One Step at a Time -- Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept

Hola Querido Familia y Amigos Bonitos!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) YOU ARE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE EVER! I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THAT IS HAPPENING AT THE WEENIG HOME!!

Tyler----MEXICO!!!!!! HOLY COW! I am so excited for you!! You will be amazing! And you may be out of the country before I am!! :) Austin, congrats on VP of NHS and cupcake making, Hayden, Congrats on Student Council and oreo cookie making, and Shaylie congrats on Soccer, dance and new braces!!! Mom! I hope your lesson goes awesome this week on modesty and Dad and Tyler have a BLAST in Samoa! Be safe, pleeeeease and sing lots of ukulele songs!  I wish I could just give you all the BIGGEST hug ever right now.

I love being a missionary! I have so much to learn. I love Spanish. I love the people. I love this place. I love the work. Even though some days are really hard---I just remember to "take one step at a time" and "take one day at a time." I am LOVING training Sister Schiess, although it is kinda stressful. It is a lot of fun too, because we are both trying to be 100% obedient and pushing each other to remain focused and lost in the work. Man, it is a LOT of hard work and a LOT of working through the investigators doubts and questions. I feel super blessed and lucky that I get to study the scriptures and prepare and learn Spanish in the mornings, so that I can help people resolve the questions of their minds and the doubts that they have about their lives and its purpose. It is really amazing how I have seen the scripture about loosing yourself and then you will find yourself come to full fruition. It is amazing to see that as I put the needs of the investigators before my own, for some reason I always find the answers to my own questions or doubts. So many people are lost. So many people need a pick me up, and I have been a first hand witness that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is ALWAYS there for people. It is the rock we should base our ENTIRE lives around. When we build upon (when we live) the Gospel of Jesus Christ day in and day out, despite how hard it may get, we will be seriously blessed. Watching these investigators change their lives one step at a time, slowly, but surely, there faith begins to grow and it is literally by them just doing the simple things.

For example....

Cintia Delacruz. She is amazing. She is on chapter 7 of the best book in the world (the Book of Mormon) and she TAKES notes as she reads. Every time we return to teach her, she gives us an update of what is going on in the Book of Mormon. She is dying to learn more, and says that she feels "peaceful, happy and loved" when we teach her (that is the Holy Ghost) and says that she really wants to learn all that she can. But, she is terrified of being baptized. She says that she has been baptized several other times in different churches, and doesn't want to be a hypocrite by getting baptized into a church that she doesn't know anything about. So we are teaching her. And Satan is hitting her from all angles, but the amazing thing is, is that Cintia says she isn't giving up. Her boyfriend lost his job and now they can't pay rent, food, or clothing bills and she was quite distressed. She called us crying saying that she had been praying all night, and God hadn't answered her prayers. We told her to keep praying and to come to church with us the next day. She showed up. Sister Schiess and I where speaking in sacrament meeting about the Restoration of the Gospel. Cintia cried the whole time. Our next lesson she told us that she wants to change, and that she feels so different than the person that she was. She said that through prayer and reading the Book of Mormon she has found peace in the hard times. Amazing. I pray that she continues to make the steps to be baptized soon.

As a missionary, I get the amazing opportunity to talk to people and meet with people that the Savior Himself would have met with were He still on the earth today. Time and time again, we go into people's humble homes whether they be in the trailer park or wherever, and people's eyes just scream "I need help. I need comfort." and It is amazing how the Spirit of the Lord enters their lives and comforts them. The Holy Ghost really is the "Comforter" and I have sworn to myself that I will never lead a life where the Holy Ghost can't be there to guide me. I NEED His help, comfort and direction. I rely so much upon Him as a missionary. He is the real teacher, I am but a mouthpiece. As we were walking down the street the other day a man ran out to greet us. He said "You are representatives of God. I could FEEL you walking up the sidewalk. Can you please bless me, my mother just died and I need help." Even though I was nervous to bless this man I had never seen before, I could feel of the love that Heavenly Father has for Him. I started to pray, all of the sudden my mouth was moving and I was talking and saying things and I don't remember all that I said. I just know that, man, I am glad for the Spirit. Because He is the one that does all of the talking. After the prayer was over the man was crying. He said thank you, "I needed to hear all of that and I know everything will be fine." We walked away, neither of us completely sure of what had just happened. The Holy Ghost is real and can help us help others if we listen. I realized that day the importance of the calling that I hold. I AM NOTHING. Yet, I know that I represent my Savior and my best friend. The plaque I get to put on every morning represents so much. It is a signifier that I am a messenger of the Lord, sent to be here at this time to find, help, serve, love, and teach His children. Just as the Savior would. Sometimes I feel so insignificant and not worthy to do so, but I rely fully on Him. My life is His. I will do what He needs, say what He wants and be what He needs me to be. Because I know that these are His children, and He wants them back. I just want to do all I can to make Him proud and help build the Kingdom of God here on the earth today. Even though I am weak. Even though I am not perfect.

