Family!! Mis amores!! My favorites!! My heroes!!
So story time, this one time I thought I was going to Argentina on my mission, and then I was like "Oh yeah, I am probably going to be reassigned, because Argentina just got a new consulate and they aren't letting anyone into the country." And then I was like okay, sweet. I am going to Florida, or Dallas, or Nevada, or California. And then.......after killer anticipation.....I was called to OGDEN, UT!!! WOW!!!! Can you tell I am just jumping up and down for excitement?!!?!? Haha okay, so maybe excitement wasn't the exact word that went through my mind. But, no matter where I am going, I am going to go with all my heart. It's going to be a little bit bizarre waiting for my VISA to come and being so close to home. PS I was THE HAPPIEST GIRL on earth when I got to call you last night. You guys, I love you so much. I was crying tears of joy. I have never had a harder week in my life, but also it has been one of the best. And talking to you guys made it that much better. I love you all so much. And guess what? I will probably be in Ogden ranging anywhere between 2 weeks and 5 months. I have heard that the Ogden is one of the highest baptizing missions in the entire world! So it is a HUGE blessing to go there, it will be my training on how to get the job done right. I am so excited to go out into the field on Monday. I leave Monday at 5:00 a.m. and my mission home address in Ogden is 4380 S. Orchard Ave. South Ogden, UT 84403. When life throws ya lemons......WELL, you make lemonade! The Lord is pushing me to limits I have never been pushed to before, but crazy to say it---I love it. It kills me, but I love it. I am growing and changing more and more everyday. It's weird though, because my life is now all about OTHER people, yet I feel like I am growing so much!
So the MTC. Besides doing exactly the same thing everyday and the food that looks like it was made from plastic.....I LOVE THIS PLACE:). I have been learning so quickly and so much in such a little amount of time. I am so grateful that I am learning spanish and that I am the only white girl in my district. In the picture I sent you guys of my district, they all look white, but they are actually Mexican. :) I love them all, they have become like family in such a short amount of time. Actually. I lied. Sometimes I can't stand the elders because they drive me nuts when I am trying to study and they are talking about what their girlfriend said in their last letter. *note to the boys in our family: don't have a girlfriend when you come on your mission, so that sister missionaries can focus. :) Anyways I loved it a lot, and have been learning and drawing closer to God.
Focusing on the spiritual life is a funny thing ya know. My goals have switched from getting a 4.0 to making sure that I smile all day and that I serve my companion as much as possible. Is is okay to say that it is 20Xs harder to do these goals than it was at school? Man. I love the mission. But MAN IT IS HARD. Especially with so many changes and with so many unknowns. I just can't thank all of you enough for the support that you give to me. You truly are my strength. Seriously. I have had a lot of stress, pressure and hard times, but YOU GUYS are where I go to when I need encouragement. Even though you aren't here with me, I feel your strength and run to you as my happy place. Thanks for being there for me.
I love my companion so much. But the Lord is teaching me patience. Remember how I love to work out? Well, guess what? I am learning patience, because my companion HATES working out. That is okay though. Sometimes I run laps in the hallway of our dorm. (nerdy, but true). I have officially been established as the "Mom" of our district because I always tell the elders when they are talking, "Guys!!! This isn't our time, it is the Lord. I am trying to study, thanks." Okay, so maybe I need to develop the gift of tactfulness as well, and maybe feel like a jerk. I just don't want to take a single moment for granted.
