We met up with one of our members for dinner this week and followed up
on her "Ballard Challenge" invitation we left with her last time (basically to invite someone to meet with the missionaries once a
quarter or four times a year). She seemed as if she did not know anyone she could share the gospel with. So, we decided to try something new, something bold. We promised her that as we prayed with
her, that the spirit would inspire her mind with a name of someone she could reach out to. After the prayer, she seemed really nervous. She
got up quickly and thanked us for coming over for dinner. We asked her
if a name had come to mind. "Yes." She said quickly and simply. She was so anxious. I was curious to know, so I asked her who it was."Umm...a man at work." She was clearly uncomfortable, and we left it at that. We were so excited though to know that the spirit really did touch her mind with that persons name. The spirit told her, not us! She must have been uncomfortable because she knew she could not deny that feeling and now has to do something about it...which probably terrifies her. I totally understand that feeling! She is great! So glad the Holy Ghost backed us up there :)We were doing our favorite pastime (not really) of less active
lookups, we do that with a good majority of our free time. We seem to
have an endless supply of less actives to look up here in the city.
So, we randomly hopped off the train at our pleasure and picked a
nearby less active. We rang her buzzer. No answer. Sister Boseman
pressed the door, and the lock gave way! We looked at each other and
decided to go leave a note on her door. We heard noise inside of her
apt, so we knocked. "Who is it?" A voice asked. "The sister
missionaries!" I replied in a song like way. She opened up the door
and said "Are you two stalking me? I am never home on a Friday
afternoon, but somehow you caught me within minutes of me coming home.
Would you like to come in?" I can count on my hands how many times I
have been asked that question on my mission. Haha...maybe I can count
on my HAND (singular) how many times I have heard that. Lol, so we
definitely went in!
She was a sweetheart and was once a missionary herself. After she
returned home from her mission, she said she wanted to do what she had
always been told she couldn't do. She went less active for 10 years,
and in the last year has started coming back and attending her family
ward. She said she knew God must have orchestrated our meeting that
day and that we must have something to learn from each other then or
in the future! Wow! She was so eager to help us in anything that we
needed and offered to sit in on any lesson that we needed a member at!
What a sweet lady! She came to church on Sunday too, and she said it
was the first time she has stayed for the full three hours in a long
time! Yay!
So, our a District Leader and his companion are sweethearts, and got special permission to pass off their golden investigator, Golan, to us! He is wonderful! On his own accord he reads the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. Then he takes notes on what he learned and shares it with us at the lessons. He will text us multiple scriptures throughout the day too! He wants to get baptized, but needs to work out his work schedule first. 6 months ago he started meeting with Elders in Turkey. Then he moved to the United States. He came i to the temple building about a month ago looking for "a pastor." Since then, missionaries have been meeting with him. His parents are not Christian, and it is just in the last few months that he has really learned about Jesus Christ, but he is so solid and loves The Lord! It is incredible to see his progress! He heard about the law of Chastity and the word of wisdom several months ago, and committed himself to live them before they were formally taught to him this past week! What an awesome guy! We are so excited to teach him! We will introduce him tonight to our branch president!
The past month we have been teaching a "gospel principles" class. We
decided to start one when our member said she was bringing an
investigator. We taught him the first two lessons, but then more
people started bringing friends or passing investigators off to us.
Last week we had 3 investigators in our class. Haha...I think we will
have to start teaching from the manual this week! Soooo cool! Our
investigators are from all over the world- Taiwan, West Africa, China,
Azerbaijan, etc. It seems like I rarely teach a white person! Haha!
On Aug 25th our mission began our 120 day Book of Mormon reading
challenge! It has been amazing the insights I have already received
only 3 days into my reading. I have read this book so many times
before, but it is amazing to see how many new things the spirit is
teaching me this time around. We will finish our challenge by Dec. 24-
Christmas Eve. I have been so touched by how many friends are joining
in on this challenge with us: A neighbor from back home, a less active
from my last area, a good friend and his girlfriend here in NYC, one
of my YW buddies from back home, an investigator or mine in Brazil,
etc! If you too would like to join in, I would highly recommend it!
Not only will it be a fun challenge, but it is a promise from a
prophet of God that there will be an added measure of the spirit of
The Lord in your life. Not only that, but it is promised that every
aspect of your life (spiritually, physically, and mentally) will be
improved. What is there to loose? I can testify that I have already
seen it work within my own heart and mind in the first 15 pages of my
reading so far! Let The Lord change you as you read this wonderful
book! Are you in?
Well, I love you all bunches! I hope you have a great week, and that
you look for opportunities to serve others. Pray for missionary
opportunities. The Lord will give them to you. But just remember, you
need to look for them, and act on them when they come. Yes, it can be
scary...that may never change. For me it is still one of the hardest
things to overcome every single day. But it is worth it! Open up your
mouth and it will be filled! I love you, I love The Lord, and I love
this work!
Love Always,
Sister Weyandt
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