Alo everybody!
Well Zach is finally feeling like a man! He is growing each and every day and is being prepared for life beyond his mission. It is incredible to see the change he is going through for the better (as if I could ever think he could grow into a better person than he was). This is his last week for this area. Crazy right? It seems like he has just loved it in Victoria. All the people have been so inspirational and funny to hear about. But we need to hear about more grandmas in different places, so he must move on. He has heard rumors from other missionaries that he will be transferred and will become a trainer! That went by fast, now hes the big guy in the field! A proud papa he will be. Isn't that great, that the only gossip in the mission field for him is about his transfer information? How scandalous!
He has accomplished a lot in his current area. Do you remember the grumpy grandma with the yappy dogs? (refer to earlier blog posts for the story) She and her daughter, who were previously inactive, have been to church the last 11 Sundays in a row! He has loved to see them grow in the gospel and become more active in the church.
Zach was super excited last week to receive a letter from our little brother Nick. If you know our family, Nick is a boy of few words, and given our family dynamic of sarcasm, that is usually what our conversations consist of. So this was a big deal and it was really special for Zach to get this letter from Nicky. In this letter, Nick wrote about reading and finishing The Book of Mormon for the first time, and the difference he saw in his life after achieving that. Zach testified of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon and that it can guide us and give us great examples to follow in our days on earth.
Elder Van Pelt is getting his allergies, just in case you were wondering, "hey I wonder if Zach is getting his allergies?" Chile is on opposite seasons than us, so as we enter winter, Chile is just entering their spring season. Hence the sneezy missionary man. The sneezing didn't stop this guy though, he went and got some medicine, then went straight back to work.
Its been a while since I put an excerpt from Zachs letter on here so I am going to do that now. I read this and it just really touched my heart. It truly is such an amazing thing that he is out doing and he can definitely see the blessings that are coming from serving his brothers and sisters in Chile.
"What life's really all about:
I was around the dinner table with familia Sanchez as we were having our Sunday almuerzo. I was watching everything happen as I saw the 3 girls laughing and playing, and the mom and dad cracking jokes, smiling and having fun. The thought came to me as I sat there next to my companion eating noodles and chicken in a Chilean house in Victoria, this is what life's really all about. I had a sweet confirmation of why i'm doing what i'm doing. I want others to have the joy of the gospel. I want to help in this great cause to help people receive the blessings of the gospel and temple so they can live as an eternal family. I may not be making a lot of sense right now but I want people to have those moments, like I had, when we just stop, think and say to ourselves, wow this is awesome. The gospel gives us joy and I see it in action every day around me."
I would say that is a pretty great way to end this weeks post. Hasta luego amigos!
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