Ok so I know that Thanksgiving has passed but I totally forgot last week so I have to say Happy Thanksgiving this week! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I know I had a good one compared to last years Thanksgiving in the MTC! We had investigators and members over at the Forsyths and we ate some dang good food! The only thing we were missing was some good old American Football and a classic Thanksgiving nap! But, it was still great!
So of course this week has been crazy yet again! The temperature has dropped fast and today it is -21 C and bitter cold! I hear it will only be getting colder! I go out side and it physically hurts my lungs to breath through my mouth or my nose turns into an icicle if I breath through my nose so I don't know which one to do! But, I had a sweet coat from Kazakhstan that keeps me pretty warm so no worries there.
Right now we have three investigators who are ready to be baptized. We are literally just waiting on them because there is nothing else to do! But, currently Elder Smith and I gave up big sacrifices and asked the Lord to intervene so we will see what miracles we will see in the not to distant future! I could sure use grandpas heavenly help right now with these people! There is Olga, Olessa, and Sasha. I will explain what happened with Olga a little bit later but Olessa is in a stand still because she is going to be getting married soon so that has preoccupied her mind obviously. Sasha, we found out this week, is studying to become a Catholic Priest. He was raised at Catholic and baptized by his granny in England, but he found out that our church is true. He knows it is true, but doesn't know what to do because he doesn't want to hurt his granny. He just has a few things to figure out inside before he can make that step towards baptism. All three of these people are ready to be baptized, they have just not made the decision quite yet!
So Olga... this is the wife of a current less active member. We had a very very strong lesson this week with Olga! She asked the question about the Holy Ghost and exactly what it feels like before baptism and after you receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We focused an entire two hours on answering this question! Olga know what the Holy Ghost feels like. She has recognized it in her life. She has had a very good life and she herself said that she has not had anything horrible every happen to her. She knows that warm and comforting feeling that God gives her. Because of that she doesn't understand the difference it will be after getting the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We thought of a pretty cool idea to explain it. We had Sister Forsyth make some banana bread and we brought it over. We started out the lesson asking her if she wanted a gift that we had for her. Of course she said yes. We started teaching and had Sister Forsyth relate a story of how she had felt the Holy Ghost after baptism. It brought a great atmosphere for the lesson. After the story we asked her if she wanted her gift again. Of course she answered yes and so we let her see her gift and then took it away. We kept teaching and talked about and read verses from the scriptures about the Holy Ghost. After that we asked her again if she wanted her gift and she said yes. She took of the banana bread and let her smell it and then took it away. They talked about how good it looked and smelt. We talked again about the holy ghost and we all testified and related person stories. The Spirit was really strong! After that we asked her if she wanted her gift again and she said yes. We explained that we can explain exactly the difference between feeling the Holy Ghost after and before baptism. But, what she feels right now is only a taste or a glimpse of what she could have. We talked about the Holy Ghost being a gift and that it is free for everyone, but there is a second part of giving a gift... receiving the gift. She took the banana bread and we all ate it. We committed her to baptism and she said that she was still praying about it. We asked her how she felt. She said that she always felt the Spirit when we were here. She didn't take that as an answer. We asked her to pray about baptism in front of us at the end of the lesson and she did. She still said she had to pray about it more. We offered to give her a blessing and she allowed us. We gave her a blessing and then asked her how she felt. She said that she felt such power and warmth and love surround her during the blessing. She said that she still had to pray about baptism! What and experience! The Spirit was so strong and she recognized it every single time! She knows what she needs to do.. but for some reason is still holding back!
Well.. the work is still going forward! Winter is here and now people are really going to be mad when we want to stop and talk to them on the street! Haha it is going to be awesome! This week the President is coming and we are going to be hunting down a Russian Orthodox Priest which we helped with service and see if we can get a meeting with him. We do not have a good relationship with that church in Russia and we are trying to build one! Thank you all for your love and your support and especially for your prayers! I love you all! Remember who you are! :)
Elder Weihing
Friday, December 3, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
I was glad that I was able to call and talk to you guys this week. It was hard to hear about grandpa's death and I needed to hear how things were going. It sounds like everyone is doing fine. I have been praying a lot for grandma and I hope that she is doing better. I can't imagine how she must feel! But, when I get home in a year or so I will take care of her! Obviously I have been thinking a lot about grandpa and all that he taught me and I am starting to come to the conclusion that he taught me at a young age. "When you get bucked off a horse you get back on again." Hard times come, but we always have a choice. We just have to get back on that horse and ride it until the end without any fears or doubts! I am hoping more than ever that I can carry my name with more pride and put extra energy into the work that am given to do. Grandpa would want that from me and I can give him that.
Well, yet another crazy week! We are slowly making progress with about fours investigators, thanks to the Forsyths. We were finally able to meet with Vladimir and Irina, the family, and they loved meeting the Forsyths. This could be a break through with them because the Forsyths bring an amazingly bright spirit with them. Olga, nonmember to an inactive, has also showed tons of progress because of their help! It is amazing to see how much more inspiration and bewilderment she gets from seeing a Senior Couple instead of us young Elders. She has really shown interest in feeling the Holy Ghost and really trying to recognize those feelings that God gives to her. We made a diary and wrote our testimonies in it and gave it to her to start taking note of those special experiences that she has. We are hoping this will help her to more quickly get an answer to baptism. Olessa has started praying about baptism as well. She is getting married soon and is planning on bringing her future husband to church next week! She has a problem with smoking so that is our next crossroad with her! She is a very inspirational young lady who grew up an orphan and has traveled poor all around russia finally settling in a small town and now has found the church! The people you meet in russia!
Well, it is finally starting to snow and get freezing cold here! Time to bust out the winter jacket and hit the streets! It is hard to talk in the cold, not only will we have bad accents but now bad accents and stumbled frozen words. well the week has been good and I am looking forward to see that we can get accomplished this week! Thanks for the prayers! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Я люоблю вас
Well, yet another crazy week! We are slowly making progress with about fours investigators, thanks to the Forsyths. We were finally able to meet with Vladimir and Irina, the family, and they loved meeting the Forsyths. This could be a break through with them because the Forsyths bring an amazingly bright spirit with them. Olga, nonmember to an inactive, has also showed tons of progress because of their help! It is amazing to see how much more inspiration and bewilderment she gets from seeing a Senior Couple instead of us young Elders. She has really shown interest in feeling the Holy Ghost and really trying to recognize those feelings that God gives to her. We made a diary and wrote our testimonies in it and gave it to her to start taking note of those special experiences that she has. We are hoping this will help her to more quickly get an answer to baptism. Olessa has started praying about baptism as well. She is getting married soon and is planning on bringing her future husband to church next week! She has a problem with smoking so that is our next crossroad with her! She is a very inspirational young lady who grew up an orphan and has traveled poor all around russia finally settling in a small town and now has found the church! The people you meet in russia!
Well, it is finally starting to snow and get freezing cold here! Time to bust out the winter jacket and hit the streets! It is hard to talk in the cold, not only will we have bad accents but now bad accents and stumbled frozen words. well the week has been good and I am looking forward to see that we can get accomplished this week! Thanks for the prayers! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Я люоблю вас
Monday, November 15, 2010
Grandpa Bailey
Early on Monday morning November 15, 2010, Kenneth Rone Bailey (grandpa) passed away. Kenneth is named after his grandpa and was even born a day after his grandpa's birthday. Kenneth had a very close relationship with his grandpa and will miss him very much. We are all so grateful that families can be together forever!
From Dad about Grandpa Bailey
This experience has been a testimony builder for me knowing that God really does live and knows the feelings of our hearts. We finally emailed Elder Weihing telling him of Grandpa Baileys medical condition. He was very close to his grandfather and talked about doing things together when he returned home. Many of his family came to visit him yesterday prior to his passing. He passed 11/15/10 sometime between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m. Note that this email was sent to Kenneth Rone Bailey at 12:24 a.m. I'm sure an added angel from Heaven will now help in Moscow, Russia. We are comforted that someone will be helping him.
--Kam (Dad)
--Kam (Dad)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Thank you for the letter about Grandpa. I am really glad that you told me finally. I sent him a letter that I would like you to read to him. It was hard because I really didn't know what to say, I took about and hour and a half to write it. Of course it is really hard for me to take that grandpa is going to move on soon but I know that things will be better on the other side for him and I know that I will see him again someday. Just tell him how much I love him. He is my best friend.
So, other than that I don't really have much news for the week. We just worked and worked. We are really busy especially with the Forsyths here. We have to help them out a lot with getting acquainted with everything. They have been a great help already and can't imagine how much more success we are going to have with them. We will probably be setting 2 dates of baptisms and having 2 baptisms within the month. This areas has been dead for the past year and a half and if we can get 2 baptisms it will be a miracle! We have a goal to get at least one by the end of the year. We have been working hard and I know that the Lord will reward us for our commitment and dedication. Well, Thanksgiving is coming up! I hope you all enjoy it! I think we will be having a small one ourselves with the Forsyths and some investigators and member! Thanks for the love and support. I love you! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
я вас люблю
So, other than that I don't really have much news for the week. We just worked and worked. We are really busy especially with the Forsyths here. We have to help them out a lot with getting acquainted with everything. They have been a great help already and can't imagine how much more success we are going to have with them. We will probably be setting 2 dates of baptisms and having 2 baptisms within the month. This areas has been dead for the past year and a half and if we can get 2 baptisms it will be a miracle! We have a goal to get at least one by the end of the year. We have been working hard and I know that the Lord will reward us for our commitment and dedication. Well, Thanksgiving is coming up! I hope you all enjoy it! I think we will be having a small one ourselves with the Forsyths and some investigators and member! Thanks for the love and support. I love you! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
я вас люблю
To Grandpa
Monday, November 15, 2010
To My Best Friend whom I will always love and never forget!
Mom and Dad finally gave me the update about you today. It seems like we wont be having another root beer float together or eating KFC. I'll make you a deal... I will work 5 times for free if... no I am just kidding. I am not going to tell you that I am not sad, I have been sitting in the internet cafe crying my way through these letters and my companion is just staring at me thinking I have gone mad or something. Grandpa, I really just want to tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me! The hard part is that I don't know how I can explain that in words. I pray that you will just feel it. You are, have been, and always will be my best friend! I carry your name! I grew up with you and learned almost everything I know from you! I learned hard work and how to be stubborn!
I think about you everyday grandpa. I know that I will probably not get to see you again in this life and I just want to say thank you for all that you have done for me! You are my greatest example and I hope that I can carry our name worthily and become half of the man that you are! I love you so much and don't even know what else to say. I do miss you and I will always miss you. I know that you will be with me always. I will try so hard to make you proud. Thank you again and I love you so much!
Love,
Elder Kenneth Rone Weihing
Mom and Dad finally gave me the update about you today. It seems like we wont be having another root beer float together or eating KFC. I'll make you a deal... I will work 5 times for free if... no I am just kidding. I am not going to tell you that I am not sad, I have been sitting in the internet cafe crying my way through these letters and my companion is just staring at me thinking I have gone mad or something. Grandpa, I really just want to tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me! The hard part is that I don't know how I can explain that in words. I pray that you will just feel it. You are, have been, and always will be my best friend! I carry your name! I grew up with you and learned almost everything I know from you! I learned hard work and how to be stubborn!
I think about you everyday grandpa. I know that I will probably not get to see you again in this life and I just want to say thank you for all that you have done for me! You are my greatest example and I hope that I can carry our name worthily and become half of the man that you are! I love you so much and don't even know what else to say. I do miss you and I will always miss you. I know that you will be with me always. I will try so hard to make you proud. Thank you again and I love you so much!
Love,
Elder Kenneth Rone Weihing
Monday, November 8, 2010
Subject: Hello Family
It's only been a few days since I last sent a letter, President Wooley changed P-Day from Thursday to Monday no I will be writing home every Monday!
The past few days Elder Smith and I have been in Moscow for Zone conference, Zone Leadership Council, and for elder Smith to do a Visa Trip. It was the first time that I have been on my mission when I have been at a Zone Conference with all of the missionaries there! (Usually Zone Conference is just given to a few Zones at a time at different times throughout the transfer) It was so cool to see the whole mission! I got to see Elder Nutt and Elder Bybee and all of my good friends. At Zone Conference we talked a lot about different ways of contacting and about Agency. Zone Conference is always a good source of inspiration to keep you going for the next transfer!!
Well we now have an Elder Couple serving in Yaroslavl! Yay! They are awesome! Their name is Forsyth and they are from some city in Washington. They are a very young Elderly Couple about 50 years old and are very active and excited to be here! It has been crazy having them here for the past two days because they obviously have no idea what is going on or where anything is so we have had to be with them every step of the way. Today we are going to bee looking for an apartment for them. Yesterday was a very tiring day with them because I had to translate for them for 4 strait hours and no break! Talk about an intense migraine!
Unfortunately we have only been traveling since we last talked so we have not really met with any investigators so there is no new updates with them. But, the Forsyth's have some great ideas for getting the fire going in this city! Elder Forsyth went to Venezuela on his mission and was there right went amazing things started happening and missionary work started going crazy and he has brought some fire here to Russia and is excited to add to the work. We are excited to have them and I can't wait to see what cool things we come up with! Haha our new motto that he has taken from Gordon B. Hinckley is, "Maybe it is impossible, but we are going to do it anyways!" Haha I think that is a good inspirational motto.
Well I hope you have a great week and I will talk to you next Monday! :) Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
It's only been a few days since I last sent a letter, President Wooley changed P-Day from Thursday to Monday no I will be writing home every Monday!
The past few days Elder Smith and I have been in Moscow for Zone conference, Zone Leadership Council, and for elder Smith to do a Visa Trip. It was the first time that I have been on my mission when I have been at a Zone Conference with all of the missionaries there! (Usually Zone Conference is just given to a few Zones at a time at different times throughout the transfer) It was so cool to see the whole mission! I got to see Elder Nutt and Elder Bybee and all of my good friends. At Zone Conference we talked a lot about different ways of contacting and about Agency. Zone Conference is always a good source of inspiration to keep you going for the next transfer!!
Well we now have an Elder Couple serving in Yaroslavl! Yay! They are awesome! Their name is Forsyth and they are from some city in Washington. They are a very young Elderly Couple about 50 years old and are very active and excited to be here! It has been crazy having them here for the past two days because they obviously have no idea what is going on or where anything is so we have had to be with them every step of the way. Today we are going to bee looking for an apartment for them. Yesterday was a very tiring day with them because I had to translate for them for 4 strait hours and no break! Talk about an intense migraine!
