April 25, 2011

Hola,

We had a busy week! Saturday we drove up to Albuquerque. We didn't have to find rides this time because we were able to use mission cars, so that was fun. I love road trips. In our car we had me, Elders Konelio, Hallows, Haydon, and Chorak. We met as a whole mission at a stake center up there. I realized I don't even know half of the missionaries in our mission.

They kinda pulled a quick one on us. President Miller went to the airport to pick up Elder Holland and Elder Cook came off the plane. Awkward. I guess Elder Holland had just got back from a 2 week trip to the Middle East and was super worn out. Still, it was awesome and very powerful! We had Elder Cook, Bishop McMullins from the Presiding Bishopric, and Elder Costa who is one of the Presidents of the Seventy.

Elder Cook talked about D&C 31 and told some cool stories. He and Elder Holland were missionary companions (Elder Cook was the senior companion!). It was great. We got to shake all their hands. President and Sister Miller were crying the whole time.

We got another awesome investigator and it's a pretty cool story. We got the referral sent to our phone and we weren't able to go contact it for a few days. When we did go see her, she took a second to get to the door because she was on the phone. Then she answers, "Oh, sorry, I was talking to the people in Utah". I didn't get what she was talking about at first. Then we just started talking to her and I asked how she decided to request the missionaries to come over. This is where it gets cool. She was on FACEBOOK and "Liked" the Mormon thing which led her to see an "I'm A Mormon" video. She said, "I didn't know there were black Mormons. I saw they were so happy so that got me interested". She did the "Chat Now" thing and then started talking to the Sister missionaries in the MTC on the phone and they had been calling her for a week and had sent her the Restoration DVD. "I was waiting for you guys to come." She loves it all. She wanted to come to Church last week but was afraid to go by herself. Her husband had investigated the Church before and liked it but his work made it hard to go. The next day we took her on a tour of the Church with a young couple in our ward. We had a good lesson with her and her husband when he got back in town and then she came to Church on Easter and was sooo excited. She will probably get baptized next month. ALL BECAUSE OF FACEBOOK!

You better post a Mormon video on your Facebook or blog right now! It's sooo easy. That was our miracle of the week. We had a good Easter. Very busy. Lots of food, too.

Love,


Elder Wiest

April 18, 2011

Hola,

The past week has been so good! The work is going so good. We have 7 baptismal dates and they are all pretty solid. Don't count your eggs until they're hatched, but things are going well.

Transfer week is always fun when you don't have any changes yourself because you get to see everyone around you come in and go out. We have a pretty cool zone. My old companion, Elder Steed, is back in my district. That will be fun. He goes home in 5 weeks. We keep following each other to areas.

We went on Exchanges with the Zone Leaders this past week. I went with my good buddy, Elder Hollows. He is the one in the graffiti Jesus picture with me. We had fun. I love him to death.

We got suckered again. We helped some people on the west side move. They had some of the heaviest furniture ever.

I got 3 new ties this week and I bought some brown slacks. They are girl pants and I love them. They are way stretchy. Goodwill specials.

As for the people we're teaching...We have a 9 year-old Mexican boy who is super smart. His Mom is not active but he comes with his Aunt. We have a 10 year-old white boy who loves football and Church. His Mom is in jail so he also comes with an Aunt. Then we have 9, 13, and 15 year-old Mexican sisters. They have 3 other sisters but they're either too young or already baptized. That family is sweet. Then we have a middle-aged white woman who just showed up at Church. Her boyfriend is a member on the east side but she's been coming without him over to our building for about a month now and she loves it. She has a 10 year-old son who is always out playing so we haven't taught him yet but he'll probably get baptized with his Mom. So, those are our main people.

Love,


Elder Wiest

April 11, 2011

Hola,

How are you doing? I don’t even know how to say what I want to. Unfortunately, I’m not too good at writing what I’m thinking. President and Sister Miller called me on Thursday morning, so I’ve known about Kim. I’m sad, but I’m fine. I was so surprised/shocked when they started telling me my Mom called with bad news. All kinds of things started running through my mind. But then they said it was Kim and I was just shocked. Kim is soooo happy right now. Holy cow. I gave a talk in the Spanish branch yesterday and I talked about her... in Spanish. We were assigned the topic of missionary work and I basically talked about how comforting it is to know the things we do as members of the Church and how we need to share that knowledge with others. I know where Kim is and I know who she is with. I’m going to miss her but I’m happy. I’m more worried about all of you guys. I hope Grandma and Grandpa are doing okay.

The work and everything is going so good in the area that that is what fills my mind. Am I lost in the work? I didn’t think that would actually happen.

We set 4 more baptismal dates this last week. We could have more baptisms this transfer than last transfer!

