Three reasons for my title this week:
1 dropping a ton of cash on the airport ticket
2- dropping in difficulty my job as secretary
3- dropping in temperature (we reached the high 50s this last week, and with a wet wind it was cold to both me and my companion)
We had a huge Oh Crap moment when we sent Hermana Pacheco to Guatemala (mission change) We had a huge problem with area approval not getting communicated, tickets not being ordered, and having to get to the airport in 30 minutes during rush hours. I was the one sent to drive and I have never gone that far over the Speed limit in all my life- 115 in an 80 zone.(MOM NOTE - I looked it up - 115 is about 75 mph, BUT it would have resulted in a $600 fine) :P But even though it´s illegal here, the cops don´t do anything. ;) anyway, we made it there 15 minutes too late to get her on the plane. We had to do some quick thinking and we ended up buying a new ticket with money that we miraculously had with us. I hadn´t taken the money that I had for the month out yet because I hadn´t needed it quite yet. It was $279 (in american cash) that we used to pay for the ticket and Elder Hoover had enough money on his personal card to pay for the rest. It was a good thing too, or she wouldn´t have mad it out that night. :)
It was Oh Crap, funny, frustrating and, miraculous all at once. :)
I also got a few new nametags. :) My last name is so long that it had to go in 2 lines this time. :( But it´s not a big deal ;)
Oh, other oh crap moment- The enders (those ending out their missions and going home) clogged our toilet before they left and didn´t tell us. Now we have a broken plunger and a clogged toilet that are waiting for us at the house. We´ll be buying a new plunger, but until then it´s literally "Oh Crap" ;)
To be honest, this was the easiest of all the changes weeks that I´ve ever had. The food was great. You can´t get enough Gallo Pinto ;) Some investigators are doing well, but not going to church. It´s a bit hard because most of the people we can only meet with them on certain days and it´s not very often. We do a bunch with President Wilkinson like projects, but doing activities is a bit rare, we´ve only had Thanksgiving. I really like the Christmas gifts and I laugh because the stocking that I got from my folks was one that I had made the plans to make for my child when he was on him mission. It was really funny because I didn´t say anything to them about wanting one, but they must have read my mind. ;)
I´m a bit exhausted and I haven´t been eating very well, I know I should do better, but we have very little time to cook and I´m stuck eating chips most of the time. I´ve been trying to buy more fruit than other stuff but to be honest, because of the stress I´m just not eating. This last week we sent many missionaries to the house and then home because they are done with their 2 years. 2 more missionaries are getting changed to a different mission and that made it a grand total of 5 trips to the airport. Did I mention I really hate driving in Costa Rica? it is insanely crazy driving. It´s also really hard, I´m not going to lie, to see people go. So many people that I know aren´t here any more and I feel like there is a huge weight on me, being a missionary with nearly a year in the mission, to be the new leadership. I´m not sure that I´m up to it even though I want to be. I feel like an old sponge being wrung out, getting rid of the old water and putting in new. I´m changing and I´m not sure how I actually feel. I always feel like someone is looking over my shoulder, and I don´t know why. It´s so hard to describe exactly how I feel. I don´t feel bad, but I do feel strange. It´s not that I don´t like what´s happening, but it´s not quite a comfortable feeling. You might say that it´s growing pains, but it doesn´t sound quite right to say it like that.
Oh, other oh crap moment- The enders (those ending out their missions and going home) clogged our toilet before they left and didn´t tell us. Now we have a broken plunger and a clogged toilet that are waiting for us at the house. We´ll be buying a new plunger, but until then it´s literally "Oh Crap" ;)
To be honest, this was the easiest of all the changes weeks that I´ve ever had. The food was great. You can´t get enough Gallo Pinto ;) Some investigators are doing well, but not going to church. It´s a bit hard because most of the people we can only meet with them on certain days and it´s not very often. We do a bunch with President Wilkinson like projects, but doing activities is a bit rare, we´ve only had Thanksgiving. I really like the Christmas gifts and I laugh because the stocking that I got from my folks was one that I had made the plans to make for my child when he was on him mission. It was really funny because I didn´t say anything to them about wanting one, but they must have read my mind. ;)
I´m a bit exhausted and I haven´t been eating very well, I know I should do better, but we have very little time to cook and I´m stuck eating chips most of the time. I´ve been trying to buy more fruit than other stuff but to be honest, because of the stress I´m just not eating. This last week we sent many missionaries to the house and then home because they are done with their 2 years. 2 more missionaries are getting changed to a different mission and that made it a grand total of 5 trips to the airport. Did I mention I really hate driving in Costa Rica? it is insanely crazy driving. It´s also really hard, I´m not going to lie, to see people go. So many people that I know aren´t here any more and I feel like there is a huge weight on me, being a missionary with nearly a year in the mission, to be the new leadership. I´m not sure that I´m up to it even though I want to be. I feel like an old sponge being wrung out, getting rid of the old water and putting in new. I´m changing and I´m not sure how I actually feel. I always feel like someone is looking over my shoulder, and I don´t know why. It´s so hard to describe exactly how I feel. I don´t feel bad, but I do feel strange. It´s not that I don´t like what´s happening, but it´s not quite a comfortable feeling. You might say that it´s growing pains, but it doesn´t sound quite right to say it like that.
Before anybody starts worrying about me, MMMMOOOOOMMMMM, I AM FINE, a bit stressed, but nothing new. I can see that
things are moving fast and I need to run to keep up because as my Cross
country coach taught me "it´s easier to keep up than to catch up." I can really feel the love of the Savior in my life and I really know that I have been guided and lead to where I am and I am meant to be here.
Love to you all!
Elder VanderMeyden
Elder VanderMeyden
He is just awesome! You can tell how much he loves the mission and wants to be the best servant he can for the Lord and the Wilkinsons, as well as the other missionaries and the people!
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