Chapter 1: Stuck? NOPE

So last week we went to the temple and while we were inside they closed the pass to Siquirres, we thought we were stuck in San Jose for the night and made plans. However, they opened a bus route that went through turrialba so we weren´t stuck, but we had to take a 4.5 hour bus ride home. :P

I also thought that I was going to stick around in Siquirres this cambio but it turns out that the Lord had different plans for me. I am not "Stuck" with my old companion either, but I have been put into a huge place of responsibility.

You may say that I´ve been stuck in the offices because I am the Secretary of finances. It´s not a position that I thought I would have but I´m learning a whole bunch and I am where the Lord needs me. I´ve already solved a major problem in financing and I am able to learn a ton from my current trainer, Elder Lewis. My new Preparation day is Saturday (SUPER Weird :P ), but I don´t have much time because of the conference today that I´ve watched in 100% Spanish (and I loved the talk that happened in Spanish too :D ).

I heard that my old companion, Elder Gonzalez, is with a great missionary, Elder Gonzalez. The new one is from Mexico, and my old companion is from Guatemala. I´ve already received news that the Mexican is laying down the law and is really strict. I know that it´ll be really good for the Guatemalan. :)

I want to thank all of you who emailed me about hope last week. The hope and faith as active principles are fundamental to the missionary and their teachings and for everyone else too. Those emails have been awesome to read and have helped me a lot. I wanted to share this poem I wrote.

Trials come and trials go,
It´s your choice to hate or grow.

Truths are sudden and sometimes sad
But I´d be something else if I never had
These blessed packets of "growing pains"
If I don´t think on it, the hurt wains.
I´ll never forget the past I say
But I´ll live in the present, that means today.

Conference was awesome today. I loved Elder Neal L Andersen's challenge to "gain a personal witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith” by letting our “voice help fulfill Moroni’s prophetic words to speak good of the Prophet.” He said to do this by finding scriptures in the Book of Mormon that we feel and know are absolutely true. He encouraged us to then share the scriptures we found.

I took the Elder Anderson Challenge to find and share scriptures from the Book of Mormon that are 100% true, so here they are Mosiah 2:17, Helaman 5:12, Ether 12:27, and 2Nephi 26: 23-24.

I actually realized this last week that I wasn´t smiling all that much and that I needed to begin to do that again. I applied a quote from Brigham Young to make it more me. He says that if you don´t feel like praying, get down on your knees and pray until you do. My quote is "if you don´t feel like smiling, just smile until you do" ;)

Have a great week, guys.

Remember, my new p-day is Saturdays, so make sure you write me before then so I can get your emails. Also, I am super behind in my emails, so if you haven't heard from me, and you wrote me personally, I haven't forgotten, I just haven't had much time. I will get back to you! Stay safe and enjoy conference!

Love,
Elder VanderMeyden