Monday, November 25, 2013

Kebabs, Miracles, Rain, and More Miracles

Well....I have to start off with an embaressing story....all 4 of us ameircan missionaries where under the impression that Thanksgiving was Thursday....embaressing. We told all the members and everything. We go into district meeting on Thursday and so thankful and are talking on Gratitude, when Elder Patten the DL says..Elders & Sisters, today is not Thanksgiving! This is what happens when you are away from America for 8 months and nobody even understands Thanksgiving besides a holiday americans eat a lot of food. We all got a pretty good laugh this week  on that and made a pact to not tell anyone of our embaressing encounter. Well Have a good Thanksgiving this week! Sounds like Fun, and please eat lots of pumpkin pie for me. I did manage to get my hands on one can, which is pretty much impossible here, but we will have to do it next week. Its the last week of the month and we are low on MSF (Missionary money). But This last week was really good! We had a Dinner app every day this week, we are so spoiled here. The elders dont always have one, but we (us sisters) have decided we are loved more and are fed every night! This week I went to the doctor as well and he says everything is looking good and getting better real quick. He was quite suprised actually, I wanted to ask him, do you know why im healing so quickly?? Intro in the 1st lesson.... He is sending me for an MRI on my shoulder just to make sure 100% is fine inside there, but im feeling pretty good and looking even better:) haha This week was exciting for a Recent convert we have becuase she got her temple recomend to go the the temple for baptisms! She had the biggest grin on her face and has never been happier she says. Bishop came over with us on Thursday for her interview and she was so excited and couldnt wait for Saturday! Well..long story short, she ended up not going on satruday :( so sad. But we called and called and got a call from her ride saying she is still not here where they were suppose to meet, and so we ran as fast as we could to her flat. Her windows were open and all the lights were on and food still out and her purse still on the table with her coat. We were really worried about her and she still didnt answer her phone. I decided the best idea was to climb in her window to see if everything was all right! haha Well she was not in their and finally crawled back out worried. We said a quick prayer and then headed home puzzled. She calls a couple hours later explaining the  suition, but in the end she wasnt able to attendd, but she got her recommend and is now excited to do family history at the centre to get names for her to go again. haha quite the scare that our RC had just disapered but in the end, all worked out fine.
We had a DA this week with the little fairs and they made homeade chips and Burgers. They bring out our huge burgers and on top of each of ours is a homeade flag of America and Switzerland! haha So cute and the kids were so proud to give them to us even though the american flag was backwards, such a fun night there! We also did a lot of Less Acitve work and even got the YSA to come out with us on splits to go see some YSA less actives since there are about 100 of them! haha Lots of work to be done!
So recently the Mission home has sent our area a list of what we call AUF names: (Address Unknown files) These are names that the church has record of but think they are the wrong address, so they send the missionaries out to serach for these lost sheep who are all very less active for the past 20 plus years! Were bringing in the lost sheep they call it. Basically we take these names (we got about 16 of them) and go to this persons house and then knock 20 doors around and work the area and miracles happen. Missionaries Love AUFs becuase they = miracles and finding people to teach. Alot of the time the actual AUF wants nothing to do with us and usually slams the door, but we always find people to teach around these AUFs. So we have been working these AUFs like crazy and they are all over our area. Our Area is Huge and some of them take 45 plus minutes on a double decker bus to get out to just one way! We worked one specific AUF and the person no longer lived ther and we had about 15 min left before we had to catch a bus to dinner. We knocked and knocked: dreading each knock becuase it hurts your fingers so bad and no answer. We decided ok, one more door. we knock and a lady name Michelle answers. just in the middle of Tea (dinner :) Thats for you mum: a definition of each word I use) and we tell her about the church and the Book of Mormon, her eyes were huge and lit up so bright, she actually let us into her home and told her a bit about the Book of Mormon and set a return app for the following week. She was so excited and wants to raise her 3 kids (11, 6, 3) in a strong foundation in Jesus Christ! We walked away from that home into the cold that night, feeling pretty warm. That is the best feeling, miracles! We actually just taught her this morning! she loved it and clung to every word we said! She agreed to be baptised when she knew it was true and has allrady read over 12 chapters all by herself! She is 28 and has had some crazy trials in her life and is so ready for the gospel! She is attending church this sunday! and we are so excited! Blessings and miracles everywhere. They never stop! Dad you said a quote in your email about praying as if it depended on the Lord and then working as if it depended on you.. I just read that quote in a talk this morning! and wrote it all down! I love it! Thank you for bringing it back to my mind this morning!
