1...2...3...Queso....and a trip to the ER

I loved seeing you the other day on SKYPE. What a blessing it was to see all of you. Technology is so amazing. I was so thankful to see my new little niece and of course every single one of you! I loved being able to be part of your Christmas even just for a few minutes. Christmas was great. After I talked with you we went out to work. We got to see so many families. We watched the Lamb of God at the Cerda's house with their entire family!!! It was really cool. They made us champorada and we ate Mexican bread. They are the sweetest family ever. About 20 of their family members live in one house. We love going there because we get to see them all. Soon the entire family will be baptized and come back to church. I know it! On Monday night we had FHE with the same family as well. We got packets from our mission president's home ward with a nativity set. So we read scriptures about Christ's birth and then we cut out and colored the nativity pieces! It was such a blessing to teach them the real meaning of Christmas and also that we were able to help them learn more about Christ. On Tuesday night we were teaching a little girl named Jocelyn and we had been talking about the Restoration and how Christ was baptized when he was on the earth. We then asked her cousins how the Holy Ghost has helped them. They all answered and then little Jocelyn asked why she couldn't have the Holy Ghost. We told her she could she just needed to be baptized first. We were not sure if we could ask her to be baptized since we hadn't talked to her parents just yet. Then she dad came in and she asked him if she could get baptized and he said YES! Then he went upstairs and sent down his other son. Now we just need to talk to her mother! We know that the Lord has prepared her and her family to be baptized. The same night we went to a recent covert and his family. We had been teaching his sister Virginia about a month ago but she got really busy and had not been able to see us. We went and talked about the Birth of Christ and she was there but still a little distant. We were still excited to see her and then we set an appointment for Christmas Eve to come see their whole family. On Christmas Eve, we were able to meet up with another recent convert named Felipe! He was so excited to see us. We read in Nephi with him about the time that Nephi sees the future, when Christ would be born and when he would die. He was so thankful for us and that we were able to help him to see the real meaning of Christmas. He brought us grapes too, which I forgot was a tradition for Santa Claus. Afterwards we went and sang a Christmas song and Families Can Be Together Forever for the Perez family. They were so grateful that we had stopped by. They are one of our recent covert families. We also gave out little Christmas presents to our investigators and recent converts. We gave them CTR rings, and I am a Child of God pencils and stickers. They were so excited to get the little rings. They put them on and said they would never take them off. We also ate dinner with the Osorio's for Christmas. It was so great to see them and we were so thankful that they shared their Christmas with us. On Christmas day, we tried to go caroling and sing for people, but the people of LA would not have it. They wouldn't open the door if they were home, or they would come to the door and then shut it. Or they would tell us they were not buying anything today because it was Christmas. We told them we just wanted to sing for them but they wouldn't have it. So we decided to stop caroling. We were a little bummed that no one wanted to hear us sing. Afterwards we decided to pray that we would be able to feel the spirit and that he would direct us where we needed to go. So we decided to go and see the Perez family and talk with their daughter Virginia. We talked about the song Families can be together forever and she said I know what I need to do. I need to get baptized. Then we asked her to say the prayer before we left, and in her prayer she asked God to help her be baptized soon! Then we went to see another recent convert who cares for her mother, her mother told us she wants to get baptized too! The LORD is continuing to help prepare people for us. On Friday, we went on exchanges and I was able to go to my old area! It was so nice to go back and see my old apartment and old investigators. We went to the temple visitor's center that night and I could feel the spirit so strong! We sang during the lesson to invite the spirit back and it worked! On Saturday our investigator Juan was baptized! He wouldn't smile for his pictures and so we would say 1...2..3...Queso!!! Then he would smile and we would take a picture. He is so amazing. His family came too which was great. His wife even said she is looking for another job so that she can start coming to church and so she can be baptized. What!!! It was so cool. That same night as we were leaving the Stake Center, we got in an accident. We got hit from behind and then the other driver backed up his car and just left! Luckily he only hit our bike rack and the whole front of his hood was taken out. Our car has little damage. My companion and I were so blessed that nothing more happened then whiplash and sore bodies. The lord protected us. We were a little shaken up and asked for our Zone Leaders to give us blessings. They also came and followed us home after the crash. It was so nice of them. That same night after we talked to our mission nurses, they asked us to go to the ER, so we did as they asked. We were there from 10 pm until 6 am the next morning. We were only gone so long because we first went to an Urgent Care and they didn't have an Xray machine. Then at the ER they were faster but it still took a long time. So no worries. We slept on Sunday and got rest. We were so blessed as well because Juan was able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday at church and we were able to be there to see it. I am grateful for a lot of things this week but one thing I am truly grateful for is the Light of Christ in my life! One scripture that sums it all up is Mosiah 16:9, "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless..." I love you all so much! Have a SAFE HAPPY NEW YEARS! Love, Hermana Weller

Feliz Navidad & Merry Christmas!

Family!

I can't wait to talk with you again! It has been forever since Mother's Day when I was able to talk with you last. I am so SUPER EXCITED! 

This week has been another week of amazing blessings! On Sunday we had 2 less active members at  church and 9 recent converts! We were also able to have Juan and Lupe at church. It was such a great Sunday!

