I'M BACK!!!!!

Last Letter On My Mission

The Last Email Before I Come Home!

April 20, 2015

I'm packing my bags and
getting ready to handcart it home.

 To The Best Family In The Universe,

Well, this will probably the last email before...DUN DUN DUNNN! My funeral! Hahahaha, as it is called.

I liked all of those adjectives, Mom. I'm not gonna lie I am pretty joyful, too! "I'm just jazzed about being on the show, man!"

Heavenly Father has been so good to me.

Today, on my last P-Day, my companion and I will go shopping. Probably Elder Knudson and I as well. (We live in the same house). Yeah, I can look up those items for you. Yes, I've had just about all of them! :) Tell Brother Jenkins that they recently released a "Guaraná Black" that's infused with açaí! It's dang good, not gonna lie.

Thanks! I'll use that to prepare for my talk.

Hahahaha! Yeah, I'll show you the shoes when I get home. But the shirts I'll probably leave there. My suit has lasted because, well, I haven't used it that much.

Thanks for sending that talk. I read part of it at Flavia's house after we ate lunch.

I'll share more when I get home, but just to give you a taste, here are some things I learned on my mission:

Truth coming out of the Earth.

We must do the will of the Lord.

We must never seek the honors of men.

Charity NEVER faileth.

Sometimes it's okay to not be perfect.

Trees From Troy,

Talent from Boney,

Alvin's dog with the mixed eyes.

Gabby's faith.

Trainings from Elder Holbrook.

Laughs with Elder Chun.

Sister McKay inviting Sister Harris to be baptized.

Bleeding knuckles, so I decided to start knocking doors with a golf ball. 

Drives with Bishop.

Lessons from President Bell.

Even after all this time, I reflect on Kansas.

Growth amidst the storm.

President Steveson once told me, "The Lord isn't as concerned about your geography as He is about the direction in which you are heading."

That was something that kept popping up throughout my mission.

And from President Wilder, "Your mission is not about you, but a part of it is determined by your unique influence. 

Don't forget to be Austin as well as Élder Weaver."

Jarbes and his attentive questions during the lessons.

The kids, just like ours,

2 girls and one boy,

and later the parents were baptized, too.

And He received the Melchizedek Priesthood.

I am not bragging, I am just so glad that the Lord saw fit to include me in this process.

Imperfect as I am,

like Dad letting me hold the flashlight as he did the heavy lifting,

Heavenly Father let me "hold the flashlight" so to speak,

as I served His children,

and He did the heavy lifting.

Or perhaps going to Vitória with Elder R. Silva and the good feeling we got after.

Then there was also Joaquim.

Elder Sewell and his timeless advice.

Hugs from tall Elder Stilson.

Guys, of all these things that have happened,

I feel perhaps the most changed by my mission.

Here, pretty soon I'll be "On My Way Back Home" I'll grab the first plane home (Imogen Heap reference). 'Cause I'm leaving...LEAVIN'! Onna Midnight Plane To Georgia! Hahahahaha!

I feel like David Tennant when he morphed into Matt Smith going from Doctor 10 to 11, "I DON'T WANT TO GO!" Well, I do want to see you all, very much. But, eu sei que a saudade vai bater forte.

I Love You More than Mint Oreos, I Love You More Than The Doctor Loves The Tardis, and I Love You More Than I Love Legos.

"And of all these things I've done, I will Love You better now!" "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran

And I will Love My Heavenly Father better now!

When Adventure's Lost Its Meaning...I'll Be Homeward Bound In Time.

(The Mormon Tabernacle Choir)

LOVE,

Your Son, Brother, Nephew, Cousin, Trustworthy Servant and Faithful Friend,

Élder Weaver

Guys, I Had A Super Sweet Experience

April 13, 2015

Oh Família & Friends,

Mission President Letter

Afonso e Marcos Vinícius vão ser batizados dia 19! Também Jaqueline e Marcilene tem datas marcadas por dia 26. Vamos esforçar o máximo possível fazer nossa parte. Obrigado por tudo.

Google Translation

Afonso and Marcos Vinicius will be baptized 19! Also Jaqueline and Marcilene has scheduled dates by day 26. We will strive as much as possible to do our part. Thanks for everything.

