This Week Was Splendid

September 23, 2013

Dear Family & Friends,

This week was splendid!

Christy - We had a marvelous member-present lesson with our investigator Christy. Sister Johnson showed up and briefly shared her testimony with her. She also invited Christy over for dinner sometime this week with us and we could have a lesson taught in their home. Mario and Christy both loved the idea, but they're working to get a night of work where they can take their whole family! They didn't make it to church because Christy was watching her nephew and had to return him to Wichita on Sunday.

Richard - had been showing waning interest. So, Elder Evans and I brought him back to his original question of which Church has the authority to baptize, and he agreed to read The Book of Mormon this week and watch General Conference in the coming weeks.

Ruth - We taught lesson 1 to Ruth, one of our new investigators, and we all felt the Spirit so strongly. She expresses some trepidation over coming to Church because her husband is a staunch Catholic, but she said that she would most definitely read and pray about The Book of Mormon! She was also interested in modern prophets.

Brenda - is a potential investigator we had referred to us by a former member of ward who has recently moved. Brenda is a nurse and works almost every day, but she agreed to receive missionary lessons this week. We stopped by to visit her and just gave her an overview of what we would teach because she was curious as to what to expect. We left her with pamphlets for lessons 1 and 2 and a Book of Mormon. Hopefully we can teach her this week.

I Love Being a Missionary! I am so lost, I know exactly who I am! :)

Te Amo!

Elder Weaver

Our Area Is Made Up Of Multiple Towns

September 17, 2013

Dear Family & Friends,

The Ward is TINNNNNNNYYYYY. But we attend ward council. Which was frightening at first because Elder Eliason told me how he used to attend ward council and they would spend half an hour talking about which side the hymnals should go into the slots, but my Ward Council is pretty legitimate.

I drive a white truck. A Chevy Colorado ironically from the Colorado Springs Mission. I drove it all the way from Wichita, which was like an hour away. And I hadn't driven in 3 months, so that was scary but fun!

Our area is made up of multiple towns...well they appear on maps like towns...but they're more like farms with a couple of people living near each one. We drive 30 minutes to get to church in Wellington. We have a lot of miles allotted to us for the car, but it's usually not enough to visit every place, so we get rides from members and ration out miles. Also we have a rotation as to which places we visit on each day (which we are thinking of switching up soon).

I Love it at night here though, there are so many stars, which is more than in the city of Wichita. We teach a few investigators, but mostly we have potentials we visit and less-active members. I am really out of place here, because there are pretty much only white people here. Don't get me wrong, I Love white people, but white people are the WORST!  Everyone is "busy" when we stop by. Black people in Kansas are way more inviting and would let us in most of the time.

We teach Richard who is married to a less-active member Bonnie. We are on Lesson 2 with him and committed him to baptism. He struggles to read and pray, but likes reading with us.

Lancy is a half-native American guy we teach who has been meeting with missionaries off-and-on for 2 years. He has a testimony of The Book of Mormon and he knows the Church is true. He always loves to hear about the Savior coming to America. He Loves the Prophet Joseph Smith. He wants to be baptized, but he struggles to quit smoking and he makes a lot of money on Sundays (being a tattoo artist). So we are working with him to set a goal for baptism and how he can overcome these things.

Mario and Christy: These two are interested in learning more, but never seem to have time to read, so we are trying to help them with that. We had probably the best member-present lesson I've ever been in with Brother Brundage last week. It was so powerful. We are going to try finishing up lesson 1 with them next week.

Troy: He doesn't have an interest in investigating the Church, but he has fallen on some hard times, so we share scriptures with him and visit him every so often because he needs company and we feel that (even if it is indirectly) we are bringing him closer to Christ, and every time I have visited with him he seems to open up a little bit more and make a little bit more progress.

Before I go, I need to testify about the Atonement. It is ONLY through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can receive a remission of our sins. I Love the Gospel. I Love how simply The Lord laid these truths out to those who will partake. The Lord loves us. He is the well of Living Water, a well that will never run dry. We can in no way "use up" the Atonement of Christ. It is true He suffered in Gethsemane, however He is happy and has immense joy when we use the Atonement because it is to that end that he performed that Sacred, Infinite, and Eternal Act. The Atonement was our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's ultimate expression of Love to us. I Love You All! And may we so live as to be worthy to merit some mercy of this the great Atonement is my humble prayer that I give in the name of He who suffered in Gethsemane, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

Also, Mom, I Love You, and I hope you have a stellar week! Please tell the family I Love them too! I Love the Brazilian candy you sent me ;) I am glad Nani and Dad is bonding :) I am glad Ashley is serving a mission, and I am glad that Allison is making decisions in her Life!  I Love You All!