On Monday to start the week, we had a family home evening with the Jimenez Family. We had dinner with their grand mother last week and found out that they want to be baptized. We talked to them and the Restoration video and were able to feel the spirit so strong. Also, that same night we ran into a former investigator named Virginia. We are going to see her on her only day off this week which is Christmas. She said she is excited to see us again and can't wait for Thursday to come around.

On Tuesday, we had exchanges with the Hollywood sisters. We went and visited Samantha a recent convert who is 9. We told her we wanted to teach her about tithing and at first she said she couldn't remember what tithing was. Then we said it is when we pay one 10th of our income and all she said is okay okay I remember. I want to teach you. Every time we see her she tells us she wants to be a missionary and go knocking on doors with us again! (She went to our Super Saturday Missionary Activity last Saturday). That same night as we were walking down the street I saw a woman walking towards us. I just keep thinking, stop her and give her a hug. As we approached her, I asked her if I could give her a hug and she just started to weep. As she hugged me for what felt like 5 minutes, she just keep saying she would be okay. I just promised her that God loves her and that her Savior knows how she is feeling. She whipped away the tears and told me that she knew that things could get better. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father allowed me to be in her path.

On Wednesday we were able to do a service project again! We went to the same place and this time passed out Christmas Dinner to those in need. It was so special to see some of the same families again and ask them how their holidays were doing. It was such a great moment also to share #THEGIFT with them. So many of them are struggling to have hope but they do. 

On Saturday, we were so uplifted by the Christmas Devotional. Thank you so much President and Sister Weidman for putting that together. I felt so uplifted it was exactly what I needed to overcome the disappointment I sometimes feel when people reject us. I know though that one day they will. We ended up using the same Christmas program that night at our Ward Christmas party as the people who were going to come didn't make it. So the ward didn't have anyone that could do it. Luckily they asked us missionaries to do it. 

On Sunday we went to the temple with the Flores family. It was so great to have Gus and Jocelyn go. They have wanted to be baptized for awhile now. We are working with their family to help them get prepared.

I am so GRATEFUL to be a missionary again this Christmas. I couldn't ask for a better way to celebrate the Birth of Christ.

Thank you so much for everything you do and MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Sister Weller

Also, here is part of a letter from one of my old companions who just went home last transfer. She shared this with me...

"As many of you know this past week I had the opportunity to come back to LA and visit the mission! It was the BEST :) I had the opportunity to do baptisms for the dead with a recent convert and just see a lot of people that I love, including many of you! And it was so clear when I came back to visit that the missionaries (aka YOU) are so loved!! You make more of a difference than you think you do :) In fact, you are impacting THOUSANDS of people, whether you realize it or not.  Think of those 20 people you talk to every day and how that adds up, think of those members of your ward who love you, think of the investigators you are teaching and helping to change their lives!! You are truly doing the Lord's work, and you are His hands! "And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls" (Alma 17:11). 

Basically, you are amazing. The Lord trusts each of you so much to be out in LA serving Him, and EVERYTHING you do makes a difference.  I love you so much and I hope you have a fantastic week! And I hope you have the best Christmas ever :)"

She is such an amazing person!

My trip to Hollywood

Family,

How are you doing? How was the Christmas Devotional? Were you able to watch it? Watch it here. We were not able to watch it because we had to go to dinner but I will get to read it soon.

This week was so FULL OF MIRACLES. Which makes since because God promises to be a GOD OF MIRACLES! I was reading in Mormon 9:11 this week which says, " But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are."

On Monday night we taught a Family Home Evening to a returning part member family. We taught their family and a few of their cousins who are not members. We used a story from the Book of Mormon about Ammon and when he protects the King's sheep. We had them draw their own sheep and then we hid them around the house and talked about how we sometimes forget who God is and that we need him in our life. Afterwards they went out as missionaries or Ammon to find the lost sheep. The kids and the adults both really understood that they can be missionaries too and that they can continue to do the Lord's work as they come closer to him. 

On Tuesday we saw so many miracles from praying specifically for conversations and also investigators. Tuesday was one of our best nights while it was raining down so strong. We prayed that we would be able to talk to 20 people even though it was raining so much. We went to our appointment and they were not there and so we decided to contact in the trailer park. As we knocked on door after door, people who the Lord had prepared answered and watched the He Is the Gift video with us and also allowed us to sing to them. We were able to share a message with each of them as we went from house to house. A young girl we talked too also told us we could go and visit her aunt Rosa. We went to Rosa's house and knocked on the door and no one came out at first. It was so dark and cold and rainy. We knocked again and we were about to leave and the door opened. When the door opened the husband said that his family was busy but then the wife came and invited us in. When we walked in we sang a Christmas song with their daughter and then shared a message with them. They invited us to come back this week!

