I Love this WAY too Much :)

Mi querido familia tan linda! Como estan? Les amo
muchichcihichcihichichsimo!!!!!!!

I love being a missionary. The end. what else do I even need to say? Well, I can also tell you that I would really like to change my race to become Hispanic. like that isn't a joke. I love these people so much. But, I stick out like a sore thumb because I am tall and blond. Great. Officially in the ward my companion and I have been titled "las gueras gringas" which literally translates as "the white blondies." Perfect. Love it. But secretly, I still just want to be Hispanic. I am slowly finding that I am picking up some Hispanic mannerisms....for the better or for the worse. Worse being is that every time I see someone I want to give them a kiss on the cheek! I am sure that has been somewhat alarming for people that are white and don't know me. Also I am starting to realize that the Spanish language is literally the language of angles and I can't wait to be able to learn all the different accents of the people that live here.

I honestly don't even know where to begin this letter because I just can't stop telling you how much I love being a missionary and tell you about all the miracles that we are seeing. I only have a little bit of time to write, and I have way too much to say. My fingers already hurt because of the tension and excitement I have to tell you about this past week.

Can I just tell you? The Lord watches over and cares and PROTECTS the missionaries. I always believed that, but never in such a way that I do now. Ready for a crazy story? Well, fasten your seat belts. And mom, I am totally safe here---so don't be scared. I tell this story because it just makes me have the up most confidence that this truly is the work of the Lord.

Once upon a time, Hermana Wilcox and Hermana Weenig learned the importance of listening to the Spirit. It was probably one of the best days of our lives. We had just committed someone to baptism and had just got done street contacting this man who had met with the missionaries previously. We had parked the car pretty far away because we wanted to do some tracting and some street contacts. We were headed over to a former investigators home (in--okay---it was a sketchy area) and it was getting dark. Okay. There were probably red flags all over the place but we just happily walked along preaching the gospel to every single person that crossed our path. Smiling all the way through. So then we decided...lets tract! So we did. We saw some sketchy things going on down the street so we decided to go inside to tract some apartments. We decided to knock the door. I am pretty sure we were singing "I am a child of God" and just laughing and talking about the last person that slammed the door in our face when all the sudden---I went cold. I had heard someone come up to the door, but there was no answer. I have never heard a voice in my entire life but a voice inside of me shouted "RUN!!!!" I have never felt such sheer terror and sheer horror. The Spirit took off and I felt empty. I turned to my companion and said "RUN and RUN FAST!" We sprinted down the stairs and outside only to find there was a strange looking group headed our way.  I was scared and started crying (of course I started to cry.) And then we saw a ray of sunshine. My companion and I, both out of breath and crying because of our sprinting session, saw a woman. We ran to her and started teaching the Gospel. Silently I felt like someone was still watching us, but the lady in a way protected us. After we were done talking to the lady, the feeling came again. "RUN to the car...NOW." Both my companion and I looked at each other in horror and got to the car....praying all the way that we would get there safe. We didn't know what was going on...only that we weren't safe there. When we got to the car safe we prayed. We pray a lot during the days, but this day we prayed a lot a lot. Just as we started the car, police cars, ambulances and everything pulled up to the area we were just in. Oh wow. my companion and I were shaking, but we were so happy. We sang Hymns the rest of the way home to get the Spirit back  and counted our lucky stars that God watches over us. I never, EVER EVER want to be without the Spirit again in my life. But what a testimony builder that was to literally be guided to safety by the hand of the Lord. I thought haunted corn mazes were scary...but not having the Spirit is like 2839018298 times worse.

White washing and training is my new favorite combo. The sister trainer leaders say that I will likely be training for the duration of my mission, which is actually great news! i seriously love it so much. Mostly, I just love the fact that I get to see the amazing change that happens in these "greenys". They go from not knowing the language at all, to being able to carry on full conversations! Hermana Wilcox is making incredible strides and she really is such an amazing example of hard work and persistence! She will definitely continue to change lives all throughout her life. She is one amazing woman! I love her! Mostly, I think she is training me! She was super patient with me this week when I had a MASSIVE plague that struck me down. yay for sick! But I think I am definitely on the up-hill swing of things. I refused to rest....and then my companion literally made me. I love her for it.

