Chapter 20: What's in a Name?

Uh, yeah, this week someone called me by my first name.(what's my name?)  For over a year now, I have been called Elder. So, this week I had a great visitor: Adam and Lisa Stevens from my home ward came to Costa Rica on vacation and brought me a multitude of gifts from my family (mostly food, silly stuff but still super awesome!).  I loved the packages, and I am waiting to open the majority until their time since one is for St. Patties day, one for conference, etc.. It was weird to see the Stevens and they called me James :-/ ;-) Yeah, that was weird to be called by my first name.  My favorite thing of all of it was the letters. :) I haven´t quite finished them, but I love them. If anyone reading this hasn't sent me a letter yet, just know that missionaries crave letters from home like an alcoholic craves liquor.

Our week was anything but uneventful. Training is going well, I have him doing most of everything and just delegating to me when he needs me to do something. :) We are all getting along wonderfully. :) I think they will do well. We had a bunch of work to try and fix everyone´s money problems. I put my new companion Elder Nielson in charge of it because he´s got to learn and fast because I won´t be here the next time. the two new secretaries are Elder Nelson and Elder Nielson (and their name is?). the I in Nielson stands for "I got the money" apparently. They´re both learning very fast :)

We´re working hard with old investigators and finding many news too. Yeah, with the members in our ward we´ve had some sadness, but they area finally coming to activities and giving a few references. We´ve received many references in the last month from them, and just recently, while working with the ward secretary we found 23 people that need to be baptized that we have partial records for. Many are less active families with children at that age, but a few are parts of active members and just need to be baptized. :D I´m SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! :D  This area is doing really great and we´ve really turned it around. :)

I helped with Family history and Indexing on Tuesday this week! :) So much fun finding names and interpreting names on indexing. (what's in a name? A lot of history)

I am doing well. Presidente Cordón actually likes me I think and so I even got a picture with him before he leaves. I am, however, extremely excited to have President Wilkinson come back and get things back to normal. :)

I got to help in a project recently. It just made its debut online. I helped by sending in a video to help them. I was behind the camera, but Elder Hoover was in it. :D If anyone wants to see it and see some of my special friends in Costa Rica, here is the link (check out my byline ;))  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGhI4p4G1P4  I am kind of bummed that Meet the Mormons hasn't come out here yet. President said if we could get the video, we could watch it. Maybe one day. ;)

Te quiero,

Elder VanderMeyden

P.S. - This last week in english class (that we teach) they had a court house trial and a miss universe. I say they, because it was my companion´s class (we split it into 2 parts and I´m the basic gramatic and pronunciacion teacher and he´s the acting and practicing teacher) and it got out of his control, he did not plan it.