Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Monday, January 27, 2014

Sounds like you had a great week, even though you had to give a talk! Glad I was able to help out there with the talk though. And so far, on the house thing, nothing is really changed. Same old same old. However this house still has water, and we just found out they should be putting an inverter into our house soon, which basically makes a car battery power into light when light leaves the house. Hopefully we'll get that soon!!!! But ya, so far, as long as we have water, I am fine! And yes, I am feeling better, hallelujah!!! 

Alright, so my week.... where to start. Well the beginning of this week was pretty average, did a lot of contacting and stuff. On tuesday we talked a lot with members, but on Thursday we had another intercambio, which is when one of the Zone Leaders switches companions with someone in another area for a day! So I got to be in my area with a Zone Leader on Thursday and he only spoke spanish, so that was tough! But we got so much done that day. I was the leader all day that day, and as I took him, Elder Chunga, out of the house to start working, a girl yelled at us and stopped us and told us she had had a "revelation" last night of guys in white, with ties and a black plaque, riding bicycles and holding a blue book and told us that she believed it was us. Pretty nuts! So we set up time the next day to go to her house when I would have Elder Zilm with me again, and we went to her house the next day and nothing.... she wasn't there... bummer.

But anyways, continuing with Thursday, Elder Chunga and I contacted a ton and contacted 26 new people that are all potential new investigators! We haven't gotten a chance to meet any of them yet because they are never home, which bothers me! Oh well. Oh and me and Elder Chunga went and taught Nicauri on Thursday and I literally gave the entire lesson. And at the end of it, I told her she was ready for baptism, but then I laid it down hard and said she needs to get married first before she can be baptized. That kind of struck her, but in a good way, because she agreed with me! Then she told me later she had never felt the spirit before, so I explained what the spirit was and that she probably has felt it, and then I felt the need to sing my favorite hymn, "Come, Come, Ye Saints." So I sang a solo right then and there in her house, and she told me she could feel it. Absolutely the best feeling ever. 

So that was Thursday. I spent the night with all latinos, so I could only speak Spanish!!! Oh andFriday I got Elder Zilm back and we did a service for a member. We basically built a house from scratch for him. He was adding onto his house, so we blueprinted it, put up all the walls, and did the concrete and ceiling. It's finished now. :) I forgot my camera, so I will show you pictures of that next week. :)

 So that was Friday, andSaturday my companion was super sick, so we stayed home all day which was a real bummer. Oh and so Sunday, we went to church, and then after that went to members houses and Nicauri's again. Nothing new with her that time. And today, we played basketball with the zone, and as we were coming home, my companion may have done something really bad to his foot. We aren't sure right now, but he is a trooper!!!! Oh and I gave myself an awesome goose-egg on the top of my head while getting out of the Guagua!! So that was my fantastic week. :) So ya, pretty basic week.... hahaha I love you guys! Keep staying strong! And thank you for keeping me updated on things!

Your Son, 
Elder Weiss

Thursday, January 23, 2014

More from Mon. Jan. 20th

(From Parker's email to his Dad)
I have an awesome story I can share with you. So in the guaguas, you know those buses I showed you guys?  Anyways, I was in that today, and some guy started talking to me about the church. I couldn't really understand his spanish very well so I asked him where he was from. He is from Haiti, and spoke fluent French. I told him I spoke a little and to try that, because he was learning his spanish. He started doing that, and for some reason, I could understand him completely, and better yet, I remembered the important French and could respond! Not very well, but I could! Plus it helped that it is really close to Spanish so I could use Spanish because he understood that. But me and my companion taught him about the gospel and gave him a pamphlet as he left. He isn't in our area, but we did the right thing. Just reminded me of you, because you always were willing to do the right thing, no matter what the circumstances. It was really awkward to talk in a guagua with a bunch of random people listening, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Hopefully he continues to learn about the gospel from other missionaries in his zone. Anyways, I love you dad. You are the best dad ever! Stay awesome!

Your Son,
Elder Weiss :)

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Monday, January 20, 2013

 So my week, well to start, me and my companion are staying together in the same area for another six weeks! Oh, and the new Elder, Elder Victoria, is from Columbia! Freaking awesome dude! Love this kid! He's got this way deep manly voice that I am jealous of. Hahah :) Oh also, this week we had 4 investigators come to church! That was amazing! Oh and one of them is ready for baptism!!!!!!!! Her name is Nicauri! We don't have a date, and we haven't asked her yet, but she told us that she wanted to join the church badly. She just has to be married first, but then she is ready! So amazing how the Lord is preparing people for his gospel. :) Also, I got bad bad gripe, that sickness, last night, to the point where I was basically dry heaving all night. It was soooo bad. I couldn't even eat yesterday, it was horrible! It's gone now, except for the cough.... but  hey, overall I have felt better!!! Also, we had to go to the office today because the President wanted to talk to me and my companion. It was a little strange, because we didn't have that planned. Yesterday we went to a meeting with Elder Cornish from the quorum of the seventy. That rocked!!!! So good! But after that is when our President asked us to come to the office today. So we went, and I had a weird feeling the whole time we were heading over there. When we got there he took my companion in his office and talked for an hour, then got me. He told me that next transfer, he is going to need more trainers, so he was asking my companion if he thought I was ready. My companion said yes, and so he was checking to see how ready I was. Basically we talked the entire time in Spanish and I understood most of it. At the end, he said "You're ready." and then told me how there will be a high chance of me training next transfer. NUTS!! I barely know this language and I am going to start TRAINING!!!! Crazy! But I feel ready. Anyways after that we exercised and came here. That has been my crazy week! :) Hope all is well! Love you mom!!!! :) 
Elder Weiss :)

Elder Weiss showing his Nutella he got for Christmas!

