WEEK 28 - THE POWER of PRAYER

Hey everyone, it's-a me, Elder Weber, once again sending out a quick newsletter about how the work in Kimball, Nebraska is going for me and my companion, Elder Tapia.

This week has been fairly normal for us missionaries (definitely more-so than the goat-butchering last week). We've gotten through our transfers, met the new Sidney Missionaries, and basically had yet another all right week. Though I don't have anything totally hilarious to talk about this week (or totally disturbing, as I already stated with the goat-butchering), I can honestly say that this week has been truly phenomenal, and a real testimony-builder. So, without further ado...here we go!



My week started out on Wednesday of last week with me and Elder Tapia going through our normal routine of going to the Recycle Center, working on the recyclables piled up in there, and then returning home for lunch and studies. After a while, we headed out into town, hoping to find some work to be done. After walking for about an hour or so, and with the sun starting to set, we headed back home so we could grab the car, drive over to Sidney, and meet with the Ward Mission Leader for our weekly Ward Mission Correlation Meeting. While there, we had the happy occasion of meeting the new Sidney Missionaries--Elder Ascheris and Elder Jackson. Elder Ascheris (Uh-share-is) is a tall, rather slender young man who just radiates with the desire to do the Lord's work, while Elder Jackson is his new greenie companion from Canada. The two are very excited to be working in Sidney, as Brother Christian, the Ward Mission Leader, was able to state as such--"Those two have quite the fire, don't they?...Let's see what we can do to damper it a bit."



Thursday found Elder Tapia and I hitching a ride to Zone Meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with Elders Ascheris and Jackson. The Zone had changed a lot from the last time I saw it. The original group from last Transfer had two of the Elders from my MTC group in it--Elder Dixon, who is destined to be the first Southern-Accent Apostle, and Elder Pratt, whose spirit speaks louder than his words. Both of them ended up getting Transferred--Dixon to Laramie, and Pratt to Fort Collins, training his own greenie. Not only that, but we lost one of our Zone Leaders, and in place of him, we got Elder Greer, who had been my Zone Leader in Loveland for two transfers. I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated by Elder Greer coming to the Cheyenne East Zone. He had a lot of programs set up as a Zone Leader in Loveland that many of us Elders were highly against. But after hearing him talk in the meeting, and talking with him one-on-one afterwords, I can honestly say that I am very glad to have Elder Greer with us out here in Banishment.



Thursday was followed by Friday, which started yet again with the usual tasks at the Recycle Center. This time, however, Spud Rowley, the manager of the Center, came to us afterwords and asked us to come with him for a lunch over in Potter. Sort of a treat for working so hard as volunteers at the Center. It was nice, being able to sit down and enjoy a nice, home-style cafe meal with him, his wife, and his own dad, and both I and Elder Tapia thanked him repeatedly for the kindness. However, that wasn't the highlight of the day. That came that afternoon, when we were in our lesson with Brian, our investigator. After we both shared our parts of the message (Blessings of Baptism and Confirmation of the Holy Ghost), we decided to ask him, really ask him, if he desired to be baptized. AND HE ACCEPTED!!! We're going to be praying with him, in our companionship, and as our own separate individuals, to find out what day the Lord wants him to be baptized on, and he's going to keep coming to Church, feeling the spirit, and growing his testimony!



So, yeah, this week was awesome! So, what spiritual message do I have to share with y'all this week? The message I'd like to leave you with is about perhaps one of the most simple, yet amazing, parts of the Gospel--Prayer.



Prayer is the process by which we are able to speak with our Heavenly Father. There aren't any restrictions on when we should pray, or where, or what about. And as long as we are praying with a desire to know truth and right, and are willing to act on whatever answer we are given, we will always receive an answer from God. Stop and think of that for a moment. God, the Master of the Universe, He who created everything from the Sun that gives our planet warmth and life, to that pesky mosquito that bugs you during those hot July days--He has given us a way that we are able to communicate with Him and tell Him what we are struggling with and what we are thankful for, and He'll answer us! Not only that, but He wants us to speak to Him. He wants us to involve Him in every facet of our lives--not just Church, but in our businesses, in our families, in our studies, in every part of our lives. If I can think of one gift God has given us that has is most influential and powerful, it would have to be prayer. Prayer is the way by which we not only come to know what our Heavenly Father's will is, but also by how we are able to discover what our relationship with Heavenly Father is, and help it grow.



