Jail? Anti-Mormon! Lost . . .

This week was a very intense week.   We had three sets of investigators drop us this past week.  One went to jail.  One looked up anti-Mormon material and will not even meet with us.  And the other we don't know what happened, he just won't meet with us.  So, because of this we went out finding a lot.  And great miracles happened because of it. We were able to find four new investigators. 

One's name is Isaac.  He opened the door and we started talking.  We noticed that he had on an Oregon Baseball shirt and because Elder "H" is a baseball lover it naturally got brought up.  We found out that one of his teammates/coach is a member of the Church.  We asked if we could come in and he said yes.  So we were able to share the Restoration with him and say a prayer with him before we left.  It was a spiritual boost.  The cool thing is that when I meet him I was thinking "what up mike lol."  This guy reminded me of Michael Sprague; so I kept thinking;  " I need to ask Mike what were some things that helped him know that the Church was true and what the missionaries did to help him the most". This guy reminds me a lot of him. The amazing thing is that we had been praying about finding solid investigators and then that miracle happened. 

The other people we meet were just as eventful as Isaac.  One lady was walking down the street and a kid right next to her said "whats up missionaries" so we went over and talked to her.  She wants us to come back this week and teach her and her daughter.  How cool is that.  Miracles are happening in the Oregon Eugene Mission. 

Oh and another cool thing -over the past couple days Elder "H" and I have been making a rap song. and we got it recorded lol.  So I am going to send it to everyone in the near future because its the bomb! lol   Don't worry, we only did it on p-day.  Actually the cool thing is the guy who recorded us, we are now teaching, so pretty much making a rap was an inspired idea :). 

Right now we are also working on a lot of less active people.  We have been able to help a couple less actives come back to church so that is a way cool feeling for me.  Less actives are just as important as investigators. as long as both have the right amount of attention things fly! 

Love you all.

Elder Ben

Back to Work - yah!!

So this week was a way good week.  You know my butt is good.  The doctor i saw said that it looks great.  I got the stitches out of it and he said that I can go about my regular days - which i already was, so it was good.  He said i will probably always have a bump there, which is a bummer because my perfect bum now has a bump. lol.  

On to the week  -  We were in a tri-panionship because the missionary that came down to take my spot chilled with us until today and he went back to his area.  He is from Japan and is way cool.  He doesn't talk a lot but is way funny when you can get him to talk.  We had to wake up at three in the morning to take the visa waiting missionaries to the airport this morning because they are leaving for Argentina, so i am pooped. it was a longggggggggggggg morning. and then we had to be at transfers.  But get this Elder Casey "C" - my trainer - is coming down to Medford, so i am pumped up.  And I get to be with Elder "H" for one more transfer so I am pretty excited. 

And get this:   During the week we were able to have some good miracles happen. One was just that one of the part member families we are working with gave us a call and wanted to have us come over right away. We went over and they told us that their grandpa had died. So we were able to help them and bring some hope into their lives. It was a miracle not because the grandpa died but because the family is now trusting us and calling us when they need help which is always a good sign. i was also able to take the son aside and talk to him. He is 17 and the dad is not in the picture.  We were able to talk about how he needs to help his mom and be the rock of the family. It was way awesome to see him take the responsibility of it and do it with a smile. 

We were able to see one of the guys the missionaries had been working with in the past.  And he even came to church this Sunday   Ii love it.  He was all pumped up and was talking like he was already a member of the church.  

I am excited for this coming week because we are going to be doing a church tour for a family of 10!!!  We are also teaching another family of 5, who have come to church three times, and we are hoping that they accept the challenge to be baptized. so pray for them.

Love you all 

Elder Woestman

Post Surgery and Back To Missionary Work

This week was very interesting. Very!    So it started out last Monday and it's a normal Monday.  I did the Monday thing - you know because it was Monday.   And then Tuesday came.  Holy cow was Tuesday a weird Tuesday.  I never knew a Tuesday could be so crazy.   Elder "H" and I went up to Eugene for a meeting and then half way through it Sister Young pulls me out into the hall.  She says "Elder Woestman, guess what.  We got a date figured out when you can get your cyst cut off, its tomorrow! "   So right there and then I found out that I was to have surgery the very next day and was told that I will have to leave my companion and area for like two weeks.  My heart was broken.  So after our meeting Elder "H" and I were separated. and then I went with the APs for the rest of the day.  We actually were able to set a date with a lady to be baptized on February 14th. Val-day. Kind of exciting. 

