It's Been Rainy And Cold...

September 15, 2014

Dear Family & Friends,

Hahaha yes I saw the classy video of you all rollin down the hill! Pahahaha and your cool iphone case :) I love seeing how sunny it is there..here it's been cold and rainy...much like home! Thank you for your words on personal revelation, I need that. I am so happy to see the Chavez's in white! I love the beautious temple, it is sad that we can't go to the temple in Sun Prairie because it is 15 minutes over the limit to travel there (2 hours and 15 min), but I am happy I got to go with Sister Anderson, nonetheless :) Yes, those videos are the ones I was hoping for, thank you! The cheese of the 80's makes me smile!! Still, Sister Trent and I have been watching those at lunch and learning quite a bit. It's funny how certain things you've seen before make more sense later in life, whether you are on a mission or on a different spiritual journey of sorts.

Here's one I watched in seminary all those years ago that I have been searching and searching for for years and FINALLY found at the church library: 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-101-gathering-of-israel?category=old-testament/isaiah-malachi&lang=eng

LOVE IT!!

This week has seen both blessing and heartache as we met with Patti and shared with her the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She had some questions about the justification of Nephi chopping off Laban's head and we told her that what it all boiled down to was that Nephi was just trying to obey the Lord and the future commandments that He would reveal to them if at first they had the records to obtain them. She then committed to continue reading and come to church, but when Sunday finally came around, she left us with an excuse not to come and a different one with the Edgar's. Brother Edgar knows that she is scared to death to investigate this gospel just as he was and I am thankful that someone is fellowshipping her who can relate to her circumstance. When we tried to reschedule with her, she said that now is not the right time for her to be doing this. But we will continue to send her scripture texts and try to help her from a distance until she is ready once more.

We also lost Gina this week who showed so much promise, but all of a sudden we lost all contact with. When we went to visit her, her mom shooed us away :( I hope that that seed will stay planted in her heart so that she may receive missionaries at a later time.

We took Sally on a church tour on Wednesday and she had a lot of questions about the church and how it runs. When we took her to the chapel and Sister Trent played hymn and I sang, she said that she felt very peaceful...like she does when we go to her house.

We finally visited Sister Pink and I was finally able to meet her husband Laverne! They are going through some rough adjustments, but they are still trying to cope. They let us share a message and invited us back this week.

The SP Elders referred us to Cynthia Revels, a LA member who they accidentally tracted into. They said that she broke down in tears when they talked to her and she told them how she really wants to come back to church and her daughter baptized, who turns 8 in November. We tried to contact her yesterday, with the Stucki's (who are her Home Teachers), but it fell through. We couldn't reschedule because someone else answered the door, but we will most definitely try again this week!

I feel like I could easily complain and gripe about the circumstances this week, but I feel like there is always room for improvement, especially when coming to the attitude of a FULL TIME missionary. I can honestly say that there have been times when I have not thrusted in my sickle as much as I could have with harvest time being so readily upon us, but it does not diminish my testimony of consecration as the key to the success of any missionary. We must place EVERYTHING that keeps us from conforming our will to our Father's on the sacrificial altar and only then will we experience that full change of heart that will make us new people when we return home and face the world.

I love you all and my prayers are with each and every single one of you! I hope that your missionary zeal continues to strengthen and that the grace of the Lord will keep you in the happiness that is yours to be found in the grand blessing that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

-Sister Weaver-

We bought superman companion shirts
at Walmart. With capes. Hence, the picture.

My Birthday Was Awesome!

September 8, 2014

Hola Family & Friends,

Thank you for my b-day package!!! Just got it Saturday and we had another party! And the DVDS???? WOOHOO!!!!!!! Y'all are da best.

My birthday was awesome! I did however get a present I didn't want...a nasty cold that STILL will not depart from my esophagus...but t'sall good! Sister Trent threw me a morning b-day wake-up surprise (as attached) and made me breakfast :) 

They sang to me at District Meeting and I'm pretty sure my face turned a new shade of red that hasn't been discovered yet. The STL's called and left me a singing voicemail too. Everyone is so sweet in the ward too, 

Sister Couch made me a cake when we went for supper and made me a table runner (she's mucho into quilting). And then when we made music videos at mutual, they announced it was my birthday...All this while I had a fever made for a great, delirious day! I was given many a meds and Essential Oils (which is really big out here for some reason) from people, so I'm on the mend!

We also went over to Sally, a semi-almost-progressing investigator's, who is like 80 and we see all the time, and she made me a birthday lunch. She said that she loves taking care of us because she knows that she would want her kids to be taken care of while in a strange land away from home. So don't worry, Ma and Da, there are many people who are willing to care for me here and I am so grateful to the Lord for putting such wonderful caring people in my path.

BTW, Mom how is Spanish going? Are you still learning it?

Paul Hathaway?? WHA???? That is so awesome for him!!!! To whom? Tell them congrats from mwa. I wish I could go :( Send pics!

Weather here has been fine, supposed to be like 50 this next week! Crazy!

Dad MCing a Young Women's Fashion Show...I'm not sure how I feel about all those words together in a sentence...This should be interesting.

