ELDER LOGAN CHASE VAN KATWYK
|
WEEK #101
5/23/16
Hey hey hey!
Man has the time gone by super super fast. It's definitely mixed feelings to be at this point of my mission to where I have a week left. But like always, there is still stuff to get done here. As far as the work goes, Kayla is doing super well! I talked with Bishop Cavasos yesterday about if everything goes well with the Judge than would she be able to be baptized this Sunday. And... He said yes!!! Woop woop!!! Peake and I are super super SUPER excited! So we're continuing with our plans that we made to make it happen. Kayla seems a lot better than last week, and apparently, according to Sister Magallan she's been behaving VERY well. She just did a 180 and has just been acting super super well. It's been super awesome.
On Saturday, us District Leaders, and the Zone Leaders, had a little "District Meeting", but something came up and the Zone Leaders couldn't be there. So who do they call to put in charge? Me. They called me when personal study started to ask if I would be able to run the meeting and come up with a training to do for the District Leaders. Honestly, on the inside, I was like "awwwwwwwh maaaannnn!", But I said I would do it. Definitely an act of faith though cuz I had no idea what I was to do about any of it. So I did the best I could and I came up with a training. So in the meeting, we did a little accountability where we wrote all of the people that we're working with in each of our districts and we talked about their progression towards baptism so we can hit our goal that we promised heavenly father of 14 people for this month. We're looking super super good to hit it! The other DL's have some pretty solid people in their districts that they're working with and as well the ZL's have a few people.
Then for the training, I trained on Spirituality, but I did it a little bit different. Instead of me standing in front of them and preaching, I came up with questions specifically about spirituality. For example, how important it is as leader to increase our spirituality, how it can benefit our "sheep" in our district, how service can increase spirituality and a few others. I just preassigned the questions to a specific District Leader and I gave them all 10 minutes to use scriptures or any of their tools to answer the question. After the 10 minutes, I just had each DL say what they learned or their answer and we just had a discussion over what they said. The training was more heavily based on the impressions and revelations we received from the spirit, which was definitely my goal because we learn a lot more when the spirit tells us rather than someone standing there and "preaching". I also felt more comfortable having the spirit inspiring them on actions they should take and them learning from that because I still don't feel like it's my place to tell them what they should do since I'm technically not their leader. It ended up being a very good meeting and I especially am grateful for the spirit that inspired all of us. Afterward, the ZL's came from their meeting and they asked how the meeting was and what we learned. It was pretty comforting hearing what the other District Leaders said. Good stuff.
I also did some exchanges within the zone with the District Leaders. I did an exchange with E. Andersen on Tuesday and my focus on the exchange was to help him to always have a good attitude and hit our goals for the day. It was a really good exchange, we did end up excelling over our goals that he set for the day and we saw some cool miracles. I was also got to talk with him about his district and how things are going and give him a few little pointers. (side note: his roommate at BYU was Ryan Jenks) Then also on Thursday, I had another exchange and that was with E. Garlitz, the other DL here in Edinburg and that was a pretty good one as well. The focus for him was to just be open and so, as well, I was asking him how his district is doing and what were some of the struggles and difficulties that were happening. So I was also able to help him out how to put things into action and get things taken care of that were going on in his district.
Things are going really good so far. I'm gonna be heading out to another exchange with the District Leader in Weslaco, so we'll see what happens then! But other than that, that's about all that has happened.
Love you all and pray for you all. I'll talk to you guys next week and I hope everything continues to be everything!
~~Elder VanKatwyk
(This is Logan's last letter while out in the mission field. Next Monday is Memorial Day and the public libraries are closed, Tuesday is transfer day, and Wednesday he'll be home. He will write one last letter for the blog when he gets home and hopefully Kayla will have gotten baptized and we can post a pic of that event)
5/23/16
Hey hey hey!
Man has the time gone by super super fast. It's definitely mixed feelings to be at this point of my mission to where I have a week left. But like always, there is still stuff to get done here. As far as the work goes, Kayla is doing super well! I talked with Bishop Cavasos yesterday about if everything goes well with the Judge than would she be able to be baptized this Sunday. And... He said yes!!! Woop woop!!! Peake and I are super super SUPER excited! So we're continuing with our plans that we made to make it happen. Kayla seems a lot better than last week, and apparently, according to Sister Magallan she's been behaving VERY well. She just did a 180 and has just been acting super super well. It's been super awesome.