Unfortunately we have only been traveling since we last talked so we have not really met with any investigators so there is no new updates with them. But, the Forsyth's have some great ideas for getting the fire going in this city! Elder Forsyth went to Venezuela on his mission and was there right went amazing things started happening and missionary work started going crazy and he has brought some fire here to Russia and is excited to add to the work. We are excited to have them and I can't wait to see what cool things we come up with! Haha our new motto that he has taken from Gordon B. Hinckley is, "Maybe it is impossible, but we are going to do it anyways!" Haha I think that is a good inspirational motto.
Well I hope you have a great week and I will talk to you next Monday! :) Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Subject: Happy Halloween from Russia!
Wow what a week! It started out with the Talent Show... it went great! We had around 30 people show up, which the Branch President couldn't believe, and everyone loved it! Elder Smith and I did a lot of crazy weird talents which made it a lot of fun and a lot of other people participated. I have some video of it all and maybe a few pictures so I will see what I can do to get it all on a disk and sent out to you! This was our Halloween celebration! I hope you guys had a lot of fun on Halloween too!
The day after the Talent Show we went out to one of our three cities that we are over, Ribinsk, and did the first ever English Club there. Not many people came, but after the English Club we were able to teach a few lessons to a few people interested and now we have two new investigators and two new potential investigators. One of the new investigators, Olessa, is very interested and even traveled an hour and a half away just to come to church on Sunday and see what we are all about. She is really interested!
On Sunday Elder Smith and I were able to teach a lesson and then we committed all of the members to start a 40 day fast with us about missionary work. They have done this in other missions and it has been very productive. What we do is we take for days and one members a day fasts for missionary work. Well, since we don't have may members each member will probably fast about 2 or three times, but it will be a great help I think! We set good goals on the fast and now we have things to shoot for.
Sunday night we left for Tver to go on splits and do a baptismal interview there. Haha, when we got to Tver Elder Smith was sick and he couldn't do any work so I went on splits with the missionaries. It was a fun time and I was able to see one of my friends from Kazakhstan who just barley got transferred back to Russia. Well Monday night we left and traveled all night through Moscow and then we got back on Tuesday.
Haha so now we have been in Yaroslavl for two days and we cram packed those two days full of lessons with all of our investigators because tomorrow or maybe even tonight we have to go back to Moscow because we have Zone Conference and then Saturday Elder Smith has a Visa trip and then Sunday we get a new Elderly Couple that is going to be coming to Yaroslavl with us! Wow what a week! A lot of traveling! I hope things settle down soon so we can get some real work done IN OUR OWN CITY!
Well I love you all! Remember who you are and thank you for all of the love and support!
Elder Weihing :)
Wow what a week! It started out with the Talent Show... it went great! We had around 30 people show up, which the Branch President couldn't believe, and everyone loved it! Elder Smith and I did a lot of crazy weird talents which made it a lot of fun and a lot of other people participated. I have some video of it all and maybe a few pictures so I will see what I can do to get it all on a disk and sent out to you! This was our Halloween celebration! I hope you guys had a lot of fun on Halloween too!
The day after the Talent Show we went out to one of our three cities that we are over, Ribinsk, and did the first ever English Club there. Not many people came, but after the English Club we were able to teach a few lessons to a few people interested and now we have two new investigators and two new potential investigators. One of the new investigators, Olessa, is very interested and even traveled an hour and a half away just to come to church on Sunday and see what we are all about. She is really interested!
On Sunday Elder Smith and I were able to teach a lesson and then we committed all of the members to start a 40 day fast with us about missionary work. They have done this in other missions and it has been very productive. What we do is we take for days and one members a day fasts for missionary work. Well, since we don't have may members each member will probably fast about 2 or three times, but it will be a great help I think! We set good goals on the fast and now we have things to shoot for.
Sunday night we left for Tver to go on splits and do a baptismal interview there. Haha, when we got to Tver Elder Smith was sick and he couldn't do any work so I went on splits with the missionaries. It was a fun time and I was able to see one of my friends from Kazakhstan who just barley got transferred back to Russia. Well Monday night we left and traveled all night through Moscow and then we got back on Tuesday.
Haha so now we have been in Yaroslavl for two days and we cram packed those two days full of lessons with all of our investigators because tomorrow or maybe even tonight we have to go back to Moscow because we have Zone Conference and then Saturday Elder Smith has a Visa trip and then Sunday we get a new Elderly Couple that is going to be coming to Yaroslavl with us! Wow what a week! A lot of traveling! I hope things settle down soon so we can get some real work done IN OUR OWN CITY!
Well I love you all! Remember who you are and thank you for all of the love and support!
Elder Weihing :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Subject: :) Hello Everyone!
Well I am still alive! Yaraslovl is still great! Elder Smith and I have been realizing how fast time is flying and how much stuff we have coming up. November is going to be a crazy month! We have an Elderly Couple coming to Yaroslovl, we have visa trips, we have splits in other cities to do baptismal interviews, we have leadership training in moscow and Zone Conference! Basically, it is going to be a crazy busy month and before I know it Christmas will be here! Wow time is not on my side!
Well, we tried to set two baptismal dates this past week but they didn't really work out. One person had a good reason and the second one is just scared. The First one was a guy named Sasha. He is a great guy and has been coming to our church for years to study about the mormons. He knows more about the church than most members do. He knows that this is the true church, knows that the Book of Mormon is true, knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and knows that we have a living prophet. But, he has one question he wants answered to we are waiting for President Wooley to come down and answer it for him and he is insisting that he come to church 5 times in a row before he gets baptized. Haha he is a great guy. The seconds name is Olga. She is the wife of a member and is actually more spiritual than the member. She is scared because she knows that baptism is a big decision and isn't something that you should just wake up and decide, she wants to study it out, pray and know from God, and then be baptized if she feels it is right. That is the right way to do it, but the problem is that she wont do it! She wont study, read, and pray! She knows how important it is, but she wont do it. Aka we have got a few delays at the moment and are working out some kinks. We figure there has to be more behind the scene than just her forgetting to do it. Our family is still doing great, their names are Vladimir and Irina. They are having problems with praying to know that our message is true. They don't think that they need to pray and think that as long as they are doing everything that they should and following the commandments then God will lead them in the right direction. That is completely right and we tried to explain that that is why we met, but that still just doesn't cut it for them. They need something else and want more answers to their deep questions. But, I know that when they do finally pray about what we have taught, they will get an answer as long as they are doing it with a sincere heart and ready to act upon the answer that they get! I really want to baptize a family on my mission and obviously that is every missionary's dream! Tomorrow Elder Smith and I also have a talent show that we are putting on and we are praying that people show up! It is going to be so funny and a really good time. We have some funny skits that we are going to do. I will video them and see what I can do about sending them to you :) Well you are an amazing family! Thank you for all of the love and support and prayers! The Church is true! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Well I am still alive! Yaraslovl is still great! Elder Smith and I have been realizing how fast time is flying and how much stuff we have coming up. November is going to be a crazy month! We have an Elderly Couple coming to Yaroslovl, we have visa trips, we have splits in other cities to do baptismal interviews, we have leadership training in moscow and Zone Conference! Basically, it is going to be a crazy busy month and before I know it Christmas will be here! Wow time is not on my side!
Well, we tried to set two baptismal dates this past week but they didn't really work out. One person had a good reason and the second one is just scared. The First one was a guy named Sasha. He is a great guy and has been coming to our church for years to study about the mormons. He knows more about the church than most members do. He knows that this is the true church, knows that the Book of Mormon is true, knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and knows that we have a living prophet. But, he has one question he wants answered to we are waiting for President Wooley to come down and answer it for him and he is insisting that he come to church 5 times in a row before he gets baptized. Haha he is a great guy. The seconds name is Olga. She is the wife of a member and is actually more spiritual than the member. She is scared because she knows that baptism is a big decision and isn't something that you should just wake up and decide, she wants to study it out, pray and know from God, and then be baptized if she feels it is right. That is the right way to do it, but the problem is that she wont do it! She wont study, read, and pray! She knows how important it is, but she wont do it. Aka we have got a few delays at the moment and are working out some kinks. We figure there has to be more behind the scene than just her forgetting to do it. Our family is still doing great, their names are Vladimir and Irina. They are having problems with praying to know that our message is true. They don't think that they need to pray and think that as long as they are doing everything that they should and following the commandments then God will lead them in the right direction. That is completely right and we tried to explain that that is why we met, but that still just doesn't cut it for them. They need something else and want more answers to their deep questions. But, I know that when they do finally pray about what we have taught, they will get an answer as long as they are doing it with a sincere heart and ready to act upon the answer that they get! I really want to baptize a family on my mission and obviously that is every missionary's dream! Tomorrow Elder Smith and I also have a talent show that we are putting on and we are praying that people show up! It is going to be so funny and a really good time. We have some funny skits that we are going to do. I will video them and see what I can do about sending them to you :) Well you are an amazing family! Thank you for all of the love and support and prayers! The Church is true! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Subject: Hey Family
Another week in Mother Russia has come and gone! Since being in Russian I have seen a lot of really interesting things. It truly is remarkable how much of our time is wasted running into drunk people. You never know what you are going to see or happen!
Yaroslavl is great! It is getting really cold really fast! Snow is going to be here within the week I think.
We had a really good lesson with the family that we are teaching, Vladimir and Irina. They have a ton of questions and doubt and so we are working really hard to figure those out with them. This week was a big subject for them! Adam and Eve! A lot of people, at least here in Russia, have a big problem with 2 Nephi 2. Here it talks about opposition in all things is necessary and it talks about Adam and Eve falling was according the plan of God. They have argued and argued with past missionaries about this subject for a long time. So, what I did is get all ready with examples from the Bible. There are many verses that talk about evil and it's existence before the world. It talks about opposition in all things all over in the Bible. So, in short, we read the examples, gave examples and just talked. It was an amazing discussion! They talked about God and him only being good and we agreed with that. They talked about how he created Satan so how could he create something evil. We went back to evil always being there and about how God gives us free agency so Satan chose to be evil, God did not create him evil. In short, we had a very long discussion and then just testified over and over again bringing the spirit into the room. In the end, they couldn't argue with us because we answered every question and Vladimir even said that he is now starting to believe what we have to say! Wow! What an amazing experience! What confidence and knowledge we carry knowing that the spirit will always tell us what to say if we will just be patient and listen and prepare like we should!
So, this is the weird story of the week. Last week a referral was given to us from another city so we went out to find this lady a few days ago. When we got to her house she wasn't there so we just left our information and left. Well, yesterday I got a phone call from a screaming lady telling her that she doesn't want to come to church and that she doesn't want free help with english and all of this crazy stuff and I didn't really understand who it was or what the problem was. I thought that we had just run into her on the street and given her a free invitation, aka I was confused and just kept laughing and saying "It's ok you don't have to come to anything we just gave you an invitation and did sign a written agreement or anything." She got really mad and just yelled and hung up the phone. So, later last night Elder Smith gets a call from the police. Apparently, the lady was scared to death to leave her house because she was afraid that we were following her. So then it all clicked and I understood who had called me earlier that day and so we told the police that we wouldn't bother the lady and that was that. Just a random crazy experience this week. Other than that not too much is going on... we are just working on finding and organizing activities. Elder Smith and I are going to be doing some wacky talents for the talent show coming up. It is going to be pretty fun! Not too much else is going on! We have English Club with about 20 people coming regularly and a Catholic Priest approached us afterward and wants to start taking the lessons from us so that is cool.
I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and letters! You are the best! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Another week in Mother Russia has come and gone! Since being in Russian I have seen a lot of really interesting things. It truly is remarkable how much of our time is wasted running into drunk people. You never know what you are going to see or happen!
Yaroslavl is great! It is getting really cold really fast! Snow is going to be here within the week I think.
We had a really good lesson with the family that we are teaching, Vladimir and Irina. They have a ton of questions and doubt and so we are working really hard to figure those out with them. This week was a big subject for them! Adam and Eve! A lot of people, at least here in Russia, have a big problem with 2 Nephi 2. Here it talks about opposition in all things is necessary and it talks about Adam and Eve falling was according the plan of God. They have argued and argued with past missionaries about this subject for a long time. So, what I did is get all ready with examples from the Bible. There are many verses that talk about evil and it's existence before the world. It talks about opposition in all things all over in the Bible. So, in short, we read the examples, gave examples and just talked. It was an amazing discussion! They talked about God and him only being good and we agreed with that. They talked about how he created Satan so how could he create something evil. We went back to evil always being there and about how God gives us free agency so Satan chose to be evil, God did not create him evil. In short, we had a very long discussion and then just testified over and over again bringing the spirit into the room. In the end, they couldn't argue with us because we answered every question and Vladimir even said that he is now starting to believe what we have to say! Wow! What an amazing experience! What confidence and knowledge we carry knowing that the spirit will always tell us what to say if we will just be patient and listen and prepare like we should!
So, this is the weird story of the week. Last week a referral was given to us from another city so we went out to find this lady a few days ago. When we got to her house she wasn't there so we just left our information and left. Well, yesterday I got a phone call from a screaming lady telling her that she doesn't want to come to church and that she doesn't want free help with english and all of this crazy stuff and I didn't really understand who it was or what the problem was. I thought that we had just run into her on the street and given her a free invitation, aka I was confused and just kept laughing and saying "It's ok you don't have to come to anything we just gave you an invitation and did sign a written agreement or anything." She got really mad and just yelled and hung up the phone. So, later last night Elder Smith gets a call from the police. Apparently, the lady was scared to death to leave her house because she was afraid that we were following her. So then it all clicked and I understood who had called me earlier that day and so we told the police that we wouldn't bother the lady and that was that. Just a random crazy experience this week. Other than that not too much is going on... we are just working on finding and organizing activities. Elder Smith and I are going to be doing some wacky talents for the talent show coming up. It is going to be pretty fun! Not too much else is going on! We have English Club with about 20 people coming regularly and a Catholic Priest approached us afterward and wants to start taking the lessons from us so that is cool.
I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and letters! You are the best! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Hello Everyone!
Wow! I can't believe that it has already been one year! Time really has flown by and now I am even more nervous because I know this next year is going to be going by faster than the first! I am so grateful for the experiences that I have had in this short year and especially for the things that I have learned. I really feel like I am a completely different person. It is amazing how much you can change in such a short time... before it was all about being with friends and laying back and relaxing. Now, I have concrete goals and barely get a time to rest. This has even caused my thinking process to completely change. How can I help this person? What are we going to be doing next? What should I ask this person? What should we teach? How can I become more like Christ? Should I turn left or right? What does this member need or this investigator need? Is this breaking a rule? What principle of the gospel does that relate to? How do I translate that into Russian? LIFE IS NOW FULL OF QUESTIONS! I have never thought like this in my entire life! I love it! Especially when I get answers to my questions! I love my mission!! :) Now one has been blessed more than I have!
