August 31st through September 14, 2015

September 14, 2015

Hey hey!!!!!!! 

It's been a crazy week! So to start off, Sister Ashburn and I both caught the 24 hour stomach flu on Saturday.  It was awful.  But we're all better now and back to eating Twizzlers and Symphony bars.

So guess what! This week we taught Kaisa about Repentance and Baptism and the Word of Wisdom.  She's been smoking since she was 16 and she's 76 and drinking coffee since she was 4, but she wants to be baptized, so she's giving it up.  We're helping her wean off of it and she is looking forward to being free from her addiction so she can feel 100% better.  She said that everytime she smokes a cigarette now or drinks coffee she feels so upset because she knows that it's something that God doesn't want her to do since it just harms her body.  So she's getting rid of the habit and the cravings.  WAY TO GO KAISA!!! We're hoping to have her baptism on October 10th, no later than that.  She doesn't want to wait longer than that.

We're still working on Chris and Kat.  They won't be getting married next month unfortunately.  She wants to wait for a little bit.  But that bummed Chris out because he really wants to get married to her and above all, baptized.  He really REALLY wants to get baptized.  But he's holding strong.  He really is an amazing man and he's got such a strong testimony.  Pray for them!!

We went on exchanges this week and it went well :)  I was with Sister Mataipule (she's from Down Under) and we knocked on someone's door and they let us in and we were able to teach him the Restoration and invite him to be baptized!  He said if he found out it was true he would.  It was awesome!  All good people are ready for the fullness of the Gospel in their lives.  NO JOKE!

Also at church, we had sooooooo many less active members make it! It was soooooooo exciting!  Hard work ALWAYS pays off.  I just love this area.

So for the funny stuff this week, we were at district meeting and we were roleplaying teaching people about the Restoration of the gospel and the Book of Mormon.

Soooooooo here goes:

Elder Grimsrud: "Do you have a church that you attend?"

Elder Loertscher (aka, the pretend investigator): "Ahh.... yes..... it's called..... Faith Hill."

We LAUGHED SO HARD! Faith Hill is totally a country singer.  NOT A CHURCH! It was just too funny.

Things out here in the mission field are amazing. Thank you for all your prayers!!! Love you all!

Love, 

Sister Weaver

September 7, 2015

Hey y'all!!!!

So first off Kern Valley is super gorgeous!!! I love it so much here! It's the most beautiful area I've served in so far and I hope to stay here for a while.  It's right by Lake Isabella (google it) and unfortunately the lake is at 6% water capacity right now. It's enormously depressing, but it's still beautiful.  We have close to 8 different areas and we have to drive through canyons and mountains to get anywhere!  It's so fantastic and therapeutic.

So Sister Ashburn and I are totally twins.  Holy cow.  It's nuts.  I swear we might have been separated at birth or we were twins in heaven or something.... but seriously, we have practically identical backgrounds (such as our dads are cops, and they've both had heart attacks, and our moms have both had breast cancer, and yeah it's awesome how identical we are....)

So first on the list. Our investigator's name is Chris and Sister Ashburn and her last companion found him and started teaching him because he's a member's boyfriend.  So just in the last few lessons we've had with him, he's going to ask his girlfriend (Kat) to marry him.  WOOO HOOOO!!! ANOTHER WEDDING!!!!!!!!  And then he'll be baptized that weekend after his wedding. It's so exciting!  He and Kat are so much fun to work with.  I've been able to connect pretty well with them and it's so much fun to teach!

Our other investigator's name is Kaisa and she's an older lady but she's so cute.  We're going to have dinner with her tonight and I'll get to know her a lot better.  I'm excited to get to know her.

This week, we went and found a former investigator named Liz and we were able to teach her the Restoration and invite her to be baptized!  She didn't accept the invitation to be baptized just because she doesn't quite understand everything yet, but I have a feeling she will understand the importance of it soon.  I'm excited for her.

