Sunday, March 30, 2014
More Big News for Hermana Weller!
Raini's mission president and wife sent us an email last week...she's so on fire! I am so proud of her hard work, her obedience, and her dedication to the Lord. She absolutely loves her mission and the people. That's what allows us to become vessels of the Lord, do His work as He has set forth...and it shows:
She's been called to be a trainer now and she and her new companion are called to be "Sister Leaders" (like district leaders, but sisters) and they are back in Wallace!
Here's the letter from her president:
26 March 2014
It is my great pleasure to notify you that your daughter, Sister Natalie R. Weller, with her companion Sister Natasha Deacon has been called to be New Missionary Trainers in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission. She will be training her new companion, Sister Ashley Elizabeth Dickerson, from West Valley City, Utah. You can be very proud of her for the fine work she is doing. We have confidence and faith in her ability to magnify her calling in this new and challenging assignment.
As you may well understand, one of the greatest influences on a new missionary is her trainer, who is responsible for teaching her how to do the work she came here to do. These trainers must be obedient, exemplary, dependable Christ-like missionaries, and they are carefully and prayerfully selected. We are pleased to have a missionary such as your daughter to whom we can turn to fill these important responsibilities.
We appreciate her dedicated spirit and capable leadership and know that with your letters of encouragement, she will continue to inspire the missionary with whom she labors.
With our love,
Marc A. Bernhisel
Marc A. Bernhisel, President
North Carolina Raleigh Mission
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Raini's Final Week in Fayettville
Wow.. This has been one of the best weeks of my life. I LOVE being on a mission so much. I am not even kidding.
We have been trying our hardest and working all day every day to find! We are trying to find those elect people. This week we realized that some of our time we have been spending talking with people though is not with the elect. One day this week we were just tracting in a trailor park before a dinner appointment and this lady was really nice at the door and said she wasn't interested and then when my companion gave her a card with a picture of Jesus on it with our number she started freaking out on us about having a picture of Christ. She made us come in and when we sat down I could instantly just feel the spirit leave.. she got her Bible out and then started trying to prove us wrong...that we don't know the "real Jesus"... with random versus and we weren't fighting back or anything. But it was just bad.. so finally we got up and left and luckily it was only like 10 mins or so.. But I don't understand why people want to fight about beliefs!! We weren't trying to attack her.. She was the one trying to provoke us.
That night I was thinking about it.. and I felt a glimpse of what it must have been like for Jesus when he was on the Earth and all the Pharisees and Saducees and scribes were trying to prove him wrong or trick him or just upset him and provoke him to anger. But, he just never did get mad! So I am trying to be more like Jesus in that way for the future.. To not get annoyed when people do that ...but just testify and leave.. haha. Luckily it was all in Spanish so I just kinda sat there and then said "Yo sé que soy una hija de Diós y yo sé eso porque yo he sentido el Espíritu por mi misma que es la verdad" or something like that.. and then we left. ha!
[Translation: "I know that I am a daughter of God and I know that because I have felt the Spirit for myself that it is the Truth."]
Then we also this week went trying to contact potentials from the area book and this lady from Pakistan let us in and she was Muslim.. and that was just so different. She started telling us how we are very similar. We are pretty much the same when really that is not true. But it was interesting to hear her beliefs and actually learn what Muslims believe!
As for the great things that did happen this week.. We got a home made tres leches cake last night from a member.. and it is so yummy.
Also. haha:)
The Peruvian night was this week!! oh man it was neat! The dances were so fun. and we had our investigators the Rivera family there:) we ate some more Peruvian food for lunch that day with the family who was putting on the activity and it was.. interesting again. I am glad I didn't go there on my mission.. I am not a fan. (Mexican food on the other hand.. YUM! we had chile relleno home made the other night.. ahhhhhhh so yummy) pictures to come of all that:)
NOW. for the best day ever yesterday. We went to church.. after a great morning of study and realizing that this is the last sunday here in Raeford! so I stood at the door welcoming people into the chapel and just watching everyone come in and seeing some of the less actives that we have been working with come in.. a family that went and got sealed Saturday.. everyone just happy.. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and the spirit. I love these people so much. I don't know how I have only been here 1 month and I love them this much. We sat through the talks in Sacrament meeting and they were all good, and then the branch president asked Sister Bluth, the Elder who is leaving (for Wallace too!) and I to bear our testimonies at the end of the meeting.. and As soon as I got up to the pulpit I started crying. The spirit was just overwhelming and it was hitting me how much I loved these people. I bore my testimony and then after the meeting was over everyone just came up to us and was hugging us and crying.. haha. After church we went to the _____'s house for lunch and it ended up being a FIESTA! every one in the branch was there!! Everyone. And everyone brought something to eat. It was amazing.. there was unity for once in the branch and love and it was just the best.