Elder Smith and I had some good successful work this week. We found out that Irina, the investigator made for Elder Smith to teach, has already finished reading the Book of Mormon! She just has a few habits to get rid of and we have some things to teach her and I think that she will be ready for baptism. We also started teaching a family of four yesterday. They are amazing! That is one of my goals on my mission, to baptize a family, and I really am praying about this family! They are amazing! I will tell you about our lesson with them later in this letter. We have an investigator who has been coming for a very long time. He probably knows the Book of Mormon better than I do and the history of the Church better than anyone in Yaroslavl, but he has still not been baptized. His excuses include getting an answer from God about some questions or that he has service in the Catholic Church right now and he needs to wait until that is done. Honestly, I think it is because he drinks and smokes and doesn't know how to quit. But, he has been an eternal investigator and I am tired of eternal investigators after Nona so I am going to work my butt of with him! These people know that things are true but they refuse to take the one step that will bring them more happiness than they know... not understandable to me!! Elder Smith is a crazy guy! I am going to have some crazy stories to tell you about him when we get home! He is just.... funny!! We have been working hard and getting this city and Branch alive! But, all we can do is work and have faith that God will work with the hearts of these people through us! The work is amazing!!
Well, here is the story for the week! So, these is this couple by the name of Vladimir and Irina who sometimes come to church. Interestingly enough, Elder Malanin found them, my companion in Kazakhstan whose brother died. But, the only reason that they come to church, when they do, is because their kids love our church and always want to come here. They are members of another church here in Russia, I forgot what it is called. While I have been here in Yaroslavl they never came to church. Buy, finally last Sunday they came and I was able to really befriend them pretty well and set up a family home evening with them for last night. So, last night we went over to there house. We started out by playing "Don't Eat Pete", which even my companion had never heard of. In short, everyone loved it because it is full of candy and good stuff like that. We also made them cookies which we ate after the lesson. The lesson was great! We talked about the Plan of Salvation! They have been coming for long enough that of course they knew it pretty well, but they had tons of questions about it that they had never asked! We were able to answer most of their questions and even give them proofs from the Bible, which they believe in, to back up the plan. Then Vladimir told us his conversion story to his church that they are apart of right now. He said he was living in another city in Russia and he had been praying and praying so hard to find the truth and he didn't know what to do. Then, one day he was just walking on the street and someone random person just grabbed his shoulder and dragged him into a church to hear a discussion that was going on. He went in and was very interested in the discussion, he took that as a sign from God. Then he asked, "Why would God give me that answer and not lead me to your Church?" What do you say to a question like that? I had had this happen many more times on my mission and honestly speaking I have wondered the same thing myself. If people are honestly asking and seeking for truth why does God lead them somewhere else? It is a legit question! But, I just said the first thing that came to my mind.. "maybe you weren't ready. God gives a little here and a little there to help us grow. Maybe he was preparing you for this message. It is a like giving a new born baby meat... you can't do that. You have to give them milk and then slowly prepare them for more foods." He took that as a really legit answer and really started pondering and thinking about it. I could tell it really helped him and I know that if they will pray, like we committed them to do, they will know that this is what God has been preparing them for! It was a great lesson and the spirit was so strong! We could have spent hours just sitting there and talking about the Plan of Salvation and answering their questions!
Well I love you all! Thank you for the love and support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Wow! I can't believe that it has already been one year! Time really has flown by and now I am even more nervous because I know this next year is going to be going by faster than the first! I am so grateful for the experiences that I have had in this short year and especially for the things that I have learned. I really feel like I am a completely different person. It is amazing how much you can change in such a short time... before it was all about being with friends and laying back and relaxing. Now, I have concrete goals and barely get a time to rest. This has even caused my thinking process to completely change. How can I help this person? What are we going to be doing next? What should I ask this person? What should we teach? How can I become more like Christ? Should I turn left or right? What does this member need or this investigator need? Is this breaking a rule? What principle of the gospel does that relate to? How do I translate that into Russian? LIFE IS NOW FULL OF QUESTIONS! I have never thought like this in my entire life! I love it! Especially when I get answers to my questions! I love my mission!! :) Now one has been blessed more than I have!
Elder Smith and I had some good successful work this week. We found out that Irina, the investigator made for Elder Smith to teach, has already finished reading the Book of Mormon! She just has a few habits to get rid of and we have some things to teach her and I think that she will be ready for baptism. We also started teaching a family of four yesterday. They are amazing! That is one of my goals on my mission, to baptize a family, and I really am praying about this family! They are amazing! I will tell you about our lesson with them later in this letter. We have an investigator who has been coming for a very long time. He probably knows the Book of Mormon better than I do and the history of the Church better than anyone in Yaroslavl, but he has still not been baptized. His excuses include getting an answer from God about some questions or that he has service in the Catholic Church right now and he needs to wait until that is done. Honestly, I think it is because he drinks and smokes and doesn't know how to quit. But, he has been an eternal investigator and I am tired of eternal investigators after Nona so I am going to work my butt of with him! These people know that things are true but they refuse to take the one step that will bring them more happiness than they know... not understandable to me!! Elder Smith is a crazy guy! I am going to have some crazy stories to tell you about him when we get home! He is just.... funny!! We have been working hard and getting this city and Branch alive! But, all we can do is work and have faith that God will work with the hearts of these people through us! The work is amazing!!
Well, here is the story for the week! So, these is this couple by the name of Vladimir and Irina who sometimes come to church. Interestingly enough, Elder Malanin found them, my companion in Kazakhstan whose brother died. But, the only reason that they come to church, when they do, is because their kids love our church and always want to come here. They are members of another church here in Russia, I forgot what it is called. While I have been here in Yaroslavl they never came to church. Buy, finally last Sunday they came and I was able to really befriend them pretty well and set up a family home evening with them for last night. So, last night we went over to there house. We started out by playing "Don't Eat Pete", which even my companion had never heard of. In short, everyone loved it because it is full of candy and good stuff like that. We also made them cookies which we ate after the lesson. The lesson was great! We talked about the Plan of Salvation! They have been coming for long enough that of course they knew it pretty well, but they had tons of questions about it that they had never asked! We were able to answer most of their questions and even give them proofs from the Bible, which they believe in, to back up the plan. Then Vladimir told us his conversion story to his church that they are apart of right now. He said he was living in another city in Russia and he had been praying and praying so hard to find the truth and he didn't know what to do. Then, one day he was just walking on the street and someone random person just grabbed his shoulder and dragged him into a church to hear a discussion that was going on. He went in and was very interested in the discussion, he took that as a sign from God. Then he asked, "Why would God give me that answer and not lead me to your Church?" What do you say to a question like that? I had had this happen many more times on my mission and honestly speaking I have wondered the same thing myself. If people are honestly asking and seeking for truth why does God lead them somewhere else? It is a legit question! But, I just said the first thing that came to my mind.. "maybe you weren't ready. God gives a little here and a little there to help us grow. Maybe he was preparing you for this message. It is a like giving a new born baby meat... you can't do that. You have to give them milk and then slowly prepare them for more foods." He took that as a really legit answer and really started pondering and thinking about it. I could tell it really helped him and I know that if they will pray, like we committed them to do, they will know that this is what God has been preparing them for! It was a great lesson and the spirit was so strong! We could have spent hours just sitting there and talking about the Plan of Salvation and answering their questions!
Well I love you all! Thank you for the love and support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Hello from Yaraslovl!
Well first and most important... it is getting dang cold here and fast! I can't imagine what winter is going to be like when there is snow on the ground! It has been raining a few times everyday and that coldness plus the rain has caused some cautions in the work. When people have to switch from the warm to the cold here in Russia it is like a Holiday.. they kinda of just take a few days off and don't do anything, that has made contacting a lot of fun! Only drunks have been on the street lately and experiences with them are a little less than miraculous!
Elder Smith and I went to Smolenks and worked with the Elders there. It was great to see Elder Bybee! But, I went on splits with his companion, Elder Hasbulen. Haha Elder Hasbulen is a semi pro basketball player here in Russia. In short, our day of service together was BALLIN! I really feel like this Zone that I am apart of is the best Zone in our mission. We have amazing dedicated missionaries. President Wooley gave us a commitment to give out 10 Books of Mormon a week and every single companionship in our Zone did that last week. We are the BOMB!
Elder Smith and I are still in finding mode! We are trying to show our faith by searching and hunting and at the same time keep up the Branch. We are trying to get to the core of the problem with the branch president and see what we can do. We are working to organize activities such as a sports day, family home evening, english club, and maybe a random food night where we can get together with investigators and members just for fun. We have good ideas for Yaroslavl!
Elder Smith and I also went to a school this week to help kids with English (our investigator is the teacher). It was awesome! Irina, our investigator, explained that it was these childrens first time ever seeing an American. Haha they were about 13 years old. They were all so scared!! It was so funny for me to see. We had to sing the National Anthem for them, which didn't go over so great. Overall, it was a fun experience though.
We also helped a member family move yesterday. I know that we have moved quite a few times, but here moving is so much worse! This family moved from an apartment on the seventh floor without elevators to an apartment on the fourth floor without elevators! It was a good workout!
The week has been pretty slow and it is finally getting cold! Pray for me and my companion to find those whom the Lord has chosen and prepared to find our message! Pray for the branch and especially for the Branch President, President Vanaev! I love you all! Remember who you are! :)
Elder Weihing
Well first and most important... it is getting dang cold here and fast! I can't imagine what winter is going to be like when there is snow on the ground! It has been raining a few times everyday and that coldness plus the rain has caused some cautions in the work. When people have to switch from the warm to the cold here in Russia it is like a Holiday.. they kinda of just take a few days off and don't do anything, that has made contacting a lot of fun! Only drunks have been on the street lately and experiences with them are a little less than miraculous!
Elder Smith and I went to Smolenks and worked with the Elders there. It was great to see Elder Bybee! But, I went on splits with his companion, Elder Hasbulen. Haha Elder Hasbulen is a semi pro basketball player here in Russia. In short, our day of service together was BALLIN! I really feel like this Zone that I am apart of is the best Zone in our mission. We have amazing dedicated missionaries. President Wooley gave us a commitment to give out 10 Books of Mormon a week and every single companionship in our Zone did that last week. We are the BOMB!
Elder Smith and I are still in finding mode! We are trying to show our faith by searching and hunting and at the same time keep up the Branch. We are trying to get to the core of the problem with the branch president and see what we can do. We are working to organize activities such as a sports day, family home evening, english club, and maybe a random food night where we can get together with investigators and members just for fun. We have good ideas for Yaroslavl!
Elder Smith and I also went to a school this week to help kids with English (our investigator is the teacher). It was awesome! Irina, our investigator, explained that it was these childrens first time ever seeing an American. Haha they were about 13 years old. They were all so scared!! It was so funny for me to see. We had to sing the National Anthem for them, which didn't go over so great. Overall, it was a fun experience though.
We also helped a member family move yesterday. I know that we have moved quite a few times, but here moving is so much worse! This family moved from an apartment on the seventh floor without elevators to an apartment on the fourth floor without elevators! It was a good workout!
The week has been pretty slow and it is finally getting cold! Pray for me and my companion to find those whom the Lord has chosen and prepared to find our message! Pray for the branch and especially for the Branch President, President Vanaev! I love you all! Remember who you are! :)
Elder Weihing
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Subject: Hello Family and Friends!
Elder Smith and I have not even been in the city for a week and we already have to leave! Today we are headed out to Smolensk to do splits we the Elder's there. It is a huge waste of time but we have to do it! It will be a whole day trip there, we will work with them tomorrow, and then we will travel all night Friday to get back on Saturday and work here. I am just starting to understand what they meant when they told me that this zone is the most spread out in our mission! But, I am excited to work in Smolensk because I will see my good old friend Elder Bybee! That will be fun. :)
Well I went to church last Sunday and it seems like they called me to be the 2nd Councilor in the Branch Presidency. Haha they didn't even really asked me and kind of just called me to that position. There is a lot of work to do in the Branch! They young people are awesome and actually help us out on almost every aspect of the work, We basically have a member on every lesson and that is ideal! But, other than the young people the branch is falling apart because it seems like there are some hard feelings about the Branch President. Haha I have found out that even adults can be little children and get offended about the dumbest things... so offended that they leave the church! I hope we can figure out ways to get them back!
Right now we are in hardcore finding mode. We don't have many solid investigators. The weather isn't helping us much because it is getting cold and starting to rain and probably snow soon.. but it is time to show some faith and get to work! We worked hard this week and gave a lot of Books of Mormon and got a lot of contacts and so I hope we can just keep it up when we get back from Smolensk!
I have on experience that I want to share this week but to understand it you have to understand my companion... but, before I explain my companion I have to tell you that I love him and that he is amazing because it is going to seem like I am insulting him even though I really am not. Elder Smith is a small town kid from Vernal, Utah who has been sheltered his whole life. He is shorter than me and about twice my size. He has had a rough mission because he came out weighing about 300 lbs and had to deal with a lot of mean companions and mean russians. He dealt with trunky companions who didn't do anything but watch movies or sit at home all day. He has had a lot to deal with! So this all had quite the toll on his Russian. He doesn't speak the best Russian. Elder Smith is very talkative and hilarious. He has a hard time staying on subject and our lessons really do not make sense a lot of the time to me and I think to our Investigators. But, Our investigators love him! He has put up with a lot and will be going home in less than six months... anyways that is my companion. He is an amazing guy and I love serving with him! He has helped me gain so much joy in this work!
So now the experience... this experience helped my testimony grow on how there are certain missionaries chosen for certain people! We have this investigators named Irina. She is an older lady and speaks ok english. She has met with the elders for awhile and hasn't really talked about the gospel with them. Well, Elder Smith and I decided that it was time and she came to church. After church she had a ton of questions so we set up a meeting to talk about the questions she had. At the meeting she had crazy questions about God and life and death and everything... the lesson was crazy! We ended up teaching the Plan of Salvation and part of the Restoration and about prayer and faith and who is God and it was just all over the place!!! Elder Smith was just teaching everywhere, going in and out of English and Russian, and honestly speaking to me it was not understandable at all... I was so confused! But I went with it anyways just to see where things would go. Our investigator loved it! She got very interested and started asking more and more questions and promised to come to church again and even to pray about baptism! The spirit was so strong! When Elder Smith and I got home we were so hyper that we couldn't even go to bed. Haha it was amazing... I can't even fully explain the experience! All I know is that that investigators was chosen for Elder Smith and no one else could have opened her up! It doesn't matter the crazy attributes that we have, those crazy attributes are what can open certain people up and get them thinking and pondering. This is exactly what happened in this situation. This Church is true! Our callings are from God and there are people out there specifically for us!