I really love this ward.  They're so missionary minded and they are so focused on finding us people to teach.  We always always have a member to come with us! In fact, there's a line of people lined up to help us teach. It's waaaaaaaaaay cool! Everyone needs to have this awesome of a ward.

So highlight of my week.  There's a less active couple in this ward and Sister Minoux is as horse crazy as I am.  And everytime we come over, she gets out her horse because she wants to show her off to me.  So yup. Got my horse fix for the week. :3  Sister Minoux and I really hit it off as friends and she came to church yesterday! Mission accomplished!

OH! ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT OF MY WEEK! When I went to transfer meeting, I got to see Sister Anderson one more time before she went home!! I can't believe she's home!  And guess who brought her and her companion to transfer meeting?!  ROMAN AND LAURA!!!!!! OH MY GOSH I WAS BESIDE MYSELF IN HAPPINESS AND TEARS! As soon as they pulled up in their truck I knew who it was and they were as happy to see me as I was to see them.  Oh my beloved Weltins.  I love them with all the depth of my soul.  And I have a deep soul.  So it was a lot of love. ;)  Anyways, my week is fantastic and you're all jealous that you're not serving a mission with me ;)

Anyways, I love y'all so much! Take care and keep praying for my cousin Joslin and her family and Sister Tea in my ward back home.  I love you!!

Hugs from Kern Valley!

~Sister Weaver

August 31, 2015

Hey yall!!! So big news of the week! I'm getting transferred tomorrow! I'm going to serve in the Kern Valley in East Bakersfield!! It's by Lake Isabella and I've heard it's by the mountains so right now is a good time to say HALLELUJAH!! The heat has been a killer. I have never been so sweaty in my life (TMI, but at least I'm honest)!  My new companion will be Sister Ashburn!

Gotta say though, I'm thoroughly upset about this transfer because I love Sister Khumaryan so freaking much.  She and I will be friends forever and I'm going to go visit her in Armenia sometime in my mortal life ;)

Yesterday was the 5th Sunday (unless you weren't aware), and our ward focused on missionary work.  So Sister Khumaryan gave a beautiful talk on Charity: the Pure Love of Christ and how charity is so applicable to missionary work.  I sang in sacrament meeting (and I sang "Your Hands", the one Aunt Diane and I sang together at church at the beginning of this year. ALL OF THE FEELS) and then I taught Gospel Principles class.

Also, on Saturday we had a lesson with Doris and Richard and after we taught them, RICHARD PROPOSED TO HER!!!!!!!!!! So they'll be getting married in the next two weeks.  Which is a bummer because I won't be able to see it.  But I'm so excited for them.  They were asking us questions and then when we asked them if they had anymore questions, Richard said, "I do have one more question, but it's not for you guys." Then he turned to Doris, got down on one knee and popped the question!! He said (and I quote... in the cheesiest way he did, but it was cute) "Doris, I want you and Delanie to be with me forever.  Will you marry me for eternity?"  It was so CUTE!!!!

We found 2 new investigators this week and they'll be getting baptized in October.  We're excited for them! The first one is John and we met him while trying to contact his friend's sister.  He's been coming to the Book of Mormon class held every Wednesday at our church and he's been really open to the things we have to teach.  It's fantastic.  Also, the other investigator is Sharon! She's a former investigator and Sister Khumaryan and a member went to go see her this week and they ended up teaching her about the Plan of Happiness and setting her with a baptismal date and she's going to come to church! WOOO HOOO!!!

Anyways, keep my cousin Joslin and Sister Tea in my ward in your prayers.  They've both been diagnosed with cancer.  We're having a fast for them this Sunday.  Please keep them in your prayers and fasting.  They need it more than ever.  I love you both so much. You can do this!

That's my week. I love you all so much!

Until next week!

~Sister Weaver

First week in Lancaster!!

So on Monday I said my see-ya-laters to Roman and Hannah and everyone else that I've grown to love in little ole Tehachapi and let me tell ya, it was super hard!  But I will be back to see them before I know it!

