Week #28, Social Media Missionary

This week has been fabulous!  As of Thursday, we were given accesses to social media to share the gospel message.  Sure, there are conditions and regulations, but we are now able to share this gospel message to all the world!  I am still in the process of cleaning up my Facebook page and making it mirror the sacred nature of my calling as a missionary before I use it actively.  After zone conference, Sister Awerkamp and I went on exchanges!  It was SO fun to be with her in Morningside Heights and in the Harlem area.  We were walking through Columbia University's campus to get to a few of our appointments! 

There were so many amazing experiences we had, just in one night!  We met with the Crystal and her beautiful family of 5 children!  They taught me so much!  They were so kind, so loving, and so inviting.  As of last year, they are new converts to the church.  Crystal is covered in tattoos and lives in the projects.  She has a part time job on top of her full time job as a single parent!  What an amazing woman! Her and her beautiful family stole my heart instantly!  I want to adopt them all! 

Later that night, we went to visit Breena.  She is an investigator and lives in the home of a member (Maritza).  Maritza's testimony was SO solid.  She is a less active member, but was bearing the most powerful testimony to Breena (in a very casual, natural, and affirmative way) that Jesus is the Christ and will be her lawyer at the judgement day.  She said she can't wait until Satan is bound for 1000 years during the millennium.  She kept testifying to her as we read through the Book of Mormon with Breena.  Maritza's faith and Breena's honest seeking further inspired me as a missionary.  I want to go out and find as many people as I can to share the gospel message with!   

We then went to our dinner appointment, who just happened to bring a non-member friend along for the ride. Josephina is from the Philippines, and has many questions regarding the church, doctrine, and beliefs of the people, as well as the culture.  It was wonderful to connect with her and to invite her to meet with the missionaries in her area.  She is considering it!  How amazing!  What a wonderful experience!

We've also seen some progression in our wonderful investigators!  They are so diligent in their searches, but almost all of them feel they need to know everything and get lightning bolt answers (haha... or so I think).  Chris and Travis have made baby steps this week that are like giant steps in my eyes! We are excited to see their progress!  And KJ and Aimee came to our ward this week to hear us speak! They are AMAZING!  We are so lucky to have all of them in our lives!  What amazing, golden people they are! So genuine...so real... so perfect!  God is good! 

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

P.S. These are the bullet points I used for my talk this past Sunday as we introduced the new Social Media push to our ward members.  It was a hit!  Look out world, here come the Mormons!

• “The missionaries are now authorized to use the Internet in their proselyting efforts. During less-productive times of the day...missionaries will use computers ...to contact investigators and members, work with local priesthood leaders and mission leaders, receive and contact referrals, follow up on commitments, confirm appointments, and teach principles from Preach My Gospel using mormon.org, Facebook, blogs, email, and text messages.Of course, safety is paramount in this new frontier of missionary work. Mission presidents will monitor missionaries’ online work to help them remain safe in all they do.” -Elder Perry
• As of this past Thursday, we've been given access to use Skype, Facebook, blogging, and emailing as proselyting tools.

Convenience

• Update area book and records on the go
• Have planner, phone, area book, maps, pamphlets, scriptures, etc all on one device
• Allows us to teach more lessons without travel time

• Allows yourself and the world to watch comfortably from a distance and really see what we as missionaries do. Perspectives will change and hearts will be softened as they SEE.
• Allows us to teach people on their lunch break, during nap time, while traveling, etc.
• Allows us to teach those we contact in efforts to encourage them to meet with local missionaries in their area. Allows us to establish a relationship and provide a good handoff to local missionaries.
• Can connect with so many more people without being intrusive.

Changing World

• People are less likely to let strangers into their home. They're closing doors, but God is opening their hearts and eyes.
• Missionaries must adapt to the changing world. Members must change their perspectives of missionary work. It is still the same work.

Far Reaching Impact

• Young adults know how to use social media, and they know how to do it well. So, God is using those talents
• Not to simply share our belief, but to create conversation
• Hundreds and thousands will see it online, not just our Mom's. Our APF video got 25,000 views in just 5 days. Within 1 week we had 40,000 views.
• “Gets the message where people who want to see it will find it and a place where it will stay.”
• Can teach our LA or non-member family members through Facebook or Skype if they ask.