Well, that was my experience for the week I hope you all liked it! I hope you all have a great week! I love you! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Elder Smith and I have not even been in the city for a week and we already have to leave! Today we are headed out to Smolensk to do splits we the Elder's there. It is a huge waste of time but we have to do it! It will be a whole day trip there, we will work with them tomorrow, and then we will travel all night Friday to get back on Saturday and work here. I am just starting to understand what they meant when they told me that this zone is the most spread out in our mission! But, I am excited to work in Smolensk because I will see my good old friend Elder Bybee! That will be fun. :)
Well I went to church last Sunday and it seems like they called me to be the 2nd Councilor in the Branch Presidency. Haha they didn't even really asked me and kind of just called me to that position. There is a lot of work to do in the Branch! They young people are awesome and actually help us out on almost every aspect of the work, We basically have a member on every lesson and that is ideal! But, other than the young people the branch is falling apart because it seems like there are some hard feelings about the Branch President. Haha I have found out that even adults can be little children and get offended about the dumbest things... so offended that they leave the church! I hope we can figure out ways to get them back!
Right now we are in hardcore finding mode. We don't have many solid investigators. The weather isn't helping us much because it is getting cold and starting to rain and probably snow soon.. but it is time to show some faith and get to work! We worked hard this week and gave a lot of Books of Mormon and got a lot of contacts and so I hope we can just keep it up when we get back from Smolensk!
I have on experience that I want to share this week but to understand it you have to understand my companion... but, before I explain my companion I have to tell you that I love him and that he is amazing because it is going to seem like I am insulting him even though I really am not. Elder Smith is a small town kid from Vernal, Utah who has been sheltered his whole life. He is shorter than me and about twice my size. He has had a rough mission because he came out weighing about 300 lbs and had to deal with a lot of mean companions and mean russians. He dealt with trunky companions who didn't do anything but watch movies or sit at home all day. He has had a lot to deal with! So this all had quite the toll on his Russian. He doesn't speak the best Russian. Elder Smith is very talkative and hilarious. He has a hard time staying on subject and our lessons really do not make sense a lot of the time to me and I think to our Investigators. But, Our investigators love him! He has put up with a lot and will be going home in less than six months... anyways that is my companion. He is an amazing guy and I love serving with him! He has helped me gain so much joy in this work!
So now the experience... this experience helped my testimony grow on how there are certain missionaries chosen for certain people! We have this investigators named Irina. She is an older lady and speaks ok english. She has met with the elders for awhile and hasn't really talked about the gospel with them. Well, Elder Smith and I decided that it was time and she came to church. After church she had a ton of questions so we set up a meeting to talk about the questions she had. At the meeting she had crazy questions about God and life and death and everything... the lesson was crazy! We ended up teaching the Plan of Salvation and part of the Restoration and about prayer and faith and who is God and it was just all over the place!!! Elder Smith was just teaching everywhere, going in and out of English and Russian, and honestly speaking to me it was not understandable at all... I was so confused! But I went with it anyways just to see where things would go. Our investigator loved it! She got very interested and started asking more and more questions and promised to come to church again and even to pray about baptism! The spirit was so strong! When Elder Smith and I got home we were so hyper that we couldn't even go to bed. Haha it was amazing... I can't even fully explain the experience! All I know is that that investigators was chosen for Elder Smith and no one else could have opened her up! It doesn't matter the crazy attributes that we have, those crazy attributes are what can open certain people up and get them thinking and pondering. This is exactly what happened in this situation. This Church is true! Our callings are from God and there are people out there specifically for us!
Well, that was my experience for the week I hope you all liked it! I hope you all have a great week! I love you! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Letter from President Wooley
Mission President’s Letter
September 2, 2010
Dear Elders and Sisters,
Last week we completed all the training for the new Preach My Gospel training materials we received from the Missionary Department. A few of you have sent me emails indicating that the role-playing has been helpful, and that you have using some of the techniques discussed such as asking inspired questions and listening carefully to what the investigator is saying. I hope and pray that this training will be a great blessing to all of you.
Last month there were 8 convert baptisms in the mission. A few of those were the direct result of the missionaries being more bold in inviting people to be baptized. This is the highest number since last February, when there were also 8. Remember that baptism is only just a step along the way in the conversion process. Many of these new members have only a small understanding of the Gospel and of how their lives will change over the coming years. It is very important that you work with these new converts and continue to teach them. Do all that you can to help them be integrated into their branch. Now that the Kiev Temple is open, we will be encouraging them to go to the temple soon in order to do baptisms for the dead.
The dedication of the Kiev temple was a great blessing to the saints. We had over 120 people from our mission attend the actual dedication in Kiev. In addition we estimate that another 220 people attended the dedication at chapels in Russia and Kazakhstan. We are hoping that the saints will now start going to the temple in greater numbers and with greater dedication.
During the second week of September our mission will be having a mission tour with Elder Larry Lawrence and his wife. We will be traveling to Belarus, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, and Almaty. We will be having zone conferences where most of the training will be done by Elder Lawrence. This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to tour our mission with a General Authority. I am anxious to show them what great missionaries we have.
Sister Woolley has asked that in preparation for the zone conferences, each of you, for your talk, prepare and practice a short (TWO MINUTES AT MOST!) object lesson presentation using a “liken” structure as suggested by President Boyd K. Packer: ____________ is like ___________ because……. Example: Repentance is like soap because………
Do this for one of the first principles of the gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. No comparison is perfect. But think carefully about the object lesson. For instance, some people have compared sin to making holes in a piece of wood or immorality to a mishandled rose or a “licked” cupcake. These comparisons are doctrinally incorrect because after repentance, the atonement makes up completely any holes or lack of appeal of roses, or cupcakes.
To me, the greatest blessing of being a mission president is to associate with you Elders and Sisters. I am constantly amazed at your testimony, strength, enthusiasm, willingness to do hard thinks, love for your companion and the people, and hard work. The lessons you are learning right now will stay with your for a life-time. You are and will be greatly blessed by the Lord for your sacrifice and diligence. I have great faith in you!!!
Much Love,
President Woolley
September 2, 2010
Dear Elders and Sisters,
Last week we completed all the training for the new Preach My Gospel training materials we received from the Missionary Department. A few of you have sent me emails indicating that the role-playing has been helpful, and that you have using some of the techniques discussed such as asking inspired questions and listening carefully to what the investigator is saying. I hope and pray that this training will be a great blessing to all of you.
Last month there were 8 convert baptisms in the mission. A few of those were the direct result of the missionaries being more bold in inviting people to be baptized. This is the highest number since last February, when there were also 8. Remember that baptism is only just a step along the way in the conversion process. Many of these new members have only a small understanding of the Gospel and of how their lives will change over the coming years. It is very important that you work with these new converts and continue to teach them. Do all that you can to help them be integrated into their branch. Now that the Kiev Temple is open, we will be encouraging them to go to the temple soon in order to do baptisms for the dead.
The dedication of the Kiev temple was a great blessing to the saints. We had over 120 people from our mission attend the actual dedication in Kiev. In addition we estimate that another 220 people attended the dedication at chapels in Russia and Kazakhstan. We are hoping that the saints will now start going to the temple in greater numbers and with greater dedication.
During the second week of September our mission will be having a mission tour with Elder Larry Lawrence and his wife. We will be traveling to Belarus, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, and Almaty. We will be having zone conferences where most of the training will be done by Elder Lawrence. This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to tour our mission with a General Authority. I am anxious to show them what great missionaries we have.
Sister Woolley has asked that in preparation for the zone conferences, each of you, for your talk, prepare and practice a short (TWO MINUTES AT MOST!) object lesson presentation using a “liken” structure as suggested by President Boyd K. Packer: ____________ is like ___________ because……. Example: Repentance is like soap because………
Do this for one of the first principles of the gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. No comparison is perfect. But think carefully about the object lesson. For instance, some people have compared sin to making holes in a piece of wood or immorality to a mishandled rose or a “licked” cupcake. These comparisons are doctrinally incorrect because after repentance, the atonement makes up completely any holes or lack of appeal of roses, or cupcakes.
To me, the greatest blessing of being a mission president is to associate with you Elders and Sisters. I am constantly amazed at your testimony, strength, enthusiasm, willingness to do hard thinks, love for your companion and the people, and hard work. The lessons you are learning right now will stay with your for a life-time. You are and will be greatly blessed by the Lord for your sacrifice and diligence. I have great faith in you!!!
Much Love,
President Woolley
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Subject: Finally in Russia!
Finally in Mother Russia! Well, it has been crazy like always! I got to Yaroslavl on Monday night, we worked in Yaroslavl on Tuesday (which was mainly working with my passport and registration in the city), then Wednesday we woke up really early and left for Moscow where we had a Zone Leaders Council from the Area 70 President Lawrence, and then on Thursday (yesterday) was Zone Conference in Moscow by Elder Lawrence and his wife, and we just got back into town late last night! Crazy nights of no sleep on the train and airplane and nonstop traveling! Russia is a blast! :)
Zone Conference was amazing! We talked about the real future of missionary work, through the members and less actives. We all new that was the best way to do missionary work, but it just took an Area 70 to tell us to get us to start doing it! He also talked about a five step process of exercising faith that I really liked. 1) Have a righteous desire 2)Plead your case with the Lord 3) Bargain with the Lord 4) Expect trials and set backs and 5) DO WORK! I can't wait to start applying these principle to missionary work and to my own personal goals and see what happens. Sister Lawrence is a Scripture Scholar and she had a very interesting talk about The Children of Israel and what it really means to be apart of it. I never really thought about it, embarrassingly enough, but not everyone on the Earth is a Child of Israel, there are the Gentiles! To be apart of these chosen people shows that we were defenders of the faith before this life and it means we are apart of a select few. In fact, we are the best of the best of Gods children! why? God has created many many planets even before he created ours. He has many many children besides those on this planet. And yet, this planet is the most evil and wicked! Why? Because Satan, The Dark Angel, was sent here who is the father of all evil. We are so evil that we even killed our own creator! But, to have the most evil people means that you also have to send the most righteous! We are the front lines and are the most righteous! It was a very inspiring thing for me to think about, that we are part of the brightest of God's Children. We are the chosen ones and were chosen from the beginning because of our faith. Haha sorry I didn't mean to go on preaching and stuff.. it was just really cool realization for me.:)
So, now me and my companion are back in Yaroslavl and can get to work1 My companion is great, he is a fun loving missionary which will make service in a two man city much easier! He has a good desire to work and I feel like we can get a lot done together. Haha I really wish you guys could meet him because he is just crazy and so random, he literally never stops talking and has an endless list of stories to tell. He is from He is from Vernal, Utah and was a sheltered child and is now free so things are fun and crazy!
Well I appreciate the letters and prayers! Thanks for everything! I love you! Remember who you are! All of my letters and packages should go to Moscow now, so I will have to find the address and then I will e-mail it to you! :)
Elder Weihing
Finally in Mother Russia! Well, it has been crazy like always! I got to Yaroslavl on Monday night, we worked in Yaroslavl on Tuesday (which was mainly working with my passport and registration in the city), then Wednesday we woke up really early and left for Moscow where we had a Zone Leaders Council from the Area 70 President Lawrence, and then on Thursday (yesterday) was Zone Conference in Moscow by Elder Lawrence and his wife, and we just got back into town late last night! Crazy nights of no sleep on the train and airplane and nonstop traveling! Russia is a blast! :)
Zone Conference was amazing! We talked about the real future of missionary work, through the members and less actives. We all new that was the best way to do missionary work, but it just took an Area 70 to tell us to get us to start doing it! He also talked about a five step process of exercising faith that I really liked. 1) Have a righteous desire 2)Plead your case with the Lord 3) Bargain with the Lord 4) Expect trials and set backs and 5) DO WORK! I can't wait to start applying these principle to missionary work and to my own personal goals and see what happens. Sister Lawrence is a Scripture Scholar and she had a very interesting talk about The Children of Israel and what it really means to be apart of it. I never really thought about it, embarrassingly enough, but not everyone on the Earth is a Child of Israel, there are the Gentiles! To be apart of these chosen people shows that we were defenders of the faith before this life and it means we are apart of a select few. In fact, we are the best of the best of Gods children! why? God has created many many planets even before he created ours. He has many many children besides those on this planet. And yet, this planet is the most evil and wicked! Why? Because Satan, The Dark Angel, was sent here who is the father of all evil. We are so evil that we even killed our own creator! But, to have the most evil people means that you also have to send the most righteous! We are the front lines and are the most righteous! It was a very inspiring thing for me to think about, that we are part of the brightest of God's Children. We are the chosen ones and were chosen from the beginning because of our faith. Haha sorry I didn't mean to go on preaching and stuff.. it was just really cool realization for me.:)
So, now me and my companion are back in Yaroslavl and can get to work1 My companion is great, he is a fun loving missionary which will make service in a two man city much easier! He has a good desire to work and I feel like we can get a lot done together. Haha I really wish you guys could meet him because he is just crazy and so random, he literally never stops talking and has an endless list of stories to tell. He is from He is from Vernal, Utah and was a sheltered child and is now free so things are fun and crazy!
Well I appreciate the letters and prayers! Thanks for everything! I love you! Remember who you are! All of my letters and packages should go to Moscow now, so I will have to find the address and then I will e-mail it to you! :)
Elder Weihing
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wow! I am so pumped for Jordan right now! That is so cool that he is headed off to Birmingham, England! Of course he is going to England, who is surprised by that call? It is going to be such a good experience for him and the call just fits him. Good job bro I am so proud of you! Keep up the good work & ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! Now is when it gets a little bit tougher, but I know that you are strong and can do it! :)
Well this week I have some news too. I got my first transfer! Haha I have been on my mission almost one year and I am just getting my first transfer. I am going to be leaving Kazakhstan probably on Monday if they can get my Russian Visa figured out and I will be working in a city called Yaraslovl with an Elder Smith. It is only a two man smaller city but has a branch of around 25 members. I really am sad to leave Kazakhstan right now because we have a lot of really good potential and Elder Khusainov and I have been kicking some butt... but if that is where the Lord wants me then that is where I will go. Elder Khusainov and I will have two baptismal dates soon so that is a downer that I am going to miss those baptisms, but oh well. Actually, I was not supposed to get transfered because the transfer was last week, but then President called me and said that he was changing transfers again and that he needed me to leave. He knew that I didn't want to leave and tried to spice it up by telling me that I was going to be a Zone Leader together with Elder Smith and that soon Yaraslovl will be celebrating their 1000th year anniversary as a city. That is all cool, but I will still miss Kazakhstan. On the plus side, it will be a good opportunity to finally get away from my Greenie City and start over. Anyways, GOODBYE KAZAKHSTAN! :( HELLO YARASLOVL :)
We also had the opportunity to attend the first wedding in Kazakhstan since the branch has been started. It was really cool and kind of awkward at the same time.... it doesn't really feel right to be at a wedding on you mission! It was a lot of fun though! The missionaries even preformed at little rap session of Families Can Be Together Forever! Haha it was really fun. There was tons of food and even more people! I have pictures and I will try to send them!
