Letter from 10-28-13

Tyler is the one standing behind Sister Welling.
 Hayley is in the white sweater next to her.

Helloooo Everybody,

This week has been a good one. My companion and I got a CAR THIS WEEK. Considering it is a 28 mile round trip just to the church building and back, a car is going to be pretty helpful. We have burnt out the members asking for rides. Which we will continue to do... but maybe on a smaller level.

This week we were able to go over the baptismal questions with Tyler and he had his interview yesterday after stake conference. He passed! :) We are so excited for his baptism on November 8. He asked both me and Sister Westling to speak, and since Tyler and I are both runners I am fairly certain my topic of choice will be enduring to the end :) Tyler is an awesome 14 year old. We got to be there on Saturday when his sister Hayley got her mission call to Spokane, Washington. It was pretty exciting! She reports on New Years Day.

This weekend was stake conference, and the missionaries were commissioned to attend the adult session for the first time. Turns out that the theme for all of conference was "Hastening the Work." WOOOO. Conference was amazing. Our Stake President, President Watson, is a complete stud. His talked was based around the butterfly effect, and he read a story from the book called "The Butterfly Effect". What it came down to is that small things we do ("flapping out wings") can ripple out and have amazing effects. He said that there are no insignificant moments and no coincidences... We have all been called here at this time to flap our wings and help those around us come to the knowledge of the gospel. It was an incredible talk.

The other thing I learned at conference is to see yourself as Christ sees you. Part of the purpose of the Atonement is that it gives us the ability to change. We need to see ourselves not as we currently are, but remember the potential we have and remember that that is what God sees in us- what we can and will become.

"Everyday is a day of decisions, and decisions determine our destiny."

Love, Sister Welling 

Letter from 10-21-13

Hello Everyone! 

This week was transfer calls. Me and one of my companions made it out alive, but Sister Hall did not. So the trio will be no longer, and I'll stay in Wells/Sanford with my other trainer Sister Westling. I had a few paragraphs typed up about some trivial things we did this week but it wasn't important. Today I want to bear my fervent testimony about the Church of Jesus Christ. 

I'm grateful for this gospel. I'm grateful for the comfort and peace it brings into our lives. I'm grateful that we can know of it's truthfulness for ourselves through study, prayer, and the Spirit. The more you study it and live it, the simpler it is and the more it makes sense, and testifies of a LOVING God in Heaven who wants EACH AND EVERY ONE of His children to be happy.

The Introduction of the Book of Mormon says that if we pray about the Book of Mormon we WILL gain a witness of it's truthfulness through the power of the Holy Ghost, and "those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit WILL also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth." This is a promise to every honest seeker of truth. All we must do is study it out for ourselves and ask God with a sincere heart, and real intent, if it is true.

This church is true. It is headed by the Savior himself. We don't ask people to take our word for it, we ask them to find out for themselves. I have been called by the prophet to literally represent Jesus Christ, to say the things he would say and do the things he would do if he were teaching the same people I were. As a representative of Jesus Christ, I declare that I am Christian. It is only through the grace of Jesus Christ that we are saved, and all he asks is that we "come and follow [him]." My testimony and love for the Savior and his eternal sacrifice for me personally is deeper than I can express. Jesus Christ is the son of God and the Savior of you and me. 

Love,

Sister Welling

Letter from 10-14-13

What is upppp friends and fam,

Alot has happened this week (if you can even imagine a lot happening in the state of Maine). Our ward's 40 Day Fast ended on Wednesday, and the blessings have definitely been flowing. We (the sisters) have a baptismal date with Tyler and the elders in our ward got a baptismal date this week as well, with a less active lady's husband! They are young and have young kids and it's been cool to see how her testimony has strengthened throughout his learning process and how it's helped with marriage. 

ALSO this crazy (in a good way) lady in our ward called us and told us that she had two baptismal dates for us... she is the cub scout leader (master? mother? whatever) and she has a boy named Connor in there who isn't baptized, and his mom Gene isn't a member either. We have been trying to get appointments to come teach them but Gene is really shy and nervous and never says yes, even though they come to church basically every week. WELL, crazy Sister Meyer called them up and asked them to be baptized haha. Apparently it worked because starting today, we are teaching them 3 lessons a week so they can be baptized before November... wahh! The members in our ward are awesome about member missionary work. The Sanford ward hasn't had a baptism in over a year... in fact, we opened up the baptismal font the other day and there were tons of dead spiders in it haha. But because of the faith and effort of the members, we have 4 baptismal dates. SAWEET. 