How awesome is it that the Chavez family is going to the temple!!!! It is so remarkable when you get to continue to see your friends making those steps back to Heavenly Father. I love what Elder Martino said at Mission Tour: imagine seeing those you teach three times in white, 1) At baptism, 2) In the temple, and 3) In the Celestial Kingdom!

This week I have seen the miraculous missionary spirit in our ward more than ever! On Saturday practically the WHOLE ward came to do yard work (HEFTY yard work) for a family who just lost their father, the Round's. They were very grateful.

We received two referrals from the Allen's and a couple more from people who are wanting their friends introduced to the gospel. We FINALLY met with Patti! Her lesson went so well, the Edgar's bore powerful testimony about the Plan of Salvation and how this knowledge has blessed them and their family and how they know that it will bless hers as well. We read with her from the scriptures and re-committed her to read 10 minutes a day. We are also keeping daily contact with her by sending her scriptures. We are meeting once more with her tonight at the Edgar's home and reviewing the Restoration.

We are also striving to keep daily contact with our investigator Gina, who has not been able to read much because she is ALWAYS on call for her nursing and security jobs.

We are finally making some progress with our less active Harriet Shroud! She is allowing us to share messages with her and her husband Jim is being very receptive to us as well. We hope to be able to invite him to read with us soon...but don't know how to go about doing it because he is the one who didn't want us pushing anything on their family.

Every single one of you are MY heroes and don't worry, Ma, in the words of another one of my heroes, Nicholas Nickleby: "Weakness is tiring, but strength? ...Is exhausting." But I know that as you continue in that same diligence and do as the Lord did--long before any of us knew the extent or the depth of anything we would face, saying "Here am I, send me" --He will continue to lift you up in times of adversity as well as in times of great joy.

Sister Trent and I were talking the other day about our pre-mortal life and how the Savior had to have personally spent time with each and every one of Heavenly Father's children before He volunteered Himself as an offering for us. Because how could He truly love us and know how to succor us, if He did NOT first know who we were? Anyway, I thought it was a cool thought.

-3 hand squeezes back!-

SiStEr wEaVeR

August 29, 2014 General Authority Mission Tour 

August 29, 2014 Sisters Hunter, Brewster, Askerlund, Arnold, Weaver, Trent

This Week Has Seen So Many Miracles!

August 25, 2014

Dear Family & Friends,

The Best Family in the World! (But seriously, it's true)

Thanks Ma! Yeah I'm sorry to sound negative, it's still SOOOO different here and a pain that I am still trying to adjust. BAH! It's okay, I'll get over it some day. I shouldn't be focused on that anyway...I should only be focused on the work the Lord has for me to accomplish AND THAT'S IT!

I'm so glad Dad had a wonderful birthday doing what he does best: serving those he loves. I'm not surprised Allison is helping out everyone. She is very serviceable (even if she is getting paid haha) And no she did NOT tell me her track! Josh will remain in my prayers. He's a toughie and I admire how strong he is, I'm glad the treatments are going well! Love the pic of you eating, Ma...classy. That's cool you all are going to Astoria/Lincoln City/Tilamook. Sister Trent's family literally just got back from visiting there.

This week has seen so many miracles! On Monday, we contacted a potential named Gene whose son had died a couple of years past. After breaking the ice, we bore testimony about the Book of Mormon, and invited him to read the last paragraph of the introduction. We testified of how it has answered a lot of our questions about God's plan for His children and he was very happy to accept it. We are hoping to meet with him later this or next week and bring Brother Miller with us to teach him more about the Plan of Salvation.

We also contacted a former named Gina, who is 17 and very ambitious. She was so happy to read from and accept a Book of Mormon after we read with her 3 Nephi 11 about the Savior's ministry to the ancient Americas. SHE asked to schedule a time to meet with her again and also asked about attending church! We gave her the info and said she wanted to bring her sister and nephew. Sadly, though, she got called into work on Sunday so she couldn't come...but next week!

We invited the Stoll's to the chapel later in the week to hear Sister Trent play the piano piece she did in sacrament meeting the week before, because Luella was absent. Brother Stoll picked out a few hymns he wanted to sing as well from our hymn book and the Spirit was SO strong! They also came to the Miller's get together on Saturday and met alot of new people. During ward council the idea was introduced to invite them to the ward temple day in October...which I think would be GREAT for them to attend and walk the grounds and see the temple. The Nye's want to take them.

Exchanges were great this week! We invited all of the youth at YW/YM to bring one non-member friend to mutual next week and Sister Johnson taught me how to ask people for referrals using the Plan of Salvation lesson, while we taught a family of members.

I hope that you all have fun with the fam!! Send pics!

And now let me end this email with all my love and a line from my favorite song from the talented Mr. Mat Kearney: "Every hope and dream that's starting, every time that I see you crying, every step that you keep on climbing, I pray for you now...that you figure it out."

-Sister Weaver-

P.S. Sorry I couldn't get Grandpa Holmes' pic to copy because its protected on FamilySearch.org. You can see it there though :)

Sun Prairie District

Our District...yeah they have their moments :)