WEEK 63 - THE NEVERENDING CALLING

Hey everyone! This is Elder Z.S.Weber with a quick update on life in
the Colorado Fort Collins Mission (is it just me, or is that line
starting to get really old?). Things have been going well for me here
this past week, and honestly, it was a great way to end my
seven-and-a-half months serving in the Coal Creek Ward in Boulder,
Colorado. That's right! Transfers happen tomorrow, Tuesday, and after
nearly eight months service in Erie, I'm moving on to greater and
grander places! Now, as to where I'm going and who I'll be with, I'll
get to that later. First, I'd like to leave you all with the Spiritual
thought of the week.

Saying goodbye to Elder Hale as he Returns with Honor

My companion for these past four-or-so months has been one Elder

Joshua Hale. Tonight, he and another Elder in our Zone, Elder Olson,

are heading to the mission home, where they'll stay the night, and

then board their planes heading home. I'll be honest—I'm gonna miss

Elder Hale. He's been an incredible missionary, and a great friend.

Like most missionaries I've known, he's had his own quirky moments,

but those quirky moments were surrounded with moments if wisdom I'm

glad I was able to experience. It's my hope that when he finally does

return home, this wisdom he has been blessed with will help him

accomplish all he desires from life.

As I've thought about Elder Hale heading home, my thoughts have turned

to what will await me for once my mission ends. Certainly, I'll start

going to college, hopefully find a girl that I can marry in the

temple, start getting my book series published. But one thing I've

started thinking about is what calling I'm going to receive once I get

home. And perhaps that's the one possibility that gives me the most

anxiety for the future. After spending so much time in so many wards,

I've seen many different callings, and I'm not certain what one would

fit me best—or which one God knows fits me best.

It was then that I came to the understanding that regardless of what

calling I receive, one thing will not change. My mission doesn't end

once I get off that plane. Oh, sure, real life will set in, but no

matter what calling I have, I still have the duty to help spread the

gospel, as do all members of the True Church of God. To a point, every

member is expected to be a missionary, spreading the gospel in their

own ways. It doesn't end with the mission—if anything, the mission is

only a stepping stone towards the rest of your life in service of your

God, and helping others come unto Him.

Elder Weber and Elder Hale saying goodbye to the Dimigs

Anyways, the Transfer news. I'm heading to Loveland, the Stake I first
entered in my mission. I'll be serving in the Marianna Butte
Ward...though it took me a while to figure out its Marianna and not
Marinara. And as for my companion, I'm serving with one Elder Oaks,
and we have a car (thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!). I don't know much
other than that...but that's enough for me! I'm looking forward to
these next few months in my new area! Look out Loveland! Elder
Z.S.Weber's coming back home!

That's it from me this week! Hope to hear from y'all next week! Stay
epic, my friends! Ciao!

—Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 62 - TRUST in the LORD

Hey everyone, guess who's back again? Yep, it's me, the charming, witty, and wonderful Elder Z.S.Weber, reporting in to you live from Erie, Colorado. Sorry this email is coming out later than usual—I promise, I have a reasonable explanation for my lateness. For several of the Elders in our area, this was going to be their last P-Day in the mission, so we decided to have an awesome P-Day and go out for a hike this morning, which we just got back from. 

The hike was awesome, especially with watching the sunrise in the distance, and as we were coming home, we stopped by a Denny's and grabbed breakfast. So, all in all, a really great way to start P-Day off.

Now, then, on to the week. To start off, let's go back to Tuesday, where we had interviews with the Mission President. It's always very odd, meeting with President Brown, because for the last twenty-four hours before the interview you're pacing around, wondering what he's going to talk to you about. Then, you sit down with him, and the interview is always very casual and friendly. He always offers great advice to help out, and at the end of the meeting we both feel refreshed and ready to handle whatever we need to take care of. Or, at least, that's how it is for me. From how I've heard other missionaries talk about their interviews, it's almost as if the devil himself were interviewing them!