On Saturday, us District Leaders, and the Zone Leaders, had a little "District Meeting", but something came up and the Zone Leaders couldn't be there. So who do they call to put in charge? Me. They called me when personal study started to ask if I would be able to run the meeting and come up with a training to do for the District Leaders. Honestly, on the inside, I was like "awwwwwwwh maaaannnn!", But I said I would do it. Definitely an act of faith though cuz I had no idea what I was to do about any of it. So I did the best I could and I came up with a training. So in the meeting, we did a little accountability where we wrote all of the people that we're working with in each of our districts and we talked about their progression towards baptism so we can hit our goal that we promised heavenly father of 14 people for this month. We're looking super super good to hit it! The other DL's have some pretty solid people in their districts that they're working with and as well the ZL's have a few people.
Then for the training, I trained on Spirituality, but I did it a little bit different. Instead of me standing in front of them and preaching, I came up with questions specifically about spirituality. For example, how important it is as leader to increase our spirituality, how it can benefit our "sheep" in our district, how service can increase spirituality and a few others. I just preassigned the questions to a specific District Leader and I gave them all 10 minutes to use scriptures or any of their tools to answer the question. After the 10 minutes, I just had each DL say what they learned or their answer and we just had a discussion over what they said. The training was more heavily based on the impressions and revelations we received from the spirit, which was definitely my goal because we learn a lot more when the spirit tells us rather than someone standing there and "preaching". I also felt more comfortable having the spirit inspiring them on actions they should take and them learning from that because I still don't feel like it's my place to tell them what they should do since I'm technically not their leader. It ended up being a very good meeting and I especially am grateful for the spirit that inspired all of us. Afterward, the ZL's came from their meeting and they asked how the meeting was and what we learned. It was pretty comforting hearing what the other District Leaders said. Good stuff.
I also did some exchanges within the zone with the District Leaders. I did an exchange with E. Andersen on Tuesday and my focus on the exchange was to help him to always have a good attitude and hit our goals for the day. It was a really good exchange, we did end up excelling over our goals that he set for the day and we saw some cool miracles. I was also got to talk with him about his district and how things are going and give him a few little pointers. (side note: his roommate at BYU was Ryan Jenks) Then also on Thursday, I had another exchange and that was with E. Garlitz, the other DL here in Edinburg and that was a pretty good one as well. The focus for him was to just be open and so, as well, I was asking him how his district is doing and what were some of the struggles and difficulties that were happening. So I was also able to help him out how to put things into action and get things taken care of that were going on in his district.
Things are going really good so far. I'm gonna be heading out to another exchange with the District Leader in Weslaco, so we'll see what happens then! But other than that, that's about all that has happened.
Love you all and pray for you all. I'll talk to you guys next week and I hope everything continues to be everything!
~~Elder VanKatwyk
(This is Logan's last letter while out in the mission field. Next Monday is Memorial Day and the public libraries are closed, Tuesday is transfer day, and Wednesday he'll be home. He will write one last letter for the blog when he gets home and hopefully Kayla will have gotten baptized and we can post a pic of that event)
WEEK #100
5/16/16
Hello hello!
Well for this week, a little bit as happened.... This past week, we had the three-day leadership training here in McAllen. It was really good! But a little different because it was President and Sister Maluenda's last 3-day leadership training... So during the time of the meetings after president would give his training first, he called everyone one-by-one and he gave them all blessings. Unfortunately, me and the others that are going home with me didn't get one....until our exit interviews. But I heard it was super, super cool! Anyway, the meetings were really good. One thing that I learned that I really liked from Presidents training is about how, "in the times of a storm, that is a grand opportunity to show your leadership and be the example". He went on to talk about how when things get hard, that's the pivotal moment where we need to make the decision and have a great attitude. I really liked that because naturally, when a lesson falls through, when something happens to an investigator, when someone doesn't keep a commitment, etc. the natural instinct is to be upset and "disanimo-ed", but he told us that that is one of the greatest opportunities to let the circumstance define us as leaders and to have a great attitude. Thinking back, I remember at zone conferences when he'd say, "Don't let your circumstances effect your attitude". And how he always tells us that having a good attitude is not a thing of luck, it's a decision. I learn so much from him! What an inspired man he is. But yes, that was the topic that I really liked the most.
After the meeting each day we go an work with our assigned companion and I was working with E. Hess from Harlingen! we had a lot of fun. Especially reminiscing on the Harlingen days.
