Hello everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I wrote an
email!!
Since I last wrote I've been transferred from Berea! I'm
serving again in my first area, Newcastle!! In the mission, we refer to a
missionary's first area as his "birth area" and his last as his
"dying area". I was born and I'm dying in Newcastle!! My new
companion is Elder Mathamsanqa Moyo from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and he's a
superstar! He's been on mission for 6 months and he's an incredible missionary!
I love that he cares so much about the work and that he really desires to be
obedient! We get along great!
It was hard to leave Berea, but it's been wonderful serving
in Newcastle again!! I learned so much in Berea. Elder Jones and I were
released from our assignment and he is training a new missionary! I'm so
grateful for the experiences I had in Berea! I know that the Lord built me up
and molded me by His Spirit into the man that He wants me to be!
When I told the bishopric that I was leaving, Bishop Reabow
said "WHAT! I can't sustain that. I need to talk to your mission
president!" hahaha I have loved working with him so much, I can proudly
say that I did the finest member missionary work of my whole mission in Berea.
We saw so much growth in the members and in the ward as a whole, I pray that
they might stay changed and stay missionary work focused!
Going from Berea to Newcastle was quite the jump. I went
from 200 sacrament attendance to 65 hahaha. It's good to be back in a branch. I
feel like I've come home, the members have received us so well! I'm surprised
that everybody remembered my name! Throughout my mission I always wished that I
had been better at working with members when I served here, and now I get the
chance to come back and do it! We've spent lots of time tracting and teaching
members and less actives this week, all in search of the Lord's elect (Doctrine
and Covenants 29:7)! We've seen miracles as we have!!
a few examples:
We planned to go tracting in an area called Fairleigh the
other day, but as we were driving there, we didn't feel right about it. So we
pulled over and prayed for guidance, we felt impressed to go tract another area
and we found several potential investigators, including two father led
families!!
This weekend we taught a counselor in the branch presidency
and his family and we asked for referrals, he gave us the information for his
less active brothers and sisters. Yesterday we had an hour an felt that we
should go visit one of them. We only had time to visit one, so choosing the
right person was imperative. Elder Moyo prompted revelation when he asked
"Who do you feel we should go to?". When he did I sought for the
Spirit and felt strongly that we ought to call one of his sisters. So we did!
And they let us come over. During our visit we were blessed with three things:
1. We met her sister and brother in law who are expecting
their second son. Her sister is a genius when it comes to the Bible. We shared
with her the Book of Mormon and invited her to learn more of the restored
gospel!
2. We found that she and her husband have not been to the
temple and that they desire to go!
3. She told us that her kids have been begging to go back to
church and to be baptized!! She said that they've been praying to go back. We
made a return appointment to teach them and prepare them for baptism!
(4. They invited us over for lunch so they can make us
authentic indian food)
Throughout the visit I felt so strongly that this family was
prepared to come back to Church at this time! I know that we were directed by
the Lord as an answer to prayers! I'm SO excited to see them progress!
I'm writing this long email and I hope it makes up for the
lack of others.
The Lord is anxious to see His work go forward, and when we
counsel with him and put ourselves in place to do something, the windows of
Heaven open and we receive His direction.
Last week we spent a day with all the new missionaries
coming into the mission (14 of them!) and I did my best to teach them that
"this is the Lord's work and we do it His way." I know that this is
true and I know that miracles have not ceased! The Restoration of the gospel is
rolling forth and ours is the responsibility to make it known unto all the
inhabitants of the Earth! How great is our calling!
I love you all and I pray that the Spirit may guide you to
those who are in need of your testimony.
--
Elder Weiler
Before transfers, we woke up early and watched
the sunrise at the beach with a senior couple!
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