Then, on Thursday, we had an awesome opportunity with service at EFAA. Apparently, a fraternity at the university was getting new dorm furniture, and decided to send over to EFAA the furniture they didn't need anymore. This included four queen-sized bunk beds, about seven desks, five dressers, and a dozen chairs. Luckily, we had extra hands (Elders Westrup and Anderson) to make the work lighter, as we carried the parts for three of the bunk beds up the stairs to one of the apartments that needed more beds, along with four dressers, and the mattresses that came with the bed. It was a really good work out, except when we were nearly getting killed trying to carry the heavy pieces.

Once we were done with that, we actually still had time left over to go to the back of the building and work on the playground. It's pretty much finished now—the old playground is demolished and tossed, and the new playground is up and ready to be enjoyed. On Tuesday, Elder Hale and I were able to lay down the ground cloth for the playground. It was long and tiresome work, but it was well-worth it, and made the work on Thursday much easier, as all we had to do was spread the pea gravel throughout the playground. While the other Elders shoveled the gravel into the wheel barrow and ferried it over to the ground, it was my job to keep it all level and evenly spread. All in all, it was a great day.

So, yeah, that was the week—or at least the high-lights of it—in a rather rough nutshell. Now, before I close up shop for the week, I'd like to leave you all with a quick spiritual thought.

This last Tuesday, before I went into the interview with President Brown, I was waiting in the High Council room, looking at the pictures of the Apostles hanging on the wall. As usual, my mind was just aimlessly wandering, and I couldn't help but think over something one of the new Apostles—Elder Stevenson, I believe—mentioned in his testimony last conference. He mentioned how, after receiving his call to serve as Apostle, he felt, "a tsunami of indescribable emotion, most of which were feelings of inadequacy,"and how President Monson comforted him by telling him of his own feelings of inadequacy when he had been called over half a century earlier. He then told Elder Stevenson the simple yet profound truth of this church.

"The Lord will qualify those whom He calls.”

Throughout our lives, as we serve in this the Lord's church, we may come across callings that we feel we can't fill. I'm in one right now, and yet I still doubt it'll be the hardest calling in my life. At other times, we might see others who accept incredible callings—Bishop, Stake President, General Authority—and wonder why they were given that calling, and not someone else with more knowledge or experience, or someone more popular or well-known. Much to my surprise, I've heard a lot of those opinions recently, the most surprising ones aimed at our newest Apostles. In spite of this, it is important to remember the sacred truth spoken above.

Whether we feel ourselves to be too inadequate to serve in the callings we now have, or we feel others aren't the right person to fill the vacant callings around us, we must always remind ourselves that the Lord qualifies each of us for his work. He knows each of us by name—wouldn't up make sense that he'd know what callings we can serve best in, and which ones we can't? Which ones will be beneficial for us, and which ones will just drag us down? If you believe that the Lord God of Israel truly is the leader if this church, and not Thomas S. Monson, then stop worrying so much about your own shortcomings, and simply trust in the Lord. I know that if we do, we can succeed. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z.S.Weber

Sent from My iPad

Sent from My iPad

WEEK 61

Good morning, friends, family, age-old-rivals. This is Elder Z.S.Weber, reporting in with another quick update on how life in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission is going for me and my companion, Elder Hale. And, well...do you remember how I mentioned (complained) about the brisk weather of autumn coming in? Well, apparently that brisk weather decided to disappear for a while, because the sweltering heat of summer us back again, and it really doesn't look like it's gonna be gone for a while. Not that I'm complaining or anything...I just find the weather here hilarious. And to think I thought the weather in Utah was bad!

Anyways, on with the week! Now, normally, I'd start the week off by talking about the service we did at EFAA. However, this week, things got switched up. See, late Monday night, we received a call from the Zone Leaders, telling us that we were going to be having a meeting the next morning at eleven o'clock, right when service starts. Apparently, we were finally getting the digital area books! About time! Though, with the meeting coming at such short notice, I'm afraid I was already relating this new missionary tool to negative thoughts and feelings. Looks like we were in for a great meeting tomorrow.

