Week #19, On Cloud 9

This week has been a wonderful week!  Training is THE best!  I LOVEEEEEEE Sister King!  She is so amazing!  It is the easiest thing to train her.  She picks things up so quickly.  From day 1 she was teaching lessons in a similar way and familiarity that I was 1-2 months in!  I was blown away!  We are the best of friends and have a blast together!  And we are having SO much success!  Just yesterday we gained 2 new investigators and have had some AMAZING lessons!  We have Jobie, Javier, and Larry who have a baptismal date, and maybe 3+ on the way!  WHAT!?!  This is AMAZING!  I can't believe it! 

When I found out I would be training, I prayed I would be blessed with a trainee who could be my friend.  And that is exactly what I got.  She is so humble.  So kind.  So loving.  So diligent.  So perfect! 

God has been answering my individual prayers and our prayers as a companionship!  We are seeing miracles happen and our investigators changing!  It is true what was said in this past General Conference in "It's a Miracle" that just as surely as the Lord has inspired more people to serve, more peoples hearts are being softened and opened to accept the gospel.  Our investigators the past month have come ready to receive baptism!  We have come in contact with Rob Iraheta, Daniel Ramirez, Jobie Overton, Annia, Javier Lugo, Larry Knox, Beverly Benlulu and her kids, Aimee Bloch, and another one or two who are so ready to receive the gospel!  Amazing, amazing! 

I was able to attend the temple today.  The spirit filled my soul and I learned SO many new things!  I can't believe how much the Lord is blessing us as we turn to him more fully and seek to be more consecrated!  This work is true!  I know it, but even more than that, I FEEL it!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

P.S.  Do something this week that has been on your mind to do... to call up that friend who has been on your mind, to help someone out in some way or another.  Just do it!  :D  Most likely you WON'T regret it ;)

#1. Victoria Philactos, a less active we found 2 months ago, went to the temple for the first time to do baptisms!!!!  We were ecstatic to be there with her!

#2. Sister King and I having fun during her language study-- Portugese

Week #18, I'M TRAINING!!!!!

Oh. My. Goodness- Do I have stories for you!

SOOOO-- I AM TRAINING!!!!!  And you'll never believe it... I have met my companion, Sister King before!  On mothers day this year, a family came to the ward and we chatted with them.  I spent a long time talking specifically to the daughter in the family who recently received a mission call to Brazil. We talked about New York and missions, the MTC, etc. We even got a picture with her mother for some reason.  Well... at transfers today the new missionaries walked in.  Immediately I had a feeling one girl in paticular would be my companion... I just had a feeling.  After we sat down, she said "Hey, I think I know you!  I met you a few months ago when my family was visiting here in Manhattan!  You talked with me about missions!  I'm a visa waiter to go to Brazil, but they reassigned me here!"  WHAT!?!  NO WAY!!! I TOTALLY remembered her!!!!!! THAT IS CRAZYYYYYYYY!!!!!  Woah!  My mind is STILL blown!

We just met about 6 hours ago, but I have a feeling we are gonna be BEST friends!  We hit it off right away and have several similarities.  We both have Hebrew inscribed rings given to us by family members and both of us have similar "mission decision" stories!  We get along... really well!  What a blessing!  I'm so excited to get to know her better and to be her trainer!  Woohoo!

So many miracles have happened this week!  Tender mercies right and left!  Our investigators are progressing. 2 or 3 baptism dates are on.  Our less actives are beginning to come to church.  We have a few people who have contacted us wanting to be baptized/rebaptized!!!  That does NOT happen!  It has been amazing to see how the Lord is blessing our mission as we strive to become more consecrated missionaries!  Remember our September goal to have 1 baptism per companionship?  Well, we heard today from President Morgan at transfers that 80 baptisms are scheduled for September!!!! Our monthly average is 14!  Amazing!  Simply amazing to see how the Lord is using us to be the tools he needs! 

We are excited. Oh so excited! 

