This Week . . .

SO this week was crazy.  Every week is always so different.  It's weird how it all works out. 

So first thing - we have been having awesome lessons with Betty. The young women are doing way awesome at fellow-shipping her and just being her friend. Betty's whole body language has changed.  She is now smiling and happy when before she always looked mad at the world.  She is happy she found a place that actually likes her and loves her for her.  So it's been really cool to see the ward step it up.  

And oh - get this. so I don't know if you all remember a girl by the name of Lily that Elder "H" and I taught in Albany.  Well she sent me a letter this week. She had decided to go to BYU back while we were there teaching her.  She knew the church was true but she wouldn't get baptized till February 10th. And this was in June.  And she said it would probably be in a couple years. Well if you remember from the letters I sent from then she used to frustrate Elder "H" and I because she knew it was true but wouldn't act on it. So . .  when she went to BYU she Got BAPTIZED.   How sick is that.  She said that she didn't have to take the lessons over again because Elder "H" and I already sought them to her. Totally pumped me up. It was probably the best letter I have gotten. Go BYU and the Spirit lol. 

Other than that Elder "M" and I have been able to find a couple new investigators.  The cool thing is that we are teaching three different couples.  One couple came to church.  The other is coming next week.  The third one is still a little nervous but they will come around.  Oh and sweet miracle - we went to a old folks home to visit a less active lady the ward didn't know and we were able to find her and she came to church this Sunday and loved it!  There is a widows' club in the ward and she was invited to it and loved it.  It is way cool to see the ward step up and go talk to people. I love it.

Love you all. 

Elder Ben Woestman.

Another Week in Paradise . . .

This week was a fantastic week.  Okay amazing miracles are happening.  One happened on Wednesday   We had dinner at a member's house and they had invited some friends over without telling us so when we walked in we were like sweeeet. and we started talking about the church and eternal families.  We then meet with them on Friday and taught the "Restoration Lesson" - but how we started it was with a "Mormon Message" which is about the importance of fathers and Heavenly Father.  Perfect way to start a lesson.  The Spirit came in so strong. we ended it with the guy saying a kneeling closing prayer.   It went so well!   They came to church this Sunday and they loved it. Such a cool miracle. 

And then we had a member tell us she wanted us to teach her boyfriend.  He is taking the lessons in Portland and I guess the missionaries up there are bad so she wanted us to teach him.  It went really well.  His name is Mike and its way cool to see him want the gospel.  He literally WANTS IT.  We are sad he isn't in our area.  During the lesson we said "Mike you are the best investigator ever.  The missionaries are going to be asking you to be baptized so be ready to be asked" .  He said okay with a smile lol.  So awesome.  We are trying to convince him to move down here.  We were on an exchange and the missionary I was with did really well.  He is a new missionary and wasn't afraid to talk.  He is actually 23 and was in the army before he came out.  Pretty awesome guy. 

We also found a dog that day. . . and had an adventure trying to get it to its owner.  Over all it was a great week. This past Sunday we had stake correlation at 8 but earlier in the week we promised an investigator that we would make them breakfast so they would be ready for church lol.  So we got a member to come with us and we made bacon and eggs. Real bacon too.  Sooooo good.  We got there at like 630 (lol) so we could get to the stake meeting on time.  Our stake pres asked us why we smelled like Denny's - lol - we just smiled.  They ended up coming to church and loving it.  It was a way good week full of bacon, lost dogs, bees, and teaching people about the gospel,
Love it :) love you all. 

Elder Woestman

So this week was a crazy week . . . .

Monday we had a  sweet chapel tour with a lady named Brenda and her family.  She is a less active member and her daughter is less active but her boyfriend is not.  The cool thing is that she has commited to come to church every week for the rest of her life. and they all said they would come too! 

Then on tuesday we had to drive up to Eugene and go to a zone leader council.  That pretty much takes up the whole day.  We have the mini van so we are the ones that pick everyone up for that and then it takes a couple hours to get there, but it was good.  We were able to talk about things we need to imporve on in the mission. 

Wednesday we actually had to go to the boonies of our area and go do some service for an older lady in our ward.  She lives out in the middle of no where.  We were way glad that one of the members took us because we would have been lost and then probably eaten by a bear.  Elder "M" had his first baptismal interview on Wednesday too. it was way cool because it was super spiritual for him and the interviewee. . 

Then on Thursday we had a kid named Tommy with us the whole day.  He leaves on his mission in 2 weeks so we take him out with us all the time.  This past thursday we were like "Tommy you should just stay with us the whole day haha", so he did.  The cool thing was that we went and knocked some doors and we knocked for like and hour and a half and only knocked on four doors because 2 people let us in.  We decided we are going to do that more often and just bring him with us all day. 

Oh and have you guys ever heard of "essential oils". HOLY COW, they are cool.  This lady in our ward was telling us all about it and letting us use some. Who knows it could all be mental but they sure do smell awesome haha.  Everyone here is into that kind of stuff, all natural and what not. I dig it.  Pretty much how you could describe everyone here in Medford is they are essential oil loving, have a bunch of guns, laid back, nature hiking people. lol. 

Friday Elder "M" and i taught a zone meeting and it went pretty well. President Young came down with Sister Young and we were able to use them in part of our lesson.  

Thats pretty much our week. Oh wait, there is more ha.  Last night we went to go visit a member and see if there would be a time to come over and share the restoration lesson with her and her kids.  She was like totally; "you should come over Saturday and teach it to my non member boyfriend!"  MIRACLE. pretty crazy how that stuff just happens.

Love you all

Elder Ben Woestman

Well - Hello . . .

We had a fantastic week this week.  Miracles are coming.  First one is that we went to teach a recent convert and they haven't been coming to church very much so we made a lesson all about goals and how to reach goals.  We all set goals, including Elder "M" and I on how we could better live our baptismal covenants. Then we shared them with everyone so we could all be accountable to each other. It was a spiritual lesson because the recent converts set their own goals and figured out ways they could do it themselves and not have someone else tell them what they needed to do. It also taught me that people need to set their own goals. I think to myself when people told me what to do verses I made an idea my self and which one I was more apt to do.  Most def the one I made up lol.  Life lesson I learned that day.

The other amazing miracle that happened with that is that one of their non-member friends was with them and sat in on the lesson and he set goals also.  One of his goals was to meet with us once a week! How cool is that!  We were pretty pumped.  

And this past Sunday after ward council we had 30 min before church started so we went to everyone's door who told us that they were going to come to church :)  We woke a couple people up and only 2 people came, but it worked for those two people.  We decided not to just hope they come to church, but make sure everything falls into line so they can come to church.  With one less active part member family we are teaching the mom (who is a member) had a eye opening experience and so she is having us teach her all the commandments so she can live them all and go to church and her boy friend ( who is not a member) is following them with her.  We are doing a chapel tour with them tonight and hopefully that will motivate them even more. 

Oh - and speaking of that family, some one got stabbed in the throat a block down from their house.  How INTENSE is that.  We were coming out of a lesson and see all these cop cars and the whole neighborhood was out of their house.  Welcome to "Methford". 

Something that Elder "M" and I think our Zone needs is how to plan properly, and effectively.  Which is something that we are going to make sure we do right and then help the other missionaries with and how to set goals.  Without those two things pretty much nothing gets done. 

This week has taught me the importance of goals.  Missions prepares one for life. This will make sure that everyone knows how to use their time wisely and we don't have to worry that they don't know what they are doing. 

Love this place. Elder "M" is awesome. Miracles are happening in the Central Point Zone!!!

Love Elder Ben Woestman