WEEK 37 - HEAVEN on EARTH

Hey everyone, sorry for the late update! It's me, Elder Z.S.Weber, signing in again to give you the amazing and awesome news from the Boulder Zone in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And, let me just tell you that this week truly was awesome, and well worth the wait. You see, rather than spend our P-Day on Monday and send out our emails home then, like we normally would, Elder Buchanan and I felt prompted to move our P-Day over to today, Wednesday, so that we could get permission from President Brown to go down to Denver earlier today and spend our morning doing some work in the Denver Colorado Temple. 

And, oh my goodness, was it worth it! I have really missed being in the temple, being able to feel the presence of the Holy Ghost so tangible all around me, to know that what I am doing as a servant and missionary for our Lord Jesus Christ--there is just nothing like it in the world! 

And with all the other amazing and awesome moments that Elder Buchanan and I were able to have throughout the week, I can definitely say that this was a truly spectacular week, one of the best ones I've had on the mission by far! So, without further ado...here we go!

As you already know from my past emails, missionaries are expected to lend a certain amount of hours each week to community service, helping the community we all live in flourish and grow. Well, we were certainly able to devote a lot of hours this week, as Elder Buchanan, myself, and Elders Stone and Fuhriman were asked to help pull up thistles that covered the side yard of an Emergency Family Aid group known as "EFAA". And let me tell you--that was some serious work, there! In case you haven't ever had to do weeding before, let me give you some insight on thistles. 

Thistles can't just be chopped down and squirted with week-killer. Nope. Those weeds are much too strong and much too hardy to be taken out just like that. You have to actually dig the dirt out away from the base of the week for about two or three inches, that way you have something to grab that isn't covered with spiky, spiny thistle-barbs, and then, using brute strength alone, pull the weed back up out of the ground with the root intact. It was, and is, horrific. Some of the roots were at least two feet long, and with all the spines and barbs, us four elders had our arms, legs, and who-knows-what-else covered in rashes and cuts for the rest of the day. But in the end, it was all well worth it.

Along with service, this week was also great for missionary work. Last week, Elder Buchanan and I committed ourselves to be as serious and consecrated of missionaries as possible, in the hopes that we would be able to find some of our brothers and sisters who would be willing to listen to the message of the Restoration of the Gospel in the Fullness of Times. We spend many hours over the week knocking on doors, tracting out neighborhoods, asking for referrals from members...it was truly, and utterly exhausting. However, it was all paid off when, on Friday afternoon, we got a text from the Ward's Bishop, telling us that he wanted us to stop by a less-active family called the Gotschalks. The husband, apparently, is a non-member, but he's had positive experiences with missionaries in the past. And the wife, who is a member, wants to start coming back to church. We managed to stop by them on Sunday, and after talking for a while Elder Buchanan and I both felt that we would be able to work more with the family in the future, and perhaps be able to lead not only Sister Gotschalk back to church, but Brother Gotschalk back to his Savior, and into the waters of baptism. Definitely looking forward to working more with both the Gotschalks and the Spirit that fills their home in the future!

That wasn't the only miraculous moment with finding, either. Because Elder Buchanan and I decided to move our P-Day to Wednesday this week, we had to do normal missionary work on Monday. I wasn't too enthusiastic about that, seeing as we were now out of miles on our car, and had to bike for the rest of the month (cue sarcastic "yaaaay"), but in spite of our troubles, Elder Buchanan and I were able to have a terrific day filled with work on Monday. We biked up and down the hills that led to our area in Erie, Colorado, stopping by less-actives and part-member-families, trying to find someone, anyone to teach. And then it happened. About half-an-hour before dinner, Elder Buchanan and I decided to tract around the neighborhood our dinner was in, and teach just one discussion with someone. After knocking a few doors, we found this ex-Deist/agnostic, probably no older than twenty-four, who was interested in hearing what we had to say. Taking into consideration his beliefs and understanding of God, Elder Buchanan felt prompted to teach him about the Book of Mormon, how it answers the questions of the soul, and used the story of Ammon and the Lamanite King, Lamoni, (found in Alma 18) to teach him about God. The spirit was so powerful, it was crazy. Afterwords, we were able to give him, who by the way was named Matthew, a Book of Mormon, and he seemed very eager to read it that night. Had we spent P-Day that day, instead of moving it to today, all of that would not have happened. It was amazing, and truly awesome!

