Week #41, Glitz and Glamour in NYC

This has been a fantastic week filled with friends, love, and the Spirit of The Lord! I adore these people and this area! We had such a fabulous week! Earlier this week we met with a new member named Kristi. She invited her roommate and friend Greg to join us. We shared a spiritual thought that got Greg thinking. It was amazing to see his demeanor go from questioning and doubtful to thoughtful and peaceful. He was touched. Later this week Kristi called us and told us Greg had taught his little girls how to pray by showing them. This was his first prayer in 10-20 years! Wow! What a wonderful "payday" moment!

We had a few lavish NYC moments this week. We went to go visit our Elders Quorum President and his wife (Kaeli and Tye Andersen). Their place on Wall Street has the most amazing Mezzanine room! The 30 foot ceiling room was covered in rich purples, blues, and cream curtains and couches! I felt like I was looking at the castle in Beauty and the Beast! GORGEOUS! As we were leaving their place, I saw an ancient US Mail drop receiver in their building that I just had to get a picture of! Sadly, my camera was dropped in the handoff between me and my companion, and it is broken. :( So don't be expecting any pictures for a loooooong time! (Family-if you have an extra camera lying around, please send it my way!)

On Sunday we went to one of our members apartments for the first time. It was a penthouse! Their place was 7 times bigger than most places here! 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 entry ways, and more modern furniture than I have ever seen! It was beautiful! They even had a private balcony that was 50 feet long. This may not sound lavish according to any other persons standards, but for NYC, this family is living large! Their next door neighbor is some hot shot producer out here! Cool stuff.  The highlight of this experience though was sharing a unique message with them. That morning I had prayed specifically to know what we could share with this family to help them progress. Immediately I had the thought to share a Mormon message with them called "Having Children in Faith." Immediately I tried to push that thought out of my mind. This couple had only been married a few months. But the impression kept coming back. So, with some awkwardness, we told them we had a prompting to share it. Later Sister Jensen said she had looked at the wife's face while we shared the video. She said her face showed that she was touched and that the spirit was so strong! I am
glad we shared it and followed the prompting! :)

Today for Pday we went to Times Square to go to lunch at Sister Jensen's favorite place, Roxy's. Sadly, it moved! She was devastated! Poor girl! We wandered a bit and ended up in the M & M store. The Super Bowl is on Sunday, so all of Times Square is covered in Super Bowl ad's, pop up buildings, news announcers, and a field goal area with turf and a net! In the store, some player was being interviewed for a radio show. It was...annoying. Lol. Some woman came up to us and introduced herself and her children. They are LDS and from Kansas. I guess her little boy, Titus is a YouTube sensation and has Jimmy Kimmel and all these other people interviewing him for his videos "Titus Trick Shots." Awesome to hear all these peoples stories out here in NYC! Right now I am about to chop off my hair! Some member works for some SUPER fancy place here in a high rise on 57th and Lexington at Pierre Michel. Too much glamour here... Haha. It is fun, but people are too caught up in it.

So, we went to Jobie's last night and found out that him and Annia are now married! She told him she needed a haircut, so they hopped on the M20 bus with her sons. They passed her salon and he told her they had gone too far. She waved it aside. They got off at the City Hall on the lasts stop and went inside. She pulled out some papers, and he signed them without questioning. When the lady asked if they had any
witnesses, Jobie said "What!? I didn't do anything!" Lol. That is when he found out he had signed the marriage papers! Lol! So funny! They had been planning to get married in February, but she couldn't wait I guess! Lol. So they are now married! Awesome!

 I told Jobie and Annia that I will most likely be transferred out of the city next week and this may be our last meeting. Jobie asked that I say the closing prayer because I may be leaving. I got choked up and started to cry. Immediately I felt my companion, Sister Jensen, and Jobie put their arms around me as I attempted to finish my heartbroken prayer. I will miss them all so much! They have touched my heart in unspoken ways. Because of Jobie's cancer and increasing hospital visits, I am not sure I will ever see him alive again. The reality of it all hit me and I succumbed to tears. Even now I am getting emotional writing this!