I know this to be true. I have seen prayer bless me in a multitude of ways on my mission. Whether I'm asking for help in dealing with a companion, pleading Him to help an investigator that is struggling in his life, or just reaffirming my relationship with Him, prayer has always played a vital role. I know that God gave us prayer so that we can communicate with Him, and help us come unto Him. I know that He has done this because He loves us, and wants to help us in our lives. I pray that we will all make as great a use of this power as possible, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.



Well, that's all I have to say for this week. Hope to catch y'all again next P-Day!



--Elder Z.S.Weber

ELDER WEBER'S SACRAMENT TALK

Elder Weber sent me a copy of the talk he gave in sacrament meeting this past Sunday.  I am one proud momma.  This young man is pretty incredible.  I am humbled that he used "our" story to explain missionary work.  Please take a moment and read this.

The 3 Needs of a New Member

Hi. Seeing as this is my first time speaking in this Ward, I suppose now would be a really good time to introduce myself. My name is Elder Weber, and I and my companion, Elder Tapia, are currently the Elders serving in the Kimball-half of this Ward. I am from South Jordan, Utah, have been off on my mission for almost six months now, and have been loving my time serving the Lord.

Before I begin my talk, I would like to share with all of you a story. I use this to help the subject I am about to speak on, as well as paint a picture for all of you about the importance of my topic.

My story is about a young woman named Nikkole, or Nikki for short. Nikki lived in Riverside, California, with her mom and dad, Jo and Louis Sansevero. They were a wonderful and loving family, but they had something missing. Jo and Lou were raising their small family in a non-religious environment. And for a young woman like Nikki, that absence of religion could be very dangerous as she grew up, branched off, and became her own person.

And then, something happened. While going through high school, Nikki became interested in the Mormon Church. Her mother, Jo, had family in Utah that was Mormon, and whenever she attended their meetings, she felt something…more, something that she couldn’t seem to explain. Nikki decided that she liked the Mormon religion, and began attending meetings in her home in Riverside on her own. She was scared, shy, and more than just a tiny bit intimidated by all that went on in the meeting house.

Luckily, this fear didn’t last very long, as Nikki soon found friendship in the form of another young woman named Shauna. Shauna helped Nikki feel included—she took her to Seminary with her, she helped her with the Missionary Discussions, she made her feel wanted. She was Nikki’s guardian angel in human form.

After Nikki was baptized and left high school, she started to fall away from the Church a bit. She was continuing down her path of finding herself, and finding meaning in her life. At around this time, when she was in her early twenties, she came to a pivotal moment in her life. She met a young man named Steve. Steve wasn’t a member of the Church—in fact, he was as much a less-active Catholic as she was a less-active Mormon. In spite of them having slightly different religious backgrounds and up-bringings, the two were happily married, and soon began raising a young family in Augusta, Maine.

At this time in Nikki’s life, she became aware of the need for a good, strong religion in her children’s lives. She didn’t know much about Catholicism, which Steve and her had attended a few times since their children were born, so her thoughts turned back to Mormonism. The good, fond memories of her young member life in the Church came back to her, and she knew it was the Church for her family.

Soon the whole family was attending Church. Steve was baptized as well, though he felt out of place at first, and soon began to teach Seminary at the local meeting house. And then something amazing happened. Inspired by their daughter’s example, and driven by their desire to be a greater part in their grandchildrens’ lives, Jo and Lou were baptized as well. A year after their baptism, the family was sealed in the Salt Lake Temple, and to this day, they are faithful and strong members of the Church.

What does this story have to do with the message I wish to tell? This story is the story of my mom, Nikkole Maria Sansevero Weber, my dad, Steven James Weber, and my grandparents, Jo and Louis Sansevero. Each were converts in the Church, and each, when converted, had feelings of anxiety. They felt like they were the small fish in the big pond. Everywhere they looked, there was someone who understood the Gospel better, who had a stronger testimony, who spoke the Mormon language better than them. Being a new member in an atmosphere like that was intimidating.

