Ecuador...Ecuador...Ecuador...

I have been learning as much as possible about Ecuador, the religions people believe, and learning new Spanish words and phrases already. I created a banner for my blog and wanted to post it. I got the ideas of what I wanted to include from other Sister Missionary blogs!

The background is the Guayaquil flag, the image on the left of me is from my missionary photo shoot, the scripture in the middle is one of my favorites, and the image on the right is of the Ecuador Temple from lds.org. I incorporated the three stars on the top as they are part of the Guayaquil flag.

I am loving what I have learned so far about Ecuador.

Hermana Weller

I GOT MY MISSION CALL

Yesterday showed me what true PATIENCE is! I was at work when my mom told me that my mission call was the in mail box and that was at Noon. She said the package was thick and that she tried to hold it up to the sun to see through it. What a NERD. :) I still had to work until 3 PM and then had an appointment that went until 6PM. I wanted my entire family to be there so I had to WAIT until 9 PM so they could all make it home from work and school. So I waited by myself and just stared at the white envelope from Salt Lake City. I keep joking with myself that I could just open it and then reseal it but that wouldn't have been as much fun.

8:45 PM came around and I started getting anxious and had to call everyone who I invited to see if they were on their way.

9:00 PM We were all sitting around the living room at my parents house with my entire family, Bishop, and my friend Brooke. My best friend Natalie lives in Salt Lake but she was sick  and wasn't able to join us via phone. I shared the news with her today though!

Here is what my mission call letter said!

Dear Sister,

You have hereby been called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the Equador Guayaquil West Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Peru Missionary Training Center...You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish Language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

Sincerely,
Thomas S. Monsoon
President

I was so excited to get a letter not only from the prophet but also a calling directly from the Lord. I know I will love Ecuador and the people that I will get the opportunity to serve. I'll post more later but for now here is my mission call video in case you wanted to see it :)

Love
Hermana (Sister) Weller

Be BOLD...Every one can be a missionary

...BE BOLD...PRAY...HAVE FAITH...

Earlier this week I had a blessing from my home teacher (he is awesome). Lately I have had a lot of blessing which has helped me feel comfort, peace, courage, boldness, and has extremely strengthened my testimony. So, this week I have been working on being more BOLD.  I know that I LOVE the Gospel, My Heavenly Father, and my testimony! 

In the past I have never been one to freely share my testimony. I have always kept it close to me almost like my feelings on political issues. If you are like me with politics  I have ideas and my belief on what I think should happen, but so does everyone else and I really only debate politics with close family members or best friends. In a way I did the same with my testimony. People in general are very passionate about both subjects! So in the past, I have just steered clear of any conversations unless I felt that I needed to share. Yesterday was totally different though I was able to share what I believe and know is true with two people!

The first person I shared with was a co-worker, who I have been friends with for almost 9 years. Religion has never been a topic we have talked about because we normally chat about sports, his kids, his wife, and how our weekend were. So, yesterday we had the opportunity to chat and I told him that I was planning on taking time off to spend time focusing on family and church. That was followed up with what church do you belong too? I was so PROUD to say I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS)! He then told me his in-laws are LDS and he loves the LDS people. I'm hoping we can talk more about religion the next time we speak.

The second person I spoke with was with my massage therapist. After work, I went to a massage appointment and while at my appointment I was talking about what I was planning on doing next in life, I told her I was going to serve a mission, she then told me that her Grandmother is LDS and that she takes her to Salt Lake City every year for two weeks to go the Family History Library and work on Genealogy. We then talked for over an hour about the importance of Genealogy and where our families come from! I was also able to invite her to take her Grandmother to the Portland Temple Visitors Center, which she is going to do this coming month.

It was so awesome to share information about the church and I felt great doing it. Sometimes sharing doesn't mean telling someone your testimony or handing them a Book of Mormon and telling them they should read it, it's the best book on Earth. Sometimes its just about PLANTING A SEED.

Everyone can be a missionary! You just have to pray daily for a missionary experience and have LOVE for everyone you meet! Love always, Sister Weller

Side Note: I am still waiting for my official mission call from Salt Lake. I should get it today or tomorrow at the latest!

My application is on it's way to Salt Lake City!

On Easter Sunday I meet with my bishop for the first to two interviews to see if I had meet all the requirements of my Missionary Application and to discuss my worthiness to be a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I was so excited and thankful that the Bishop gave up time with his family on Easter to meet with me. After weeks of frustrating doctor's appointments and dental visits I was just waiting for all the paperwork to finally come in. When it did I couldn't wait to meet with the Bishop.

After my appointment with the Bishop the next step was setting an appointment with the Stake President (who is over our entire area), the only issue was that my doctor's had missed marking a check box and filling in a specific number on the Medical Evaluation Form. So on Monday last week I called and setup an appointment to meet with my Doctor on Tuesday. I was running a fever all week and accidently slept through my doctor's appointment so I had to re-schedule for Thursday. Luckily it's a small local doctor's office and not Kaiser. I finally got the form updated and sent it to the Stake President's office.

I am super excited that I had my appointment today on 4/8/13 with the Stake President, which means my paper work will be sent to Salk Lake City this week!

Next, it's just a waiting game...

Here are some photos of tonight! I can't stop smiling!

Waiting for my appointment. I kind of look scared. I'm not going to lie!

My amazing mother and I outside the Stake Center!

Where in the world will I be assigned?

So last week on Monday night my Stake President sent my missionary application to Salt Lake. As of Saturday night my application still had not been reviewed so that means I have two more weeks of waiting. I am still really excited but can't wait to find out where I will be serving, when I report, and if I will get to learn a second language. I'm so anxious. Everyone keeps asking where I want to be assigned. So here's my answer...

East Coast of the US, Canada, the UK, or Europe, or really anywhere I have not been before. (That's pretty much anywhere east of Kentucky). It would also be really awesome if I finally learned Spanish. 

I have no idea where I will actually go but I am 100% sure that the Lord has a plan for me and where I will be assigned. I trust him and I trust that he will assign me where I am needed. I can't wait to find out where that is! 

In the mean time while I wait out the next two weeks. Yes, that's two weeks! Where do you think I'll be assigned? Comment below.  

http://www.mapsofworld.com/

If you are not sure which missions are currently operating...check out the entire list here! Or do you think it will be one of the newest missions? Click here for a list of the newest 58 missions.

Temptations & Distractions

Since deciding to start my missionary papers I have noticed as the Bishop warned that Satan is tempting me to let the little things slide. I have found myself justifying things that a month ago I wouldn't have even watched or listened too. I let my guard down and now I feel the guilt of allowing myself to indulge in his temptations. You're probably wondering what I am even talking about, it is nothing catastrophic but it's "the little things that add up...to the big things":

• Choosing to sleep in or stay up late at night to catch my favorite TV shows instead of reading my scriptures
• Listening to Pandora instead of Mormon Radio
• Watching TV shows that use bad language and suggestive thoughts/language/action instead of changing the channel or turning off the TV.
• Rushing through my prayers
• Letting the rush of life and other commitments keep me from going to the Temple

All of these little things have caused  me to be less spiritual the last couple of weeks. I prayed today that I would have the renewed strength and courage to refocus my time and activities throughout the day. It is so easy to let the little things slide but I'm glad that I have recognized Satan's temptations and am working back towards brightening my spiritual beacon! 

I need to fend off the Natural Man as described in Mosiah 3:19:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticing of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

I need to continue my journey towards becoming the best missionary I can be. Prepared emotionally, spiritually, and physically!

Every day is a battle, it takes action to pick the the best choice and choose the right.