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Monday, December 29, 2014
1...2...3...Queso....and a trip to the ER
Monday, December 22, 2014
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!
Monday, December 8, 2014
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.
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 ...
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
Monday, December 1, 2014
#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!!!
Monday, November 24, 2014
I can't believe it's not BUTTER!!!
Family,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK! What are you thankful for? Before you read anything else, I have a challenge for you....
Once a day for this week, kneel down and say a prayer of gratitude.
The Lord has promised, "He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious" (D&C 78:19). According to the scriptures, "Gratitude is an uplifting, exalting attitude." So go out there and be GRATEFUL.
This week I am so grateful for so many things, so I thought I would tell you a few of them. I am grateful for...
#1 Our Savior Jesus Christ, who died for each one of us so that we could live with God again
#2 The prophet Joseph Smith, that had so much faith and a desire to know which of all the churches was true, that he prayed to know
#3 That the same church that was establish by Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth
#4 That the priesthood of God has been given a living prophet
#5 That through the same priesthood, I was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
#6 That through the priesthood, my family can live together forever as long as we continue to keep the commandments of God
#7 That through the priesthood, I have been called and set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
#8 That I wake up every morning and get to share what I am grateful for every day
#9 That our Heavenly Father knows me individually and answers my prayers
#10 For my family, that they support me, and that they have always loved me regardless of my personal decisions
I am GRATEFUL!
I realized last week that I forgot to tell you all what happened with transfers. I stayed in the same area and I have a new companion named Sister H, she is amazing. She was a less active member who also came back to the church and now is a missionary. I will be with her through the Holiday season. She is from Houston, Texas and is the oldest daughter in her family. She is fearless and I love it.
In our Zone this past week we were able to participate in a service project where we handed out Thanksgiving baskets to those who needed them. It was through a food bank. It was so amazing to help people in a time of need and get to know them. We talked to a lady named Maria, her and her daughter were there getting baskets for their family. We asked them what they were thankful for this holiday season, they told us they were not thankful because their father had passed away earlier this year. I felt the spirit so strong and I bore them my testimony about Eternal Families. When I did, Maria started to cry and she told me that she wanted the missionaries to come to her home and help her find peace. We called the missionaries who cover that area, and they remembered the address and said about 6 months ago they went there and gave her a blessing. They now have an appointment with her to go and see her again. I know that the Lord placed us there in her path for a reason.
We also had a miracle this week with an investigator named L, she is a woman that we found while we were visiting her daughter. She asked us last week for a picture or booklet about Jesus Christ. We gave her one and then asked her to stay and join us for a lesson we were having. She stayed and said a prayer with us and then asked when we were coming back. L has come to church now two weeks in a row and she accepted a baptismal date for December 7th. Last night L, said she wanted her angels at dinner. So we ate dinner with her, she made us rice, beans, and carne asada. It was super good. She also went to the ward activity for Thanksgiving and asked to get a blessing from Hermano L , Hermano P, and the Elders. She felt the spirit so strong during the blessing. She said her life has changed so much because of us. I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed us by knowing her.
I am so thankful for so many things this week, as well as the personal experiences I have continued to have as I have read in the Book of Mormon. Last week as I mentioned, I found a scripture about Laying up Treasures in Heaven and today I found another scripture that helped me so much today. I found it in 3 Nephi 3:19 -21 and 3 Nephi 13:33.
I realized today that it doesn't matter what I choose to do after my mission but I have to stay on the path that leads to eternal life.19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where mothand rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neithermoth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not breakthrough nor steal.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,and all these things shall be added unto you.
I love you all so much, eat extra pie and desert for me this week!