There is not enough time in the day and I can't believe that it is already p-day again. I have never been in an area where there is literally so much work to be done and literally not enough hours in the day to do it all. Get this....my companion and I have literally been praying for more time so that we can do all the things that the Lord has for us to do. I love it. We both got a little sick this week (possibly from the high stress, 3890128 bug bites and crazy hotness) but for some reason the Lord blessed us with the best week of our lives! We literally got so much done this week and our district leaders told us that we are "on fire." It obviously has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with us at all. I have truly come to know that when we turn our lives over to the Lord and totally just forget about ourselves and GO TO WORK He will ALWAYS carry our load and help us overcome whatever difficulties and trials that may come in our paths. But seriously. Someone STOP THE CLOCK. Time couldn't be going any faster and I just don't like it. Did I tell you? The Lord has blessed us with NINE progressing investigators! So many people are ready to hear the Gospel in this area it is incredible! I literally don't know how we are going to do it all, but I know that the Lord will bless are efforts. Thanks goes out to Him and the Spirit for carrying us to where we need to be.

It is impossible but I just discovered that it is SO possible to have the worst and the best week at the same time. It literally is so amazing to me that that Satan can mess so much with the people we teach and it is amazing to see how the Lord counteracts that with a glimmer of hope by helping our investigators progress and giving us the strength to overcome hardships and trials. If I have learned one thing on my mission, I have learned that God is SO aware of us and He loves us exactly the way we are---and if we are giving our BEST, he will always bless to succeed in whatever way that we need to. This week was amazing. That is literally all I have to say. We found this new area to go tracting. And guess what? We found 12 new people in just that little area to teach!!!!! IT IS AMAZING! One of them is Dulce. When we found her she literally could have gotten baptized the next day. As we explained the Joseph Smith story to her and testified of the Book of Mormon, she was like "YES!" And she said that she has never felt so peaceful and happy in her life than she did when she heard the message. She said that she knows it is true because of the joy she felt when she listened to us teach. (That would be the AMAZING Spirit testifying of the truthfulness.) Anyways, we invited her to be baptized at the end of August and she accepted!!! She was so cute---she was like "I would love to be baptized, but can I just come to church first?!" AWESOME! We were dying. When we returned to teach her the plan of salvation, she just knew with all that she is that the Church and the plan is real and for her. It has been really fun too because we have been taking the young women with us to go tracting and teaching. So the young women are present in our lessons, and when they testify....it is POWERFUL! (and it is also not with a gringa accent....so much easily understood.) I LOVE THE YOUTH OF THIS CHURCH.

Anyways, I am so SO SO excited to see Jackie get baptized in a week or so. She will be baptized on August 10th, which is pretty much the best thing that ever happened to the month of August. She is tearing it up and has made huge improvements! We also have 3 other people preparing to be baptized at the end of the month! I can't wait! These people are so amazing and the Gospel is changing their lives. LET THE GOSPEL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. I am literally learning from trial and error and also from watching others that when we put the Gospel first and Jesus Christ at the center of our lives....either everything falls into place or drops out of our lives. Love it.

This ward is on FIRE. Enough said. There has been a convert baptism every week and they are always more than willing to fellowship investigators and come to lessons with us. They are starting to trust us with their friends too. I love LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE member referrals! So hey....family---get on those referrals for the missionaries! They would LOVE THEM! and YOU!

Anyways. I love this work. And you CAN be a missionary right now. You don't need the tag. Just be the best person you can be TODAY. Forget about yesterday. REPENTANCE is so real. Change. Become who you have always wanted to be. Heavenly Father will help you achieve your goals.

Thanks for all your love and support. I can't thank you enough. You are all shining lights and examples in my life and I love you so much. I just want to kiss and hug all of you NOW. Yes, I have this thing with besitos.....XOXOXOXOXOX.. Thanks for your prayers and love. Really, it means the world. I pray for you ALWAYS. please remember who you are and be safe out there, champs!

Your biggest fan,
Hermana Weenig
xoxoxox

P.S. Sorry there are no pictures this week. No time. But I did find a
54784 inch cockroach in our kitchen the other day. I would have taken
a picture, but I was too busy throwing up. :)