¡Prospero año y felicidad!

Hola a todos! 

It was my first Christmas in the mission, away from home, and in another country, so Christmas was a lot different! But needless to say, I ate a lot. We had more eating citas then we could deal with, so we ate very well this Christmas. It was really cool seeing how another country celebrates Spain and how it is different than the way America celebrates it. Instead of opening presents on Christmas day, Spaniards stay up on Christmas Eve and open them then. So very different! 

This week we taught a family from Paraguay, and they are mourning the loss of a family member. Although sad, I can't wait to teach them the lesson on the Plan of Salvation and teach them that it is sad to lose family members, but because of Jesus Christ and through the Plan of Salvation, we will see them again. It brings me much joy that I will be able to see family after this life. Grandparents, great grandparents, ancestors from hundreds of years ago, I mean George Washington??? I don't know how it will be like. But I do know we will see family members after this life because of this Plan of Happiness. How great is that!?

I hope you have all had a great Christmas, and I wish you all a very happy new year! Until next week! 

Élder Van Wagenen 

God Bless America, Viva la España 

Feliz Navidad!

Hola a todos, 

This week was a little different week due to transfers and preparing for Christmas, but regardless still a great week. 

This week, we met with an amigo who has been meeting with the missionaries for close to 4 years. He is really cool, really good at soccer, and has a lot of questions about the Gospel. But we taught him about work and faith, and how they go hand in hand. If we work, by studying the scriptures, attending church, praying, and exercise even just a particle of faith (Alma 32:27), we will receive a witness for ourselves. I felt the presence of the Holy Ghost as we taught,  and we set a baptismal date with him. So we are really excited to prepare him for baptism! 

This Christmas I have seen Christmas differently than usual. Being a missionary, I am a representative of Jesus Christ, and thus spent a little more time focusing on that rather than presents I want for Christmas. We give gifts at Christmas, and I love that part, but in a way, Jesus Christ was a gift for all of us. Because without him, we would not have the Atonement, and thus not have the ability to live with our family after this earthly life. If it wasn't for Jesus Christ, I would not have true joy in my life, and probably wouldn't be in Spain right now. And the gift of a Savior is the best gift of all, and for this, I am very grateful. So, this Christmas remember him. If you haven't already, read Luke 2 and watch the Christ child, the Light the World video. It is powerful, I haven't watched it once without feeling the spirit. 

Until next week, Feliz Navidad from España, and enjoy the Christmas holiday!

Élder Van Wagenen 

God Bless America, Viva la España

Fotos:

1. On top of Castillo Santa Barbara in Alicante

2. Me and my companion turned our piso into a real home, and part of that was building IKEA desks. It was so much fun!

I love Costco!

 Zone Conference. Our conference comprised of 3 zones, Cartagena, Elche, and Valencia

Hola a todos!

This week has been a great one in España. It was a little different than usual, but it was a great week. 

I went on splits, exchanges, intercambios, whatever you call them, with the my district leader, Elder Power. I learned a lot from him just in the day we were together. He has over a year and a half in the mission, so looking at mission age, he is very old. We taught English to some amigos and members in the ward in Crevillente, a small pueblo outside of Elche, and we had a ward activity where we taught the lesson on the restoration and ate pizza. It was a good intercambio and I'm glad I got to learn from Elder Power. 

On Thursday, we had zone conference. It was awesome. I felt like everything that was taught and shared was specifically for me and for our amigos in Elche. Elder Massimo De Feo, an area 70 over Europe, came and taught. A big theme of the conference was faith. If we have faith, we can do anything. Faith is always the first step. And it was a good reminder that i need to have faith that the Lord will make me an instrument in his hands and work with our amigos. It was a great conference, and that was only my first one, I have 15 left! 

A scripture that was shared during zone conference is Moroni 7:33, and I really like it because it assures that if we have faith and good desires, we can do anything. You can ace a final exam, you can baptize a tough amigo, you can grow your testimony, all through faith. 

33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.

Have a great week! 

Élder Van Wagenen

God Bless America, Viva la España

Fotos:

1. We play soccer every Saturday, I love it!

2. So... There's a Costco in Madrid. Not in our mission. But the senior couple who provided the food made a trip to Costco, and well I reaped some of the benefits.