Love Sister Weller
Funny moment of the week:
Sister H and I were making oatmeal cookies and she wanted to help, so I asked her to melt the butter, she grabbed a stick of butter in a plastic bag and put it in the microwave. She pulled it out after 2 minutes and said Sister Weller it won't melt. I looked at it and thought that is so weird, I looked at the bowl and just laughed. She was melting mozzarella cheese instead of butter. Then she almost chocked on a starburst she was eating. Pray for our safety.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Lay up for yourself a TREASURE in HEAVEN
Family,
This week has been amazing and at the same time I have learned so much. I have had so many opportunities to GROW. A quote that I heard this week that has helped me so much is, "There is no growth in the comfort zone, there is no comfort in the growth zone." I feel like that is especially true this week. This week I was given the opportunity with my companion to create a "Sisters Training Meeting" where we talked about the importance of Personal and Companionship Study. My companion and I were in charge of the training under the direction of our mission president. The conference we had for sisters was amazing. I just love how the Lord inspires his leaders and that Sister F and I were able to help.
Some miracles from the week:
On Monday we went and visited a potential investigator named Christina, opened the door and asked us to come right now. When we went in she asked why do you believe in the Book of Mormon. I was actually a little worried and prayed in my heart that I would be able to feel the spirit and follow the guidance of the spirit to help her have an open heart. As I prayed I was filled with the spirit and knew what we needed to share with her. As we started the lesson with her I could feel the spirit so strong each time I spoke. I wanted to cry each time, she could feel the spirit as well. It was such an amazing feeling. It was the motivation I needed this past week to really have meaningful conversations with each person. We had contacted Christina the night before and she invited us back the next day!
On Tuesday the Lord prepared the mother of two of our investigators to ask us for a picture of Christ. We had just finished talking to her daughter when she came to the door and said I am so sorry to interrupt but can I have a pamphlet or a picture of Christ. We gave her one and then invited her to join us. She was super excited to pray with us. Afterwards we set a return appointment for Saturday and we went back and had such an amazing lesson with her. She shared so many concerns with us and said that she felt like we were her angels. She accepted an invitation to come to church as well. Then on Sunday....SHE CAME. She said that she was filled with the spirit and that she felt that it was TRUE. She asked us when we would be coming by again to see her. We are so excited to help Lupe make these changes in her life.
During my personal study this week I found something that I have been pondering. In Helaman 5:8 it says, "And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES A TREASURE IN HEAVEN, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of ETERNAL LIFE, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers." As I read that I really focused on the ONLY treasure that we can lay up in Heaven which is Eternal Life. Our life here on earth is just to prepare for that time. So our earth life, helps us create the greatest TREASURE ever, which is ETERNAL LIFE. This past week I shared with my companion my thoughts and goals for after my mission which are possibly:
1) Graduate School - Business entrepreneurship
2) Start my own business
3) Learn something new (Piano, continue taking Spanish classes, ect)
4) Work part time and spend time with family
5) Get married, have a family
Then my companion asked me what was more important...Having a successful career or having a successful family? I really am having to think and ponder on that. I know the answer should be family but can't I have both? That is what I am struggling with right now. I will be fine though. I am just going to keep serving the Lord. I want to LAY A TREASURE IN HEAVEN THAT I WONT EVER LET FADE.
That is life. I am so thankful for this time right now. I will talk to you again next week!
Love Hermana Weller
Monday, November 10, 2014
I am being transformed with Faith Filled Thoughts
Hi Family!!!
This week was a little hard because Sister B and I were both sick at different times so we really only had one working day in our area. I am so thankful that the Lord is always here helping us though and giving us the strength we need to overcome of physical weaknesses like getting sick. We were in the house almost the entire week except for Saturday and Sunday. The Lord still blessed us for our efforts though because little S (who was baptized last week) was confirmed a member of the Church. She was so excited to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
This week being in the house and having a bad headache gave me way too much time to think. I found that Satan was attacking me and making me be less and less motivated to overcome the migraine that I had. As I talked with the Nurse she told me to take the medicine that my neurologist gave me and once I took that and sleep some, I was able to get working again. When I went to take a nap on Thursday I found a quote of something my Mission President had said before. " When you choose to represent Jesus Christ you choose to be transformed." As I read that I decided once I was able to overcome the migraine that I would do everything in my power to allow Christ to continue to transform me on my mission.
This week as I have studied I have really focused on what my purpose is as a missionary and how much TRUST the Lord has in each missionary that he calls to the work. The prophet, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and my mission president have allowed me to serve here in the Los Angeles California Mission.
