We're halfway there ohhhhhh, just of the MTC

 My roomates:   Elder Robinson & Elder Bennett - Me and my comp, Elder Boden 

Hola a todos!

This week has been awesome! And Tuesday marked the halfway point of my MTC experience, and part of me is really loving the MTC, don't want to leave, and the other part of me is itching to go to Spain. Not sure which side I favor more, but I'm going to enjoy these last 3 weeks at the MTC, and anxiously await November 11th, the day I fly out to Spain. Super exciting!

Elder Boden and me showing our Spain Pride

Here at the MTC, there are these things called TRCs, which veterans may remember. They are basically investigators who you get to practice teaching as missionaries do. It is exceptionally helpful for me because we had to do them in Spanish. On Thursday, we had an awesome lesson. We were teaching our friend, because everybody is a friend at the MTC, about the authority that was restored on the earth by Joseph Smith through the power of God. Our friend took the lesson very well but had a lot of questions when we got to the modern-day prophets part. As my companion did his best to explain it in Spanish, I went to the April 2018 General Conference, and pulled up the talk by Elder Anderson titled, "The Prophet of God." It was an awesome talk and explained all of our friend's questions way better than we ever could, plus I found it in Spanish! So my companion, unaware of what I was doing, invited her to read some general conference talks, and I was like how 'bout this one? What was so cool about that experience is we were not planning on that at all, in fact, we invited her to do something totally different than we had already planned, and the Spirit took over. I will never forget that lesson and will remember back to it in Spain.

I also had the wonderful opportunity to host new missionaries arriving at the MTC this past Wednesday. I had a blast! It was so much fun getting to show these brand new missionaries the way of life here at the MTC, and comfort those who were having a rough day because when you say goodbye to your family for 2 years, trust me, it's a rough day. All I will have to say is they have a very detailed way of doing things when new missionaries come, and they know what they are doing.

In my Book of Mormon reading this week, I came across Alma 56. Love that chapter. It has one of my favorite scripture stories ever. the 2,000 stripling warriors. Verses 47 and 48 say this:

...they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it. 

These are the men of the army talking, and doing a humble brag of their mothers. I made a little note in my scriptures so I will always remember the love these men show to their mothers. And I can directly relate to the 2,000 warriors because I have been born of goodly parents and was taught by my mother, and I have no doubts. I am a mama's boy. Okay, humble brag over.

I hope everyone has been having a great week. Until next P-day! 

Elder Van Wagenen

Semana tres a la CCM! Apostles and Spanish

Hola a todos,

So much has happened in this past week, I had a hard time thinking about what I should title this week's letter. It's boring title is evidence I did not try very hard... I'll just start at the beginning of the week and go from there.

So on Sundays and Tuesdays, we always have devotionals, and there are usually 1 or 2 speakers. On Sunday, Sheri Dew came. One thing she talked about was farming and sewing. Since she came on a farm, she was very familiar with those terms. Something she said that I enjoyed was you cannot reap what you don't sew. In other words, if you don't put in the effort, you won't get the award. Be answer seekers, not answer doubters. And I thought to myself, well I really want to be fluent in Spanish, and a way I can reap that in the future is by studying super hard and giving it my all to learn the language now. So I have been studying Spanish way more than I ever thought I would.

For Tuesdays devotional, it was super awesome. We had the privilege of hearing from Elder and Sister Cook. And, I decided to get there way early and sat upfront. I WAS MY LONG JUMP PR AWAY FROM AN APOSTLE!!!!!!!! IT WAS SO COOL!!!!! I would have taken pictures, but they very much frown upon that, so I didn't. When Elder Cook first walked in, remember, I was about 20 feet away from him, the Spirit literally smacked me. I felt it so strong. Apostles just have this presence, and I couldn't help myself from smiling. From his talk, he talked about how sacred and special mission calls are, and that made me think that I have been specifically called to serve in Barcelona, and that is where the Lord needs me. He also gave us a laundry list of how to be a good missionary, and I love the advice Elder Cook gave. Some things he said was to have a sense of urgency, be humble, and lose yourself in the work. What made his talk even cooler was he brought someone with him from Church history services or something, where he brought the original, authentic, 200-year-old printers manuscripts of Alma 34, and 3 Nephi 16. The original manuscripts were the 116 pages that were lost, but the printer's manuscripts were the copies made after those were lost. So those 2 pages are the oldest, and most original evidence we have of the translation of the Book of Mormon. I felt the spirit very strong as Elder Cook was talking about the pages, and it really made me think of the sacrifice Joseph Smith made so we can have this Book of Mormon, so I can give it to the people of Spain! So COOL!

