November in Raleigh

November 3, 2014

This was a good week! It was hard!! But it was good. We have really been relying on the Lord EVERY single day to know where He wants us to go, and what we need to be doing.

Okay- couple of things first. Do you remember _____ ?? The investigator we had in Wallace (my second time there) She is 16.. Well.... she messaged me on facebook the other day and told me- SHES GETTING BAPTIZED THE DAY AFTER OUR BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she has the same birthday as me (i didnt realize that) and she is excited to get baptized on the 15th :) this was the message she sent me : "I love you too Sister Weller and I know I can always come to you if I ever need to talk to someone... Btw I'm getting baptized November 15. A day after my birthday." Man, I was overly excited.. I almost started crying!! haha. Fruits of my labors are coming forth.. It was so good to see. :) Especially yesterday, it just gave me the hope and joy i needed in that moment!

So, we had interviews again with President Bernhisel this week and it was good. I just love the Bernhisels so much. They are so great :) Sister Bernhisel shared some personal experiences she has had on her mission with me as we talked when i was waiting for my comp to be done, so that was kinda neat.



THEN, started like.. the BEST DAY EVER. We went to try and see some one we had set up an appointment with. They weren't home, so we decided to knock some doors right around her.. We walked up to one of the buildings and knocked a door and we thought the lady spoke English because she said "Hi" when she opened the door, and then welcomed us right in. But we then realized she spoke Spanish.. so that was really great! She told us that she was kind of sad that day and then when she saw Sister Swalberg's (my comp's) blonde hair through the window when we walked by, she knew that she needed to talk to us.. and then when we knocked on her door first.. she said she knew that God had sent us! :) She then told us she used to have a Book of Mormon, and she talked with elders in her country (Honduras) in the past before she came here to the US. So that was really neat.. We got to share Mosiah 24 with her.. the spirit was super strong.. she was crying.. and it was just really good. We even got to bring up baptism with her! We are excited to go back and see her soon. The Lord truly lead us to her in her moment of need. and answered our prayers to be guided to her. We were on cloud nine after that lesson! haha

Then, we went and had a lesson with ____ and ____. Before even starting our lesson, Rosa told us she had figured out a way to leave work early Sunday and be able to come to church!!! We were so excited. We watched "Finding Faith in Christ" with them.. and I cant even describe to you how strong the spirit was. Literally you could like feel it just FILLING the room. There were definitely angels there with us. That was THE best lesson I have ever had. After the movie we read the account in the Book of Mormon of Christ appearing to the people in 3 Nephi 11 and then discussed the feelings of the spirit and how they were feeling at that moment. Then (like you suggested dad!!) we got down and knelt together with them for them to receive their answer of whether or not they need to be baptized. After the prayer, ___ was smiling.. you could tell they felt so good! they were filled with the joy of the spirit! and then she was able to tell us really what was holding her back from knowing is just the fact that they already were baptized as kids.. So we hit really hard the connection between reading and gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, and the authority to perform ordinances. So she said "We HAVE to know (again). So she committed to start from the beginning of the Book of Mormon and really to figure out if it is true. :) We are still so excited for her!! she is coming around.. she knows. :)

THEN we went to the trunk or treat activity and a member had picked up the kids of our invetigating family, ___ and ___, and brought them to the activity!! It was so great :) it was a fun activity.. we got to help ___ find some little friends. and we were just so over joyed at the help of the members and the involvement the kids were getting.

Unfortunately when we had a lesson with them again this week, it just again was very ineffective. They are not progressing and it makes me so sad! they have hit a serious road block and for whatever reason have lost that drive and desire to follow Christ. I prayed a lot about it and pondered a lot about what we need to do with them because I don't want to just give up on them but.. I got the impression that we have done what we needed to. We came into their lives, and helped them build their faith in Jesus Christ SIGNIFICANTLY.. but that is all they were prepared for at this moment.. that's all they can handle right now. so I am sad they aren't going to keep progressing, but I feel like we did do what was needed of us.