God is Hastening His Work

• “The work is hastening. Tell the people to pick up the pace.” - Brother Doxford
• “The internet was created to share the gospel.” -Elder Eyring
• “As surely as the Lord has inspired more missionaries to serve, He is also awakening the minds and opening the hearts of more good and honest people to receive His missionaries. You already know them or will know them. They are in your family and live in your neighborhood. They walk past you on the street, sit by you in school, and connect with you online. You too are an important part of this unfolding miracle. ” -Elder Andersen
• “There are many ...who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” -D and C 123
• “This is a responsibility that we sometimes avoid because we fear that an invitation to meet with the missionaries or attend church may offend a neighbor or a friend—or even a member of our own family. However, an invitation that is born of our love for others and for the Lord Jesus Christ and our desire for the happiness of these friends and family members will never be seen as offensive or judgmental.” -Elder Holland
• Let each member realize their potential in bringing others to Christ
• “Perhaps the Lord’s encouragement to “open [your] mouths” might today include “use your hands” to blog and text message the gospel to all the world! But please remember, all at the right time and at the right place.” -Elder Uchtdorf
• Proverbs 3:5-6
• Lily baptized through Kat's blog

Conditions

• “If misused, it will be taken “swiftly and permanently”
• iPads and iPhones will have many lock downs
• Facebook to be cleaned up and used only as a proselyting tool
• “Has power to change the world or to condemn your soul” -President Morgan

Commitments

• Add us on Facebook
• Share the gospel by Christmas time

**********************************************************************Pictures:

#1- My aunts and uncle came to visit me before they went on a cruise leaving from NYC!  So fun to see them again!  And yes, we had permission :) 

#2- We went singing in Times Square as a zone!  It. Was. SWEET! #EverydayNYCMissionaries

#3- So, I'm now an online Facebook proselyting missionary!!! This was my first view of real life again! 

Week #27, Shaking things up a bit

So, this week has been an adventure!  The mission life is hard right now, but it is going well.  So, I am limited on my time today, but I want to share a letter I wrote today to one of the teachers back in my home ward.  The teachers quorum was given an assignment to write me a letter and ask me about my mission life.  I got 6 of these letters from boys I have never met before in my life (ok, so I knew one of the six because I babysat him years ago).  It was so sweet to see them preparing now for their missions.  So, here is my letter to one of them:

Dear Future Elder Stead,

That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Haha. Thank you SO much for your letter to me! That really made my day! I got a letter from you and several other teachers in the ward. I was so excited to get all of them at the same time. I'm glad you followed through with your assignment to write to me asking about myself and my mission here in New York City! You've got some awesome leaders! Give them my thanks, will you?

So yes, my name is Sister Celeste Weyandt. I'm sure you know Kyle Weyandt in the ward. He's my little brother. Anyway, I am 23 (almost 24 years old) and am serving my mission in New York City in downtown Manhattan. I am living in Chinatown in Manhattan, and I live about a mile away from where the World Trade Center site is (9/11). I went on my mission a little later than most girls, but I know that was what the Lord wanted for me. I had prayed for 3 years to get my answer as to whether I should go or not. It was a LONG process, but when I finally got my answer, I ran with it! I got a lot of advice and many answers to prayers in those 3 years and all of them added up to help me make my decision to go. One persons advice was given in their homecoming talk. They said that if we ever have the opportunity to serve a mission, to NOT pass it up. That really had an impact on me.

The people here are so unique! Some are so friendly. Others are very brisk. But ALL are children of God! We have some amazing investigators that we are teaching! They are so ready for the gospel in their lives and soak up everything we teach them. The Lord is working on their hearts and I feel that it is just a matter of time before they are baptized!