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Pictures:

#1- "Generational Picture"-- Sister Brodrick (going home today) trained Sister Martin, who trained me, and I am now training Sister King.  Aint that special :) 

#2- Sister Skinner and Sister Barker are the Spanish sisters who live in the apt below us in Chinatown... this was our morning workout!

#3- Jobie (our miracle September baptism) and his fiance Annia!  WE LOVE THEM!

 

Here is a picture from a few months ago with Karen Slappy (our recent convert--not a member at the time this picture was taken), Sister Martin, Me, AND my new companions mother!  Sister King came to visit us on Mothers Day this year, and I actually met my new companion at that time. She had her call to Brazil, but since her visa did not come through, they reassigned her to our mission this past Friday!  So, I met her and talked to her about missions for like 10-15 minutes!  How amazing!  Glad I took the time to chat with her now :)

She's great!  So fun to know we met before now!  And to have this picture of her mother to prove it!  God works in mysterious ways, but I'm not complaining :)

Week #17, MIRACLES HAPPEN!!!!

GUESS WHAT!?!  GOD HEARD OUR PRAYERS!!!!!!  WE HAVE A MIRACLE BAPTISM TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 31ST!!!!!!!!  God works in mysterious ways!  But we are not complaining!  So....  here's the story:

About a month ago we were walking out to the Pier to meet with a less active (Victoria Philactos) for a lesson.  As we walked by a certain man, Jobie Overton, he stopped us and asked if we were the Mormon Missionaries.  We said we were.  He said he goes up to the church in the Bronx, and that he recently moved to our area.  We eagerly grabbed his information and asked if we could meet up with him sometime.  We were surprised to see him smoking, so we figured he was less active.

After our mission goal was set for a baptism in September, we decided to text every Mormon in our phone, active or less-active, to ask for their help and prayers in finding someone to teach and receive the ordinance of baptism.  Out of 70 members we texted, only Jobie replied with a "God bless....".  A week later on August 10th, we sent out a reminder text to all the members and asked if they had anyone we could teach.  Again, only Jobie replied.  He asked for us to come visit him. 

To our astonishment, we found out Jobie was NOT a member, but has been attending the ward in the Bronx since 2006, when someone simply invited him to come inside for the service.  He's 69 years old and is preparing to die.  It was AMAZING how easily the subject of baptism was brought up.  We showed in the scriptures how even Christ had to be baptized, and then he invited us to follow him and do likewise.  I explained how we then receive the gift of the Holy Ghost after we are baptized.  That resonated with him.  He said that was the thing he was missing. We invited him to be baptized on September 28th, but HE asked if we could move it up to August 31st!  WHAT!?!  Of course you can!!!!  We were thrilled!  It was an amazing experience to see how ready he was!  We are elated to teach him in preparation for his baptism!

And that is just our Monday Miracle.  This past Friday (Aug 9th) we were given a year long investigator by the ASL Elders who has a baptism date for September 29th!  Javier Lugo is his name! Sunday we had 4 people attend church with us for their first time!  FOUR!!!!!  I felt happily overwhelmed by the turnout!  They all really enjoyed the service and want to come back!  That was our Sunday miracle.  Tuesday we taught one of those men who came to church for the first time.  We taught him the Plan of Salvation and he said "it just makes sense."  We invited him to be baptized, and he said he would like to... he just wanted to crack the book first (The Book of Mormon).  YESSSSS!!!! MIRACLES!!!! 

I've been saying the last few weeks that obedience brings blessings, and exact obedience brings miracles.  Umm... IT IS SOOOO TRUE!  We have been trying out best to be more consecrated missionaries, and miracles are FLYING our way!  I stand in AMAZEMENT!  What a wonderful week! 

Sorry for the novel, but I hope it was worth every minute it took you to read it :)  I love you!  Thank you for your heartfelt prayers back home in our behalf.  It helped to change me and the missionary I intend to become, with the Lords help!  Continue to keep us and all the missionaries around the world in your prayers!  And pray for the hearts of the people to be softened!  We have many more who are ready to receive this gospel... we just need to help them along the way!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Picture #1- The tiniest elevator I've seen yet...