The meeting met literally all of my expectations from the last-minute call we'd received the night before. After we were all gathered together, and had downloaded the app onto our iPads (aside from Elders Hale and Olson, who are leaving in two weeks, and feel the app to be a waste of time for them), a pair of District Leaders that the Zone Leaders gad called on gave a presentation on how to use the app. It was an incredibly confusing app to learn the longer we went into the meeting, and at one point we all gave each other that plainly said, "isn't this supposed to be more efficient than the paper area books?"

Once our meeting ended, we were then given the task to convert all of the information from our paper area books into the app, with a deadline on this next Tuesday (tomorrow). Unfortunately, Elder Hale and I were unable to make much head-way on the task because that next evening we went in exchanges with our District Leader and his companion, Elders Westrup and Anderson. While Elder Hale stayed in our area with Elder Westrup, I went with Elder Anderson to theirs. Surprisingly, we didn't actually do much, due to service projects and District Meeting, so exchanges ended uneventfully, aside from the several rounds of Magic: The Gathering Elder Anderson and I waged against each other Wednesday night.

...hey, that's just what happens when you put two nerds together!

Anyways, the rest of the week passed by unassumingly, and now here we are, on another P-Day, which us looking to be less if a P-Day than I was hoping it'd be. Between finishing the work we have to do in the area book app, to helping our host family with service around their house, today's looking to be more hectic than normal. Oh well, I guess the work never truly comes to a break. Hope to hear from y'all again next week, though! Stay epic, my friends, and gave a great week!

—Elder Z.S.Weber

Sent from My iPad

WEEK 60 - A TIME to LEARN

Hey everyone! How are all of you doing this week? This is Elder Z.S.Weber, signing in once again with an update on how life is going in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. And, to be completely honest...Autumn has definitely come.

Some of the more obvious signs are lagging behind, like the color change in the leaves, but everything else is here. Goodbye the warm and comfortable summer days of August and July, say hello to the brisk and bitter windy days of October and November. Goodbye sunshine and blue skies, say hello to thunderstorms, bleak skies, and misty mornings. 

Goodbye short-sleeves, say hello to long-sleeves, rain coats, and uncomfortable sweaters!!

...ahem...anyways...

Despite the quick shift in seasons, the weather hasn't actually changed much in our routine—at least not from this week. To start off our report, let's head back to Tuesday of this week. This week, when we went over to EFAA for service, we were asked to do a fairly daunting task. For the last while, we've been removing the pea gravel from the playground in the back. Now, we were being asked to actually disassemble the playground itself. After a while of trying to muscle our way through the screws and bolts, though, we noticed that most of the wood was impossible to salvage, it was just too rotten from the years of use.

It was at that time that we were allowed to use the sledge hammer. Ah, the reckless destruction was absolutely beautiful.

Next up, on Wednesday, we were sent a fairly short list of names from our Ward Mission Leader to check up on. According to him, they were all new names added to the Ward's roster, and he wanted us to go and check up on them. Simple enough, right? Wrong. The first name we were sent after, we ended up driving to the other side of the freeway and drove about a mile up the road to an empty lot. The second name sent us into a labyrinthine neighborhood filled with addresses similar to our address, but not the address itself. And the third address just led us to a house where a non-member couple lived. So, after a while of chasing our tails, we reported our findings to the ward and returned home for the evening.

Thursday, we once more gathered together for our District Meeting for the week. However, this time, Elder Hale decided to do something a little different. Because he was being asked to give the training for the meeting, he decided to bake a large cherry pie and buy some chocolate and vanilla ice cream cups for the District to enjoy during the meeting. 

Y'know, sort of a peace offering in case he totally botched up the lesson. Well, it turns out that starting off a meeting by announcing, "Hey, I brought ice cream and a pie" isn't really the best way to go. We were so focused on enjoying the pie and the ice cream that we pretty much just ended up turning the meeting into a casual get-together. It was still good, though. We got a lot off of our chests, and find a way together to move forward.

Elder Hale still has to give his training next week, though...heheheh...

