Here's Raini's new address:
Sister (Hermana) Raini Weller
3523 Roxboro Rd. #12D
Durham, NC 27704
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
New Area: Durham!!!
Well! I was transferred into Durham 5th Branch!! I am with Sister Thompson, from Phoenix, AZ!!! Crazy!!! But, this area is proabably the most "ghetto" I have seen since I have been out on my mission.. But there is a lot of Hispanic people so it is good! This week has been FULL of miracles.. and just amazing tender mercies as well. So lets get right into it :)
Well, transfers was hard! I didn't want to leave Sister Swalberg! I just love her so much.. she was so much fun, and just SO easy going! We never had any problems-- ever! Daisy also was there at transfers, and she just started crying as well as one of the other members that was there to say goodbye. So, that was hard! Just everyone crying! haha. But I really had no idea where I was going before, so when I found out I was going to Durham I was super excited! We basically are white-washing the area because sisters have been covering this area but were assigned to the Apex Stake, Spanish.. and they spent most of their time down there in Apex... so we have a lot to do!! And the Lord has truly been preparing this area for us.
Our very first day, we went out to try and see a family on the roster that lived pretty close to us and then we got there and didn't have an apt number so we just started knocking doors in that complex. We had a couple funny experiences.. one lady said "Sorry I can't hear you!" ...because her dog was barking really loud! And then she just slammed the door shut and locked like 5 locks on the inside!! hahahaha. It was pretty funny.. and then we knocked this other door, they let us in and it was an African family. They were from Ghana! The daughter who was only like 13 let us in, and her mom who didn't speak really any English wasn't in huge favor of it... but we came in and sat with the kids while the mom was in the kitchen watching us.. and these kids.. WOW. I have never met kids that spiritually in-tune. We taught them a really really simple version of the Restoration, and they were amazed with Joseph Smith's experience. We even talked with them about baptism! Then we had the 10 -year old son pray at the end.. and I have never heard a more faithful prayer from a 10-year old --EVER.. It was such a neat experience.. when we left we were just like --wow..... We didn't even know what to say about that! haha. But then we had to give their info to the English sisters to follow up with them! :)
We have been going through the former investigators in our area book a lot lately.. and we have been trying to meet with them again. We went and saw this one lady the other day who was taught just a couple times previously. But she told us she is just extremely confused. She is just not sure what to believe and basically when she was telling us this, I felt like it was Rosa and Rosie again. It was pretty amazing tho, because I was able to then just have that DEEP desire to help her understand these things like I did for Rosa and Rosie even though I had only known her for about 15 mins! We taught a really powerful Restoration lesson and by the end the Spirit was so strong. She is going to pray about everything and try reading the Book of Mormon. Later that night, I don't think I have ever prayed so hard for someone in my entire life.. It was an incredible experience. I really hope that she is able to receive that answer and the Light in her life.. It just breaks my heart when people are that confused and lost. I am so grateful I have the light of the gospel in my life. and that I have really not ever had a moment where I have had serious doubts or confusions about what my purpose in life is.. or what my true identity is.
Ugh...my TIME on here IS RUNNING OUT ALREADY sorry!! So the last amazing thing that happened:
We went and saw one of the investigators the sisters had been teaching before the other day.. and we are supposed to always ask people who else they know that we could teach you know.. well this time we were about to leave and we were walking out the door and then I had a prompting that was like YOU NEED TO ASK FOR A REFERRAL. So I turned around right before the door shut and I asked her who else we could visit! She told us of one of her neighbors in the next building over. While we were walking to our car.. I just felt like we needed to go and contact her friend right then. So we went over and they were walking up to their house right as we were too. They are a WONDERFUL family.. so prepared. They know great things about the church from different things they've seen our church do in their country.. They are from Honduras and they had seen some of the temple that just recently got finished there in Tegulcigalpa! So great! So we set an appointment and went and saw them last night. We talked about the temple because we brought them the Ensign that has it on the front to show them! And then taught them the Restoration.. and wow. It was amazing. The dad, Nelson, asked if there was a prophet today at the very beginning!! And we were like, "YES!!" haha.. By the end they said they would like to be baptized! They really really do want to know if this is the true church. They understand what that would mean- SALVATION... and they want that :) honestly afterwards we just had such PURE JOY the whole way home we were so giddy haha and I am just SO grateful.. the Lord is SO good. SOO SOOO good. He loves His children so much.. and He has heard my cries. :)
I love this new area! I am so excited to be able to just work SO SO hard to the end.. (I am guessing I am dying here..) But I love you all! thanks for everything.