As for Kayla... something strange happened. So basically, on Wednesday she passed her interview!!! Woop woop!! Then I talked with Bishop, and he's a little worried about the whole situation because technically, Kayla's "mom" Sister Magallan (the member) isn't her legal guardian 100%. But, neither is Kayla's real mom. Bishop is kind of skeptical because he doesn't want any legal issues happening and the church being sued if for some reason the real mom flips out that Kayla was baptized without her permission. So then yesterday came around, and I guess Kayla got REALLY mad at something. Sister Magallan, came up to after church and she asked us who this kid that was sitting next to her was (this boy of one of our members that lives in my area) and Sister Magallan seemed really upset as well. She asked who this kid was and that she was going to talk to his mom because, "he had his head on her shoulder" and such. Then, Peake and I were doing our usual rounds during church to be able to catch members walking around to set up lessons with them and we got talking with the Bishop's 2nd counselor (really awesome guy!) and then all the sudden Kayla comes up to us and says "I don't wanna be baptized anymore!" and walks away.... Peake and I look at each other with blank faces. And we heard her say "I don't believe in God anymore! God is fake!!".... So then we turn to the 2nd counselor and he kind gives us the look like "uh oh..." But then tells us to meet him on the other side of the church. So we go and we talk to him and he tells us the situation that basically the judge is the one to decide on if the baptism is happening. But during it, Kayla was walking around super fast in anger and walking in and out of the church and then she gets stopped by Sister Magallan's real daughter. So Peake and I kind of ease drop while we're participating in the other conversation, and all we heard was, "I don't wanna live with her anymore!! I'm tired of her always getting after me!" So, we have our perception of the situation so we're gonna work from there. Probably a spur of the moment kinda thing so immediately she just blames God. So Peake and I aren't toooo worried. We just need to figure out if everything is ok and then have Sister Magallan get the permission from the judge to baptize her.
Other than that, things are good! The member work is really coming along and we have a couple of cool people that we are working with. But that's pretty much it.
I shall close for this week. But I hope everything continues to stay everything and keep on keepin' on! Love you all a lot and I'll talk to you next week!
~~Elder VanKatwyk
5/16/16
Hello hello!
Well for this week, a little bit as happened.... This past week, we had the three-day leadership training here in McAllen. It was really good! But a little different because it was President and Sister Maluenda's last 3-day leadership training... So during the time of the meetings after president would give his training first, he called everyone one-by-one and he gave them all blessings. Unfortunately, me and the others that are going home with me didn't get one....until our exit interviews. But I heard it was super, super cool! Anyway, the meetings were really good. One thing that I learned that I really liked from Presidents training is about how, "in the times of a storm, that is a grand opportunity to show your leadership and be the example". He went on to talk about how when things get hard, that's the pivotal moment where we need to make the decision and have a great attitude. I really liked that because naturally, when a lesson falls through, when something happens to an investigator, when someone doesn't keep a commitment, etc. the natural instinct is to be upset and "disanimo-ed", but he told us that that is one of the greatest opportunities to let the circumstance define us as leaders and to have a great attitude. Thinking back, I remember at zone conferences when he'd say, "Don't let your circumstances effect your attitude". And how he always tells us that having a good attitude is not a thing of luck, it's a decision. I learn so much from him! What an inspired man he is. But yes, that was the topic that I really liked the most.
After the meeting each day we go an work with our assigned companion and I was working with E. Hess from Harlingen! we had a lot of fun. Especially reminiscing on the Harlingen days.
As for Kayla... something strange happened. So basically, on Wednesday she passed her interview!!! Woop woop!! Then I talked with Bishop, and he's a little worried about the whole situation because technically, Kayla's "mom" Sister Magallan (the member) isn't her legal guardian 100%. But, neither is Kayla's real mom. Bishop is kind of skeptical because he doesn't want any legal issues happening and the church being sued if for some reason the real mom flips out that Kayla was baptized without her permission. So then yesterday came around, and I guess Kayla got REALLY mad at something. Sister Magallan, came up to after church and she asked us who this kid that was sitting next to her was (this boy of one of our members that lives in my area) and Sister Magallan seemed really upset as well. She asked who this kid was and that she was going to talk to his mom because, "he had his head on her shoulder" and such. Then, Peake and I were doing our usual rounds during church to be able to catch members walking around to set up lessons with them and we got talking with the Bishop's 2nd counselor (really awesome guy!) and then all the sudden Kayla comes up to us and says "I don't wanna be baptized anymore!" and walks away.... Peake and I look at each other with blank faces. And we heard her say "I don't believe in God anymore! God is fake!!".... So then we turn to the 2nd counselor and he kind gives us the look like "uh oh..." But then tells us to meet him on the other side of the church. So we go and we talk to him and he tells us the situation that basically the judge is the one to decide on if the baptism is happening. But during it, Kayla was walking around super fast in anger and walking in and out of the church and then she gets stopped by Sister Magallan's real daughter. So Peake and I kind of ease drop while we're participating in the other conversation, and all we heard was, "I don't wanna live with her anymore!! I'm tired of her always getting after me!" So, we have our perception of the situation so we're gonna work from there. Probably a spur of the moment kinda thing so immediately she just blames God. So Peake and I aren't toooo worried. We just need to figure out if everything is ok and then have Sister Magallan get the permission from the judge to baptize her.