Perseverar,

Elder Weaver

Working Hard Down Here In Wellington

September 9, 2013

Dear Family & Friends,

Elder Evans and I are working hard down here in Wellington. We have been working with a few investigators and members.

Richard is an investigator who is married to a less-active member named Bonnie. He has a sincere desire to know the truth, particularly which Church or person has the authority to baptize. Bonnie appears to be interested and we feel that if Richard comes to Church she will have a desire to return as well. He has been reading The Book of Mormon with us and on his own. He prayed to ask if it was true and he told us that he received the answer that he needs to dedicate more time for reading. He is on date for baptism for the 28th, but he has some struggles with the Word of Wisdom, namely drinking coffee and chewing tobacco. So, we are working with him on those.

Lancy is another investigator. He has been meeting off and on with missionaries for about 2 years now, I think. He is half Native American and seems to be touched by the account of Christ appearing to people in the Americas. He has a testimony of The Book of Mormon. His only hang-up with baptism is his addiction to smoking. Also, he struggles attending Church because he is a tattoo artist and his primary business is on Sunday. We are not sure if the sanctity of the body has been brought up by other missionaries, so we hope to teach him this in a delicate way.

Mario and Christy are other investigators. We usually can never meet with them together because they work at different times, but we got to see them yesterday. We had a very powerful member-present lesson with Brother Brundage. Christy asked him lots of questions and seemed to identify with him because he is a convert to the Church. We invited her to read and pray about 3 Nephi 11. Her and Mario said they both would this week. Their main problem with reading has been making time during their crazy schedules. We encouraged them to read at the beginning of the day, or as soon as possible, to ensure it is done and they still have time to work and take care of their children.

We have been working with a few other potential investigators trying to find who is interested and inviting them to learn more. We stopped by Sister Noland a less-active lady and she felt ill and we gave her a blessing.

Preseverar Ate o Fim!

Elder Weaver

Party In Kansas

Party in Kansas - Elder Weaver & Elder Evans

Transferred To A New Area Called Wellington

September 2, 2013

Attention People of the World: My Address has changed!!! My New Mailing Address is: 606 Bryana Dr., Argonia, KS 67004

I have been emergency transferred to an area called Wellington! We got a call from the AP's last Thursday telling us that I was to leave and had to pack and say goodbye to the only area I have ever known in 2 days! Such is a mission.

I said goodbye to Sister Harris. That was probably the hardest thing I have had to do on my mission so far. She almost cried, but put on a good face for Farrell and everyone else she had over that day. Also, Mom, Sister Harris wants your cell phone number so she can call you? Can I give it to her? If not I understand. We then got a call from the AP's again, shortly after I told Sister Harris this. They said, "Well, now there's only a 50% chance of Elder Weaver leaving, so tell him to not worry about packing his stuff yet, but he and Elder Allen will have interviews with President at 9 AM Saturday morning." Okay then.

I decided on Thursday night that we needed to go out. We were debating if we should or not, because Elder Holbrook wasn't feeling too well. We walked to the hood to find Big Momma, she wasn't home but Ed referred us to Destiny and we taught her all of Lesson 1 and committed her to come to church. We consider finding her a miracle. I felt that my work in Bel-Aire was, or really could have been, finished then.

We meet with Pres. Bell on Saturday. He tells me I WILL be serving in Wellington and interviews each of us separately. Wellington is an hour away from Bel-Aire and President approved me to drive the truck down there (keep in mind I hadn't driven since I have been out on my mission, because normally you don't get driving privileges until after training). I was told that my new companion would be Elder Evans (yes that same Elder Evans I emailed you about)! He is a Visa waiter also, both to Brazil, we BOTH came out on the same day, and neither of us have finished our 12-Week training yet! President told us we will finish training each other! Doesn't the Lord work in mysterious ways?! The reason for this transfer is Elder Evans' last companion (Elder Motes) had to go home for a family emergency, and he needed to be replaced. So, I have to go, but I will write more later. I Love President Bell. He is truly inspired. 

Eu amo voces!

Elder Weaver