Hahaha, no not exactly there's more to tell you! But how did he send it?! Was it in the mail or email? You guys know me; I don't like talking about myself.

Guys. I had a super sweet experience. I was sitting in my room, studying, and I listened to some talks I had missed from the Conference. I listened to the smooth voice of our beloved prophet and he shared an experience of a full-time missionary that although he may have been speaking of someone else, I felt that he was speaking exactly and directly to me. I Love How The Spirit Works! :) It was during his talk on Temples.

I am glad y'all had a good time!

There will be a lot for me to catch up on. I thought of the song "Lead, Kindly Light" when it says, "Those angel faces smile, whom I have Loved, long since and lost a while."

Well, Elder Holbrook is probably getting ready to go back to Utah State? I think it is. The Aggies. And Elder Branco sent me some pictures of him and his fiançé. And Elder Chun will come home just about one transfer after me.

No, I have not been to a hospital here, which is a big blessing from our Heavenly Father!

The work is going good. We decided to work closer to the chapel to bring more people to church. I tried sending pictures last week, but it didn't work! I'll try again, though.

Thanks! Sounds good, I look forward to receiving my new speaking assignment.

I wish I could send more, but I just want all of you to know I Love you.

Heavenly Father really does want the best for us.

Love,

Élder Weaver

Conference Was Sweet!

April 6, 2015

Dear Family & Friends,

Mission President Letter

Elder Couto e eu somos muitos gratos trabalhar aqui! Essa semana a gente achou um abrigo com bastante jovens com potencial serem batizados. Um já tem data, Afonso, e os outros vamos continuar ensinar e ajudar. Obrigado por tudo.

Google Translation

Elder Couto and I are many grateful to work here! This week we found a shelter with very young people with potential to be baptized. Have a date, Afonso, and the other will continue to teach and help. Thank you for everything.

Conference was sweet! We missed a few talks, but what we saw was awesome! We brought some kids from the orphanage, and the YM President is thinking about adopting one of them.  They talked so much about MARRIAGE!!! Hahahahaha. I came to Conference with a few personal questions of things I want to improve in my life and they were all answered.

Woah. Sounds like a hassle! Hahaha. Thanks for going through all of the trouble. I will decide all of this stuff when I get home, but I will for sure be there to get Ashley. So, I'll be a freshman taking junior classes?? Cool! I'll talk with student counselor to get this all straightened out when I get home, haha.

YESSS! Tradition...TRADITION!!! Overacting is the best! Speaking of old movies I wanna watch Casablanca in Portuguese when I get back to practice up my foreign tongue. I still need to watch Ben-Hur all of the way through as well.

I am glad you will get to be with friends again!

"But then she said she can't believe...That genius only comes along in storms of fabled foreign tongues...Dripping eyes and flooded lungs. Northern Downpour sends its Love!"

Also, I've been having crazy dreams. I had a dream the other night that I was back home but I couldn't be released for another week because President Wilder was on vacation!! Hahahaha! :)

As for the looking tired, I will give you the full scoop when I get home, To be honest I am very tired, but that is only because I want there to be nothing left when I get home. I want to give it all that I can muster. I want to finish the race with nothing undone. But there is nothing to worry about. I promise everything will be all right. I am eating well. The members are nice here. Today our Ward Mission Leader will show us around town perhaps to look at the beach (but not to go in it) hahaha. We got permission from President to leave our area. Should be cool!

The tall one? That would be Elder Stilson. I am not sure how many feet but he is more than 2 meters tall!!!

Yes, it is cooler here. I Love RIO I know it's not the city, but the state seems really well organized.

Hahaha, thanks Mom. To be honest we wing it a lot of the time! I think I've given about 5 talks throughout my mission. The ole shoot from the hip!

I still have to listen to President Monson's talk, but I downloaded it. I loved President Packer's talk on "A kiss and a cookie!" It was nice to watch conference this time and understand just about everything that was said in Portuguese. I cried when Sister Burton showed the photos of the Prophets and their spouses.

Thanks for the quotes from President Monson and Mother Teresa. I was reminded of this passage in The Book of Mormon:  
3Nephi 18:24 "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up--that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed."

He is the light we are to hold up.

I'll eat more Cacau Show!

Love,

Élder Weaver