"Sometimes it's not all sunshine and rainbows..."

From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: June 15, 2014 at 7:26:00 PM MDT


Family is good. I'm trying to get more info but I'm pretty sure all is well. Sounds like my dad has some sort of Job while he continues working on a PhD. I'm trying to figure what that job is.

The area is good. I've gotten a bit overwhelmed by our zone though. Mostly just one area. It's like President says that the missionaries that are the hardest to love are the ones that need love the most. It definitely can feel like trying to hug a cactus with one Elder in particular sometimes. I'm not a huge fan of that but I reckon it's for the best in the end. He tells us about how his other zone leaders didn't push him and they were his friends. He tells us to be more loving. I think we are. We try. But he just throws it back at us. It's funny how he will be the first to say we don't love him and the last to say he loves us. I know I need to develop Christ-like attributes but...

sometimes it's not all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward! How much you can TAKE! And KEEP MOVING FORWARD! THATS HOW WINNING IS DONE!! NOW IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR WORTH THAN GO OUT AND GET WHAT YOUR WORTH, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA BE WILLING TO TAKE THE HITS!!! AND NOT POINTING FINGERS SAYING YOU AREN'T WHERE YOU WANT TO BE BECAUSE OF HIM, OR HER, OR ANYBODY! COWARDS DO THAT AND THAT AIN'T YOU! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!!!

But our area is good We pushed our baptism back one week because we want to interview a week before hand and let things solidify for them. But it's amazing how much I've stopped caring about numbers. I think total lessons is the dumbest key indicator there is. That's probably why it's not in PMG. About six months ago I thought success meant I was teaching. But now I realize that success is whatever gets me closer to finding and helping people to be baptised. And that isn't reflected in total lessons taught.

I love my branch so much and I love the people we teach so much. I am more focused on people than I ever have been and somehow the numbers are as good as they ever have been as well. It comes down to the cliche "Work Hard, Be Obedient, Love The People." I'm going to have a really hard time leaving this area. We had a less active come to church on sunday who hadn't come for ten years. I've worked with him since day one in the area and see him come a long ways. It will be hard to leave him. I hope that doesn't happen for a while.

I love my companion! We share more in common than we give ourselves credit. Trade-offs really put things in perspective sometimes. He is awesome and I've learned so much about communication with him. Communicating our differences used to be a highly contentious thing. Now we can do it and keep the spirit in the room.

I know that even though sometimes it feels like you've got the world on your back that it's not true. Christ has the world on his back and I just carry a small burden. A missionary used to always say to me, "Do you feel as bad as the Savior felt in the garden?” “Are you as tired as He was in the garden?" and it gives me strength to know He made it through and so can I.

I love all of you. And I don't need weekly letters. Just weekly photos. Ben's photo took the cake this week! And fill out mom's survey and I'll be the follow up nazi when I come home!!

Love ya's heaps!

Elder Weiss VI