This past week has been awesome!! It flew by really quick. I can't believe I am sending out my emails again. I love being able to talk to you all!! Well, this week I have met a lot more people!! There are two investigators we have with so much potential! It is awesome to see their growth as we teach them new things!! We have this older couple named the Ollivers! They are doing really well!! The only thing that is holding them back is going to church because the wife is having health problems and she is unable to travel around and leave her house a lot!! I know they will come around though! They are super nice people and the love what we teach them!! They also do I really good job of reading the Book of Mormon!!
Another guy we have been working on has also come a long way!! His name is Bryan Sweitzer!! He believes almost everything we taught him like the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and he has prayed about these things as well. But he keeps going to his baptist church which I find it kinda odd because if he believes in all these things, he would have to know that this is the one and only true church that has the same authority that Christ had when he was on the Earth. He has been to our church, but he is sticking with his baptists church!!
I have been doing really well since the last time I emailed. I love having the chance to get to know more people and become more acquanted with the people here. Their hospitality has been great!!! I miss you all and I hope all is well back home!! Missionary work is definitely not easy, it never was. But I have grown so much in the short time I have been out here and it has strengthened my faith and my testimony in my savior Jesus Christ!!
I love you all!!!!!! Please stay safe!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Elder Weese
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| The "death stairs" up to his apartment. |
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| Our little chapel. (Elder Weese's branch in Vernon).
Hello mom,
It's good to hear from you! Wow, I can't believe the school year is already beginning to start. It literally feels like I just graduated from high school yesterday. This summer was probably the busiest of my life. It was also the quickest and I can't believe it is already that time of year again. It has me remembering what it was like for me a year ago starting my senior year. That also didn't feel like too long ago!! And he is also starting drivers ed?? Jeez!! He is going to be so old by the time I get back.
Well I am still doing pretty good. I am adjusting well to life out here. I am still getting used to it though. This week was way faster than last week because it wasn't as overwhelming. The temperature out here is dreadful though. The high this week was around 105 and humid. We were being broiled!!!! The thing that is different here than in Utah is in Utah when it is hot outside, you can just find the shade to cool down. Because of the humidity out here, even when you find shade the heat still gets to you so you really can't escape it out here unless you go inside. The missionary work has been great!! We have a few people who are interested in learning a little bit more about the gospel. We have one older couple who has a ton of potential of being baptized but it is so hard to get them out to church because the wife has been having health problems and can't really travel around. But I am hoping they come around!! We also have this guy named Bryan who has a lot of potential as well, he believes in the book of mormon and Joseph Smith, but still isn't willing to give up his membership in the baptist church which is really confusing to me because if he really believes in the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, than this has to be the truth. That is the hardest thing about finding people out here because almost everyone is part of a religion. There is literally a church on every block. It is hard to get people to accept and listen to us because they are tied down to another religion and aren't willing to give that up. It is also a good thing though because I have learned A LOT of all these different back grounds and religions and it is quite interesting!!
The members are awesome!! We get fed by them at least 3 or 4 times a week. I always look forward to them feeding us because all I have to eat at the apartment are either sandwiches, quesadillas, or cereal. Some members really like to take us out to this restaurant called Lupes, which is like El Toro Viejo!! I have been there like three times already. They don't really have that many restaurants out here to choose from besides McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Subway. I've been getting used to living in the apartment everyday. The first day I was like.. Man how am I going to survive living in this place?.. But I have adjusted to it will and I feel more at home. It does have A/C which is a huge plus. The only thing I have trouble adjusting to is the stupid shower. Haha. The temperature adjuster is broken so you either get a really hot shower or a really cold shower. Me and my trainer are the only missionaries in Vernon because it is quite a small area. The nearest missionaries are about 30 minutes away! But every Thursday we have district counsel where we drive an hour and a half up to the stake center where all the districts from the zone gather. So that is really when I see other missionaries. Oh, and the backpack thing, ya, the shoulder bag was good with fitting things but it was a pain in the butt to ride your bike with. That strap thing that they said to use when you are biking is so tight and it makes your chest really sore. So i decided to buy a 10 dollar backpack from walmart. I'm sure it will last me quite a while. Very durable.
Well it has been another awesome week. I am still learning and growing everyday while I am out here. I am so glad you are all happy and doing well back at home. Oh and before I forget, could you send me 2 or 3 more short sleeved shirts? I didn't realize that I needed more until I was out here for a full week. Can you also send me another tie clip but one that is made for skinnier ties? I also realized that those are really handy because it keeps your tie from blowing everywhere while you are biking. Other than that I'm good. Well I miss you!! I pray for you all everyday as well and look forward to this day also. I love you and I hope you have a good week especially with school starting back up!!
Love,
Elder Weese
Hello dad!!
How are you doing!!! It sounds like you guys have had a pretty busy week with school and everything getting started up again. It felt like yesterday when I was walking through the tunnel at the Dee Events center and receiving my diploma!! That is crazy how fast this summer has gone buy and how busy it was. Probably the busiest of my entire life! Well I am doing good!! Everyday is another step of my adjustment process and I continue to learn and grow each day!! There are times where it has been a bit discouraging, but it has really helped strengthen my faith, testimony, and who I am becoming. Probably the hardest thing about being in this particular mission is that there are different churches EVERYWHERE!!!!! People don't really like to listen to us because they are set in stone with the church that they are going to. Most of the time they are really nice to us about it saying... Hey, we are all in this together, we all have the same goal which is our salvation, we appreciate what you are doing but we are good with what we have. Sometimes they tend to be a little mean though. We get some nasty words yelled at us while we are biking. All we can do is just smile and wave. I think this when guy threw like a cigarette at us as he drove by and said something like have hell save you. It doesn't affect me at all because I know what the gospel has done for me in my life and all the blessings I have received from it. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the truth and I wish others can have those same opportunities and experiences!
This week has also flown by for me! It felt like I had just barely been emailing you guys and here I am again. I look forward to this day just as much as you guys do. I love hearing about things going on back home so keep me updated!! That jeep thing is pretty crazy! I am sure you were pretty shocked when you saw that happen!! Everyday we bike by a dodge dealership and it gets me missing work back home. It is cool that I get to see the cars though still like the new jeeps and rams. I miss driving those things around everyday. HAHA!!
Choosing joy in this life is a huge thing especially out in the mission field. If you do not have joy in the work that you are doing than how are you going to make it out here? You are gonna be miserable!! At the start of my mission, I found it really hard to have joy in waking up at 6:30 everyday just to get out with set goals that we have of meeting people who would be interested in learning about the gospel. Only to have people tell us to go away or that they're not interested. It happens everyday and I am still working on trying to love this work. I know that if I find joy in doing this, than I know I am going to be a lot happier everyday as I approach this work. Still a working progress tho!
I don't have any particular needs.. Oh, could you or mom send me a small family pic that is like framed? I would love to have one around the apartment to show my companions!! There is the pic that we took when we were at the beach in Cali a few months ago. That one would be a good one and it is also most recent. Like I said that will be cool to have. Well I am glad to hear that all is well back home!! I love you and miss you and I look forward to hearing from you every week. Your example strengthens mine and I know there would be no way I would be out doing the things I would be doing if it wasn't for you. Thank you!!!!!
Love,
Elder Weese
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