Week #6, Pluggin Along

I feel terrible... there is never ANY time!  So sorry!  But all is going SOOO well!  We have had absolute miracles happen this week!

One woman, Elizabeth Davey, found US and is SOOOO excited for the gospel!  She knew her stuff, even when she had never met with the missionaries before.  She asked US if she could come to church... uh ya!

Karen Slappy is moving this week and should be baptized in about 2 weeks!  SOOO excited for her to finally get baptized.  WE have kept pushing back her date (even though she is totally ready) because we want her to be baptized in her new ward where she is moving to.  

Hmm.... there are SO many things that have happened this week that are simply amazing.  Still LOVING the incredible ward!  They are fantastic.  The Lord is blessing us SO much as a companionship.  Usually we teach about 10 lessons each week, but this past week we almost doubled it by teaching 17 lessons!  It's such an incredible thing to teach the gospel!  I'm learning tons and loving the mail!  Keep it coming!  Love you bunches!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Week #5

Miracles have happened this week!  I don't even know where to start!  

We were let into houses that we were not welcome in before.  We saw priesthood blessings given and seen miracles happen.  The ward members are sharing the gospel with their friends.  One of my EFY friends, Mitchell Cobb, just moved into the ward with his wife this past week! Random people showing up at church just to see what we are all about.  Baptism for Karen pushed back, but she is SO excited to get baptized.  We have seen the Lord working in our lives this week and in the lives of others around us.  We've opened our mouths to share the gospel, and seen so many tender mercies.  It is amazing out here!  Sorry there is just not enough time to tell it all, and sadly this is the most amazing week that I've wanted to gush about!  But life is good, just know that!  I love you!  Continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers! 

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Pictures: 1. Glade and Lucie Holman 2. Me with the Freedom Tower on a dark and stormy night ;) 3. Sister Martin and I with our investigator Karen Slappy!

Week #4

Hello Family and Friends!

Hope all is well at home!  I miss your faces... and everything else :)  It was great to talk with my family this past Sunday on Mothers Day!  They're so great!  Oh, and just for the record, I am NOT in the Bronx... I'm in Manhattan.  I guess that was confusing in one of my previous letter?   I dunno.  lol.  Anyway, one fun story before I get into the bulk of my email. 

So a few weeks ago we were volunteers for an event in Times Square.  All the missionaries on Manhattan island were there (maybe about 60 of us?).  We were suppose to be there by 5:45 am, so we got up around 3:50 that morning.  The Chinatown sisters who live in the apartment beneath us met up with us to travel together.  As we exited our apartment door, I heard little squealing.  I looked to my right to see HUGE sewer rats scurrying away from us.  AH!  We never see that in the daytime, because they are never there when people are around.  Anyway, we continued to walk to the subway when I heard a lot of movement in row of trashcans off to our left.  To my astonishment, MASSIVE rats flew out of the garbage cans and ran off into the alley ways.  Seriously, they were literally jumping from the bottom of a trash can out (like at least a 3 foot jump)!  Haha... I squealed and jumped into the street to get away from them!  So funny!  Well, myth #1 about New York sewer rats has been confirmed.  Now I just need to find out if the whole crocodile in the sewer system myth is real... ;).

Anyway, this past week we had our first zone conference!  It was fantastic!  There were 3 subjects that were hit on (loving your companion, effective planning, and progressing your investigator).  And to my surprise, these topics were the things that were weighing most on my mind.  Just the night before the conference, my companion and I discussed these very things!  So, we were eager to hear what was taught at the conference!  Goodness, the Lord knows how to inspire his leaders and missionaries!  Such an amazing tender mercy! 

On Friday we were able to spend almost all day helping an incredible family move out of their apartment.  Glade and Lucie Holman have raised 6 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment here in Manhattan!  They are INCREDIBLE!  I pretty much ADORE this family like NONE other!  They are such incredible examples of love and happiness.  I seriously want to be more like them someday!  Amazing, amazing family!  They are moving to Highland, Utah in just a few days.  (Family-- you should look them up and just say hi sometime :)  You won't regret it!)