Picture #2- The Filartigas (tall couple) just moved here from Paraguay.  Ivanna is a less active member and Fernando is not a member.  The Durans are our amazing new ward missionaries "visiting" for 18 months from Mexico!

Picture #3- Sister Martin and Me with our beloved Molly Ryan!  We adore her!  Haha-- some tourist members saw us teaching her in the park and asked if she was also a missionary.  Lol-- she's a less active member who loves the gospel.  But she thought it was funny they thought she was also a missionary with her clothing choice.

Week #16, September Goal- 1 Baptism

We are still super excited about the September goal (1 baptism per companionship within the month of September)!  The past 2 weeks, we have gone from 5 or 6 investigators to just 2 now (and one of them we are considering dropping).  The last one left is Courtney Goforth who is golden in our eyes, but she feels she needs to know everything before she gets baptized.  So, our prospects for the September baptism look small.  BUT, we are looking on the bright side-- since we have no investigators, we have TONS of time for finding now!  Every day now we are out contacting in Union Square, doing less active look up's, tracting, etc.  We are determined to find someone to find, teach, and baptize in the month of September!  

It has been amazing to see the change in us as we try to accomplish this goal.  We are talking to more people along the way, passing out pass along cards to anyone we chat with, and trying out new finding ideas.  Haha-- we have even asked 3 taxi drivers who have a "The Book of Mormon" play topper on their cabs if they would like to keep a Book of Mormon copy in their taxi in case someone asks them about it.   None have accepted our simply fantastic offer... but we'll keep trying ;)  (Just fyi- about 2 weeks ago The Book of Mormon play has been advertising like CRAZY on cab toppers!  Whenever we see them I like to squeal "MORMONS!" Haha).  

We've tried leaving a Book of Mormon on the bus with our testimony in it, and leaving a pass along card here or there around the city.  It has been fun to try and find new ways to share the gospel, even if we can't physically be there!  The work will progress!  We know that as we strive to reach this goal we will be blessed! 

Seriously though, the members help is what is truly needed.  We can teach and we can help, but when it comes to long term fellowshipping and being there for these amazing people, we can't offer that to them.  We will move from place to place and cannot physically be there help them along the way like the members can.  I know it is hard to reach out and to approach someone who you may have not talked to in years... or never even met before.  BUT, do it!  People just need a friend.  It doesn't matter if they are not interested in coming (back) to church at this point.... just be there for them!  Love them as Christ would.  Reach out!  Lift up the hands that hang down!  There is SOOO much we can do to help the work progress!  Pray to know how you can do that THIS week!  Then, simply do it!  Suck up the fear and go forth!

I love you!  God does too!  He loves all of his children.... EQUALLY!  I often look at the homeless people I come across with several times a day and realize they are my brother or my sister.  They may have had a hard life, or a turn of events that landed them there.  I don't know what happened.  I don't know what they are going through.  I just hope that one day I don't end up there too.  And if by some chance that I do, I hope someone would show love and kindness to me, and not ignore me.   I do know that they are loved though, and that God has sent me here to help those around me, whoever they may be, whatever they may look like!  Mosiah 4:16-24 has helped me learn this.  READ IT!!!  And APPLY it!  Since you may not have literal beggars asking of you like we do here in NYC, find out how it applies to YOU.  The Lord needs YOU!  Now, go to work!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

P.S.  The Lord is hastening HIS work... not by just changing the age of missionaries, but by having his children reach out to his other children, badge or no badge.  Remember who you are, and act accordingly :D

Pictures:

#1- Me, Pihana, and Sister Martin (we passed her off the the YSA missionaries.  SO sad)

#2- Man in the subway with probably the coolest musical invention ever! He certainly drew a crowd!  I can't even count how many instruments were on his concoction.  He had wires hooked to his feet and arms that he moved to make a beat and add to his song.  And he sang too.  Talented!  

#3- My Chinatown at 6 am this morning on our way to play Ultimate Frisbee with the Chinatown zone.