have a good week :)
-Hermana Weller
Well, transfers was hard! I didn't want to leave Sister Swalberg! I just love her so much.. she was so much fun, and just SO easy going! We never had any problems-- ever! Daisy also was there at transfers, and she just started crying as well as one of the other members that was there to say goodbye. So, that was hard! Just everyone crying! haha. But I really had no idea where I was going before, so when I found out I was going to Durham I was super excited! We basically are white-washing the area because sisters have been covering this area but were assigned to the Apex Stake, Spanish.. and they spent most of their time down there in Apex... so we have a lot to do!! And the Lord has truly been preparing this area for us.
Our very first day, we went out to try and see a family on the roster that lived pretty close to us and then we got there and didn't have an apt number so we just started knocking doors in that complex. We had a couple funny experiences.. one lady said "Sorry I can't hear you!" ...because her dog was barking really loud! And then she just slammed the door shut and locked like 5 locks on the inside!! hahahaha. It was pretty funny.. and then we knocked this other door, they let us in and it was an African family. They were from Ghana! The daughter who was only like 13 let us in, and her mom who didn't speak really any English wasn't in huge favor of it... but we came in and sat with the kids while the mom was in the kitchen watching us.. and these kids.. WOW. I have never met kids that spiritually in-tune. We taught them a really really simple version of the Restoration, and they were amazed with Joseph Smith's experience. We even talked with them about baptism! Then we had the 10 -year old son pray at the end.. and I have never heard a more faithful prayer from a 10-year old --EVER.. It was such a neat experience.. when we left we were just like --wow..... We didn't even know what to say about that! haha. But then we had to give their info to the English sisters to follow up with them! :)
We have been going through the former investigators in our area book a lot lately.. and we have been trying to meet with them again. We went and saw this one lady the other day who was taught just a couple times previously. But she told us she is just extremely confused. She is just not sure what to believe and basically when she was telling us this, I felt like it was Rosa and Rosie again. It was pretty amazing tho, because I was able to then just have that DEEP desire to help her understand these things like I did for Rosa and Rosie even though I had only known her for about 15 mins! We taught a really powerful Restoration lesson and by the end the Spirit was so strong. She is going to pray about everything and try reading the Book of Mormon. Later that night, I don't think I have ever prayed so hard for someone in my entire life.. It was an incredible experience. I really hope that she is able to receive that answer and the Light in her life.. It just breaks my heart when people are that confused and lost. I am so grateful I have the light of the gospel in my life. and that I have really not ever had a moment where I have had serious doubts or confusions about what my purpose in life is.. or what my true identity is.
Ugh...my TIME on here IS RUNNING OUT ALREADY sorry!! So the last amazing thing that happened:
We went and saw one of the investigators the sisters had been teaching before the other day.. and we are supposed to always ask people who else they know that we could teach you know.. well this time we were about to leave and we were walking out the door and then I had a prompting that was like YOU NEED TO ASK FOR A REFERRAL. So I turned around right before the door shut and I asked her who else we could visit! She told us of one of her neighbors in the next building over. While we were walking to our car.. I just felt like we needed to go and contact her friend right then. So we went over and they were walking up to their house right as we were too. They are a WONDERFUL family.. so prepared. They know great things about the church from different things they've seen our church do in their country.. They are from Honduras and they had seen some of the temple that just recently got finished there in Tegulcigalpa! So great! So we set an appointment and went and saw them last night. We talked about the temple because we brought them the Ensign that has it on the front to show them! And then taught them the Restoration.. and wow. It was amazing. The dad, Nelson, asked if there was a prophet today at the very beginning!! And we were like, "YES!!" haha.. By the end they said they would like to be baptized! They really really do want to know if this is the true church. They understand what that would mean- SALVATION... and they want that :) honestly afterwards we just had such PURE JOY the whole way home we were so giddy haha and I am just SO grateful.. the Lord is SO good. SOO SOOO good. He loves His children so much.. and He has heard my cries. :)
I love this new area! I am so excited to be able to just work SO SO hard to the end.. (I am guessing I am dying here..) But I love you all! thanks for everything.