I was able to find so much strength and personal guidance when I was in the temple this week as well. I have the power to overcome any distraction, or negative thought that Satan wants me to believe. I know that as I continue to have faith-filled thoughts I will continue to be edified in the Lords work and that I will not allow discouragement to weaken my testimony.
I have seen already how much the Lord and Christ have transformed me as a missionary and I just want to continue to do better and better. This week my focus is to re-commit myself to my calling as a missionary and continue to increase my personal testimony of the Gospel.
I can't wait to get out and work again tonight. Being sick is so boring. Doing the Lord's work is what makes me so happy.
Love Hermana Weller
Monday, November 3, 2014
Word of Wizards...
Family!!!
How was Halloween?? It looks like everyone dressed up and got into the spirit. :) On Halloween I was in our house with my two companions at 6 pm. Really we didn't spend much time outside. We had a Zone Conference in the morning until about 3 pm and then we got to our house by 6.
Zone Conference just in case you don't know what that is, it is a special meeting we have every 2 or 3 months where we get to have training from our mission president and his wife and other missionaries. This was my first conference as a Sister Training Leader and I was able to train with my companion Sister F.
I am so grateful for the strength I gained personally from Zone Conference. All of the training's we had were so inspired. We had a training on Sincere Prayer. We talked a lot about a prayer that changed our life and I realized that it was the prayer that helped me decide to come on my mission. Just like Enos, I was able to pray and seek council from my loving Heavenly Father because without his help I am not sure where I would be right now. As I reflected back on that "life changing prayer" I realized how the Lord has been answering my prayers ever since. It has really been in the language and how my thoughts change as I am praying. It helped me to realize that I need to have more meaningful prayers and really focus on what I need help with. It means that I can't just kneel down and pray for a few minutes and say I prayed. I have to do it with thought and ponder so that I can receive council through the Holy Ghost. My goal is to really focus on that the rest of my mission because I know that quickly I will need to make more life changing decisions that will require prayer.
We also had a training on how to help our apartments be Celestial (a place where the Savior could walk). This was one of my favorite parts because our homes are where we should be able to feel the spirit. So we have been doing some spring cleaning and throwing a lot of stuff away.
This week we have been so great. We are teaching more simply and in unity and I love it. It has taken me a few weeks to adjust to being in a different ward (it is only my 3rd one ever) so I know with even more time I will feel more and more connected.
Yesterday we were able to see a baptism for a little girl named S, her family has been going back to church for about a month after being inactive for the past year. Her father M has a problem with drinking but he has really been trying to overcome that addiction so that he can continue to receive blessings from Heavenly Father. I know how important this family is for the Lord and I can't wait to help teach him the missionary lessons so that he can grow his faith even more and make even more promises with the Lord in the temple one day. The other night we were teaching the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity to S and her littler sister. We asked them if they knew what the Word of Wisdom was and they both said, no but we know what the Word of Wizards is, we couldn't help buy laugh. Afterwards we also taught them about modesty and how we need to have our shoulders covered and our knees and not show our stomachs. Then we asked them both to explain it to us, they both said okay, we know it means we can't show our elbows, nose, or toes. Obviously we taught it to them again after that. If I had to cover my nose all day to be modest I wouldn't last :).
This week was so great. I have seen so many miracles! I just love being a missionary!!!
Love you all a ton.
Hermana Weller
Monday, October 27, 2014
Lost in Hollywood
Family,
This week was another super crazy week. We were all over the place from East Los Angeles to the Hollywood Hills. We also have a someone who is preparing to be baptized this Sunday November 2nd!!! So just to quickly tell you what happened....
-My first exchange (as a Sister Trainer, I go stay with different sisters and help them) with a sister from Korea!
-Went on an exchange with Sister B and Sister J in my old area
-Traveled out of the mission to North Hollywood to film for the Church again!
-We went to the Visitor's Center with S and her family!
-We went to the Visitor's Center with S and her family!
