Better Understanding of the Atonement

Dear Family & Friends,

I love you so much.  Thank you for all your love, prayers, and encouraging letters.  It sounds like you have each had a wonderful week, and I am so glad to hear you are all doing so well and continue to grow and love the Gospel.  This week and last couple of days have been great.  Elder Tollefsen is growing and coming to a better understanding of the Atonement.  This is helping him become the missionary that he is destined to be and is helping him move forward with faith and getting the fear out of his life.  His confidence in himself and this work is growing and I am so excited to see him continue to change and become.  I love this work and the opportunity I have to serve.  I have been really focusing on praying and thinking continuously about serving with all my heart, might, mind, and strength.  By applying the atonement and striving to serve this way I hope to continue to grow and become what my Father in Heaven knows I can be. 

This last week we had a great meeting with an investigator named Mark Gruber.  We had taught about following prophets the week before and he asked us for some scriptures on what prophets do.  We gave him King Benjamin’s address Mosiah 2-5 and he read it!  Oh happy day when people keep their reading commitments.  He is really beginning to understand and make changes in life.  What is super cool now is that after reading about King Benjamin we were able to invite him to come and see a Prophet and Apostle's speak to God's children in our day today.  Hurray for General Conference!  We are trying to get all of our investigators and those we are working with to come and watch sessions of conference with us.  We also met another investigator John Lange yesterday (early 20's), who has served on mission trips for other churches and is seeking to follow Christ more fully.  He recently stopped going to his church because of a big argument over "Eternal Security" in which half the congregation left the church.  We taught the message of the restoration and it made a lot of sense to him.  He says he loves to study and read and said he would read and pray about the Book of Mormon over the next couple of days and that he would like to come and watch General Conference.  We are meeting with him again tomorrow. 

Satan is opposing several investigators really hard right now.  He knows how to stop them and keep them from being able to meet and come to church.  It's incredible to see Gods hand in this work and to see how hard Satan try's those we teach when they are trying to change.  As they grow and build in their faith they can over come their obstacles...What builds their faith?  The Basics: read, pray, church...and everything that happens to them try's to impede these things.  They're trying though, and if they continue to desire to follow Christ, He will strengthen them and help them achieve what they hope for.

Well I love you all so much and pray that you each have a great, safe, and joyous week!

Love,

Elder Weaver

It Is So Good To Hear From All Of You!

March 19, 2012

Dear Family & Friends,

It is so good to hear from all of you!  I am glad you are all doing well, and thank you for including the update of everyone from Aunt Debbie.  A lot is going on right now, wow!  I am so excited for Danielle too!  Her Baptism will be a special memorable day for...well eternity!  Congrats to everyone on their graduations, accomplishments, and exciting new adventures they are all about to begin. 

We had quite the week this week!  Oh man, some people have no idea how to plan or execute a move.  Thank you Boy Scouts and Priesthood organizations.  We show up to Christina's and there is half a house packed and 2 nephews and her asleep.  So we got things moving out onto the lawn and got Christina and her two nephews awake and moving.  We got the nephews helping us move things and got Christina calling everyone she knew for a truck.  A truck miraculously was available and we got everything out and moved to her mom’s house.  It was a crazy day!  She plans to continue meeting and hopefully we can begin to help her make and keep commitments now that things have settled a bit. 

We have begun meeting with a less active mother and son named Kelli and Kaleb.  They have both felt that the church taught good principles and that’s why they were baptized but have never had a testimony of it being Christ's church, Book of Mormon being true, or Joseph Smith.  They have learned quite a bit the last 2 weeks and have committed to reading and praying about the Book of Mormon and coming to church.  Kaleb is 21 right now and has said he isn't sure what to do with his life right now.  He isn't working or going to school.  I have a strong feeling that now is a time for him to gain a testimony and then serve a mission.  President Sorensen suggested today that we see if we can have him come out and work with us a couple days or take him on a mini-mission.  This is a great idea and I am looking forward to asking him on Wednesday.  They have so much potential and I hope they truly commit to doing the things they need to do in order to gain a testimony of this Gospel.

Well I sure love you all and pray you all have a great week!  Keep working hard and doing all you can to share the Gospel with our Brother and Sisters.

Love,

Elder Weaver

Update On The Teaching Pool

March 12, 2012

Dear Family & Friends,

All-righty lets get right to the teaching pool.  So Mark and Paul both have a date for April 14th.  Mark is progressing pretty well and came to stake conference.  Paul is kind of down right now, and is having a hard time focusing.  Hopefully this week he will pick back up to his normal self.  Satan try's to bring us each down, but I know as we focus on our Savior and His Atonement we can grow and strengthen ourselves against the adversary.  Junior came to church this last week and we are meeting with him on Tuesday night.  Christina Jones and her family are moving into her moms house this week, just found out, so we are trying to get some priesthood and relief society members to help us move them on Thursday.  All the university students are out on spring break right now...so after next week we should start meeting with them again.  They have 2-week spring breaks!  Brian we are going to try and get some members to call or visit him.  He's hard to get a hold of, but he needs to have contact.  There are two members we are going to try and get him in contact with.  Brother Perry our Branch Mission Leader was asking about him and I think will be getting involved there.  Brother Perry's wife passed away last week so he has been focusing on that.  The funeral was beautiful and spirit filled.  Many nonmembers and less-actives came and felt of the Spirit there.  She touched many lives.  I think there are several opportunities to share the Gospel as well as strengthen others as a result of the services this last week.  Brother Perry asked if I would sing "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" at the Funeral this last week.  It was one of her favorites.  I didn't realize how long that hymn was! 