Though we’d like to deny it, this is the experience most recent converts have when welcomed into the Mormon world. They find themselves feeling a bit of culture shock, and aren’t quite certain how to deal with it. In 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke directly on this topic, and addressed three needs new members must have fulfilled to ensure acceptance and long-lasting conversion. These “Three Needs of a New Member” are what I am talking about today.

1.      A Friend

The first need addressed is the need for a friend. President Hinckley’s image of what this friend should be like was stated as being thus—“a friend in the Church to whom he can constantly turn, who will walk beside him, who will answer his questions, who will understand his problems.” If we are using the “Alma-and-Amulek Theory” in our teaching of investigators, then members should already be forming friendships with these investigators-soon-to-be-recent converts. We need to keep those friendships strong even after baptism, however, so that our new members won’t find themselves lost later on in their journeys.
 

Nikki  with her friend Shawna (1989)

My mom had such a friend. Shauna, who I mentioned in the story, is still one of my mom’s most near and dear friends. They talk to each other often—over Facebook and texts—and have helped each other through the spiritual hurdles in their lives. It was because of the friendship my mom formed with Shauna that made her confident in the belief that the Church was where her family needed to be raised. And because of the friendship they formed, they’ve been able to strengthen each other’s confidence in the Gospel, and keep each other firm in the Church.

2.      An Assignment

The second need that President Hinckley spoke of is the need for an assignment. “Activity is the genius of this Church,” he said, “It is the process by which we grow.” If we do not give our new members assignments in the Church, showing that we trust them, then these new members will feel unwelcome or unaccepted in our meeting houses. And, though we do not mean it at all, we will end up driving our brothers and sisters away from the very organization we wish them to be a part of. But if we give them an assignment, even if we feel they are still too young and inexperienced Church-wise for it, then they will grow stronger and more firm in their belief.
 

Lou Sansevero with his missionaries (1999)

For this, I’d like to look toward my grandpa, Lou Sansevero. For as long as I can remember, he has served somewhere in the leadership of the Ward he attends. I have known him to be Ward Clerk a number of times, and—though my memory is fuzzy—he has even served as a counselor in his Ward’s Bishopric. Even though he hadn’t been a member all his life, his Bishop trusted him enough to give him those callings. And the Ward trusted him enough to sustain him as such as well. The result? He is truly stalwart and steadfast in the Church, with a testimony that shines bright and true.

3.      Spiritual Nourishment

The last need that President Hinckley spoke of is the need for spiritual nourishment. We can’t pretend that every new member that joins the Church has learned everything they need to learn and can stop learning. Every member of this Church, whether they be as young as a Sunbeam or as experienced as the Prophet of the Lord, needs to continue to learn and to grow. And, as long as they continue to learn and grow, their faith and trust in the Church grows as well, and they become fully converted unto Christ.

I’d like to look to my dad as an example of this in work. Growing up, I always saw my dad as being a very learned and wise man. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that he, too, had to learn and grow, just as I am still learning and growing now, though it has done little to minimize the legend I see him to be. However, as I said, he needed to grow as well. When he was given the calling of Seminary teacher, he was about as inexperienced in the Gospel as the teenagers he was teaching. However, that could easily be the very reason as to why he had the calling. As he taught the young men and women in his classes, he himself gained further understanding of the Gospel.
 

Steve Weber with his missionaries (1998)
That is the future Elder Weber standing in front of his Dad

So it has been in every calling my dad has taken, be it a Young-Men’s Teacher, or a Cub Scout Master. He has always been learning and growing. And me, and my siblings, have had the happy experience of growing with him. Through Family Home Evenings, listening to his testimony, or just seeing his example, me and my sisters have become firmly planted in this Church’s soil, and served faithfully in every calling and seat we’ve been given by the Lord. In fact, if my Dad hadn’t been so firm in learning the Gospel and helping others to learn the Gospel, I probably wouldn’t have been as firm in my conviction to serve a full-time mission for the Church—the mission I am currently serving in.

