Rafaela, Gabriel, and Laura Were Baptized!!!

September 29, 2014

Mission President Letter

Rafaela, Gabriel, e Laura foram batizados!!! Eles vão ser confirmados no Domingo que vem! Os pais deles choraram e eles vão ser batizados também depois o casamento deles no cartório, provavelmente essa mês. Eu sou bem animado pelo Conferência Geral essa semana. Eu vou procurar respostas a algumas perguntas específicas. Também nós ensinamos Eviraldo que tem muito potencial a ser batizado. Vamos procurar novos também. Eu sou muito grato para servir O Senhor mais uma transferência aqui em Cariacica com Elderes Ferreira, R. Silva, e Mortensen.

Google Translation

Rafaela, Gabriel, and Laura were baptized!!! They will be confirmed in next Sunday! Their parents wept and they will also be baptized after their marriage at the registry office, probably this month. I'm pretty excited for General Conference this week. I will seek answers to some specific questions. Also we teach Eviraldo that has much potential to be baptized. Let's also look new. I am very grateful to serve the Lord here in another transfer Cariacica with elders Ferreira, R. Silva, and Mortensen.

Dear Family & Friends,

No, that is Vila Velha, we were just there for the day. Awe thanks, Mom. I bought that shirt at Goodwill for 5 bucks! Steal! I ate a duck egg this week...just thought I would share that with you all. I, too, am excited for this General Conference. I will ask the Lord for some specific answers this time around. That was something Elder Evans taught me in Kansas. It helps a lot. Give it a whirl if you haven't yet!

Thank you so much!!! I would really love Deodorant and Contact solution. I would also like to see all of you on Skype and an acceptance letter from BYU would be nice, but if that all doesn't fit in the box, I understand ;)

Sure, you can go ahead and sign them.  I did, thanks, they helped a lot! :) Yeah, that makes more sense now, because the only option available for application was Winter 2015 which...is not possible, haha. So I'll get as much ready as I can now, but some things will probably not be able to start until October 15th, but I will mark on my calendar and start on those as soon as they are available! :)

That's interesting about the movie.

I will continue praying for Josh. I hope he gets what he needs. And I hope we all draw closer to Heavenly Father and each other as a result of this trial. Whatever Jessica decides to do, I support her. I used to think that when some missionaries go home it is because they are "wimping out". That is not always the case. And I do not want anyone to say that of Jessica if she prays about it and a determination is made for her to come home. She has my complete Love, admiration, and support. As does the whole Pukahi family. Actually, funny enough, the Irmã who fed me the Duck egg this week looked a lot like Jessica.

Little BRUTTTTTHHHHHERRRRR!!!!!!!!!! I sure hope so! I wuvvv that wittle guy!!!

The October 2013 General Conference I felt was written just for me. One talk called "Like A Broken Vessel" might provide insight and focus regarding the current struggles Annette and others in our family are having. Whatever happens, I want you all to know, I Love You. I do not think there is any title more honorable than "Father" or "Mother" and you two earn that right. Of all the names God asks us to use for Him, I think one of His Favorites is "Father." Perhaps the poet, prophetess Eliza R. Snow put it best:

"When I leave this frail existence,

When I lay this mortal by,

Father, Mother, may I meet you

In your royal courts on high?

Then, at length, when I've completed

All you sent me forth to do,

With your mutual approbation

Let me come and dwell with you."

No matter what happens, I feel like the most blessed son in the world. I was reading about The Atonement today. Gethsemane gives us such a good example of what The Best Son would do and Has Done. I hope to be like Him one day, and be able to say, "Not my will, but Thine be done!"

May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You,

Pay Attention to the Words of Our Prophet This Week,

I Am With You,

Élder Weaver

On the Bus

Shopping on P-Day (Selfies)

Our Week Was A Race and Great!

September 22, 2014

Letter To Mission President

Nossa semana foi corrida e ótima! Tivemos varias lições com membros. Nossos pesquisadores Rafaela, Gabriel, e Laura foram em uma atividade da Igreja com outros jovens e fizeram muita amizade. Eles vão na Igreja esse Domingo e nós vamos marcar uma data por eles a serem batizados logo depois as Reuniões. Eles são bem especiais. Vamos continuar trabalhar com Gezieu, Mateus, e Jean. Encontramos uma Josiana também essa semana que vamos tentar marcar data juntos com o esposo dela.

(Google Translation)

Our week was a race and great! We had several lessons with members. Our investigators Rafaela, Gabriel, and Laura were in a Church activity with other young people and made lots of friends. They will be in Church this Sunday and we will arrange a date to be baptized soon after the meetings. They are very special. We will continue working with Gezieu, Matthew, and Jean. We found a Josiana also this week we'll try to score date together with her ​​husband.

Dear Family & Friends,

We found a really sweet family. They will hopefully get married soon and we want to host the party at the Church for them! It might not happen until next transfer, but we'll see.