So since I am going to Ogden, I may need some warmer clothes? I am not exactly sure. The tights and my wool coat kept me way warm when it was snowing this morning, but I may need some backup. I probably will have a car, because most of the work we do up there comes referrals. I am seriously excited. Really, truly, but I am nervous as all get out! We taught our first couple of "real" investigators this week at the TRC. We taught Hely, she is a hispanic Catholic from Guatemala. Our first lesson was utter disaster, but then me and my companion decided to teach on the Book of Mormon for the second lesson and I have NEVER felt the spirit so strong. I never understood the phrase, "prepare all that you can, and then in the moment that you need words, the spirit will give it to you." That actually happened! Even though I am learning so much of the language, i am still not up to par with the people in my district. They are pushing me REALLLLLLLY hard to be better. But in that second lesson, I started to testify and talk about the Book of Mormon like I never have...but it was in Spanish! I was so excited!!! The Lord is watching over me, and even though I am so weak, and have a long way to go, he is helping me make up for the rest. Hely committed to read the Book of Mormon and I challenged her to baptism....AND she said she would work towards it!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOO STOKED!!!!!!!
Thanks to all of you guys for the wonderful packages, valentines, dear elders and everything! They are literally what I look forward to!! They give me motivation and make me happy when I am down. It means the world to me! And I love hearing all about your lives! I just sent a letter in the mail addressing each of you briefly!! I hope that you are all healthy and being safe, but more so that you are LIVING LIFE that you are HAPPY and SERVING and GROWING. I miss all of you more than anything, and what I wouldn't give to see you. But I am getting so much stronger, and I hope you are too. The Lord works in mysterious ways. And miracles happen. The 30 minutes that I have to write you go by way too fast. But know that you guys are my strength, my light and my heart. And you are in my prayers everyday and night. I love you all so much and I'm proud to be a Weenig!!
I can't wait to write you again! I went to the temple today and it was beautiful. Taylor Thomas says thanks for the package and letter mommy! I love you all so much! I am so proud of all of you!!! Please understand you are children of God!! I hear you might be eating with Jorden!?!?!? Let me know how it goes! Tell him hi and that I think the world of him!! I have a letter coming to him ASAP.
Please write me to let me know all about your lives!! I love you so much!! The gospel is so true, and I can't wait to be apart of this incredible work!!!!!!
STAND STRONG!!!
Love you to pieces,
Hermana Weenig :)
So story time, this one time I thought I was going to Argentina on my mission, and then I was like "Oh yeah, I am probably going to be reassigned, because Argentina just got a new consulate and they aren't letting anyone into the country." And then I was like okay, sweet. I am going to Florida, or Dallas, or Nevada, or California. And then.......after killer anticipation.....I was called to OGDEN, UT!!! WOW!!!! Can you tell I am just jumping up and down for excitement?!!?!? Haha okay, so maybe excitement wasn't the exact word that went through my mind. But, no matter where I am going, I am going to go with all my heart. It's going to be a little bit bizarre waiting for my VISA to come and being so close to home. PS I was THE HAPPIEST GIRL on earth when I got to call you last night. You guys, I love you so much. I was crying tears of joy. I have never had a harder week in my life, but also it has been one of the best. And talking to you guys made it that much better. I love you all so much. And guess what? I will probably be in Ogden ranging anywhere between 2 weeks and 5 months. I have heard that the Ogden is one of the highest baptizing missions in the entire world! So it is a HUGE blessing to go there, it will be my training on how to get the job done right. I am so excited to go out into the field on Monday. I leave Monday at 5:00 a.m. and my mission home address in Ogden is 4380 S. Orchard Ave. South Ogden, UT 84403. When life throws ya lemons......WELL, you make lemonade! The Lord is pushing me to limits I have never been pushed to before, but crazy to say it---I love it. It kills me, but I love it. I am growing and changing more and more everyday. It's weird though, because my life is now all about OTHER people, yet I feel like I am growing so much!
So the MTC. Besides doing exactly the same thing everyday and the food that looks like it was made from plastic.....I LOVE THIS PLACE:). I have been learning so quickly and so much in such a little amount of time. I am so grateful that I am learning spanish and that I am the only white girl in my district. In the picture I sent you guys of my district, they all look white, but they are actually Mexican. :) I love them all, they have become like family in such a short amount of time. Actually. I lied. Sometimes I can't stand the elders because they drive me nuts when I am trying to study and they are talking about what their girlfriend said in their last letter. *note to the boys in our family: don't have a girlfriend when you come on your mission, so that sister missionaries can focus. :) Anyways I loved it a lot, and have been learning and drawing closer to God.