I am really excited to go back to Wallace though.. I am so sad to leave because I have invested so much of my heart in these people!! But I am going to try and do the same exact thing in Wallace when I get back there tomorrow. We had to pack this morning and all that good stuff.. so sorry im on later than usual! But I love you so much.
I have really come to understand this week HOW important the gospel is for families. Why we need it in our families for our kids to learn.. Just like 2 Nephi 26:25 says.. We talk of Christ, ect, ect, so that our kids can know WHERE to turn to for a remission of their sins.. so that they will grow up and know how to repent and get back on the right track when they make mistakes and change so that they don't make the same mistakes over and over down the road.
The temple is so great, I am so glad we get to go in a couple of weeks as a mission!! Every family needs those blessings.. I love this gospel. I love it, I love it, I love it. I love my Savior so much..
I love you so much. I pray for you every night. never forget how much I love you and think of you:) study preach my gospel! and be the best member missionaries you can be!!
Love you so much.
-Hermana Weller
We have been trying our hardest and working all day every day to find! We are trying to find those elect people. This week we realized that some of our time we have been spending talking with people though is not with the elect. One day this week we were just tracting in a trailor park before a dinner appointment and this lady was really nice at the door and said she wasn't interested and then when my companion gave her a card with a picture of Jesus on it with our number she started freaking out on us about having a picture of Christ. She made us come in and when we sat down I could instantly just feel the spirit leave.. she got her Bible out and then started trying to prove us wrong...that we don't know the "real Jesus"... with random versus and we weren't fighting back or anything. But it was just bad.. so finally we got up and left and luckily it was only like 10 mins or so.. But I don't understand why people want to fight about beliefs!! We weren't trying to attack her.. She was the one trying to provoke us.
That night I was thinking about it.. and I felt a glimpse of what it must have been like for Jesus when he was on the Earth and all the Pharisees and Saducees and scribes were trying to prove him wrong or trick him or just upset him and provoke him to anger. But, he just never did get mad! So I am trying to be more like Jesus in that way for the future.. To not get annoyed when people do that ...but just testify and leave.. haha. Luckily it was all in Spanish so I just kinda sat there and then said "Yo sé que soy una hija de Diós y yo sé eso porque yo he sentido el Espíritu por mi misma que es la verdad" or something like that.. and then we left. ha!
[Translation: "I know that I am a daughter of God and I know that because I have felt the Spirit for myself that it is the Truth."]
Then we also this week went trying to contact potentials from the area book and this lady from Pakistan let us in and she was Muslim.. and that was just so different. She started telling us how we are very similar. We are pretty much the same when really that is not true. But it was interesting to hear her beliefs and actually learn what Muslims believe!
As for the great things that did happen this week.. We got a home made tres leches cake last night from a member.. and it is so yummy.
