that is going to have to be continued. Because I have to tell you about the storm we had the other night. Saturday night. Oh my the entire house was shaking! I don't think I’ve ever been awoken because of a storm before! So therefore this was quite the storm. It was just pounding POUNDING. I wasn't sure if it was an earthquake or the wind but me and my companion just .. well I would say talked but it was more of a raised voice conversation as we tried to decide if we should call all of our investigadores right then instead of in the morning to remind them about church because they would already be awake and scared for their lives.
The people here get very scared in storms. Although I must admit I did have my plan of action in my head just in case the storm did get bigger and our roof flew off. It was quite a few steps I would have had to go through ... the last of which was grabbing my emergency backpack. lol. Really I was just thanking the lord that he sent the storm in the night and that we weren't outside trying to knock in it.
I LOVE YOU ALL! Have a FANTASTIC week!
Hey did you all watch that video? You can do it tonight for fhe...
Hermana VandeMerwe

June 2, 2014

All together now!
We are the kids
Hey there! This week was a little... eh. I mean it was fine but why pretend like it was just cupcakes.... in the words of all the people in the street "por que voy a mentir..."
apparently they're never in their houses. But we know of their lies!! Oh the rage of Moroni!
But I was very happy yesterday... okay so it still wasn't ideal BUT I found it a very good day compared to others because we were able to teach Consuelo... who didn't come to church but it was a tender mercy to find her, also we found a new family we are teaching who also didn't come to church and we weren't able to teach them but we were able to find out why they couldn't come so that was another tender mercy and then we one by one found all the kids in the family cuevas in the streets during the day who we can never find and who never answer their door but they are SO COOL so I was very thankful to find them still all future brothers in the lord. Another tender mercy.
I love you all!
Hermana VandeMerwe

May 28, 2014

fueron de chocolate...
Well this week was swell.  I think that means like good but with not good too. I mean obviously it was great. But we did have some good walking days and citas falling and all of that. That silly rain. It ruins everything. Actually I love the rain but here on the mission it sure makes teaching people difficult. I think I’ll save it for after.
This lady started calling behind us one day so we turned around to talk to her and she had nice warm pan in her hands for us. It was so kind. Come to find out she is a long lost member and we can go visit her but ¨she's not going to church¨. We’ll see..
We are doing really great with our investigators. The familia fonseca knows they have to be baptized they just have to decide to do it but they will. And Consuelo came to church on Sunday. So as her third assistance we are going to go drill out her doubts tonight and get her baptized already. And we also had a great family of menos activos come to church so that was great too. There are some people that just make you SO happy to see in the church if you know what I mean. I hope you do. If not, find that happiness. It’s for EVERYONE.
I know you've probably seen this video but you guys should all watch it because we're all in love with it over here as missionaries and I wish I could show it to everyone. Where is that iPad when you need it.
"gracias a el"... I hope it's in English
thanks to him? mormon message.
I love you all!
Hermana VandeMerwe

May 19, 2014

One Year Older...
And wiser too!

Well. I hope I’m wiser who really knows.
We had transfers today. Hermana Davidson is going to stay with me here in Cañete. So that is going to be great because we killed this week!!!!! Not to mention actually having 3 investigators in the church which for us is a raining miracle. Together with the other missionaries in our branch we had 21 investigators in sacrament meeting! Yay. Killer week.  Tiring but good. I’m super happy hermana Davidson is staying here!
Today we went to a waterfall with the zone which was fun and they all sang happy birthday to me. In English and in Spanish. I missed the Dutch though.
This week we found a bunch of new houses that I didn't know were part of our sector and I was just so thrilled! We prayed about where we should go and there we went and there we found a man who came to church and has a fecha to be baptised! We also had Lea in the church who is hard core Native Chilean Indian. But she lives in our sector and came to church! I hope we can help her out a little bit as her situation is absolutely crazy. I’ve never  seen someone in such anguish in all of my mission. But that will change.
We also contacted this lady who well. First we passed because she was like on the other side of this street thing but she was looking at us and we kept looking back at her and then we finally went to talk to her. She talked to us like we knew her or she had talked to missionaries before but when we asked her she said she had never seen missionaries before but she was just so thrilled to talk to us and gave us huge hugs goodbye and started crying. It was actually quite a spiritual moment as I have no other way to explain it because we didn't do much but be. We are going to try to go find her tonight.
I'm very thankful for all of the pictures. Really you guys all look just so the samely different. Mom well she looks great. And I like sav's long hair. And brock looks like he's 14 and Tate looks like he's like 17.
I love you all! I’m going to go read your letters now because I was so lucky to have one from ALL OF YOU!
Hermana VandeMerwe
Ps don't forget to pray as a family tonight and tomorrow. ;)