have a good week :)
-Hermana Weller
Monday, January 12, 2015
My Raleigh 3rd Ward Days Are Over... :(
WELL.. sadly, I received news that I will be transferring from Raleigh tomorrow. I kinda have had a feeling that it would happen, and I almost even feel like it is what I need right now in my mission. So it is good but it was really hard yesterday at church! I had to bear my testimony and as soon as I got up there I started crying.. Ugh such a baby haha. But honestly I have come to love this ward SO much.. these people are just so amazing!!!!!! I just keep the hope that I will come back here soon and be able to see them again and keep in contact with them through FB too :) i just love them so much. I am so grateful that the Lord lets me have this much love for His children.. and even though I dont even know them THAT well! I mean I do, but really I don't lol.. So I am just really grateful that He has given me the capacity to love His children so much :)
So this week was a good one! (with the exception of the day I got sick)
We got to see a few new investigators- ____ is one that we found the week before and she actually is a relative of a lot of the members in our ward! They apparently have tried sharing the gospel with her multiple times with different videos and stuff.. but shes never been formally taught. So it was neat because we literally un-knowingly tracted into her apt and then we taught her twice this past week and it was super super good. We really feel like we have gotten to the point of understanding the Restoration and how to teach it with the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (and specifically baptism).. so by the end of that lesson when we invited her to be baptized she said yeah, if I get to the point of feeling it is true and that is what God wants me to do I will! she hasn't ever been baptized in a church before so that makes things even better. because that is often a difficult thing to have to say-- that their baptism wasn't "valid"..
We also went to her house the day between our lessons with her to walk her dog!! It was so fun!
IT WAS SO COLD THIS WEEK. Literally one day the highest I saw it get was 28 degrees... In the morning it was like 17. I HATE THE COLD hahaha..
But that I think it what took the toll on me this week! So many people here that we visit are sick.. because the weather is CRAZY. and so the other day I woke up and I felt really sick.. my throat hurt so so badly and i felt ferverish.. but I took some tylenol and thought i would just stick it out.. then we went and did service at the food bank that day.. and about half way through i was just SO tired I was like I cant do this.. haha we need to go home. So We went home and I progressively just realized how bad I was feeling. But luckily one of the sweet sisters called because she felt impressed to just check up on us! and I told her I had caught the inevitable cold.. and she just wanted to do everything possible to help me :) it was so sweet! haha. a couple other sisters called that day to make sure I was okay.. I was fine! lol, I just needed to sleep and stay out of the cold. :) one of them brought me a tea and did some kind of Hispanic stuff to me to get rid of my fever and I think it helped! now its just all stuffed up in my head..
So on Tuesday we were supposed to see ___ and her girls.. but she has been sick. So we didn't get to, but then we had the thought when they cancelled- oh! we should invite ___ (the 13 year old daughter) to go to mutual!! and we can go with her! So we called to make sure that mutual was happening and it was.. so we called ___ and she came! A member went and picked her up, and when we got there.. haha we realized we had literally picked the BEST mutual activity to go to. It was a progressive dinner and at the end we had a bonfire!! They burned a bunch of Christmas trees.. it was so great :)) we had fun as well!
