Week #35, I'm in Love!

It has been a great week!  Slow, but great!  We have seen so many blessings and answers to our prayers for more people to be led into our lives!  We decided to try our online event/lesson this week and put our faith forward to do it, knowing that our mission president promised blessings to come our way if we do.  It was exciting to see the success it brought (up until our internet connection cut out) and how many people joined in the conversation.  Later that day we had 2-3 encounters where the people openly accepted a gospel conversation and some even gave us their contact info.  It was a wonderful day!  The blessings our president promised us came IMMEDIATELY!  We were so happy as we walked home that night, knowing that God was blessing us so much!

Our area has been slow lately because of the holidays, and we have found that there is a lack of people to teach.  So, we decided to call some former investigators in our area.  We got a phone call back from one of them saying it was funny we called, because she recently got in contact with another ward this week and hopes to go to church there this Sunday!  There are no coincidences.  God is in the details of it all!

All is well here in South Manhattan!  I'm excited to be here for another 7 weeks!  This time around I was scared for transfer calls.  I did not feel ready to leave.  This is home.  I have too many more things to do.  Too many more I's to dot and T's to cross.  I have more I need to do.  More people to reach out to.  More lives to impact.  More to teach my trainee.  More, more, more.  I did not feel like I could leave yet.  So I worried that after being here for 8 months already that I would be moved.  We both prayed fervently for more time together in this area if it was the Lords will.  What relief I felt when we got the news (at 11:05 pm) that we were together again for another cycle!  WHEW!  How great was my joy!  I needed another cycle at least!  And I am so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to stay here again!  He truly answers my prayers!

It has been such a wonderful opportunity for me to serve down here in South Manhattan.  I have learned so much down here.  My testimony has grown.  I have been able to learn so much from those who we teach and serve with.  What a wonderful bunch of saints I get to associate with!  I could not have asked for a better area to be "stuck" in!  This place and these people have wedged themselves deep within my heart, and I will never be the same.  And for that I am thankful! I am in love with my beautiful South Manhattan!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Pictures:

#1- Chinatown in Christmastime decor!  This is my home!

#2- My South Manhattan zone!  LOVE them!

#3- Me, Sister Jensen, Hermana Laititi, and Hermana Dunn were playing "Minute to Win It" games for our P-day Eve :D  It was SOOO fun! 

Week #34, "This is Real Life"

"This is Real Life" is our new "term" as a companionship.  Whenever something unbelievably amazing happens, we say this to each other!  And since we have quite a few unbelievably amazing things happen to us, this is said hourly!  lol!

This week we had a "free day" as missionaries as we were able to travel from Grand Central to upstate New York in Ossining!  It was GORGEOUS up there!  No tall buildings, taxis, or people.  There were hardly any houses!  Haha... it was great!  I felt like it was home.  I miss seeing grass.  I miss clusters of trees (Central Park trees DO count, but it is so much better when they are planted by mother nature, not by man).  I miss quiet, small towns.  So, this was a wonderful treat for me.  I began to get scared though, knowing I have been saying for the past few months that I would like to go upstate to the boonies so I could have a taste of "home" life back.  When we traveled up there, I was in awe.  How do they do missionary work up here, I thought in a panic?!  They cannot just walk out their door and have a BAZILLION people to talk to.  They have to travel forever to find someone, and they have to tract.  WHAT?!  This was real life too!  Haha!  

It was a WONDERFUL Christmas devotional though, complete with fabulous music from our missionary choir, and a Christmas dinner.  I loved seeing all of my friends throughout the mission.  We only come together once a year, and this was it!  So we made the most of it!  My trainer, Sister Martin, is heading home to the Philippines now.  She said her family will be sealed in the temple just a few days after returning home!  What a wonderful Christmas gift for the all!  

There are several baptisms that are happening throughout our zone it seems!  We had Larry and Travis get baptized last week, and Rie Denning was baptized this week in Elder Wang and Smiths area.  Katherine will be baptized this weekend too from Sister Khong and Awerkamps area!  Simply wonderful to be apart of!

