What a week. Being a missionary rocks!!!!
This week was a great success! We have seen some amazing blessings this week. We have been working really hard with Fransico on preparing him for baptism and helping him understand that everything is possible with God, and he told us that he is struggling with some things, so we focused on the commandments and he promised God that he will try hard to keep all the commandments. He also had a bishop interview on Sunday and the bishop discussed on how he could help him out. We have high hopes for him to succeed in his goals.
Yeni and Nicolas continue waiting for those papers... as do we... but we continually pass by and keep their hopes high by reading the scriptures with them.
We saw some miracles of the Lord this week. We have been working hard over the last couple months with some menos activos that had been menos activos for well over a year. We had been talking about all the things we could do to help rebuild that testimony again, and we decided to really dig deep with some inspired questions, to really find out their needs. After asking both the menos activos, and the surrounding families who are members, we learned these people hadn't lost the faith, just a desire. We have been speaking boldly through scripture to these people for the last couple of months, and we saw the miracle of the Lord this Sunday. Two of them, one who hasn't been to the church for a year and a half, decided to show up to church, who told us he'd never come back. And he loved it. The spirit touched him deeply and we can already see a change after passing by later that night. The Lord works in mysterious ways. This man is sealed in the temple to his wife, who is still a faithfully active member, and we are really hoping the two will be able to become, once again, promised with the blessings of a temple marriage. That was a true miracle for us this week. :)
I've never been the kind of missionary to be patient...... I like to get out and go do it.... but I feel like in this area, the Lord is really teaching me that principle. Being District Leader and all that, and trying to help prepare people for baptism, at times I just want to kind of grab them by the ankles to the church and toss them into the baptismal font. But I know that is not the way. I am definitely trying to find a patient peace in everything. Also, sorry if I am spelling patient wrong, but I've kinda forgotten how to spell in English... haha but anyways, I know that the Lord is teaching big principles on the mission that I wouldn't be able to learn anywhere else. At times I feel like I am progressing in my own spiritual way as fast as a snail going across the driveway, and other days I learn things instantly, but I know that it is all important, regardless. I love the gospel. Hopefully we will see the fruit of our labors more and more every week, but I have faith that big things are soon to come. Love you all, may the Lord bless you in all that you do. Don't ever give up on the faith or on the church, it is the most perfect thing that anyone can have in their life. I encourage everyone to invite their friends to know of the truth. :) Do the Lord's Work. :)
Love,
Elder Weiss :)
Mother's Note: These first 3 pictures Parker just sent to me to show me some "inside jokes" and an Americanized home as well.
Mother's Note: I asked Parker during our e-chat what his favorite food is there and also his favorite part being on his mission. Here was his reply:
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| "there is me with a freaking orange in my mouth. WOOHOO" |
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| I must explain... this picture is a really americanized house... weird..... so I took a picture |
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| I know you'll love this picture. I have never seen any other family with these duck measures, and here in the DR, my "Dominican mom" (that always takes care of us and cooks for us from time to time, and our next door neighbor) Hermana Taveras is her name, has these in her house. It was awesome. |
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| "This thing is called a empanada, really good. It's full of pizza stuff. We pass by this store from time to time and the owner loves us, so he gave us an extra big one this week... |
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| "So yes, I wrote my name in Ketchup and Mayonnaise,.. |
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| "and I did indeed snarf it down. It was great." I asked Parker if he's wearing a Dallas Cowboy's tie here and he said he was. :) |
My favorite food here is definitely the Empanadas. They are tasty!
My favorite part of the mission so far has been the amount of changes I have seen of people, including myself, come closer to our Heavenly Father. It has been great to go through all the areas that I have had and see that no matter what, the doctrine doesn't change and that the gospel is perfect. I love helping those "lost wandering sheep" to help find their purpose and bring them back to the fold. It has definitely been challenging but oh so worth it! That has been the best part. Helping all to come to Christ. :)
I also asked Parker to tell me more about the Elder that moved in with them after Elder Mortensen went home and how Elder Millward's Spanish was coming along...
The new guy is Elder Perez, and he is really cool and chill. I like my time with him. He's fun! I miss Elder Mortensen big time though!
Elder Millward's Spanish is getting better every day! It's awesome to see!!!
Then we talked a lot about the car he wants to get when he comes home. :) And journals and what the families been up to and Parker mentioned he's still in good health. A great e-chat this week!