Man... we also had an AMAZING zone training meeting this week.. it was really spirit filled, and then emotional at the same time because the elders told me at the beginning of the meeting that I was getting transferred and then we had to do a role-play during the meeting as if we were teaching one of our friends or family members we want to share the gospel with.. and then it all just came out haha.. But it was a great lesson because really that is the love that I wish I could have for every single person I meet!!! the love that I have for the person I role-played teaching and started crying because I just want them to know these things.. so that is one of my new goals and something I really want to focus on is having even more love for the people in my new area :)
One other thing-- there is a girl who is about my age n our ward who recently went through a lot with her depression and stuff.. and even almost took her life. Well, the elders were visiting her and helping her a lot after that happened (in October) and now she is getting more active again and she came out with us the other day!!! she told us when we were on exchange that she has decided she wants to serve a mission now.. she wants to be able to think of others and not herself any more and so she wants to start preparing to go out in about a year :) it was incredible.. and then she was talking about how big of an impact the elders made on her.. and it was just really special. We called the elders that night and told them and they were like crying.. it was so neat. I am so grateful for the amazing elders we work with... they are fantastic. haha Elder Fowers and I have pretty much been in the same area my entire mission.. and so I wonder if I will go where he is going to be district leader again now this transfer haha!
Sister Swalberg is stressed about having me leave and she is going to have to take over the area.. I feel bad. But I know she is going to do great :) I am sad I am leaving her after only being together for 3 months.. but we are gonna be bffs for ever haha :)
ok well.. sorry that there wasn't a TON to report on from this week. But it was really good. Hope you all have a wonderful week!!! Talk to you later. <3
-Hermana Weller
So this week was a good one! (with the exception of the day I got sick)
We got to see a few new investigators- ____ is one that we found the week before and she actually is a relative of a lot of the members in our ward! They apparently have tried sharing the gospel with her multiple times with different videos and stuff.. but shes never been formally taught. So it was neat because we literally un-knowingly tracted into her apt and then we taught her twice this past week and it was super super good. We really feel like we have gotten to the point of understanding the Restoration and how to teach it with the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (and specifically baptism).. so by the end of that lesson when we invited her to be baptized she said yeah, if I get to the point of feeling it is true and that is what God wants me to do I will! she hasn't ever been baptized in a church before so that makes things even better. because that is often a difficult thing to have to say-- that their baptism wasn't "valid"..
We also went to her house the day between our lessons with her to walk her dog!! It was so fun!
IT WAS SO COLD THIS WEEK. Literally one day the highest I saw it get was 28 degrees... In the morning it was like 17. I HATE THE COLD hahaha..
But that I think it what took the toll on me this week! So many people here that we visit are sick.. because the weather is CRAZY. and so the other day I woke up and I felt really sick.. my throat hurt so so badly and i felt ferverish.. but I took some tylenol and thought i would just stick it out.. then we went and did service at the food bank that day.. and about half way through i was just SO tired I was like I cant do this.. haha we need to go home. So We went home and I progressively just realized how bad I was feeling. But luckily one of the sweet sisters called because she felt impressed to just check up on us! and I told her I had caught the inevitable cold.. and she just wanted to do everything possible to help me :) it was so sweet! haha. a couple other sisters called that day to make sure I was okay.. I was fine! lol, I just needed to sleep and stay out of the cold. :) one of them brought me a tea and did some kind of Hispanic stuff to me to get rid of my fever and I think it helped! now its just all stuffed up in my head..
So on Tuesday we were supposed to see ___ and her girls.. but she has been sick. So we didn't get to, but then we had the thought when they cancelled- oh! we should invite ___ (the 13 year old daughter) to go to mutual!! and we can go with her! So we called to make sure that mutual was happening and it was.. so we called ___ and she came! A member went and picked her up, and when we got there.. haha we realized we had literally picked the BEST mutual activity to go to. It was a progressive dinner and at the end we had a bonfire!! They burned a bunch of Christmas trees.. it was so great :)) we had fun as well!
Man... we also had an AMAZING zone training meeting this week.. it was really spirit filled, and then emotional at the same time because the elders told me at the beginning of the meeting that I was getting transferred and then we had to do a role-play during the meeting as if we were teaching one of our friends or family members we want to share the gospel with.. and then it all just came out haha.. But it was a great lesson because really that is the love that I wish I could have for every single person I meet!!! the love that I have for the person I role-played teaching and started crying because I just want them to know these things.. so that is one of my new goals and something I really want to focus on is having even more love for the people in my new area :)
One other thing-- there is a girl who is about my age n our ward who recently went through a lot with her depression and stuff.. and even almost took her life. Well, the elders were visiting her and helping her a lot after that happened (in October) and now she is getting more active again and she came out with us the other day!!! she told us when we were on exchange that she has decided she wants to serve a mission now.. she wants to be able to think of others and not herself any more and so she wants to start preparing to go out in about a year :) it was incredible.. and then she was talking about how big of an impact the elders made on her.. and it was just really special. We called the elders that night and told them and they were like crying.. it was so neat. I am so grateful for the amazing elders we work with... they are fantastic. haha Elder Fowers and I have pretty much been in the same area my entire mission.. and so I wonder if I will go where he is going to be district leader again now this transfer haha!
