Week #49, Bad Day

Things are going well here! After I had been transferred to my second area, I feel like I had been in a rut...not knowing how to get out of it. But the last two weeks I have been able to work through it and see
that I am becoming a better missionary! It is wonderful to see the progress!

On Monday morning, I had something extremely unusual happen to me. A deep sadness hit me and stayed with me until yesterday afternoon. I has just gotten up and ready to work out at 6:24 am as I always do. When my companions alarm went off at 6:30, I hoped that today would be the day she would actually get up on time and work out. My hope was in vain. She laid in bed and watched me work out. When she finally decided to get up and "work out" herself, it was her normal routine of laying flat on the ground with a blanket around her, as she practiced her relaxation work out. Ugh! I was frustrated! After trying to be an example to her for two months, she still refused to willingly get up and do the things she committed to the prophet to do when she sent her acceptance letter. An overwhelming sadness engulfed my spirit as I realized I could not do anything to change her or her actions. I had tried loving her, encouraging her, and letting her know how much I appreciate it when she does what is expected of us as missionaries.

I was quiet the entire day. I even cried as we sang "Come come ye Saints" at our zone meeting. The words were targeting my soul! I could not shake the sadness. It was not like me at all. I would perk up a little bit when we visited someone, but even up till yesterday, I did not feel like talking or singing (which is something I am always doing). My companion noticed my attitude and was sweet to make me breakfast. She did get up and slightly worked out too...but for some reason none of that mattered to me. I can honestly say I have never been depressed before, but this experience came as close as I have ever been.

I was close to tears much of the morning yesterday as I listened to music(Daniel Beck) to console me during lunchtime. It was because of the members we visited yesterday(Hengst, Pauline, and West's) that I was able to surface out of it all. They lifted my spirits and my sadness spell was dismissed. Of course, I am still disappointed in the choices of my companion. I do not think that will change. I am grateful The Lord gave me that experience though. No, it was not fun, but it taught me a few things. One- I have no control over others, but only myself. God is in control, and can change hearts (including my own). Two- as Elder Holland said "there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and
immortal." My ward members were my angels yesterday! Sure, I went to them, but they were sent to me! What a blessing! Three- Sometimes it is ok to be the one who is in need of help. I do not always need to be
invincible.

The Lord walked my lonely path with me the past few days. He always walks with me, but perhaps this time he was carrying me like in the poem "Footprints in the sand." I love The Lord! He never leaves me. He comforts my pained soul when I feel there is no one I can turn to. When I have no one I can tell, he is the One! I am so grateful to my Savior for his tender love and guiding care. He is truly my rock! He supports me in my goal to be the best missionary I can be, to encourage me when I feel like I am doing this all without my
companions support. My testimony has been strengthened :)

To all of you who are struggling with your own trials, turn to The Lord! He WILL help you! Trust in him completely! He will always be there to be your companion! I know it and I promise it!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Week #48, Newsies

Hello hello everyone! Well, I guess you could say I have reached that "point" in my mission...that point means no more emails or letters from family and friends. Lol. Oh well, I'm over it...I think I reached that point a few months ago anyway. Since coming upstate, I have only received one postcard...thanks Donna!

Other than that, things are going great! I am loving the work here in the area! I feel that the members are progressing. I know that sounds strange, since it seems the work is usually focused on investigators, but we have seen a lot of progress with those members who we visit with. They are active, but have their doubts, concerns, and needs that I have been happy to help  them with. The past three weeks we have been able to teach young women's once, and primary twice! I have loved the aspect of being more involved in the ward. My last ward in South Manhattan did not have much youth at all. I love fully developed family wards :) The children are so much fun to interact with! I love that I can have an impact on them. I try to focus on them a lot, because I know how much I looked up to those who were older than me when I was that age. This week we made 15 or so "missionary" name tags for the youth and other members with their names on it and everything!  They turned out really well actually! All loved them!

Just yesterday we were driving down the street when I saw a house and had the prompting to go knock on the door. I have never had that feeling before on my mission! I have always wanted it, since I had heard countless stories from RM's about those kinds of experiences. So, I turned the car around and my heart started to beat fast. I was so excited/nervous for this first time experience! A man answered and was kind. He said he had food on the stove and was not able to let me in. We said we had an impression to come and knock on their door. He took the card we gave him and said his granddaughter could use our help! Awesome! We will see what comes of that! I was so grateful for that prompting and the courage to follow it! :)

Things are great between me and my companion! We are great friends and have too much fun together. She still does not keep the morning schedule and some rules of obedience, but she is certainly progressing. I figure she knows the rules and will keep them if she chooses to. When's she does, I overly compliment her. She always seems pleased when I do that. But I am trying to be patient with her and make sure my love for her is not conditional on her obedience. We are happy!

I am sad to see half of my district changing this cycle. Today are transfers. Elder Fox, my zone leader, and Elder Griffiths, my district leader, are being transferred down to the Bronx. They will be greatly missed! They have been fabulous examples and leaders! I will also miss Elder Davenport, one of the elders serving in my ward with me. He is going home tomorrow after 2 years here in NY. We have served 10 months of my mission together and are good friends. But I am excited for the changes that are taking place too! One of my favorite ASL missionaries is coming up from my last area to serve in our ward with us. It is going to be wonderful!

