Date: July 27, 2014 at 8:45:41 PM MDT
Dear Family,
It's been an interesting ride going from companion to companion. Last night I got a phone call from the Spanish missionaries saying that an investigator we found wanted me or my comp to baptize him. I told my companion he should do it because he's worked with him more but we decided that his current companion should do it! Elder Fitzner!!
It is crazy to hear about all the people that you worked with progressing after you leave. When you leave you take a picture of how things were and keep that in your head forever and when you hear it's changed it's really strange.
We found this new investigator Julian. He is crazy! He loves history and has done heaps of research. He believes our church but he doesn't know it yet! He's 5.7 and nearly played goalkeep for Stoke City in England but got into partying and lost his chance. He is tiny as but played keeper!! Nuts.
Not too much to tell this week but I'm learning and growing a lot.
I did chase a wombat last night with a video camera. I'll get that video to you soon. We were driving back and saw two wombats two seperate times and the second time I got out and chased it. They are really bad road kill because they are so thick and solid it destroys your car. HaHa i chased a wombat... once in a life time.
Love you all heaps, Elder Weiss VI
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Sunday, July 20, 2014
With hesitation comes less inspiration...
From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: July 20, 2014 at 9:10:30 PM MDT
Sorry family. I lost track of time. I procrastinated writing this letter because Neal A Maxwell and The Lectures on Faith were too interesting... and over my head. But this week has been tough. I have a hard time adjusting to new companions. It's been three weeks but I'm still working at it. I think I'm getting better at dealing with change.
Three more weeks in this area and then I think I'm most likely gone.
Yesterday I gave a talk on planting seeds. It seems I'm pretty good at that. Last night I found out that the Spanish ward is baptizing another investigator I taught! I don't understand how they are doing it but they are baptizing heaps! I would put a bet on our little branch to baptize more but somehow they do it.
It's been kind of exhausting this past week. With a new companion comes a new approach to the work her in Bathurst. I've been here five weeks and I'm still beating my head against the wall it seems like. I guess things just don't happen as quickly as I would like them to. But good things are happening. It seems like we peaked three weeks ago and now we've dropped down again. Progress feels good. It doesn't matter where you are as long as you feel like there is progress you can stay positive. I feel like we've digressed but it's all a learning experience.
Deb shared this quote by Elder Maxwell with me. He said that, "With hesitation, comes less inspiration." I'm going to really try to live that this week. We'll see where it takes me. You all sound like you are doing well. Deb, you'll need to share your insights about finding a spouse with the rest of the family especially the single ones. ALL THE SINGLE LADIES all the single ladies ALL THE SINGLE LADIES all the single ladies. If you like him then he'd better makes some three pointers oh oh ohh!
Love yous heaps.
Elder Weiss VI
Monday, July 14, 2014
St. Bernard Buddy
 |
| The first dog was a puppy and this is a puppy a few months later. And that is sweet potato that we cooked in our new slow cooker with green beans and *drum roll* Kangaroo! You need to know how to cook it or else it's just nasty! Luckily my companion knows how! |
The name of the game in eternal life is serving others
From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: July 13, 2014 at 8:52:21 PM MDT
Hola mi familia!
Well this week seemed really normal. Which isn't normal. Nothing really exciting happened... actually I think it's probably because I didn't write in my journal that I can't remember what happened.
Last P-day we went to rugby training and it was soo fun! My legs were stuffed after but I recovered.
On Saturday our members son had a Rugby League game. We went and watch'd him. It looked like so much fun. On Wednesday we had another Movie night at Elder and Sister Hills house. They are our senior couple.We are soo lucky to have them. We had a good turn out and our investigators/ recent convert brought their friends! There is one in particular that we think would want to learn more. So we'll see how that goes.
Friday we trained our zone on finding new investigators. We learned that because finding is difficult in these country towns we need to be sharper. We always need to be looking for the Lord's referrals. In Dubbo we used to walk so much so that we could talk to more people. Here in Bathurst we use the car so much I've lost me edge a little bit. Every cashier is a potential investigator. Sometimes we switch off especially on P-day and stop finding. We get so caught up in us.