The miracle for this week is as follows: My comps and I were out walking at 8:40 pm (you go in at 9 pm) and we walked up to this girl and guy having a smoke outside of a gas station. The girl told us she's an athiest and wasn't interested, but the guy, Stephen, was really interested and really nice! He's 21 years old and was just telling his mom the week before we saw him that he wants to fix up his life and he wants to go back to church, but he left his old one because he felt judged for making some wrong turns in life. We taught him about the Book of Mormon and he was excited about reading it. We taught him the Restoration the next day and it went really well. We are excited about him because he seems really genuine and has a desire to learn and change. 

Today my comps and the elders and I volunteered at this community event full of free services- hair cuts, massages, nail painting, free clothes and other supplies, free lunch, flu shots, help with resumes... everything. My comps and I ended up painting peoples' nails for 3 hours, so that was fun to talk to all types of different people from town while we were doing that haha. It was a great way to kind of get out in the community and help people in need. 

Holy long email.... congrats to anyone who made it this far :) That is what we call enduring to the end. 

Love, Sister Welling  

Letter from 10-7-13

Helloooooo Everybody,

 

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes, it was an exhilarating day full of tracting. We didn't even have time to hit the bars (I kid, I kid). Some highlights of the week, bullet style:

 

-Our investigator, Tyler Hastings, has a baptismal date for November 8, the day before his 15th birthday. Adorable. He is the coolest 14 year old I know so I am really glad he's going to be able to have the gospel in his life. Last night we taught him about the commandments of church, prayer, and reading our scriptures and then after the lesson, he spent 20 minutes showing me cross country race results and all of the running shoes he wants to buy. I feel like I have a little brother :)

 

-On my birthday, I happened upon a Buckeye tree. God is a funny guy sometimes :) (As our neighbor Joan would say)

 

-GENERAL CONFERENCE WAS WICKED (that's what they say out here in Maine). And I kid you not, as the Elders and us were setting up the screen in the chapel, we were looking at all of the apostles taking their seats and they showed Elder Holland (my personal favorite) and I waved at him and said, "Hi Elder Holland!" and he most DEFINITELY looked right at me and waved back. It was pretty freaky, but really awesome haha. I loved Ulisses Soares' talk about meekness, which I realized I really need to work on. The Savior was meek, humble, teachable, patient and submissive so we need to try harder to be like that as well. I also loveddd Richard Maynes' talk about endurance running related to enduring to the end :) Tyler was there for that session, I'm glad he got to see that even apostles were athletes... back in the day... haha. Is your testimony is good spiritual shape??

 

-Last but not least, this week we had the opportunity to help our next door neighbors cut down a giant bush. It turns out that Russell, the realllyy old husband with a walker and beautiful blue eyes, MADE THE KEYS OF THE ORGAN IN THE TABERNACLE AT TEMPLE SQUARE. Like, what? So cool. I was just like, nahhhh Russell you're messing with me. But he really did make them... I met a man who will go down in history!

 

Well, that's about all I have time for.

 

"Don't forget to look up." :)

 

-Sister Welling

 

Letter from 9-30-13

Hello Hello!

First things first, happy birthday on Thursday to the best twin brother I've ever had! Elder Welling is tearing it up in Boise and I couldn't be prouder. 

Worldy Highlight of the Week: On Saturday we had a ward cookout and before long, some ultimate frisbee ensued and I just couldn't resist. I must've gotten a little into it because in a split second decision, I found myself diving for the frisbee... in my skirt... It was one of those decisions where everything slows down and before I even hit the ground I was like, "Oh, poop." Well everybody thought it was pretty funny and I have some nice grass stains on my shirt to show for it. Elder Whitehead also got some pretty sweet stains on his white shirt so I wasn't alone. I also ended up elbowing a kid in the stomach and knocking over some other girl. I think they will think twice before they invite me the next ward function. 