Sister Swalberg is stressed about having me leave and she is going to have to take over the area.. I feel bad. But I know she is going to do great :) I am sad I am leaving her after only being together for 3 months.. but we are gonna be bffs for ever haha :)
ok well.. sorry that there wasn't a TON to report on from this week. But it was really good. Hope you all have a wonderful week!!! Talk to you later. <3
-Hermana Weller
Monday, January 5, 2015
Feliz Año Nuevo!!! (Happy New Year!)
HOLA! :) I can not believe it is 2015. that is SO weird!!!! It makes me feel old haha.. Have I really been out of high school for almost 3 years??
Well, we had a fun preparation day last week! We went over to Daisy's house and ___ and ____ came too and we made Oreo Balls, then they took an extremely unattractive picture of me after doing my makeup... and then we went over to the church and played basketball... and I kicked the soccer ball against the walls. It was a good time :)
Then we went and had a lesson with a referral we got recently! It is relatives of a family in the ward! It was a good lesson. They had a lot of questions already about the Book of Mormon and about what we need to do here on the earth and things like that. So, that was good. We were able to answer their questions and then at the end they were like- "You should go over and explain this to my brother. He doesn't understand what the Book Of Mormon is either." hahaha.. so that was pretty great!! We didn't even ask yet and they gave us a referral! We are going to see them again tonight and we are excited :)
Then we went on exchanges the next day with the Sister leaders and that was kinda fun because Sister Deacon had been comps with the sister I went with. So she had actually been partially Spanish for a transfer! So, she was loving being around Hispanic people again--and the food! :) We ate with the best cook in the ward!! haha it was so great :)
But we also got to see a couple of new investigators that we found the week before.. the ones we showed the He is the Gift video to and they really enjoyed it. I taught the Restoration all by myself because she doesn't speak Spanish.. and then at the end we were inviting them to read the Book Of Mormon and pray about it.. they said they have read it before because they have met with elders in the past i guess and they said they just have never really felt anything.. its just another book to them. I was like NOOO!!! It's not though!! I was just like-- "Okay well, will you give it another chance and read 2 of my favorite chapters, and I PROMISE YOU WILL feel the Spirit of God, because I always do when I read them!!" And they said "Yes"!!! :) So i gave them 2 Nephi 11 and 27. I just pray that they read it and they can feel the Spirit. The Book of Mormon is NOT just another book.. it is truly the Word of God. It is truly another testament of Christ, and I love it so much.
Then the next day was New Years Eve! So.. we couldn't really proselyte past 5pm because people start partying and what not at that point. and especially for Hispanic people! New Year's is just as big as Christmas for them!! but.. that evening turned out to be quite the adventure for us :)
....