A less active members said told us we should be able to brake the rules on P-day because that's "our" day. We told her "it's the Lord's day". This is what I've realized. Any time is the Lords time, especially as a missionary. I'm not here to do my own will but the will of him that sent me. It's hard maintaining an eye single to his glory. I wish I could do a better job of it.
Yesterday we taught the Young men about missions. We read Moses 1:39 (Thanks mom) and we talked about how the name of the game for God is his children. And it's the same for us. The name of the game in eternal life is serving others. There's no time to waste because that's the best thing we can be doing. When we are so anxiously engaged in helping others, being mediocre in our obedience just slows us down.
Today I saw pictures of when I entered the MTC. That was over a year ago. There is no time for wasting. I hope I can capitalize on the time I have. Fun cannot bring joy. Although it can come to the party.
Love yous heaps,
Elder Weiss
PS Where are the pictures? I'm sitting here with nothing to do folks! Help me out!
Date: July 13, 2014 at 8:52:21 PM MDT
Hola mi familia!
Well this week seemed really normal. Which isn't normal. Nothing really exciting happened... actually I think it's probably because I didn't write in my journal that I can't remember what happened.
Last P-day we went to rugby training and it was soo fun! My legs were stuffed after but I recovered.
On Saturday our members son had a Rugby League game. We went and watch'd him. It looked like so much fun. On Wednesday we had another Movie night at Elder and Sister Hills house. They are our senior couple.We are soo lucky to have them. We had a good turn out and our investigators/ recent convert brought their friends! There is one in particular that we think would want to learn more. So we'll see how that goes.
Friday we trained our zone on finding new investigators. We learned that because finding is difficult in these country towns we need to be sharper. We always need to be looking for the Lord's referrals. In Dubbo we used to walk so much so that we could talk to more people. Here in Bathurst we use the car so much I've lost me edge a little bit. Every cashier is a potential investigator. Sometimes we switch off especially on P-day and stop finding. We get so caught up in us.
A less active members said told us we should be able to brake the rules on P-day because that's "our" day. We told her "it's the Lord's day". This is what I've realized. Any time is the Lords time, especially as a missionary. I'm not here to do my own will but the will of him that sent me. It's hard maintaining an eye single to his glory. I wish I could do a better job of it.
Yesterday we taught the Young men about missions. We read Moses 1:39 (Thanks mom) and we talked about how the name of the game for God is his children. And it's the same for us. The name of the game in eternal life is serving others. There's no time to waste because that's the best thing we can be doing. When we are so anxiously engaged in helping others, being mediocre in our obedience just slows us down.
Today I saw pictures of when I entered the MTC. That was over a year ago. There is no time for wasting. I hope I can capitalize on the time I have. Fun cannot bring joy. Although it can come to the party.
Love yous heaps,
Elder Weiss
PS Where are the pictures? I'm sitting here with nothing to do folks! Help me out!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Loving someone is like rotor tilling a garden...
From: Joseph Weiss <joseph.weiss@myldsmail.net>
Date: July 7, 2014 at 7:47:59 PM MDT
Hola!! So things are great. It's so much fun serving with Elder Williams. We laugh a lot. I think we look at missionary work differently but our personalities mesh really good which makes things really fun. I feel like I can be myself with him. This past week we decided we would separately pick three streets and see if we came up with any that were the same. We both picked Napier street. So we went and it was freezing cold and windy.
We started knocking... got some Catholics... *opens door* "Yeah thank you!" *closes door*. After a while I said to my companion, "I trying to figure out the reason we both picked Napier. Why are we here?" We kept going until we reached a Part-member family's house that was on the opposite side of the road. We decided to knock it and start knocking our way back where we came. So we walked up and knocked on the door and we here voices, "No you go get it!". A voice says, "Who is it?" "The missionaries" my companion replies. "Oh um we aren't religious at all." Enter stupor of thought!! haha.
So we kept going with no success until we found this older gentleman that was keen to talk with us. I went to quote something that the savior said in the Bible and he stopped me and said, "This is the problem I have. The Bible has been changed and I believe parts are divine and parts are man made but we have no way to tell the difference. So the Bible by itself doesn't really help me." What in the world? How is my brain child so much older than me? We talked and testified of the Book of Mormon as another witness that helps us see the truth. He accepted a Book of Mormon and he said he was visiting from Victoria and would leave in a few days but that he was going to read this book. We gave him our card and said, “If you want missionaries to come and talk to you give us a ring". We promised him he would find the truth through the Book of Mormon. He said, "I hope so because I haven't got much more time to search!". I know that God has a purpose in everything. We shouldn't doubt because we don't always see it.