Other than all of that news everything is still the same. Preaching, Teaching, and Searching! The work is great and it is moving along. I hope that I can bring the fire from Kazakhstan to Yaraslovl! :)
Well I love you all! Thanks for the love and support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Well this week I have some news too. I got my first transfer! Haha I have been on my mission almost one year and I am just getting my first transfer. I am going to be leaving Kazakhstan probably on Monday if they can get my Russian Visa figured out and I will be working in a city called Yaraslovl with an Elder Smith. It is only a two man smaller city but has a branch of around 25 members. I really am sad to leave Kazakhstan right now because we have a lot of really good potential and Elder Khusainov and I have been kicking some butt... but if that is where the Lord wants me then that is where I will go. Elder Khusainov and I will have two baptismal dates soon so that is a downer that I am going to miss those baptisms, but oh well. Actually, I was not supposed to get transfered because the transfer was last week, but then President called me and said that he was changing transfers again and that he needed me to leave. He knew that I didn't want to leave and tried to spice it up by telling me that I was going to be a Zone Leader together with Elder Smith and that soon Yaraslovl will be celebrating their 1000th year anniversary as a city. That is all cool, but I will still miss Kazakhstan. On the plus side, it will be a good opportunity to finally get away from my Greenie City and start over. Anyways, GOODBYE KAZAKHSTAN! :( HELLO YARASLOVL :)
We also had the opportunity to attend the first wedding in Kazakhstan since the branch has been started. It was really cool and kind of awkward at the same time.... it doesn't really feel right to be at a wedding on you mission! It was a lot of fun though! The missionaries even preformed at little rap session of Families Can Be Together Forever! Haha it was really fun. There was tons of food and even more people! I have pictures and I will try to send them!
Other than all of that news everything is still the same. Preaching, Teaching, and Searching! The work is great and it is moving along. I hope that I can bring the fire from Kazakhstan to Yaraslovl! :)
Well I love you all! Thanks for the love and support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Hey! This week has been great! Larissa had her baptism and everything went fine. Haha we had a few problems at the service such as the two speakers not showing up and the baptizer being late which caused Larissa to get even more nervous than she already was, but she still went through with it and it was a great experience! I was able to have the opportunity of confirming her a member and giving her the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It was a very special experience for me. I was very nervous, but it is amazing the peace and comfort that God offers during these special ordinances. I really feel like Larissa's conversion had very little to do with the missionaries. All we really did is find her, give her a Book of Mormon, and invite her to church. Everything else that she did and found was according to her own desire and recognition of the Holy Ghost. She is going to be a very strong member and a blessing to ths branch in Almaty!
We also have started teaching Ulan again. He really wants to learn Russian and about that gospel so we are helping him as much and as often as possible. His problem is that he likes faith. I have started to see his faith grow little by little and now I am beginning to see him act on his faith. It is an amazing blessing to be apart of that process of building someones faith. He expressed his desire to us to quit smoking and live the Word of Wisdom but he said it is going to be really hard. He knows his habits are not healthy. So, this week he committed to stop drinking coffee and then little by little we can help him stop smoking and drinking. I think the hardest thing for him will be smoking. But, if we can help him and if he will continue to grow his faith then he can do it, with the help of the Lord of course.
Nona is still reading the Book of Mormon. She is so difficult! She wont do anything that is not her own idea! She told us that if we want to keep inviting her to be baptized then she will stop coming. She believes in the Book of Mormon and in almost all of our teachings... but she just doesn't understand what that means!!
This week was the dedication of the Kiev Temple! It was amazing to watch! The young adults from our ward were able to fly there and take part in the dance and cultural night. It was very exciting! The temple is beautiful and is going to bless the life of millions! It just made me realize that someday there is going to be a temple is Russia and also in Kazakhstan! That will be a really special day for me!
Well my companion and I are working hard out here! I can't believe that my year mark is coming up in one month.. wow! Time is flying by! This work has been an amazing blessing for me in my life and I have already learned and grown so much, and I still have a year left to continue! :) Thank you for the love and support! I love you all! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
We also have started teaching Ulan again. He really wants to learn Russian and about that gospel so we are helping him as much and as often as possible. His problem is that he likes faith. I have started to see his faith grow little by little and now I am beginning to see him act on his faith. It is an amazing blessing to be apart of that process of building someones faith. He expressed his desire to us to quit smoking and live the Word of Wisdom but he said it is going to be really hard. He knows his habits are not healthy. So, this week he committed to stop drinking coffee and then little by little we can help him stop smoking and drinking. I think the hardest thing for him will be smoking. But, if we can help him and if he will continue to grow his faith then he can do it, with the help of the Lord of course.
Nona is still reading the Book of Mormon. She is so difficult! She wont do anything that is not her own idea! She told us that if we want to keep inviting her to be baptized then she will stop coming. She believes in the Book of Mormon and in almost all of our teachings... but she just doesn't understand what that means!!
This week was the dedication of the Kiev Temple! It was amazing to watch! The young adults from our ward were able to fly there and take part in the dance and cultural night. It was very exciting! The temple is beautiful and is going to bless the life of millions! It just made me realize that someday there is going to be a temple is Russia and also in Kazakhstan! That will be a really special day for me!
Well my companion and I are working hard out here! I can't believe that my year mark is coming up in one month.. wow! Time is flying by! This work has been an amazing blessing for me in my life and I have already learned and grown so much, and I still have a year left to continue! :) Thank you for the love and support! I love you all! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday August 25, 2010
I finally have a companion! His name is Elder Khusainoff and he is amazing! He is a great teacher, hard worker, obedient, amazing example and leader... aka a fantastic missionary! I really think that we are going to get a lot done working together! We learned new teaching methods at Zone Conference this past week when President was here and we are really looking to apply them to our everyday missionary work. It is going to have an amazing affect on the work!
The next big thing that happened this week is Larissa decided to get baptized! She came to church on Sunday when President Wooley was there and spoke and after church we had a lesson, committed her to baptism again, and she agreed to be baptized this coming Saturday! She prayed and felt that it was right. We are working to get her baptized so soon because the dedication of the Kiev Temple is going to be this Sunday and we want her to be able to attend. So, we have been going over to her house to finish teaching the lessons to her before Saturday. We will finish up tomorrow and she will be all ready. Yesterday we were at her house and after the lesson we talked with her a little bit about how we met. She recited to us this story... Larissa said that less than a year ago she started feeling like her church, Grace, didn't really offer everything. She felt like she wasn't getting enough knowledge and that they didn't have everything to offer. They wanted her to serve in the church but she turned it down. One day she prayed earnestly to God and asked Him to give her more knowledge and open up opportunities for her. Shortly after that she met Elder Malanin and I on the street. She said that normally she doesn't stop and talk to people and especially to missionaries. She says that often the Jehova's Witnesses will try and talk to her and she wont talk to them. But, for some reason unknown to her, she stopped and talked to us. We had a good conversation about God and after that we started meeting at the church. Soon after that she came to church and she explained how she felt when she came to church for the first time. She said that when she was talking to everyone in our church she just felt like she knew everyone there from somewhere. She said that she really couldn't explain what she felt... just that she knew the people and members there. In short, she really felt that our meeting was not an accident and that it was an answer to her prayer less than a year ago. Larissa is amazing! This was a great testimony builder for me. To be able to be apart of an answer from God brings nothing but joy. People are searching for truth. They are asking for devine help. They are confused. This is an amazing blessing and opportunity to find those people and be representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. This experience in nothing short of a miracle.
The work is going great! Our investigators are doing good. Yesterday we met with an new man his name is Bakhtyar. He was the body building champion of Kazakhstan three times and in the Asian Olympic Games got a silver medal. He is huge! But, he is interested in the Book of Mormon and wants to bring his fourteen year old son to do english and learn about the Book of Mormon too. Nona still wont get baptized even though she believes in the Book of Mormon and in Joseph Smith being a prophet. Semon is working a lot and it is hard to meet with him. Alla is leaving with the members this week to go dance for the Temple Cultural night thing in Kiev. Ulan is doing good. We watched a short clip about Jesus Christ and he said that he felt something during our discussion and watching of the film. I told him that it was the Holy Ghost and that that feeling can be with him always through baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Elder Khusainoff are really striving to get baptisms and find people right now because this is the end of his mission and it will be the end of my service in Kazakhstan soon. It is weird to think that I have almost been on my mission one year and am still in my first area haha.. but I love it!
Well it sounds like everyone back home is doing great! I love you all! Thanks for the support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
The next big thing that happened this week is Larissa decided to get baptized! She came to church on Sunday when President Wooley was there and spoke and after church we had a lesson, committed her to baptism again, and she agreed to be baptized this coming Saturday! She prayed and felt that it was right. We are working to get her baptized so soon because the dedication of the Kiev Temple is going to be this Sunday and we want her to be able to attend. So, we have been going over to her house to finish teaching the lessons to her before Saturday. We will finish up tomorrow and she will be all ready. Yesterday we were at her house and after the lesson we talked with her a little bit about how we met. She recited to us this story... Larissa said that less than a year ago she started feeling like her church, Grace, didn't really offer everything. She felt like she wasn't getting enough knowledge and that they didn't have everything to offer. They wanted her to serve in the church but she turned it down. One day she prayed earnestly to God and asked Him to give her more knowledge and open up opportunities for her. Shortly after that she met Elder Malanin and I on the street. She said that normally she doesn't stop and talk to people and especially to missionaries. She says that often the Jehova's Witnesses will try and talk to her and she wont talk to them. But, for some reason unknown to her, she stopped and talked to us. We had a good conversation about God and after that we started meeting at the church. Soon after that she came to church and she explained how she felt when she came to church for the first time. She said that when she was talking to everyone in our church she just felt like she knew everyone there from somewhere. She said that she really couldn't explain what she felt... just that she knew the people and members there. In short, she really felt that our meeting was not an accident and that it was an answer to her prayer less than a year ago. Larissa is amazing! This was a great testimony builder for me. To be able to be apart of an answer from God brings nothing but joy. People are searching for truth. They are asking for devine help. They are confused. This is an amazing blessing and opportunity to find those people and be representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. This experience in nothing short of a miracle.
The work is going great! Our investigators are doing good. Yesterday we met with an new man his name is Bakhtyar. He was the body building champion of Kazakhstan three times and in the Asian Olympic Games got a silver medal. He is huge! But, he is interested in the Book of Mormon and wants to bring his fourteen year old son to do english and learn about the Book of Mormon too. Nona still wont get baptized even though she believes in the Book of Mormon and in Joseph Smith being a prophet. Semon is working a lot and it is hard to meet with him. Alla is leaving with the members this week to go dance for the Temple Cultural night thing in Kiev. Ulan is doing good. We watched a short clip about Jesus Christ and he said that he felt something during our discussion and watching of the film. I told him that it was the Holy Ghost and that that feeling can be with him always through baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Elder Khusainoff are really striving to get baptisms and find people right now because this is the end of his mission and it will be the end of my service in Kazakhstan soon. It is weird to think that I have almost been on my mission one year and am still in my first area haha.. but I love it!
Well it sounds like everyone back home is doing great! I love you all! Thanks for the support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wow another crazy week in Kazakhstan! I get yet another new companion today, but this time it will be a permanent companion finally! His name is Elder Husaynof.. weird name.. and he is Elder Nutt's companion right now and is an AP. So.. he is going to bring a lot of help and good to the work here in Kazakhstan! I am really excited to work with him! He is a Russian who speaks perfect English and is an amazing missionary! He is going to help so much! But, his being my new companion makes my current companion, Elder Zarahov, the new AP which is really strange because he is a mini missionary and not even a real missionary in our mission. But, he will do good.
Well the visa problems are continuing. A missionary left from Kazakhstan because he couldn't figure out his visa in time.. the country is causing a lot of problems for us right now! So.. basically who knows how long I will be in Kazakhstan because I have never had problems with my visa! Maybe they will just have to make a new Kazakhstan mission here :)
President Wooley gave all missionaries the new commitment to give out ten Book of Mormon's a week and we have been working hard on that.. it is tough! Last week we got half way with five.. haha and then yesterday we had a day where we gave three.. missionary work is a crazy roller coaster!
Investigators... Well Nona is still moving along. She is reading the Book of Mormon and knows it is a true book. She still doesn't want to get baptized because she doesn't see a need to. We are working to help her gain a testimony about a living prophet. Haha basically small steps with her, but she is progressing! Alash is slowly falling away unfortunately because he cannot believe in the book of Mormon. He can't believe in a living prophet or in Joseph Smith. His argument is a scripture in Matt from the Bible that uses the wording.. "All of the prophet until John..." or something to that extent. He is a great guy and has an amazing belief in Christ. He has just seen so many crazy miracles through his church and says he can't believe in ours. But, we are still working with him. We tried to set a baptismal date with Larissa and her daughter this week, she doesn't understand why her baptism in her church doesn't count and is in the process of praying about it. She is doing great and I know that she will receive an answer to get baptized! Besides, haha she comes to church every week and last week asked where she could pay tithing! Other than all of those investigators we have a ton of new potential investigators which we have found through the new commitment given to us by president! I have great hope for those people!
Well the mission is going great! The last bit has been insane, but the work is still going forward! This experience has really helped me gain a testimony of the Holy Ghost... He is the work. He is what we strive for on our lessons. He is the true converter. Without Him and divine help and inspiration there is no way that I could have juggled so many investigators and so many things without a companion.. I have received so much help from on High!
Well I hope that everything is going great home in the US! Thanks for the love and support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Well the visa problems are continuing. A missionary left from Kazakhstan because he couldn't figure out his visa in time.. the country is causing a lot of problems for us right now! So.. basically who knows how long I will be in Kazakhstan because I have never had problems with my visa! Maybe they will just have to make a new Kazakhstan mission here :)
President Wooley gave all missionaries the new commitment to give out ten Book of Mormon's a week and we have been working hard on that.. it is tough! Last week we got half way with five.. haha and then yesterday we had a day where we gave three.. missionary work is a crazy roller coaster!
