Yes - the mission is going to split - but we aren't supposed to talk about it, because our mission president wants us to focus on now and not the future. So - we will see how things go in July.

So this week was fantastic.  We had some pretty cool miracles.  If you remember the guy that Elder "M" and I talked to who was an alcoholic  He now has a baptismal date for June 20th :)   It was so cool because we were able to share a message on "The plan of salvation" and pretty much we focused on our life on earth and how we can be baptized and start fresh.  Adam loved it.  He asked us if he could be baptized.  And he hasn't had any alcohol since that first time we saw him.  The only problem is that he works on Sunday and so we have to help him with that. . .  and he smokes. but that shouldn't be too hard to handle. lol 

We taught this guy named Joseph the other day and he wants to come to church, so he can meet a wife - haha.  He knows Mormons have good morals - he told us that he wants to come to church for the right reasons though.  I just think that is way funny. 

We have been having to push back the people we have committed to a baptismal date because they can't come to church.  So I am hoping that I stay here for one more transfer because we have four people on date, but they will get baptized after the transfer haha. go figure.  The cool thing that I have been able to see is the progression in the area, and how we are able to find new people to teach and the cool miracles that happen from it.  Like on Monday we went finding right after p-day and knock into this guy named Stfano. (yes -that's how you spell it.)  He told us to come back and we did.  Turns out he was in the military for like 40 years and 2 years ago finally retired.  He has been all over the place. The cool thing is he wants to come to church and wants to learn more.  We are actually going over there today for our p-day and he is going to show us his drums :)  and then we are going to show him the "Prophet of the restoration" DVD-  lol. . . give and take.  This place is the bomb.  o and i almost forgot.  OSCAR [a friend from the Fairfield Ohio area] is in my zone lol. I get to see him at least twice a week. How cool is that.

Love you all,

 Elder Ben Weestman

So this was another fantastic week.  I love this place.  Okay so amazing miracle.  We had a lesson planned with a less active member named  Chris and his 10 year old unbaptized daughter Hayley.  We asked an older member to come with us and when we got there the coolest thing happened.  Chris and the member knew each other.  Chris had gone to his ward as a youth and he actually had gone to the man's house to swim in his pool all the time when he was younger.  So they were able to talk together easily, and it just went way well.  Then we had a lesson on the power of the priesthood and how it can bless his family's life.  We were able to set a baptismal date with his daughter and then he called the bishop and is talking to him to make it so he can get on track to hold the priesthood!! How cool is that!  I love it.  The coolest miracles happen when you bring a member to a lesson.  

Ben and Elder "M":



We also had interviews with our mission president this week and it was fun because Elder "M" and I were able to do training for the other missionaries.  We focused on unity and did trust exercises.  One was we put a bag over one missionary's head and his companion had to go on his shoulders and guide him through the gym, as Elder "M" and I moved chairs, tables, and random things in front of them the whole time. lol  It was fun and they were able to learn the importance of working in unity. Below are some more pictures.  Just click on the image to see the picture bigger.

Love Elder Woestman

Ben "finding" anyone who will listen . . . .To the squirrels "Do you want to know how to live with your family forever?"  To the cows; "Have you ever heard of the Book of Mormon? 

A couple that Ben helped get married:

What is up?

What is up my family?  This was another great week. Transfers happened this week and i am officially staying in the J-vill which is way good because I love this place.  And we are seeing some mighty cool miracles happen. Like one of the big things that we are doing in the ward is working with the youth.  The youth here are awesome.  They are super missionary minded and are way better than the adults at coming out with us, and getting us people to teach.  So our ward mission leader has been doing youth firesides that teach them how to do missionary work.  We had one last night and it was way good. 

We had an awesome lesson with a couple investigators named Mike and Andra.  They have a baptismal date for May 11th and we set the goal for them to go to the temple 2 weeks after their baptism to do baptism for the dead.  It was a way good lesson. 

Yesterday we had a way good miracle happen with our investigators Chris, Dori, and Kirsten.  We showed up to their house and they said come back in an hour.  So we came back and brought a member with us.  It was amazing to see how the Lord will help us through the members because they were able to connect so well - it blew my mind. and the lesson went really well.  We are going to give Chris and Dori a chapel tour while Kirsten goes to mutual on Wednesday. we are pumped!   We were supposed to do it last week but Kirsten had a track meet during mutual. so pray that all goes well with them. 

