Our Week: Great, Busy, and Constructive

Dear Family & Friends,

I am doing just wonderfully!  Our week was great, busy, and constructive.  We have been continuing to work with the members and increasing their confidence in us, as well as themselves, and their ability to share the Gospel.  We have been teaching from Preach My Gospel and helping them understand how to incorporate it into their studies.  Preach My Gospel will help them focus their studies and get them comfortable with sharing basic principles of the Gospel with their friends and family.  We also have a chili cook-off this next week and we have many families committed to inviting friends and members who are less active out.  It is going to be a great activity and hopefully one that will be the beginning to several more families finding the truth of the restored Gospel. 

The weather will be cold, rainy, sunny, warm, cool...just about everything, but it's fine.  Elder Ingersoll likes the windows open in the apartment no matter the temperature.  Sometimes I close them when he isn't watching...and sometimes he opens them when I am not watching. :) 

    

I heard from Elder Jason Brown two weeks ago and it sounds like he is doing great!  Planning on writing him back soon.  Also we have 3 baptisms not this weekend, but the next.  They are the Lewis Family.  Misha is the Mom and Marcus and Enoch are her two sons.  We ran into Marcus at a place called the River Front a little over 2 weeks ago and then met his family.  They are progressing well and are very excited to be baptized on the 5th of November.  Hopefully nothing will interfere with that date. 

So tomorrow is Transfers and Elder Ingersoll and I are staying in Cuyahoga Falls.  I was called today to be the District Leader here and am excited to begin fulfilling my duties as a leader in this part of the mission.

Hope you have another great week!  I love you all and pray for you all and each of the family every day.  Till next week!

Love,

Elder Weaver

Sister Kathy's Baptism This Week!

Dear Family & Friends,

This week was a great week.  Elder Ingersoll and I have really grown, and with each person we visit with we fulfill our purpose and help them understand what the Gospel can do in their lives. 

We did have Sister Kathy's baptism this week!  It was amazing.  The Spirit was in this baptism unlike any others, as a few people told us.  I think it was because she was tried so hard and has overcome those trials and putting forth her faith through anything and everything.  The entire program had a great spirit, and when she was baptized she had tears of joy from that time to the end.  It was a great day yesterday. 

  

Keep those youth strong.  I see things so differently here on a mission.  Things are so much clearer, and I don't know why it takes a mission to truly come to understand why this Gospel is truly so important.  It changes lives as it is centered on the Atonement.  It is the thing that will help us change and become like our heavenly parents and Savior.  I love this Gospel and what it does for each of us who live it and gain a deeper and stronger testimony.  It truly is the only way back.  I love it, I love sharing it, and I desire all to share it.  Keep helping those around you to understand and APPLY the Gospel.  Satan works hard, really hard.  He is unrelenting.  The consequences for actions is sad and it's best for us to never have to experience consequences, challenges yes, they are good for us, but bad consequences no.  The Atonement is here for each of us to be forgiven, but more importantly for us to change through repentance.  Repentance isn't just for when we have done something "bad."  It's to change everything about us to that of God.  Submitting our will to that of our Father and never looking back.  Help the youth, and struggling members stay anchored.  Help them, save them.  In saving them you yourself will continue to gain a stronger testimony of the Gospel. 

  

Elder Ingersoll and I had the opportunity to speak this week in Sacrament Meeting and the Spirit was with us as we spoke by the Spirit.  All we really had was scriptures and principles we wanted to talk about written down, and then we let the Spirit take it from there.  We both felt the Spirit worked through us to convey exactly what was needed to be said.  We know this because afterwards many people told us what they learned and that they had an increased desire to share the Gospel.  The Spirit always edifies.  I look forward to the growth this Ward is really going to start taking on.  They are beginning to really trust us as missionaries, and realize we are here to work by the Spirit.  I am very excited.

Thank you Mom and Dad for your testimonies and examples.  You both have done a great job in raising me.  Your example in how you live and have raised me has really made an impact on me.  An impact that I really truly can appreciate now that I am serving.  I desire the Gospel and to follow the example you have set for me in who I am and how I will raise a family in righteousness in these the Latter-Days. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Weaver

Mondays Sure Do Come Around Very Quickly

Dear Family & Friends,

Mondays sure do come around very quickly...and then Mondays go very quickly...I haven't had time to write back to any of my friends letters at all in the last...oh like two months.  I apologize to you all and want to let you know I will write back as soon as I can.  I have had one letter that I started writing two months ago and still haven't finished.  Crazy how fast the time fly’s!