All of us missionaries here on Manhattan island were able to sing in a HUGE Christmas Concert at the temple building this week.  What a wonderful experience that was!  It has been such a fantastic week with all of our friends (missionaries, members, investigators, etc).  These people have become like family to me and I love them all so much!  Sister Jensen is such a blessing to me as a companion!  We have fun in all we do.  We teach well together.  We get along.  We laugh.  We share.  We serve.  We love.  We reach out to others.  We encourage each other.  We are missionaries, and we love it!  

I would love to have you watch this wonderful Mormon Message about the true reason for the season https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-11-018-the-reason-behind-christmas?lang=eng.  I love you all and thank you for your love, letters, prayers, and support!  You are wonderful!  I hope you have a very merry Christmas!  Remember why you are the way you are and who has helped you to get there.  Remember the Lord in all things that you do.  He will guide your path as you show him your willingness to follow it.  I promise!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Pictures:

#1- My first district ever was reunited at our mission's Christmas Devotional this week!  Elder Smith, Elder Holzer and my trainer Sister Martin are going home this coming Monday!  They will be missed!  #wonderful missionaries

#2- So... we bought ourselves a Christmas tree :D  We just had to!  Christmas just isn't the same without it!  We found some decorations from last year in the clerks office at church, and he gave us permission to have them!  SCORE! This made for two VERY happy sister missionaries

#3- Lorraine is AWESOME!  She decorates her hallways each Christmas in wrapping papers, lights, ornaments, and "snow".  She even had a nutcracker out!  I DIED with happiness as I walked through her little winter wonderland!

Week #33, Christmastime in the City!

Thanksgiving was great this year!  We got to spend it with one of our members, Sister Woolf and her friend (Stacy), as well as her cousins (Dana and Marlin).  We had a wonderful time together, and I got to have one of my bucket list items crossed off my list!  For years I have thought it would be fun to go around the table and share what each person was thankful for.  I requested we do that this year, and they were all eager to oblige!  It was wonderful to see what everyone was truly thankful for.  So wonderful to hear and participate in with these wonderful people!

We had a WONDERFUL week filled with two baptisms!  One of them was Larry Knox.  He was so excited to surprise his family over Thanksgiving with the news of his permission to be re-baptized!  His father was able to baptize him again for the second time!  So, so cool!  

Our exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders was wonderful as always!  We were able to join in with the rest of the zone at our APF (area proselyting focus) at the Winters Eve festival in Lincoln Center.  We set up a table just outside of the Manhattan temple with pamphlets, pass along cards, and Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD's.  Those who wanted to get their free hot chocolate stood in a line that passed the materials table.  It was a hit handing out free hot chocolate and sharing the gospel with those as they waited in line!  There were a dozen or so missionaries out on the street talking to people and inviting them to a wonderful Christmas concert we are having this Saturday in the Lincoln Center chapel (inside the same structure as the temple, but a different entrance).  One of my favorite parts of the night was seeing David, one of our temporary ASL Elders (he was a convert of our current ASL Elders and is now on a 1 month mini mission as their companion) handing out these Christmas concert flyers to EVERYONE who passed.  He is deaf, so when someone would ask questions, he would just bring them to us.  At one point I looked over and saw him dancing to the band's music (even though he can't hear it) as he passed them our to people!  It was so funny!  David is AWESOME! We got several peoples information and hopefully they will let us come and teach them more about the restored gospel!  :D  

So you know this Christmas concert that I was explaining about?  Well, we were just informed a few days ago that we would be singing "Joy to the World" at it.  And someone (I have no idea who yet) ratted me out that I could sing, and I was volunteered to do it.  I love to sing, but my voice does crazy things when I am nervous, and I was not sure it could stand being in front of 1,000-1,500 people.  So, when someone spontaneously volunteered to do it instead, I let them take the solo!  WHEW!  It would have been fun to do, but I am not sure it would have turned out quite like we practiced it.  I am really excited for the concert though! The song sounds amazing with all 70ish of us missionaries!