These are the “Three Needs of a New Member”. We, as members of this Church, can play a crucial role in fulfilling these needs. We must be friends to those that are friendless, and support them through the trials they have as new members. We must sustain our new brothers and sisters in their callings, and—again—be there for them when they need help or support. And we need to be active in teaching and nourishing each other, in helping each other to thrive in the soil of the Gospel, and this Church. If we can do this more actively, we can have more families like mine—families so firmly planted in the Gospel soil that nothing short of the absolute force of the Devil himself can force them to move. I pray that we can be able to be the friends, supports, and teachers our brothers and sisters need.

In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.

WEEK 27 - THE ALMA-AMULEK APPROACH

Elder Weber and Elder Tapia with their sweet ride

Hey everyone, Elder Z.S.Weber is back, once again, with an update on how things are going here in Kimball, Nebraska. But, before I get to that, I'd like to wish all y'all out there a Happy Valentine's Day. Hope that it was a great day for all of you, spending time with the one you love, and celebrating that love in the most rational--and irrational--of ways. However, if you had no one to love last Saturday, then I hope you were able to enjoy Singles Awareness Day (S.A.D.) in the single best way possible--watching sappy romantic movies with a huge bucket of chocolate ice cream as a snack! I was able to have a wonderful Valentine's Day, actually, thanks to the lovely package my mom sent me, which I got on Thursday. So, before I get on with my week, I'd like to say real quick--THANKS MOM, AND HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU TOO!!

Elder Weber with some of his Valentines goodies
from his February care package

A-hem! Anyways, this week has had it's ups and downs, but as with every week I've had on my mission, it's been...interesting. The first half of the week, sadly, didn't have much happen. If it did, then I and my horrible memory have completely forgotten them. However, things started getting really good around Thursday. Not only did I get my Valentine's package from my mom that day, but Elder Tapia were able to spend our day over in Sidney during our District Meeting. After discussing what more could be done to help the Sidney Ward, we went off on a wild divide-and-conquer mission across Sidney, trying to find as many less-actives as possible, and slimming down the terribly immense Ward list by as many people as we could. By the end of the day, we were able to make some good progress--though the list is still very unmanageable.


Elder Weber rocking his new Duck Dynasty look

 

Friday really took things off for Elder Tapia and me, as we went right back to work that day with service. In the morning, we were at the Recycle center--while Elder Tapia worked on the plastic bottles and such, I spent much of the day smashing glass bottles out in the back and pretending I was part of the crew from Tarzan during the "Wreck the Camp" scene. Afterwords, we headed off to the senior-center in Kimball, where we helped the residents out with their enthralling games of bingo. Finally, the day ended with a visit with our investigator, Brian McKay, with some very good news as well. Not only has he been off coffee for three weeks now, but he's also getting to reading the Book of Mormon seriously, and he's planning on attending Church more often than he has in the past. This is great, because really that's all he really needs before he can be baptized! Whoo!!

 

Brother Jones prepping the goat for the slaughter

The bleeding of the goat

 

Eewww...the head peeled of it's skin

Saturday, Valentine's Day, was also very interesting, but in a very...very different way. We were finally able to witness the goat-slaying we had been craving for the past three weeks! Brother Jones took us out to his friend's ranch, where the goat was ready for us, and showed us the techniques he had in slaying and butchering animals. It was an interesting experience, watching him peel the skin off of the goat's body, remove the guts his friend wanted to cook, and then cutting up the goat's meat so it would be ready for dinner. Then, we all headed back to the Jones' house, where we enjoyed hot dogs roasted over their backyard fire, and were able to help Brother Jones take the goat-hide he'd gained from the slaughter and get it ready for tanning. It was an awesome experience, and one that I won't forget anytime soon.

 

The elders standing around the skin to be tanned

 

Speaking of moments I won't ever forget, Sunday was also amazing. For the first time in my Missionary career, I (and my companion) had been called to give a talk during sacrament meeting. It was fairly intimidating for me, because I was speaking to a Ward that I was still very new to, and I wasn't exactly certain how to give the talk to begin with. However, things were able to work out in the end, as I was able to give a powerful talk on the importance of members in keeping new-members strong in their conversion. This approach, using members to help in teaching, and friendshipping, new investigators, new members, and less-active members, is something I've come to know as the "Alma-Amulek Approach", and if used well, it can make new-member's lives easier, and their conversion to the Gospel all the more stronger.

