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