You asked several questions about my mission that I would LOVE to answer, so I'm going to make a bullet point list. I hope that's ok with you. So, here it goes:

• What helped me to prepare for my mission? SEMINARY (and Institute)! Going to these classes and really trying to learn from them made all the difference in my preparation for not only my mission, but life in general! It gives you so much insight and perspective that having it in your life is invaluable! So, if you are not enrolled in seminary now, DO IT TOMORROW!
• What could I have done better to prepare myself for my mission? Reading through Preach My Gospel regularly. I thought it was boring when I first got it. I opened it a few times and then put it to the side. But it is ESSENTIAL to a mission and teaching. My advice, take turns with your friends teaching a lesson to each other (they have 3-5 minute mini lessons in the back of the lessons of Chapter 3 I think. Check it out). This will help you learn the simple, basic doctrines thoroughly. If you do this, you are set!
• The weather here is similar to Utah's weather actually. Very similar. Humidity (a wetness in the air) causes the hot to be hotter and the cold to be colder, but I am use to it now. It is getting cold as of this week... not fun!
• We do have a specific routine for the first ½ of our day. We wake up at 6:24 to be ready by 6:30 to exercise for 30 minutes. Then we have until 8:00 to eat and get ready for the day. At 8:00 we do our personal study and prepare to teach our investigators that day. At 9:00 we come together and share what we learned in personal study and combine what we studied for our investigators to meet their needs. For new missionaries we do training at 10:00 and my companions both were learning a new language, so we would do language study for an hour, then lunch. Then we go out for the day. We will go to peoples houses or meet them at the church to teach them a lesson. When we don't have lessons to teach, we go out and try to find the less active members and pay them a visit at their home or we go out “contacting.” Contacting is where we talk to people on the streets and hand out pass along cards. My companion and I like to do this in Times Square or other parks. Then we usually have dinner at a members house each night. After that we usually head home by the subway or bus to be home by 9:00 pm and plan for the next day. We are then in bed by 10:30. Then it starts all over again! P.S. We do not tract much here. Many people here live in HUGE apartment complexes and they have a guard (doorman) who will not let you in the building.
• My favorite P-day activity is emailing family back home and seeing pictures from them.
• Our investigators are Aimee, KJ, Travis, Chris, Beverly, Yael, and Larry.
• I've had 2 baptisms in 6 months :D
• I have never been transferred and have had 2 companions- 1 from the Phillipines and another who is headed to Brazil on her mission once she gets her visa.
• My favorite place is the Hudson River- it overlooks the Statue of Liberty and New Jersey.
• I've been able to visit the World Trade Center site, the Natural History Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum. We went to a Yankees game, and I see the Empire state building everyday.
• This week I ate chicken feet at a Chinese restaurant. Not too bad!
• My mission is being paid through personal saving as well as help from my parents.
• Me and my current companion are BEST friends one day, and not so good friends another day. But we are learning a lot from each other :)

A mission is awesome! Sure, there are hard times. Life is full of hard times. But it is so worth it. You grow so much! And you know, a mission is a lot different that I thought it would be. I thought I would feel different, act different, and be different. But I am still me, and I still act like me and talk like me. I simply have a badge on my shirt and the blessing and protection from the Lord to do His work. If you want to start preparing for your mission now, DO MISSIONARY WORK NOW! Open your mouth and share the gospel with your friends (whether members, less actives, or non-members). If missionaries are in the area, go out teaching with them when you can. If you have Facebook, post Mormon Messages, scriptures, inspirational thoughts, etc. Do all you can to lift others up and bring them to Christ. Missionary work is THE MEMBERS RESPONSIBILITY. The missionaries are just there to teach those the members find. So, be a member missionary, NOW!

I'm so impressed that you are preparing for your own mission by studying Preach My Gospel and by bearing your testimony! That is GREAT! What a perfect way to start preparing! As you do all these things, pray to know if the things you are learning are true. Gain a testimony for yourself so you can share that knowledge with others in a powerful, personal way. And you have even saved up twice as much as you planned to this summer for your mission! Wonderful! The Lord is hastening his work and it is so exciting the changes that are coming now that will be available to you when you come out on a mission! God wants us all to return to live with him. He wants it more than ANYTHING else. And the ONLY way we can return to live with him is to be baptized and keep the commandments throughout our life. That is all he asks. So, it is our job to go out and share the gospel with others so that they too can live with God again as well as their families.  God's plan for our salvation is flawless. He is brilliant! And he will do everything in his power to help us all return back to live with him.