Also we had Eddie come to Church on Sunday! We have been praying for this moment forever! He loved it and walked away and saying in his african accent...sooo beautiful and shaking his head! haha He loved it! We have some other africans in our ward and one man Lucky Kamba came up and put his arm around him and hit it off so well. He ended up giving him a ride home and then staying at his home for a bit to show him his favourite chapters in the Book of Mormon. We have such a great ward and we are preparing for the primary nativity presenatation, so its back to primary for me and its so fun because they all sing songs I have really never heard before, but sing really old traditional english songs! So cute and they are so excited to dress up at shepherds and angels! I also played the piano for sacrament meeting, primary, and a song the Young Women are singing at Night in excellence on Tuesday! Thank you again mama! Your lessons you gave me are paying off! I also am playing for a christmas conference for the entire mission on the 13 of December where each zone had some missionaries asked to performe a christmas song and president asked me and some missionaries to get o holy night arranged and together! It will be so much fun to see everyone (all 260odd missionairies) I havent seen in forever! Its just around the corner!
So right now we have Eddie on a date for the 21 of Decemeber and he is solidly progressing towards then and Chris is still working towards the 14 of Dec. and Now Michelle as well. The Lord is blessing us with large and small miracles and our area is growing. The members have been getting much more involved as well, which is what president has wanted us to focus on as well is getting the ward involved and we got 2 referrals on sunday! Our efforts in the cold and wet rain every day are paying off and we are truely seeing the fruits of our labours. We also had an emergencey switch on Sunday. We now have elder Besinger (english) in Derby instead of Elder Shipp. We now have 3 americans, one philipino, one from Switzerland, and one from England on our Derby team! haha Pretty fun!
I also had a first this week! I had a english Kebab this week! so bad for you, but you have to try it once in your life (YOLO) and the elders have been coaxing us for weeks to go to a chipy and try one! haha So we did, not too bad, but Ill still with my rice cakes and peanut butter still! haha
Teddi- I hope all is going ok with you and you are in my prayers for sure! I know the Lord is watching over us wengerts especially (we are a troublesome group arnt we) and know that all will work out. Love you.
Mum..I promise I will contain my excitement and not open any presents, my secret sib present should be being sent this week! It might be better to send packages to the mission home as well from now on, i dont know how long i will for sure be in derby! Transfers are on the 11 of December! But whatever works out!
That is so funny about Jordy being sung to and ya she is such a babe, im suprised not everyone wants to take her! Send lots of pictures! When is it?? I remember that dance, so much work, but so fun and so worth it! Have you got your dress yet? Basketball tourny soon and Jordan and Janae both playing! So fun, what postions are you playing??
Derek stay nice and cool....im jealous! Ill send some cool your way! Dereks biggest problem is marriages while over here its word of wisdom, I have never seen so many pubs in my life, they line the streets and Word of wisdom is a hard one to teach here! haha Funny have different but similar our missions are! I love it! You look great dery! Dang...Oregon lost to UofA! That is legit, doesnt stetson Baird play for them? haha Not much talk of college Football over here! haha I havent seen a proper "football" in ages!
Mom- to answer your questions- jumpers are like a sweatshirt or a hoddy and boots are like "cleats" haha. I almost forget how to describe it haha im losing it! But all is well and this week should be great. We have zone meeting and lots of work to be done! Have a great Thanksgiving! Send me lots of pictures! and Please eat some pumpkin pie for me! Love you all and am so thankful to have you in my life!
Cheers
W9 Sister Wengert
I attached a pic of our burgers, but it was so cold and wet that night, my camera got all misted and had to dry out so it did this to the picture haha, but its fine now! But just a bit cold for this picture!
Cheerio
 