Thursday led into Friday, and Friday into Saturday, and with Saturday came the most waited for moment if the week...GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! By the time Saturday morning came around, I was hanging-at-the-edge-of-my-seat excited, anyone else felt that way? Not only was it General Conference, but it was going to be a truly memorable and historic Conference as well, as three new apostles were going to be called to serve! In addition to the callings of Elders Rasband, Stevenson, and Renlund, the Conference was able to live up to the expectations of the past, filled to the brim with epic lessons and talks that we will be certain to continue to learn from as time passes by.

I don't know which of the talks I liked most. Perhaps I enjoyed listening to Elder Holland speak of the important mission of mothers, and the importance they have in our lives. Perhaps I was more drawn to President Nelson's talk on the strength of the women of this church, and how they will continue to grow strong as the hardships of life continue against us. Or maybe it was the touching memories that Elder Bednar shared with us as he remembered the last messages his friends and fellow apostles had shared before they left their mortal world. Whatever it was, I know that from all I've learned over Conference weekend, or what I've been reacquainted with, I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

So, before we part today, I ask one question—what did you learn? What message touched your heart? And how are you going to apply the principles you learned into your life? General Conference is a time where we can be chastened and strengthened, a time where we can take ourselves from where we are and grow closer to the men and women our Father desires of us. So, grow! Put your faith in the Lord's servants, and their words. They will not lead us astray, but if we heed their council, we will be forever blessed, and brought closer to that perfect man of God our Father longs for us to become. This I bear personal witness of, in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

—Elder Z.S.Weber

Sent from My iPad

Sent from My iPad

WEEK 59 - IT'S ALL TRUE

Hey everyone, it's just me again, Elder Z.S.Weber. Another tiresome week has come to an end, and so here I am with the news for the week. To be roughly honest, this week was perhaps both my hardest and most draining week yet. Another apostle died this week, Elder Richard G. Scott, someone I had not been anticipating dying for another while. President Packer back in July had almost been expected, but not Elder Scott. Then, later on in the week, we found out we were going to have to drop Sophia because of problems with her family situation. She was going to move in with her birth father, and wasn't going to be in our area often enough for us to teach her, so our teaching days with Sophia are over. So, yeah, it's been a very tiring and laborious week.

Elder Weber and his district during a visit from the Mission President

That being said, I feel it's important to point out that the tender mercies of the Lord are all around us, to lift us up when our hands hang low and our knees are feeble. For me, I think it came in several different short spurts over the week. Monday evening, we gathered together as a Zone for Zone Dinner, and it was nice talking with old friends and familiar faces. On Tuesday, we were doing service at EFAA again, and enjoying our time together—me, Elder Hale, Elder Olson, and Elder Mortensen—was fairly relaxing and worth while. Even Wednesday had some peace to it, as we were able yo do some work at Josephine Commons, the retirement center, in the kitchen. Spending the time serving the elderly was a great way to get our minds off of the troubles of our area, and just lose ourselves in service.

However, the best recuperation time came on Thursday. There were really just small things that happened throughout the day that lifted our spirits—a member asked to pay for our lunch at Taco Bell, we got letters from home, I got a couple packages from my mom and dad. 

Dad sent Zack a little something to help him blow off some steam.

However, there was one much greater moment that really helped push through the clouds of depression that had been hovering over me these past few weeks. We met up at the Broomfield building for District Meeting again. Because last week had been more of a rushed event, we spent the first half of the meeting getting to know each other better. It was a real nice way to kick back and unwind before we all got serious about the work and the meeting.

The meeting was on the First Vision. To begin the meeting, we recited the words Joseph Smith wrote on his vision—"I saw a pillar of light, above the brightness of the sun, which descended slowly until it fell upon me...when the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, This is my beloved Son. Hear Him." Even now, when I read that text, I feel cool goosebumps travel down my spine and leave me all tingly. After we finished reciting the passage if scripture, we then went around in a circle and stated what truth revealed through the First Vision we felt was most important for us.