Let him continue to touch your life and to build your testimony. Follow EVERY prompting you receive. Pray for missionary opportunities, then seek them out. Act on every good thought. If you see someone who looks down, smile and say hi. If you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up. If someone is gossiping (or you are yourself), stop participating or bite your tongue. Pray, pray, pray. The Lord will help you. I promise you! Thank you again for your wonderful letter! I hope I answered all of your questions! Please write me back with any more that you have! Oh, and please do me a favor... you know my brother, Kyle, right? I know he can be hard to deal with sometimes, but could you help him feel loved and included? I think he just needs a good friend who cares about him. Anything you can do to help him would be greatly appreciated by me, my parents, and by God :D Thank you again for your letter! Thank you for praying for me and my companion! We need all the prayers and blessings we can get in this great work of the Lord. Have a WONDERFUL week, and God be with you until next time!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

P.S. If you want to SEE what we have been up to recently, check out this blog: reachmygospel.blogspot.com and watch the video about the Plan of Salvation in Union Square. This video was even posted on the front page of KSL.com this past week and was viewed by 10,000 overnight! Rumor has it that the prophet may have seen it already! How fun! P.S. I am the girl wearing the yellow shirt with the blue cardigan over it. This was a fun activity and a cool way to share the gospel with others! Enjoy!

****************************************************************************************************************

Kind of a fun letter for me to write!  So part of my adventurous week was this whole KSL.com news article/video coverage we got.  My zone was featured on KSL.com, and will be on the Deseret News soon, or so I hear.  Last Friday we went to Union Square and did a chalk drawing of the Plan of Salvation.  Check it out at Youtube: Union Square Plan of Salvation, and at the zone leaders blog:reachmygospel.blogspot.com.  And you can find it on KSL too if you type in similar wordings :)  Rumor has it that the prophet has already seen it!  So cool!  As of right now, the video alone has 23,000 views.  Insane!  This is something simple that is making an impact.  So go out today and do something simple to make an impact on someone else's life!  I love you! 

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Pictures:

#1- We got to wear regular clothes when we did the chalk drawing!  I hadn't worn jeans in 4 months!  Wonderful feeling :)  Hehe

#2- So, I ate chicken feet.  Not too bad, strangely.  I'm branching out!  This restaurant, Jing Fong, was awesome!  We were eating Dim Sum with hundreds of other people!  So cool!

#3- Sister Carly Porter and her husband Josh are moving.  So sad.  We will miss her!

KSL Video

KSL LINK
NEW YORK, N.Y. — "You see a lot of graffiti in New York, but not quite like this!" a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wrote about an art project aimed at helping share the LDS faith.

A group of missionaries serving in New York drew the giant chalk mural illustrating the Plan of Salvation at New York's Union Square last Friday, Oct. 18.
A video of the event is posted on YouTube and on the blog Reachmygospel.
"Usually, when you are teaching the Plan of Salvation, it's good to have a diagram of what it looks like," Elder Brad Witbeck wrote on the blog.
"Many people came with questions. We came with answers," it says.
"Here in New York, many people feel as if they are alone. But, we are all brothers and sisters, and we want everyone to know it," the blog states.
It called the drawing's message uplifting and said it "hits home for all of us." 

Dessert News #1 LINK #2 LINK

Week #26, Life's what you make it...

Ok, so sorry that Hannah Montana's song is popping up into my mind for the subject of this email.  I'm apostate. It's ok.  But really, life IS what you make it!  Last week was a trying week.  This past week has been wonderful!  Of course we had a mix of up's and down's, but things are continually looking up. 