Also. haha:)
The Peruvian night was this week!! oh man it was neat! The dances were so fun. and we had our investigators the Rivera family there:) we ate some more Peruvian food for lunch that day with the family who was putting on the activity and it was.. interesting again. I am glad I didn't go there on my mission.. I am not a fan. (Mexican food on the other hand.. YUM! we had chile relleno home made the other night.. ahhhhhhh so yummy) pictures to come of all that:)
NOW. for the best day ever yesterday. We went to church.. after a great morning of study and realizing that this is the last sunday here in Raeford! so I stood at the door welcoming people into the chapel and just watching everyone come in and seeing some of the less actives that we have been working with come in.. a family that went and got sealed Saturday.. everyone just happy.. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and the spirit. I love these people so much. I don't know how I have only been here 1 month and I love them this much. We sat through the talks in Sacrament meeting and they were all good, and then the branch president asked Sister Bluth, the Elder who is leaving (for Wallace too!) and I to bear our testimonies at the end of the meeting.. and As soon as I got up to the pulpit I started crying. The spirit was just overwhelming and it was hitting me how much I loved these people. I bore my testimony and then after the meeting was over everyone just came up to us and was hugging us and crying.. haha. After church we went to the _____'s house for lunch and it ended up being a FIESTA! every one in the branch was there!! Everyone. And everyone brought something to eat. It was amazing.. there was unity for once in the branch and love and it was just the best.
I am really excited to go back to Wallace though.. I am so sad to leave because I have invested so much of my heart in these people!! But I am going to try and do the same exact thing in Wallace when I get back there tomorrow. We had to pack this morning and all that good stuff.. so sorry im on later than usual! But I love you so much.
I have really come to understand this week HOW important the gospel is for families. Why we need it in our families for our kids to learn.. Just like 2 Nephi 26:25 says.. We talk of Christ, ect, ect, so that our kids can know WHERE to turn to for a remission of their sins.. so that they will grow up and know how to repent and get back on the right track when they make mistakes and change so that they don't make the same mistakes over and over down the road.
The temple is so great, I am so glad we get to go in a couple of weeks as a mission!! Every family needs those blessings.. I love this gospel. I love it, I love it, I love it. I love my Savior so much..
I love you so much. I pray for you every night. never forget how much I love you and think of you:) study preach my gospel! and be the best member missionaries you can be!!
Love you so much.
-Hermana Weller
Monday, March 24, 2014
Last Week's Letter
HOLA!!
Such a great week. Again. As usual:)
My companions and I have been trying to really work with the members as best we can to find, find, find. We need to be continually finding and teaching!! So We have been doing this thing called the prayer exchange. When we go and have an active member lesson (usually a dinner appointment) we then share with them a scripture about missionary work or the hastening of the work of salvation (d&c 88:73 or alma 28:14) and then we discuss it. Then we ask the family if that week they will pray every day for our investigators by name and then in return we ask for them to give us names of their friends they are wanting to share the gospel with and we have been praying for them every night that they will be prepared to accept the gospel. Now this week we are going to go back and follow up with the members and help them roll play how they want to try and share the gospel this next week with those friends or family members we have been praying for. We are so excited!
The family history center has been really fun as well! I love it! These members have so many names.. its fantastic. And there is a family going this weekend to get sealed with their whole family:) woo!
We went on exchanges this week because sister bluth is a sister leader so she has to do that every couple weeks. and it was with english sisters.. i felt bad because the sister that was with sister lopez and I was kinda lost when we had spanish appointments lol. But the next day before we switched we had no appointments set up so we went to try and contact formers and potentials that were in the area book. We went to this one house and as we walked up there was spanish music blaring from inside so we knew that it was golden haha!! and we have a return appt. with her now:) she is an adorable young mom.. could be a great time for her. We have been praying so hard and I have really been trying to double my faith to find those that are ready.
I also decided that morning in my personal study that I was going to do what we are always talking about doing.. I was going to TALK TO EVERYONE. EVERYONE. that i came across that day. So I did! I went up to a lady that was sweeping her porch and started just talking to her and it was so EASY. I have been kinda apprehensive about talking to random people ((haha gramma)) and trying to bring up the church while they are in the middle of doing something but after I did it that one time (it was in english) i was like wow!!! i CAN do this!
so we went to this HUGE apartment complex to contact and I said ok. we are going to knock every single door here until we find the hispanic people here that need the gospel, even if it is just one person. haha so we knocked and knocked and knocked. and Then there was this lady with her son cleaning out her car.. and I was like oh. lets go talk to her.. or should we just knock this door and leave her be.. then I said to myself. NOPE! I am talking to everyone!!!!! haha so i went up to her and just started chatting again. it was SO great
. She ended up being hispanic and in the military and extremely nice. Yet again it was just so easy for me to talk to her and not be weird. She wasnt super interested in the church.. she says she lost her faith a while back.. but we might still try later this week:)
We had stake conference this week and it was great as well! Alot about the hastening of the work and what the members need to do. Yesterday we had a broadcast and got to hear from 2 members of the 70 and Elder Perry! Its like 2 general conferences back to back haha! Woo! SO great. I love it.