I am glad to hear action is being taken to take technology back from the Clutches of Satan and being used the right way. I heard a really good CES Devotional from Elder M. Russell Ballard about this. He talked about how we should hold regular personal interviews with ourselves. He also mentioned how technology should be our SERVANTS not our MASTERS. He mentioned how right now technology was being his servant helping him deliver a beautiful gospel message, but how if he was not careful it could easily become his master wasting much of his time. It was way good you may consider using it to instruct the Youth of Zion.

I am glad to hear Allison and Cathy will get to smell the fresh Idaho air! My only advice to Allison is for her to enjoy herself. She is so caring and thoughtful of others that oft times she forgets about the things she needs. Tell her it is okay and actually necessary for her to have fun while she is at school. One of my favorite scriptures of all time is found in Proverbs 4:7 and it says, "...with all they getting get understanding..." She will need to study and be serious of course, but she will also need to not miss out on the friends and fun that will make her stay not just a journey, but also an adventure.

Thank you for your bright thoughts. Ashley and I wouldn't have gotten very far without our Family. You were/are OUR missionaries. We first learned the gospel from you and Dad. And we are your most devoted Recent Converts. Some people say that we are wasting our time, young, and here while we could be in work or school. There is no better way I could be using my time, than in the service of the Lord. There is nothing that is better than the best. And if we lose ourselves we will find ourselves. We are God's "Big Project", His Work and His Glory.

I will send more pictures.

I have made some new friends. It is difficult. I am trying to think of a way to describe all of this when I get home, but I'm sure the Lord will give me the words when the time is right.

Thank you for Your Help in School.

Thank you for who you are! :)

Love,

Élder Weaver

As for me and my House, we will serve The Lord.

The secretaries invited us to
their PDay in Vila Velha.
Elder's Johnson, Silva, and Garcia.
Also Elder's Weaver and Ferreira.

Vila Velha

Vila Velha

My buddy Leonardo

At a meeting we had with our awesome
Ward Mission Leader, Acacio

Acacio showed me a
crazy way to tie my tie.

Elder Ferreira & Elder Weaver

Elder Mortensen & Elder Weaver

We Had A Great Week!

September 15, 2014

Weaver Clan,

Mission President Letter

Nós tivemos uma ótima semana. Eviraldo, Gesieu, Gisele, Rafaella, Gabriel, e Laura assistiram a Reunião Sacramental!!! A gente teve uma experiência bem especial. Eviraldo vai trabalhar durante essa semana, mas Gesieu e a família de Gisele devem ir com o pai Pedro essa vez. Estamos animados pela Conferência de Zona essa terça-feira para receber instrução e revelação.

(Google Translation)

We had a great week. Eviraldo, Gesieu, Gisele, Rafaella, Gabriel, and Laura attended Sacrament Meeting!!! We had a very special experience. Eviraldo will work during that week, but Gesieu and Gisele's family should go with her father Peter this time. We are excited by the Zone Conference this Tuesday to receive instruction and revelation.

Thank you for your help! I'll try some of those out.

Yeah, that was one of my favorite classes. Professor Johnstun was his name. He actually grew up in Salt Lake in a Catholic family, so he knew a lot about the Church and always made University of Utah and BYU jokes because I believe he graduated from the University of Utah. He also did some journalism during the 2002 Olympics held in The Great Salt Lake. He was a good man, and as a missionary you regret a lot of instances where you did not share the gospel as fully as you could have, but you remain grateful for the times that you at least shared SOMETHING.

That is wonderful. What a wonderful way to seek the Lord early! I am not sure if it is the same in Spanish, but in Portuguese "chaves" means Keys. Maybe their name means keys! :)

That is wonderful you got to receive training from Elder Oaks whether it was directly or indirectly. Yes, The Lord is shaking a lot of things up in the mission. I'll give you all of the grimy deets...after I am released and am no longer a full-time missionary, but as I said before let me just say, I could not write fiction this good. The new bishop will do wonders for the ward. We had a good correlation meeting with our Ward Mission Leader and his name is Acácio. He's a stud.

That'll be good to get those little whippersnappers into shape. Seminary will help them. I also heard that after we graduated they revised the list of scripture masteries.

It is funny you should mention that because I was studying about the Salt Lake Temple today, and I found out that The Family: A Proclamation To The World was written, revised, and approved unanimously in that Temple during a sacred reunion of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

I look forward to this Conference, and I hope to receive new revelation and begin again.

Your comments remind me of the hymn Love At Home. If you all have spare time, or you want something good to listen to during work or driving or cooking or whatever you want, I found a reallllllllly good program on The Mormon Channel called "The History of the Hymns." It is a mix of explanation and presentation of various renditions of our current and previous, sacred Hymnal. I cried during a special edition with an interview with Marylou Cunningham Leavitt.

Thank You, Mother. I have been pondering lately on how I can receive and act on and be worthy of revelation. You all might not know this, but I purchased a mini-Children's Songbook in the MTC. I love the song, "Search, Ponder, and Pray." It is a simple pattern, divinely instituted. And I am grateful that I was ingrained, and taught to Love it as a boy. You never outgrow the Gospel.

