A Great Letter From Elder Van Leeuwen

Hola Familia! How is everything going! Hope all is well in the land of Provo, or wherever you are when you read this email. Let me tell i cannot believe how fast the weeks go by! It is sooo crazy! Like wow. I am emailing everyone again. So that is good! 

Well today is the day that i will find out if i go or stay. But looking at it the chances seem really high that i am going to leave. Because i am in my first area still. If i go i will be sad and excited. Cause i have really grown with a lot of the people here in Coronel Oviedo. And will be sad to ahve to say good bye. But i will be excited to go to a new area, an area where i know the Lord has assigned me to serve and bring more people unto Christ. That is the incredible thing, and what ever mission, whatever area, the Lord has planned this out, so that we or I could be made an instrument in his hands to bring more peeople unto him. But don´t worry next monday i will give ya the update of where i am, and my new companion. what goes down with these changes.

It is so awesome too see people change, and see how peoples testimonies get strengthened when they enrich themselves in the gospel. And strive to learn. It is cool to see that. And to have a front row seat, not only to have a front row seat but take part in helping others strengthen their testimonies. 

Another fun thing from this week. Our branch had a fiesta and baila. A party and dance! haha. It was awesome. There were probably 45 people at the party in our little garage house church.. haha. At first it was slow going but then once people started dancing, and I love it casue the people are soo full of life and fun! It doesn´t matter their circumstances, they had fun! And it was awesome! I wish that some of the stake and ward activities were like this! haha. But i have some awesome videos to show when i get home. They are just funny to me. It is so awesome, how much i have fallen in love with the people. It is great. I remember one of my seminary teachers shared this quote with me, and i love it, i think it is sooo true, and how we should pattern our lives after it. ¨There are two kinds of people in this world, the people you love. And the people you don´t know.¨ I love it, it reminds me of our Savior how his love was so great for everyone. It didn´t matter the person, rich poor smart, or unlearned.. He loved them. Can´t we not do the same. Every person we know we should love them like our Savior would. If we do this we will become more like him. Then when we do meet new people it is equal. Love them the same. It is like the scripture in Moroni 7:48 how we should ask the father with all of our heart to be filled with this love.. That reminds me of another thing. ¨Strive a little harder, to be a little better..¨ This gospel is incredible. Brookie shared a story with me. We have the truth, others don´t.  I want to repeat that. We have the TRUTH. We just need to share it. 

It is my testimony, the Gospel is true, it is perfect, and there is nothing more like it. It truely blesses and changes the lives of people. And i am soo privileged and lucky to be a part of sharing the TRUTH every day. To have this special call to share the gospel with the wonderful people in Paraguay! 

Love you all! Thanks so much for the support! I will keep ya all updated. And thanks for the prayers. You are alwyas in mine.

Love ya and the Fam!

Con Amor

tu hijo, hermano, amigo

Elder Van Leeuwen

A little update

Just a little excerpt from Elder V!

Hola! 

So this week was good. It had its ups and its downs but a lot of learning. In one of the pictures is a massive spider that my comp saw. Lets just say there were lots like it! haha. Muchisimo in this house. 

And this past friday we had zone conference. So that was pretty legit. haha. It was good to see pres. callan and his wife again. But we learned lots and lots and received good counsel from pres. callan. We did lots of practicas how we can improve my teaching skills. 

But we should have baptisms in the coming weeks. So, well that is if i don´t get transferred. Transfers are next week already. haha. We will find out the next monday night if i stay or leave the good city of coronel oviedo.  

Anyways work hard, serve and help everyone!

Les Quiero 

Elder Van Leeuwen

How it Goes in Paraguay

It's been awhile, but here is a recent update from Elder VanLeeuwen! (Sorry I have been a slacker in posting).

Wow this was a great week en la obra del Señor! Hola familia amigos y familiares. 

Hope all is going well for everyone! 

And this week has been incredible. The Lord is working miracles with my new companion and i in this area! We have been finding people this week with so much potencial to get baptized. We are finding families that are like o ya come in a share. We have had 7 people accept date for 11 de febrero. Got to keep on em progressing is the thing. I know we will have a few more baptisms this change. Okay and my new companion. He is From Honduras. So yes another latino comp! I am so stoked! haha. He speaks less english than my last companion! So i should see my español improve mucho! But spanish is getting a lot better. I feel i can understand the peple probably 85% of the time. But still learning and improving everyday.  We were able to find that guy we met in the park last week and we could teach him once this past week. He had to travel this weekend. But he still said to us again i watnt to find the true camino! He acepted a date just need to get back to teach him. I love my new comp! And we are working working working! Mucho! But i love my new comp, we get a long great! Working lots! 