3. Our last time together as a district 

Success through Basketball

We teach English to these 2 young kids, and my companion thought it would be a good idea to teach with shaving cream. Yeah the picture bout describes how that went

Hola a todos!

This week has been a great one! We have been seeing more success than usual this week, and have gotten a few new amigos to teach and visited a lot of less active members. According to my trainer, this doesn't happen a lot, so are ecstatic of our successes!

This week, we met with a new amigo named Antonio. He is an older person from Paraguay who has a strong faith and sees the blessings from the Lord in his life, and as missionaries this is what we like to see! After we got to know him, we taught him a little bit of the first lesson, and talked about God's love for him, and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families. He has a family, and told us he wants what's best for them, and hearing that the gospel blesses families was exactly what he needed to hear, so it went great!

On Saturday, we had a día de encontrar, a day of finding. And we had a goal to get 500 numbers in the entire mission, which is about 10 per companionship más o menos. We were really busy that day, and didn't get out in the streets until 6. But we worked, had faith, and in a few hours got 11 numbers. Which is awesome! We were so happy and shocked by our success. By then, we were content, we reached the goal, and it was getting really close to end the day. Before we went back to piso, my companion said to me "hey let's go see if we can do a basketball contact." By the courts near our piso, there were a few teenagers playing basketball. So we asked if we could join, and they were like 2 tall white guys wanna play basketball with us? Heck ya!!! We played with them for a little bit, and it was a lot of fun. Basketball skills I thought I never had decided to show up. After we balled, we asked them if they wanted to learn English and maybe some messages about Jesus Christ, and they were like, yes please! We got 5 more numbers. In 15 minutes. From playing basketball. It was awesome! The Lord truly does work in mysterious ways. What I learned from that experience, I'm a missionary, but really, I'm an instrument in the Lord's hands. Which can only mean one thing: The Lord can ball!

Also, remember the Light the World campaign this year. Service is an awesome thing because it brings both the person being served, and the person serving joy. And, a friendly reminder from Mosiah 2:17

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Until next week!

Élder Van Wagenen
God Bless America, Viva la España

Fotos:
1 I am very grateful we have cars, but sometimes the carrying capacity does not quite suit our needs. So, we improvise.

2. Me and my companion rippin' mate

mate is a drink brought from South America to Spain 

Tis' the season...

Hola a todos,

I had a great week! Me and my companion had a lot of appointments with people this week. Amigos, recent converts, and members alike. We ate very well this week. My Thanksgiving dinner was quite spectacular. In our ward, there is a family who lived in the states for a couple years and can speak perfect English and Spanish, and they invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner. We had stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, and a huge Turkey. We had an excellent meal, and for dessert we had homemade pumpkin pie and homemade whipped cream. Dare I say it was better than Costco's. I was truly spoiled this Thanksgiving, and I hope everyone else's was great as well.

It's that time of year again, Christmas! The Light the World campaign this year is awesome. I saw the video while at the MTC, and have watched it again, it is so powerful! I would highly recommend you all watch it sometime, and I can't wait to share it with the people of Spain. It really focuses on the gift of Christ and gives a different perspective to Christmas. So this season, focus on the birth of Christ, and truly how much of a gift it was for us. As John 3:16 states beautifully:

16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

And on a patriotic note, let us not forget this Saturday. December 7th, 1941, Japanese forces unleashed a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor 78 years ago. 2,335 people lost their lives. President Roosevelt said it would be a day that would live in infamy, so be sure to fly your flag and remember Pearl Harbor this Saturday. Fun fact, many people believed that God had forgotten about America due to the carnage caused by the attacks. And although that day was a terrible one in American history, it could have been much worse. Every single aircraft carrier was deployed and not at port at the time of the attack, and the aircraft carriers were the main targets for the Japanese forces. And many vital resources, specifically the oil fields, were undamaged. The Lord is always aware of forces for good. 

I hope everyone has a great week, and a great start to the holiday season. Until next week! 

Élder Van Wagenen 

God Bless America, Viva la España

  Fotos: (sorry they are lame this week!)  

1. Selfie check in with my trainer, Elder Whitehead

2. Our beast Thanksgiving dinner in Spain