The REAL Highlight of the Week: We've been teaching the Hastings family, a part member family whose daughter Haley (19) joined when she was 14 and is currently waiting for her mission call. They are sooo cool, I love them alot. They are big into running and Roger and Penny (the parents) have lost a combine 100 pounds or so in the past year, they are total studs. The son, Tyler, is 14 and runs cross country and I just love him to death, we always talk about running for 20 minutes when I see him. We also dominated frisbee together but that is besides the point. Yesterday (fast Sunday) my comps and I fasted for Tyler that he would be able to progress and have the courage to act on his knowledge that the church is true. Last night, Haley called us and told us that Tyler wants to be baptized and is praying about a date in November. He asked her if I was still going to be here at that time because he wants me at his baptism... ADORABLE. I wanted to cry because I was so happy. Fasting + obedience + faith = miracles. I hope Tyler gets a strong answer to his prayer that he needs to take that leap of faith and be baptized because I know how much having the gospel will help him through high school. Keep praying for Tyler and the Hastings family!

I INVITE EVERYONE (LDS or not) to take the time to watch General Conference this weekend. It is on BYUtv or can be watched from lds.org and/orbyutv.com? Something like that. It is Saturday AND Sunday 12-2 and 4-6 Ohio Time. Come and listen to a prophet's voice and hear for yourself of the many blessings that the gospel brings into our lives. What better blessing can we receive than 8 hours worth of inspired men and women bearing testimony of Jesus Christ and his church? 

Love, Sister Welling 

Letter from 9-23-13

Helloooo Everybody! 

Worldy highlight of my week: 

GETTING TO PLAY BASKETBALL!

The REAL highlight of my week: 

So every morning my comps and I run laps around this loop street, and every morning we wave hello to a lady named Joan. We have been waving at her for well over 6 weeks now, and we've talked enough that she knows who we are and what we're doing. She is really cool because she used to coach softball and basketball, and said her girls were the first on their colleges' soccer teams, etc. She is just cool and athletic and I hope I am her when I'm 50ish. A week or so ago, I decided we needed to really talk to her. I stopped running one morning and asked her her name and we ended up talking for 45 minutes.

 Every day after that, we had intentions to go back and give her our phone number because she told us that she is going out of town soon and needed help with her yard. But for some reason, each of those days we didn't get to go back. Finally, on Saturday, we went back and Joan was sitting in her friends' car in the driveway. I thought it was going to be super awkward, but as soon as she saw us she jumped out and gave us big hugs and said it was weird that we showed up that day because she had been talking to her friends and family about us. She said, "God must've sent you to me. He's a funny guy!" She invited us in and she and her friend asked us so many questions. Joan is a devout Catholic and was even a nun in her younger days, but she had looked us up on mormon.org and learned about us because she was interested. 

We taught them about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. We each basically got to bear testimony over and over again. I cried like... 3 times. Embarrassing. She asked us each why we thought that Mormonism was growing so fast all over the world. All I could think to say was that it's because it's true. This is God's work and Christ is the head of this church and by golly, his work is going to move forward with power, even with goons like me doing his work. I told her it's not because missionaries are perfect teachers, but it's because God uses small and weak things (us!) to accomplish his work. Alma 37:6-7. 

Before we met with Joan, I had been beating myself up that we hadn't talked to her earlier about the gospel, but she told us that if we had jumped at her the very first time we met her, or had knocked on her door, she wouldn't have been receptive. But she noticed over time that we live what we teach, that we are Christ-like and that we radiate with something that makes her want to talk to us.

Moral of the story: LIVE the gospel. The more you live what you believe, the more you try to be like Christ, the more people noticed and want to have what you have. They will ask, "Why are you so happy? What makes you so different." To which we respond, "Come and See." 

THE GOSPEL IS TRUE! LOVE YOU ALL :)

-Sister Welling

Letter from 9-16-13

Waddup from the great state of Maine. Happy moment of the week: standing at a busy intersection in downtown Sanford, ME in a torrential downpour and thunderstorm, smiling and laughing while all of the traffic passes by and gives us the weirdest look for being so happy about being so drenched.

