How's Things!

February 10, 2014

Dear Family & Friends,

Don't worry Momasita! Love is being sent everyone's (including Aunt Sharon's) way as we speak! I'm sending Bro and Sis a package for their birthday, but Allison can give you the details. At least Allison got to spend some time with you and Cathy for her birthday :( I'm so happy to hear that she is applying for a job!! I am saddened to hear about Sister Rutherford, but I know that she is far freer on beyond the veil than her poor body allowed her in this life. What a stalwart woman!

I have been struggling with focusing on the spiritual this week, but I never cease to be surprised with the people God puts in my path to remind me. This week I met a woman named Nikki who is struggling with smoking, but has such a strong testimony of faith and the Book of Mormon. She ran into a man she knew at the library when we met up with her, and he cautiously gandered at the Book of Mormon she had placed firmly under her arm. She had asked him if he knew about the Mormons and he rolled his eyes and said he knew...a few. Before he could say anything offensive, she smiled and said "Good, there's two more right here!" He looked a little surprised as Sis. A and I waved to him and said nice to meet you :) Then he skedaddled. "Don't worry, I got your guys' back." She told me. As we sat and learned from each other that meeting, the Spirit was so strong! She told me that it was refreshing to see missionaries like me instead of the "quiet, overly-spiritual kinds." It's okay family, you can laugh. ...I wasn't sure if I should have been offended or flattered, but it turned out to be the latter. We discussed how important it is to be yourself-be real-when discussing the Gospel of Christ, because that is what God wants us to be. For me, at least, when I am relaxed and listen to the needs of the person, I can more easily share some of the relatable traits we share in regards to religion and beliefs. Only then, can the wall of judgment and misunderstanding be diminished and the Spirit can more fully reside and take over.

At the ward talent show this week, Sis. Cutler (President Cutler's daughter-in-law who is in our ward) spoke to me about how the President is very pleased with my work. I spared a glance over to Sis. A...surely he was talking about her since she's the one who makes all the calls and tells me where to go and answers all of my lame questions about who and what we are teaching. Anyway, it gave me a glimmer of hope as to any success that I am trying to achieve. The pressure of it boils down to this: this is not my work, or Sis. A's work, or the president's work...it is God's work. And I want, more than anything, not to mess it up.

Yesterday we met with Sis. Plehn (plane), who reminds me of a 60-70 year-old Chelsey :) We barely bother to plan a lesson, because she could talk for hours (which she did:) But I absolutely LOVED talking to her. She shared everything from short stories to history about MIA veterans to famous films and movie stars. She told me to look up a woman she went to school with who writes screenplays and works on TV shows like Law and Order, etc. when I get back.

Earlier this week, we went to Spring's (a hilarious recent convert who may I say has COMPLETELY turned things around from a past of too much too explain) daughter's birthday and had a blast. A woman named Candy (also a recent convert) had her teenage sons over who all are a hoot and half. When it was time for Sis. A and I to go, Spring teased we needed to shovel her driveway. We did even though she kept saying she was kidding. Just so you know, shoveling set snow here is shoveling literal ICE. But we weren't too far into it when Candy's boys came out and took over (haha) and the rest of us sledded down the hill :) picture attached

Sister Weaver & Sister 'A' Sledding

Picture of our flight flying into Milwaukee
(Notice the frozen lake)

People Protesting Obama Care

I thought you'd get a kick out of the pic of people protesting Obama's healthcare whatever speech he gave at GE headquarters we passed last week.

Sis. A made Spring befriend Sis. A's brother on facebook so she would know the moment he got his mission call. During the ward talent night she texted her saying that he was going to Hong Kong! Wow! I am so happy he and Sis. A will be able to be out at the same time!

The ward is great! The talent show thing went off so amazingly! Sis. A played in a flute quintet and one man jammed out on a recorder to Bach!! It was so cool! My favorite had to be the four-chord song: 15 year-old Sis. Tatioca (daughter of our Polynesian ward mission prez who is awesome!) and Sis. Hansen sang a billion popular songs using the same four chords on their guitar. They even sang a song about David Archuleta and a few of his songs (make sure you tell ALLISON that one :)

I love you so much and am so happy for the spiritual words of comfort you continue to give me every week! Here's one from me found in Mormon 9:9, 27: "For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?"

I know this truth: God gives us this truth just as He always has...all that we have to do is listen, trust, and obey Him.

In answer to your questions, I don't care what hoodie...maybe my BYU white one or bright orangey / corally one from target. Also, don't worry about the makeup or printing off the emails. I don't get them until Monday anyways :)

Love you all more than I can express!

-Sis. Weaver-

P.S. I got a letter from Sister Dawn Johnson!