April 25th, 2016 - Another Week More, Another Week Less

Friends and Family,

Thanks for those of you that hit me up with some emails this week. Of course now I have little time once again and I owe a lot of pictures to you guys so I'm going to focus on that. I had quite the realization of how disobedient I feel and am at times to the 80ish pages of higher standards we strive to live as missionaries this past week. Our Zone meeting was about exact obedience and diligence. There's a lot of little things that I can improve on and just need to stop doing. Once you get past the temple recommend worthiness, there's a whole world of improvements and obedience that requires a whole new world of Christlike attributes, sacrifice, and love for our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I'm really working especially on my punctuality, talking with everyone I see in the streets, not taking pictures during proselyting time, not using any Spanish slang when I talk and much more. Prayers for help in my exact obedience would be nice. I love and miss you all.

We have our couple, Dalcy Llanos and Edson Caceres back on board for marriage on the 28th of April and their baptism on the 7th of May. Man, I've really grown to love them. I'll try to get a pic with them pretty soon here.

Here's this massive dog which I think is some sort of Great Dane, named Dana. She's always shivering haha and wears this sweater thing around everywhere. She chatters her teeth! XD Less active family's dog.

April 18th, 2016 - Update

Hey friends and fam! :)

What's up!? Barely anyone is writing anymore! Things are startin' to settle down out here but I'm looking more profoundly for blessings and things I'm grateful for. I miss you all so very much! I'll have to send some more pics or something to keep your interest. :j

We have our first baptism and wedding planned for the 30th of this month with Dalcy Llanos and Edson Caceres. They are definitely prepared people. Satan worked pretty hard this past week. Dalcy found out she has some sort of undiagnosed heart problem and they don't really have the money right now to do something about it or even go and do the analyses because Edson left his old work so he could go to church on Sunday. Dalcy still takes notes in our lessons and we have a family home evening with them tonight.

(Everything above is from last week, not sure why it didn't send ??)

Boy I don't know how I run out of time so quickly every week. I owe a lot of pictures and updates to all of you. I really do miss a lot of your emails and each of you individually. I gave a 10 min. talk 2 Sundays ago on missionary work in Sacrament with less than a days notice... getting pretty good at improv lessons and talks.... should help me a lot for after the mish. :j I testify that missionary life is THE best thing in the world. If you have the opportunity to go, please go.... it's so worry free, fulfilling, joyful, unique, and worth the growth that comes. Love you all!

April 11th, 2016 - Conference Continued

Right so I wanted to clarify a little more; these talks can be found at the following link. I invite each of you to remember the importance of referring to these great men with President or Elder in front of their respective names when you say or write their names always, they deserve the respect and should always be remembered as servants of the Lord. I really thought hard during this past conference for myself obviously and for many of you. I felt that there was something special for each of you that I jotted down. I invite you, please, take the time to watch these great apostles, prophets, and leaders testify of the most up to date ways in which you can find joy in this time in your life and come closer to Christ. It doesn't matter where you're at and you're never too rushed for time or perfect to listen to these talks at least once. Love you all, miss you, praying for you.

Love,

Elder Van Horne

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04?HP_SU_3-4-2016_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyL1-A_&lang=spa

April 4th, 2016 - Conference

Hey I love you all. I spent a lot of time and pray thinking about you individually for this semiannual general conference. Please take the time to review these talks as I feel I have received inspiration or revelation for you. Please realize that each of these names should have the respective elder or president in front of their names. 

(People's names have been removed, but this gives you a pretty good idea of the talks Sky was impressed by)

March 28th, 2016 - Classic Bolivia

The owner of our house is way rich from making ceiling plaques as they call them here. These big ol' ceiling tiles, figured my mom would love that being an interior designer and what not. :) Not much happened this week and the internet is really bad today so once again I can't write much and am going for pictures again but they take a long time to load.... oh well, I'll be better next week, promise. :) Um we don't have to pay rent, water, electricity or anything in our house because rich members own it, pretty sweet. Got pretty cold this week, like 50s haha, I had to pile on everything I had, but I'm adjusting slowly. Our ward kind of came together this week to donate blood and visit a 60 year old sister named Eulalia that is the mother in law of our ward mission leader that found out she has Leukemia (blood cancer). We went with the bishop and another member to talk to her husband that has been in bed from a recent surgery to put metal plates in his leg after a recent accident. I teared up which is a pretty rare thing for me to do talking in Spanish with all the chaos that so often takes away from the spirit in our lessons. I was testifying to him about how grateful I am for the trials and hard times in my life, because they make the good times so much better. Been thinking about praying for a mountain to climb because things have been too chill this past week. We found some old investigators that are literally the best I think I've had yet, named Dalcy and Edson. Couple, not married, Dalcy TOOK NOTES in our lesson and they both committed to get married and baptized on the 16th of April so we have high hopes for them. We were a little sad last night to find out that Edson may be going back to his 23 day away and a week at home job that made him become a "former investigator" so we'll see where that goes. My companion and I have gotten along a lot better this week and been laughing a lot. 

Classic Bolivian transportation to church on Sunday XD sorry for no pics of me.... I look the same pretty much haha.... miss you all..... let me know what you need me to pray for, updates, and your personal progress, love and miss you all!