These people, this place-they have touched me in ways at I can't even voice. My heart is forever changed, and I will be forever grateful for this experience. I am scared for the change that is coming. It will come as a slap in the face, and I fear a slight depression after this place and these people becoming home to me. THIS has become my mission, and anywhere else will simply not bet he same. BUT I know it will be where I am suppose to be. And that knowledge will give me the strength that I need as I rely on The Lord to see me through.

I am drinking in every smell, every traffic light, every character of a person that I run into. I am trying to etch this place into my very being. I cannot forget who I have become through my experiences here in this amazing city. The Lord knows exactly who I am an exactly what I need. He put me here and kept me here because he knew if would change me...mold me...make me. I am so grateful for it all! And this journey is only half way over! what a blessing! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers! I will need it!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Week #40, SNOW

Things are going well here in The City! When is it not? We are freezing cold with all the snow, ice and wind, but is is beautiful! I love the city! It is home for me here! Each day we walk down three sets of stairs to get down to the Chinatown streets. We walk 7 minutes to our subway stop at East Broadway. We hop on the uptown F train, travel 5 stops until we reach 14th street, get out, cross the street and walk 5 minutes to the church. We do this almost every day. We travel to and from every place with ease. We know the city so well, but still have barely scratched the surface. It is an amazing place. I love it here! And I love my companion, Sister Jensen! She is amazing and such a wonderful friend! She makes me want to be better! We can confide in each other, laugh and cry with each other. It is great!

We have been so blessed this week! God has answered our prayers quietly and unseemingly, but answered nonetheless. We have a new investigator named Yiyi! She is so hip umbel and interested in learning more! We invited Mary Walsh to a Relief Society activity last night. We contacted her a few hours before it started and asked if she was still coming, since she walks everywhere and it was a blizzard outside. She said "Of course!" So, Mary walked 4-6 miles from 20th and 1st Ave to Wall Street in the crazy blizzard snow and icey streets for a RS activity! She is my idol! What a cool gal!

We also met two other wonderful people who are anxious to hear more about the gospel! Sotrik just showed up at church and said he loved it. He came back the next week too (which was this last week. Pres.
Morgan came and spoke. He was a powerhouse! Love him!). Sherin was a referral from a visiting member who had hopped in Sherin's cab. He is anxious to learn more about the church!

 We are so excited to see their progression, too bad they live outside of our areas! One lives in Brooklyn, and the other lives in New Jersey. And the missionaries there have taken their sweet time in contacting them....so frustrating. These people are GOLDEN! And we are trying to keep the rules by handing them off, but they are not taking the opportunity given them. Lame. Don't they know there are precious souls to save? I will continue to try to give them the benefit of the doubt....but not for much longer ;)

Anyway....the work is progressing! It is hastening! People are coming out of the woodwork! People who are ready and prepared. God is hastening his work. How did you follow through with last weeks challenge to help God with this wonderful work? I love you! Pray for those missionary opportunities! They will be given to you! Promise!

Love you!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Week #39, 9 Months in NYC TODAY!

This week was so eventful! Lastly hey we got to go to the top of the Rockefeller Building with one of our members, Jeff. It was so fun to see all of the island. We got to see Chinatown, the Financial District, Central Park, New Jersey, Queens, Brooklyn, and several other islands. It was cold, but it was a lot of fun!  One of my favorite parts was this room that is red in the picture. As you walk around in the room lights go off where you're standing. When you make
loud noises the whole room lights up like it shows here in the picture.

For weeks our district leader and zone leaders have been asking us what they can do to help us. Every time we ask for referrals for people we can teach that live within our area. This is one of our greatest challenges here in New York City is finding people to teach
who live within our area. Everyone seems to commute into Manhattan for work and recreation.  We were thrilled to get a hand full of referrals that are legitimate. Their names, addresses, and phone numbers where
all real. This is rare. When we called them up, they were all interested in learning more and meeting up with us. This never happens! Our prayers are being answered and we are so blessed.

The Spanish sisters within our area where looking for Spanish people to teach. We did an APF with our zone in their area just trying to help them in this endeavor. We split up with the Spanish sisters and decided to go tracting. On the second door Sister Laititi and I knocked on, they let us in! This is the second time in my mission that this has ever happened. We talked about the restored gospel. We invited does Desirea and her daughter Lisa to be baptized. Desirea accepted! So amazing!