I don't think I have had a normal week yet here in SFS. It has been kind of stressful but I know that the Lord would not have assigned me to the a Sister Trainer if he didn't know that I could grow from this experience and come closer to him. So I welcome the challenges that being a Sister Trainer has brought me so far and can't wait to see how much more I can grow as a person. One thing that my brother wrote me today is that, "Your mission, will simply just make you a better person." I want to be a better person who is a stronger in the gospel so that my future family will be blessed by the gospel as well.
This week I have been stressed about our area because we have not been in our area very much. My companion Sister B helped me to realize though that I need to redefine again what it means to be a successful missionary. So I am working on that. I am also just trying to continue to be me and realize that everything here in SFS is new and that with time I will understand the area and be able to be more effective. I have just been struggling with the fact that I don't know everything and that I have to rely on my companions more to help me figure things out. Which sounds bad but since I like knowing what I am doing it has been making me feel like I am just following Sister F around instead of leading or having a co-companionship. Today is a new day though and I am so thankful for both of my companions because we balance each other out and I feel so comfortable and am able to share what I am thinking and how I am feeling. I am so so so thankful for my companions.
In other news...I went to NORTH HOLLYWOOD, it is somewhere behind the Hollywood Sign. My companion Sister F and I were asked by President Weidman to film another training segment for new missionaries. Of course we said yes and on Friday we spent all day filming us teaching. It was such an amazingly exhausting experience! So we ended our week by going to North Hollywood and we were filmed teaching the commandments of our Heavenly Father to investigators. We only had 9 hours to film and so we taught each of the commandments in 10 minutes or less. As we did that, I realized how simple we need to teach as missionaries.
We also went to the Visitor's Center yesterday with S, she is 9 and is getting baptized this Sunday! Her father is a less active member and her mother is an active member. S is so excited to be an example to her family and help bring them all back to church so that they can be sealed as a family.
This week was amazing and I can't wait to see what this next week will bring. I hope everyone is well and I want you all to know how much I love you!!!
Love, Sister Weller
Monday, October 20, 2014
RE: First week in SFS
Hi Family!!! This past week has been full of first times in LA moments....It was such a great week and so busy at the same time. I am so tired but it is a good tired. I am just trying to find my way into the grove here in SFS and then I will be back to normal. Right now I just feel out of place and awkward again which is not the funnest feeling in the world but life as a missionary means you change a lot and so here we go to changes because the challenge was accepted. A short version of what happened this week is: *Transfers happened on Tuesday and I became a new Sister Training Leader *I started Halloween by eating a PUMPKIN doughnut (which was amazing) *My view on Wednesday morning was the temple, sleep over in Santa Monica! *TRIO-LOVE, I have two companions again *I was asked to FILM in LA *I know how to jump a car now *Prayers are answered always *My testimony grew even more this week about the Plan of Salvation On Tuesday I went to my second transfer meeting ever. The first one was when I arrived in LA and the second one was this past Tuesday. When we were driving down to Torrance, I was getting more and more nervous for the next 6 weeks because I allowed Satan to make me doubt my abilities. Transfer meeting was amazing though, I was able to share my testimony about the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's and how they had to defend and stand up for what they believed in, their convent with God as they were killed and murdered by their wicked brothers. I was also able to share a story about one o my recent converts named N, she told us how she has never had her religion more questioned then this year. She said each and every time someone asks her why she is Mormon, she get's laughed at but that she doesn't allow them to bring her down. It reminded me so much of this story in the Book of Mormon and how much we have to defend our testimonies and what we believe. We have to be willing to sacrifice anything for what we believe because if we don't who will? The Lord already paid the sacrifice for me to be here and serve the Lord and for each and every one of us to have a testimony and be able to live with our Heavenly Father again. On Tuesday night we got a call that we needed to go and pick up a sister because her companion was going home due to a medical issue, so we went up to the temple and picked up m new companion Sister B!!! We were actually serving in the same ward 3 transfers ago. So we went and picked her up and then stayed in Santa Monica with a Senior Missionary couple. I had a follow up check with my head doctor. I am so happy to report that I am not having headaches anymore so I am doing so much better. Which is so good because I need to continue to work to be happy and continue to help people come closer to Christ. After my doctors appointment on Wednesday we got called to do an interview with a small film crew that is associated with the church. The Missionary Department was filming interviews about Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. So our mission president asked us to go and film a segment with them this past Wednesday. So we did. It was so cool and such an amazing experience. My companions and I each filmed different little segments. I was asked so many questions about Repentance and what it means to me to live and understand Repentance. I was able to share my re-activation story with them and how I am a missionary now because 2 sets of missionaries taught me the missionary lessons. I have such a strong testimony of working with less active members. We filmed for about 5 hours on Wednesday and it was super cool to hear the testimonies of my companions and I can't wait to see how everything turns out. (P.S. We got asked to film again this week, we are super excited). This last week I was really able to reflect on how much my testimony has grown of the Plan of Salvation. It was such a hard week because Dad's birthday was yesterday and I just wanted to think about him and how happy he must be to live in Heaven with our family members up there but I really miss him a lot too. This week I was able to grow my testimony a lot more though, we are currently teaching a women named I, she lost her husband two years ago. She has been so sad each time we talk about the Plan of Salvation and the hope we can gain from believing in the word of God. Last night we came to the temple and shared with her how she can have this hope in her life too. She said she could feel peace each and every time we see her and meet her. We are so excited to continue to teach her and can't wait to see her again this week. I know that this Gospel is true, if it wasn't I wouldn't have a hope that I can live with my father again. Love Sister Weller One of my favorite videos this week is: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-09-18-continue-in-patience?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2010&lang=eng&cid=HPWE101514487 |
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Savor the moment
Family!
How is everyone doing? How was General Conference? Who was your favorite speaker? Which message touched your heart? I love them all. They were all so inspired and literately they just spoke to me. I loved conference this OCTOBER. Really I love Conference every October. Tell me what your favorite conference talk was and why?
This week started with one of the most amazing nights ever at the Visitors Center here in Los Angeles. We went with a family we have been working with P & O. They took all of their girls too. It was such an amazing MONDAY night at the Visitors Center. No one was there so we were able to go where ever we needed too in the center. We started in the family room and P just started crying as she saw the video there. (Go and see it, if you have not in awhile). It shares how we can be a happy family and that we have the hope that if we continue on this path of righteousness, that we can live with our heavenly father again. We also looked at pictures of the temple and what happens there. P and O are so excited to go next October and have their family sealed to them. This weekend they also went to General Conference and P told us that all of her questions were answered by the apostles and messengers for God. She said that she had a testimony before but now knows for sure that they are called of God. She is getting baptized this Sunday by her husband O! He is also going to baptized their daughter N. This family is such an example to me.
Their family is why I am supposed to be here in Los Angeles. Lately I have been struggling with worrying about the unknown after my mission, like where will I work? will I work? What will I study? When will I get married? Satan just needs to stop because I have 6 months left and I need to help even more people while I am here! One of my old companions shared with me that she focused on being excited about where she was, so that she wouldn't get distracted or discouraged. I took that and put it into practice this week. I also read something this last week in the Ensign for this month, that said "Savor the moment". So I decided to do that and recommit myself to my mission. I am going to put my trust in the Lord and not going to worry about what might or might not happen after the mission. One thing I know for sure, is if that if I can't trust him...I can't expect my investigators too or my new members too. So I am putting my trust in the Lord, committing myself to my mission call every day and focusing on Savoring the Moment! I decided to follow Henry B. Ering's advice and Choose This Day to serve the Lord again! (https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-09-37-choose-this-day?lang=eng)
I found that this applied really well to this week, as one of our new members who is 12, got an F on this test and he asked us, why would the Lord allow this if I studied before the test, read in my scriptures, and prayed every night. Why would I get a bad grade on my test? When we stopped by on Sunday afternoon to see why he didn't go to church with his mom and sister he told us it was because he didn't believe what we had told him. That if he studied and followed the commandments the Lord would help him to recall what he had learned. I felt sorry for him, he seemed to try. When we asked him how long he studied he said for 15 minutes before his test and when he took the test he couldn't remember anything. As I reflected on this today, I realized that he needs help relying on his testimony and how he can obtain a knowledge of this gospel when he applies himself. So that is what we are going to work on this week with him. So that this weekend he can come to church and renew his baptismal promises.