Our recent convert, Jobie, is preparing to die.  He is 69, and has several serious medical problems he is battling right now and he does not anticipate to live more than a month or so.  We hope to be able to go to the temple with him to do baptisms for the dead for his deceased family members.  He is excited to do the work and we are excited to be able to join with him!  He has such a powerful testimony of the gospel!  He is ready to return to live with his Father again!  :D  We will miss him, but we know where he is headed!  We told him yesterday he is being taken so he can be a missionary in the spirit world!  I believe that!

I love this area.  I love these people!  I love my companion.  I love New York!  I love this mission! I love the Lord! It is all so wonderful!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

#1- The view of Downtown Manhattan from Sister Woolf's place on Thanksgiving

#2- Me, Stacy, Sister Jensen, Sister Woolf, Dana, and Marlin at Thanksgiving

#3- This is our church building!  It was an old convent, but in the past 10 or so years has become an LDS church!  I love this building!

Week #32, Tender Mercies

It has been another wonderful week filled with tender mercies and growth.  One of our investigators, Travis Lee, is being baptized this Sunday.  He is excited for it!  He converted to Christianity in 1998 and loves the gospel!  Also, one of our other investigators just found out he can finally be rebaptized!  He is THRILLED, and is surprising his family with the news as he travels home for Thanksgiving.  He hopes to come back a baptized member of the church!  How wonderful!

We have had a wonderful last few days especially.  We had several referrals to look up, which is always exciting.  We said a prayer right before we left to do so, asking for us to run into those who we are going to see, or any others we are meant to talk to along the way.  We had two wonderful conversations with people in just a few minutes time.  One was a doorman named George.  He said he is from Queens and always sees well dressed men in suits with tags walking around.  He has wondered who they were.  He saw a group of them singing a few days ago and was touched.  He had a lot of questions and thought it a wonderful "run in" with us.  We got his information and made sure to pass it on to those missionaries in the South mission.  

Then, just yesterday, we had NOTHING planned.  I have not had a day in MONTHS with absolutely nothing planned.  I was so surprised.  So, we decided to go and do some less active lookups.  As we were doing so, we again ran into several doormen that had a lot of questions.  One doorman (named Hugh Jackman-lol) stopped us and said he remembered us from several months ago. He said he read the pamphlet we had left him and that we were angels.  How kind.  We gave him a family history card and explained it to him.  His face lit up as he expressed a deep desire to learn more about his family ancestry!  What a tender mercy!  

As we went to find another less active, we came across a familiar street.  I suggested we go and leave a "love note" for one of our members who is becoming more active as of late.  We left her a note and were about to leave when I told the doorman I had a pass along card I would like to give him.  He smiled and said this was an interesting coincidence.  Just the day before, missionaries had stopped by his home in Middletown (Elder Hall) and had a good chat about the gospel.  He said he was not a Christian, but his family was.  He liked the things the Elders had taught and they said they would come by again.  I was so excited to hear this!  We grabbed some of his information too, just in case.  We testified of miracles and said this was not simply a coincidence.  He agreed and is excited to meet with those Elders again.

Then, last night as we were coming home, we saw a lady with a HUGE cart waiting to tackle the subway stairs.  I offered to help and she gladly accepted.  With help from another two people, we got the cart up the stairs.  She thanked us profusely.  She had heard about the storm coming in and went out to prepare for it and Thanksgiving.  She saw our name tags and said "Oh!  You are Sisters!  God bless you!  I do not have the Book of Mormon, but I want one!"  WHAT?!  I quickly pulled out my extra copy and gave it to her!  She was so excited to have it!  She said she would start reading it that night.  As we walked together, she talked of trials and good things to come.  I immediately thought of the Mormon Message "Good things to come."  I realized this was a perfect way for me to introduce the gospel to her.  She readily gave me her info, and asked me to call her and see where she was at in her Book of Mormon reading.  Are you kidding me?!  Of course I will!  

We have had such a wonderful week!  The Lord has answered our prayers and has given us multiple opportunities to open our mouths and share the gospel with others.  I am so grateful for the chance to share what I love and hold dear with others!  This gospel is true, oh so true! I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving and remember what you are truly thankful for!  