And there is a part member family we are teaching and seeing milagros.  We had a really powerful lesson last night, and i don´t think anyone could deny the spirit that was present. My companion shared some powerful,and then i went and shared something  powerful .How families can be forever... The spirit was strong. It was amazing. 

Well the Lord is working miracles in Coronel Oviedo Rama 3. My companion and i have lots of plans for this branch, and we are expecting to baptize this change. I hope i can stay at least 2 changes with my new comp. haha. 

Thanks for todos! Love you all so much! The mission is blessing my life and it is something i have come to love and love! Hope you all can catch the spirit of the obra misional!

Con Amor

Elder Van Leeuwen

Another week in Paraguay

Hola! Qué tal? Hope everyone is doing well. Quick little short message. I have realized the greatest gift we have, and the greatest gift that we can receive is the Restored Gospel. El Evangelio Restaurado! haha. A poco español por ustedes. but it doesn´t matter the amount of gifts we have or recieve, the greatest gift God has given us. Is the gospel, and the opportunity to live together as a family forever! Those sealing blessings the gospel brings to us.! Just brings so much joy to my heart and ahhh! It is amazing! I hope everyone is striving to live worthy of the blessings that the Gospel brings, so we can live together forever! As pappap always says, I say to all in our family and extended family, ¨no empty chairs..¨ Let us live worthy, and rejoice in the blessing that the gospel brings into our lives! Because it is incredible. I am lucky becauuse it is the greatest gift that i can give to someone! 

Okay so some stuff that happened this week! I did another intercambio with one of the zone leaders again. He is heading home in 2 weeks. haha. But it is always a good experience to spend 24 hours with them and learn from them. The experience they have. Something he told me that i realized i need, is to enjoy every second of the mission. He was getting kind of sad cause he was like you don´t know how fast it goes. He said he wasn´t ready to go home yet. So i am trying to enjoy every second i am here. Also i learned to recognize the Lords hands more in his work. There were just people we kept running into that day, who are ready, who i had the privilege of sharing my testimony. He was like, Elder i learned something from you. I told him he couldn´t learn from me i am so new. The greenie and rookie. haha. But he loved how sincere my testimony was. When i shared it with others. Sao another invitation, i know it is a bit difficult in utah, but any chance you have the opporutnity to share your testimony or the message about our church do it. Everyone needs it. I feel so bad for the people that reject us, and say i am catholic, i don´t need any other church. ugh Crush, i want to help you! haha But any chance you have to share your testimony! Haga lo! Por favor. 

Like i said i am not allergic to watermelon!" I think i have eaten more watermelon in the past 2 days then i have in my whole life. I sit on my bed at night with half of a watermelon and eat the whole thing. They cost 8 mil. Which is like 2 dollars. haha. I eat mucho! 

We have some good investigadores that are progressing right now. Yesterday we were talking to one of them, they are so good cause they always have questions. And he was like, ya, my brother and cousin told me that they wanted to get baptized. I couldn´t help but hold back my smile. We have 4 people with a baptismal date! I am praying each works out and should have more with a baptismal date this week. They are like all scheduled for 7 of january. That is the last saturday of this change. And my comp and i are guessing at the end of the change i am getting shipped out to another area. That is wwhat we think! I am am praying that those work out. But those should be good! I will keep ya updated of course. Yesterday we taught this guy from brazil, he gave my comp and i each a half of a sandia, watermelon. He was way nice and talked with the missionaries about 2 yrs ago. Almost got baptized. So we will see what happens there too. 

O and there is this guy and his family we are teaching, i don´t know but he reminds me of steve martin the actor in 3 amigos and father of the bride. Ha He just looks like him. haha It is kind of funny whenever i see him. i think of those movies when i see him. 

Shout out and loving

Con Amor

Elder Ban Luwen haha 

Another letter!

"If Christ had my opportunities, what would He do?"