 

THE DISTRICT (l-r) Elder Weber, Elder Tapia, Elder,
 Elder Snelders, Elder Layton before transfers

 

Well, that's all I've got for this week. Sorry that I don't have a spiritual message this week, but that comes with good reason. Once again, Transfers are here. And, sadly, Elder Snelders and Elder Layton are gone, off to new areas. We wish them good luck in their endeavors, and I wish myself good luck in tolerating whoever will be their replacements.

 

Hope to hear from y'all again next week!

--Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 26 - THE BEST THREE HOURS of the WEEK

Hey everyone, it's me, Elder Weber,

 

back again with a newsletter about how things are going out here in No-Man's-Land, Nebraska. Things this week have been a bit rough--we've had some struggles getting together with our investigators Brian and Lance, we've had some problems with communicating with each other, Sidney Elders to Kimball Elders, and we've even had some trouble working with (and against) the weather. For instance, earlier this week, while driving home to Kimball from Sidney, Elder Tapia and I got broadsided by a blizzard coming in from the west. Don't worry, we're fine! Neither of us got too badly beat up by the snow. But, only a couple of days later, temperatures soared to the low-seventies, perfect weather for walking...if it weren't for the fact that every sidewalk, curb, and street was pretty much a miniature white-water river rapid system, caused by the melting snow. Seriously, there were times I worried that I'd slip and end up getting carried a few yards down the road due to the power of the current!

 

In spite of the crazy weather, Elder Tapia and I have been able to make the most of our service this week, sometimes using the weather against itself in order to do said work. It all started out on Wednesday, when Elder Tapia and I were doing our service at the Recycling Center. Due to the blizzard that had rolled in over-night, the roads and streets were cold and icy. So rather than work on the large piles of metal and glass that were getting covered with snow outside, we were left with crushing cardboard in the warmth of the indoors. However, even that did not save us from the cold, as no more than an hour after we got started, a large garbage truck came rolling in through the garage, the garage door left wide open, and the wind blowing snow and ice into the garage. Apparently, the truck had broke down while trying to drive out throughout the town, and had stopped at the Recycle Center for repairs. So, for the rest of our service time, the garage door was open, and the sounds of drills, ratchets, and repairs prevailed over all other sounds in the garage.

 

Soon after our service at the Recycling Center was finished, Elder Tapia and I got a call from the Sidney Elders telling us that our District Meeting that afternoon was to be cancelled due to the snow (strange that both an Alaskan and a Canadian would be scared to drive in the light snowfall we were having at that time of day...but oh well). However, they did ask us three hours later if we could come into Sidney to help them with shoveling snow throughout the town. At first we hesitated. Then, they mentioned we were also getting dinner in Sidney, and so we quickly decided to head over. Luckily, the snow had all but finished falling at that time, allowing us a quick ride over to get the work done. We had a blast shoveling the snow, though many times we were asked why we were choosing to shovel the snow for other people. We even had a police officer, in his car, pull over beside us and ask us what we were doing, and why we were doing it. Honestly, it's as if they didn't want us to shovel the snow for them!

 

Anyways, after the snow-shoveling was finished, Elder Tapia and I headed back home...just as the blizzard started roaring in again. Luckily, we got home safely. And the next day the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the snow was running in thick rivers down the road, from the south end of town to the north. Due to the niceness of the day, we were able to have Sidney join us for the District Meeting that had been cancelled the day before. After discussing what could be done to improve work in the area, our two companionships split up, me going with Elder Layton and Elder Tapia going with Elder Snelders. Our objective--talk to as many of our less-active members as possible, and find out what is keeping them less-active. We were able to make some good progress, I think, because most of the members we visited with genuine concern actually came to church that Sunday, and (from what I could tell) enjoyed the services that were held that Sabbath Day! So, I feel it was a very good way to spend our day.