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

Pictures of me and Sister Jensen :) 

Week #31, Bliss... Chilly bliss :)

What a wonderful week here in chilly NYC!  Things are going well here in our area and with Sister Jensen.  She is completely pre-trained.  We work together so well as a companionship.  We teach well and connect well with those we are interacting with.  She has jumped in and immediately picked up where Sister King left off.  There was no hiccup or speed bump!  What a relief!  She has taught me so much about being a genuine friend and teacher, and to testify from the heart.  This was actually something I realized was missing from my teaching when I was placed with the Spanish sisters for a few days.

I realized there was need for a change, and immediately the Lord blessed me with a companion like Sister Jensen who naturally has the very gift I was searching for!  She also has approached several people with a pass along card as if it doesn't even scare her. I've been amazed how the Lord knows me and my needs, as well as the needs of our investigators.  We have seen miracles take place already this week!  What a wonderful blessing this companionship has already been for me!

Our investigators are progressing and new ones are coming out of the woodwork week by week.  They are fantastic.  They are prepared by the Lord to listen to the message of the restored gospel. They are the answers to our heartfelt prayers and constant silent prayers.  I love our investigators.  They teach me so much about the person I want to be.  Our ward is incredible too!  I am so grateful I have the chance to be with them for at least another 6 weeks!  We love each other so much!

The Lord has richly blessed me here.  I am so blessed and so happy!  This is truly God's work established here on the earth again today.  I love it. I love it.  I LOVE IT!  :D  I hope you do too!

Alma 5:26- "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"  If not, figure out what you need to do to change that.  I love you!  Thanks for your love and support!

Love Always,
Sister Weyandt

Week #30, Training- Round 2

Things are going great here in South Manhattan! Yes, I have been out on my mission for 7 months now (CRAZY!!!! I still feel new-ish), and YES, I am STILL here in South Manhattan (my first and only area so far). Sister King left for Brazil on Monday, and I was put in a 3-some companionship with the Spanish sisters (Hermana Barker and Dunn) until today (transfers day).  I got my new companion straight from the MTC! So yes, I am training again. I'm excited!  Sister Jensen is from Layton.  She is a doll and very sweet!  She is almost 20 I think and was a dancer in high school.  She was also a CNA and pre-school teacher.  Very sweet girl who is excited to share the gospel!  Just on the subway ride home we had 2 people ask us questions about the church!  Breaking her in already!  :) 

So last year on my birthday I got my mission call.  What better way to spend your birthday then getting a letter from the prophet?  Ya, I don't think you can top that!  But this year will be pretty close to being the best birthday present ever!  Tomorrow (my 24th birthday) I will be getting an iPad to use as a proselyting tool!  YESSSS!!! Our Area Book, planners, pamphlets, etc will all be on the iPad.  We will be able to use Mormon Messages, Facebook, Skype and blogging to share the gospel with others.  Exciting, right?  Haha... happy birthday to me :)  I guess the iPad could be considered a present from the prophet too, right?  :)  Lol

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful week and keep reading the Book of Mormon every day! It will bring miracles into your life.  Did you hear me?  MIRACLES!!!  So, if you are totally fine and don't need any miracles, I suggest you DON'T read the Book of Mormon... cause it will only bring blessings into your life!  :D It's funny to me to see how a mission is just like every day life... but you serve all day long.  You study and grow and learn and play and serve and serve and serve.  But you are still you.  You still have the same quirks, interests, likes, and dislikes.... but you just have a different perspective and love for people around you than you did before.  You have a confidence, a presence almost that radiates and shows others around you that you are different...uniquely different.  Why are we different?  We have the spirit with us.  We have a calling given to us by a prophet of God to serve these people and bring them to the knowledge of the gospel.  It is so easy to share the gospel.  We simply have to open our mouths and do it.  

