Homecoming

August 23, 2015

Welcome Home Elder Nate Dirkmaat!

For those of you who missed it, here is his talk he gave reporting on his mission:

Homecoming Talk

A BIG thank you to all of you who supported him on his mission and helped make his homecoming a special day!

Welcome Home!!!

See You in 3 Days!!!

Sector- Lampa, Santiago
Companero- From Ecuador
Carta #99

7 Bautismos!!!

WoWWWW!!!!

I'm soooo excited to see you guys again in just THREE days!!! AHHH I can't believe it's finally come to an end. Seriously. It's sooo crazy!!! I'm so happy for all that I've been able to experience in these two years. Really, it's been sooooooo hard. So hard, but as I look back now, it's been sooo worth it. The feeling that I feel right now is so undescribable, because after the baptisms we had this week I've had the spririt sooo strongly, and I've just been sooo happy. To know that I could help so many people come unto Christ, and take part in the blessings that we have. I just feel so happy to know how much I've changed as a person. I've come to feel the BEAUTY of the Gospel. Because it is SOO beautiful, and I love it. I've come to know of God's love for me. That He LOVES me so much. And that He has preserved me this whole time. And He always comes through with His promises. It's SO amazing. I feel so happy, and I just KNOW that God is happy with me. That's the best part. I feel happy that I came here and that I worked. And that I can look back and be pleased and know that God is pleased. that is what makes me happy. I remember how HARD it was for me to leave on the mission, and how doubtful I was to come. But as I endured through the trials, it became something so amazing. I feel so happy to be able to come home to the people I love. And to know that God is happy with me. I hope I can continue to progress as I come home and continue to serve in this wonderful work. If there's one thing I know it's that this Gospel is true. And that it brings us happiness. It really does, because I'm happy. I'm truly happy. And that God is our father, and loves us truly. I know that these things are true. I feel them deep in my heart, and I have felt it many times. I will never doubt what I've been able to gain in my mission. It's my only desire to serve all my life, because through helping others, is how we become truly happy. Losing ourselves in the salvation of others makes us someone truly happy. I love it. 

I love you guys. I'll see you in 3 days ;) 

Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

7 Baptisms Coming Up!!!

Sector- Lampa, Santiago

Companero- From Ecuador
Carta #98

SNOW in Chile!!

Snow Again!!

SNOW!  Lots of it!!

This week!!!

Well this week was just amazinggg!! We fasted like 3 times this week and it was amazing. Because when you fast, you can feel the spirit, soooo strongly, and really feel that God is guiding and directing you, it's the bestttt! And really we received the answers to our fasts, so that was really amazing. And we had 7 progressing investigators this week, and ALL 7 of them are getting baptized this next Sunday, my last Sunday!!!!! It's going to be amazingggg seeing all of these investigators that I've taught for sooo long, and worked with for so long, come unto the waters of baptism :) It's a great way to end my mission. The best part is that the Sister Missionaries in my branch are having two baptisms that day so there's going to be 9 baptisms in one day and it will be crazzyyy!!!! I'm so excited.

I'm so excited to see you guys again, and finally spend time with you guys!!! Thank you for helping me and supporting me always throughout my mission, it's been the best, and I couldn't do it without you guys :) 

Next week I'll write, and I'll only have two days lefttt!!!!!
I love you guys!!!

Elder Nate Dirkmaat

Miracles are Happening!

Sector- Lampa, Santiago
Companero- From Ecuador
Carta #97

This week was pretty amazing!!! A miracle happened this week!!! We have an investigator named Bo that we´ve been teaching for sooooooo long and he's been wanting to get baptized for a very long time. But the only thing impeding his baptism was that he was never able to get a date to get married to his girlfriend whom he lives with. So we had stopped passing by for a while. Then one day we were in the street riding our bikes, and we see Bo in the street and he yells for us to stop and we stop and start talking to him, and he was like suppperrr happy. And he shows us a paper that says he took out a date in the place where they marry people to get married the 5th of August!!! and I was like whattttt!? Are you Serious!? so we put him with a baptismal date for the 9th of August right away!! My last Sunday. And he was super happy to know that he could get baptized before I left the mission because Iv'e been working with him since the beginning. So that was pretty cool!!! I was so happy! It was a miracle that he could take that date out to get married, just the week before I was leaving, and he didn't even know I was leaving that week!!! crazzyy! It was truly a miracle. 