Oh and I almost forgot to tell you about MEET THE MORMONS (http://meetthemormons.com/)!!! We had a conference this past week and watched Meet the Mormons with our Mission President, it is such an inspirational movie that is literately full of who we really are. I invite everyone to go and see it. It comes out this Thursday on October 10th and all of the money will be donated to the Red Cross. It is such a great movie and pretty funny as well.
I love you all so much and am so thankful for your support!!!
Love, Hermana Weller
I cried about pan dulce...
So this week has been another amazing week here in California. It rained, I cried while driving and we are teaching some amazing people.
Our little house on Santa street is like a little heater oven. It gets so hot in there and we have these two amazing box fans which sometimes just blow around hot air. :) It was so amazing on Sunday morning when we walked outside and it was raining. I just wanted to dance but instead we ran and got in the car lol.
I went to the diabetic doctor this past Friday. She said that everything looked good for my A1C, it was 5.6, which is the lowest one I have ever had. She told me to check my blood sugar more often so that I can adjust my medicine when I need too. So I am working on that. I have to check it 4 times a day now...which is way more than I ever have. I go back in two weeks to see her again. Before that I am going to work on being more motivated to work out. So after my doctors appointment we were out near one of my favorite Mexican bakeries and I realized that I couldn't eat any more amazing pan...so I just started crying. My companion asked me what was wrong and I told her and all she could do was laugh. She said the look on my face was priceless. I wish she would have recorded it for me so that I could see it now because I had tears just running down my face. LOL. Apparently I am addicted to pan dulce. jk.Back to missionary things...
The Lord has been blessings us. We have been working with the P&O family! The husband named O is working on receiving his priesthood so that he can baptize his daughter N and wife P. They are the husband and wife that were married about two weeks ago now. They have been coming to church for the past month and they are making so many changes. They want to come closer to Christ and know that the Lord will continue to help them as they get through all of these challenges. They are super excited for this coming Sunday with conference and all. I can't wait for October 12th when O can baptize his daughter and wife, so they can continue to make the steps they need to in their life. To return to live with our loving Heavenly Father. We are going to the Visitors Center with this family tonight and we can't wait! I am so excited about going so that they can see what their big goal is.
Their two nieces who we have been teaching for the past two months, named A and N also accepted to be baptized on October 12th! We are so excited to help this entire family come back to the gospel and be baptized so that they can live together in the eternities.
We also meet this amazing mother and her 10 year old son named R. They were playing with some rubber tennis rackets in the park, we started to talk to her and played with her son R. She told us that he suffered from down syndrome, so we stayed and played a little at the park with them, while we shared with them about the great plan of salvation. R mom invited us to come over this week to share more with her. We are so excited to see them!
This week has been amazing. Hermana B and I are having so much fun talking with everyone and sharing this Gospel with our Brothers and Sisters. I am so excited for Conference which is coming up this next weekend. I hope that you will all watch it and enjoy it.
Love you a ton, Hermana Weller
P.S. I apparently didn't take any pictures this week but I did get one of some candied apples I bought to celebrate Halloween a bit early lol. You all know I love the Holidays.
Can I say "I do"?
This week has been so amazing. First the hot LA weather is starting to cool down. Today it is only 75 out which is pretty amazing. Last night I slept in a sweater because I didn't want to sleep with my blankets. The weather here is kind of nuts. Even though it gets super hot during the day the nights are still pretty warm. It probably doesn't help that we only have box fans but that is life. I am just grateful that there is a Walmart close by and that they sell Ice Cream for $2.50 a gallon and sugar free Popsicle for $2.00 for 20. It has really been a blessing :)
To start we set a few more baptismal dates with a young man named J and a young woman named S, they both couldn't make it to church this last weekend which was a real bummer because they both wanted to go so much and then they just decided to do something else instead of go to church. It was super sad really. Sister B and I were sad for them and that they let themselves be so easily distracted.