One thing I've noticed since I've been out is that from the outside, our religion seems like it just has a bunch of rules that we have to follow. But from my "inside" perspective, and it is so clear why we have been given the commandments we've been given. God loves us so much, and he wants to help us return to live with Him, and the commandments he's given us help us be happier in this life and make the choices that will point us towards eternal life. Every commandment comes with amazing blessings that we can't even comprehend.

Paying tithing is such a little thing, but we are promised so many blessings that we won't have room enough to receive them. The Word of Wisdom (Doctrine and Covenants Section 89) simply asks us to avoid some substances like alcohol that can harm our bodies, but promises that we will receive health in our navel, wisdom and knowledge, and that we will run and not be weary and walk and not faint. I think I can avoid alcohol if it means I'll be able to run and not be weary! But really, the more we study the gospel of Jesus Christ and WHY God has commanded us to do the things we do, we realize that it is out of love for us and His desire to see us progress, not a way to tie us down or hold us back from having fun or living like the rest of the world.

If we can return to our loving Heavenly Father's arms and hear him say the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant", ANY cost is worth it. ANY sacrifice is insignificant compared to the eternal blessings He is just waiting to grant us. When Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail, probably the darkest and lowest time of his life, God said to him, "My son, peace be unto they soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions will be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." Say what? My afflictions are but a small moment? If I endure it well then I'll be exalted? Done. The peace that comes from the Savior is far greater than any peace we can gain from this world. John 14:27.

Let's not just endure our trials but endure them well.

-Sister Welling 

Letter from 9-9-13

Helloooo friends and fam! This week I:

Hung out with a tarantula. Her name is Molly... she is cute and cuddly :) 

I just found out I'm getting booted off my library computer :( Go Buckeyes! Hope everyone is having a good week. Sorry this is short :( Love you all and I love hearing from you.

-Sister Welling

LATER :)

Okay long story short I got some laptop time. Hope you enjoy the pictures from the other email! Happy 23rd* birthday to my momma on Thursday, hope it's an awesome one! You make 23* look pretty young. Everyone be nice to her.

This week I started Donut Olympics with my companions, where we make brackets and face off donuts from different donut shops up against each other for taste. It's the most delicious idea we've had. Takes me back to high school days when I'd do that with Ben Ross and Job :)

This week our neighbor (the Bishop) and his family needed help loading a couch and a bed into their truck because their son/daughter in law are moving. I had the awesome privilege of getting to tie the knots on the ropes that were holding the stuff into the bed of the truck. I tied a mean follow-through figure 8 and a solid safety knot to make sure that stuff was gonna get to Boston without budging. All that knowledge I gained at Camp Firewalker is paying off :) Thanks Nanc' :) Tying eagle-scout-worthy knots makes me feel like a studly missionary.

This week my companions and I visited a field of purple flowers called Northern Blazing Stars, that ONLY grow in the that ONE field in Maine, and then in Australia. Those are the only two places in the world! Weird, huh? 

This week I saw a guy wearing an Ohio State shirt at the beach, first one I have seen since being here! I was pretty pumped to give him an "O-H!" and get an "I-O!" in response. Happy day. Go Buckeyes :) 

Ok I promise I'm doing missionary work as well. This week we had an awesome lesson with Patrick about the Plan of Salvation, we had been preparing for it all week because we feel like it's really important for him. I am grateful that God presented a plan that allowed us to have free agency in this life- being able to choose things for ourselves presents a lot of sadness and trials, but it's also the only way we can be truly happy. 

We had a lesson with the Hastings family, whose daughter is preparing to go on a mission right now. She bore an awesome testimony about how the gospel has blessed her life and how much it would mean to her to have her family baptized. They definitely need to do it for themselves and not for their daughter, though. They come to all of the ward activities and call themselves Brother and Sister Hastings, but they haven't quite committed to baptism yet, which is fine. I really admire that they want to know it's really true and do it for themselves, not Haley. They are such a cool family, I admire them alot for how close and happy they are. Their 14 year old son Tyler is a cross country runner, so we get to talk running alot :) 

"In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make men Holy, let us live to make men free, while God is marching on!" I'm not sure why that made me cry on Sunday when we sang it, but it's pretty powerful. 