Focusing on the spiritual life is a funny thing ya know. My goals have switched from getting a 4.0 to making sure that I smile all day and that I serve my companion as much as possible. Is is okay to say that it is 20Xs harder to do these goals than it was at school? Man. I love the mission. But MAN IT IS HARD. Especially with so many changes and with so many unknowns. I just can't thank all of you enough for the support that you give to me. You truly are my strength. Seriously. I have had a lot of stress, pressure and hard times, but YOU GUYS are where I go to when I need encouragement. Even though you aren't here with me, I feel your strength and run to you as my happy place. Thanks for being there for me.
I love my companion so much. But the Lord is teaching me patience. Remember how I love to work out? Well, guess what? I am learning patience, because my companion HATES working out. That is okay though. Sometimes I run laps in the hallway of our dorm. (nerdy, but true). I have officially been established as the "Mom" of our district because I always tell the elders when they are talking, "Guys!!! This isn't our time, it is the Lord. I am trying to study, thanks." Okay, so maybe I need to develop the gift of tactfulness as well, and maybe feel like a jerk. I just don't want to take a single moment for granted.
So since I am going to Ogden, I may need some warmer clothes? I am not exactly sure. The tights and my wool coat kept me way warm when it was snowing this morning, but I may need some backup. I probably will have a car, because most of the work we do up there comes referrals. I am seriously excited. Really, truly, but I am nervous as all get out! We taught our first couple of "real" investigators this week at the TRC. We taught Hely, she is a hispanic Catholic from Guatemala. Our first lesson was utter disaster, but then me and my companion decided to teach on the Book of Mormon for the second lesson and I have NEVER felt the spirit so strong. I never understood the phrase, "prepare all that you can, and then in the moment that you need words, the spirit will give it to you." That actually happened! Even though I am learning so much of the language, i am still not up to par with the people in my district. They are pushing me REALLLLLLLY hard to be better. But in that second lesson, I started to testify and talk about the Book of Mormon like I never have...but it was in Spanish! I was so excited!!! The Lord is watching over me, and even though I am so weak, and have a long way to go, he is helping me make up for the rest. Hely committed to read the Book of Mormon and I challenged her to baptism....AND she said she would work towards it!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOO STOKED!!!!!!!
Thanks to all of you guys for the wonderful packages, valentines, dear elders and everything! They are literally what I look forward to!! They give me motivation and make me happy when I am down. It means the world to me! And I love hearing all about your lives! I just sent a letter in the mail addressing each of you briefly!! I hope that you are all healthy and being safe, but more so that you are LIVING LIFE that you are HAPPY and SERVING and GROWING. I miss all of you more than anything, and what I wouldn't give to see you. But I am getting so much stronger, and I hope you are too. The Lord works in mysterious ways. And miracles happen. The 30 minutes that I have to write you go by way too fast. But know that you guys are my strength, my light and my heart. And you are in my prayers everyday and night. I love you all so much and I'm proud to be a Weenig!!
I can't wait to write you again! I went to the temple today and it was beautiful. Taylor Thomas says thanks for the package and letter mommy! I love you all so much! I am so proud of all of you!!! Please understand you are children of God!! I hear you might be eating with Jorden!?!?!? Let me know how it goes! Tell him hi and that I think the world of him!! I have a letter coming to him ASAP.
Please write me to let me know all about your lives!! I love you so much!! The gospel is so true, and I can't wait to be apart of this incredible work!!!!!!
STAND STRONG!!!
Love you to pieces,
Hermana Weenig :)
My MTC companion, Hermana Erickson (from Idaho)
The official "plaquita"
Roomies :)
My District...as you can tell, I'm the only non-native speaker
Ay bebe!! te quiero mucho!! <3 que bueno que estás muy feliz!! te mando besitos desde Mérida! éxito en tu Mision! aprovechalo mucho!!
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