Finally, that brings me to today, and my spiritual thought for the week. Today, Elder Buchanan and I had the special chance to go and spend our morning doing work in the Temple of our Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. As missionaries in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, we only get to go to the temple once every year, due to the temple being so far out of our Mission's boundaries. Regardless, that just makes the trip so much more special, and powerful, for when we do get to go. For those of you who may not know much about the temples, this message is for you. First of all, the temple is a place where things that are truly sacred, not secret, take place. It is in the temple where we are able to do the work and preform the tasks necessary for those who have passed on to receive exaltation and eternal life. By proxy, or in otherwords, as a substitute for the deceased person, we make covenants and promises that are extremely special and sacred, and kept between us and the Lord. Don't ask me about the specifics, because I cannot, and will not, disclose them. For those of you who do know of the specifics, though, and understand the meaning behind the temples, then you and I can both agree on this. The temple truly is the "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord." It is there where we receive further enlightenment from God on our purpose, and gain further blessings and covenants to strengthen us in our lives. I am proud that I am worthy and able to partake in such blessings from the temple--blessings that I know, through my belief in my Lord and Savior, will carry me on to exaltation and eternal life.

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

--Elder Z.S.Weber

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WEEK 36 - THE STRAIT and NARROW

Hey everybody, how are y'all doing? It's just me again, Elder Z.S.Weber, sending out another quick (not) email-update on how my life as a Missionary is going. And I have to say that things are going good...but first, let's check out the weather for the last week. Starting late in the evening of Wednesday last week, the Boulder-area of the Colorado Fort Collins Mission got hit with a crazy series of storms that lasted up to about Saturday Morning. The storms varied largely from thick snowflakes to pea-sized hail, from slimy sleet and buffeting rain and wind. In spite of the harsh weather conditions, however, Missionaries from the Lafayette, Coal Creek, and other Wards in the area were able to brave the wind, sleet, snow, hail, and rain, and continue serving in their respected callings and duties. Now, the sun is back out again, and as long as the clouds remain on the horizon, it looks to be the start of a nice, clear week, one that we hope will lead to much success and growth. That's all for the weather today, and now back to our main subject for today.

Now then, my week started out with a very surprising change of pace last P-Day (Monday, in case you were wondering), when some of the other Elders in the Boulder Zone asked Elder Buchanan and me to join them on a "quick" hike up the mountains towards the west of us. We decided to go along, hoping we'd be able to get straight to our work again after the hike and get on with the schedule.

 

The "quick" hike

 

Well, it turned out that the hike wasn't quite as short as the other missionaries had suggested it to be, and we ended up climbing for about two hours. Now, I have to admit that it was a really fun activity, except for when we were getting back down and my legs were well past the point of feeling like jello. But because the hike took so long, we ended up getting home around five o'clock. Meaning that we had literally a half hour to get showered, dressed in proselyting clothes, and head out the door to drive to dinner. Through it all, we forgot that we hadn't gone to Walmart for groceries yet, so as soon as dinner's lesson was done, we booked it over to Walmart, grabbed what we'd need for the week, and just barely managed to make it back home in time for curfew.