I love this church.  I love the Lord.  I love the miracles and tender mercies that I constantly see in my life.  This church is true.  Despite the attacks on our church by those who don't understand it or chose not to understand it, it still remains strong and unwavering.  Why?  Because this is God's church, not mans.  It is Him who runs it through a prophet.  Plain and simple truths... they're powerful.  I'm so grateful to know the things that I do.  It is natural and innate.  It is a gift I have been given to share and I am so grateful for the opportunity to do so.  No, I NEVER thought I would be on a mission.  Just yesterday I thought back to the "pre-mission me" and wondering what I thought a mission was like.  I laughed, knowing that what I had thought it was like is nothing close to how it really is.  How grateful I am to be where I am in a place perfect for me.  I'm so grateful for my Savior who knows me better than I will ever know myself.  I'm grateful I have allowed the Spirit to guided me down the path I am now on. It is a better path then I would have ever chosen by myself.  

I love you!  Remember that.  I often think about you!  But until that time, go forth and serve! Share the gospel message verbally or online.  Whatever resources you have, use them!  We should be proud to share this gospel with everyone we meet.  

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

#1- My wonderful South Manhattan district!  They are wonderful!  (Back row left to right- Sister King, Hermana Barker, Elder Potter, Me, Hermana Dunn, and Elder Golding.  Front row- Elder Witbeck and Elder Wang).

#2- Our South Manhattan Zone!  I serve with the most wonderful people!  

#3- Me and Sister Jensen minutes after meeting!  She is fabulous!

Week #29, Pay Offs

This week was wonderful!  It was filled with so many tender mercies!  On Sunday I had a HUGE "payoff" day.  Our investigator, Travis Lee, text us telling us he wanted to fast for fast Sunday and pay his tithing!  Another one of our investigators came to church because a member invited her to come to the lesson she was teaching.  An anti less active dropped in on church randomly.  I found out on Facebook that one of my EFY boys who had gone inactive shortly after EFY has recently been reactivated and is planning on serving a mission.  My brother told me he and his wife were in town and would like to meet up for lunch.  I told them they would have to be prepared for a spiritual thought, and they agreed!  Sunday was a perfect pay off day!  I loved it so much!  

Our recent convert, Jobie Overton, was in the hospital this week.  He has cancer and a few other conditions that combined are no bueno.  We haven't been able to get in touch with him for about 6 weeks, but he allowed us to come see him in the hospital.  We bawled our eyes out as he held both of our hands and prayed with us.  He said he felt he had been preserved all these years (he's 69 and been sick for 30 years) to be able to find the church and be baptized.  In his prayer he said he had done what he was sent to do, and was ready to come home.  It was amazing to hear his testimony and excitement to go home to God and to live in the Celestial Kingdom!  He is such a strength to me!  We love our dear Jobie!

This week has been fabulous!  We've recognized answers to prayers and have had a few people come out of the wood work.  I am given promptings to talk to people more often and I find it very natural to talk to them now.  It has been such a tender, beautiful experience!  I can't even express it!  I've LOVED this week!  It was wonderful!

It was also such a neat experience to be able to see my brother and sister-in-law here in Manhattan!  I was surprised how natural it was, seeing as I'm a missionary and I grew up thinking you are not suppose to see your family while on your mission.  Our mission president has given us permission to see our family though for an hour when they are in town.  What a wonderful experience to be with them and to share my mission experience with them!  I loved being able to see them this week, and with my aunts and uncle last week!

I love this work!  Things are coming together in a way I have never seen before and it is VERY exciting!  God is DEFINITELY extremely invested in this work!  I have no doubt about it!  NONE!  He lives!  He loves us SO much!  He is aware of what we need and when we need it.  He is loving.  He is merciful.  He forgives and helps us to move on.  God is good.  God is so good!

Love Always,

Sister Weyandt

#1- Us with one of my favorite family's, the Sepulveda/Pichardo family.  Lorraine, Obrin, and Resee are members who treat us like family!  I LOVE THEM!

#2- Kaleb, Krista, Me, and Sister King at our Shake Shack lunch visit!  So fun to see them again!  

#3- So... we wanted to let the Spanish sisters know how much we loved them.  So, we decorated their window two days ago.  Yesterday we realized they hadn't said anything yet about it.  We opened our window in efforts to dangle my jump rope down and tap their window with it to get their attention.  We then realized that we decorated the wrong window!  Oops!  At least our Chinese neighbors know we love them :)  Hahaha!