I too have enjoyed reflecting on conference and thinking about how the talks can help me and especially my investigators.  Those who came to General Conference really enjoyed it.  Although they didn't understand all of what was said, they really liked the speakers, especially President Monson.  They had a good laugh at his jokes.

Kathy is getting baptized this next week!  She is finally going to be an official member...Most people apparently thought she was already a member because she comes with her Aunt (Sister Massic) and cousin (Anne Marie) and Sister Greathouse.  They are all very close and are always with each other.  I call them our Steel Magnolias because they are all widows.  They are sure one hilarious bunch I'll tell you what.  And hopefully we will be looking at a few more baptisms this next month or so.  We just have to keep them progressing, even through trials, and get them some solid fellowship. 

My testimony of member referrals has grown a lot.  Every time there is an actual member referral where they have invited them to have the missionaries teach them, they are so much more open and receptive.  And get baptized.  Working with members is so vital for this work to move forward.  If you know anyone who isn't a member invite him or her this week to Church or to dinner with missionaries or something.  This work is so very important and each of us needs to be constantly engaged in it.

This is what each of us, as members must do for this work to move forward with an increased energy.  We have many, many, many opportunities to share the Gospel and it is up to us to take those promptings we receive and act upon them.  The church is becoming more and more known through many different venues of entertainment, government, word of mouth and so forth.  Many people, even very good friends of members often times have no idea of what we believe or have many misconceptions.  We must help others understand, all of us, every single member.  And it starts by following the Spirit and seeking to share.  As we put forth our efforts the Lord will provide many opportunities for us to take courage and show our faith in proclaiming the Gospel

So Zach Nielsen is coming out to Ohio!  How exciting!  Tell him congratulations and that Ohio is incredible!  

Thanks for the Ward News Letter...and yes...I know my new companion is so much taller than me, however, I got the power. :)

Love,

Elder Weaver

Messages of General Conference Just Becomes So Much More Incredible

Dear Family & Friends,

I loved conference.  We receive so much from it and I have truly gained a whole new appreciation for it since being out on a mission.  When you start thinking what would the Lord have me do each day at all times, and when you are sharing the Gospel with people, the messages of General Conference just becomes so much more incredible.  I finally get what they are talking about and it all makes sense.  What has been coming to me now is how I can help the next generations of youth to get it sooner.  Elder Hollands talk was incredible, and we have several youth and families we will be sharing it with these next couple weeks.  I want the youth to get it and get it before their mission.  The youth have tons of friends that need the Gospel, once they realize how important this Gospel really is, then they would share it as often as they can with them.

I really liked Elder Hollands talk, Elder Christopherson, um...the Book of Mormon talk, President Monsons, Euchtdorf, Eyring...they were all really good.:)

It was great seeing people I know in both choirs!  It is always fun to know a face up on the big screen.  Also I see lots of church magazines and flyers with people I know from back home.  Always fun to say I know them.  I heard that Sister Kimball was here!  Other missionaries told me about her visiting and asking.  

Teaching Pool:  We are trying to really bring it up over this next month so that when winter hits and no one is opening there door we will still have people to visit.  We should be having a couple baptisms this next month, and more baptismal dates.  We have sister Kathy's baptism scheduled not this weekend, but the next.  We also have several others towards the end of the month. 

Well we biked all this last week.  It was like a never-ending toning work out in the rain.  It all of a sudden dropped in temperature here and has been raining pretty much every day.  One of the rules for the mission is if it is below 70 degrees we have to wear jackets.  Well early last week it was 69 degrees and would not rise.  So we set out on our bikes in our suits.  Once we get going for the day we don't come back home.  All of a sudden that night it just started pouring.  By the time we rolled into our apartment at 9:30pm we couldn't help but laugh as we were drenched and covered in mud and dirt from being flicked up by our bikes...which reminds me that we need to go to the dry cleaners...anyway, what a great mission experience. 

I love serving my Brothers and Sisters and helping them come unto Christ.  We have a message that everyone needs.  It needs to be shared with each and every one of them.  Miracles happen everyday and I am always amazed how when one door closes, another opens, as we are obedient and seek to fulfill our purpose.  There is a reason for everything.  The Lord's hand is ever present in this work. 

I love you all and hope you all have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Weaver