We have seen little miracles this week!  We have been trying to get in contact with a few less active members recently, and we have felt like they were dodging us (Ok, lets be honest, they WERE dodging us).  But through divine means, we ran into them, or caught them at home just in time and they were more than willing to receive us and our message!  How amazing!  Tonight we are meeting up with one of them, Lorraine Sepulveda, and helping her paint her home.  Lilliana Rivera also let us into her home and told us the message we shared was exactly what she needed to hear!  Tender mercies :) 

We were also able to teach our investigator, Karen Slappy (baptismal date for May 25), about the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.  That was FUN actually!  And no sarcasm intended!  She struggles with smoking and drinking tea, but she knows baptism is what she should do, and that she needs to work towards it in any way she has to.  She is so strong!  So excited about this gospel!  We are excited to see how she progresses!  We are praying for her for sure!  Keep her in your prayers too please :)

I'm learning a lot.  Mostly how to get over myself and my pride (haha--yes, I admit I have a pride issue!).  I'm being refined and learning to teach by the spirit.  My companion, Sister Martin, and I were able to teach our district this Monday at District Meeting.  It was SO fun to teach those who believe as we do!  The spirit was strong and I LOVED it... just like EFY again!  But not...

Anyway, I am so grateful to be here, in New York as a missionary.  I am so blessed to be able to share my testimony of the gospel with others and to grow with them.  The Lord lives!  He loves us all SO much!  Yes, he loves YOU, he loves me, and he loves the drug dealer in the projects down the street.  He loves the people who divert our eyes each day.  He is working on them in their lives whether they realize it or not.  He is in the details of our lives... the orchestrator of everything "virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy."  He is THE one... the ONE and ONLY way back to live with God again, for eternity. How amazing.  How incredible!  This gospel is real!  It blesses our lives so much!  Don't forget that!  Help the work along and do some missionary work of your own today!  Have you been touched by his love?  "Can ye feel so now?"  (Alma 5:26)  If so, go to work!  If not, work on being able to say that you CAN feel so now, with confidence!  Why?  Because it is ESSENTIAL to your eternal happiness.  No big deal right?  I love you!  Now, go to work! 

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

P.S.  Pictures are of the Jersey shore across the Hudson river from our mission at Battery Square Park ( a mile away from our home).  And a picture in that park of the Freedom Tower and other buildings.  Cool or what?  :)

Week #3

Hello everyone!

Goodness how time flies huh?  I have only been out here in New York for 3 weeks, but it seems like it's been forever!  5 weeks ago I left home and now I feel so comfortable as I walk the streets of Manhattan!  It's definitely a different way of life out here!  We have had some fun experiences along the way though!  

So, every time we walk out of the subway, we don't know what to expect: a street fair, bike races, rally's, etc.  You name it, we got it!  It's so alive an exciting here.  Last week my companion and I went to a fruit vendor in Chinatown on Pday.  She wanted to look around the inside of their store.  As I walked around eying all the fish, live crabs, and other food, I stopped to gaze into a large plastic garbage can.  I gasped!!!!  Inside were dozens of MASSIVE dead toads!  "THEY EAT FROGS?!"  I exclaimed to my Filipino companion!  "THEY EAT FROGS!!!!!!"  Haha... she just looked at me and said, "Of course we eat frogs!"  UGH!!!!  SHE eats frogs!  And not just any frogs, but HUGE toads!  Nasty!  Haha... it was quite the experience.  We quickly vacated the store for my sake.  

Just a day or two before that experience, we were heading home when a man was passing out free samples from their stores merchandise.  The item he gave me looked like candy.  As we briskly walked away, I looked back at the store to see what kind of a store it was.  It didn't look like a candy store.  I saw my companion eagerly beginning to unwrap it.   I decided to smell the "candy" before I ate it.  She had the "candy" almost to her lips when I exclaimed, "NO!  Don't eat it!  It's SOAP!"  Haha... yes, it was soap!   She was so glad I caught her before she put that into her mouth! lol-- it smelled really good though.  Since our hopes of a sugar high were dashed, we stopped by a street vendor and bought us some candy bars to make up for our loss ;)  

Haha!  Oh!  So the tourist attraction of the week is Times Square!  We were volunteering at a 5K run/walk for Womens Cancers.  We were up at 3:50 to be in Times Square bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5:45am.  We donned our beautiful volunteer shirts and stared in amazement that we were REALLY there in Times Square.  Since it was 5:45 am and the streets were blocked off for the race, no one was there.  It was beautiful to not hear horns honking, and seeing taxi's trying to run pedestrians over.  I finally got to enjoy a tourist attraction without all the tourists!  