Halloween.. haha well. it was a good day :) we were tracting around a neighborhood that day and then got kinda lost.. haha but by some miracle we were able to find our way back to our car!! So after that happened we were like OKAY. what does the Lord really want us to do. We just got lost for a while and didn't really find anyone.. WHAT do we need to do?? so we prayed and then we both got the impression to go and see this lady, ___, who we had taught once a week earlier. It is really neat and a miracle how we found them, a member in the ward just moved into that apt complex and her daughter texted us the address.. but it was the wrong address.. but these people are so great. so prepared!!! so we went over there and had an amazing lesson with her!! she read the chapter we had left her the time before!! and she just understood everything we taught. we invited her to be baptized and she said yes. then her husband walked in the house.. (moment was kinda ruined to invite to a date unfortunately) but then he was like I want to know everything!!!! haha so we gave him the pamphlet and they are gonna read and pray. gah! it was so good!! :) #miracles!!!

okay haha then, Saturday all of our plans fell through... and it was like 45-50 degrees and super windy and raining.. haha it was tough. we luckily had a dinner apt that evening and we were able to have a good lesson with that family.

okay last miracle!! wow sorry this is such a long email!!!

so yesterday our bishop gave us a list of 2 people that just apparently moved into the ward and he didn't know who they were. so he asked us to go and see them this week! a couple of our plans fell through yesterday after church so we decided to go and see one of the ladies on the list! We showed up and she opened the door and was like "OH! yay! come in!" hahaha like she was expecting us to come!! it was so funny. she just moved into our ward.. really long and amazing story of how her records got sent to us, but basically she has been inactive for the last 5 years (was baptized just 6 years ago) and she has serious desires to come back. She basically wants to change completely. and she has a 9 year old daughter. :D it was amazing. SUCH a miracle.

I love this work!! even though it is really hard some days... sometimes I just want to cry because no one lets us in.. and I know it is true.. and I know that God loves us all so much...He wants His children to hear our message. He is our LOVING Heavenly Father. He knows us by name :) this is His work. and I love being able to be His instrument.

have a great week!!! i love you so much!

-Hermana Weller :)


Oct. 27, 2014 I'M A MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st week with my brand new missionary, fresh from the MTC:
Well this week has just FLOWN by, let me tell you! haha :) It has been so so good though.


I am so excited to tell you all about my new companion- (my baby haha)


Her name is Hermana Sarah Swalberg, she is from Utah (a little town called Green River), she is 21, she went to SUU for the past 3 years on scholarship for track and field (javeline), and she is the best!!!! Honestly, time and time again I just KNOW that God hears our individual prayers and helps us out so much. I had been praying for the couple of weeks before transfers that I would just LOVE my new companion with everything I possibly could, no matter what.. And when I was sitting in the trainers meeting before our trainees came into the room I was so excited. ( I had been kinda freaking out before hand haha) and then when they started filing in, she came over and I was just able to give her a BIG hug and I could feel it, Heavenly Father totally helped me just love her, and feel like she was my best friend for years. Turns out too that its really not gonna be hard for us to get along at all!! haha, she is very "chill" and go with the flow like I am, but since she is an athlete she has good work ethic. She is ready to go out and do whatever it takes to have success :) it is seriously the best. She is also great because she has the best "go and do" attitude. She doesn't question any of the mission rules we have!! she just wanted to know what they were and then do them. So needless to say.. its been a great week and I am super grateful for her :) the Lord is so good to me. She came from the Mexico MTC- but she is still very new at speaking Spanish, so its been fun to help her learn some already.. She gets better every day. and the members are so accepting its so nice :)


So we jumped right into work Tuesday after the transfer meeting. We literally went home and took in the luggage and then went over to ___ and ___'s house for a lesson! I think it was a bit overwhelming for her, but it was good :) Unfortunately __ and __ hadn't felt they still have received their answer still.. They expressed to us that they feel like their relationship with God hasn't developed enough.. they don't think they are on the level yet with God to be able to receive an answer :/ so we are helping them understand how to improve that relationship and recognize their answers more.. it is a process BUT they will get there eventually I think :) It is hard for them to think of changing everything they have ever known and what the "traditions of their fathers" are too.