Since it was the last day of the month.. and there were 31 not 30 days in the month.. we realized that we had about 4 miles left when we got home and we had a dinner with a family in the ward that night! So we texted the sister to ask if she could pick us up.. but she didn't ever answer so we were like... well.. they only live about 3.5 miles away soo.. if we drive 2 miles and then bike the rest of the way we will be good! So, we go and get our bikes.. and my tires were completely DEAD haha. NO AIR AT ALL and all we had was a hand pump.. soooo.. we sat there for about 20 minutes pumping the tires up hahahhahaha and we were just dying laughing because how ridiculous it was! But, I was excited! hahaha. Finally we got it all pumped up to 50 PSI and we left! We were just laughing the entire time.. it was so much fun. And even though that night was pretty cold, we got all suited up (i put on my helmet backwards at first because I don't really know how to use it) and it was actually quite fun to ride a bike! I loved it! (but I don't really want to have to do that often haha)
When we got there about 40 mins late becuase of the whole process of pumping the tires and stuff.. the members felt so bad!! hahahaha they forgot their phone at work so she never knew! but they did take us home afterwards :)
Then New Year's Day!! It was another non-proselyting day.. so we went and had lunch with the ____'s and then after we went to the sister leaders house and Sister Oliver cut my hair! So, that was fun.. i just got a trim --no worries :)
Then Saturday we had a really really good day. We went out to find people... and it was so great!! We prayed really really hard to just find the people that the Lord wanted us to find and we found a few really great potentials!!!!!!!! It was amazing.. We just felt so good afterwards. Even though we didn't really teach that many lessons that day we set up return appts and yesterday we had one of them... and they are super elect... Its a mom with 2 kids and she hasn't been to church in about a year.. and her girl is 9 and they have a little baby. She feels "alejado de Dios" (far from God) and she wants to get close to Him again.. especially for her kids too. So we taught the Restoration and they really liked it! I am really really grateful for the 12-week training program that we have and that I get to do with Sister Swalberg because I have been out for a while now.. but being able to review the basics with that program and be reminded of the true purpose i am out here.. is so great. While we were teaching the Restoration it just all came together for me again.. I was able to teach with such a good personal understanding again of why this was so important.. how really the restoration means-- SALVATION IS AVAILABLE. and so we were able to invite them to be baptized and the daughter was like I WANT TO DO THAT!! and begging her mom at the end to just let her be baptized haha.. the mom was baptized when she was a baby so we are going to have to just help her understand authority a little bit better...... but they already agreed to come to church next week :) it was amazing. the Lord is so good. :) He truly guided us and helped us SO much.
Then that evening the elder's investigators (the parents of the new member 16 year old girl) got married!!!!!!!! It was so great :) Their family came down and it was just really good. #miracles!!! The dad bore his testimony yesterday at church and he isn't even baptized yet and he was acting like he was.. just telling everyone how much he loves the church and how happy his family is and it was so great. Such an amazing family.
Today we went to downtown Raleigh and went to a museum and it was really really fun!!!!!!! I took a lot of pictures.. but i will just give you a couple :) haha..
Well. thank you for everything.. this week has been a lot better than last week.. I am understanding better each and every single day more of my purpose as a missionary.. and how if those things are my purposes.. how I need to help people know those things and truly help them understand that I am just trying to help them have SALVATION. I just want to help ONE soul come to Christ.. ONE. and that is all I have been begging the Lord to help me do. I know it will happen. I love the Lord so much.. and I am so grateful for His mercy and unconditional love..
Have a wonderful week :)
-Hermana Weller
Well, we had a fun preparation day last week! We went over to Daisy's house and ___ and ____ came too and we made Oreo Balls, then they took an extremely unattractive picture of me after doing my makeup... and then we went over to the church and played basketball... and I kicked the soccer ball against the walls. It was a good time :)
Then we went and had a lesson with a referral we got recently! It is relatives of a family in the ward! It was a good lesson. They had a lot of questions already about the Book of Mormon and about what we need to do here on the earth and things like that. So, that was good. We were able to answer their questions and then at the end they were like- "You should go over and explain this to my brother. He doesn't understand what the Book Of Mormon is either." hahaha.. so that was pretty great!! We didn't even ask yet and they gave us a referral! We are going to see them again tonight and we are excited :)
Then we went on exchanges the next day with the Sister leaders and that was kinda fun because Sister Deacon had been comps with the sister I went with. So she had actually been partially Spanish for a transfer! So, she was loving being around Hispanic people again--and the food! :) We ate with the best cook in the ward!! haha it was so great :)
But we also got to see a couple of new investigators that we found the week before.. the ones we showed the He is the Gift video to and they really enjoyed it. I taught the Restoration all by myself because she doesn't speak Spanish.. and then at the end we were inviting them to read the Book Of Mormon and pray about it.. they said they have read it before because they have met with elders in the past i guess and they said they just have never really felt anything.. its just another book to them. I was like NOOO!!! It's not though!! I was just like-- "Okay well, will you give it another chance and read 2 of my favorite chapters, and I PROMISE YOU WILL feel the Spirit of God, because I always do when I read them!!" And they said "Yes"!!! :) So i gave them 2 Nephi 11 and 27. I just pray that they read it and they can feel the Spirit. The Book of Mormon is NOT just another book.. it is truly the Word of God. It is truly another testament of Christ, and I love it so much.