Other than that, things are good! The member work is really coming along and we have a couple of cool people that we are working with. But that's pretty much it.
I shall close for this week. But I hope everything continues to stay everything and keep on keepin' on! Love you all a lot and I'll talk to you next week!
~~Elder VanKatwyk
WEEK #99
5/9/16
Hey hey hey everyone!
Happy Mothers day again Mom! It was great talking to you and Tanner, and a little bit to Vanessa (skype to phone) hahah Good stuff.
For my week this past week, things have been really good. Especially with working with our members a ot more. Me and Peake feel like everyone in the ward LOVES us because we're always being fed, everyone always has good spirits around us and things are just going really good in the ward here.
This past week, since the Zone Leaders are also AP's as well, they have given me some of their responsibilities while they'e gone. As for right now, all that they have given me is to do follow-ups with all the other District Leaders in the zone and I'm basically the example for them in me personally and in my area.
I'm definitely in quite the position right now. I'm the District Leader over the Sister Training Leaders who have to be the example for ALL the sisters in the ENTIRE mission, and I have to be the example to the District Leaders in the Zone that's the "example" zone for the ENTIRE mission. Sooooo it's pretty fun! I'm having a blast helping out everyone :) And it definitely makes me feel good that Heavenly Father entrusts me with this kind of situation. But ya! I did follow-ups with the district leaders on Friday and it went really well. I was able to give them council, advice, ideas, etc. to be able to help them out in their district/area.
On Saturday, I even was in a comp study with another district leader and his sisters to help him out figure some problems with his companionship of sisters. So things are going really good in the zone. All the leaders are doing good. I guess you could say I'm kind of a Zone Leader but don't have the title. But I really enjoy helping the other missionaries with the things they do and helping them all have success.
As with Kayla, she is progressing very, very well! We're going to interview her for baptism on Wednesday and after that she's set for baptism :) She's doing very, very good and is progressing very well. I guess you could say so far, everything is going great! With the ward, bishop, members, area, district, comp, etc.
I think the best thing that has happened here in Edinburg is gaining a good relationship with our Bishop. When I first got here, I don't think the relationship was very good between him and the missionaries, but since being here, we always joke around and laugh and I really feel like he trusts us a lot now and it's been really helping out.
Well, I will close for this week. Love you all and pray for you all. Keep on keepin on and I hope everything continues to be everything!
~~Elder VanKatwyk
5/9/16
Hey hey hey everyone!
Happy Mothers day again Mom! It was great talking to you and Tanner, and a little bit to Vanessa (skype to phone) hahah Good stuff.
For my week this past week, things have been really good. Especially with working with our members a ot more. Me and Peake feel like everyone in the ward LOVES us because we're always being fed, everyone always has good spirits around us and things are just going really good in the ward here.
This past week, since the Zone Leaders are also AP's as well, they have given me some of their responsibilities while they'e gone. As for right now, all that they have given me is to do follow-ups with all the other District Leaders in the zone and I'm basically the example for them in me personally and in my area.
I'm definitely in quite the position right now. I'm the District Leader over the Sister Training Leaders who have to be the example for ALL the sisters in the ENTIRE mission, and I have to be the example to the District Leaders in the Zone that's the "example" zone for the ENTIRE mission. Sooooo it's pretty fun! I'm having a blast helping out everyone :) And it definitely makes me feel good that Heavenly Father entrusts me with this kind of situation. But ya! I did follow-ups with the district leaders on Friday and it went really well. I was able to give them council, advice, ideas, etc. to be able to help them out in their district/area.