Now, I could go on and say what everyone said, but I don't think that's what's important. You can take whatever you see fit to take from the First Vision, and as long as it is a true gospel principle, it'll have value and importance to you. But what I find important to talk about now is the simple fact that had this moment in church history not happened, then this Church is not the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If God the Father and the Savior Jesus Christ did not appear to the boy Joseph all those years ago, then he was not a prophet, did not receive the gold plates, and created a false religion that has been able to trick millions of people for almost two-hundred years. That's why the message I have to tell you all now is a very simple three-word sermon.

It's all true.

Every revelation this church has ever brought out, every blessing and proclamation to its people and its world's people. Indeed, every word that has proceeded out if the mouth of a prophet of the One True God has been, and ever will be, true revelation from God. Because Joseph Smith truly did speak to God the Father and the Savior Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove. Because Joseph Smith truly did find the lost record of gold plates in the Hill Cumorah. Because Joseph Smith truly did translate them through the power of God, and was the man through which the gospel in its fullness was restored. Because he did all of that, I know without any doubt in my mind that this church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly is the restored church, the only completely true church in the entire world.

There are those that may see differently than me, and while I applaud you for your devotion to a God—any god—I can't help but feel you are missing out on something much grander that you can't even yet comprehend! There's so much more out there than what you yet know. Please, if you'll only take the time to test the words I speak, the words our prophets speak, I can promise you that you will see what I mean. For those who are willing to take this test, may I offer a challenge. This coming weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, is the General Conference for the Church if Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The sessions are 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm (Mountain Standard Time) on both days. You can find where to watch it online through BYU tv or LDS.org. My challenge is simple.

Watch it. Listen. Hear the words the prophets declare. Listen with an open mind, an open heart. I promise you, the truth will be revealed unto you, if you only let it in. I can promise you this, both as your friend, your spirit brother, and as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose hallowed name I praise. Amen.

—Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 58 - MOVE ALONG

Hey everybody, how y'all doing today? It's just me again, Elder Z.S.Weber, checking in again from Erie, Colorado, with an update on how my life as a missionary is going in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Now, before we get anywhere, you might recall that in my last email I told y'all that Elder Hale was going to take over the driving from now on. Anyone remember that? Well, fast forward to today...everything about this was a bad idea. Now, I'll admit, I'm not the best driver, so the people in the Mission Office must've thought it'd be a great idea to put Elder Hale in control. No it was not. At least now he understands why I always jumped five feet in my seat whenever the TIWI would come on, "CHECK YOUR SPEED!!" And, on the other hand, now I see why he always laughed so loudly when that happened, as well.

Anyways, on to the week. This week was very interesting, as we were working around the new changes that came from the Transfers last week. The first change was that District Meeting was now on Thursdays, and like a half-hour drive away from our home. It's like Nebraska all over again! Heck, the building we now meet in is actually the the same building as the Mission Office for the Colorado Denver North Mission. Why that's in our mission boundaries, I have no idea. However, there are some new and familiar faces in our District. Elder Earl, from my first District, is there, as well as Elder Taylor, who I believe I remember from that same Zone, and Elder Anderson, from the Nebraska Zone. All in all, it seems like a pretty all-right group. They're serious about the work, but not so serious that they can't have fun, too.

Another major change was our service. Because we now have District Meeting on Thursday, our Thursday service at EFAA now has to be bumped up a couple hours in order to get to it and get work done. This week, actually, we had to uproot yet another bush (just how many bushes are we gonna end up uprooting?!) and prune some of the other bushes up. Luckily, our friends Elders Mortensen and Olson needed to move their service up, as well, so we were able to have an enjoyable time pruning. Elder Olson even got up into the tree that was beside the bushes we were working on, and pruned some dead branches that were getting in the way. I can tell you right now, I would've not done the same. First of all, I can't even get up into the tree, and second of all, I'd just cling to the trunk for dear life, unable to do anything productive.

That's pretty much everything major that changed with Transfers though. Things are pretty much the same as they were before Transfers. Heck, we still see Elders Olson and Mortensen on a nigh daily basis. After all, we're both in the adjacent wards and areas, we have service in the same places. Last Saturday, even, we were at the same dinner at the Stake Center. Work's still going slow, but I hope things get better as time moves on. Sorry that I don't have a spiritual message this week...things are just draining right now—mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, everything. Still, there's always positive in the future. If we work harder, and stay more focused, we should be able to get out of this funk of ours, and move along.

