Fútbol and contacting

This is in front of our church building. It is in the middle of a date farm and there are palm trees everywhere

Hola a todos!

This week has been great. I am adjusting really well to mission life here in Spain, and we had a great week.

We have had a lot of meals with members, and I am getting to know our ward very well. A way we do this is by playing fútbol, and how could I complain!? There is a fútbol field, I say field, but it's really just concrete, in the back of the church and we play there. We play with members, amigos, less actives, recent converts, and other missionaries. It is a great way for us to interact with our amigos, and I mean who can complain about playing fútbol?

This week we also had interviews with President Galli. He is a beast. I am so grateful to have President Galli as my mission president. I truly felt his love for me in our interview, and know he will be a great guide to me throughout my mission. After our interviews, we went to eat a Columbian restaurant with the Gallis and a recently arrived senior couple. It was a great meal and I had a lot of fun spending time with my district and President Galli. 

In light of Thanksgiving this week, I have many things to be grateful.for. I am very grateful for my family, my friends, my country and all the men and women that have sacrificed their lives for our country. Even though I don't live there, I am grateful for America. But I am also grateful for my mission call, the opportunity I have to serve in beautiful Spain, and I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Spirit and its guidance.  My companion and I went contacting the other day in the streets of Elche. It was later in the evening, and we both were looking forward to bedtime. We walked through the streets, with no specific direction or place to go, just random really. As we were walking, we saw a guy who would cross paths with us, we thought nothing of it, and we greeted him, but he didn't seem to acknowledge us. As we walked away, we heard an Espera! (wait). And he told us that he had some friends who had served missions, and he had wanted to talk with us. We got his number, and we already have a lesson appointment with him this week. He has a lot of questions, and I think the Gospel is exactly what he needs. Clearly, we were being led by the spirit that day so that we would cross paths with this guy, and start teaching him. I know this Gospel is true, and that it blesses all of our lives, at times in ways we may not see.

Hope all is doing well, have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy your week!

Élder Van Wagenen

God Bless America, Viva la España 

Fotos:

1. I found all the necessary ingredients for crepes! It was not easy, I am finding that many of my recipes are quite useless here in Spain because the ingredients are nowhere to be found. But all is well, I can make crepes!

2/3. For día de preperación, our district went to Santa Polo and went to the beach. That is the Mediterranean and it was really beautiful.

4. I truly miss America. So I drew a flag in the sand. 🇺🇸