Investigators... Well Nona is still moving along. She is reading the Book of Mormon and knows it is a true book. She still doesn't want to get baptized because she doesn't see a need to. We are working to help her gain a testimony about a living prophet. Haha basically small steps with her, but she is progressing! Alash is slowly falling away unfortunately because he cannot believe in the book of Mormon. He can't believe in a living prophet or in Joseph Smith. His argument is a scripture in Matt from the Bible that uses the wording.. "All of the prophet until John..." or something to that extent. He is a great guy and has an amazing belief in Christ. He has just seen so many crazy miracles through his church and says he can't believe in ours. But, we are still working with him. We tried to set a baptismal date with Larissa and her daughter this week, she doesn't understand why her baptism in her church doesn't count and is in the process of praying about it. She is doing great and I know that she will receive an answer to get baptized! Besides, haha she comes to church every week and last week asked where she could pay tithing! Other than all of those investigators we have a ton of new potential investigators which we have found through the new commitment given to us by president! I have great hope for those people!
Well the mission is going great! The last bit has been insane, but the work is still going forward! This experience has really helped me gain a testimony of the Holy Ghost... He is the work. He is what we strive for on our lessons. He is the true converter. Without Him and divine help and inspiration there is no way that I could have juggled so many investigators and so many things without a companion.. I have received so much help from on High!
Well I hope that everything is going great home in the US! Thanks for the love and support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Hello everyone!
Another unsteady week in kazakhstan! We have so many things going on I can barely keep track of them. We are fixing up the church building right now so that is causing a problem with our meetings and with all the upcoming activities. I have a ton of progressing investigators who are really close to baptism. I am working with my new temporary companion to get things all organized and back in track! And on top of that a lot of the missionaries here in kazakhstan are having problems with their visa's so some of them have to go back to Russia!
Last Sunday we had a family at church. It is the family of Alash. He is a great guy and i really hope that we can get him baptized. He says that he receives new revelation every time that he meets with us. He loves the plan of Salvation and the opportunity that his ancestors have to accept the gospel after this life. but, he believes in everything is the problem. He can't believe in just one prophet and he doesn't understand the Great Apostasy. He said that he went to a big meeting with his family where he himself witnessed a man call upon the Holy Ghost and started healing people in the audience! He is a great guy, we just have to help him along the path to conversion.
Nona is still progressing and finally told me that she believes that the book of mormon is holy scripture. But, of course she still wont be baptized! :)
Semon is finally progressing. We are really good friends with him now and we just need to move in and teach him while he is staying open to our discussions. He finally accepted a Book of Mormon.
Alla is progressing and finally reading the Book of mormon.
The work is going along even though there is a lot more stress and craziness! Sorry time is short and i don't have time to tell experience this week but i love you all! Thanks for the love and support and remember who you are! :)
Elder Weihing
Another unsteady week in kazakhstan! We have so many things going on I can barely keep track of them. We are fixing up the church building right now so that is causing a problem with our meetings and with all the upcoming activities. I have a ton of progressing investigators who are really close to baptism. I am working with my new temporary companion to get things all organized and back in track! And on top of that a lot of the missionaries here in kazakhstan are having problems with their visa's so some of them have to go back to Russia!
Last Sunday we had a family at church. It is the family of Alash. He is a great guy and i really hope that we can get him baptized. He says that he receives new revelation every time that he meets with us. He loves the plan of Salvation and the opportunity that his ancestors have to accept the gospel after this life. but, he believes in everything is the problem. He can't believe in just one prophet and he doesn't understand the Great Apostasy. He said that he went to a big meeting with his family where he himself witnessed a man call upon the Holy Ghost and started healing people in the audience! He is a great guy, we just have to help him along the path to conversion.
Nona is still progressing and finally told me that she believes that the book of mormon is holy scripture. But, of course she still wont be baptized! :)
Semon is finally progressing. We are really good friends with him now and we just need to move in and teach him while he is staying open to our discussions. He finally accepted a Book of Mormon.
Alla is progressing and finally reading the Book of mormon.
The work is going along even though there is a lot more stress and craziness! Sorry time is short and i don't have time to tell experience this week but i love you all! Thanks for the love and support and remember who you are! :)
Elder Weihing
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Well another great week! I have switched companions about three times now and I just got switched with a new companion again last night. It has been crazy and busy! I hope that next week I will get my permanent companion but I don't really know what will happen for sure. My companions name, for the time being at least, is Elder Zakharov. He is a very enthusiastic guy from Moscow and will bring new ideas to the work.
Elder Malanin sent me a letter and said that his family is doing better. Times are still hard for them, but they are constantly getting better. Continue to pray for him and especially for his family. They are great people!
Our investigators are doing great! The troubles and the fast for missionary work has brought new success! Last week we had five investigators at church. Two of them were a couple who walked in just to see the meeting. Elder Malanin talked to them on the street and invited them to church and they came. They both seem very interested. The husband is excited to have our help in getting him to stop smoking. Another lady named Larissa has a small daughter and is very interested in the Plan of Salvation and Baptisms for the Dead. She has almost already read the Book of Mormon and has only had it for about a month. Alash is a great guy from another church called New Life. He is very interested in the plan of Salvation and how we believe in life after death. I am also working really hard with Katya's brother, Semon. I am trying to get him to open up. If he can get baptized I think his parents will really take an interest in our church.
We have so much potential right now! I am so grateful to be apart of this great and marvelous work! I am so grateful to be serving here in Almaty. I hope and pray that I can be guided by the spirit so that I know what approach to take with these investigators and help them reach the goal of baptism. They are great people!
My experience this week actually deals with what happened throughout the period of a few days. When I was serving with Abel, the mini missionary here from Almaty, service was not the easiest. He is a seventeen year old kid so it is easy to understand why he doesn't have that desire and is thinking about other things at the moment, plus he is working in his home city! I have gained a deeper testimony of prayer because of this experience in serving with him. Whenever I didn't know what to do with him or I felt bad because we weren't working as hard as we could I just got down on my knees and prayed. I really feel like Heavenly Father helped us to make progress with our investigators more this week than compared to last week even though it seemed like we weren't working as hard. With mini missionaries like Abel you don't want to work them to hard because then they will lose their desire to serve. I wasn't going to be the missionary who cut down his desire to serve the Lord. I am so grateful for prayer and the opportunity we have to go to the Lord about all of our worries and griefs. He is a great source of comfort and guidance and I really felt that this past week as things just kept and keep getting crazier and crazier. This is a great opportunity for me to learn humility and flexibility!
Thank you all for the love and support. You are all great and your letters truly inspirit me! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Elder Malanin sent me a letter and said that his family is doing better. Times are still hard for them, but they are constantly getting better. Continue to pray for him and especially for his family. They are great people!
Our investigators are doing great! The troubles and the fast for missionary work has brought new success! Last week we had five investigators at church. Two of them were a couple who walked in just to see the meeting. Elder Malanin talked to them on the street and invited them to church and they came. They both seem very interested. The husband is excited to have our help in getting him to stop smoking. Another lady named Larissa has a small daughter and is very interested in the Plan of Salvation and Baptisms for the Dead. She has almost already read the Book of Mormon and has only had it for about a month. Alash is a great guy from another church called New Life. He is very interested in the plan of Salvation and how we believe in life after death. I am also working really hard with Katya's brother, Semon. I am trying to get him to open up. If he can get baptized I think his parents will really take an interest in our church.
We have so much potential right now! I am so grateful to be apart of this great and marvelous work! I am so grateful to be serving here in Almaty. I hope and pray that I can be guided by the spirit so that I know what approach to take with these investigators and help them reach the goal of baptism. They are great people!
My experience this week actually deals with what happened throughout the period of a few days. When I was serving with Abel, the mini missionary here from Almaty, service was not the easiest. He is a seventeen year old kid so it is easy to understand why he doesn't have that desire and is thinking about other things at the moment, plus he is working in his home city! I have gained a deeper testimony of prayer because of this experience in serving with him. Whenever I didn't know what to do with him or I felt bad because we weren't working as hard as we could I just got down on my knees and prayed. I really feel like Heavenly Father helped us to make progress with our investigators more this week than compared to last week even though it seemed like we weren't working as hard. With mini missionaries like Abel you don't want to work them to hard because then they will lose their desire to serve. I wasn't going to be the missionary who cut down his desire to serve the Lord. I am so grateful for prayer and the opportunity we have to go to the Lord about all of our worries and griefs. He is a great source of comfort and guidance and I really felt that this past week as things just kept and keep getting crazier and crazier. This is a great opportunity for me to learn humility and flexibility!
Thank you all for the love and support. You are all great and your letters truly inspirit me! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
This week has definitely been the craziest week of my mission so far! I just got back to Almaty and was getting used to the work here again and trying to figure out where our investigators are in the conversion process and then everything changed with one text message.. Elder Malanin got a text message from his mom telling him that his older brother died in a car crash. So, that night Elder Malanin when home to support his family because him and his younger brother are the only members in their family. It was a huge surprise! Elder Malanin dealt with the information very calmly, I can't believe how well he took the news. He has such a strong will. Please keep him and especially his family in your prayers! They have a had a very rough life as it is and your prayers would really be appreciated!
Right now I am working with a local 16 year old member of the church named Abel. Everything is crazy and so unorganized right now! Right now there is a lot of stress in the work because we are not having a lot of success. Today we are having a fast as a Zone so that we can get inspiration on how to help our investigators progress and also find new investigators. In all complete honesty I don't even know where to begin to get everything back in order with all of our investigators. I am hoping this fast will help.
Russian is going good. I am still progressing and studying hard. It is getting easier and easier all the time.
Thanks for the love and the support. Remember who you are.
Elder Weihing :)
Right now I am working with a local 16 year old member of the church named Abel. Everything is crazy and so unorganized right now! Right now there is a lot of stress in the work because we are not having a lot of success. Today we are having a fast as a Zone so that we can get inspiration on how to help our investigators progress and also find new investigators. In all complete honesty I don't even know where to begin to get everything back in order with all of our investigators. I am hoping this fast will help.
Russian is going good. I am still progressing and studying hard. It is getting easier and easier all the time.
Thanks for the love and the support. Remember who you are.
Elder Weihing :)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Elder Patnum and I are now back in Kazakhstan. We got back yesterday early in the morning and we are happy to be here! Being in Russia, even for just a short time, has made me realized how blessed I am to really serve here. The people are much more open and kind when compared to Russians. But, being in Russia also gave me new confidence with my Russian because I realized that I could understand and communicate with them, maybe even better than with Kazaks. I think that is maybe because my companion is Russian so I am really getting used to the Russian accent. The Elders in Smolensk are struggling with investigators and finding people to teach so we really buckled down and worked hard to find people while we were there. It was very hot and humid but it was very successful and in one day we were able to give out 8 Books of Mormon and get 12 contacts! Haha-ps that is a lot for Russia! The whole week ended up being really successful! Also I was able to work with and see Elder Bybee from high school so that was a great experience.
There is one particular event that I really enjoyed there. In Russia they have an English Club where a big group of people come and you teach english and then do a spiritual thought. (In Kazakhstan we always do individual english practice) But, Elder Patnum and I were able to teach one of the lessons to the more advanced english speakers. We talked to them about stereotypes and started a discussion about it. We went through and talked about what a stereotype is and then started listing off stereotypes of Russians from our point of view and then stereotypes of Americans from their point of view... I was really scared that this might start an argument or fight but everything ended up great. We were all able to laugh at all of the stereotypes of each other such as Americans being loud and Russians all being huge muscly giants with deep voices. In the end we talked about how we shouldn't judge each other and were able to share personal experiences with judging people and bear strong testimony. It was a very strong and spiritual lesson. After the lesson we found out that a long time less active member attended who has been inactive for years and hasn't come to church, After the lesson he talked about how he felt the spirit again for the first time in a long time and realized how much he missed that feeling and promised to come back to church. It was just a small experience, but made me realized the importance of the Spirit and the Holy Ghost. It is definitely the small and simple things that make great things come to pass... who knows what we can do today that will change the life of someone tomorrow!
Well, now that I am back in Kazakhstan Elder Malanin and I are getting back down to business, He goes home in less than a month and I really want to find a baptism for him before he leaves! Right now we are working on Katya's brother. I really am hoping that Katya's baptism had a strong effect on her brother. I know that he has started to open up a lot more and I know that if we can get him baptized it will be just that much easier for the whole family to do the same thing. So, that is where most of our focus is going right now.
Thank you all for the love and support and I hope that everything is going great back home! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
There is one particular event that I really enjoyed there. In Russia they have an English Club where a big group of people come and you teach english and then do a spiritual thought. (In Kazakhstan we always do individual english practice) But, Elder Patnum and I were able to teach one of the lessons to the more advanced english speakers. We talked to them about stereotypes and started a discussion about it. We went through and talked about what a stereotype is and then started listing off stereotypes of Russians from our point of view and then stereotypes of Americans from their point of view... I was really scared that this might start an argument or fight but everything ended up great. We were all able to laugh at all of the stereotypes of each other such as Americans being loud and Russians all being huge muscly giants with deep voices. In the end we talked about how we shouldn't judge each other and were able to share personal experiences with judging people and bear strong testimony. It was a very strong and spiritual lesson. After the lesson we found out that a long time less active member attended who has been inactive for years and hasn't come to church, After the lesson he talked about how he felt the spirit again for the first time in a long time and realized how much he missed that feeling and promised to come back to church. It was just a small experience, but made me realized the importance of the Spirit and the Holy Ghost. It is definitely the small and simple things that make great things come to pass... who knows what we can do today that will change the life of someone tomorrow!
Well, now that I am back in Kazakhstan Elder Malanin and I are getting back down to business, He goes home in less than a month and I really want to find a baptism for him before he leaves! Right now we are working on Katya's brother. I really am hoping that Katya's baptism had a strong effect on her brother. I know that he has started to open up a lot more and I know that if we can get him baptized it will be just that much easier for the whole family to do the same thing. So, that is where most of our focus is going right now.
Thank you all for the love and support and I hope that everything is going great back home! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
*We were getting worried because we didn't hear from Kenneth on Wednesday this week!! We finally heard from him on Saturday :)
Hey guys sorry about the late e mail! Right now I am on a visa trip in Russia and we left on P Day. I found out that I am going to be staying in Kazakhstan still! I am really exciting about that because we have a lot of really good upcoming potential! I have been really blessed to stay in one area for so long and hope that I can make the best of it! I am still going to be working with Elder Malanin, but he leaves in one month to go home so that will be strange. Elder Malanin stayed in Kazakhstan and I am in a city called Smolensk with Elder Patnum, another Elder who is serving in Kazakhstan with me.