___ and ___ are doing alright.. we shared with them the other day the Wise man and the Foolish man story from the Bible: ¶Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.



22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thyname done many wonderful works?



23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.



24 ¶Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upona rock:



25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was foundedupon a rock.



26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his houseupon the sand:



27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall ofit.



and it was cute because we had their kids, __ and ___ act out the story as we read it.. and at the end it was really neat because Will put it all together with very little prompting that Christ is truly that rock that we have to build our foundation on. They said they would come to church Sunday, but they didn't again. It is really hard. i just feel very confused and stuck with what to do with them because I know that ___, the husband, KNOWS it is true!! and I don't want to just give up on them.. I love them a lot. But it is frustrating and difficult to know where to go with teaching them, so I think we are going to just continue teaching them once a week, but lay off a little bit until maybe they are more ready.









Something this week that we have been sharing with basically all of our active members is a story from Preach My Gospel in chapter 9 and I want to share it with you too:



Read the following letter from a missionary to her parents: “I taught a wonderful lady on the bus. We were coming back from district meeting, and it was the only empty seat so I sat down and started to look at my mail. Of course, the first one to be read was yours, with the baby pictures of Evan. I noticed that the eyes next to me were also looking at the pictures, and I looked over to meet eyes with an older woman. She gave me a half smile and looked out the window. She then closed her eyes like she was going to sleep. I prayed, ‘Heavenly Father, I want to talk to her. Please help me.’ A minute later she opened her eyes and sat up straight, and I quickly said, ‘Don’t you think he is cute?’ I showed her the pictures of baby Evan and started talking about families with her. I asked her about her kids, and she got teary-eyed and told me a story about how her daughter hates her and wants nothing to do with her. She cried and I cried with her. I told her about the plan of salvation and how Heavenly Father knows her and knows what she is going through. I cried and told her that I know that her daughter loves her because I am a daughter of a mother that loves me, and I love her. I explained that sometimes people make bad decisions and that her daughter has agency. She told me, smiling, ‘I bet your mother really misses you, and she will not let you go when she sees you again.’ She thanked me for talking with her and gave me her address so that we can share the gospel with her. As she was getting off the bus, she said, ‘I got on the wrong bus, but I didn’t get off. No one sat by me until you came … and look what happened.’ God’s plan is perfect!”



This is something that each and everyone of you all can do too. Every morning-- pray with "REAL INTENT and FAITH in Christ" for the opportunity to serve someone.. to be able to have a short conversation with someone where you are able to bring up the church/the gospel.. something small but specific. And i KNOW it will come :) do it everyday.. every morning and then SEEK that oportunity that God puts in your path.. ask for the spiritual sensitivity to RECOGNIZE it. It will happen :) I love you all so much!!!!!!



Thank you for everything you do for me.. and all the love I feel each week when i get online and have a full inbox of emails. I have been thinking a lot lately about just how far I have come in this past almost 1 year out here on my mission.. I am so happy I decided to come. I am so grateful for the many people I have met, and the effects they have had on me :) But I am especially grateful for (you) my parents (i dont know if anyone else really reads these emails) and helping me gain my own testimony growing up, and keeping me on the right path. I love you so much, I miss you so incredibly much. I am so so so so so excited to be able to skype in about 2 months.. geesh.



as for birthday requests... i dont really need more scarves haha I have quite a few. maybe one or two more really warm ones would be good... and then i REALLY need a yellow(more golden) and red cardigan.. LONG SLEEVED THOUGH PLEASE. :) other than that.. nothing that is going to make me fatter.. I am finally feeling like I have gotten back to normal lol.



Thank you again so much for everything. Pray every day this week for that opportunity to be an instrument in the Lords hands!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



-Hermana Weller :)