This week I have been studying one of the Ten Commandments, which is not to put "Other God's before God" and I read this talk which was pretty great. I thought I would share a little from the talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
This talk is exactly what I needed to read this week, because it breaks my heart each week when people have a desire to change and repent and then they let other things get in the way, like friends, or what others think. One thing that I have learned on my mission is that Salvation is FREE and Christ paid the price so that we could be here and experience, learn, and grow in this life.
This morning I was reading in Mosiah chapter 14 verses 1 to 9 in the Book of Mormon, which says, " Yea, even doth not Isaiah say: Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no evil, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
I saw what Christ's atonement and sacrifice meant for one family this week as P and O were married. They have been together for 11 years and have 5 children. O was baptized when he was 10 and then fell away from the church. It wasn't until May that I had the amazing opportunity to teach his girlfriend P. She has such a strong desire to have her family sealed in the temple! They have came to church for the past 3 weeks and are working towards being baptized in the next few weeks. One of the most touching things from their wedding was that O's mother was there. She is not a member, she gave me the biggest hug and told me, "thank you for changing my son's life." That was the greatest GIFT I have received on my mission. I couldn't have asked for a better week this week. It was pretty amazing.
I am so thankful for your sacrifices for me too, to be able to serve right now at this time in my life. I am so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to come and serve here in LA. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am so grateful that we have a prophet who lives on the earth today and I can't wait to hear him speak on October 4th and 5th! Will you watch conference with me?
Love you a ton! Your daughter, sister, and aunt, Hermana Weller
P.S. Mom wrote me the sweetest thing this week, she was just answering my prayers. :) Although, you are out there working for him (the Lord), you are working for yourself. What a great way for your to grow in your testimony.
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Roller coaster kind of week
Hi!
Family- I heard that you had so much fun this past weekend. I am so sorry I missed the blessing but what can I say I have helping other families come closer to Christ through me. Pretty crazy to say really. That is what I am doing though. Helping other families have the same blessings that our family already has. It is so exciting! Such a great work to be involved in.
This week has been a roller coaster...let me just start with...do you remember the M family from last week?
Just a little flash back from last week...One of the families is the M family, we started teaching them the week I got to this mission back in April, we taught them and the mother had a baptismal date for June but at the last minute things were super crazy with their family situation and they decided to take a break from our lessons. The Lord truly blessed us though because we were out the other day and me and Sister B both looked at each other and said let's go visit them and just see how they are doing. So we stopped by and they opened the door and were happy to see us again! We started to see them and we had the 1st counselor in the Bishopric go and see them last Wednesday to give them a blessing. After that we visited every day with a member and on Sunday when they came to church everyone was so happy to see them there. It was super awesome! The Lord has been so great to us.
Well this week, on Monday we had planned to go and visit with them and share with them about how their family could be together for all time and eternity when they prepare to go to the temple! When we got there with two members from the ward, P came out and told us that her and her family were getting kicked out and they they had not been working so they didn't have money to find another place. My heart was literately breaking as she told us what was happening. I had no idea what to do, and so I said a prayer in my heart and little did I know that the Lord has blessed us with such a great Ward Missionary Leader, because he called the Bishopric and told them what was happening and on Wednesday they had a meeting with the bishop. On Tuesday they went out and looked for apartments with a member and they are still looking. What I have seen this week is that members are amazing and that they help us so much! On Sunday P and her whole family went to STAKE CONFERENCE. We also meet with them this week and we set a baptismal date for the 27th of September. We are so excited for her and this change in her life. Her husband O has been a support to her this time as well. He is making Sunday their family day and is not working so that they can spend more time together. It is so amazing. I just love this family!
When I went home on Monday night I just cried and felt so at a loss of what to do for P and O and their family (the M family). I just felt so helpless and then I remembered I have given them the best thing I could, that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have shared with them a part of my heart and they will always be there in my heart. I wasn't really sure why I was sent here to the Los Angeles Mission when I decided to get re-assigned but I now know. I know it was to meet and have the opportunity to teach this family. To help them have the same happiness I have been blessed with in my family.
I just love that I have the ability to share this with others. I hope that you have such a great week. Love you all so much!