Well. I know this church is true. I know that if we put ourselves aside and truly do what the Lord wants us to do with our lives each and every day and we go to Him in prayer whenever we are unsure he will guide us and help us in everything we do. I know it!! I love my Savior so much. I have been reading a lot in the Bible lately to more familiarize myself with it and I am loving John. It is so good.. Something interesting Elder Perry said yesterday though was that the Doctrine Covenants are the most important for us in these days... it was interesting I had never heard that. So looks like i need to read them more! haha
I love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-hermana weller
p.s. I am training back in Wallace with Hermana Deacon next transfer! (Next week) she has been comps with the girl i knew from tucson! woo!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
March 10th Letter From Fayetteville
¡Hola!
Well this week I got 5 letters! yay! Thanks to those friends and family :) I feel loved..
So this week has been really great. Sister Bluth went to a leadership meeting last Sunday and it was all about "Hastening the Work" and how THIS IS THE TIME..The Lord is hastening His work because we are in the Last Days. And she shared with us some of the really amazing things the leaders of this area are talking about.. In this stake (our Fayetteville Zone) they have a goal for over 200 baptisms in the year 2014. And that goal was set by a newer stake president.. He is completely confident that that is an achievable goal. And so are we. We had an AMAZING zone meeting this past Wednesday.. We discussed this idea with the whole zone and what we need to do to get there. And it was just so inspiring and faith building. I left the meeting feeling like I could take on the world and go talk with anyone and everyone and that I needed to because.. Well this week I got 5 letters! yay! Thanks to those friends and family :) I feel loved..
THIS IS THE TIME. The Lord has prepared people and we need to go out and bring them home!
We talked about how we can more fully commit ourselves to the Lord and how we can be more "consecrated" missionaries.. what do we have that is holding us back from having more faith and doing more? And something that I had heard from some people is that they only read mail on preparation day.. and I thought that was dumb so I have been reading and re-reading my letters from ya'll in the evening at the end of the day because I want to! It's exciting to get mail! Right.
So, on Sunday as a companionship we had been talking about this idea of sacrificing everything to the Lord...about what we could do to show the Lord our willingness to sacrifice...and I thought.. well.. I COULD stop reading mail on ..Sundays.. kinda like how I would try to not do homework on the Sabbath...but I have been doing that on Sundays my whole time out here so far because I want to read my mail! haha. And that's when I realized...yeah, I probably SHOULD give it up. Because it is something difficult for me and selfish...not in a bad way, but you know..
So Monday morning I committed that I wasn't going to read my mail this week until today and in return I asked Heavenly Father to help me in my ability to speak and understand Spanish.
Well, guess what.
Tuesday I had the best day of Spanish since I have been out here. I felt like I could understand 80-90% of what was going on instead of like 70. And I felt like I was speaking easier as well. I know that this is going to be a blessing. It has been tough haha! But the Lord will bless us if we are willing to give up something good for something better..and ask for a specific blessing from it. He blesses us when we sacrifice. It's an eternal law.
Our ____ family is doing great. I LOVE THEM SOOOOOOOO MUCH. I have never loved another family so much... I am SO SAD that I am leaving this area soon. I love them. But they are doing great. They WILL get baptized.. maybe not before I leave because they want to KNOW everything.. but one day, soon. They will be amazing members of the church to help build God's Kingdom.Well, guess what.
Tuesday I had the best day of Spanish since I have been out here. I felt like I could understand 80-90% of what was going on instead of like 70. And I felt like I was speaking easier as well. I know that this is going to be a blessing. It has been tough haha! But the Lord will bless us if we are willing to give up something good for something better..and ask for a specific blessing from it. He blesses us when we sacrifice. It's an eternal law.
p.s. if you haven't watched the hastening the work videos on lds.org you should! :)
Click below and watch!! only 4 mins +/-
Hasten the Work
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Photos from Fayetteville
Week 1 in Fate-Vull
address for a couple more weeks:
Fayetteville NC 28304
Hola!
