The Spirit of God, Like a Fire is Burning

Querido familia bonita!!!! te amo MUCHISISISISISMO! Como estan? Besitos!! xoxox How are my favorite people in the universe?

Tracting the streets of Brigham City, UT w/Sister Schiess.

I love being a missionary. And man, I am exhausted. There is a reason that this is called missionary WORK. Because it is WORK. And work has its ups and its downs, but I will tell you one thing--this work is worth every single hard day. Seeing someone come unto Christ, my best friend, makes me the happiest girl in the world.  Every mile we walk and every single person that we talk to, we are focused on sharing our best friend and the happiness of the Gospel. So amazing...but so exhausting. All day everyday. I love it! I can't be more grateful to be able to here on a mission!! I am learning so much about how to work well with other people, how to resolve doubts, how to public speak, how to serve someone else all day everyday, but most importantly....I am learning how to help and invite other people to come unto Jesus Christ so that they can access the POWER that comes from His atoning sacrifice. Guess what? You are invited too. If you are struggling with, well, ANYTHING--rely on Jesus Christ. He is ALWAYS there for us and can give us the strength to do the impossible and overcome ALL of our weaknesses :). I have seen it. In my own life and

 in the lives of countless others here on my mission.

With Sister Schiess.  I will miss her.

TRANSFERS ARE TOMORROW!!! I am getting transferred from Brigham City! I am so sad, nervous, excited and stoked! I have loved being a trainer and working with Hermana Schiess. I will miss her dearly!  But I am mostly sad right now because I have grown to love the people here in Brigham City so much. They truly have become like family, and I now consider Brigham City to be my second home. They say that as a missionary you learn LOADS more than you teach.....and man, I would have to agree with that statement fully! As my mom and dad would say, I have left it ALL on the "playing field" and given it my all, and can't wait to go to a new area with 2 new companions where I will serve for the next 6 weeks with everything that I am. I will miss the Sycamore Spanish branch, and I am so happy to see that the people who have converted are still coming to church....and I hope that they continue to do so for the rest of their lives so that they can one day go to the temple! I have literally

Brigham City, Spanish Speaking Sisters

given all my heart, mind, might and soul to help bring people to Christ and to help strengthen the kingdom here in Brigham City. I have no regrets as I have literally left blood, sweat and tears here. For better or for the worse. I will miss Brigham City as I have come to know and to love all the people here dearly. I know that I have given this area and these people my best--and although I know I am not perfect, I am leaving with a smile knowing that I have grown and learned much from the people here. But as the prophets in the Book of Mormon talk about---my soul literally rejoices seeing all these people coming unto Christ. Changing their lives. Repenting and LIVING the commandments of God. They are so much happier, peaceful and better. I love seeing that change that comes from the Spirit and living the word of God! :) I just pray and pray and pray that they all continue on that path, because it will change their lives forever. Literally.

Words about my VISA!! So our mission president announced that the VISAs are starting to come through! Out of the 15 of us waiting here in the Ogden mission, only 5 have got their VISAs. They will be going to Argentina on the 17th of June. If I get my VISA before then, then I too will be headed for Argentina then! I am so excited! But I know that it isn't on my time, it is on the Lord's. I am committed to focus and serve faithfully here until I am called to move on to Argentina. I might be here a while, but I will serve with all of my might. So, I will just plan on serving here as a missionary until the Lord sees it fit to move me to Argentina. I trust Him--with all that I am, even though sometimes the pathway looks dim.

CAN YOU SAY WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF MISSIONARY WORK?!!? The word is out. The iPhone and iPad will be used in missionary work. Thomas S. Monson, a prophet of God, has mandated that area books, planners and everything we do as missionaries go into the iCloud on the iPad. and guess which mission has been chosen to be the pilot program?! THIS ONE!!!!!!! Every missionary will be receiving an iPad and we will be trained by representatives on how to utilize the GPS functions and other functions to find the people ready to hear the Gospel. I don't know much about what is happening, but all I know is that it is going to be EXTREMELY exciting for the Church. We will be able to use and access Mormon.org and LDS.org with all the videos, talks, scriptures and everything during our lessons with investigators. Whats more is that through other social networking mediums we will be working with people all around the world. Amazing, right? I am so excited for the Church and missionary work!

The amazing zone I was in this transfer!

This was a week of miracles. AGAIN. The Lord is so amazing, and I am finally starting to understand the power and the CRUCIAL role of the Holy Ghost in helping people become truly converted to the Lord. I have loved walking because we are able to chat with and help people on the streets at all times.  We have found a couple of strong potential investigators and have committed a woman named Maria that was carefully prepared by the Lord to be ready to be baptized. SHE WILL BE BAPTIZED ON THE 22nd of June! We are so excited, and so is she. She is what we call in the mission as "Golden." Her, as well as her family has been carefully prepared by the Lord in every way possible, and she said that she is ready to make a change. In fact, this was one of the biggest miracles that I have ever seen in my life. We had just had the Sister's Training Meeting and just had role played how to share the Spirit in the first lesson. We were determined to use the role play and make sure that we clarify the powerful role that the Holy Ghost plays in conversion. Maria, a potential investigator, answered her door and we started to share with her the exact role play that we had done earlier that morning. Maria--like us--was feeling the spirit so strong. After the first vision she stated that "I don't know how to explain this feeling but it feels like a warm blanket encircling me, and I know what you just told me is true." The role play seemed to work like a charm and the Spirit was so strong! Maria accepted to be baptized and she also accepted a date to prepare herself to be baptized!!!! We were jumping for joy and were a little emotional after because we were so grateful for the Spirit and for the role play and training that we had earlier that morning. The church is true. Joseph Smith said what he said he saw. That, I KNOW. and because I know it, I know how I need to live to be happy. I just want to make sure I can share this same message with all those I come in contact with here!

So, as a missionary one of our main purposes is to invite and help others come unto Christ through the process of repentance and accessing the atonement of Jesus Christ. Basically as the scriptures say--we are to preach and call the people to repent. A call to repentance (or to change lives for the better). I have always been scared about the word "repentance" especially about helping other people go through the process. It just sounds like it is only for the people who are doing this awful, horrible stuff. Well guess what? It is for everyone. The goodies the badies the middle-grounders and everyone in between.  And I need it....everyday. Because I am so imperfect. The more and more I study the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the repentance process...I am realizing that it is a CHANGE OF HEART, a devotion to be and do better. Repentance allows us to be and feel TRULY free. To feel free, happy and like you are accomplishing your goals is the GREATEST feeling in the world---and the cool thing is, is that is what repentance is! It is changing our bad habits into good ones! At first I thought I wasn't fulfilling my purpose as a missionary because I wasn't literally out there saying "Repent, Repent!" But I realized that inviting people to read the Book of Mormon, Pray, go to church, get baptized, live the commandments---those are ALL changes for the better, and thus constitute as repentance! It truly has been so amazing so see this change in the lives of so many! I am striving daily to repent, because I know that there is SO many ways that I want to be better in. My biggest dream would be to be like my Savior, Jesus Christ, in every way possible. I know that I won't get there in this life, but I am working my hardest to develop His characteristics.

Thanks for all your support, love and prayers! I hope you know that I pray for you everyday and count you like 2 million times when I count my blessings! I love you sooooooo much! Thanks for all you are and all you do for me!

STAND STRONG.

xoxox,
Hermana Weenig :)

P.S. SERVE someone today. Get outside your box!!! :) 

Hermano Carranza our wonderful branch mission leader

Sycamore branch meeting house....My home away from home :)

The Delacruz Family....on their way to baptism!! :) so excited for them!