January 7, 2013
Dear Family & Friends,
What a fun week! We had our
Mission Council on Tuesday this week (where we and President and the Zone Leaders
meet to go over our training plan for the next few months.) After the
mission council Elder Skalla and I traveled across the mission for 3 days
visiting 3 different Zone Training Meetings (where the mission council training
plan is taken to each zone.) We assisted in helping to train the
missionaries in these zones on all the different things we are doing right now
to become better teachers, setting goals, and becoming unified in our faith in
Jesus Christ. We set a baptismal goal in mission council, and each
missionary in the mission agreed to it. We set a goal for 450 baptisms
this next year, this year we had 226. With what we have been taught from
Salt Lake they promised we could double our baptisms as a mission if we applied
these things. I have faith we can do it. What has been cool is to
see how this goal is coming out to be just about the same as all of the Stake
Presidencies goals in our mission. Our goals are matching with that of
those who hold the keys of missionary work in the mission. This will be a
great year. I plan on calling President Vellinga on January 1st, 2014 to
see how the year went.
We found someone who I feel is
prepared this week. Her name is Holly. She actually has had a lot of
contact with members throughout her life and had missionaries over several
years ago. We weren't able to find out why they stopped coming or if she
stopped the visits, but she seemed more than happy to meet with us. We found
her by going through our contacts on our phone. Both our phones are overloaded
with numbers so we have been going through and cleaning them up. Holly was one
that we called and she said she wouldn't mind a visit. We went by last Tuesday
with Brother Brookes in the Ward. We got to know her and her background a
little bit and really built a good relationship of trust with each other. After
talking to her a bit we started with a prayer and shared the Restoration. It
went great! She has a tough career; she's a teacher in inner city schools in
Cleveland, which has caused her to be a little rough around the edges. However
it was fun to see the spirit work in her as she re-visited the restoration.
When we came to prayer it was neat to see her as she learned what she would
feel when something was right. A calm peace came over her. When we explained
the "how to pray" she exclaimed, "well that's helpful, why
didn't anyone ever tell me to pray like this." She prayed to close our
visit and said a wonderful heartfelt prayer for help to do what is right and
thanking God for our visit that night. It's these moments that I just grow so
much more in my love of being a missionary.
We also had several of the member
families we have been helping prepare for the temple-attended church this last
week. This last week was the fullest I think I have seen the Ward in my
time being here. I pray it keeps going that way. There is always a
good spirit with a full congregation. These families and individuals also
stayed all three hours which has been a bit of a struggle the past couple
weeks. Elder Skalla and I are having a blast working here and are anxious
for some more growth to occur as we continue working hard and going forth with
faith.
Thank you for the update on the new
Stake Presidency in the Manila Stake. They will do great, and I will love
being able to report to them.
Tell Kevin and Valerie
congratulations on their baby girl. How exciting. Two great grand kids
for Grandma and Grandpa Ballard now, how fun.
I sure love you all a ton, and pray
for you each day. I hope you all
have a wonderful week!
Love,
Elder Weaver
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