    
Note from his mom:  I asked in various emails if he has seen a doctor which he hasn't yet because it's an hour walk away and difficult to get there but he promised he will try. He did say he's feeling better. I asked if he lost more weight. He said he actually gained some weight but with this last bout of vomiting and not able to eat anything he lost 2 more pounds. As of Monday, he assured me he feels much better and is just coughing. This last week he was able to get out a lot so that was good.  Also, he sent a beautiful email to his dad that I will upload portions here on his blog as soon as I get a copy of it. So look for that in the next few days. :)
Thanks for supporting Elder Weiss!

Monday, January 13, 2014

January 13, 2014

So here is how my week went! Luckily we still have water and we are doing fine!
Me and my companion have been at home with gripe,a sickness where you cough, have a sore throat, can not stop puking and basically can not keep anything in you. Not fun. I have had it twice in the field already. Anyways, we could not go out and do any work because of it so I have been at the house almost all week studying and marking up my scriptures, which to be honest, is much needed. I have learned so much this
week just from reading the scriptures! That does not mean we did not go out or get any new investigators. We got a couple and are planning on teaching them this week because we are both at the end of our gripe cycle. We only cough now, so other than that we are good.

 We had a house check this week, and we passed. Oh but we found out that the other house we were looking at got denied. :( Big bummer, but oh well. We also became really good friends with our neighbors now. Since we were home all week we helped a lot with service around our apartments so they all like us now, so that is good. :)

We got a call last night since transfers are this Wednesday and me and my companion will still be together in the same area to finish up my training, although we were told he was one of three Elders that was picked to go and replace one of the Elders in the office, so I was scared for a day that he would leave me early. Scariest part is if he would have gone to the office, I probably would have started training, and I barely know the language!!! Ay mi madre! But all is well. Our house doesn't change except Elder Escalante is leaving because he finishes his mission on Wednesday, so we will have one new guy in the house but that will be it. Other than that, it has been a pretty basic week!

OH!!! I did get the package you guys sent
finally! We went to a meeting for trainers and they had it there for me. Lets just say I loved it! NUTELLA!!!! YES!!!!! Sweet Nutella! hahahah but no, all the quotes and stuff were awesome, very well thought out, and
cutesy. They are all above my work station now. Oh and the cards were awesome! Loved all the notes. And the rick roll..... well played! hahaha so funny!!! We are making the brownies tonight since it is Elder Escalantes last day with us so we will see how that goes. Also I have some pictures I will post so that will be fun! hahaha but ya! Basic week other than that! I hope you are all doing good! Tell me all about how life is and all that good jazz! Love you and I am proud of you all!
Elder Escalantes and Elder Weiss

Elder Weiss :)

Monday, January 6, 2014

January 6, 2014

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!! Sounds like all is well in the home, and it sounds like you had a crazy sweet birthday!

So let me talk about my week! As of New Years Day, we finally got water in our house! Hallelujah, and we still haven't lost it yet! Its a New Year miracle!!! Also, we got a new investigator, and are going to teach him tomorrow, along with two other non members, which will rock!!!! Best part though, you remember that girl named Estephany? She is 17. Well we went over to her house Saturday night, and we were having some hard times contacting her before. Well we went over there and she was home so we taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel through Joseph Smith. Her Aunt is a Mormon and she was there with us so that was good. I participated a lot in this lesson, which was awesome, but the best part is that after we gave the lesson, both me and my companion felt the same, that we needed to invite her to be baptized. We did not plan that before getting there. I asked the question, in Spanish, as my companion says "perfectly." After a looooonnnng silence just full of the spirit, she said she would. Absolutely made me soooo happy. I could just feel the peace and the love the Savior has for her. Sadly though, she moves today, back to La Vega, which is in the Santiago mission, so we won't finish teaching her or get to be at the baptism, and we don't even know if she will get baptized. We'll give her information to the mission home there and they'll get some missionaries to her, but all I know is we did all we could do, and I couldn't be happier. I don't know what will happen with her, but we will just have to wait and see I guess! We'll find out through her Aunt. Our other investigator we haven't been able to get a hold of recently, but she is ready for baptism, she just needs to be married first!

 Oh, and today, I played basketball from 7 in the morning until 11, and didn't get burned. :) So today was great, but overall my week has been awesome! Transfers come next week, but I am pretty sure I am staying in this area with my same companion to finish my training, so that is all good! 

Life is great down here! Especially with water now! Haha but other than that, not much has changed. It's starting to get hotter..... didn't think that was possible. But hey, its good stuff! Beats the snow! :) Glad everything is well. I'll be on for a bit of time today because the electricity is sooooo bad in our area right now. It's already gone out 4 times and this is my fifth time writing this email! hahah Sad thing is, I realized it automatically saves after this one that I am writing now, so all the other ones are in drafts, so oh well. If you are on, I would love to chat! I love you and I love the family, and I love this gospel!!!!!!!!! 

Con amor,
Elder Weiss :)