Missionary work takes a lot of patience. Patience with people, with time and with the Lord. I am trying to acquire this attribute, but man. It is hard. It is like I need patience itself to even be able to develop patience. But I love every second of it, even if it does kill me :). It is developing patience with the investigators and loving them and respecting them with all that I am. It is also having patience to understand that they make their own decisions---man. We can teach them till the cows come home. But it is THEIR choice to accept to be baptized, to read the Book of Mormon and come to church. I always thought that I LOVED the concept of agency....but now I am not so sure....(haha just kidding, I know that it is divinely inspired, it is just hard to see some of these people not accept the greatest thing on the face of the earth.)

Random amazing story (to spice it up): The Lord takes care of His missionaries. He does. Sister Schiess and I (my wonderful companion that I am just so blessed to have and to get to train) are walking and tracting a lot. Sometimes we are really, really far away from our home, and so, when we leave in the mornings, we need to make sure that we have everything for the entire day. Well, we had just about gone a mile from our home and I realized that my hair elastic had fallen out. I was like "Oh no! Now my hair looks like a poof ball! I need a hair tie!" We didn't have time to go back, because we were so far away from our home. But then, no joke, 2 seconds later I looked down and there on the ground was a brand new hair tie. Amazing! My companion and I just looked at each other and thought---did that REALLY just happen? The tender little mercies that the Lord sends to His missionaries and to ALL His children are innumerable.

My life is now the life of the investigators. I eat, sleep, dream, talk and think only about how I can help these people come unto Christ and experience the joy that we have so greatly felt in our own lives due to the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so excited that we have 3 people working towards baptism! It is fun to be apart of the change in their lives, but what is even more amazing is to see them developing a real and strong relationship with our Heavenly Father. I can't wait to see what the next week holds for these people and I can't wait to work hard to help them understand and INVITE them to come to Christ.

By some miracle Spanish is finally coming along! Although I am still learning a lot, I am able to teach the lessons with greater ease! The Lord is FOR SURE helping me out, because there is NO way I am doing this by myself. All the lessons are strictly in Spanish and so we are speaking and teaching all day in another language. My companion says my English is fading fast. hahaha That may or may not be a good thing. Nonetheless I am grateful that the Lord is helping me learn. I love my companion. She is amazing and she is hilarious--she is learning her Spanish so fast! I am so proud of her! I have given her the nickname of Snow White, because she makes Snow White noises in a really high pitched voice and she is as sweet as a apple. I love her a lot. I consider it an honor to train her---although I am learning so much from HER!

Anyways, I love the work and I love the people so much. Also----guess what? I LOVE YOU!!! I pray for your everyday and hope that you are happy, safe, healthy and loving life. There is so much to love in life. I am so proud of each one of you and can't thank you enough for your support. It gives me strength and I am so grateful that I have all of you in my life. Remember that the most important things in life AREN'T things. They are the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the people that are in our lives.

One of the most important lessons that I have learned thus far in my mission is that everyone you meet whether it be for a second or a long time, can teach you something and they need you. Take time to share your love with ALL those you come in contact with. You never know when someone will be looking for a pick-me-up and you'll be there to save the day. Share your testimony with all those you meet, even if it is just by your example. That is my prayer and my challenge to you all this week.

STAND STRONG.  

 

Please be safe, healthy and HAPPY. Rejoice. All the Savior asks is that we "Do as you have seen me do," and "Follow thou me." (2 Nephi 31:10)

Love your biggest fan,

Hermana Weenig

With Sister Schiess, P-day hike near Brigham City

We practiced street contacting at our last training.....Oh my!!  Edward was there!:)