I Love You All,

I pray for you every night,

“That when He comes we may see Him as He is because we will be like Him.”

Élder Weaver

We Organized Our House And It Is All Nice n' Perty

September 8, 2014

Dear Family & Friends,

Mission President Letter

Essa semana foi muita corrigida com a mudança de casa e tudo mas conseguimos mais lições com membro que era minha meta! Pessoas Principais: Mateus, Michele, Gesieu, e Arlette. Vamos ensinar a importância da Reunião Sacramental para que eles possam ir na Igreja.

(Google Translation)

This week was much corrected by moving house and everything but we got more lessons with a member that was my goal! Matthew, Michele, Gesieu, and Arlette: Key people. We will teach the importance of Sacrament Meeting so they can go in the Church.

We have 2 companionships assigned to the ward (4 missionaries) so, there area is divided and isn't quite as big as it looks on the map, but it's still got a bit of people to choose from. We moved houses finally so; I'll have to show you the pictures after we organize the house all-nice 'n perty.

That's sweet! Maybe her ancestors were converted by Dan Jones. He's a stud missionary from back in the day! I hope she's still in the ward when I get back.

Yay! I'm glad there getting settled and you should send pictures when you get a chance! Yeah, you guys will never get old and certainly not crochety.

That's good. We had some light rain and clouds these days. With a good breeze at night, so I don't even need to keep the fan going which is nice. Yeah, my companion's English is way good! His vocabulary is limited but the things he can say he manages to say with little or no accent.

Way to go, Paul! I'm very happy for him. That would be a fun visit!

That activity is a good idea to teach the standards in For The Strength of Youth.

Yeah, if you could film or at least voice record Dad's voice for the event that would be hilarious! Yeah, Dad's pictures are a blast, and I'll reveal some of them down here to show you when I get home. Yes, use your counselors!!! That is what they are there for. They will be a great source of strength. The Ward Bishopric here was reorganized yesterday, which was way special.

Yay! That will be a great experience for them. Tell me how it goes.

I Love Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. He is a marvelous man. The more I read from him, the more I understand that the Quorum of the Twelve is made up of simple, humble men with an extraordinary calling to bear particular and special witness of the Savior in ways that no one else can.

Thank You for bringing us into the world. No one else can be You or take your place. Just remember that we are really still close.

I pray for our eternal reunion in the celestial kingdom and look forward to the steps we will make along the way.

With Love,

Elder Weaver

Another Week! I Could No Write Fiction This Good.

September 1, 2014

Dear Family & Friends,

Mission President Report

Nós tivemos Jean (irmão de membro) na Igreja! Ele gostou e vamos acompanhar ele na terça! Encontramos Mateus ontem também! Ele é o ex-marido de Rose (uma Menas Ativa) e ele prometeu ir na Igreja esse próximo Domingo. Nossa meta principal essa semana é trabalhar em mais união com a ala para ensinar mais lições com os membros.

(Google Translation)

We had Jean (brother of a member) in the Church. He liked it and we will follow up on Tuesday. Also met Matthew yesterday. He is the former husband of Rose (an active member) and he promised to go to church this coming Sunday. Our main goal this week is to work more in union with the members and to teach more lessons with members.

Another week. Like I said, I could not write FICTION this good...I'll give you the details in due time.

We set the cameras on timer. I am about 2 hours from Colatina and 30 from the beach. Ok, thanks for trying I'll see if a Brazilian can help me get the envelope and do it the bank way. Yeah, don't tell Ashley, but I'm going to send her a gift card in the mail :) it's for Sonic.  A member in Kansas gave it to me. The city I'm in is Cariacica they say it: "kar-ee-uh-see-kuh" with a roll on the r so it's more like 'kah-ti-a-see-kuh'.

Yeah we need to get approval from São Paulo...and then Salt Lake, so we might not move until another week or two. Happy Labor Day! I hope it is a good day of peace and rest.

Tell Cathy there's a clothing store in my area called: "Duda" and I laughed out loud when I saw it because I thought of "Doo-dah-dee!" I Love Cathy and Nani! Please tell them.

That's okay, I heard it said once that a bad day at fishing still beats any good day at work! Hahaha.

I am glad to hear that. Today's Youth need to remember the truth that once was spoken, "...the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteh in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul"

And I can certainly write Ashley...don't tell her, but I found some blue envelopes like the one in an episode of Dr. Who and I'm gonna send one to her :)

No, I haven't. That should be...interesting. I'm glad you fed the missionaries!

Consecration. Something I have been learning as a missionary. I need to lay it all on the altar. Can you please tell me where that quote comes from?

Also, Russell T. Osguthorpe gives a good picture of surrendering our will to The Lord in a CES Devotional he gave some time ago.

I Love You All, I am not the same, Behold, I am Élder Weaver, I seek not for power, but to pull it down (see Alma 60:36)

Your Son,

Élder Weaver