Btw…I’m staying this transfer and I’m staying with Elder Konelio. BUT the best news of the week is…I’m not District Leader anymore! Elder Konelio is. I enjoyed being District Leader but it got old pretty fast. And now I’m also the junior companion again. I’m not going to lie, it feels good. President Miller said I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that he wants Elder Konelio to get the experience.

This next transfer is going to be fun. Some of my favorite Elders are coming into the zone.

Send my love to everyone. Give Will a hug for me. Grandpa and Grandma, too. Our lives are like a super infinite time line. We were chilling with Heavenly Father, we are born, we grow baby teeth, we lose baby teeth, we have our first kiss, we drive a car, we make bad decisions, we get married, we have kids, we make good decisions, we get fat (or skinny), we die, we see old friends and family, we do missionary work, we chill some more, and the time line keeps going. It’s just points on a time line.

I love you. I miss you. I wish I could be there. Smile.


Love,


Elder Wiest

April 4, 2011

Hola,

We were in the 90s this weekend! It's going to be a hot summer.

We had a good week and better weekend. General Conference was great. It's such a nice change of pace. I guess this time next year I should be married...or else.

We also had a baptism on Saturday in between sessions. Her name is April. She is a good friend of a member who got baptized a year ago. She is a cool girl. She thought all the white jump suits were ugly so she bought her own baptismal clothes. It was a nice baptism and we confirmed her the same day.

We keep getting suckered into doing service. Some guy called us up from the east side and said he was moving some "equipment" into a storage unit in the northeast and asked for our help. (I'm going to punch the Elders that gave him our number). He had bought dry cleaning equipment -- like 7 machines that weighed probably 600 pounds each. It took 6 of us an hour and a half to unload them off a big flat bed trailer and into the storage unit.

Today were are having a cookout. Elder Konelio and I marinated some steaks and we are ready to do some grilling.

Love,


Elder Wiest

March 29, 2011

Hola,

Yesterday we went to Albuquerque to visit the temple. We rode with some members from another ward and our Zone Leaders. It was a lot of fun. We got there late for our assigned session but went to the next one. The whole mission went through the temple yesterday. Afterwards we visited the mission office which was the first time for me and Elder Konelios so that was cool. We just had to pick up a few things.

THEN for lunch we hit up Tucanos. I love that place! It was Elder Haydon's birthday and I think he had a good day: Endowment session,cupcakes in the temple parking lot, Tucanos, McDonald's ice cream cone, and sitting next to me for 7 hours!

Last week we had Zone Conference in Las Cruces, so that was fun. We had some good training there and a good lunch. The work is also going good here still.

We should be having a baptism this weekend between sessions of conference. Her name is April and she is a friend of a member who got baptized a year ago. People keep showing up at Church that aren't members and people are referring us to friends. We are also working with a lot of part-member families. There is just lots of potential here and I'm liking it a lot.

Love,

Elder Wiest

March 21, 2011

Hola,

I got pretty sick this week and I'm still not doing so hot. I think it was food poisoning but I'm not for sure. Maybe a little bit of the flu, too. I don't really know but I'm doing better.

This week was a little slow because that happened in the middle. It's getting warmer here. I went on exchanges with Elder Cuello again this week.

On the day that I was really sick we got a call that someone needed a blessing at the hospital so I got out of bed and we went. Well, that person actually had someone else coming but then the other Elders called us and asked if we could give another kid a blessing. So, we went to another part of the hospital and gave him one. He was 7 year-old kid who broke his femur. And I thought I was having a bad day!

The work is going good, regardless. We have lots of support from the ward and branch, so it's going good.

Love,


Elder Wiest

March 15, 2011

Hola

Julio and Jocelyne were baptized this past weekend. It was an awesome baptism. There was tons of people there. Half the branch and a bunch of nonmembers.  The spirit was strong and they had refreshments.  It was great.  Also I had leadership training last week. It was long, but we always learn good stuff. Its fun to see all the other missionaries, and free lunch. 
Me and Elder Konelio taught both gospel principles classes on Sunday. We knew before hand that we were going to teach the one for Spanish branch so we were kind of prepared but the English ward was just a surprise.  We did a good job though. 
Its interesting being around so many military people.  I’ve got so much respect for them. Almost every night we eat with people that have been to Iraq and Afghanistan and have been shot and drive tanks. They’re cool people.  We ate Oryx it's this huge horse/gazelle thing that was brought from Africa and lives out in New Mexico. They’re huge, but a friend of one of the members shot one on a military thing and he got some of the meat.  I guess its pretty illegal to just kill them without a license. They barbecued it, it was pretty good. Google it: Oryx

Love,
Elder Wiest