After our APF, we went out to dinner with some of our members. We had decided as a district to fast for the sisters to be able to find some new people to teach. So, as you can imagine we were excited to enter.
After dinner we got up to leave with them. Suddenly I felt sick and I told them we had a few more things to do before we left. I told Sister Jensen I was feeling sick and thought I was about to lose my dinner. She immediately set out to finding where the bathroom was for me. She took care of me and was such a good little mommy! It was a tender moment for me to see her care for me when I was feeling so sick. After I had thrown up, she offered me her coat, since mine had gotten a bit dirty. How sweet is she? I have the best companion ever! I felt immediately better afterwards. On the way home, we taught 5 lessons: one to a boy wearing Leiderhozen?, one to a man who was drunk, and another to a man who asked us out. So funny! Haha...who would have ever thought! So, it was a tender mercy that we were postponed in our travels because of my sickness. And because of that, we were able to teach many people about the gospel! It was amazing!

We got to have our interviews with President too! He is such a wonderful man! I am adopting him so I can have him in my life forever! He told me what a wonderful missionary and trainer I am, which is always good stuff to hear! At knee point I heard his stomach growling. I exclaimed "President, are you hungry?!" He laughed and said "I thought that was you!"  We had a good laugh! turned out to be the radiator I guess!

Soooooooo....this week we had a GREAT week for teaching the gospel! Usually we teach anywhere from 14-19 lessons. Two weeks ago we taught 19 lessons for the week. That was a good week. My highest teaching week included 23 total lessons. This last week we reached an all time high of 36 total lessons! We were SO stoked! We had been given so many opportunities to open our mouths and share the gospel to those around us. We had been praying for more opportunities, and they came! The Lord answered our prayers directly as we strived our best to be exactly obedient and as consecrated as we could be!

I have seen so many miracles and answers to my prayers as I have sacrificed all for The Lord. This work is incredible! It is hastening. And The Lord needs our help...ALL of us! Share this joy and good news with others! If you don't, you are holding back this work from progressing. Do not get in the way of he Lord doing His work. Be a tool for him to use, not a hinderance. It is hard. It is scary. But it is so worth it and he will greatly bless you. If you are in need of a blessing or an answer to prayers this week, go share the gospel with someone else, and see if The Lord blesses you with the things you seek.You will never regret it! I love you all!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Pictures:
#1- On Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Building) with Jeff Berglund, one of our members in a room that lights up wherever you walk!  So cool!
#2- Sister Jensen, Jeff, and Me on top of the Rock overlooking Central Park and Northern Manhattan
#3- We saw this relay mailbox outside of our apt building yesterday.  The rain caused the paint to run off.  So funny to see the watercolor-like paint lying in puddles on the ground.

Week #38, Brrrr... it's cold out here!

Ok.  It is FREEZING out here.  Like, if you take your fingers our of your gloves for more than 2 seconds, they are numb.  The wind bites at your face, and I think the need for me to put on blush these days has disappeared.  Rosy cheeks are in style all winter long here for the price of FREE :D  Mmmm.... my favorite!  Anyway, enough with the complaining!

 

 

 

 

It has been a WONDERFUL week!  We are finding small baby steps of success with our online Facebook lessons that we are doing now.  President Morgan promised blessings if we put our faith forward and simply did it.  So, we are doing just that.  This week we have a goal of 38 total lessons taught.  This is the highest goal I have ever set in my mission days.  Usually it is about 28 lessons.  But, just yesterday we taught 9 lessons!  We were ecstatic!  About 4 of them were online, and the rest were miracles found on the streets, at bus or subway stops, or in passing.  What a wonderful day we had!  Maybe we will make our goal this week of 38 lessons!  Maybe, just maybe :D  

 Our District leader and Zone leaders have been asking us if there is anything they could do for us the past few weeks.  Each time I say, "Just find someone for us to teach that actually lives in our area."  It is extremely rare for us to find someone who lives in our area, let alone someone who is interested in learning more about the gospel.  Sure, we find TONS of people, but they are always referrals we end up giving to other missionaries.  I should be the favorite missionary in this mission, because heaven knows I send off a TON of referrals to them all!  Haha!  But, both our DL and ZL's this week found someone in our area for us to teach!  I am SO excited!  This is going to be great!  God truly answers prayers!  :D