Hope to hear from y'all again soon.

—Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 57

Hey guys, it's-a me, Elder Z.S.Weber, here once again with a quick
update on how my life is in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. But,
before I get to all that, can anyone tell me what happens tomorrow?
I'll give you a hint—every six weeks, I bring this subject up, and it
often comes with wracked nerves and anxious minds. Give up? Alright,
I'll just come out and say it—tomorrow is Transfers! Yep, it's here
once more, and this next Transfer brings a lot of crazy changes with
it. What are these changes, you may ask? Well, if I told y'all what
they were right now, it wouldn't be all that much of a surprise, now
would it? So, instead, I figure I'll just go into my week, and leave
you at the edge of your seat, anticipating the Transfer news.

I know. I'm evil.

Anyways, on to the week! To be honest, this week only had two major
events that I feel were worth mentioning here. The first event was on
Tuesday, when we were asked to go out in splits with the Priests and
visit families throughout the ward, just to give them a taste of what
missionary life is like. Sadly, I hadn't been feeling too well (I
think it might've been something I'd had when we went to Taco Bell for
a quick lunch...), so I found the activity very exhausting. Still, it
was an interesting evening, and we were actually able to get into a
few families' homes, so I feel it was a very good experience for all
the young men that were involved.

The second event, on Wednesday, we once more went over to the
Elzinga's house to teach Sophia. This time, we were teaching about how
the church is run, through the auxiliary groups in the church and the
priesthood power. It was a really rough lesson, mainly because the
priesthood and auxiliary groups are really something in the church
that's really kind of too dense for little kids to easily grasp. To be
completely honest, I still struggle understanding some of the
mechanics behind how the church is run, and even then it sends my mind
for a good spin every once in a while. However, after we gained a
little assistance from Brother and Sister Elzinga, we were able to get
the lesson on track, and finish off strong.

Other than that, we had a Zone Meeting where some Elders brought Otter
Pops to snack on throughout the trainings, service at EFAA where we
uprooted four bushes, and the usual work of tracting and finding
people spread throughout the week. All of that led up to Saturday,
with life-changing Transfer information. So, without further ado...

I'm staying! As is Elder Hale! For some crazy reason, the forces that
control Transfers have seen fit to keep the two of us together for
Elder Hale's last transfer. However, just because we are still in our
companionship doesn't mean we aren't without our own changes. For
starters, I'm no longer the designated driver—Elder Hale is...which
means I'm in charge of the cell phone...yaaayyy...Also, Elder Hale is
no longer a District Leader. In fact, the Louisville District, which
was our District, is no more. It's been dissolved into the two other
Districts in the Boulder Zone. So, this next Transfer is looking to
have a lot of major changes throughout. I'm certainly looking forward
to them! Let's make this next six weeks the best yet, right?

Well, that's really all I have to say this week. Sorry that there
isn't a spiritual thought this time. Well just have to give you a
special edition one next week! Hope y'all have an epic week, and see
y'all later! Ciao!

—Elder Z.S.Weber

WEEK 56 - THANKS for EVERYTHING

...testing one-two-three...testing, tes—What? We're on the air
already? Oh, well...ahem...

Good morning world, and all that inhabit it! This is your totally epic
missionary straight from the Colorado Fort Collins Mission, Elder
Z.S.Weber, reporting to you live from the town of Erie, Colorado! Once
more, I've got some interesting and inspiring stories and tales to
tell y'all, from the beginning of the week to the end. But before we
get to that, I'd just like to give a quick thank you to all of you
reading this email. Missionary life is perhaps the hardest thing
someone can experience, second to serving as a General Authority to
the Church. The emotional, mental, and spiritual stress from the work
wears you down day after day, and sometimes you find it hard to
continue. For all of you that pray for the missionaries like me, who
ask the Lord to bless them...please keep the prayers coming. You don't
realize just how much impact those prayers have to Elders like me and
Elder Hale, whose hands hang low, and whose knees are feeble. We thank
you for your love, and we hope we can only keep living worthy of the
blessings we all hope the Lord will rain down upon us for our service.