Wednesday we saw even more miracles! It was still raining and we went to contact some referrals. When we got to the area, it was just raining and raining. We prayed that we would be able to contact the people that we planned and then we went walking. When we arrived at one house, the gates were all locked and we didn't have a way to get a hold of the people inside. So I asked Sister H for the name of the person we were going to see, she told me her name was Perfecta. So I decided to yell "Hola Perfecta", she came to the window and told us to come in. When we got into the house we had such a great first lesson with her. She told us that ever since her husband died all she has wanted is to be baptized by the Holy Ghost. She invited us to come back as well. We are going to follow up with her today and get another appointment. Her granddaughter Rebecca also wanted to know if we had videos she could watch about Mormon's so we showed her the Mormon Channel. When we went back to see her she had watched so many of them. 

On Thursday we set a new baptismal date with a man named Juan he has been wanting to be baptized but his wife hasn't been on board. He said that he wants to be the example for his wife and his family and so he said he will continue to prepare to be baptized and read in the Book of Mormon. Our big struggle right now is that he hasn't come to church yet but I know that if we can continue to help him see why this is important he will come. 

This week was full of miracles. I saw so many here in Santa Fe Springs and also in Hollywood. This week Sister H and I went on exchanges with the sisters in Hollywood. Hence why I said "my trip to Hollywood". Really it wasn't anything spectacular. Nothing is like it is on TV. We did accidentally street contact into a music video. We were just walking next to the church building and talking with people that were walking down the street and they were filming a rap video. We invited them all to watch He is the Gift! Many of the people working on the set had recently left their families back east for the production career here in LA, so it was a perfect time to share with them how we have a gift for them this Christmas.  

This week Sister H and I gave a training about Faithfilled Prayer. It was so awesome because the Lord has been answering our prayers all week. He literately has answered and showed his hand in every aspect of our work. When we were preparing for our training I found this promise in the scriptures in Ether 3:4 & 9 ...

 4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; ...

 9 And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith ...

My faith will continue to help me see miracles and miracles. I hope you all have such a great week. I love you all! 

Sister Weller

#He Is the Gift

Family!

 

On Monday night this week my companion and I started a new tradition. We started having our own little Family Home Evenings as companions. This week we talked about being grateful and then drew and colored turkeys and each day we colored one of the 7 feathers and wrote what we were thankful for. My companion is so sweet, she made a Turkey that said, "Why I am grateful for Sister Weller" and then she gave it to me on Thanksgiving. We are going to have Family Home Evening each Monday night this transfer before we go to bed. I am super excited.

On Wednesday we went looking for a less active member, and she wasn't home so we started knocking on the doors and talking to people who lived in her apartment. As we did that we ended up talking to this woman named Irene, she opened the door and asked us to come right in. We shared with her how we have a message that was about Christ and that we wanted to share it with her. As we talked with her and shared with her about how families are a gift from God, she shared that she had been praying before we knocked on her door to get an answer from God on how she could make her life better. When she stopped praying we were knocking on her door. She said she normally doesn't open the door for anyone but she felt like she needed too. We had such a spiritual lesson with her and we are going back to see her this week. We are super excited to share the only thing that will help her in her life, which is the Gospel of Jesus Chirst!

On Thursday, my companion and I ate with a family from the Bishopric and we ate a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. We actually didn't eat that much because we couldn't go into a food comma. :) We still had people to go and see after we ate dinner. At each house we went to, they just keep giving us more and more food. So our fridge is full right now. I love it! A quick miracle about food is every night when we come home two of our neighbors Paul and Clyde, always stop and say hi to us. Well Paul and his wife, waited for us to get home on Thursday and they had made us Thanksgiving Dinner too and they said they knew if they waited until 9:10 pm at the latest that they would be able to give it to us. So they did. They are the sweetest family ever. We are still praying that one day they will let us come over and share more with them.

On Friday,when the rest of the WORLD was shopping for everything new and trying to get the best deals on things, we were all in a Special Conference that was centered on Christ. The church brought out a program called "He is the Gift"....I hope you have heard about it and seen it already. (http://www.mormon.org/christmas) Go and watch the video now. :)

"Can a gift given 2,000 years ago still matter today? The answer is a heartfelt yes. As we eternalize the teaching of Jesus Christ and follow His perfect example, we can become more like Him and expereince lasting peach and joy - this Christmas season and always." 

I invite you all to go and check out the site and explore. #Share the Gift this season.

That is what we have been doing since Friday and we have been so blessed. The Lord has prepared the hearts of those we talk too. One of our biggest miracles happened on Saturday. We were going to see a potential investigator and we stopped to talk to this young man who was getting out of his car. We told him that we wanted to talk with him about CHRISTMAS. He said that he spends Christmas with his family. When we told him that we wanted to share a message with him about how Christ was born to give our families peace and joy and unity, he asked us where our church was. He said that he wanted to come so we shared the video with him. He then said that he wanted to share it with his girlfriend too. When we asked him if we could pray with him before we went to our appointment he said YES. He asked us to pray that he would be able to distance himself away from his bad friends and invite Christ more into his life. He was so thankful that we stopped to talk to him. We got his information and we are going to see him Wednesday. He also happens to be the friend of another potential who we have been looking for. 

I am so grateful that I get to be a missionary this Holiday Season!

Love, Hermana Weller

P.S. Thanks for praying for our safety. On Tuesday night we accidentally went to sleep with our oven on, good thing the house didn't get burnt down. The Lord will continue to watch over us!!!