I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! I have officially been out serving a mission in the actual mission field for a year! I can't believe it. One year ago today, I was doing this very thing! It is amazing! Time is flying so fast and I don't know what to do about it. I just want to soak in every moment. And SO MANY MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING! I am learning so much from my wonderful companion, the ward, and especially the people that we teach. More than ever, I am starting to see WHAT our purpose is in this life. It isn't what I had originally thought. Because, I thought before my mission that life was about accomplishments, being successful and being the best. But now I see that it is much more than that....it is about WHO WE ARE BECOMING. Who we are changing and shaping into. This week has been a week of refinement for us, but as well as for all the people that we are teaching.
TIGGY IS ELECT and PREPARED. SHE IS INCREDIBLE. Remember last week that story about the woman who was about to commit suicide and we knocked on her door and then she came outside running towards us? Well, she is on fire. She is getting baptized March 18. She is reading the Book of Mormon like candy. She says she has been searching for peace and happiness for SO long and she is finally finding it. She has had a REALLY, REALLY rough life. Yet, she is honestly SEARCHING for truth. When we teach her, there is something so unreal about the lessons. I know that Tiggy is one of the noble and great ones, and because she asked God to send her peace and the truth, we were led to her door. We went to church with her yesterday and during the meetings, Tiggy was just crying. She said she had never felt and had so much peace in all of her life. Everyone at church was so open and loved her a TON, she said, "I have never met so many nice people in my life." She is changing. The biggest battle she has had to fight is to FORGIVE. Lots of terrible things have happened to her, but she is changing....even though it hurts. She is teaching me the power of forgiveness and the FREEDOM that come along with it---we are all imperfect, so why hold grudges?
I love the hermanas in this mission so much. They teach me more than I teach them. I am learning so much from their examples and from watching how they do missionary work. This work literally is guided by God and there is just no other explanation for it---He guides us and directs us to exactly where we need to be when we need to be there. It is the same with life---sometimes we have no idea why we are going through the things that we are going through, but sometimes God just wants us to stop and let Him guide you so that you can learn exactly what you need to. MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING EVERYWHERE! This was from Hermana Woodbury, she is a wonderful Hermana that I had the opportunity to go on an exchange this past week, and this was sent out to the mission:
"A few weeks back you mentioned that when we are led to a specific place but our plans fall through, we should continue to work in the area until we find who we were meant to contact. That exact thing happened with Hna. Weenig and I when we were on exchanges! The whole day was inspired. At one point, a backup didn't answer the door, so we prayed and felt like we should knock the three neighboring doors. Nobody answered. But as we were driving away to try another option, a woman came running out of the building chasing after us! She said felt compelled to find out who we were and what we were doing. She had been praying about things that had been happening to her recently, and she wanted God to tell her what the purpose of her life was. She saw it as a sign that we knocked on her door that day. We had an incredible lesson with her-- the Spirit was strong and directing, and I could feel how much Heavenly Father loved her. It was a wonderful experience."
Juan Gonzalez, recent convert of about 2 months is ENTERING THE TEMPLE IN MARCH!!! WE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED! SERIOUSLY!! We can't even wait!! AH LE LU IA!! The temple is the Goal. Really. Our purpose in life is to stay worthy and live the commandments of God so we can prepare to meet Him, so that when we do, "we will be like Him." That has been a point of serious reflection for me as I have thought a lot about WHO I am becoming. WHO are you becoming? NOT---what are you accomplishing? God cares much more about WHO you become, rather than what you achieve. We get so caught up in the competition and the race of life---the hustle and bustle distracts. Juan is becoming closer and closer to God. He is a garbage man, yet the most incredible and humble man. He is GETTING TO KNOW Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ....that is what I want. I invite ALL of you to take time EVERYDAY to actually get to know God. To have an "inventory" with God. Ask what He thinks of you, and change what you need to...so you won't be anxious or feel inadequate. :)
Speaking of the temple, we had the opportunity to go last Monday. We went with one of the senior couples serving in our mission, Sister Carlile and Elder Carlile. Sister Carlile always calls me "angel voice." (weird, right? hahaha) But She told me the reason is, is that one time, when she was young, they were singing to a group of people that were suffering from Alzheimer's. She said they didn't have enough singers and so they prayed that they would have the force necessary to sing to these people and inspire them. Well, no one could sing soprano, but Sister Carlile said that from behind her came this soprano voice. She looked behind her, no one was there. She said that she KNOWS that it was my voice, because it sounds just like it. WOAH. Kinda cool.
MIRACLE:
Byran Huarita!!! He is getting baptized in March for sure!! We were sitting in our apartment, just finishing up our studies for the day when Bryan called. He has been wishy-washy about baptism for almost ten years. We have been trying so hard to resolve his doubts and help him feel like he is prepared. But he called us and said, "Hermanas, I AM READY TO BE BAPTIZED. I realized that the joy and peace that I had been searching for...I had it when I went to church, but I just didn't realize it!" WE ARE SO HAPPY!
We, as a district, are planning this MASSIVE event. I love projects and I love events and I love bringing people to Christ....so... "Mundial Mormon" is like the combination of all of those things put together and it is really fun to see!! The entire mission is involved in it and it is catching FIRE. SOOOOO many non-members, in-actives and less actives are coming out of the wood works to participate in this event. We have been running around like crazy and working overtime to get the event to take off. It is going to be so cool, and at the end of the night we are going to do a Fireside about the Savior Jesus Christ---but Hispanic style. That includes a mariachi band. We are so excited! March 8! We have learned a TON about working as a team. But through mediums like Facebook, signs and other things we have used to promote it, we have found like 10 new people to teach that are seriously interested in the church!! IT IS A HUUUUUGGGGEE MIRACLE! Preach my Gospel works like a charm, because we are just using its ideas :)
Thank you so much for all you do for me---all your prayers, support, letters, emails and love. I love you all so much--you are always in my heart and prayers. I hope you take the challenge to really figure out WHO you are and WHAT God wants you to do that that you can be CONFIDENT and STRONG. Life is about becoming...not just doing.
STAND STRONG!!
Hermana Weenig
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| Mormon Mundial! (The Mormon World Cup). I got to go on an exchange to my old area this past week....Hermano Tapia is one of my favorites! |
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