Transfers.... well it was hard to say goodbye to Sister Anderson and Sister Lazzarotto and I have missed them terribly this week, but I am so glad to be a full-fledged missionary now! YAYYYYY!!!!!! I'm no longer a trainee!!! :D :D :D

So Lancaster is boiling hot.  I'm going to crack an egg on the sidewalk this week and see if it cooks.  I'll tell you guys more about it in a bit though.

So this has been a fantastic week.  We have 4 investigators and one of them is getting baptized this Saturday!!! His name is Travis Pree.  I don't know all of his story yet, but he's been through lots of crazy stuff in his life and he's only 24.  He lived in Vegas for a while with his cousin and had a crazy lifestyle.  Then eventually he moved back home to Lancaster because he had no way to support himself.  So he's been searching for answers and for a job and what not and then one day he prayed to God to know if he was real.  Then a couple days later, Sister Athay and Sister Winnie (her last companion) tracted into him.  He almost didn't open the door because he thought they were selling solar panels, but something just kept telling him to open the door.  So he did and as soon as he saw the Sisters, he felt something incredible start to stir within his heart.  They gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to read and pray about it.  Well he did and he couldn't put it down and he said he's never felt so happy in his life before.  So he's been taking the lessons for about 1 1/2 months now.  And he keeps his commitments to the very T.  We've taught him three times this last week and he just soaks it up like a sponge and he just loves it.  He always has questions to ask and he's so spiritual.  Sister Athay says that he's changed ten-fold in the last little while and that he's an entirely new person.  And I am so excited to be a part of it! So on Friday night he called us late in the evening and asked us if he could bump up his baptismal date from the 27th to the 20th.   So this weekend he's getting baptized and he's so excited!!! and so are we!!!

I really haven't gotten to know our other three investigators yet.  I've met them and they're super nice, they've just been hard to pin down for appointments.  So that's upcoming :)

We do a lot of tracting in this area and I actually enjoy it, except for the overwhelming 107 degree heat. PLEH! Pasty Idaho girls and 107 degree heat is not a good combo! But I have pretty much bathed in sunscreen this week, so I'm just starting to tan instead! WOOO HOOO! I'll be tan-er than all y'all when I get home haha!

But this week we did get hit by a sudden crazy rain storm and flash floods. It was nuts.

We had a ward BBQ on the East side of Lancaster (super ghetto part) and it was fun.  I got to meet more of the members.  

So for the interesting things this week, yesterday we made cookies and then found out the hard way that the AC was broken.  It's been working all week!!!!! STUPID THING!!! So it was 107 outside and 95 inside. KILL ME NOW!!! And then later that night we made dinner and ate it on the porch because it was so hot and opened all the windows and then slept with cold washcloths on ourselves and had a spray bottle by the beds and didn't sleep with any covers on.  SOOOO HOTTTTT!!!!!!!!

Also, I saw the Delorian... you know the one from Back to the Future? Yeah it was parked in someone's driveway and I flipped out and paparazzi'd it.  And then Also this week, a flipping bird pooped on my arm as we walked under a tree. STUPID BIRD! It was nasty.

I got letters from Mom and Dad and Calli Jo.  AND I ALSO GOT YOUR YOUTH SYMPHONY THING!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! So many squeals and craziness when I opened it!

So for the spiritual part, Travis told about his favorite scripture and he told us that it changed his life forever.  It's Mosiah 5:2.  He said that when he read that verse and the following verses that he felt a burning in his heart and exceedingly great joy and he knew at that moment that he found what he'd been looking for and that he wanted with all his heart to be a part ot if.  He also expressed his love for the scriptures and how from the first moment he started reading them, they just pulled him in and he loves reading them and he can't put them down.  

Anyways, that was my week. It was incredible. And I love Sister Athay to death.  I feel so privileged to be her companion again and we're having a blast with the missionary work here.  I love her so much <3 <3 <3

Anyways, love you all!