Well, we are seeing the work progressing in small ways, and we are working together in unity more now than ever! I have loved seeing the progress in myself, in the area, and especially in my companion!  Things are swell in Zion! :)

I love you! Keep keeping! Xoxo!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Week #47, Newburgh News

Hey hey! This week has been AWESOME! We have had so much fun this week doing the Lords work! I think almost everyday we have laughed more that we walked! Haha...it was wonderful!

We have had a great week this week serving others! Elder Critchfield was sick last week, so him and Elder Miller were unable to attend our awesome zone activity! So, we decided to call them up and sing popcorn popping to them to cheer them up. Haha...I think it worked! I wrote notes to all the members of our district thanking them for their examples. We decorated the car of one of members who is a recent convert and feeds us allllllll the time (Paul Nardella). I am heading up a video project for a departing Elder in our district (Elder Davenport). I have served with him almost my entire mission and now he is heading home. So I asked all of the missionaries in our district to make a video for him. It will be memorable! This elders companion is having a hard time with some things happening at home now(Elder Reid).  So, we got a puzzle and wrote a message on the back of it for him and are having the district members sign it. We are trying our best to serve others, missionaries, members, and non members alike. I feel missionaries often get forgotten about, especially by other missionaries. So I am making a point to reach out to others and make an impact on them. I have been so touched by missionaries who have taken the time to reach out to me, so I thought I would make it part of my nature to pay it forward. I am loving it!

For our zone activity we went up into the Monticello area at a members home! We had a campfire out of the lake! I loved sliding around on the ice, roasting marshmallows and starbursts, watching others ice fish, and wearing JEANS! Haha...good times!

So Weyant is a big name here....it is a family who colonized the town or something! I am pretty sure we are family....like positive!  I was ECSTATIC to find this out when I first came here! I have never met someone with my name before besides my family. When I was doing family history before my mission, I found that most of my Weyandt line had lived in NY! There is even a Weygnant Hill in our area! I can't wait to run into another Weyandt! Anyone want to go google where some of them live and send me their addresses? I can teach them about family history :D




Just yesterday we went tracting on Weyant drive! I was soooooo excited to do this! Those who answered listened and were very kind, but all had their religion. It was awesome to bear testimony to them and share
my faith with them. What a wonderful experience to talk with these amazing people about our mutual faith in our creator! I love Christians!

We have not seen much "success" in our area since I have been here, but I am feeling the success! My heart is binding with these peoples hearts. They are so loving and so willing to let me into their minds and hearts. I love them for that! As i strive to love these people the way The Lord does, miracles will happen! I am so excited for that time to come! There is soooo much potential here in this area! We just have to cultivate it!

I love this work and I love being a missionary!i love my companion and the wonderful times I am having with her! We have fun while still getting the work done! I am learning a lot from her, and for that I am grateful! This is Gods work! I know it! Hurrah for Israel!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Week #46, Newburgh News

This past week has been pretty normal... Nothing monumental really. But things are going well! Yesterday we tracted into a man who has"resurrected" his faith in God in the last few years and was eager to learn more. He genuinely said he would read the Book of Mormon and come to church. He got emotional when we talked about families beingable to be together forever. He is in his 70's and he said he misses his mother! How precious! We are excited to see him again  and teach him more!

Sister Steele and I are doing well. She still has the lack of desire to do many things, but I continue to try to be an example and encourage her every once in awhile. I am finding it hard to know how to encourage her without her thinking I am pressuring her. Haha...I will figure it out over time, right? But things are good.

Today our zone is meeting up in the mountains for a day of "camping", playing night games (in the daylight), and burning some of the elders Christmas tree? Haha...they always come up,with crazy things!  But it will be fun! We had zone meeting this week, and to my surprise, they started the meeting out by doing some silly stretches! We had a blast!

I was talking to a young man in our ward and showing him pictures of this and some other things to show him what he can expect when he goes on a mission. I was testifying of the importance of the work we do, but also showing him it was super fun. He surprised me by saying he was not planning on going on a mission. My heart sank. Nooooo! I silently prayed to know what I could say to help him and inspire him to pray about that decision. I testified to him that a mission was an amazing experience. I told him college was also a fantastic experience and that he should totally go and fulfill that dream too, but to not push a mission aside before he has asked God if that is in the cards. I hope he changes his mind in the next 4 years. The mission experience is extremely unique to everyone, whether you are in the same mission or not. I have learned to be much more patient on my mission (even though I felt I was patient before). I have learned to love those I
serve. I have learned to be dedicated, diligent, and consecrated. I have learned to have fun while we get the job done. I have learned to always remember others and to try to put their needs above your own. I have learned to be more Christlike. It has been a fabulous experience so far, and I hope anyone who has the desire to become better should seriously consider a mission. It is the best!

I love you all! I pray for you daily! Keep up your own individual learning and progressing. It is the best feeling to move forward. Move forward with faith in a God this week, and give him your whole self. Then he can work the miracles in your life that you seek! I know he will mold you if you allow him to!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

P.S. If you have not shared the gospel with someone this week (online or in person) repent and try try again! :) Hasten the work!