I Hope Your Anniversary Was Special

October 20, 2014

Dear Family & Friends,

Mission President Letter

Essa semana foi ótima! Sérgio e Vanilda estavam na Igreja. Também Andrea e Rebecca foram. Eles tem muito potencial ser batizados essa semana ainda. Vamos fazer tudo para ajudar eles e também Gezieu ser batizados. 

Google Translation

This week was great! Sergio and Vanilda were in church. Also Andrea and Rebecca were. They have so much potential to be baptized this week yet. Let's do everything to help them and Gezieu also be baptized.

I'm glad to hear about your flowers!!! I can believe it! I hope your Anniversary was special. I'm glad their Christmas will be white. I have a goal for a White Christmas. Not in snow, but I would Love to see more people dressed in white to enter the eternal shores. It is funny. Ashley will be freezing and I will be boiling just like Dad and Uncle Aaron.

Yeah, there are a few internet cafés. Libraries aren't really a thing here, so we have to pay for computer time.

I don't know why, but the Zone Leaders didn't have my letter from Pierce but I will call Elder Garcia about it later. I did however receive another letter from my Beloved Sister Harris vesting one of her many wigs. She said she likes the new missionaries. Elder Holbrook is in the office now, so he gets to see her often. I hope she gets baptized this transfer if she has not been already.

That's so good to hear about Jason! I heard he moved to Southern Oregon. Rafael liked Jason a lot.

Yeah, I'm really not sure what it is. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that people are more prepared to receive the gospel, and so because of that many missionaries think they can lower the baptismal standards in order to maximize the number of baptismal services held every transfer. There are other things as well, but I feel like this new president will clean things up. At least, I sure hope so.

I am sorry to hear that about Sean. Yeah, the first day I got here a missionary told me, "Look at the white handbook! It bends!" Qualifications for Baptism are treated more like "Suggestions for Baptism" Here. Preach My Gospel is more of a "good idea" than a manual for how the Lord's Kingdom is to be established and brought to His Children. Rules are seen as restrictions by many people. It is sad. One day, maybe, I will have the courage to tell you the whole tale. But for now I will say, "As for me and my house. We will serve the Lord."

I believe I did make an oath when I entered the MTC.

Yes. President Bell is a Utan. I believe he and President Young are from Salt Lake. But I don't think they knew each other.

Please wish Nani a happy Birthday from me, and I'll try to send something in (Late) but hopefully it will arrive.

I hope Cathy finds something she loves and please tell her how much I love her.

I did get the email from Annette and I Loved the pictures. I am glad the boys got to go to the homeland. I hope Hawaii was everything they hoped. And I hope Jessica gets the answers she needs. I have some of my own I need. I hope she receives the support of our family with following whatever answer the Lord sends to her.

Christmas sounds fun for all of you! I am so excited for all of you!!! Tell Allison I wish her well!

Mom, you already are a missionary! You know how to talk with anyone! Which is what missionary work is all about. The gospel will flow more freely from people like you who show a genuine concern for others whom we may not even know that well. My companion does a really good job of that.

Thank you for that pioneer message. Mr. Emerson may not have been a member of the church, but I think he was an inspired man.

Mother I Love You.

I wish I could write more.

But I send the rest of my emails to Heavenly Father in prayer and ask that He carry them forth to all of you,

With All The Love

From Your Tiny Son,

Élder Weaver

Craziness Of The World Cup!

June 23, 2014

The Mission President Report:

Barbara estava na Igreja uma vez mais! Cleyton, o irmão dela, recebeu o sacerdócio aarônico la também. Vamos trabalhar com eles essa semana para que Cleyton puder batizar ela. Encontramos uma família menos ativa também com uma filha que pode ser batizada!

(Google Translate)

Barbara was in the Church once more! Cleyton, her brother, received the Aaronic Priesthood it too. We will work with them this week to Cleyton can baptize her. We found a less active family also with a daughter who can be baptized!

Also, the mom in the part-member family has cancer and will be going through some treatments this week. I had the opportunity to give her a priesthood blessing. They have a desire to return to Church! The husband works this week and the mom will be having some treatments, but probably the following Sunday they can make it! 

Dear Family & Friends,

I believe it! There are surprisingly a lot of white people here. There isn't one "Brazilian" look. Everything is mixed. There is way more diversity here than I thought there would be. People always go, "Oi Alemão!" (Hey German!) to me, haha. I Love This Place.

Ahhhwww! I'm glad you got to eat your Costco..."TRadition...TRADITION!" Sorry, my District Leader, Elder Strebe and I were singing music from "Fiddler On The Roof" this week and your cake reminded me of that part! :) Yeah, it sounds like Levi extended, you're right. Normally you go home a few weeks or a month earlier.

I have been receiving emails from Ashley! But most of my time is spent emailing President and you guys, so unfortunately I'm not so diligent about reading her emails home, but I will try this week. That's okay if you repeat! We Both Love You!! :)

Italian is very similar to Portuguese, so that would be kind of sweet to go there. Also, I think they've started on the temple in Rome. Or you could go to England and listen to the delicious voices of Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and Ellie Goulding. That's a tough one. Or you could go to Australia! I really loved it there. But that is so nice of Cathy to do for you. She as always used her positions and abilities to bless other people. As I said before, going to the temple with her before my mission was one of my best preparations.

I Love That Talk! Especially that part where he says, "I testify with my own grandfather who said simply enough, 'A wicked man could not write such a book as this. And no good man WOULD write it unless he were commanded by God to do so.'" I will continue praying for Paula. Visiting her is so helpful to missionary work! Thank you for your help. You will be so blessed for doing so.

Unfortunately I don't know what sungas are yet, I'll ask my companion.  Sorry this is short, but I will try and save time to send pictures!!!  Thank you for your thoughts on The Advocate and His Expiação.

Your closing remarks remind me of something I heard in the MTC. I keep it in a notebook called "My Small Plates" as Nephi said, "On these I write the things of my soul..." But anyway someone in that sacred place said, "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are for." From then on I have learned about how we are meant to voyage towards the Promised Land the Lord has in store for us.

Guys, You are The BEST!

Love,

Élder Weaver