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

It Was A Miracle To Baptize Robson

March 30, 2015

Dear Family & Friends,

Mission President Letter

Foi um milagre batizar Robson. Ele tem esquizofrenia e outras problemas mentais, mas ele seguiu o exemplo de Jesus Cristo. Ele tem dificuldades na vida dele mas o batismo vai continuar ajudar ele bastante. A gente vai continuar trabalhar com novos pessoas para trazer eles às águas do batismo.

Google Translation

It was a miracle to baptize Robson. He has schizophrenia and other mental problems, but he followed the example of Jesus Christ. He has difficulties in his life but baptism will continue to help him enough. We will continue to work with new people to bring them to the waters of baptism.

DUUDES! Yeah, chocolate here is half off! Holla! Also, there is a brand called "Cacau Show" here it is sooooooooo gooooood. I'll try and bring some home! It says there's alcohol in it, which might be why it is so gooooood????????? But my ward mission leader says it's not against the word of wisdom, I guess......??? Maybe it's just like the alcohol that's in vanilla or something....??? Hahahahaha!

Thanks for all of that stuff! Maybe Jury Duty will help me decide if I want to be a lawyer or not??  Also, thanks for doing that BYU-I stuff.  Also, could you do me a favor? A few emails ago, I think you said I could also apply for summer term at BYU Provo. Could you try and do that for me?? I don't know if it's still possible. But I would like it if you could look into that option for me!! THANK YOU!!! :) !!!!!

Sure I'll send pictures. Ummm whitey companion?? You mean Americans? Yes, the only time was with Elder Reinhardt, but Elder Branco (as his name suggests) and Elder Couto are both pretty white, but Brazilian. Guys I have to say...it's really weird. I like speaking Portuguese and stuff now.

Yes this is exactly what I needed!!! Thanks. The fan chart helps. But I mostly needed it updated on FamilySearch because I have access to it here. I'll show you my "Minha Família" pamphlet when I get home, it's pretty sweet!!

I am so glad Allison loves her job. Working taught me to Love other people. I loved my job at the hospital. At the time I might have thought it was hard but looking back, it was wonderful. I am glad Allison get's to do something she is really good at.

I hope the Prophets get better. I am excited for my last Conference in Brasil. It is touching, but I am going to General Conference with some specific questions in mind, that I hope to receive answers to.

I wish Bishop luck, and I accept! However, I probably won't remember how to drive when I get home...it's been so long, haha. Dad will have to give me another crash course.

I love Bishop and sustain him. I wear my blue tie he gave me whenever I am missing him or home or Oregon. He taught me a lot during our little time together. I am glad DAD and brother Kahn gets to be part of the Creekside Ward.

Guys, I saw something really sweet here in the Turf Ward the other day. They gave training on Home and Visiting teaching, but they gave it in the form of a skit. It was so well done. They showed members acting out what church is actually like sometimes and showed ways we can improve. They showed a class being taught on how we need to make our visits and it showed two people texting and taking selfies during the lesson. Then afterward they showed how it should actually be. It was really well-done and to the point. They also sang a few hymns. I'm not saying you guys have to do this, but I think it would make for a great Ward Activity. I would call it, "Have I Done Any Good In My Ward Today?" Someone in Kansas told me that. She talked about that hymn and how in order to change the world we have to do some good right at home first. It was really special! :)

I LOVE YOU! :)

I gave a talk this last Sunday. I talked about who I was before the mission, and how I have completely changed. I used to prefer to hang out with friends on Friday nights, but now, the only people I think about other than my investigators and members here are the members of my family. When I think about my life, I think about them. When I think about the temple, and heaven, and eternity, I think about my family.

Thank YOU for putting things into focus.

Let me serve you,

Élder Weaver

Elder Borros, Elder Nascimento
 and Elder Weaver

Elder Borros, Elder Weaver,
Elder ?, and the Legend Joaquim

The Amazing Elder Weaver
"Whitee"

The Internet Cafe

I Am In Rio de Janeiro!!!

Some peeps from the Ward.

March 23, 2015

Dear Family & Friends,

So Robson will probably be baptized this week and André and Laisa perhaps the following week.

I am in Rio de Janeiro!!! (The state, not the city.) In a ward called Turf. The members are super cooool. The first day we got here our Ward Mission Leader, Walter, gave us a ride around town, and showed us the streets. It is suuuuuuuuper flat. Which is way different from Espírito Santo. I feel like I am in Kansas again. It is so weird to not have hills. My companion's name is Elder Couto. He is actually from Colatina.....the same Colatina where I served. Crazy world, huh? What happened is he was serving in São Paulo Sul when we got sick and had to come home. President Young talked with the Area Seventy (Elder CRM Costa) and got him re-assigned to the Vitória mission for now. I am sort of on a special assignment right now...I"ll tell you about it at home (you guys must not like it when I say that, sorry, haha!)

School. Sure. Do whatever you think is best. But I do not want to go to Mtn Lofts if the only reason you are putting me there is Jake and Michael. As much as I Love them, I would like to go wherever YOU think is best independent of who lives there or not. Also, I prefer to room with returned missionaries, ones I don't know. But whatever works. Yes, sure. Do the track thingy, please. Thanks so much.

I appreciate you preparing all of these things for me.

I'll pray for you. I hope you get a job in the elementary again. They always like you there.

L. Tom Perry?!  That's so cool!

May 10th sounds good. Because the first Sunday I get home will be Fast and Testimony meeting I think.

YES, MOM! I was actually singing that song the other day! "It was Captain Kellie in his short-top Wellies in the middle of summertime! He was looking fine! His pants had holes in the knees he was proud as ya please with his ole wellies he keep strolling along!...He was poor but he had style, he made EVERYBODY smile...he wore his ole wellies...like he had nothing to lose! Bahahahaha! I forgot about that one. Yeah, Jake showed it too me.

Yes, I haven't seen it yet, but we got the pass-along cards in Portuguese already. I'll have to watch meet the Mormons with you when I get home. I can't wait. I am so glad to be a missionary.

Thanks for that quote. Today, I read a talk from Elder Richard G. Scott. Said he, "If you are a young man of appropriate age and are not married, don’t waste time in idle pursuits. Get on with life and focus on getting married. Don’t just coast through this period of life. Young men, serve a worthy mission. Then make your highest priority finding a worthy, eternal companion."

Rapaz! Eu sei o que eu tenho que fazer quando eu voltar pra casa!

Translation: Boy! I know what I have to do when I come home!

Hahahaha.

Love,

Élder Weaver