The next day- the surgery went good and my dad flies in and becomes my companion/nurse and takes care of my bum for me. Oh - and so the mission president even came over and I showed him my bum.  (First missionary that he has seen their bum - I feel privileged. hahaha)  Over all weird and cool.  Cool to see dad.  Weird to be in an apartment all day.  We did get to see some of my old investigators in Eugene and dad even invited one to be baptized which is way cool.  It's good to be back in Medford though. Dad dropped me back at my apartment Sunday evening.   I missed Medford and the mini van.  Oh fun fact.  I was made full car for the rest of my mission (no more bike riding).  Oh yeah !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Love you all

Elder Ben Woestman

Medical Update

I just got out of doctors. So I have to get surgery   He is going to drain it later today so it doesn't hurt as bad, but i do have to get surgrey.  So i don't know if i want you to come out and be my nurse though. I think that would be weird. not that I don't love you, I just think it might be weird having my mom come out a year into my mission to take care of my butt. I am going to talk to my mission pres and see if I would be putting another missionary out of commission. If that is true than i would want you to come out.   Sister Young told me that she will call or email you when she gets information about my surgery date.  I am going to see them tomorrow because I have to go to Eugene tomorrow. more info on the way. 

Happy New Year!!

What is up?  Happy New Year.   Guess what.  We were allowed to watch a movie on New Years, so we watched "Brave".  But not only did we watch it, Elder "H" and I talked to the sound guy for the stake and he let us use the speakers they use for the dances and then we got a projector and set up a movie theater for the zone.  How cool is that.  We also did a white elephant gift exchange with everyone in the zone.  I got some army men, and a Buzz Lightyear watch.  Pretty much awesome - i know. lol

This week was also really cool because we got a call from the bishop on Tuesday and he told us that someone called him and they wanted to meet with him.  So he called us to tag a long - lol.  We get to the bishop's house - - mom and dad you would love it because he has a little farm with like a horse, a couple cows, chickens, he grows some stuff, and he does it not to make money but to eat, pretty cool guy - then his pig escaped.  So we were chasing this pig all around his land trying to get it back in its pen. hahah  Then we went to visit the guy.  I thought it was a perfect way to start a lesson.  And I think I have found my new calling, "pig wrangler . lol. 

We have also been teaching this lady named Talena.  Her mother is a member but she and her kids are not.  They called us the other week and said they needed help.  So we hooked her up with the bishop and now she has been coming to church and meeting with us.  The cool thing is we know she isn't just trying to get money from the church because; 1) she only got some food to hold her over till the next week, and 2) she is the kind of person that wouldn't do something if she didn't want to.  Also cool thing with her was that we were helping her with her yard, and the elders quorum president sent out an email to everyone asking for people to help us.  This less active guy emails the EQ president back and said he would come and help.  Then he came to church. And in elders quorum he said that when he received the email he was just going to dismiss it, but he kept getting the prompting to open it.  So he did.  And then he said, "If I am going to help with this, then I might as well get my butt back to church".  How cool is that?!!  The power of service. MIRACLE.  Goes to show you can't give up on anyone, and you need to always follow promptings, because if the EQ pres had not sent him that email he wouldn't have come to church.  

The cyst is good :)  I go to the doctor today to check this thing out. I went on an exchange this past week with the Spanish missionaries and I was thinking; "If i have to lay on my stomach for a couple weeks recouping from surgery, I am just going to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish, pull an "Other Side of Heaven" -  hahah.

Love you all,  Elder Woestman

Monday, Dec 31st 2012

So this week was a great week. Crazy news first. Sister Young talked to mission medical and, I am sure she already called you [mom] or will soon, I need to have surgery.  I have a Pilonidal Cyst at the area of the base of my tail bone.  And there is only one guy they will let cut if off. Thankfully he lives in Eugene and not somewhere else. So if it is what they think it is I will have to be down completely for a week and then for 4 weeks after that I will be an office missionary - which really stinks. I am not too happy. i am praying that this is something else. So keep that in your prayers please. lol   As I think about it its kind of funny.  Positive attitude.

Anyways, this week was fantastic. It was awesome talking to all of you.  You all are great. I am thankful to have an awesome family.  Thanks for the Christmas gifts.

Besides it being Christmas, we had a great week for teaching too. We had a lot of cool miracles that happened this week.  We didn't think many people would let us come over because of the holidays but we were wrong. And we are finally seeing our teaching pool go up.  On Christmas eve we got a call and found out this lady needed help.  She is a less active member and her daughter is not a member. They both came to church this week and her daughter brought her son too.  Also we are teaching a man named Chris and his daughter.  He is a less active and his 10 year old daughter is not a member. Cool miracle that happened is that Chris came to church for the first time yesterday and also brought his girl friend Shelly. His daughter is going to come next week because she was with her mom this weekend. Miracles! Also cool little miracle. a man name Loan from Romania walked into church this week and he is house shopping.  We were able to talk to him for a long time and it was just a way cool experience.  Love being a missionary (except for the part about getting my butt chopped open) - life is great. 

Oh- I need updated family pictures.  So if you family members would all send me a pic of your family that would be much appreciated. Love you guys.

Elder Ben Woestman

PS -  Thank the ward for me for the pillow case and thank Sr Hargis for sending me cards.  I get one from her like every other month and its always a pleasant surprise.

December 25th 2012

Elder Woestman got to "google chat" with the whole family on Christmas Day.  He looks great,  has lost 35 pounds, and seems totally happy and excited for the missionary work.