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Monday, November 18, 2013

Full of Thanks

s it seriously Thanksgiving! When did this happen! and to answer our question No Thanksgiving here! Im sure some members will try and mimic Thanksgiving dinner which will be fun and if I dont get pumpkin pie this week, I am determined to find a can of pumpkin and make one myself. You have to have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving! My favourite! But This week sounds great! CONGRATS Tan the Man! a Champian and looking buff in your uniform! I was thinking of your game all week and assumed you won! Good job and I loved all the signs and posters! I envy your jumpers and ligh jackets you were wearing! You would get laughed at here if you just wore that! haha! But you learn to embrace it and think about all the cute winter hats and gloves and scarfs you can wear! I got a package from Aunt Lisa AND Grandma and Grandpa this week and thank you so much! I loved the sweedish fish and chocolate covered sunflower seeds! So fun and thank you for the chapstick and headbands! It reminded me of when we would take those skinny headbands and shoot them at the cottage cheese roof and they would all stick up there! haha But thank you so much Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt lisa! I loved them and am so lucky and thankful for them!
Im feeling pretty good now and were working more and more each day. President just wants me to go slowly into and not rush anything but Im feeling good! Once again a true miracle- 3 weeks later, just some bruises and scratches left! Such a blessing and I am so thankful the lord is aware of his misionaries and protects them! Miracles are real and I am much more aware of the big and especially the small ones I see everyday! To answer some more questions: we did see Leroy the big guy with the bab, but just like you expereinced with the sisters, which is a VERY real thing for missionaries we got flogged! It is very disappointing but keep going out wih the sisters! I love that you go out wih them! I bet they are the best! you will hve to send a pic of them and you! We saw the old man at the poppy apelle but he was on his way out! But he loves us and yelled as we walked away "Man...I wish I was younger" as him and his walker went the other way, but we are going to teach him this week and hopefully get him to church!
We also put 2 of our investigators on baptismal date! Chris is back on a date for the 14 and Eddie from Zimbabwe is on  date for the 22 of Dec! Chris is doing ok, but we just have to get him to church, the main thing he is missing! That is one of the hardest things as missionaires to expereince on Sundays. You do everything you possible can, even wake up early to bang on his window 4 times sunday morning to wake him up and they still chose not to come. Agency..sometimes I dont appreciate it, but I know progress is all in the Lords time! We taught Eddie the Plan of Salvation this week and he loved it! He said it means everything to him, over and over again. He is so excited to see him mum again someday who passed away a year ago! He is so humble and basically said what we would say to him about reading and praying about the BOM! It takes time and dedication my sistas (in his afircan accent), I need to do it every day and I will fill of the lords power! I love him so much! We also got a new invstigator this week who was a referral! Missionaries love referrals! The Lord is blessing our area and it is a testimony strenghtner to me that the Lord knows me and knows I cant go 100% right now and he knows that and sees us doing our best and he is picking up the rest!
Elder Dyches was Amazing! SO inspiring and I learnt so much from him. He is so down to earth and his wife is so sweet! We all got to talk and meet him for a bit and of course I had to tell the story to him of how I got hit by a car, but we talked about miracles! Such an incredible expereince to speak with a man so close to God. I could feel his spirit as I spoke to him. Our Zone conference was on Setting Goals and being Accountable and teaching skills and I have so much to apply to our work this week, but its a new challange to apply it all. I love it! He said so many incredible things but what I loved the most was he said " You call it your mission, but it really is not". He talked about how the Lord can do so much more with you, then you can do with yourself. It is all about turning yourself over the the lord, which is hard to do, but a noble and worthy task.
Heitje is married!! haha wow when did this happen! I need to see pictures of that! The mini mission was great this week and she loved it! I learnt alot and hopefully we helped her to prepare for her mission! It made me think of how I got my mission call about a year ago and look where we are now. Time is a funny thing and goes by so fast. Live it up, because it goes fast!
I also got a package a week back from my good friend Kelsey Hess who is serving in San Diego and she sent me this cool Cali shirt! I had to show here im rocking it across the world! Dad I got the book and it is amazing!I hope my words can live up to some of the words allready written it, and thanks for the words from Bishop as well, I love that and will share that with others at Dinnner apps! Speaking of dinner apps, we are so spoiled here! We have DAs every day this week till the 29th! haha We are loved in Derby ward!
This Thanksgiving week I am full of Gratitude and thanks. I am thankful for my life, especially from these last couple weeks, I know I am watched over. Looking back on these past couple months with Dallins accident and then me getting hit by a car out of the blue, life is precious and we need to give thanks for it, we never know what may lie around the corner. I am grateful for my family. I am so blessed to be surrounded by amazing people all over the world. I am blessed to have this incredible knoweldege that my Saviour lives and knows and loves me and so blessed to be on a mission, I know each day is shaping me into a better person and I love my mission. We have so many things to be thankful for: the good times and the bad times. They all contribute to our wellbeing. Enjoy Thanksgiving and remember to pause to thank our Heavenly Father for the many things we have in our lives. President emailed and said  has been said that one single thankful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer. Thank you for everything.
Make it a great week and every travel safely whereever you go! Enjoy Wisconsin and also dinner at the Lindseys! Sounds like fun! Love you all! Thanks for everything
Cheerio
W9 Sister Wengert
Ps Ill see your faces in 39 days on skype! Who is all coming for Christmas! LOVE YOU!
 
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Monday, November 4, 2013

Blessings...