Hermana Weller
Monday, September 8, 2014
If ye love me...keep my commandments (John 14:15)
Hello again!
This week has been so much better health wise. I was finally able to stop the headaches that I have been having with a "magic pill." Really it is a crazy pill that makes you super tired and drowsy, but luckily I only had to take one. I have a follow up appointment with my neurologist next month to see how things are going. This next week I am going to see my diabetic doctor for the first time, so that she can see how I am doing. I am not too worried I have been doing fine and I have been checking my blood sugar regularly and it is pretty normal. Just going to go because that's what you do when your body needs some help from the doctors. I also finally got over the flu that I had, which was great because being in the house was miserable. :) So health wise I am doing good. Just thought I would clear things up there since Mom has been worried. :)
This past week I have really been focusing on studying the blessings that come along with keeping the commandments of the Lord. My favorite verse I found was in John 14:15, which says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." What else do we need but love for our Savior and what he did for us to to want to obey the commandments of the Lord.
One things that I learned though (well always knew) is that we have different levels of obedience. Elder Robert D. Hales, has said: "As we live the gospel, we progress in our understanding of obedience. At times we may be tempted to practice what I call "natural man's obedience," in which we disobediently reject God's law in favor of our wisdom or our desires or even popularity. Because this is widely practiced by so many, this perversion of obedience diminishes God's standards in our culture and in our laws.
At times members may participate in "selective obedience," claiming to love God and honor God while picking and choosing which of His commandments and teachings—and the teachings and counsel of His prophets—they will fully follow.
Some obey selectively because they cannot perceive all the reasons for a commandment, just as children do not always understand the reasons for their parents' counsel and rules. But we always know the reason we follow the prophets, for this is the Church of Jesus Christ, and it is the Savior who directs His prophets in all dispensations.
As our understanding of obedience deepens, we recognize the essential role of agency. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed three times to His Father in Heaven, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."8 God would not override the Savior's agency, yet He mercifully sent an angel to strengthen His Beloved Son.
The Savior met another test on Golgotha, where He could have called upon legions of angels to take Him down from the cross, but He made His own choice to obediently endure to the end and complete His atoning sacrifice, even though it meant great suffering, even death.
Spiritually mature obedience is "the Savior's obedience." It is motivated by true love for Heavenly Father and His Son. When we willingly obey, as our Savior did, we cherish the words of our Heavenly Father: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."9 And we look forward to hearing, upon entering our Heavenly Father's presence, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: … enter … into the joy of thy lord."10
Using our agency to obey means choosing to "do what is right [and letting] the consequence follow."11 It requires self-mastery and brings confidence, eternal happiness, and a sense of fulfillment to us and, by example, to those around us; and it always includes a deep personal commitment to sustain priesthood leaders and follow their teachings and counsel."
I can just say that one thing I learned this week is that we have the ability to chose not only to obey but also what level of obedience and dedication we want to show our Savior, because obedience is inward and outward. Inward obedience is our dedication to wanting to live the gospel so we can have Eternal Life. Outward obedience, is an expression of our love for the Savior.
This week the Lord has blessed us for being obedient and dedicated to his work because this past Sunday we had 5 investigators at church again! Some were new people we started teaching and some where people that I taught back in May that went to church for the first time this past weekend. The ward has been so great here too. They have been praying for some of our investigators that they would have the faith to go to church.
One of the families is the M family, we started teaching them the week I got to this mission back in April, we taught them and the mother had a baptismal date for June but at the last minute things were super crazy with their family situation and they decided to take a break from our lessons. The Lord truly blessed us though because we were out the other day and me and Sister B both looked at each other and said let's go visit them and just see how they are doing. So we stopped by and they opened the door and were happy to see us again! We started to see them and we had the 1st counselor in the Bishopric go and see them last Wednesday to give them a blessing. After that we visited every day with a member and on Sunday when they came to church everyone was so happy to see them there. It was super awesome! The Lord has been so great to us.
I love you all a ton and hope you have such a good week!
Love, Hermana Weller
P.S. I'll take more photos next week I promise.