On Saturday, I even was in a comp study with another district leader and his sisters to help him out figure some problems with his companionship of sisters. So things are going really good in the zone. All the leaders are doing good. I guess you could say I'm kind of a Zone Leader but don't have the title. But I really enjoy helping the other missionaries with the things they do and helping them all have success.
As with Kayla, she is progressing very, very well! We're going to interview her for baptism on Wednesday and after that she's set for baptism :) She's doing very, very good and is progressing very well. I guess you could say so far, everything is going great! With the ward, bishop, members, area, district, comp, etc.
I think the best thing that has happened here in Edinburg is gaining a good relationship with our Bishop. When I first got here, I don't think the relationship was very good between him and the missionaries, but since being here, we always joke around and laugh and I really feel like he trusts us a lot now and it's been really helping out.
Well, I will close for this week. Love you all and pray for you all. Keep on keepin on and I hope everything continues to be everything!
~~Elder VanKatwyk
WEEK #98
5/2/16
Hey all!
I'm sorry mom about that whole situation :/ It'll be ok though once everyone understands and is on the same page and everything. Dad, that's super cool to hear that the missionary work is happening over there! That's quite the good news! And yes, it definitely does feel good to know that I was able to play a part in their baptizing. Especially since they're the leaders of ALL the sisters in the mission, I'm super glad that they can now officially be the example with their baptisms.
"As for me and my house", things are going progressively good! The sisters had another baptism yesterday!!! Starting the month off right woop woop!!! The baptism was the children of Sister Ramirez who was baptized last week and confirmed yesterday. It was pretty funny, the kids, Amy and Jeremy, brought a friend and they were looking at the baptismal font and the friend's gum dropped in the font!! Hahaha I had no idea it happened but then when I was getting in position to be a witness, Sister Ramirez leans over to me and tells me that there's gum in the font, and I looked and there was a giant pink glob of gum in the water on the floor and I just started chuckling. But it was a really good baptismal service. Small group, but it was fine for Jeremy because he doesn't like big crowds. So it was just us, sisters, zone leaders, bishop and his daughter, and two other ward members. The sisters had me give the talk on baptism and the holy ghost without even telling me about it before hand, so I just basically had to wing it. So I had E. Peake help me out and we team-taught it using an object lesson with a basketball. E. Peake is really good at spinning basketballs on his finger so during his mission he figured out how to compare it to the gospel. So we used that and it went pretty well!
As far as the week goes, not too much happened. Our Zone Leaders are having us do the "No Knocking Doors Policy" again, and as a district, we're progressing very well with it and the ZL's have decided for us to do that the whole month of May. So we'll see what happens. Peake and I made some members plans to get things rolling with our member work and to find through them.
As for our investigators, we basically did a "white-wash" with our pool and we're starting from square 1. BUT! Our investigator that we have is named Kayla, who's 13 years old, and she is a foster child of one of our very active members and she's been progressing very very well. Comes to church, mutual, and they have FHE every week so everything is looking really good. She's had a crazy past life apparently. She was into a lot of drugs since she was 11 and her mom basically can't hold a job and lives out of the streets with her other siblings now. The Magallans (the members) got her from foster care and have been taking care of her for a month or so now. They took her to the judge or whatever to figure out when she'll be doing her visitations with her mom and apparently those that knew her that were there said that she's changed soooooooo much already. So now we're just helping her become closer and to be baptized. We had a lesson with her yesterday after church and we shared with her the Restoration lesson. During that lesson, she told us her whole life story just about and she's definitely been through a lot. She's definitely ready. So that's basically our only solid progressing investigators as of right now. At least we have something! :)
As for the pictures (can be seen in blog), the guy kneeling is Ben Simpson and he actually got home from his mission in Portugal about a little over a month now and so he was working with us for that day.
Brother Stock, he works as a Boarder Patrol Agent, but is trying to get into the secret service, which is why we get along super well :) So he's given me a couple of pointers and gave me his workout plan and all that.
The last thing Peake and I laughed about was about how his grandma sent him an email to make sure that he goes to the eye doctor and goes to the dentist hahah And he likes the story of Abinadi.
And yes I did hear that. I saw E. Alonso on Monday at the Mission Conference and he came up to me and Peake, dropped his bag off and gave me a huuuuuuge hug, like a polynesian and so I wrapped my legs around him and he carried me around a little bit hahah My big ol' teddy bear companion :) hahaha
Well that's about all I have for this week. Time is flyin by! I'll talk to you all next week :) Have a great week. Hope everything continues to be everything and keep on keepin on!
~~Elder VanKatwyk