At the moment, I didn't think too much about how the day had gone. It was P-Day, after all, the one day in the week when us Missionaries are given a chance to relax for a bit and relieve ourselves from the stress of our work. But the next day, Tuesday, I was brought to a full realization of my mistake. You see, Tuesday was Interview Day, and I just happened to be the first person that day that President Brown got to interview. The more I talked about the schedule, the more frustrated and disappointed he became. Finally, I told him about how we had gone out in the evening the day before for groceries, because we hadn't had the time in the day to get them. I have never seen President Brown so upset before in my life. He made certain, in that moment, to chasten me as hard as possible and show me that what we had been doing, how frivolously viewing the schedule, was being harmful to us as missionaries. I left that interview room with my tail between my legs and my head bowed. But though I had felt slightly beat and depressed, I knew in my heart that President Brown's words weren't of anger, but of kindness. He wanted me to reach my full potential as a missionary, and with that in mind I vowed in my heart to work as hard as I could to being obedient this week.

This wasn't exactly the brightest idea I'd had, however. In order to follow the schedule with exactness, Elder Buchanan got me involved with an intense workout system for thirty minutes every morning, as the white handbook explains we should do. For the entire week, I could barely lift my arm to a perfect square-angle over my head without feeling my entire arm, chest, and back scream in pain from soreness. The soreness is gone (for now), and the exercise helped to wake us up every morning. The only down side was that by the end of the day, we were truly exhausted. Even with taking a twenty minute nap in-between tracting and lessons, we still were unable to keep ourselves from falling straight to sleep the moment we got ready for bed. However, in the end, it was all worth it. Though we haven't had an increase of success as missionaries yet, our desire has been noticed by the Ward, and we're receiving more referrals and contacts than ever before. We even may have an investigator who may be ready for baptism by the end of this transfer. So, things are definitely looking up for Elder Buchanan and I.

So, what message can I say today, to summarize my week? Simple; the importance of obedience. In Lehi's dream (found in 1st Nephi 8), Lehi sees a marvelous and beautiful tree, one whose fruit brings the eater eternal joy and happiness that fills their entire being to over-flowing. Keeping people away from the tree is a thick, black mist of darkness that is impossible to see through, even with the tree being so marvelous and bright as it is. The only way through the darkness and to the tree is an iron rod, guiding along a very, very, very strait and narrow path. There are many different interpretations and explanations for this dream, and Nephi himself is given a very profound clarification from an Angel later on (found in 1st Nephi 11-14). But for now, I would like to liken this story to the importance of obeying the Lord with absolute exactness.

Imagine the tree in Lehi's dream is representative of blessings from God. These can be any kind of blessing, from Eternal Salvation to even just being able to make it through the month on a tight budget. In modern-times, the Lord has told us that "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21)" In order for us to receive blessings in this life, we have to be obedient to the commandments God has given us already. Not only that, but we have to do so with the intent in our hearts to please and obey God. If we obey the commandments, but do not truly believe in them or desire to obey them in our hearts, then we are no better than those who do not obey. In fact, we're even worse, because we know what is true, yet even in seeing we are still blind. This is the lesson that President Brown was trying to teach me last Tuesday, and it is my hope and desire to learn it to the best of my abilities. I bear my testimony that I know that God does exist, and that He truly desires to bless us. But we must first be willing to submit to His will, obey His commandments with all our hearts, and humbly follow Him. This is bear sincere testimony of, in the name of our beloved Savior, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, that's it for this week! Hope to hear from y'all again soon! Ciao!

--Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 35 - AN ANGEL on MY SHOULDER

Hey there friends, family, and ever-adoring fans! It's your favorite Elder from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder Z.S.Weber, bringing you yet another exciting update on life in the crazy world of Colorado. First off, last time I told you about how I've been transferred to the Boulder Zone, and have already had some interesting experiences with my new companion, Elder Buchanan. Well, let me assure you that all's still going good out here. Elder Buchanan is a great companion, and with the other Elders around, we've had a lot of fun this last week. From tracting until our feet are raw and our knuckles bleed, to just chilling out at one of our apartments and playing an exciting game of Munchkin: Adventure Time Version, this week has been entertaining, enlightening, and truly enjoyable. So, without further ado, let's go!