So, Sister King has been needing to practice her Portuguese in preparation for her leaving to Brazil (her assigned mission).  Our new Zone Leader just happens to speak Portuguese!  What a tender mercy!  So we met up in Union Square earlier this week so they could do their language study together while Elder Witbeck and I contacted nearby.  The Zone Leaders were confident we would be able to find a Portuguese speaker as we contacted in Union Square.  I scoffed.  O ye of little faith.  Elder Witbeck and I were handing out family history cards and asking people where they were originally from.  One man stopped and said "Brazil."  My jaw dropped and I was freaking out!  "WHAT?!  Really?!  Do you speak Portuguese?!" I quickly asked.  "Yes, I do," Frank replied.  "Oh my goodness!  Ok, I have some friends who speak Portuguese and they are actually studying it RIGHT now!  You just have to meet them!" I almost squealed!  "Oh, I don't have much time...," he began to say.  Haha... I ignored his comment and introduced him to Elder Potter and Sister King.  They talked for 20 minutes and taught him the Plan of Salvation.  God answers prayers.  My faith was strengthened.  The ZL's were right.  I repented.  :D 

Later this week, we dropped by Tanasha's place to say hello.  We met Tanasha one of my first weeks in Manhattan.  She is a sweet lady and is so friendly.  She hasn't shown interest much in the gospel, but has SUCH strong faith in God and is slowly asking us more questions about our beliefs whenever we drop by. When she answered the door we warmly greeted her.  She told us how she had had a hard night and her daughter was just getting back from the ER.  We spent the next hour talking about God and tithing and Tanasha's mother who use to study with the Mormon missionaries before she passed away.  Before we left I asked her if we could say a prayer with her. She readily agreed.  After I ended the prayer, she had tears in her eyes and she gave us the biggest hug!  She said God sent us her way to help her!  I think so too :)

On Sunday our Ward Mission Leader asked if we could meet up for a meeting after church.  We readily agreed.  We were surprised to see our first counselor in the bishopric also join us.  To our surprise, he spoke some very direct and bold words to us regarding our missionary work and casual conduct with the women of the ward.  We were informed that there were some things the members were concerned about regarding our to-be privileges on Facebook.  His words were unexpected, but understood.  Our ward is extremely youthful... almost all the members of the ward are in their late 20's or very early 30's.  They each had a different mission experience and a variety of rules to adhere to.  The use of internet, cell phones, texting, etc were drilled into their minds as being "of the devil" and rights to be sent home if (mis-)used.  And they are struggling with the idea that not only will we have access to it (Facebook, Skype, Blogging, Email, Texting, iPhones, iPads, etc), but will be encouraged to use it in our proselyting efforts and with them as members.  It made sense what our first counselor was saying, but hard to hear some of the strong feedback he gave us. It was great to know what the members thoughts were so we know how to respond when they raise concerns.

In the end, it came down to the point that we needed to educate our members on the good that can come from sharing the gospel online and by using social media.  And also by sharing the restrictions we still have in regards to these new opportunities.  I would have never thought this was a hard thing for members to accept, but if YOU are one of these members who is struggling with the idea, think about it.  Ponder it out in your mind and ask God if it be right.  A prophet has asked us to do this, and it is up to US to be the pioneers to bring it forth.  I ask for your support in not only accepting this new technology, but embracing it in a positive way to share the gospel around the globe!  If members are not working with us on this, then the work WILL be hindered.  So, again, pray about it. Miracles will happen.  I promise!

This week we got to teach Travis Lee- one of our investigators who is from Egypt.  He became a Christian several years ago and has been coming to church with us the past 1.5 months.  He is thirsty for the gospel message.  Every few days he will text us a spiritual experience he has.  It is so amazing to hear the dreams that he has, the thoughts that come to his mind, the prayers that are answered, and the experiences he has.  This man is having a rain shower of spiritual experiences poured out on him!  The Lord wants this mans heart and soul so badly!  It is beautiful to see his progress and eagerness to learn more! 

Lastly, on Tuesday (yesterday) we were able to go to Union Square to try a new idea for contacting.  We asked people standing or sitting on the many benches or steps if they would write an uplifting message on an index card.  We explained that we would give the card to someone in the city who looked like they were in need of a pick-me-up.  People loved the idea, and 1/2 the people we asked willingly did it!  After they gave us back the index card, we gave them a Mormon.org card with our Zone Leaders blog address on it (reachmygospel.blogspot.com) and told them we would be posting the results of this social experiment online and to check it out! 

