Well I haven't written a good general email in a while so I figured I better catch you all up on some things. 3 P-days ago we went on the coolest zone activity trip ever to a MASSIVE botanical garden and nature reserve almost an hour out of our area by taxi. I'll try to get some of the sweet pics in because that's the best way to explain it. One of the tender mercies of Bolivia that made me want to come back more in the future after my mission and realize there's a little more to this country than the sandy city of Bolivia. It was pretty incredible how many mosquitoes were there.... I was constantly doing an interesting squirming dance walk in order to hit or brush off mosquitoes wherever we walked which seemed to work well as I came out with many less bug bites than the rest of my zone.
Two weeks ago I had my second interview with president (we only have one every 3 months with him apart from the introductory and final interviews... so 10 in total our whole mission and they're always too short). This interview really changed my life though.... we focused on various struggles in Bolivia. I just wanted to share some paraphrased quotes from that interview to show just how amazingly inspired my president is and that I was SO meant to come to this mission and be here with him... what a blessing he is. He said that he was just honored to meet with me.... comparing me to Abraham the prophet. He mentioned we were twins 25 yrs (más or menos) apart. He said I literally made his day with our interview....he mentioned that he gets home at the end of the day and has his list of things he doesn't/didn't like about Bolivia or that day just like me as we both struggle with getting discouraged at times... but that he finds his joy in the work of the Lord and doing things just like what he was doing in comforting and supporting me in our interview. I felt nothing but humbled once again in getting to spend that extremely precious time with the best president for me in the entire world who made me feel like his single child. Right after my interview I got to talk with his wife for a little bit and she mentioned that it was a compliment for both President Willard and I that he said we were twins 25 years apart.... and that her and President Willard noticed something special in me from the first day I got here. :') It was exactly what I needed to hear after some very difficult weeks here in the mission.
Recently I also talked with the leading, set-apart missionary psychologist for all of South America about some things I can do stay positive. Boy, it's not all too fun admitting that I need help to deal with some of the problems I've had here in the field... but they really have given me some serious support and help to change my life for the better. Not to mention the theme of my mission this far has been nothing but humility among so many incredible missionaries, many of whom started much younger than me in the mission field as well as living in such a poor country. Dr. Rayside wants me to work on redefining what it means to be successful out here in the mission field... I've come to find that my area is a very diffcult one.... we haven't had a progressing investigator for 3 and a half months now much less a baptism. So I'm working on finding ways to redefine my success and find joy in that and not get discouraged over the lack of that. Also I'm working on some techniques found in a book called Adjusting to Missionary Life that honestly should be in every home in the entire world and has amazing tips for any stressful situation. I'd love if you could look into that and see if you can find a copy or read some. Anyway.... what I've come to find this week is that I am surprisingly making a good amount of success in overcoming my challenges or rather that Christ has helped me overcome.... I honestly haven't done much. Anyway... I'm feeling much happier!
I'd love to hear some feedback on your conference talk review assignments by the way! ;)
We had two intercambios this week! Pics to come. I loved them both.... especially my one with Argentinian (Gaucho as they call em here in Bolivia) Elder Castro.... SO HAPPY and talkative.... LOVE that guy.... what a shining example for me..... high hopes for a companion like him in the future.
This past Tuesday marked a FIFTH of my mission! O.O Wow it really does go by fast.... even when certain days seem to last forever. I'm feeling more like a 20 year old with every day... finding my own joy and happiness, being paradoxically more indepent in general as well as dependent on the Lord. I still pray for, think about, and love you all with every passing day and hour. I think about and pray for you to overcome your personal difficulties, realize the importance of applying every gospel principle in your life with better exact obedience every day, and that you may come closer to Christ. Let me know if you would like me to pray for something in particular for you because I have found greater power in my prayers here on my mission than in ANY other time in my life and seen miracles with that.
The Lord gave us some tender mercies this week with MANY new investigators.... one of which, 54 year old carpenter Sergio Salazer who is the first to complete every commitment we have given him, share our message with his whole family who is gaining interest and reading materials as well now, and has read all the way through 1 Nephi 14 in half a week.... never having seen missionaries before! High hopes!
Love you all.
Elder Van Horne
Please read 2 Nephi 33:3-4 as my conclusion to this email. I can relate to Nephi at the end of his writings here in the Book of Mormon comparing my end of my writings to you this week and every week.
Elder Van Horne
Please read 2 Nephi 33:3-4 as my conclusion to this email. I can relate to Nephi at the end of his writings here in the Book of Mormon comparing my end of my writings to you this week and every week.
My intercambio on Tuesday well Peruvian Elder Gómez....teaches with a lot of power.
A service project Wednesday morning.... I've never sweated as much as I did that day.... my goodness I hope I don't get sent somewhere hotter pretty soon here.
Intercambio with lo máximo Elder Castro.... so funny and happy.... got to be with him for his birthday the morning after (thursday morning) when we took this pic. Gave him a watch and a tie bar. He turned 22. He has 22 months in the mish too. We traded ties too (the ones we're wearing in the pic).
The taxi ride back from the botanical gardens.... we saved a little cash mun by fitting 8 missionaries in one car with a driver haha....
A tree growing right into the trail.... practically limbo for us gringos on the trip....
A sweet outlook tower in the middle of the park....
Man it was nice to get out of the city and see the side of Bolivia I was expecting before the mish. More to come next week. :)
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