 

The rest of the week flew by with a breeze, and soon Saturday came back around, once more. However, it came with slight disappointment, just as with last week...we weren't able to slay the goat again! For some reason, the goat-slaying that had been planned for last Saturday and had been moved to this Saturday, was now being moved back even further to next Saturday. So, rather than spend our day killing goats, Elder Tapia and I turned our attention to service, by going to one of the active families in Kimball (the Markums) and helping them paint their dining room's walls...which was an utter failure, because the paint caused whatever thin coating on the wall to become flimsy and soft, and easily sloughed off the wall! So, after scraping the coating off of the wall, we ended up having to go over the wall with paint once again. We weren't even able to finish the room before Elder Tapia and I had to leave so that we could make it to our dinner appointment in Sidney on time. But, still, it was a fun way to spend the day.

 

So, what message do I have to say to end this week off with? Strangely, it has nothing to do with the immense amounts of service I and my companion gave this week. No, it has to do with the work we did on Thursday evening, when we split up companionships and went to talk with the less-actives. Each family we met understood the gospel very well--some of them were even High Priests, and had previously served as bishops and stake presidents. However, here they were, failing to keep one of the simplest commandments ever; keep the Sabbath Day holy. The services done on the Sabbath Day aren't just some fun activity the church thought up for us years ago--it is a Heaven-sent program that refuels us for the next week. By partaking in the ordinances there, such as the sacrament, and the recommitment of ourselves to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we fail to stay strong through the week. Trials that are hard for us are even harder, because we have not renewed our commitments to our Father in Heaven; "that [we] are willing to take upon [ourselves] the name of [His] Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given [us], that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us]...(Moroni 4:3)." If we can't do this, we cannot have the blessings necessary to make it through the week.

 

This I know, with all the surety of my heart, in the name of our Savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

--Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 25 - SPARK of JOY

Hello everyone! It's me again, Elder Z.S.Weber, with a quick (or more likely not) update on the workforce here in Kimball, Nebraska. Sadly, this week wasn't as "normal" as last week was. Oh, we didn't have any insane hunting incidents, and actually the goat-butchering that Brother Jones had planned for us on Saturday last week was cancelled due to the snow and harsh cold, so I can't talk about that until next week. However, even without the hunters and the hunting, this last week was definitely one worth writing home about.

Elder Weber  after tracting in the snow.

 

To begin with, let's go back to Tuesday of last week. Last week, I mentioned that I went on Exchanges with Elder Snelders, who is currently serving in Sidney, Nebraska. Well, on Tuesday, I had the lucky occasion to work with his companion, Elder Layton, while Elder Snelders and my companion, Elder Tapia, worked in Sidney. I'd like to say that, with the switch-up of companions and the wonderful weather we'd been blessed with that day, we got more work done than any other day so far...but we didn't. Mostly, what Elder Layton and I ended up doing was sitting around the apartment, passing the cellphone around as we tried calling up the less-active members of the Ward that live in Kimball, and seeing if we could set up an appointment to teach them and their family. And of the about fifteen families we called up, five of their numbers were disconnected and three of their addresses were incorrect, or simply did not exist to begin with.

This is a tunnel in the missile silo that leads to
the Zwonitzer's living area

A photo of how a missile silo looks
underground

The Zwonitzers home sweet home.
Where the pine trees sit is where the Zwonitzers have tried
to turn into a pond to raise and eat fish year round.
Due to toxins in the concrete it did not work.

The silo from above ground.

 

While Tuesday, and the exchange we had on Tuesday, was pretty much an utter let-down, Wednesday was much more exciting, and interesting. After we exchanged companions back and had finished our District Meeting, the four of us Elders decided to pay a visit to a fairly (in)famous family that lived just a few miles out of Kimball; the Zwonitzers. The Zwonitzers are well known for several different callings and occupations they have held over the years, but the most interesting fact they are known for is that Brother and Sister Zwonitzer live in an abandoned and unarmed Missile Silo. They gave us the grand tour of their "house", showing us where the missile used to sit, ready for war; how the silo gets the power to run, and how it was operated; and what renovations they had done to the place to make it their home. It's really something else--it was like one of those awesome houses from a sci-fi TV show, or the scene for a Zombie Apocalypse video game. It was awesome!