Man.. time is so weird on a mission. I can't believe it's been a week here in Raeford area! It has been a good one though! I am so inspired from different things that happened this week and I am so glad I have this time here serving a mission.
First of all. Last night I ate "Corazon de Vaca" aka COW HEART just on a shishkabob. And I was ok with it for a little while and then I started eating a bite that had an artery in it and I almost threw up.. and then they gave me ANOTHER one to eat. I had to just choke it down. The people around this area are Peruvian. They made a really good meal for us, so kind of them, but it had all weird stuff that I had never seen before.. it was a bit too much for me.. haha.
That's been the main struggle this week is food. Haha. We get fed every single day.. if not twice a day. It's such a blessing, but.. They want us to eat, eat, eat. The sisters for a while I guess were not getting seconds and the people were gettting kind of offended because they thought they didn't like their food. So we have to eat at least seconds.. And that is not good. I am like always full haha! Luckily we run every morning! Its pretty great. I love being able to run:)
Another non-missionary-work related thing that happened this week is I woke up Wednesday morning.. in the middle of the night and I couldn't move my neck. If I tried, it was EXCRUCIATING pain. Like nothing I have ever felt before in my neck. So I went back to bed but at 6:20 when the alarm went off I couldn't handle it.. so I told my comps and we called the Dr. He said it was "Wrye Neck"????? what ever that is.. But it lasted about 2 days. I literally was in so much pain all day haha and I bought a heating pack and just laid on that thing all day. I received a Priesthood blessing that night and now I am doing pretty good.. So weird though.
---Basically...It's a southern term for a stiff neck---
---Basically...It's a southern term for a stiff neck---
Anywho. Yesterday we did a mission-wide fast to help us be able to find the elect people here in this area who are ready to accept the Gospel. My companionship has been talking a lot about this as well this week. We want to find the elect families in this area that will build up the church here in NC! And since Sister Bluth is leaving the same day as me we (well she's going home.. I am just leaving this area haha) But we have decided we want to see someone baptized before March 25. And we are very confident that we can do it!! We are trying our hardest to do everything we possibly can to find and to teach.
We found a family this week.. The _____'s. They are AMAZING. They have a 16 year old son and a 1 year old. and we taught them the restoration and they pretty much taught it back to us because they read the pamphlet before we came over for the lesson.. it was amazing! and then they came to church and they brought with them I think his brother and his girlfriend. We are going to teach them again this evening. And we are going to invite them to be baptized for Lincolns birthday:) I am so so excited! they are so so so ready. They are good friends with a member and that is how we found them because the member friend talks to him at work about church stuff all the time. Boom! Great member-missionaries!That is exactly how its supposed to be:)
We had 7 people at church.. it was just such a good site to see! This branch is really really small too.. (but it is strictly a Hispanic Branch unlike Wallace) and there are other big English Wards that meet in the same building so it is a bigger building.. but we filled the entire middle bench with the _____ family! how incredible is that?:) ahhh.
I know we are going to be able to see a baptism here before we go. And I want it so bad so I am willing to do anything and everything it takes. I had a very strong impression one day this week after my personal study in the morning that I am EXACTLY where the Lord wants me to be right now. Generally on a mission but as well as here in Raeford. I love it.
It is still hard for me to speak Spanish.. but I think I am getting better every day I really try and use it! I just ask the Lord to bless me for my efforts and I always can see that he does. It is so helpful to have a native comp:) she is from Guatemala. And a sister leader (a girl version of a zone leader) as companions haha! It is just too much fun!! We laugh at everything, it is so great:) And, this week I felt the Spirit stronger than I've ever felt it before..it's confirmed to me that I'm where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing in my life. There's nothing like that feeling. :))
Well I love you all so much. And I got 4 letters and you package that had been sent to Wallace so thank you very much to everyone that sent me stuff. It made me feel so great:)
Again I love you so much!!!!!!!!! And i will talk to you again soon:)
Besitos,
Hermana Weller
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)