Well the first news of the week... before I left we had a baptism! Katya was baptized and I was able to baptize her! It was a great experience! He whole entire family came to support her. They are a great family and I think that the Sisters are going to start working with them very soon. Elder Malanin and I will still be working with Katya's brother Semon who really seemed to open up after the baptism. Basically the baptism was amazing... it was such a blessing for me to be able to take part in such a life changing event in someone's life. The Spirit was so strong in that room you could just feel God's presence... I have heard the saying that the spirit was so thick that you could just feel it.. now I know what that really means. A lot of our investigators came to the baptism and I think that they had a good experience as well.
Elder Malanin and I tested out a new baptismal commitment method that President Wooley showed us this past week... we tested it out on Nona. It was quite the experience! Basically, we committed to baptism.. she said no... we taught the Apostasy and testified and committed... she said no... we talked about be cleansed from sin and testified and committed again... she said no... we talked about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and testified and committed.... she said no... we talked about giving her a blessing to help her feel from God the need to get baptized and testified and committed... she said no. Haha it was quite the lesson! She was really mad at the end of the lesson and really hated it... but the Spirit was so strong and I can't even explain how I felt his guidance in what I was saying. Literally, I felt like I just opened my mouth sometimes and some other power was speaking through me! It was crazy and something that I can't even describe! It may have been hard for Nona.. but it was the lesson that she needed and I hope that it opened up her thoughts to really think about the importance of being baptized with the proper authority!
Being in Russia is completely different. I noticed that the people speak completely different than in Kazakhstan.. there is a different accent and they use different words. So, it has been quite the experience! Still my Russian is progressing and I am feeling more and more confident all the time. Right now I am working with an Elder Bybee in Smolensk. He is from Riverton and left on his mission about a month after me. He is the guy who got his call around the same time I did. He is having a lot of problems right now with sicknesses and stuff and can only eat certain stuff.. but he is still such a positive missionary and only sees hope! I think it is bringing him a bit more happiness since we are working together since we knew each other before the mission.
Elder Putnam, while we are here, is basically just working on getting these Elders more investigators! It is really hot and humid outside, but we are basically contacting all day to help them get more investigators. One of the Elders here is a Branch President, so he has other work that he always has to be doing with members and so that keeps them busing doing that and not being able to focus as much on finding... that is what Elder Putnum and I are trying to do for them. Well :) the work is going on and the mission is still flying by! I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support! Remember who you are! I love you!
Elder Weihing :)
Hey guys sorry about the late e mail! Right now I am on a visa trip in Russia and we left on P Day. I found out that I am going to be staying in Kazakhstan still! I am really exciting about that because we have a lot of really good upcoming potential! I have been really blessed to stay in one area for so long and hope that I can make the best of it! I am still going to be working with Elder Malanin, but he leaves in one month to go home so that will be strange. Elder Malanin stayed in Kazakhstan and I am in a city called Smolensk with Elder Patnum, another Elder who is serving in Kazakhstan with me.
Well the first news of the week... before I left we had a baptism! Katya was baptized and I was able to baptize her! It was a great experience! He whole entire family came to support her. They are a great family and I think that the Sisters are going to start working with them very soon. Elder Malanin and I will still be working with Katya's brother Semon who really seemed to open up after the baptism. Basically the baptism was amazing... it was such a blessing for me to be able to take part in such a life changing event in someone's life. The Spirit was so strong in that room you could just feel God's presence... I have heard the saying that the spirit was so thick that you could just feel it.. now I know what that really means. A lot of our investigators came to the baptism and I think that they had a good experience as well.
Elder Malanin and I tested out a new baptismal commitment method that President Wooley showed us this past week... we tested it out on Nona. It was quite the experience! Basically, we committed to baptism.. she said no... we taught the Apostasy and testified and committed... she said no... we talked about be cleansed from sin and testified and committed again... she said no... we talked about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and testified and committed.... she said no... we talked about giving her a blessing to help her feel from God the need to get baptized and testified and committed... she said no. Haha it was quite the lesson! She was really mad at the end of the lesson and really hated it... but the Spirit was so strong and I can't even explain how I felt his guidance in what I was saying. Literally, I felt like I just opened my mouth sometimes and some other power was speaking through me! It was crazy and something that I can't even describe! It may have been hard for Nona.. but it was the lesson that she needed and I hope that it opened up her thoughts to really think about the importance of being baptized with the proper authority!
Being in Russia is completely different. I noticed that the people speak completely different than in Kazakhstan.. there is a different accent and they use different words. So, it has been quite the experience! Still my Russian is progressing and I am feeling more and more confident all the time. Right now I am working with an Elder Bybee in Smolensk. He is from Riverton and left on his mission about a month after me. He is the guy who got his call around the same time I did. He is having a lot of problems right now with sicknesses and stuff and can only eat certain stuff.. but he is still such a positive missionary and only sees hope! I think it is bringing him a bit more happiness since we are working together since we knew each other before the mission.
Elder Putnam, while we are here, is basically just working on getting these Elders more investigators! It is really hot and humid outside, but we are basically contacting all day to help them get more investigators. One of the Elders here is a Branch President, so he has other work that he always has to be doing with members and so that keeps them busing doing that and not being able to focus as much on finding... that is what Elder Putnum and I are trying to do for them. Well :) the work is going on and the mission is still flying by! I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support! Remember who you are! I love you!
Elder Weihing :)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July , 2010
Subject: Hello Everyone!
Another week in the paradise known as Kazakhstan! It is so beautiful here and we are even going up into the mountains again with President Wooley because he is in town for Zone Conference! This week a lot of things happened!
This past Sunday I did not go to church :) Elder Brown was sick and because we wanted every companionship to be represented at church in case an investigator came we went on splits. And, to make it even better it was fast sunday! haha so I just sat at home and studied the scriptures all day, it was great! One of the best study sessions so far on my mission! But, after that Elder Malanin and I went to a different church that is called Grace, I think that is how it translates. Wow! It was crazy! I thought I was at a rock concert! There was a huge band playing and people screaming and the preacher was yelling and talking as fast as he could so that we could barely understand him, even my native Russian companion could barely understand him! I don't know how anyone felt the spirit there... all I felt was exhaustion! It was a really interesting experience.. so basically I skipped our church this week and went to a different one. :)
Nona came to sports day this past week. Haha I think I told you last week that we were trying to said up a grandma get together sports activity and actually it worked out this past Saturday! all of our grandma investigators came and they played table tennis and cards! Haha it was great! I have finally come to the fact that if we can just get one of them baptized then they are all going to get baptized! But, Nona is doing good and is finally searching for the things that she likes about the Book of Mormon. She even accepted the plan of salvation this past week! Big step!
This past week we also went to eat at Ismail's, our investigator from Palestine. He is the coolest guy on earth! The nicest guy in the world! We made some real Palastinian Plov together! It was awesome! We made some good food, ate, and then just sat there and talked about God and what he believes for awhile. It was such a peaceful experience. He is just such a calm guy. Probably one of my favorites that we are teaching right now. (PS Plov is basically just a special mixture of rice, meat, and vegetables)
My Russian is coming along really good this week. I actually realized yesterday how much I have grown in that area yesterday. Elder Nutt is in town with President Wooley so I had the chance to be able to teach with him for the first time since we split up and I realized how much better I speak and how much more I understand. It was a really good experience! I almost need to start working a little bit more on my English!
Well it is transfer time again, we are having transfers early this time. I know that at least someone from Kazakhstan is leaving, so we will find out soon if that is me or not! I don't know at all what is going to happen, I don't want to say whether I want to leave or not because I am afraid that will jinx me!
Well here is my story for the week... this story actually goes back to a long time ago when Elder Nutt and I were companions. This is when I was still pretty new to life out in the field. When I first got to the field I basically just followed everything Elder Nutt did and was too scared to do anything else... for example if we were on a bus and I saw him talking to someone then I would talk to someone but if he wasn't then I wouldn't. Haha things have changed a lot since then thank goodness. But, I remember one specific time when we were sitting on a bus with our district and everyone was together talking but I saw this kid sitting alone so I went and started talking to him (which was unusual being new a scared). I ended up getting his contact info and in fact we still meet with him to this day. He is a good kid. But, talking with him also brought his sister to our church. She started meeting with us and then because she was to young for us to teach her we gave her to the sisters. Haha well I found out this week that she is getting baptized! Wow, That was definitely not expected especially after our first lesson with her! Haha but Yesterday her dad came to look at our church and we took him on a tour and explained everything about things and now I think we are also going to start meeting with him! Haha it is just amazing to me how just little decisions we make as observers can really change a persons life! Now I understand what they meant in the MTC when they told us that we have more of an affect on whether an investigator gets baptized even more than the investigator does! The decisions we make to talk to be about the church and sincerely and spiritually prepare to teach them really make more of an effect on what happens with them, especially during the hardest times when we just don't want to do anything at all. I am more grateful than I can even express for this opportunity to share the message of the restored gospel with everyone!
Well that was my story for the week :) I hope you all have a great one! I love you all! Remember who you are! :)
Elder Weihing
Another week in the paradise known as Kazakhstan! It is so beautiful here and we are even going up into the mountains again with President Wooley because he is in town for Zone Conference! This week a lot of things happened!
This past Sunday I did not go to church :) Elder Brown was sick and because we wanted every companionship to be represented at church in case an investigator came we went on splits. And, to make it even better it was fast sunday! haha so I just sat at home and studied the scriptures all day, it was great! One of the best study sessions so far on my mission! But, after that Elder Malanin and I went to a different church that is called Grace, I think that is how it translates. Wow! It was crazy! I thought I was at a rock concert! There was a huge band playing and people screaming and the preacher was yelling and talking as fast as he could so that we could barely understand him, even my native Russian companion could barely understand him! I don't know how anyone felt the spirit there... all I felt was exhaustion! It was a really interesting experience.. so basically I skipped our church this week and went to a different one. :)
Nona came to sports day this past week. Haha I think I told you last week that we were trying to said up a grandma get together sports activity and actually it worked out this past Saturday! all of our grandma investigators came and they played table tennis and cards! Haha it was great! I have finally come to the fact that if we can just get one of them baptized then they are all going to get baptized! But, Nona is doing good and is finally searching for the things that she likes about the Book of Mormon. She even accepted the plan of salvation this past week! Big step!
This past week we also went to eat at Ismail's, our investigator from Palestine. He is the coolest guy on earth! The nicest guy in the world! We made some real Palastinian Plov together! It was awesome! We made some good food, ate, and then just sat there and talked about God and what he believes for awhile. It was such a peaceful experience. He is just such a calm guy. Probably one of my favorites that we are teaching right now. (PS Plov is basically just a special mixture of rice, meat, and vegetables)
My Russian is coming along really good this week. I actually realized yesterday how much I have grown in that area yesterday. Elder Nutt is in town with President Wooley so I had the chance to be able to teach with him for the first time since we split up and I realized how much better I speak and how much more I understand. It was a really good experience! I almost need to start working a little bit more on my English!
Well it is transfer time again, we are having transfers early this time. I know that at least someone from Kazakhstan is leaving, so we will find out soon if that is me or not! I don't know at all what is going to happen, I don't want to say whether I want to leave or not because I am afraid that will jinx me!
Well here is my story for the week... this story actually goes back to a long time ago when Elder Nutt and I were companions. This is when I was still pretty new to life out in the field. When I first got to the field I basically just followed everything Elder Nutt did and was too scared to do anything else... for example if we were on a bus and I saw him talking to someone then I would talk to someone but if he wasn't then I wouldn't. Haha things have changed a lot since then thank goodness. But, I remember one specific time when we were sitting on a bus with our district and everyone was together talking but I saw this kid sitting alone so I went and started talking to him (which was unusual being new a scared). I ended up getting his contact info and in fact we still meet with him to this day. He is a good kid. But, talking with him also brought his sister to our church. She started meeting with us and then because she was to young for us to teach her we gave her to the sisters. Haha well I found out this week that she is getting baptized! Wow, That was definitely not expected especially after our first lesson with her! Haha but Yesterday her dad came to look at our church and we took him on a tour and explained everything about things and now I think we are also going to start meeting with him! Haha it is just amazing to me how just little decisions we make as observers can really change a persons life! Now I understand what they meant in the MTC when they told us that we have more of an affect on whether an investigator gets baptized even more than the investigator does! The decisions we make to talk to be about the church and sincerely and spiritually prepare to teach them really make more of an effect on what happens with them, especially during the hardest times when we just don't want to do anything at all. I am more grateful than I can even express for this opportunity to share the message of the restored gospel with everyone!
Well that was my story for the week :) I hope you all have a great one! I love you all! Remember who you are! :)
Elder Weihing
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Hello Everyone!
Time is going by way too fast! This past week was a really interesting one like always... haha
Nona finally came to church for the first time! Haha I wish that I could say that she had an amazing experience, but that is just not Nona. It takes her awhile to get used to things and to say the least she really didn't like church. Here are most of her complaints... people don't know how to talk publicly in front of others, we should play music while the partake of the sacrament, and an American should lead all of the meetings. Haha we tried to explain that this is a new branch and that we are trying to give them experience and let them grow on their own and even invited her to teach a class on how to prepare and talk and speak in front of people haha but.. she didn't except that calling. But, the good thing is that she is finally taking notes on what she likes while she reads the Book of Mormon. That is basically our goal with her right now to get her to like the church and be positive! Also, we realized that a lot of other grandma's are getting interested so we are trying to get them all together to conversate.. I don't think that is a word but I don't know how we say that in English.
Arstan, the man we have a date of baptism with, is not doing so great right now. He didn't come to our last meeting and he is having some real struggles on quitting smoking. Elder Malanin and I try and visit him as much as we can so that we can try to help him quit, but we can't be there all of the time! I really hope we can figure something out in the next few weeks before his baptism!
Haha well I found out a few days ago that President is going to let me go play basketball with a bunch of people at some local rec center next Thursday. A member invited me to come a few times and I just got permission to go and I am hoping to meet a ton of people and get a lot of contacts. Haha I guess I should use my talents to find people... it will be really interesting.