If I'm going to be honest, the rest of the week cannot get quite as cool as seeing an apostle, but it was still a very good week. We learned lots of Spanish, and it amazes me how quickly I am learning and understanding what's going on. I love Spanish! 

And, apparently building maintenance doesn't enjoy duct tape on walls, so I had to fix that. Plus, I had to show a little bit of patriotism for the country I was going to live in for the next 2 years, so now our room is completely covered in flags and I love it! I hope all of you had a great week, and I will email you again next week!

Elder Van Wagenen

Elder Van representing Spain and the US at the same time! 

A view from the top of the MTC.

Elder Van & Elder Boden at the Provo, UT Temple.

Bienvenidos a la CCM! (Welcome to the CCM)

We got to talk to him today!!!

Hola a todos, 

I have really been loving the MTC, and the spirit that I have felt here. We have so many lessons and workshops where the only places I ave felt the spirit stronger are the temple. I love it so much here. Except for the food and laundry waits, never did I think so many missionaries would come and do laundry at 6 AM in the morning. Guess I was wrong. 

General conference at the MTC was pretty awesome. If you have never been in the same room with 2,000 people and hear the prophet announce a change, it is pretty cool and funny at the same time. When they rid of beehives, miamaids, and laurels, there was a gasp that went throughout the entire gym. IT was pretty funny. But I enjoyed conference more than I ever had, although I did miss the blanket forts and cinnamon rolls, but not the spirit I felt.

In one of the workshops, we talked about how to talk to people and talking to everyone. And one of the subtopics was that right now, the Lord is preparing people in Spain for me. He is preparing them to receive the joy of this everlasting Gospel, and all that needs to happen is for me to go and open my mouth. I know that this is true, I feel the spirit constantly when I think about it, and am super excited. It has only been a week and a half here and I already can't wait to leave!

Another thing we spend a lot of time doing is learning Spanish. Lots and lots of Spanish. And I have learned a lot. Out of all the Spanish that I have learned since day 1, I think that I have learned more here than I have in the 2 years at high school. El Don de Lenguas es aqui, y es verdadero. (The gift of toungues is here, and is true.) I love the spirit I feel when talking in Spanish, and know the Lord is helping me out.

I have attached some pictures of my district and my companion. To put all of you under assurance, yes there is an American Flag hanging in our room, yes I woke up everyone today with our National Anthem, and the Canadian in our district can't believe how much of a relentless patriot I am. Hope all of you have a great week, and I will send out another email next P-Day!

Elder Van Wagenen

Elder Vans District in the MTC

First P day, sort of

Hola familia,

Technically,  today is our first p day. But today is also general conference, which makes today not our p day. I don't think I will be able to call today, but I did eat breakfast early so I could get an email in.

Some housekeeping, I can read email any day I want. I can only respond on p day. Also, Google hangouts, I can use that. I can only respond on p days, but I can use that. So if the girls send me their little email addresses I can text them. If I find time to call, I most certainly will, but I'm not planning on it.

Elder Boden is pretty cool. He really likes landscape and portrait photography and even sold some of his work.  All the other elders in our district are pretty cool. One of the elders in our room has diabetes, so we have a frig in our room😁.   It's great. There is an elder in our zone who is from Canada and I really like him. In the movie the Best 2 years, he is very similar to Elder Van Pelt. 

I saw Josh today while eating breakfast, seen Dane Hamblin (a friend from NYLT who grew up in Dayton) a few times, and Elder Kartchner. Every time I have seen Dane was terrible timing,  but we are working on a pic.

I just got word we will have some time before morning session, so I will call you in about an hour.

Love you friends, hopefully, talk or text y'all soon

Elder Van Wagenen

Elder Boden & Elder Van Wagenen

(Both headed to Spain Barcelona Mission!)

Start of his new Adventure!

We all woke up early and dropped him off at the airport (4am).

Aunt Kathleen West picked him up from the airport and took him to see 

Grandma Kennen Van Wagenen.

 Nathan requested to go to his brother Kevin's grave just before entering the MTC! 

Nathan's first letter from the MTC:

Familia,

I have safely arrived at the MTC. I am just going through the motions, not of love, of the first day at MTC. So this is an email telling you I am alive and well.

Remember the Bodens from the FB group? Yeah he's my companion.

Until whenever next time is, maybe Saturday, that's when P day is.

Elder Van Wagenen