I was able to go to a baptism this week of our District Leaders investigators.  Mary Lopez is a gem and I'm so excited she decided to be baptized!  We are still teaching Karen Slappy and she is getting baptized on May 25th!  She is so receptive and eager to learn, come to church, and do additional reading than what we left with her!  So great to see her willingness to know the truth!  The work is continuing to progress and we go out and tract, contact, and meet with the ward members each night for dinner.  It's so cool to see how the Lord is placing certain people in our paths to help us learn and grow.

 

Today I was able to go to the temple!  It was a beautiful experience!  I was just crossing the street on the way to the temple when I looked up and saw a familiar face!  One of my good friends, Haley Mae Felton was standing on the corner of the temple!  We went to Disneyland together a few years back, and I just adore that girl!  We squealed and hugged and got some pictures!  Love her!  The Lord knew I needed a good boost from back home!  So grateful for His love and tender mercies!

God lives!  He is amazing!  I love that I have the opportunity each day to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those here in New York!  What an incredible experience it is!  I still have moments where I stop and say, "Am I really on a mission?  Like THE mission I've been hearing about all my life?... and am I really in Manhattan?!"  The answer to all my silly questions is of course YES!  This is such a great experience.  I'm learning to much!  Sorry for the LONG email, but hope you enjoyed it!  I love you!  Thank you for your love, support and friendship (or familyship).  You are amazing and have touched my life!  Hope to hear from you soon!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Week #2

Whew!  Ok!  So today marks 7 full days here now in South Manhattan!  It's been crazy! First off, here is my new address (at least for the next several weeks until I get transferred... but it should be this address for about 12 weeks at least): 

Sister Celeste Weyandt

109 Madison Street #11

New York, NY 10002

Ok!  So we live in Chinatown!  Every day we take the subway to get here, there, and everywhere!  At least once a day I will just exclaim to my companion, "SISTER! We are here!  We are in Manhattan!"  Haha... she will then look at me like I'm crazy.  But really, it's so strange to really be here, among the taxis and sites!  Every day I see the Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower (t

he memorial building in honor or the World Trade Center site).  We live a mile or so away from the WTC site!  Today we are at the Manhattan temple (as we were yesterday), and later we will go for a stroll in Central Park.  Crazy?  Ya!  I think so!

The work here is slow, especially for us since we are staring a new area. So when we started last week we had NO records.  NO names.  NO leads.  But in the past week we have found a list of less actives in the ward (over 700 people... cause I guess people come here to get lost!  And lost they get).  We have also contacted in Union Square and on the streets. We tracted the projects too!  Haha-- all adventures in and of themselves!   The people here put up a tough outside shell, but once you start to talk to them, they are the friendliest people ever!  I love it!  They are VERY accustomed to talking to strangers here in the city!  

We are looking for people to teach, but we have only had 1 formal lesson so far with a wonderful woman named Karen.  We taught her in the shelter where she lives.  Wow!  My first time in a shelter!  But she's amazing and very receptive!  I'm excited to see her progress!  We have another girl named Tashanta who we have visited a few times and have given her a Bible and Book of Mormon.  Hers was the very first project door we knocked on!  She's my age and is such a sweetie!  Another woman named Bella opened her door to us and we just talked with her for several minutes.  Through Gods mysterious ways, we were able to set up a time on Saturday where we are coming back to help her paint her house!  I'm excited to be able to serve this amazing woman!  :D  My companion, Sister Martin is a bit homesick, since she just got transferred from her first and last area of 10 months, the Bronx.  She misses the Bronx (her "home") and often talks about wanting to go back.  Hopefully that will change soon.  

Our ward is INCREDIBLE!!!!  There are only like 2 people in the entire ward over the age of 35!  Very young ward.  The visiting teaching percentage for last month was 68%!!!!! What the WHAT!?  They are super excited about the gospel and sharing it with their friends!  They are excited to have us here and we are motivated by their enthusiasm!  Amazing, amazing people!  

Anyway, I know this is an extremely long letter, but I just wanted to catch you up on life here in the busy, busy city and let you know I love you!  God loves you too!  I have felt the spirit testify to me that I am suppose to be here, right now.  This is where he would have me be!  My testimony is sustained by the impressions of the Holy Ghost!  What an amazing gospel this is!  I just want to share it with everyone!  But, not everyone will listen.  Sad truth, unfortunately.  My greatest desire right now is to be filled with the Spirit and to have the courage to open my mouth and share the good news of the restored gospel with everyone!  It's tricky, but with God, all things are possible!  

I love you!  Write when you can and keep the pictures coming!  XOXO

Love Always, 

Sister Weyandt