That question i put into the subject bar i want everyone to ponder this christmas season. If you think about it, how do you face opportunities given. Would you serve, or would you hesitate to say hello. Sometimes all we need to do is smile and wave. This Christmas season we need to have a focus on being more Christ like. When the oportunities arrise to serve, will you step up to the call and do as the Savior would do, serve with a cheerful heart, willingly and full of Caridad. This is something i want everyone to ponder and think about this Christmas season. If Christ had my opportunities what would he do? Be more Christlike, have caridad! Love and serve everyone around you! 

okay, so a little recap. This week we have little mini naturual disaster here in coronel oviedo. And all it was was a rain storm. A tormenta is what it is called in spanish. So wednesday we were at our branch presidients house, going over a list of inactive members to see if they still lived in the area and see if we could even find the houses. Alot don´t have like addresses in stuff. So we were doing that and some big black cloudds started rolling in. We new we had to hurry. The wind started picking up really bad, like really windy. Mini hurricane or something. The dust in the street is really bad. So we left the house, to get back to the apartment and you can´t even look forward cause the dust and wind is so bad. But i see ahead of me and the street is soaked and i just see this downpour of rain coming right at us. And then it hits us. Within like 10 seconds my whole body was completely soaked. Iike i had just taken a shower or something. Okay long stoory short we get back and changed and go around to make sure members and everyone we knew were okay cause the wind and rain... It was bad. AS a result 3 or 4 houses fell from the wind. Like totally collapsed, i think 1 person died.. Another was rushed to the hospital. And many trees got blown over. It was crazy and we were walking through it. haha But ya it wasy crazy. My comp said that is what the summer rainstorms are like. So i am sure there are more to come. Cause it only last ed like 20 minutes but it was really bad. 

One more quick thing before shoutouts. Okay two. So we have a baptism scheduled for the 24th! She is the pregnant mom. She is having her baby this week! Were excited. Her whole family is member but her. but she is committed and will get baptized the 24th. She has a strong testimony. Okay and friday night, we ate with one of the members that always helps with us when we teach. He served us steak and these big sausagelinks! Wow i felt like i was eating at tucanoes or something. That was how good the steak was. Tasted like tucanioes! haha

Serve others this Christmas season! I will keep you updated on how when i can call ya. They are supposed to send me a report. And i am supposed to get one of the packages tomorrow. So that will be good! Thanks for the love and support! You guys are the best! Love you all. Enjoy the pics! haha. The stories, love work hard in all that you do! Siempre Consolen con el Señor! 

Les Amo Mucho!

Con Amor

Elder Van

Another week gone by

Hey fam! LOve you all! I went with this subject this week because with Dia De Gracias this week it is important to continually ponder what it is that you are grateful for! I know that will be on my mind a lot this week. But i won´t really be able to celebrate it.. Not a holiday here, might have to buy some chicken or something.. But some things i am grateful for..

1. A loving Heavenly Father=he wants the best for us.. But yes he gives us trials to learn and grow. He wants to see if we will put our faith in him.. And turn to him and love him... but if we turn to Him, we will be able to feel that love from him and our Savior Jesus Christ.. They love us so much.. I know he is patient with us..

2. My family! I miss you all so much! You all are the best. Thank you so much for the support you have been giving me these first 3 months of my mission. Not a day that goes by where i don´t think about ya! And glance at the family pics! haha. Much love much love much love! 

3. A great place in and home which we live in. Some of these homes or shacks here i cannot even comprehend living in.. A family of 3, their house was big enough for 2 beds, and a dresser. There was about 4 ft of room from the end of the beds to the front door. Stone floor, bathroom is like homemade outside... Ya.. So we need to be grateful for the conditions in which we live.. I have a greater appreciation for what the Lord has blessed us with.

4. To be a MISSIONARY! Though at times it is hard cause i can´t share and understand and say what i want to say.. I just need to trust in the Lord! But being a missionary is great! I love it! ALways hungry, tired, in the heat! haha But i can see the Lords love in my life and the lives of others. LEarning so much i am constantly studying the principles of the Gospel. But it is GREAT! Can´t wait for doug to be called to the Gran Mision Paraguay! haha

Well those are some things i am grateful for! Now this week was great! Had my first Zone Conference! Good to see PRes. Callan and HNA Callan again.. 

Some new things i haven´t seen before.. We were at someone house teaching, and they have this dog that was all happy when we got there. So were teaching and the dog wanders off, comes back and just starts spazzing! Like falling over, and can´t stand straight. JUst totally struggle fest.. The grandma starts freaking out, get leche get leche Or milk... haha I guess the dog had eaten poison or something, and they shoved milk down the dogs throat.. haha. Took like 10 minutes and the dog was back to waggin its tail.. 

While talking about dogs, I don´t think I like them anymore... haha They bark all night long and are so disguesting... Most of em are afraid of you though.. 

