Sunday, July 28, 2013

Help the Missionaries!

I don't even know where to start this post but our Ward finally got SISTER MISSIONARIES and they are Spanish Speaking. What a blessing for our ward and stake. When the new mission presidents were sent to their areas, our Spanish Branch was moved to a different Stake, so we lost our spanish branch. :(

Since then we gained two fabulous spanish speaking missionaries. They called me today after church and asked if I could go with them on a few appointments today. I was so excited to go even though my spanish is broken to say the least. The first appointment ending up falling through because only one of the two people were there. The father only spoke spanish so I helped translate the few words and sentences that the sister missionaries did not know. It made me realize that I need to know a lot more spanish but I was also amazed at the words I remembered. 

The second appointment was with a member and since the missionaries are new in the area we did a "Get to know you" visit where we just learned more about the member. It was really cool how the missionaries LISTENED and shared their own experiences and then also tied it into a Spiritual Thought. 

The third appointment was also with a member and we got to know her as well. I felt the spirit so strong speaking with her about her family. Her goal is to go to the temple with her husband and be sealed and to continue to do family history work. I was able to share some experiences about my family going to the temple together and preparing family names for family history.

I am so grateful for the Lord and that he has sent our area sister missionaries that I can go on missionary visits with. It is such an experience, if you have not gone on out with the missionaries yet, you need too. They will be so grateful for the "Joint Teach" (member missionary present during a lesson).  

What I learned today:
  • Learn how to listen and stay attentive (the sister missionaries were both tired)
  • Find a way to tie the discussion back into the lesson by sharing a story
  • Always keep an eye on the time, so you are not horribly late to your next appointment
  • Carry your "area book" with you so if an appointment falls through you know where to go next
  • Keep your planner up to date for the same reason
  • Have a scripture or two memorized for each major topic (atonement, prophets, modern day revelation, repentance, sacrament, sabbath day, word of wisdom ect), this helps a lot during the discussions so that you can easily flip to the scripture and share it.
  • Ask members questions to keep the conversation going
  • Always relate your experiences back to the  members so that they know you are listening
Tips from the Sister Missionaries:
  • Pray before each visit, today we prayed in the car, next to the car, and outside next to the apartment, pray for the spirit and to know what to say.
  • Memorize your scriptures for each topic!
  • Be prepared (always have your scriptures, Book of Mormons, pamphlets, pass along cards, and memorize your number to give out).
  • Write your name and number on the back of a pass along card, to pass to people you track into, members, ect.
Hope this helps!

Hermana Weller

Sunday, July 21, 2013

8 weeks until I leave for the MTC

8 weeks and 4 days until I leave for the MTC...that is 103,680 minutes or 6,220,800 seconds...time is just flying by.

It has been 30 days since my last blog post and not a lot has changed. I am still waiting...studying PMG...praying...having fun...and loving spending time with my family.

It's half way through the summer and I have been camping with my family out at the coast and it just keeps reminding me of how fast the summer will be over and then it will be FALL. When I first got my mission call I had 5 months to wait and now it's down to 2!

I have all of my clothes, shoes, and jackets purchased! There were by far the most expensive items on the list.

I am now working on purchasing all of the little things, like shampoo, conditioner, and supplies to last my stay for 6 weeks at the MTC. Shopping is by far one of my favorite things to do, I love finding deals, and getting things on sale but buying stuff for my mission has been almost bitter sweet. I am buying items that will last me 18 months while I am away in a different country.

I have never been away from my family for more than 2 weeks at a time. We are so close and practically see each other a couple times a week. I talk to my mom and sister every day on the phone so I don't know what I am going to do when I am gone. I hope that I will just be able to stay so busy I don't think about all of the little things I'll miss.

I am so grateful that I have had TIME to spend with my family. Tonight as I wished another friend his farewell for the next two years it just reminds me of how in 2 months I will have my own farewell. I will be the one everyone is wishing luck too and the one everyone hugs. I can't wait to leave on my mission but I hope that I will be able to enjoy every last second with my family and friends.

In the next 30 days I will experience changes...I will be leaving my job of 8 years so I can focus on studying for my last month and i'll be able to spend even more time with family. I will be getting ready for a trip to California, then I'll head to Salt Lake City for a week, then I'll be back home to go camping on the coast. My summer has been fun and I am getting more things checked off my bucket list of things I'd like to do before my mission.

Time will fly by now instead of crawl at a turtle pace and I will be so happy to leave on my mission and change my life as well as the people I will come to love in Ecuador.

I know that what I am doing is the right thing for me right now and I can not wait to experience this next chapter in my life. I love the Gospel, I love the peace it brings in my life, and I am proud to say I AM A MORMON and a DAUGHTER OF MY HEAVENLY FATHER.

Love Hermana Weller