Elder Tollefsen has been making great growth the last couple days.  He is becoming more confident with the people and himself.  We both had a wonderful training meeting this last Friday in Cleveland.  The Spirit edified both of us and we are excited to continue working here in Tiffin.  The weather has been beautiful and people are becoming nicer and more open to talking now that it's nice outside. 

Continue helping those youth in the ward.  "Frustrate the Distractions" -Pres. Sorensen.  As they understand the Why of the Gospel they will make changes and find themselves making correct choices consistently.

I forwarded new info about our mission president that will be coming in July 2013.  See the letter after this one.

Thank you for being wonderful parents.  You are both so strong and I thank you for all you have done in raising me and helping me to become who I am today and will be someday.  Parents have such a profound impact on the future.  It's one of the most sacred callings, and it has always been the thing that Satan has sought to desecrate and destroy since the beginning.  The Family Proclamation is a document of truth.  The prophecies at the end of that proclamation are true and happening in the world.  Christ invites us to strengthen ourselves, our families, and all those we meet to stand for truth and righteousness.  A great quote by Elder Nelson is "The price of peace and happiness, is righteousness."  This is truth and will never change.  Satan does all he can to convince us otherwise.  But as we stand for truth and righteousness our example will shine and be accepted by every soul who is a sincere seeker of truth.  We have each been called to help in our Fathers work, in helping to "Bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."  (Moses 1:39)  As we each seek to strengthen our Families and loved ones in the truth miracles will occur, lives will change, and we will fulfill our purpose as children of our Heavenly Father.  His plan is perfect; all He does is out of love for us. 

I love this Gospel and the opportunity that I have to carry the message of salvation to my brothers and sisters here in the Ohio Cleveland mission. 

I hope you all have a safe and blessed week!

Love,

Elder Weaver

Our New Mission President In July

Elders and Sisters, 

We wanted you to see more information on your new mission president.  We will have more coming.  We’ve had the chance to visit with them on the phone several times and we have already grown to love them.  They will be wonderful.  “Whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies”.  Please pray for them and their family.  I know they are praying for you.  We are all so blessed to be in the work of salvation in gathering Israel. 

We love, honor and respect you, 

President and Sister Sorensen

Pamela B. and Michael L. Vellinga

 Michael Lee Vellinga, 59, and Pamela Bodily Vellinga, eight children, Clinton 3rd Ward, Clinton Utah North Stake. Brother Vellinga serves as a high councilor and as a stake missionary preparation instructor. He is a former stake president, bishop, Sunday School teacher and missionary in the California Central Mission. Director of pre-service training, Seminaries and Institutes. Born in Ogden, Utah, to Clarence and Arlene Davis Vellinga.

Sister Vellinga serves as a stake missionary preparation instructor and Primary worker. She is a former stake and ward music chairman, Relief Society president, counselor in Young Women and Relief Society presidencies and Relief Society instructor. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Max Knight and Mary Yvonne Middleton Bodily.    

Busy, Busy, Busy We All Are!

Dear Family,

Busy, busy, busy we all are aren't we?  Isn't life just great? 

Transfers were a long day.  We left at around 8:00am and didn't get back to Tiffin till 7:15pm that night.  Between getting there, transfers, dropping other Elders off...it makes a long day.  But we made it and Elder Tollefsen is now here in Tiffin with me.  He is taller than me...but my shortest companion so far.  He is from Mesa, Arizona.  He graduated in 2011 and went to a summer and fall semester at BYU and has a twin brother who is preparing to serve.  We are really going to be working hard the next 3 months.  Oh the exciting times ahead!  Speaking of twins tell Uncle Darin congratulations on this great opportunity to serve and grow as Bishop!  He should have moved when he had the chance. ;)  Just kidding, I am excited for him and will definitely include him in my prayers.

We had a great experience this last week with an investigator named Mark and taking a less-active out teaching with us.  We were able to teach more about repentance and the atonement, share a baptismal goal calendar and teaching record, and really help him grow in his desire to commit and make changes in his life.  The less active member had the opportunity to share his testimony of prayer and coming to know the Church is true.  Following which Elder Tollefsen had the opportunity to extend a new baptismal date to Mark for April 14th.  A date he is willing to work towards and commit him to do his best.  It's interesting how sometimes the investigators you don't think are very interested all of a sudden change as the Lord prepares them...and then how some of the ones that seem like they are progressing well throw you for a loop.  A strong investigator named Brian dropped us for a while last night.  He knows its true.  He says he just needs some time to commit and work on his desire to keep all of the commandments.  He said he isn't closing the door just needs some time.  He will be back though, he knows how he has felt and will come back to that. 

We continue to strive to grow our teaching pool, and had a wonderful Stake conference this last Sunday.  President Sorensen, our mission president, had the opportunity to speak and part of what he shared was on member missionary work.  It was very powerful and the Spirit touched the hearts of the members.  He also shared a story of a primary boy in the stake and how he has been sharing the gospel with those he meets.  

Well just about out of time right now.  I will include more on Elder Tollefsen and all we are doing and learning next week!

Love you all lots,

Elder Weaver