So our neighbor played international 7's rugby for Papa New Guinea and now he just plays for local clubs. He also coaches and said we could come to training sometime so today at 4:30 we get to go play footy! Yay I'm so excited I even bought some cheap cleats! I'll take some video to send next week.
Having Mission Leadership Council with our new Mission President (Back) yesterday was awesome. Him and his wife are just what we need. Something I learned yesterday is the to have faith you must first have a soft heart, and we can help people have soft hearts by loving them which hopefully will help them one day have faith. I honestly didn't really understand the role of love in missionary work but now it makes sense. Loving someone is like rotor tilling a garden. I prepares it for the seeds of faith. So now I'm working on loving people with a better idea of why. I fasted for love on Sunday and when I think of disobedient missionaries, instead of thinking, "He's so dumb. He's wasting his time and the Lords time" I now have at times thoughts pop into my head "I wish he understood that disobedience is making him unhappy." or "I just wish he could catch a vision of what God wants for him". Fasting is great.
I want to be so dadgum loving by the time I get home it's not even funny. You'll all be murdered with my kindness!
Love you all!
Elder Weiss VI
Date: July 7, 2014 at 7:47:59 PM MDT
Hola!! So things are great. It's so much fun serving with Elder Williams. We laugh a lot. I think we look at missionary work differently but our personalities mesh really good which makes things really fun. I feel like I can be myself with him. This past week we decided we would separately pick three streets and see if we came up with any that were the same. We both picked Napier street. So we went and it was freezing cold and windy.
We started knocking... got some Catholics... *opens door* "Yeah thank you!" *closes door*. After a while I said to my companion, "I trying to figure out the reason we both picked Napier. Why are we here?" We kept going until we reached a Part-member family's house that was on the opposite side of the road. We decided to knock it and start knocking our way back where we came. So we walked up and knocked on the door and we here voices, "No you go get it!". A voice says, "Who is it?" "The missionaries" my companion replies. "Oh um we aren't religious at all." Enter stupor of thought!! haha.
So we kept going with no success until we found this older gentleman that was keen to talk with us. I went to quote something that the savior said in the Bible and he stopped me and said, "This is the problem I have. The Bible has been changed and I believe parts are divine and parts are man made but we have no way to tell the difference. So the Bible by itself doesn't really help me." What in the world? How is my brain child so much older than me? We talked and testified of the Book of Mormon as another witness that helps us see the truth. He accepted a Book of Mormon and he said he was visiting from Victoria and would leave in a few days but that he was going to read this book. We gave him our card and said, “If you want missionaries to come and talk to you give us a ring". We promised him he would find the truth through the Book of Mormon. He said, "I hope so because I haven't got much more time to search!". I know that God has a purpose in everything. We shouldn't doubt because we don't always see it.
So our neighbor played international 7's rugby for Papa New Guinea and now he just plays for local clubs. He also coaches and said we could come to training sometime so today at 4:30 we get to go play footy! Yay I'm so excited I even bought some cheap cleats! I'll take some video to send next week.
Having Mission Leadership Council with our new Mission President (Back) yesterday was awesome. Him and his wife are just what we need. Something I learned yesterday is the to have faith you must first have a soft heart, and we can help people have soft hearts by loving them which hopefully will help them one day have faith. I honestly didn't really understand the role of love in missionary work but now it makes sense. Loving someone is like rotor tilling a garden. I prepares it for the seeds of faith. So now I'm working on loving people with a better idea of why. I fasted for love on Sunday and when I think of disobedient missionaries, instead of thinking, "He's so dumb. He's wasting his time and the Lords time" I now have at times thoughts pop into my head "I wish he understood that disobedience is making him unhappy." or "I just wish he could catch a vision of what God wants for him". Fasting is great.
I want to be so dadgum loving by the time I get home it's not even funny. You'll all be murdered with my kindness!
Love you all!
Elder Weiss VI
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