Awesome - Awesome!

Missionary Training Conference - Elder Woestman is the gray suit in the middle of the circle

Serious Body Building Training 

Seeing Oregon  - Elder Woestman is in the back in the center to the right in the light gray t-shirt

This was an awesome week.  We had a sisters' training and a new missionary training conference.  So fun.  We had like a hundred missionaries that we did training with and then we have a senior couple coming in this week.  Also we were able to go on an exchange with the Jacksonville missionaries which was fun because we were able to see some of the people i used to work with - and one came to church.  The missionaries text me today and said that after one of the talks he (the investigator) stood up and screamed 'amen' hahahaha.   So awesome!

Also this week we were able to see one of our most recent convert families that i worked with last year and we had an awesome lesson on the Atonement with them.  Felt the Spirit so strong.  The Atonement is awesome.  It always blows my mind how much it covers.

One thing that we have noticed is that we have been with all these new missionaries -  they don't know how to study or even take notes.  So we are going around and meeting with all the zone leaders and doing a study with them that then they will do with all their district leaders and then the district leaders will do the training with all the missionaries (PPLs) in their district.  It was cool because the first people we did the training with were the missionaries down in Jacksonville and it went so well.  We get an hour to study and if it is done right it goes by so fast.  Blows my mind - and the Spirit just flows with ideas for the people that we work with. 

What else?  Oh check it - there is a soda shop!!!!! yupp a soda shop. And they have a bigilion amounts of cream soda selection.  I fell in love.  So I bought 6. I couldn't afford a bigillion.

We are teaching a zone conference in a couple weeks and part of it is building unity games.  Any good ideas?   I love you all.  Thanks for being awesome!

Elder Woestman

Assistant to the Mission President

So this week was crazy busy.  I was made the new Assistant to the Mission President so I have been helping with trainers.  On Tuesday we had a district leader training. . . . on Wednesday we had a new missionary training day.  We had 37 new missionaries show up this past week.  So that was awesome - and they are all like 18 years old, which is pretty intense - but they are fun.  We were able to focus a lot on trusting your new trainer and how they can trust them.  Then Wednesday night we had to bus all these new missionaries all over the mission.  So we slept in Medford and then drove up Thursday morning to get things situated here. haha.  

It's just been a crazy busy week.  I am coming to realize that I won't have a lot of time in my area because I will be working all over the mission.  My companion and I are going to have to be planning super well so we can get everything in that we need, like visiting all of our people.  One good thing is that because I was already here in Eugene, I know a lot of the people.  And I can start things back up where I left off with some of the people.   We have been able to make contact with some of the people I used to be teaching and set up lessons with them.  I was able to see my man Phil this week and we are going to see him again tomorrow.  He is doing good, but I am super busy so it will be tough to meet with him on a regular basis.

The cool thing about what I get to do now as an Assistant is that I get to see how President Young works.  It's been fun being with him and Sister Young.  They crack me up.  They are awesome and it's increased my testimony on how much they care about our mission and how the Lord calls inspired people to run his mission.  It's fun. 

So I am trying to make mission conferences fun, so if any of you have any ideas for good group bonding games, or activities that tie into the gospel email them to me. 

Love you all!!!!!

Elder Ben Woestman

Eugene 3rd Ward - Here I come!!

Thanks for the birthday packages and cards!

This week was a crazy awesome week.  Kayla got baptized!!!!!!!  Super awesome.  I was able to give her the gift of the Holy Ghost which was the craziest awesome thing ever! Also I got my Oregon drivers license so I'm an official Oregonian. Whats up!

Oh I got transferred....................to the Eugene 3rd ward!!!!!!!!!!! How sweet is that.  So I get to be back in the 3rd ward.  So pumped - and my companion is awesome.  But I have to help with transfers so I can't email a lot. 

Love you all and I will email more next week.  And thanks again for the birthday stuff!!!  You're all awesome.

Love, Elder Woestman 

My first Confirmation

So this was a crazy week.  We bought some of the new scrips for our investigator to get baptized this weekend.  She is awesome - the elect.  It blows Elder "M's" and my mind all the time.   AND - she asked me to give her the Gift Of the Holy Ghost.  Which I have never done before so I am excited and a little nervous, but mostly excited.  

We also had the coolest thing happen at "family home evening" this week.  We were playing kick ball (which my team won by the way, no big deal) and a Chinese couple walks by and was watching.  We invited them to play and the husband was so ready - we only had five people on our team and the other team had like 12 ( we don't know how to count very well - haha) and so he played on our team.  He had a great time and he gave us his number and told us he would love to play again. The good thing is that our Chinese missionary who actually can speak it (haha) is coming back soon so he can finish what we try to get rolling. 

What else happened this week. .... o Elder "M" and I got a new companion.  One of the elders in our zone got his visa to Brazil so we are with his companion until the end of week -which is fun because he is a good guy and its fun covering two wards. 

Over all - good week. I love this place. Things are going great. Love you all and tell the Grandmas, Aunt Dot and Brother Wardwell I love them. 

Elder Woestman

Fraternity . . .

This was a great week.  We found 9 new investigators by our own efforts this week!!!  The coolest thing happened - we were knocking and this guy comes up to us and tells us his friend is on Costa Rica on his mission.  We talk to him and then ask if he has some time right now for us to share a message   He says yes and we follow him to his place.  We walk up to a frat house (hahaha) and he takes us in.  It was intense.  The place was huge, but because it's summer really no one is there.  Well, we start teaching him and then two of his friends join in and we stayed for an hour and they want us to come back!  We go over tomorrow. Its' going to be awesome - lol.  I never would have thought a frat house. totally built my testimony.  I loved it.  Miracles were flowing this week. 

On Sunday we had a less active member come to church that we have been working with a lot and that was tight.  Oh and my stake had a play and they had us help. It was cool because some families from my first area were there and I was able to say hi to them. 

Over all a great week. 

Love you all,

Elder Ben Woestman