May 12, 2014

Pues pues pues. Here we are again. Well not much has happened in our short amount of time separated. We came home and talked about our talk with the family while I had some sausage and eggs in a tortilla. ... But remember now that I bought the tortilla. They don't really eat them. The food my companions and I have missed most and really the only thing they don't have here is Mexican as in a sweet pork burrito from costa vida. (Black beans medium sauce) still have it memorized. We mainly eat potatoes and noodles. Italian. Chicken and ... cow. I taught someone that had a Chinese restaurant once but I haven't eaten it. I have had some food from Peru... but I’ve never seen anything Mexican. But I still advise you to go and eat Mexican and think about me and how I would like to be eating it with you.
This morning we studied.... cleaned... and now I’m here so that's that.
More details...
I read about how people find joy in Christ in alma 28.... cleaned the toilet and vacuumed.... and I think now we're going to get some grocery shopping done look for some boots and tights and get some empanadas in the street.
Thanks for all talking to me yesterday. I felt bad I couldn't really see you but maybe that's for the better. You will just have to send pictures. ...
I love you all!
HEMANA VANDEMERWE

May 5, 2014

Quizas debo escribir me carta en español? No puedo esperar hablarles esta Domingo!
Well that's enough of that. We've had a tough week over here full of wet, rained, unsuccessful days but you know what always precedes a miracle so...
I hope your trip to Mexico was way fun! I can't wait to hear all about it and to hear your Spanish. Hopefully I'm better than Brockton is by now. Do you still get extra credit?
Also.so I guess you are 2 hours different right now? I hope so. So I plan on calling right after you have church. I'll be calling from here at 6:30/7:00 my time. Also I don't know if I'm going to have a ton of time so I was thinking everyone could maybe think of a question or two or a story or whatever so I can hear from everyone. That is if mom is willing to share her time because I'm really calling for her. I love you mom!
Nos Vemos,
Hermana VandeMerwe

April 28, 2014

There's a hole in my shoe dear Brockton a hole.
Another week here in the fields of Cañete has proven to be a very strange mixture of events. We almost got someone to come to church on Sunday. Getting people to church is harder than getting people baptized. The problem is they have to go to church to get baptized .We have been having really great lessons and lots of laughter. Yesterday we started laughing so hard at lunch with this Hermana and recently returned missionary son. Hermana Weigle was talking about Arizona and how there is a city called mesa. And suddenly stopped because she thought it was funny there was a city called Table. So I started laughing and then we were both just cracking up because it wasn’t that funny but we thought that it was and meanwhile our hosts are just looking at us like we are crazy so then we just laughed harder and we were just apologizing as they stared at us with straight faces like what are these disgraceful missionaries doing here. They didn't even break a smile. haha. It was pretty dang funny.
Mom I know I’ve thanked you many times for teaching me how to clean but I just wanted to thank you again. Thanks.
I was really cold the other night and I kind of was awake/ had a dream that Tate was there and I asked him to go into the other room and get me a blanket (cause there's more blankets in the other room just like at home ) and then he came back and put it over me and then I fell back to sleep cause I wasn't cold any more. Thanks Tate!
Brock how's seminary? I've never heard anything about that. Who is your teacher?
My companion is always telling me to wait when we are crossing the street. I guess maybe she thinks I’m going to cross without looking or something. It would probably be pretty annoying if it was anyone else but it makes me laugh every time because every time it sounds just like the "wait" from Abe right before he dies. Every time! It’s hilarious.
Also. You all look SO different! Like all of you! I’m a little bit worried I’m not going to know who you are when I get home so therefore I’m initiating something new today. Because I send you guys pictures way more often than I get pictures from you. So I think from now on you should send me pictures every week. And if not every week every other week. Okay? Okay. Good now that we are all agreed, I have one more invitation for all of you as a family.
This invitation comes as I've shared a certain commandment with many of the people I teach that I noticed we could do better living. In 3 Nephi 18:19-21 we learn directly from the Savior the importance of prayer and especially prayer as a family. I know that prayer is a medium for revelation and the way we can invite our Heavenly Father to really be a part of our lives and guide us in every moment. Prayer as a family invites the Savior and Heavenly Father to be a part of our family and not just a part of our personal lives. It opens our front door to allow them to be there alongside us in our home interacting with us and helping us choose the right. I invite you to start family prayer on a regular daily basis so that we as a family can see the blessings of a united prayer and a united family.
To mom and dad and Savannah and Richard I hope you are doing prayers as a couple as well. I have learned to love prayers as a companionship here on the mission. There is nothing better than visualizing the two of us with the same vision kneeling before the feet of the savior in gratitude and to ask him humbly for our "daily bread" and for direction so that we can work in better unity together to bring his children back to his presence.
I love you all and can't wait to talk to you soon where I will be able to make a better "Follow Up" with my invites. :)
To the best family ever,
Hermana VandeMerwe