June 16, 2014
Dear Familia of Mine!
I'm happy that Daddio had a good
Father's Day and that you were able to go to good ol' Warshington. I know how
you all feel about leaving somewhere and then going back to where you used
to live. Many missionaries, whose time is up here, feel like they
are LEAVING home. I'm sure I will as well. You grow to love the people
you visit and see mature spiritually...even some of them ARE
cracked off their rockers or hopped up on goofballs. I hear fun
stories from Elder Larsen about crazy Eugene, OR...since he goes to school
at U of O (or whichever one is in Eugene). I find it amusing that we haven't
even been to Granola Ville yet, us Oregonians :)
The G's are working out, thank you
ever so much for getting them to me. The clothes and junk that I sent you I
thought Allison might like (I got them at a free rummage) because I can't wear
some of them with my g's. But if not, I guess you can just donate them. The tin
was for Nani if she wanted it...Normal Rockwell! And whatever else, I guess you
can stick in my cluttered room. All was a ploy to get rid of some of my stuff
I didn't wear and don't want stuffed in my suitcase. Thank you for all
that you do to help me out here :)
We were challenged to give out a Book
of Mormon a day at Zone Conference and so far, we have been doing pretty well.
The Book of Mormon is the key for inviting people to come unto Christ. When you
think about it, the BOM is our missionary purpose!
This week when we visited Angela, we
helped her focus on receiving answers to her prayers in relation to reading and
PONDERING the Book of Mormon. We also focused on how prayer strengthens our
relationship with our Father in Heaven. She told us that she knows that she
needs to be patient and ponder more frequently after she reads. But she has
been praying before reading!
We met a lovely little 9-year-old
girl named Emily while tracting, and her mother Kari, who is also SO nice, said
that she has college work to study, but she said that since Emily is interested
we are more than welcome to teach her!
We have seen miracles being wrought
with our less-actives we have been seeing as well. This week, after helping
Spring Gaffke and her girls clean her backyard, we read from the Book of Mormon
and they asked inspired questions about the book and how they can better
understand what is going on. I am so grateful for the illustrated Book of
Mormon to help keep things in perspective for the recent converts of our Ward.
When we visited Candy and her boys, we were able to read the Book of Mormon
with them too, and were so happy that Joey read with us, who is not yet a
member, and Tyler, her other son read with us and said that he liked how Alma
instructed his son not to boast of himself, but in the Lord. It is so sad that
her son, Kody, who just turned 18 and was the one who baptized Spring and her
family, is losing faith. He came home yesterday not wanting to read with us and
I'm pretty sure that he was high :( I don't know what more we can do for him or
many of the others who are falling. Sometimes I feel so helpless; I'm not a
counselor (although many people think we are) but where does the line draw
between preaching the gospel and trying to help people with personal issues?
Our Mission Prez is strict when it
comes to media, attitude, and boundaries, but he is a little more lax on
music...hallelujah! Luckily Elder Wise loves the same Christian music I do, so
I have been able to listen to my favorite artists from our Christian radio
station back home :) My Companion is hysterical. She thinks so deeply about
things, my mind feels like its imploding (in a good way) during studies. She
and I have so much spazziness in common it's a wonder we ever get anything
done. But our unity is so strong when we teach and whenever we recognize how we
can improve our teaching techniques. I love her so much and she counts me one
of her besties :) She always acknowledges my strengths and I am truly grateful
for her. I am working on letting her know how grateful I am, but you know me
and how well I express that :P
Yes, it is sad how much people are
trying to twist gospel truths to fit their own desires and circumstance.
Someone at St. Vinny's (where we volunteer) said that she saw someone from our
church on the news. Great, it was probably bad. She said that some woman is
threatened with excommunication because of her trying to get women to have the
priesthood. Don't know if you heard about that, but I guess it made national
news :(
Today, my comp and I were talking
about how it may have been a little hard for Heavenly Father to
oppose a plan where it was guaranteed that all of His children would return to
live with Him again...but at what cost? I think the fact that Heavenly Father
wanted us to be free to choose Him and work out our own salvation by coming
unto His Only Begotten shows just how true and selfless He is and how much He
does love His children...It is sad hearing how many people see God as brutal in
the Old Testament, and how He changes to a merciful God in the New. The fact of
the matter is that it is not God who changes, but man. God did not close the
heavens during the apostasy...man did, and now it seems that many are following
that same pattern in this day and age. All we can do is hold steadfast to the
truth that we DO know, and let God take care of the rest. He has fought our
battles for us; we just have to trust Him. We can do it, for...in the
words of Roku from Avatar, we have done it before :)
ALSO: I won't be able to email next
Monday because Sister Silcox is going to the temple, and since I have already
gone, we are going on exchanges and I am going to have my P-day on Thursday. I
may or may not be able to write since I will be in another area for a day, but
I will try so you can always check just incase :)
I love you all more than you can
possibly comprehend!
Sister Weaver :)
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