Well that is basically all that really happened this week other than the usual contacting and teaching. The work is going great and I am working really hard at becoming a more diligent missionary and taking advantage of the opportunity and short time that I have to serve! I heard that all of my friends are finally leaving on their missions :) that is great and I hope that they realize what a blessing and opportunity it really is to serve and help others! I know that they will be great missionaries! Thank you all for the love, support, and especially letters! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Time is going by way too fast! This past week was a really interesting one like always... haha
Nona finally came to church for the first time! Haha I wish that I could say that she had an amazing experience, but that is just not Nona. It takes her awhile to get used to things and to say the least she really didn't like church. Here are most of her complaints... people don't know how to talk publicly in front of others, we should play music while the partake of the sacrament, and an American should lead all of the meetings. Haha we tried to explain that this is a new branch and that we are trying to give them experience and let them grow on their own and even invited her to teach a class on how to prepare and talk and speak in front of people haha but.. she didn't except that calling. But, the good thing is that she is finally taking notes on what she likes while she reads the Book of Mormon. That is basically our goal with her right now to get her to like the church and be positive! Also, we realized that a lot of other grandma's are getting interested so we are trying to get them all together to conversate.. I don't think that is a word but I don't know how we say that in English.
Arstan, the man we have a date of baptism with, is not doing so great right now. He didn't come to our last meeting and he is having some real struggles on quitting smoking. Elder Malanin and I try and visit him as much as we can so that we can try to help him quit, but we can't be there all of the time! I really hope we can figure something out in the next few weeks before his baptism!
Haha well I found out a few days ago that President is going to let me go play basketball with a bunch of people at some local rec center next Thursday. A member invited me to come a few times and I just got permission to go and I am hoping to meet a ton of people and get a lot of contacts. Haha I guess I should use my talents to find people... it will be really interesting.
Well that is basically all that really happened this week other than the usual contacting and teaching. The work is going great and I am working really hard at becoming a more diligent missionary and taking advantage of the opportunity and short time that I have to serve! I heard that all of my friends are finally leaving on their missions :) that is great and I hope that they realize what a blessing and opportunity it really is to serve and help others! I know that they will be great missionaries! Thank you all for the love, support, and especially letters! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Dear Beloved Family and Friends
Another week has flown by full of tests, trials, and happiness. First I guess I better start out by saying that we set a date of Baptism with Arstan, the beer selling guy! He finally showed up to a lesson! But, our real test is ahead of us with him because we are going to have to help him a lot before baptism to quite drinking and smoking and to find a new job that is much more flexible (and doesn't require selling beer :)). He is such a great guy and has even referred his 18 year old brother to us. We started meeting with the Brother and he is already starting to get interested, it is so interesting how you start to be able to tell what a person feels when they visit with you. For example, with him the beginning of the lesson seemed a little uncomfortable for him but as we started talking and getting into good discussions all of his nerves went away and by the end of the lesson he was asking right away when he could come back. These two brothers are really close and if we can affect one we will affect the other and in the end the entire family.
Ulan is doing good. This week we had two really good lessons about faith and prayer and repentance. Right now we are just focusing on trying to get him to experiment on these things so that he can gain greater faith in Jesus Christ and a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He is such a funny guy and has great desire... he is just lazy sometimes and doesn't get completely through the commitments that we give him. Nona is doing good, she didn't come to church again last Sunday, haha but she said this time she is definitely coming. I got her a ride again and this time they are coming to pick her up at her church, so they will be waiting outside for her. She better come this week!
I don't think I have ever explained our lessons with Nona but really they are quite funny. Nona used to be a teacher of English when she was younger and because of that she knows exactly what it is like to be a teacher. She always calls us "her boys" or "her teachers" and she is always "the student". Anyways, basically we sit down, talk about life and what happened this week, we pray, and then we answer questions that she has about the Book of Mormon. We plan a lesson for her, but usually we just end up answering her questions. She reads about 8 chapters every week so she always has plenty of questions. She is on her second time through the Book of Mormon and already in Jacob. But, her questions are basically what she dislikes about the Book of Mormon. Our lessons are always based on answering questions about things that she doesn't like. For example, "what is the exact route that the Jaradites took to get to the America's? Why don't the exact route they took and the exact ocean? It really is not convenient." " Why does Jesus Christ have so many names? Why can't they just say Jesus Christ... it would make things a lot easier." "What do you mean church leaders don't get paid? That is not true, my church pastor gets paid. You may not get paid in exact money but the church pays you in other ways like in food or paying for your house so that means that you get paid." Haha a lot of the time she is just complaining about a lot of things instead of focusing on the things that she likes or the verses which she liked. Last lesson I got really tired of all of the complaining and just talking about how much she doesn't like something so I gave her a blank piece of paper and told her to stop thinking about what she doesn't like about the Book of Mormon and start writing down things that she does like, for example certain verses and why. Haha she is such a funny lady! She has to start looking at what she does like if she is ever going to really gain a deep testimony about the Book of Mormon!
My companion received his kill papers yesterday. (that means his papers to go home, he leaves to go home in about one month) I really hope his thoughts of going home don't affect the work because we have a lot of stuff we have to do and finish up here before he leaves! My companion is such a strange guy. Russians are great! but, they are strange! But, at least I can say because of him my Russian is a lot better and getting better everyday! This week I have felt more confident than ever with the language! But, more than anything I am trying to not focus so much on the language as trying to get organized in the work, change myself, and build a stronger foundation that will last the rest of my life. Don't get me wrong I love the opportunity to learn a new language, but I want to gain more than just a new language here on my mission. I want to be the missionary that "my mom thinks I am" and the Lord knows I can be. Because of that, I am trying to focus more on studying, organizing, goal setting, and testing new things out. :) So far it working out well!
We are having a burst of success here in Kazakhstan! All of the four companionships here have a baptismal date with someone and all have close potential baptisms as well. The Lord is blessing us and the work is going on! We are finding and teaching and strengthening members! The work is great and I can't believe how fast it is going by! I love you all! Thank you for the many prayers, the love, and the support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Another week has flown by full of tests, trials, and happiness. First I guess I better start out by saying that we set a date of Baptism with Arstan, the beer selling guy! He finally showed up to a lesson! But, our real test is ahead of us with him because we are going to have to help him a lot before baptism to quite drinking and smoking and to find a new job that is much more flexible (and doesn't require selling beer :)). He is such a great guy and has even referred his 18 year old brother to us. We started meeting with the Brother and he is already starting to get interested, it is so interesting how you start to be able to tell what a person feels when they visit with you. For example, with him the beginning of the lesson seemed a little uncomfortable for him but as we started talking and getting into good discussions all of his nerves went away and by the end of the lesson he was asking right away when he could come back. These two brothers are really close and if we can affect one we will affect the other and in the end the entire family.
Ulan is doing good. This week we had two really good lessons about faith and prayer and repentance. Right now we are just focusing on trying to get him to experiment on these things so that he can gain greater faith in Jesus Christ and a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He is such a funny guy and has great desire... he is just lazy sometimes and doesn't get completely through the commitments that we give him. Nona is doing good, she didn't come to church again last Sunday, haha but she said this time she is definitely coming. I got her a ride again and this time they are coming to pick her up at her church, so they will be waiting outside for her. She better come this week!
I don't think I have ever explained our lessons with Nona but really they are quite funny. Nona used to be a teacher of English when she was younger and because of that she knows exactly what it is like to be a teacher. She always calls us "her boys" or "her teachers" and she is always "the student". Anyways, basically we sit down, talk about life and what happened this week, we pray, and then we answer questions that she has about the Book of Mormon. We plan a lesson for her, but usually we just end up answering her questions. She reads about 8 chapters every week so she always has plenty of questions. She is on her second time through the Book of Mormon and already in Jacob. But, her questions are basically what she dislikes about the Book of Mormon. Our lessons are always based on answering questions about things that she doesn't like. For example, "what is the exact route that the Jaradites took to get to the America's? Why don't the exact route they took and the exact ocean? It really is not convenient." " Why does Jesus Christ have so many names? Why can't they just say Jesus Christ... it would make things a lot easier." "What do you mean church leaders don't get paid? That is not true, my church pastor gets paid. You may not get paid in exact money but the church pays you in other ways like in food or paying for your house so that means that you get paid." Haha a lot of the time she is just complaining about a lot of things instead of focusing on the things that she likes or the verses which she liked. Last lesson I got really tired of all of the complaining and just talking about how much she doesn't like something so I gave her a blank piece of paper and told her to stop thinking about what she doesn't like about the Book of Mormon and start writing down things that she does like, for example certain verses and why. Haha she is such a funny lady! She has to start looking at what she does like if she is ever going to really gain a deep testimony about the Book of Mormon!
My companion received his kill papers yesterday. (that means his papers to go home, he leaves to go home in about one month) I really hope his thoughts of going home don't affect the work because we have a lot of stuff we have to do and finish up here before he leaves! My companion is such a strange guy. Russians are great! but, they are strange! But, at least I can say because of him my Russian is a lot better and getting better everyday! This week I have felt more confident than ever with the language! But, more than anything I am trying to not focus so much on the language as trying to get organized in the work, change myself, and build a stronger foundation that will last the rest of my life. Don't get me wrong I love the opportunity to learn a new language, but I want to gain more than just a new language here on my mission. I want to be the missionary that "my mom thinks I am" and the Lord knows I can be. Because of that, I am trying to focus more on studying, organizing, goal setting, and testing new things out. :) So far it working out well!
We are having a burst of success here in Kazakhstan! All of the four companionships here have a baptismal date with someone and all have close potential baptisms as well. The Lord is blessing us and the work is going on! We are finding and teaching and strengthening members! The work is great and I can't believe how fast it is going by! I love you all! Thank you for the many prayers, the love, and the support! Remember who you are!
Elder Weihing
Friday, June 18, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hey Everyone!
Everything is going great in Kazakhstan! Today is Elder Malanin's birthday and we are going to just go relax and play games at the park with our district. It should be a nice relaxing day. Sounds like something you guys could definitely use right now with all of the moving and craziness going on! Busy Busy Busy! I guess the process never ends.
Our investigators are doing great. Sadly, Nona did not come to church last week. But, during our lesson with her this week she recommitted to come and even found her a ride from the Moore's so now she can't have any excuses! Ulan is doing good. We committed him to baptism this week but he said that he still just isn't ready. He wants to find truth but needs more time to study it. It sucks because I had this strong feeling that we shouldn't commit him to baptism during the lesson because the feeling just wasn't right and I could tell something just wasn't ready with him, lol but we still continued and committed haha I should have just listened to my prompting because I already knew what the answer was before he said it! We also had a lot of really strange lessons this week... not strange in the sense of bad, just... strange. We met this guy on the street from the Philippines last week who speaks really good english and he wanted to meet with us. Well, when we called him to meet with us this week he asked if he could bring a friend... well of course we said he could, but then he said can I bring my boyfriend? lol a little bit of an awkward situation, but hey you need to give everyone the opportunity to hear the gospel! So, he came, but didn't bring his boyfriend, and the strangest part about it was that it was a really good lesson with him lol. He has study religion a lot of his life searching for truth and he just doesn't understand how there can be so many churches. He thinks that there should be one true church but he doesn't know how he can find out. So. basically we ended up having a really interesting and spiritual discussion, gave him a Book of Mormon, and now we will just see where things go. His name is Noel. We were also able to teach another man only in english because he is studying in college in Canada, as you can tell we meet a lot of people and teach a lot of people who speak english, and we had a very strong and powerful lesson about trials and about finding truth. It was a very deep and sincere discussion and he had really good questions from the soul. His name is Rustem.
This morning we had breakfast at the Moore's, first time that I have had bacon since I was in America, and we had a really good discussion about finding people. They really, along with all of the Elders here have a strong feeling that the work here is just about to take off! As a missionary it can be hard because you have so many things along with lessons and contacting and tracting and study and stuff like that that it is easy to just get into a routine and just keep going everyday doing the same thing. It makes you forget about other things that you should be trying and testing, it is easy to forget about the simplest way to find people, through the members. So, with that we are going to be working hard on focusing on strengthening the members, getting them more involved, and getting referrals from them. I really think that this will bring a lot of success to our work as we begin to search where missionaries have never looked before in this area, we now have access to a car which the Missionary Couple here can drive so we can start searching in parts of the city where we have never been. The work is going along!
Well thank you for the love and the support and the prayers! Keep it up and remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
Everything is going great in Kazakhstan! Today is Elder Malanin's birthday and we are going to just go relax and play games at the park with our district. It should be a nice relaxing day. Sounds like something you guys could definitely use right now with all of the moving and craziness going on! Busy Busy Busy! I guess the process never ends.
Our investigators are doing great. Sadly, Nona did not come to church last week. But, during our lesson with her this week she recommitted to come and even found her a ride from the Moore's so now she can't have any excuses! Ulan is doing good. We committed him to baptism this week but he said that he still just isn't ready. He wants to find truth but needs more time to study it. It sucks because I had this strong feeling that we shouldn't commit him to baptism during the lesson because the feeling just wasn't right and I could tell something just wasn't ready with him, lol but we still continued and committed haha I should have just listened to my prompting because I already knew what the answer was before he said it! We also had a lot of really strange lessons this week... not strange in the sense of bad, just... strange. We met this guy on the street from the Philippines last week who speaks really good english and he wanted to meet with us. Well, when we called him to meet with us this week he asked if he could bring a friend... well of course we said he could, but then he said can I bring my boyfriend? lol a little bit of an awkward situation, but hey you need to give everyone the opportunity to hear the gospel! So, he came, but didn't bring his boyfriend, and the strangest part about it was that it was a really good lesson with him lol. He has study religion a lot of his life searching for truth and he just doesn't understand how there can be so many churches. He thinks that there should be one true church but he doesn't know how he can find out. So. basically we ended up having a really interesting and spiritual discussion, gave him a Book of Mormon, and now we will just see where things go. His name is Noel. We were also able to teach another man only in english because he is studying in college in Canada, as you can tell we meet a lot of people and teach a lot of people who speak english, and we had a very strong and powerful lesson about trials and about finding truth. It was a very deep and sincere discussion and he had really good questions from the soul. His name is Rustem.
This morning we had breakfast at the Moore's, first time that I have had bacon since I was in America, and we had a really good discussion about finding people. They really, along with all of the Elders here have a strong feeling that the work here is just about to take off! As a missionary it can be hard because you have so many things along with lessons and contacting and tracting and study and stuff like that that it is easy to just get into a routine and just keep going everyday doing the same thing. It makes you forget about other things that you should be trying and testing, it is easy to forget about the simplest way to find people, through the members. So, with that we are going to be working hard on focusing on strengthening the members, getting them more involved, and getting referrals from them. I really think that this will bring a lot of success to our work as we begin to search where missionaries have never looked before in this area, we now have access to a car which the Missionary Couple here can drive so we can start searching in parts of the city where we have never been. The work is going along!
Well thank you for the love and the support and the prayers! Keep it up and remember who you are!
Elder Weihing :)
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