Then the next day was New Years Eve! So.. we couldn't really proselyte past 5pm because people start partying and what not at that point. and especially for Hispanic people! New Year's is just as big as Christmas for them!! but.. that evening turned out to be quite the adventure for us :)
....
Since it was the last day of the month.. and there were 31 not 30 days in the month.. we realized that we had about 4 miles left when we got home and we had a dinner with a family in the ward that night! So we texted the sister to ask if she could pick us up.. but she didn't ever answer so we were like... well.. they only live about 3.5 miles away soo.. if we drive 2 miles and then bike the rest of the way we will be good! So, we go and get our bikes.. and my tires were completely DEAD haha. NO AIR AT ALL and all we had was a hand pump.. soooo.. we sat there for about 20 minutes pumping the tires up hahahhahaha and we were just dying laughing because how ridiculous it was! But, I was excited! hahaha. Finally we got it all pumped up to 50 PSI and we left! We were just laughing the entire time.. it was so much fun. And even though that night was pretty cold, we got all suited up (i put on my helmet backwards at first because I don't really know how to use it) and it was actually quite fun to ride a bike! I loved it! (but I don't really want to have to do that often haha)
When we got there about 40 mins late becuase of the whole process of pumping the tires and stuff.. the members felt so bad!! hahahaha they forgot their phone at work so she never knew! but they did take us home afterwards :)
Then New Year's Day!! It was another non-proselyting day.. so we went and had lunch with the ____'s and then after we went to the sister leaders house and Sister Oliver cut my hair! So, that was fun.. i just got a trim --no worries :)
Then Saturday we had a really really good day. We went out to find people... and it was so great!! We prayed really really hard to just find the people that the Lord wanted us to find and we found a few really great potentials!!!!!!!! It was amazing.. We just felt so good afterwards. Even though we didn't really teach that many lessons that day we set up return appts and yesterday we had one of them... and they are super elect... Its a mom with 2 kids and she hasn't been to church in about a year.. and her girl is 9 and they have a little baby. She feels "alejado de Dios" (far from God) and she wants to get close to Him again.. especially for her kids too. So we taught the Restoration and they really liked it! I am really really grateful for the 12-week training program that we have and that I get to do with Sister Swalberg because I have been out for a while now.. but being able to review the basics with that program and be reminded of the true purpose i am out here.. is so great. While we were teaching the Restoration it just all came together for me again.. I was able to teach with such a good personal understanding again of why this was so important.. how really the restoration means-- SALVATION IS AVAILABLE. and so we were able to invite them to be baptized and the daughter was like I WANT TO DO THAT!! and begging her mom at the end to just let her be baptized haha.. the mom was baptized when she was a baby so we are going to have to just help her understand authority a little bit better...... but they already agreed to come to church next week :) it was amazing. the Lord is so good. :) He truly guided us and helped us SO much.
Then that evening the elder's investigators (the parents of the new member 16 year old girl) got married!!!!!!!! It was so great :) Their family came down and it was just really good. #miracles!!! The dad bore his testimony yesterday at church and he isn't even baptized yet and he was acting like he was.. just telling everyone how much he loves the church and how happy his family is and it was so great. Such an amazing family.
Today we went to downtown Raleigh and went to a museum and it was really really fun!!!!!!! I took a lot of pictures.. but i will just give you a couple :) haha..
Well. thank you for everything.. this week has been a lot better than last week.. I am understanding better each and every single day more of my purpose as a missionary.. and how if those things are my purposes.. how I need to help people know those things and truly help them understand that I am just trying to help them have SALVATION. I just want to help ONE soul come to Christ.. ONE. and that is all I have been begging the Lord to help me do. I know it will happen. I love the Lord so much.. and I am so grateful for His mercy and unconditional love..
Have a wonderful week :)
-Hermana Weller
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