It has been such a great week to see that the Lord is answering our prayers and the desires of our heart as we put our effort forth.  He is helping us every step of the way in this journey of ours.  For this is HIS work, and HIS glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.  I am just a tool in His hands.  And so are you.  What are YOU doing to share the gospel with others often?  Your challenge this week is to teach someone a gospel "lesson" once this week.  Can you do it?  OF COURSE YOU CAN!  You can do all things in Christ who strengthens you!  I know you can!  I love you!  Remember who you are and act accordingly!  God will bless you abundantly!  I promise!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Pictures:

1. Ruthy's bakery in Chelsea Market has the COOLEST looking cupcakes!  OH, and if you EVER come to Chelsea Market, GO TO LOS TACOS NO. 1-- it will change your life.  Trust me, you WANT to do this... it may even be worth the plane ticket out here!  No joke.

2. IT SNOWED! YAY!!!!  

3. Me bundled up in my NYC beauty with Nestle :D  I love New York! 

Week #37, Happy new Year from NYC

Happy New Year everyone! How are you? Things are going great here in NYC!

Last night for NYE we went to Union Square again AND asked people to write down their New Years resolutions with chalk. They LOVED it! Then we gave them an envelope that said "open on a hard day" or "open me when you need some motivation", etc. inside was  a pass along card, and a "kindness kard". A few weeks ago we went around Union Square and asked people to write an uplifting note, quote or thought down on a 3x5 card and told them we would hand it out to people around the city who seemed like they needed a pick-me-up. We got a great response. Everyone loved the whole event yesterday! How cool to have so many avenues given to us to share the gospel with others! People are so open to talking with you and listening to who you are and what you are doing. I love it! We even got interviewed. Sweet! Things are going well here!

For New Years Eve last night we were in bed by 10:30 as usual. I woke up at 2 am because of our hot heater. I heard the police sirens go off and laughed as I said "happy new year" to myself! NYC is great! Oh, ps we have heard countless people tell us to never attempt to go see the ball drop in Tomes Square. Simply not worth your time... Too crowded and you can't even see the ball. 400,000 people are there each year.
Crazy!

I got to go on exchanges the other day, and it was great! My new Sister Training leader is Sister Campbell. She was my MTC companions trainer, and I love her. We went tracting the other day in her area. I have not been tracting for over 5 months! It was a bit nerve wracking, but we go through it. We even found someone who is interested in learning more! YESSSS!

 This is such a wonderful experience for me here in NYC on my mission. I love my companion, my ward, my other missionary friends, etc! We are living the life out here, and I am very happy! I am slightly nervous
to be transferred to another area though, because this is all I have ever known in regards to a mission. I know the city...I know the people. I know the subway. I know how to contact. I know my area and ward members in and out. I know the dos and dont's here. I don't know upstate and I don't know tracting. I just hope I can relish this time here while I've got it.

Anyway, we had a wonderful week this week! We were able to go visit Jobie Overton, our recent convert, and to help him set up a family search account. We were able to put in his ancestors information and get some names ready for the temple! Yay! We committed two people to be baptized. One readily agreed until she realized it meant switching her religion. The other said she did not want to give up coffee. Lol. We are still teaching them though and will hopefully work through their concerns. Another lady we are now teaching is blind! She is great!

The work is progressing and we are loving it all! Hope you are having a wonderful new year! I also hope that some of your new year resolutions this year are centered on our Savior, Jesus Christ. If not, think about some goals you can make to help you to become the person he intends for you to be. If you do not procrastinate because of fear or laziness, you will become the best you there is to be. And what's not to like about that? You don't have to do everything... Just start now. Just do something. :)

I love you all so much!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

PS. If you have not taken Elder Ballards challenge to share the gospel before Christmastime yet, maybe you should add at to your new year resolutions list :)

"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

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Savior." -Elder Ballard (Put Your Trust in the Lord)