#1- They did something good for someone else.
#2- They had a positive contact with Mormon missionaries.
#3- They ALL accepted a Mormon.org card.... It was a HIT! 

They all wrote WONDERFUL messages of hope, love, and GOD! It gave me renewed hope in humanity :D  I have been out on my mission for 6 months now, and I STILL have a hard time opening my mouth about the gospel!  I struggle with it every day and it is my biggest obstacle to overcome.  And if you know me, this is surprising to hear, right?  I can talk with anyone! And this is true... I can. BUT, I have a hard time just STARTING the conversation and making it feel natural.  But I had NO problem going up to people and asking them to help us help make someone elses day better.  So, it was a great "social experiment" to try out and help me simply open my mouth. 

Haha... there was this one man who saw us going down the line of people sitting on the benches and asking for their help in writing the note.  He immediately ducked his head deeply into his newspaper.  I laughed and thought, "Oh, I got this one!"  I approached him and said "Hello Sir!  How are you today?  We are doing a little social experiment and are wanting to know if you could write down something inspirational on this card...." His head did not move.  There was no sign of life in the man.  I had thought if I just continued talking, he would look up because he felt awkward ignoring me while I kept talking.  Lol- but he didn't!  Hahaha!  I paused, laughed, then apologized for bugging him as I wished him a good day and continued on down the line.  Some people make me laugh.... 

I found out that the only young man that we have in the ward (a 15 year old adopted boy from Ghana who joined the church 2 years ago) did something similar with a youth group the other night where they went out onto the NYC streets and asked people what they were most grateful for.  They could have their pictures taken with their written answer, or have the youth video record their answers.  What a WONDERFUL idea!  All of this is allowing for us to open our mouths and share the gospel, whether in word or deed!  Fantastic!

The gospel is true!  The work of Salvation is moving forward swiftly!  Come join the ranks of this great work!  You know you want to :)  Here are some WONDERFULLY motivating quote from our prophet and other leaders from this past General Conference on missionary work:

“Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work.”

-Thomas S. Monson

“President Thomas S. Monson, as he did once again this morning, has called each one of us to a very important work. He said, 'Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him.' Have we been listening?”

-S. Gifford Nielsen

“Many members do not even pray for opportunities to share the gospel, fearing that they might receive divine promptings to do something they think they are not capable of doing.”

“We are not asking everyone to do everything. We are simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just “one” between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior.”

-M. Russell Ballard

WATCH:

*Videos on sharing the gospel at: hasteningthework.lds.org/

*“The Work of Salvation” [worldwide leadership training broadcast, June 2013]; lds.org/broadcasts

......

Open your mouth!  It's hard, but it is worth it!  Make God proud!  I know I'll continue to try to each day!  Come, join with me in this great work of the Lord!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Pictures:

#1- So on Monday we had our District Meeting (Oct 14th)... and everyone showed up in white, black and pink.  Kodak moment. :D
-Sister Awerkamp (her 21st birthday that day), Sister Khong, Elder Witbeck, Elder Potter, Sister King, Me

#2- Sister King and I with our beloved Aimee Bloch!  She is our investigator who flew out to see General Conference!  She is solid! We ADORE Aimee.  I am adopting her. 

#3- Our "inspirational message" cards from contacting in Union Square.

Week #25, Life as I know it....

Sooo....General Conference was AMAZING!  I loved it!  So many sweet nuggets of truth!  It was definitely a highlight of my mission.  I was very excited to find out that almost ALL of our investigators were able to watch a session or more.  One of our investigators (Aimee Bloch) even flew out to Utah to go see it in person!  She has such a solid testimony of the gospel and soaks it right up.  There is no doubt in my mind that she will one day get baptized.  The vices that she has are silly hold backs in the grand scheme of things.  She's solid!

We witnessed a miracle this week... one of our less active members (Lorraine Sepulveda) came to church on Sunday, after ignoring us for 3 months.  She then invited us over for dinner!  We were shocked!  Her and her teenage daughter warmed back up to us, suddenly.  I was floored.  She had ignored every text, call, note, and knock. We even saw her on the street, and she was less than excited to see us to say the least.  What a miracle to see the change!  We are excited to be welcomed back and to continue to help them come back to the gospel!