Hello Lovies!
Well I survived a week in our flat. Not going to lie, its bee a bit of a tough week not being able to do the work I so badly want and need to do, but I know its important to heal up 100 % before I go full speed ahead. We did little bits and bobs here and there throughout the week. I have really learnt a lot because I have had so much time to study and think about things. I am truly so blessed looking back to last Friday. It is a miracle and knows the Lord has big plans for me to do in England. I’m learning patience, being humbled, and learning to more fully rely on the Lord. I have so many people that have taken good care of us this week, with meals and rides, so don’t worry mum I am being well taken care of it and should be back to 110% hopefully at the end of this week, in the mean time we get creative of ways to be productive in the Flat. Our area book is past up to date, our LA lists, flawless, and ask me to recite the movie the Lamb of God or the Restoration, I could do it no problem. I have mastered making homemade cinnamon Rolls and flapjacks. But like I said a week of Learning and I am grateful for it! Im feeling much better, just my shoulder is a bit stiff still and my knee is a bit tricky as well, but were getting it all taken care of it and I can feel the prayers of many, because most people can not beleive how fast im healing! Miracles happen eh??
When I was in the hospital I recieved a blessing from Elder Taylor and Elder Ak'abrand (sweedin). During the blessing it was incredible. For 1 minute everthing went silent, literally quiet. No loud nurses, laughing, beeping of machines, everything was still and quiet. It was me, the elders, and Heavenly Father, and the feeling of the spirit. I dont remember much but do remeber them saying so confidently I Would have no broken bones and would heal. The spirit was so strong, and their confidence in the Lord also gave me confidence and had the feeling everything would be ok. No doubts. So grateful for the experiences we have in our life that help our testimony grow.
This week marked the end of my 5th transfer and Derby got some exciting news! We got another set of missionaries in Derby, so we now have 6 Missionaries I Derby! Elder Patten and Maligon (from the Philipines), Elder Hess, and Elder Shipp, and me and Sister Peronnet! 6 teams with lots of work to be done in Derby! President has high expectations for Derby and we know we can accomplish them. We have some big plans and can’t wait to put them into action. The Dream Team
This week we got a new investigator….like I said Heavenly Father is continuing to bless me and our area. Eddie is from Zimbabwe and is the Man! We found him on the street after getting a distinct prompting to stop him. We set up and app and he cancelled and flogged once, but Saturday we taught him the restoration and is excited about reading the BOM and praying about it. He got called into work on Sunday or else he would have been there. He left his other church because he just didn’t “feel it” and said excitingly yes! To Baptism and said that is the whole point he invited us over! We are really excited about Eddie as well! Chris is progressing well and has now done 10 days with not smoking! He is very proud of himself and also very committed to finding out if the church is true or not. He wants so badly to know for himself and its exciting to watch him continue to change each time we see him. Who knew you could gain so much love for 32 year old man you met on the street 5 weeks ago. Another Blessing of the gospel.
Halloween was really exciting for us….haha. President said all missionaries had to be in our flats by 6 pm due to past things (dodge) haha. So we decided to order some Pizza and ice cream and watch Legecy together! Not too bad of a night really! What did you all do for Halloween???
This week really has not been to exciting to be honest but everything is going well! Tell me about it Derek! I loved the 1st line of your email! What is it with Wengert and Cars! I tell you! But hey it does make a good mission story!
Ty and Levi looked sooo cute in their wreck it Ralph and fix it felix outfits and Teddi is the cutest nerd ever! I didnt get the other halloween pictures
Life is good, I got to teach 2 lessons this week, and Im learning so much each day. I know the Lord does not give us anything we can not handle, and he knows this would be no big deal for me haha! Im grateful for the trials we have that allow us to grow stronger and better. If we did not go through pain and hard things, we would never progress. I foud a new favourite quote this week " I strive for perfection but am content with perfection" -Brad wilcox
This saviour is the only way to perfection and we wont make it their now, but we progress each day to get closer and closer! We are so blesed to have this knowledge.
Derek! Congrats on being called as a Trainer!! You learn so much while training, and you always have a special bond with them. I love Sister Andersen and she is my daughter and Sister Peronnet, my step daughter! Im excited to see pictures of you and your greenie and You will be suprised how much they teach you!
Take care of everything at home, mum any idea if a costco card would work better for me to get some things I need over here? There is a costco here in Derby! Life is good, missionary work is amazing and the best thing to be doing right now. Shayna Binnion may be getting baptised, the lord truely does prepare Everyone to except the gospel someday! Press Foward...
" Nothing can stop the work of God....Not even a crazy Taxi Cab Driver"
W9 Sister Wengert
 
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