 Its been crazy also, because we´ve been trying to teach everyone who has their baptism planned for my last Sunday and trying to finish all the lessons, so we´ve been working really hard teaching a lot, and also as a zone we put a goal to do contacts so we´ve been doing a lot of contacts also, finding a bunch of people. I'm just trying to finish strong, and work until the very end, and help everyone I can. It's hard to finish the mission because your like so excited to go home and happy, but at the same time you want to work hard and be a great missionary so its hard!! haha

That Mt. Whitney trip seems pretty gnarly!! Are you sure your gonna be able to do it!? 

Thank you family for writing me, I'm excited to see you guys again just in 2 more weekss!!! whattt its gone by sooo fast!!!!

I love you guys!!!!

Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

Working Hard to Finish Strong!

Sector- Lampa, Santiago
Companero- From Ecuador
Carta #96

WOW, thanks for the long email!! it was cool!! those pictures look soooo amazing!!! That's the sickest scout camp ever!! hahah, Ollie looks like he's soooo tall now!! He looks like a BOSS! hahah he's gonna be so different when I see him again!!! it's ridiculous!! You guys have so many adventures. Thats cool. Can't wait to do sick stuff with you guys againnnn!!! Its gonna be the beeeessttt!! haha

 
This week has been good because we put another family with a baptismal date for my last Sunday in the mission. And we're just praying and working hard so that these two families that we have can be baptized that day and that I can end my mission on a good note!!!! And the families are just amazing, We know that they've been prepared to hear the gospel and accept it. We're going to fast this week so that those families can arrive at their baptisms ready and with a testimony. That would be the biggest blessing to me to be able to finish my mission helping a family come closer to become an eternal family. That would be the most amazing for me!! 

Right now at the end its been super hard for me to not be trunky but I really try hahah but at the end its just hard. But the most important thing is that I am working my hardest. I just want to finish well and work till the end and not give up. I know that afterwards I'll receive sooo many blessings for my service.

My companion wrote me and told me that since he's been home, he's received sooo many blessings and that in the mission you don't even recieve the smallest part of the blessings that await you after the mission. It was cool to see that the mission blessed his life so much. I love you guys!! Pray for me so that I can work hard and finish strong!!! and that those two families can be baptized!!!!

I love you Guys!!!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat

Helping Others Helps Ourselves

Sector- Lampa, Santiago
Companero- From Ecuador
Carta #95

Well this week has been eventful, because its rained A TON this week. Seriously its never rained like this while I've been in Chile. And its been hard to work, because its been raining so much!!

There were transfers this week, and me and my companion are staying in our sector, and were both really happy for that. Because that family of 3 will be getting baptized, probably my last week in the mission!!! so that will be amazinnggg! I'm so excited for that. Theyre super excited for their baptism as well. But the best part about this baptism is that they have goals to be sealed in the temple. That's their main motivation to get baptized is to become an eternal family!! That is what is amazing about this family, because I know that I'm able to be an instrument in Gods hands to have this family be sealed for all eternity. that will be something so amazing for me. And also all my life to look back on the mission and be happy to have gone, and see alll the blessings the people I taught now have. That will be something that will make me happy continually for the rest of my life! Knowing that I could help others, and along the way we automatically help ourselves and grow our testimonies. If anyones been changed or converted in the mission its me. Because I can understand and feel the joy and beauty of the gospel so much better now. Knowing that I didn't even want to go on the mission when I left, and seeing how I am now is a big change that God wanted in me. And I'm so glad that these things will bless me for the rest of my life.

You have to send me pics of your adventures!!! Thank you for everything!

I love you guys!!

Love,
Elder Nate Dirkmaat