Stand Strong!: Bugs Bring Blessings

Hooooola Familia!! Les amo tanto...pero TANTO TANTO!! Como a ido ustedes?!

SHOUT OUT: HAYDEN KARL WEENIG!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! I can't believe you are 15! I consider it an honor to know you, and to even call you my brother! I love you, man! I hope it was the greatest day ever!

I. love. being. a. missionary. This week I have really learned that life isn't a competition, but more of a 3-legged race with God. He is the only one that matters. Seriously, though. If we are good with Him and working are our hearts out to give of ourselves to build up his kingdom, then what else matters!?! I love the people. I love the gospel. I love the humidity. I love my family. I love Spanish. I love a lot of things apparently, because this list is getting longer. But guess what? I also love creepy, nasty, gross, huge bugs too. WHAT?! Did I just say that? No. I didn't. Wait, yes I did. Because I do. Story time you say? well I think so.

It was any other ordinary day. (joke. Those don't exist as a missionary.) My companion and I had just finished our workout and to our surprise there was a HUGE, gross, creepy bug that only exists in nightmares, on our ceiling. Yes. In our house that JUST got sprayed. Delicious. So what did we both do? Well, we screamed. Then we cried. And I did a little girl dance of fright. And then we kept pointing at each other to kill it. Neither one of us dared. After about 15 minutes of screaming and crying and yelling at the other to kill the bug we decided that it would leave eventually (smart, right?). So we got ready and then sat down for study. But the bug remained (of course, it was over MY study desk. I had the thought that it would probably fall right on top of me, but it didn't.) We have been studying faith and how faith can make miracles happen, and make hard things in our lives become easier. After we finished our studies the bug, in its slithering-like fashion, remained. We decided to pray. Yes, we did. We prayed to have strength and faith (ironic that we were studying that topic) to either kill the bug or find someone quickly outside to help us kill the critter. After we said "Amen" we both heard footsteps outside. We ran. That is when we met Mierna from Peru. We asked her if she could come kill a bug for us. She said "Claro que si" which means of course. We were relived. Then she went to grab her son after she tried to reach the bug but couldn't. My companion and I looked at each other...GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR was written over both our eyes. God had literally send us an Hispanic woman to kill this creepy bug for us, but more than that she would now have the opportunity to hear the Gospel! Anyways, her son killed the bug and all was well. We thanked her over and over again, and then told us who we are. She wanted to know more. So we set up an appointment. To make a long story even longer, we went to her house for the first lesson. The Restoration was MUSIC to her ears. It turns out that Mierna moved here a couple of weeks ago and had gone to the LDS church in Peru and wanted to know more, but never had the chance to meet with the missionaries. After we talked about Joseph Smith and after she bombarded us with questions, she decided to be baptized. She says that she has wanted to get baptized for a LONG time. She will be baptized on the 14th of September! Isn't that CRAZY!!???!!! We then taught her to pray and she prayed the most sincere prayer I have ever heard. She literally talked with Heavenly Father. It was amazing. She started crying. The Spirit sent the chills up my back and I couldn't even talk. She told us "I feel happy again." Heavenly Father works in interesting ways. But I have learned when we are willing to follow what He asks us to do, even though we might have any idea as to WHY we are doing it, He sends miracles our way. Who knew that bugs would change lives?! Apparently He did.

My favorite part about being a missionary is watching all your plans fall through and then realizing that God had something much better planned in the first place. Hm....that sounds a lot like life, now, doesn't it? Anyways, it has been something really special for my companion and I to see God work in the most interesting ways--in our personal lives, but mostly with the lives of the people that we are teaching. One night our lesson fell through. Then our back-up fell through. Then our back-up to our back-up fell through. We got down to "Plan W" I think...but that was when the amazing things started to happen. We basically decided that we knew that there was someone we were supposed to meet, but didn't know where. So we trusted in the Lord and asked us to lead us there. And He did. We had 15 minutes before 9:00 and we were determined to teach someone. But we looked around and no one was in sight! So, we said a little prayer! After we had the feeling to walk for a couple seconds to the left. Weird right? No. In our path right at that time was one of our investigators Joel just getting back from work! We had been looking for him, and we finally found him!! HURRAY! Isn't that crazy!? We were able to teach him a lesson, and help him through a trial that he is facing right now. I love this work.

So transfers are this week. I am not sure where I am headed, but it looks like I will be staying here and training again! I AM SO EXCITED!!! But I will be able to let you know on Friday if I am moved. But...get this! We are going to be on bikes! I can't even wait. It is going to be a total blast. Bikes=perfect. Helmet hair=even better. Bikes + skirts=uh-oh. Don't really know what I am going to do about that, but I am sure that we will figure it out. :) enjoying the journey, right?

So it has been a week of singing! Once Hispanics figure out that you can carry a tune...there is no going back! Elder Wilson is our district leader and he is headed home this week. But he is like 27 and has a master's degree in vocal performance...OPERA! Since he is going home, everyone and their dog has been asking him to sing and he said that he wanted to do a duet...so we did---a Spanish opera duet! It was an beautiful song about the Book of Mormon it is called "Yo no lo Vi, pero crei". It was a lot of fun doing it! We sang in our ward and then sang at a fireside for the whole mission and the recent converts! Elder Wilson has an incredible voice and I told him that my family would be so proud that I was singing opera again......shout out to Grandpa Weenig!! :) hahaha I couldn't even keep up with his skills, but that is okay. The point was, was that I will have a bruise on my cheek from all the besitos I got. For some reason they thought I was some girl from the show "sopranos"? haha what is that? anyways, it was a blast.

This area is on FIRE. The gospel doctrine class now takes up THREE entire classrooms! can you believe it!!??! It makes me soooooooo happy! Vannessa and her mom come every week now! They are the friends of Jackie who just got baptized! We are starting to teach them, and I know that they will be baptized soon! There is such a cool vibe in the ward. Everyone is crazy about doing missionary work! I hope your ward has caught the fire like this one has! They are amazing!

Today I got to "The Washington D.C. Mall" to see all the amazing monuments. What a joy! I am such a nerd and was SO excited to see all of it. There wasn't a lot of people, but it was really amazing to see and remember who lucky we are to be Americans. But even more than that. This time that I was in D.C. I realized something. The freedom of this country made the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ possible. Every monument had a different meaning to me. I am free to be here on a mission and help others come unto Christ because of this amazing country and because of the warriors and leaders that lead this country to freedom. And yes, we have our down sides...but overall we live in an INCREDIBLE place. We tried to knock the white house but some huge security guy wearing black stopped us. There goes my "converting Obama" dream out of the window. Ah, man. Maybe in the next life. :) But really. We are so lucky to live in the country that we live. The Washington monument is under construction....kind of life my life right now. and all of our lives, right?

Anyways, I love you all so much, and I am always praying for you and cheering you on. If ever you are down and feel like you don't know what is in store for you....STOP. God has a much better plan for you. STOP TRYING TO CONTROL EVERYTHING. Let God be in control. When you have questions about your life and where you are going.....ask Him. He WILL lead you to become and put you through trials and let you have successes and failures SO THAT you can become what you are meant to become. Life is never easy, but it is always worth it---if we let us REFINE us. Let God refine you and make you into everything you are meant to become.

I love you all so much. Thanks for all the support and love you send to me. I don't get much time to email! But I would love to hear from you and write you back! Please send me your address via email and I will try to get a letter off ASAP. I love you and hope you know that your Heavenly Father loves you. Keep up the good work, and NEVER EVER EVER give up.

STAND STRONG.

Hermana Weenig

xoxoxox