Elder "M" and I are doing great.  I need to send pictures I know. i just never remember my cord that plugs in the computer lol.  Love you guys - hope all is well.  

Love Elder Ben Woestman

Howdie doddie . . .

So this was so awesome.  . . like miracles falling from the sky.   Started out on Monday.   We had a grreat lesson with this guy named Chris and his daughter.  We read the "Family Proclamation to the World" with them, and it was fantastic.  Such a powerful pamphlet.  We were able to talk about eternal families and how we can have them.  The great thing is that there is a temple at our stake center so most of the people in Medford know what it is and went to the walk through it during the open house.  But the lesson went so well and they are praying about being baptized May 18th.  So keep Chris and his families in your prayers.

Elder "M" and I made to goal to talk to everyone we see, even if they are in a car or running or anything - no matter how awkward it might seem.   Who cares because we are missionaries and people already think we are awkward -  hahaha.  Miracles have come from the sky because of it.   

We went running one morning at like 630 and there was a guy at the bus stop and we talked to him for like 10 min.  His grandma is mormon.  He gave us his address and we saw him yesterday and he said that we could come back and that he would read the Book of Mormon. 

But probably the coolest miracle is that Elder "M" and I had jumped in the car and we saw a group of people talking, and we looked at each other and nodded - lol - we jumped out of the car and headed over to them.  One of the guys saw us and walked right up to us and said; "I need your help."  We were like 'cool' lol.  Turns out he is an alcoholic and wants to stop drinking.  We were able to teach him about how through the atonement the Lord can give us strength and help us through anything.  And then the next day we dropped off an ARP book and we are going to go over on Tuesday to teach him.  the crazy awesome thing is that he just walked right up to us and said "I need you".  If we would have never got back out of our car that would have never happened. Built our testimonies on following every prompting right away.  That is what sprang the talking to everyone. 

What else. . . . oh general conference was the best thing ever!  Crazy wicked missionary minded.  Pretty much told members whats up lol.  So I hope all of you are doing what they said.  What Pres Eyring said about being a stake missionary and teaching two lessons a night that members set up for him - that's more than we get and we are full time missionaries. We correlated with our ward mission leader and thought of good ways to get the members involved.  SO I hope all of you are helping your missionaries, and are not forgetting what it was like to be a missionary when no members help. 

Over all it's been a great week.  Loved it.  Hope everything is going great.  Tell Doranda and Bob "way cute baby".

Love Elder Ben Woestman

A Week of Miracles

So this week was crazy.  It started out with a  mid-transfer transfer and three missionaries left and we got three other ones, so we had to help with that.  And then the miracles started pouring from the sky. 

Monday to Tuesday I went on an exchange with the Spanish speaking missionaries. So much fun.  I love Spanish people.  They feed you so much food - and its good.  Besides, the amazing food, we also had some crazy cool miracles happen during the exchange.  One was while we were having dinner at the branch president's house for dinner.  They made probably the best cold spicy soup thing i have ever had.  It was chilled and had cucumbers in it - but it burned my mouth,  So good.  Love the spicy. lol   They had invited one of the Spanish missionaries' investigators to dinner too so we had a lesson afterwards.  During the lesson we watched the Restoration video and then afterwards she committed to be baptized in two weeks. How cool it that.  I naturally had no idea what was going on because it was all in Spanish  lol. 

Also the next day we went on splits with our ward missionaries - back in my ward - and when we meet back up again.  Elder "M" is like "guess what, we set a date with Taleana!!!"   

And then two days later we had a lesson with our investigator Andrea and we asked her to be baptized and she said yes.  And the next day her son said he wanted to be baptized on the same day.   Miracles.

But get this. we have been working with a less active family and they came to church this Sunday  and they brought a friend.  During the closing hymn the mom leans over to me and says that their friend wants to be baptized.  . . .  I pretty much fell out of my seat and had no idea what to say!   haha.  So miracles are happening.

However, I am afraid that I am going to be transferred (this is the last week before transfers).  I have been here for three transfers, hopefully I stay at least one more because the ball is rolling.  Oh - and let Mike "S" know that I use his story all the time talking to members about doing missionary work. 

Well that was my week.  Love you guys.  Tell Bob and Doranda their baby is cute.

Love Elder Woestman