Tuesday: Tuesday was a really awesome day, because we had our Zone Meeting, and I got to finally meet all of the members of our Zone. Much to my surprise, Elder Pratt, who was from my MTC group (District 43-Best, represent!), is now my Zone Leader. Only one thought crosses my mind at that; how the heck did he rank-up so fast?! But, joking aside, Elder Pratt is a really great Zone Leader, and a great teacher, and I'm glad to have him as one of the leaders in the Boulder Zone. Also during the Meeting, we (the Zone) were asked to divide up and practice teaching on of our Investigators by doing a role-play with another companionship in the Zone. Elder Buchanan and I taught the AP's, and while teaching them, I felt inspired to ask a very simple, but very deep, question. When the "Investigator" answered, both Elder Buchanan and I felt the Spirit come at us like a brick wall, and we knew that we'd just received revelation for how to address our Investigator's doubts and worries. So, all in all, it was a totally awesome day!

Wednesday: Wednesday was a fairly slow day for Elder Buchanan and I, after we'd gone out and done some service and finished our studies. So, with a whole day of nothing to do, we decided to hop into the car and head out, seeking out some of the less-active members in our Ward. We did that up until dinner, and then after dinner we headed out to the neighboring streets and tried out tracting, using what we had learned from our Zone Meeting on Tuesday and from our studies that morning. Surprisingly, we had a lot of fun. Whenever I think of tracting, I always think of the negative points--walking for long hours, doors getting slammed in face--but I actually enjoyed the tracting this time. Maybe it was because we were laughing at ourselves, and just having fun with it all. Best of all, though, was the spiritual moment I had during the evening.

When it came time to close the day up, I decided I wanted to tract one more door, but that Elder Buchanan couldn't help me. When I chose the door, the woman who answered it was severely combative, and just wouldn't listen. I felt that I should say something in defense, point out her aggression, or do something. But instead, I calmly listened to her complaints, bore simple testimony that what we had to tell her was true and could bless her in her life, and invited her to listen. When she again told us to leave, we did. At first, I felt that I could've done better somewhere, or that I had failed. But as Elder Buchanan comforted me, and praised me for my boldness and courage to speak, I felt the Spirit of my Heavenly Father overwhelm me with a feeling of pride and honor. I hadn't managed to teach the woman at the door, but I was able to fulfill the duty my Father had given me, and managed to walk out of it all with my head and heart still held high with joy.

Thursday: Thursday, Elder Buchanan and I decided to head out and look up the potential investigators in our area. We want to add to the Mission's goal of having 50 Baptisms in one Transfer, and if we want to do that, then we're going to need a lot more Investigators. One that we visited was a man named Lee Neils. Apparently, Missionaries had been going to his house a lot over the years, just to hang out, watch sports games, and just be lazy. We decided we'd show Lee a different side of Missionaries (the better side), and taught him about Joseph Smith. We showed him the video, "The Restoration", and as we watched the scene with Joseph in the Grove, we all felt the Spirit so strongly. After the video was done, Elder Buchanan invited Lee to pray that night if Joseph Smith really was a Prophet, and he accepted. We hope to hear from him again sometime this week!

Friday/Saturday: Friday and Saturday sort of ran together into one, with us going off on Exchanges. Elder Fuhriman and I worked in my area (the Coal Creek Ward) from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and Elder Buchanan went to work with Elder Stone in the Lafayette Ward. Seeing as I was the Elder in his area, I decided Elder Fuhriman and I go out and do some service at one of the thrift stores in town, and then head off to the work areas in the Ward and see what we could do. It was hard, especially in teaching, with our teaching-personalities clashing every once in a while. But for the most part, the exchange went well, with Saturday evening ending with a rousing game of Munchkin: Adventure Time Version, which I lost...badly...

So, that's my week! As I said before, it was great, and very spiritual. And speaking of spiritual, it's time for the Spiritual Thought! This week's theme: The Holy Ghost.