Enjoy your Idaho weather ;)

Love,

Sister Weaver

Transfers!!!!!

Okay.... so for my big news this week: I'm getting transferred to Lancaster 1st Ward!!! SO EXCITEDD!!! However it is going to be super hot there so wish me luck ;)  Sister Anderson and Sister Lazzarotto both served there together for 6 months and as soon as they found out where I was being transferred to they went nuts.  So I'm excited.  What makes me even more excited is that my companion is Sister Athay!!!!!!!!! We were MTC companions here 3 months ago!! SO I AM SO EXCITED TO FINALLY BE HER COMPANION FOR MORE THAN 4 DAYS!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!

For other big news, Hannah Grimes was baptized and confirmed a member of the church!! I was so excited because she was so excited and she glowed as soon as she came out of that water.  It was a super nice baptism.  Hannah and her 8-year-old cousin Cordelia were baptized together and it was so cool!  I sang at the baptism and that went really well :)

Roman and Laura came to the baptism too and they enjoyed it.  And they also both went and got their patriarchal blessings on Sunday!!! WOOOO! I'm excited to hear how they felt.  I'm going to say goodbye to them tonight and it's really hard because I love Roman and Laura so much and Hannah too.  I didn't think I'd love the people I taught this much.  I knew I'd love them, but my whole being lights up with the most unconditional love i have ever felt in my life.  I'm going to miss them so much.  Not even joking.

Oh and last Monday, we went to a Christian store to look around and I found the most beautiful ring! it's a heart and it has inscribed on it "Trust in the Lord with all your Heart... Proverbs 3:5" and I love that so much.  That I think is what I want my mission motto to be.  I'm learning how to completely trust the Lord in everything that I'm doing out here.  I've had marvelous results.  Y'all should try it ;)

So for the week I got the package from the Lewisville YW :D THANK YOU!! and I got Cora and Cassidy's letter, and Cassandra's letter, and Grandma Floyd's letter <3

Thank you so much for all of the support <3 I really appreciate the letters and i'm sorry I'm not that fantastic at writing back all the time, I'm so busy.  But as soon as I am settled in Lancaster for the transfer, I will be sending letters back <3

Oh we saw a snake on the road and we asked a member about what kind it was and apparently it was a Gopher Snake.  Still.... it was terrifying. And I took a picture.  As soon as it started moving towards the car, we sped away.  AHHHHH!

We also saw a lizard climbing on the Mullay's house.  I took a picture of that one too.  SO MANY REPTILES.

And when we were in Bakersfield today for Zone Activity, it was 110 degrees Fahrenheit.  Too hot for this Idaho girl.  Although, I'm gonna have to get used to it ;)

Anyhow, gotta answer other emails <3 Love you all!

Love, Sister Weaver

    

5/4/15 -- Transfers and Baptisms!! :D

So this week Sister Liebelt was transferred to Bishop.  So it's just been me and Sister Anderson.  

So Roman's baptism was this week! Oh my gosh it was amazing!  I really felt the Spirit there and it was soooooo cool to see how even though he was on oxygen he took a giant leap of faith and totally did the baptism without even complaining once about how nervous he was.  He brought his whole family there to watch his baptism and then there were really good speakers. Then the next day when he was confirmed, he teared up because he told us he was so happy to be a member.  He also bore his testimony too in Sacrament meeting! He talked about how grateful he is for the gospel and how excited he is to be close to God.  I have more feelings written down about this event, but not enough time to type it all.  But he totally reminds me of how I think I would've remembered Grandpa Weaver.  He and Laura set a goal for next May they can go to the temple.  And he's so excited to be sealed to her.

So yeah... that was the highlight of my week.  I love them so much.  Anyways, I have limited time so I need to answer other emails!

Oh!!  Before I forget, I did get letters from Cassie, Calli Jo, Connor, Grandma Weaver, and my birthday package! Thank you all for the birthday wishes and I love you!!

~Sister Weaver