Let us live to make men free.

-Sister Welling

Letter from 9-2-13

Hey everyone!

This week, my companions and I helped my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Femia de-moss and de-root her backyard. We pulled up roots so long that we were able to jump rope with it. Pretty fun. Later in the week she took us to her neighborhood party at these peoples' awesome beach house that overlooks the ocean. It was beautifulllll. 

This week we have a lesson with our investigator Patrick. He wants so badly to have faith in Christ but it's hard for him to believe because his life has been hard. His younger brother Carl sat in on the lesson and was listening intently. Their older sister took the lessons 10 years ago and Carl had sat in on them, but he couldn't have been more than 10 years old at the time. But he remember the visual aid my companions used... what! Patrick says he is really smart but hides it. Carl willingly said the closing prayer and it was amazing. I love visiting them and I can't want to go back and teach them about the Plan of Salvation this week. 

This week we also had a lesson with this family (The Hastings) whose daughter is a member and is awaiting her mission call. We watched the Joseph Smith movie and I was pretty much crying the whole time. Embarrassing. The spirit was so thick after the movie was over but I somehow managed to get out my testimony about Joseph Smith. Powerful stuff. I have no doubt that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. 

An amazing talk to read when you have a spare moment: "The First and Great Commandment" By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. When you read what he says about when Christ was talking to Peter, insert your name instead of Peter's. Whoa.

The work is moving forth slowly but surely. The work is hard, the road is long, the people are sometimes really really really stubborn, but Joseph Smith surely sacrificed EVERYTHING that he held dear to him for a higher cause and so why should we not sacrifice just a little tiny bit? Joseph Smith laid the foundation for the greatest work ever. "Should we not go on in so great a cause?" (something like that)

Onwards and upwards, 

Sister Welling 

Letter from 8-26-13

Hey Everybody!

The picture I attached is a little embarrassing, mostly because of the situation and not the content. I was at Zone Conference and the mission president's wife was about to take a picture of my friend Sister Aeshbacher, so I ran up and photo bombed it. Well, it turns out that Sister Wilkey only took 4 pictures at zone conference, so she put that picture with only three others on the mission blog... which EVERY missionary in the WHOLE mission gets onto EVERY week. So I am the photo bomb sister missionary. Awesome. 

This week my companions and I had the opportunity to watch the Joseph Smith Movie (not the official title?) and man, I forgot how good it is. I feel the spirit whenever I read or learn about Joseph Smith, but watching that movie is just so powerful. I know he is a prophet just by the way I feel when I hear his story. I admire him more than anyone. He sacrificed so much and was such am amazing missionary, despite all of the opposition and hatred that he faced. In the movie they tar and feather him, and Emma stays up all night to help him clean it off and the next day, he is still out preaching the gospel to the people in the town despite all of his scabs and the pain he was probably in. RELENTLESS. I can't even fathom the amount of faith and courage he had to do all the things he did for the gospel.

Our ward is starting a 40 Day Fast for missionary work/opportunities this coming Sunday. I am soo excited, it's going to produce amazing miracles and opportunities for the members. What it is is each day for 40 days in a row, a family or a person (maybe multiple) sign up to fast that day for missionary opportunities, and the stories from everyones' experiences just get passed around and everyone gets excited about sharing the gospel. At the end, we will have a dinner thing where people can invite their friends that they've been sharing the gospel with. I've heard that 40 Day Fasts produce crazy miracles for the work, so I'm excited for the members to catch on fire with it.

This week I gave a Book of Mormon to a man installing sprinklers. It was a super hot, humid day and my companions and I had been walking a lot and I asked him if I could run through them haha. He said yes and turned it on and it was lovely. Then we just started talking to him and he asked us what the difference was between what we believed and Catholicism. He was really nice and receptive.

Weird thing of my week: One of my companions clogged the toilet (okay maybe it wasn't either of them...) so we had to make an emergency run to get a plunger. We decided there was no better way to break in a brand new plunger than by eating ice cream out of it. There's a first time for everything I guess. Nothing has ever tasted so good coming from a plunger.

On that note, have a wonderful week and the gospel is certainly true.

Love, Sister Welling