Over the past week, Elder Buchanan and I have spent most of our mornings studying Chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel, which is all about recognizing and working with the Holy Ghost. While I'd like to say otherwise, I'm a bit embarrassed to say that, though I'm great at teaching with the Spirit, I have a pretty lousy time at actually recognizing the promptings of the Spirit and consciously acting on them. So, this past week I worked hard to feel the Spirit more, and recognize it in my life. And what I found was truly awesome. The Spirit of God has been at my side at all times this week, upholding me, uplifting me, and guiding me where I needed to go. I told you about the tracting experience I had this week, right? Well, I definitely felt the Spirit prompt me to go to that door. I felt the Spirit aid me in speaking with my sister, who would not listen. And as I walked away, the Spirit comforted me, and gave me the strength to walk away from that door with my head held high.

I know that the Spirit is a real, true being. He is the Spirit of my Heavenly Father, my God, and it is his mission to teach, guide, and comfort me through the trials of my life. It is the mission he has in all of our lives, and so long as we do all that is in our power, and follow the commandments of God, he is certain to lead us onward. We may face trouble, we may face hardships. I know that I have. But because of the Spirit, who can be our everlasting companion in this life, we can face those hardships with confidence, and walk on, even with broken hearts and bruised Spirits, with our heads held high, and our joy full. I bear solemn testimony that this is true, in the name of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

--Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 34 - WE THANK THEE, OH GOD, FOR a PROPHET

Hey there, friends, family, and otherwise affiliated acquaintances.
 

It's me once more, Elder Z.S.Weber, sending out yet another weekly newsletter detailing the amazing and wonderful life I am living as a Missionary in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. As I mentioned in my last email out, this last week I was transferred to the Boulder Zone in the Mission, and am currently serving in the Coal Creek Ward with my friend and brother, Elder Buchanan. So far, my life in this area has been truly awesome. Elder Buchanan is a great missionary with a kind heart who loves to do his Father's work, though he also enjoys the very few times we missionaries get to just kick back, relax, and unwind from the pressure and insanity of being Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He understands the gospel very well, and has a very great sense of humor and responsibility when serving his brothers and sisters in this Ward. I'm really excited to work with him, and help our Spiritual Siblings return to their Father above. With that said, let's begin with the week.

Elder Buchanan & Elder Weber missionaries
of the Coal Creek Ward, Boulder, Colorado

Tuesday last week was spent the usual Transfer-day way; running around like headless chickens trying to get everything sorted out. Most of the time was spent getting to our area, getting my stuff unloaded, and then showing me around the area. Wednesday, however, the pace quickly changed, and Elder Buchanan and I took to the work, hitting the ground running. We spend the week hard at work, helping me get adjusted to the area as well as possible, and seeking out the less-active and former investigators that live in our proselyting area. We have made it our serious goal to try and find one of our brothers or sisters that is willing to learn of the gospel, and help them enter into the waters of baptism by the end of the month. In the last few days, I definitely feel that the Lord has been aiding us in that area, by bringing us to families that are very missionary-minded and seek to help their friends come unto Christ. Not only that, but on Friday we actually had a family feed us dinner that said that their friend was recently asking serious questions about religion and God. It was as if the Lord was just hanging a giant neon sign over this member's head that read "Here's Your Chance Elders!!"
 

Easter Basket from Mom & Dad

The week hasn't just been about work, though. On Tuesday, I got to meet the other set of Elders that will be serving in our neighboring area, the Laffeyette Elders. These guys are Elders Stone and Fuhriman (Fur-man), and they are really awesome. Every other morning, when Elder Buchanan and I are getting up, we head over to the Stake Building and get warmed up for the day ahead by playing a fun game of two-on-two basketball with them. Normally, I don't really like playing any sports of any kind, but I decided that it'd be some fun. Besides, for the first time ever, this group of Elders is all about my size, so I think I might be able to take them...some time...maybe...Anyways, it's really been awesome to get to know these guys and I'm really looking forward to the Transfer ahead with them.