...........

Anyway, life is good and I am happy!  I am at peace with how I have responded to opposition and am so grateful to the Lord for his sustaining hand in my recent challenges.  I LOVE Sister King to DEATH and she is one of my best friends.  But simply put, we struggle.  This too shall pass and all will be well!  With God's help and the same goals in mind, we WILL conquer :D  I know it!  And that makes me happy. 

Today I want you to read Ether 2:24-25 and Ether 6:5 and relate it to your own life and challenges.  It has given me peace that God allows us to go through these challenges to return to him.  He prepares us for them and gives us strength while we are in them.  He is an amazing Father!  I will always be grateful to him for my trials.  They help me grown and learn.  They help me gain perspective.  They make me ME!  And I love what he has made of me and my life.  I wouldn't trade what I am experiencing now for anything else.  Yes, it is hard, but it will be for my benefit (D & C 121: 7-8).  He knows best and I will trust Him, ALWAYS!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Pictures:

#1-My library and wall.... pretty ain't it?

#2- A gas station on 10th and 23rd-ish.  I have no idea why they converted it into a rolling hill prarie with fake sheep and a man roaming through it.  But apparently it is a pretty big deal.  Haha... I think this is new, cause I've never seen it before and I use to go by this place all the time.  lol

#3- Watching General Conference.... alone.  Haha!  So nice!

Week #24, 6 MONTHS

Another great week with lots of wonderful experiences!  This week we have had some struggles lately in keeping our lessons focused.  All of a sudden, 3 of our investigators took our lesson and ran in CRAZY directions with it.  They could not focus and would not answer questions directly.  We tried over and over again to refocus our lessons, but they kept wandering.  It was strange.

Sister King and I were still struggling too.  We had a lengthy chat the other night and worked things out.  We understood why each other was acting the ways that we were and determined we had the same goal... just different ways we were striving to reach it.  So we came up with a game plan to help us be more successful as a companionship... as a team!  It was a wonderful thing to be able to come to a consensus on the decision.  She is a wonderful missionary and has so many desires to do good!  Things are working out!  As we came to the conclusion of our chat, it was amazing to hear her say "Want to know something?  I had been fasting today to fix this.  I didn't realize it would happen so soon."  The Lord hears and answers our prayers!  I know it!   

We have been teaching a new investigator, originally from Egypt.  His name is Travis Lee (well, at least that is his made up English name).  He is very interested in the gospel!  We are excited to see him receive his answers as he seeks for truth!  Lately I have been keeping track of the many people we have/are teaching and what countries they come from!  Here is a list of countries of our ward members, investigators, etc....Bolivia, Ireland, Dominican Repulblic, Puerto Rica, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Columbia, Russia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, India, Brazil, Japan, Iran, Singapore, Paraguay, Belgium, Peru, etc.  It is such a unique mix of people out here!  I love it!  You can walk only 1 street and hear 3 different languages spoken!  It is incredible! 

This week I was able to go on an exchange with Sister Beer, one of my sister training leaders.  She had felt strongly to have an exchange with us, even though it was near the end of the cycle.  She helped me SO much to figure out how I can better help Sister King through her stresses and to stop enabling her.  She was fantastic in setting me straight as a trainer!  I appreciated that!  Also, a miracle happened!  We met with Mary Walsh, and Mary told Sister Beer that no one knows what she is going through with her disease.  Mary went off on how terrible this disease was, etc.  Then she told Sister Beer what the diseases name was.  Sister Beer shocked us both when she said, "Yes, I have had that since birth.  It is genetic."  Mary threw her hands up in the air and began to cry, knowing someone understood her pain.  It was a tender moment to realize that the Lord had orchestrated this meeting.  This exchange usually happens at the beginning of the cycle, but this one was at the end, and it almost didn't even happen.  Then, it just happened to be an exchange in MY area with Sister Beer on a day we were meeting with Mary who had the same disease as Sister Beer.  That is NOT a coincidence.  How amazing to see that on her last exchange as a sister training leader she was able to relate to the unrelatable.  Amazing!