Quarantine: Week 7

Hola a todos!

I have been absolutely thrilled this week as I have heard that the overall cases has dropped, and a light in the tunnel has appeared! Spain has also released some news stating that in the coming weeks we will be able to take walks and get out of piso for a little bit. I am so excited, hints of normal life are coming back! Always keeping that positive mindset!

We have been doing our best to stay busy whilst in quarantine, and we have been meeting with members over zoom, which I am sure all of you know how user friendly that app is... But it has been a real faith builder and a humbling experience as we talk with these people. They share powerful testimonies of the Gospel, and how much joy it has brought into their lives. And clearly, their situation is not great, not great at all. Clearly they could have focused on the negative, the fact that we have been stuck in here over 43 days, and still will be here through May, that school, church, activities, basically everything has been cancelled. But no! They focus on what they do have, and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! They follow the words of Nephi, 2 Nephi 25:26

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

We rejoice in Christ! Because... Philippians 4:13

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We can do all through him! We can have victory, through him! And who doesn't love the word victory??? I know this Gospel is true, and I know we achieve victory in ALL things through Christ. 

Until next week!

Élder Van Wagenen 

God Bless America, Viva España 

Fotos:

1. Elder Ireland just decided to pick up this puzzle 

2. Getting our vitamin D

3. Ripping mate and playing solitaire

Quarantine: Week 6

Practicing the ukelele on the balcony

Hola a todos!

If I have my days correct, today makes day 36 in quarantine. And yeah that's a long time, but I have looked at it in a different way. It's really not too bad. I have compared my situation to others in history, and looked at how less severe my situation is. For example, George Washington and his Continental Army in Valley Forge, winter of 1777-1778. In the middle of a horrendous winter, thousands of men lived in tents, often with very little clothing and food, and disease spread around the camp quickly. Pretty terrible living circumstances there. Another example, Louis Zamperini, a personal hero, was a bombardier in World War 2. On a search mission, their bomber crashed into the Pacific. Zamperini, and 2 others that survived, lived on rafts smaller than a man, for 47 days. They floated over 2,00 miles, where they endured sharks, enemy strafings, ocean tempests, and exposure to the elements. Zamperini was then captured, and for 2 more years, endured the tortures of being a prisoner of war by the Japanese, which not many people lived to tell the tale. Clearly, my situation is a lot better than these 2 of many examples. And this has given me plenty of things to be grateful for, and science has proved that a grateful brain is a good brain.

When I was 14, I embarked on a 50 miler in Yosemite National Park, with some of my close family relatives. It was glorious. We walked through beautiful meadows, swam at the bottom of rushing waterfalls, slid down natural rockslides, and summited iconic Yosemite peaks like Clouds Rest and Half Dome. It was an awesome trip, but not all of it was loads of fun. A few years prior to this trip, a roaring wildfire had raged through Little Yosemite Valley and surrounding areas, burning everything in sight. And our route took us right through Little Yosemite Valley. As we got to this section of the journey, we dubbed it the apocalyptic forest. Because truly, everything in every direction looked dead. Like an apocalypse. Nothing pretty to see, and it was a hot and sucky hike to our destination. However, as we looked closer, we discovered that beauty could be found. We endured, focusing on the beauty, and we eventually made it through the apocalyptic forest. I love this example because we will always have "apocalyptic forests" to walk through in life. However, if we look closely in these trials, there is hope to be found, and if we endure with patience, focusing on the good, we can and will overcome anything the trails of life throw at us. There is beauty all around, even in a burnt out forest. 

Many of us may be in these "apocalyptic forests" now, being stuck in quarantine, putting a pause on life as COVID-19 spreads on the earth. However, there is beauty to be found. This can be an experience in which we learn and grow. I know I have shared this scripture before, but I think it is very appropriate. Doctrine and Covenants 121:7

....know thou, my son, that all these [trials] shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good

I hope everyone is doing well, and be sure to look for the flowers!

Élder Van Wagenen 

God Bless America, Viva España 

Fotos:

1. Me and my District Leader, taking out the rubbish, as he says

2. We found these flowers on our backpacking trip last year in Yosemite. Photo credit goes to David Van Wagenen. Look for the flowers! 

3. THE Apocalyptic forest. Photo credit goes to David Van Wagenen. We walked through the same forest less than a year ago on another glorious trip to Yosemite. It was cool to see how much had grown in 4 years

4. Again, taking out the trash. One of my favorite chores!

Quarantine: Week 5

 Just chillin' in quarantine

Hola a todos!

That is correct, we are heading into week 5 of quarantine, but we are seasoned veterans and we know how to survive in piso. We had a great week 4 in piso, and I enjoyed my first Easter here in Spain, so it was a great week!

So yeah, about Easter! I truly love this time of year, April. It's when the weather starts getting great, you have General Conference, and I mean this year was amazing, you have Easter, and come on, who doesn't like April fools??? I love April, but hands down my favorite part is Easter. This has been said in General Conference, and I believe it has been said before as well, but what was the most important day in history. And that leads to a wide range of debate. I mean, July 4th, 1776 anybody??? Okay but in all seriousness, the most important day in history, the most important day for all mankind, was the day 2,000 years ago, más o menos, when the Savior suffered for the sins, pains, and afflictions for every one of us. He paid a price he didn't have to pay, because He knew it was a price we could not afford. His suffering was the most selfless act of love known to mankind, and words cannot express how grateful I am for the Atonement. 

I hope everyone had a great Easter! And I have faith that we will be seeing massive recovery world wide from the virus, from our efforts of the world fast last Friday. Hang in there!

Élder Van Wagenen 

God Bless America, Viva España 

Fotos:

1. If there's 2 things I learned before the mission... The Boy Scouts taught me to be prepared, and my mother taught me you can never have too much chocolate 

2. A mate catastrophe

3. I took out the trash, so we took a selfie. My companion from our balcony, and me down below

Quarantine: Week 4

Hola a todos!

This week was quite an eventful week as we wrapped up week 3 of quarantine. We were able to talk to some people this week, and we had some great conversations about how to find peace in Christ. I also passed my 6-month mark this past Thursday, which these past 6 months have been amazing, and I can't believe how fast it has gone by! I love the mission!!!!! But, the highlight of my week, as I am sure many of yours as well, was General Conference. 

Really, I loved this general conference weekend. It was amazing, and I felt the Spirit so strong as I listened to the Prophet and Apostles. Favorite talk, really is quite hard to choose, however I loved the talk by D. Todd Christofferson. I loved his method for sharing the Gospel:

1. Love

2. Example 

3. Use of the Book of Mormon. As he said, liberal use of the Book of Mormon. Truly this book, the word of God, is packed full of power. It has changed my life, and I have also witnessed it change other people's lives as well. And I just really loved his simple formula. Because as basic as it is, it's works!

I hope everyone was able to listen to General Conference and feel the same Spirit that I did. And as our beloved Prophet has asked, I would like to invite all of yall, to participate in the worldwide fast, part 2. I know this global pandemic is scary, but just as was said in General Conference repeatedly, the world WILL overcome the virus. And if we show our sacrifice through fasting this Friday, I know we will be blessed.

Until next week!

Élder Van Wagenen 

God Bless America, Viva España

Fotos:

1. Watching conference, with mate of course!

2. No bake cookies!!!

3. Shopping in Spain! It's like the purge out here!!!