Elder Weber's Easter loot

Another awesome thing from this week is that I got another package from my family back home. But what was really awesome was that the very same day I got my Easter Package, Elder Buchanan got his Easter Package from his family as well. So, that was really cool, too!
 

Elder Easter Bunny...sure miss this kid

Perhaps the greatest part of this week, however, was when we were able to spend ten hours of our week listening to General Conference. I've always looked forward to hearing the words of the prophets and learning from them, and this weekend was no exception. We mostly watched it from the Stake Center with the other missionaries in the area, though we did spend the afternoon session on Saturday at a member's house. This year's Conference was really amazing for me to listen to. So many of the talks were given on the importance of the Family, and the proper structure of families, and the importance of the role of the father in families. I found it interesting that so many would center their focus on those key parts of the gospel, and seek to help us understand the importance of our roles in this life. Elder Buchanan and I also joked a bit about how often the talks, when directed to young adults, mentioned getting married and starting families without too much delay--something other Elders in our Mission seem to dread with undeniable passion.

However, what I really want to focus my spiritual message on today lies not with families, or fathers, or the three temples announced by President Monson. My message today is about the simple truth that so many today do not know. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by a true living prophet, who is called of God by prophecy and holds all of the keys and powers of Heaven necessary to run and lead the Church in this day and age. So many people do not believe this sacred truth to be real. They do not understand that the President of the Church, as well as his Councilors and Fellow Apostles are prophets, seers, and revelators. But I bear my witness now that they are exactly that. Since the days of old, since the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Lord God Almighty has always had His people led by the humble yet powerful example of the prophets. As Amos of old taught, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." I bear my witness that this is true, and that today the Church is once again led by prophets. The prophets returned in 1820, when a young boy by the name of Joseph went into a silent grove to learn of God's will, and has continued to this day, with the current-day prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know this to be true, in the name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

--Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 33 - I'M COMING HOME

Hey everyone! Elder Z.S.Weber is here again with an awesome update on how things in the mission are going for me and my companion, Elder Tapia. I'm happy to say that things have been going very well for us. I feel that this week was a lot of fun, filled with moments of excitement and exhilaration, thanks to the Spirit. We spent a couple days helping one of the families in Kimball get their house ready for a big move later on in that week. We were able to teach all the young men and women in the Ward and help them realize what potential they have with the new video #BecauseHeLives on the Church's website. And, we were even able to help our Zone Leaders change a blown-up tire they got on their truck just as they were leaving the freeway to get to our District Meeting this week. So, all in all, it was a really awesome and eventful week.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about.

As you all pretty much already should know, due to my emails home, every six weeks we have Transfers. Well, last Transfer was six weeks ago, and tomorrow is my next one--my sixth Transfer on my mission. To be completely honest, I had no idea what was going to happen with this Transfer. I felt that I'd done some good serving in Kimball with Elder Tapia, but I also felt that there might be more that I could do to help my brothers and sisters there. However, I also had a feeling that I had done all that I needed to do as a Missionary there, and that my Heavenly Father needed me to work somewhere else in His garden. So, when Saturday rolled around, I and Elder Tapia were pretty anxious to hear what was going to be happening to us. And what ended up happening...definitely wasn't what I'd been expecting at all.

Elder Tapia is going to be staying in Kimball...and I'm coming home seventeen months early.

...

...April Fools! Though, I actually am leaving Kimball. Starting Tuesday evening, I will be serving in the Boulder Zone, the very southern zone in the Mission, with one Elder Buchanan in the Cold Creek Ward. So, technically I am coming home...back to Colorado, my first state in my Mission! I'm really looking forward to serving there, and meeting more of my brothers and sisters. I'm going to miss Elder Tapia, and my siblings here in Kimball and Sidney, but it's time to move on. Wish me luck in my new area!

Hope to hear from y'all next week!

--Elder Z.S.Weber