On that jaunty, up-beat note, we start our tale of the week, starting
with Tuesday. Normally on Tuesdays now, Elder Hale and I have to go to
District Leader Council, where Elder Hale discusses plans and work
with the other District Leaders in our Zone, and I get some time to
study. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, DLC was moved to this
Saturday, letting Elder Hale and me join the other elders, Elder
Mortensen and Olson, at service at EFAA. This time, we were being
asked to remove the gravel from the playground in the back, so that
they could remove the old playground and install a new, larger one.
Sounded simple enough...until, of course, we got to working. Ever been
to the beach, and seen the endless expanses of sand that stretch
across the shoreline and into the ocean? Yeah, that's what it was like
for us with the pea-gravel. The more we'd shovel into the wheelbarrow
and tote out of the playground, the more there still seemed to be. It
was exhausting experience, one that is still on-going, as we have yet
to beat the beast!

On Wednesday, we were able to take a quick break from the rigors of
the service, and enjoy a nice and peaceful District Meeting. Rather
than go to the Stake Center, however, and sit through lectures and
boring lessons, one of the Elders thought it'd be a great idea if we
had a barbecue at his member's house, and have a more relaxed District
Meeting there. At first, I was hesitant, but it ended up going very
well. It was a bit of a confusing drive to get to their apartment (the
GPS had to reroute itself about three times), but when we got there we
were able to have a great lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers with the
other Elders and their member family. And afterwords, we discussed how
our work was doing in our respective wards, and what we could do to
improve. All in all, I thought it was a very wonderful District
Meeting.

Then, that evening, we were asked by the Priest's Quorum to come join
them at Mutual. Apparently, this month of September is their
missionary-month, where they learn more about missionary life, the ups
and the downs, and study more about what missionary life requires from
them, that way they'll be ready to get to work once the call to serve
comes to them. So, we were asked to answer any io their questions for
them, and help them get a good feel about what mission life is like.
The questions ranged from 'what do you wish you could've prepared more
for from your mission?', to 'what should we watch out for from the
MTC?', to even just 'what's the average life of a missionary in the
mission field?' At the end if the questions, we decided to have some
fun with the Priests and show them how to role-play lessons. It was
funny seeing the struggle us elders have everyday reflected in the
different Priests as they tried to have a realistic conversation about
the church with their friends pretending to be non-members.

Finally, on Saturday, we finally had to have District Leader Council,
as had been requested. I didn't mind it too much, of course, because I
didn't actually have to be in the meeting, I just had to hang out in
the foyer with the other non-District Leaders. As usual, Elder Westrup
had been the one to think ahead and had brought something along to
entertain himself and us with—a small Nerf gun with a sticky Nerf
dart. While we talked amongst each other, he'd just randomly shoot at
us, the walls, or targets like an empty water bottle to pass the time.
It was all very nice and fun...until he shot it at the ceiling and it
stuck. After about ten minutes of waiting for gravity to do its part
and nothing happening, we soon realized that we were in trouble. After
about another half-hour if waiting, it finally fell from the ceiling,
and we wisely decided to put the toys away for the rest of the DLC.

Well, that's my week! Thanks again for all the love you guys send. I'm
not certain I'd be able to last as long on my mission as I have if it
weren't for the love and courage you send, through letters, through
emails, through tender-hearted prayers. They lift me up and help me
push on. Even when I'm at my lowest point as a man and a missionary,
when I feel like I can't go any further, I feel my strength renewed
whenever I see a letter waiting for me at the kitchen counter, or a
new email in my mailbox. So, once more, thank you for the love that
you've given me. You really don't know how wonderful it feels, and how
much each of us missionaries truly need it just to get through the
day.

Hope y'all have a great week! Love y'all, and hope to hear from y'all
again next week! Stay epic, my friends!

—Elder Z.S.Weber