 

After getting the grand tour of the "underground house" and parting ways with our Sidney friends, Elder Tapia and I spent the next couple of days running around Kimball, trying to get work done. It was slow progress, but we managed to get to teaching some of the less-active members that were still in town and willing to listen to us. All this was leading up to Saturday, the day we were hoping to be our pay-off day, due to it being the day we were supposed to be helping/watching Brother Jones butcher some goats for a friend of his. However, Friday evening came around, and we found out that the goat-slaughter was being postponed until the next Saturday, or February 7th. We couldn't understand why they'd push it back to then, and we were really let down. However, on Saturday morning, we found out the real reason why it had been cancelled, and it was more than reason enough for us.

 

President Brown was coming to give interviews.

Elder Weber added is own John Hancock to the
signature cave.

Elder Weber in the "signature cave" which is also
the escape port.
 

Not only was he coming out to the out-lying areas, the "banishment" as we call it in the mission, to give us interviews, but because there was no other place in Kimball to meet, he was coming to our house and meeting with us in our personal space. As soon as we came to the knowledge of this surprise, Elder Tapia and I burst out into a flurry of action, trying to clean up our mess of a house as quick as we could before President could get there. I was absolutely nervous, frazzled like never before. I didn't know what he'd say, what he'd do, if we were doing well enough out here for us to not be worried. When he finally came to our house, I was pretty much ready to pass out from the stress of it all. To my surprise, though, President Brown showed up with a broad smile and a bone-crushing bear-hug, which was the last thing I'd expect from him. He wasn't even fazed by the deer skull we still had sitting on our mantle, and when he found out we didn't have a dinner appointment for that evening, he and Sister Brown offered to feed us at Pizza Hut after interviews were over. I was too surprised to say anything against it.

Panorama of the Elder's living area as they wait for a
visit from President Brown.

When it came time for me to have my interview with President Brown, my anxiety was gone, and I was eager to talk with him. The smile never left my face as I explained to him the plans Elder Tapia and I had set up for Kimball, and the reason for my cheerfulness in my emails to him. After a while, he finally said something to me that touched me deeply. He said, "Elder Weber, I'm glad to see that that spark of joy you had in your eyes when you first came off the plane hasn't dimmed the least yet. It's my hope that it never does while you're out here." A spark of joy. I wasn't even aware that I had this feature to my countenance, though it made sense. Though I've had my fair share of trials already while on my mission, I've never been more happy than I am now, while serving my Heavenly Father, and His children. More than that, I've never been so filled with joy than I am now.

 

That's what I'd like to talk about today for my spiritual message; going through life with a spark of joy in our eyes. It's hard, yes, with the wicked world that surrounds us and touches almost every facet of our lives. In spite of that, I know that we can push through that. We are children of a divine being--the Immortal and Eternal God of the Universe. Though the experiences we face in our lives may be hard, it can all be made easier when we put our faith in that simple yet beautiful truth and trust in our Father above. We can find that never-ending happiness, and it can make our lives so much more worth the living. This happiness, or rather this joy, comes from living like our Savior, our Father's most perfect disciple, Jesus Christ. If we commit ourselves to living and striving for those sacred and blessed Attributes of our Savior, namely Faith, Hope, Charity and Love, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, and Obedience, we will find greater amounts of happiness in our lives, gain the ability to endure even the harshest of trials, and attain the radiant spark of joy that fills our Savior's eyes. This I bear my witness of, in the holy name of our Savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

--Elder Z.S.Weber

 

 

**Excerpt from the Dad Letter:

 

Well, we're out on the flat-lands right now. It's a desert, though of course it doesn't feel like it, due to the fact that it's so cold right now. We have had some moments when air-raid sirens have gone off in the night and I've thought we're about to get caught in a tornado, but it's actually just the fire alarm calling the town's fire-fighters together for work.

 

Sadly, we haven't had much success with the blow-dart thing. Though, I do have a different sort of story to tell. A few days ago, while driving it Sidney from Kimball, my companion and I got pulled over by a State Trooper. We had been going about three or so miles over the speed limit, nothing too major, and we'd only been going that fast because the truck in front of us was going seventy in a seventy-five area. So, we pulled over to the side of the road, and the trooper came over and looked in. When we told him we were missionaries, though, he sort of deflated. Apparently, State Troopers try to pull over cars with Colorado license plates because they assume that any car from Colorado is trying to make a drug deal somewhere in Nebraska. The fact that he'd made this mistake obviously was a surprise, and a let-down, to him.