Another new thing.. Got my first paraguayan haircut! haha. That was pretty nice.. Sending a pic, probably can´t tell. But just sending another pic home, of me not in my church clothes in the apartment.. ANother new thing i don´t think we have in the U.S is mandioka.. It is like a potatoe but like sweeter. LAst night i  had mandioka french fries... Which were really good... 

I can´t pray in ingles anymore.. We were visiting a less active member.. And they asked me to say a prayer in english.. And it was soo hard.. haha I cannot believe how hard it was for me.. Just cause i am always saying my prayers in spanish..

Another new, heard celine dions my heart will go on... haha. Weird when i hear songs in english..

But this week has been good. Flew by already.. Yesterday i had my first talk in church.. I spoke about the Book of Mormon and the importancia of the book of mormon.. I hope everyone could understand me and all.. CAuse i just had an outline, lots of scriptures and went.. It wasn´t a printed talk.. But ya, it went well.. 

Nothin really new about our investigators.. Slowly progressing, we have a couple with a baptismal date, but they work so much it is hard to find time to teach them.. We should have a baptism by the end of next month.. The mother that is pregnant who i have talked about, will be baptized after she has her baby.. But yes, things are good, just difficult to understand everything.. BUt things are good, there were a lot of hot days this week, but today we had our down pour of rain! 

Thanks for the love and prayers! Unitl next week!

Con Amor

Elder Van Leeuwen

Another week in Paraguay

Here is another letter! Sorry I forgot to update last week! 

Hey family! Friends! Hopeall is going well in the states! Hope you enjoy the cooler weather while it begins to get hotter and hotter. I love when it rains.. kind of. Why i say that, yesterday it rained from 630 when i got up till 4 in the afternoon. Didn´t stop, and our numbers at chruch went from 40 the week before to 18 yesterday.. Love what the rain will do. Nobody opened their doors all day.. You can imagine it was pretty long.. haha.  Another thing about paraguay everyone loves mayonaise.. they put it on hot dogs their empanadas.. everything.. It is crazy.. 

Tuesday, things were busy.. 

so today i did another intercambio with an elder from panama. He speaks less english than the last elder.. so it was pretty difficult. But we had a really good lunch apt that day. Ate some green noodles and some yummy chicken! And they always serve bread with everything. Don´t konw if i have mentioned that yet. But we walked alot that day, he was trying to find a lot of less actives in the ward. But i had my first paraguayan icecream as well.. it is all right.. Still not as good. But it was a great day.

Wednesday, Elder made me pancakes! They were some of the best pancakes i have ever had! No syrup down here. So i put his comps peanut butter and jam on them! Wow that was way good! hahaha. i want to do that more often! Then my comp came and we went and bought some of the roticerry chickens of the street. that was way good! to be honest i have been pretty impressed with the food here. 

i have a new investigator i love! and he has quite a story.. Might take some time to baptize him.. Also my favorite is when i get to share about the restoration, and joseph smith, being able to recite the words that joseph said about his experience! ahhh it is aesome! that day we taught some cousins, and they were intently listening the whole first lesson.. Accepted to be baptized if they received an answer.. Haven´t been able to go back and teach.. 

Okay i want to talk about our new investigator..  So my comp and the other elder met him on the intercambio.. Lives in a little shack back in the woods.. They met him and he said he wanted to quit smoking and drinking. But they told me he was crying the whole time that they were talking to him..  So but he loved what they taught accepted to be baptized. My comp and i go back the next day, first time i meet him.. Nicest man, can´t understand him half the  time but it is okay. We teach about the word of wisdom and he says he will stop.. But it is gonna be hard. He crys throughout the lesson again.. this man is my favorite! So he is progressing, he went from 20 cigarrettes the day we taught word of wisdom, to 2 the next time we taught. Then the next day only 1..  So he is accepting everything..  I love the man! I got complete faith in him, and hope.I know the gospel changes lives as it is changing his now! 

It got really really hot firday, walking up the hill i had sweat pouring down my face! ahhh. haha The rain yesterday though cooled everything down. O ya, and cause the rain we pretty much just held sacrament meeting.. haha. More dealing with drunks on saturday night. I hate that smell on people when you know they have been drinking.. No fun! at all! But things are well, still learning, trying to be patient and with the language. I just want to understand soo badly! 

Thanks for the support!

Travis!! TD TD TD!!!! YEA BUDDY!!! sooo awesome! Keep doing work! I am stoked for you! Now do the same against idaho! Dad hope you have a good time!

Well everyone thanks for the love support and emails! The gospel is true!

Sweet is the work!

Con amor

Elder Van Leeuwen