It's Amazing.... The Lord is Hastening the Work

Hows it going?! Hope everyone is studying the Book of Mormon, Something cool that I have been doing is in my Book of Mormon, Every time I have a prayer answered, I high light the verse, and then I put the date and put "Prayer Answered". It has been pretty cool to see! Now when I am going through my Book of Mormon I can see all of my answered prayers!! You all should do it!! 

      This week has been pretty good! We have done a lot of street contacting this week! Which I’m not a fan of street contacting because it’s really not the most effective thing to do!  We do have 1 new investigator and his name is Daniel. He was a street contact and we left him with our card and number and a Book of Mormon. Usually street contacted people don’t call us.. But this one did! So we have been teaching him and he is a single dad with a 4 year old kid.  We could sit in down town Cumberland all day handing out Book of Mormons and people would just chuck them in the trash. In the libraries over here the Book Of Mormon isn’t even on the religion shelves.. Its under the cult shelves. So it really bothers me! That’s why member missionary work is soooooo important. When they give us referrals, it’s like heaven on earth! haha We have been eating pretty well and I have actually gained a little weight.. haha Im not proud of it. But it’s happened.. So, the last 6 months of my mission I’m just going to do the "6 months till sexy" ;) haha  One of my most favorite people in our ward is an older fellow by the name of Brother Anderson, He reminds me so much of Grandpa Welling, it’s Crazy.

      I’m glad all of my buddies are doing well on their missions! That’s weird that Chandler got moved to California. haha Im sure it’s weird to change all of the sudden! Not much has happened this week. We have been teaching lots of people and have been street contacting lots of people. We knocked on a guys door this week and his name was Turner. He’s an older fellow and he goes to 2 different religions. We shared with him the restoration lesson and told him that there was a prophet on the earth today named Thomas S. Monson. And he just laughed at us and asked if we really believed that.. haha Then he asked me if this prophet was a human being? And me being the sarcastic human I am say "uhhh yes. Wasn’t Moses and Abraham and Noah humans too?!" He didn’t know quite what to say. haha 

      One thing that people struggle with out here is Anti stuff. I feel like everyone watches anti videos on Mormons.. We have been asked some wacko questions by people! They all think that we have more than one wife, they think we worship Santa Clause, and they all think we are a cult. I can’t help but look at these people and ask where the crap they saw that?! haha

      One thing we did this week that was pretty fun was we went to a little branch building in Keyser and me my comp, Lexie, Hunter and Ashton had a huge nerf war in the building! It was actually really fun!! haha 

          We were doing some service for Bro and Sis Baker in our ward this week and they wanted us to wash their car. So we went inside to get water boots on so we didn’t have to get our feet wet. So I get my boot on and am ready to go. And Elder Fitzgerald reaches in his boot to make sure there is nothing in there like spiders or anything. So he reaches in and feels something that he thought were sticks. So he pulls it out and it is this quite big, dead mouse! The mouse was stiff as a board and dead...lol He screamed like a little girl!

           Honestly I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am out here in the middle of the Lords Work. It’s weird to think about. Like, ive been learning about missions my whole life, and now I am really on one! haha Its really weird to think about. But the work is moving forward quite fast. The Lord is hastening the work in so many ways. It’s amazing to see!

And out here you just have to be straight up with them. Because everyone out here thinks that we are just saved. That’s all they say "We are saved". Not true. Being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority is being saved. People don’t like it too much when we politely tell them that their baptism wasn’t really valid.

      It’s starting to get pretty cold here. Some places actually got some snow last night! But other than that nothing huge has went on this week! Hopefully you have a great week! Thank you for all of your prayers and love. Today for p day we are going to Martinsburg to have a Halloween party with our zone! So it should be pretty fun!! And we have Zone Conference this week! Have a great week.  Tell Grandma Welling hi for me. And tell her that I love her and pray for her.

Love Elder Welling

Temple Trip and Miracle Car Window

How’s it going?! I’m glad to hear that the annual hunting week was a success! Sounds like hunting was especially funny this year! I can’t believe Dad flashed the Game Warden!! Too bad you all didn’t get anything.. Looks like I am the lucky charm huh?! :0  I’m glad to hear that Ryan got an elk! And I’m glad the boys liked the Gettysburg coins! I thought Kaden would like something for his birthday! It’s so good to hear from you! I’m actually doing a ton better! Homesickness isn’t as big of a problem as it has been. And it all is getting better. 

        Hopefully you get the job!! Ive been praying for you every day! It’s kinda sad that Gordon Hayward already got injured?!? I’m also glad to hear that you all have been studying the Book of Mormon!! The book is sooo amazing and it is the tool of the harvest. It will bless all of our lives if we continue to read and study. We are pushing our investigators to read more than they ever have! haha

We were able to go to the temple with Hunter and Barbara for their first time! We went and did baptisms for the dead and they even took family names! It was so cool to see how much they loved it! Barb was emotional the whole time and Hunter just says that the feeling of peace is overwhelming. A girl in my ward who is 18, named Lexi Taylor is the one who sent you those pictures! She is Hunters girlfriend and she is a member! 

     This week has been a whole week of service!! Last Monday all the way through Thursday, all we did was service! We barely did any proselyting! So the best part of my week was for sure the temple. It is such a pretty temple and I’m pretty sure it is bigger than the Salt Lake temple.. haha

     Yesterday I actually had the opportunity to speak in sacrament! Me and my companion talked on the 11th article of faith. We were assigned that topic, we didn’t choose it trust me! Earlier this week we returned home one night and we were just relaxing and enjoying the night, and we got the bright idea to go outside and enjoy the evening. So we go outside on our pattio (Which is on the second floor) and we are just talking. Well we decided to go back in after 20 minutes or so and the door is locked... So we have no way to get in to the house.. haha So my companion is bare foot, I am half dressed and we are trying to bust into this stupid apartment!! haha So imagine me and my companion trying to scale down the side of the wall, half dressed and bare foot.. We finally get down to the ground and we run to the front of the house. When we get to the front we realize we also locked the front door.. haha So we are like praying that there will be some way that we can get into our house! So we are deciding what to do and we look over at our car and we had accidentally left the window down, and guess what?! The only spare key was in the car!! The window was only cracked a little bit so I was reaching in as far as I could, to reach the door handle.. When I pulled the door handle, the car alarm is just blaring in our whole neighborhood and so we are hauling butt to the front door so we could hurry and get into the house to get our car keys to shut off the alarm!! (This is now 10:20 at night)  haha I’m sure our neighbors were not too happy but that’s okay! Moral of the story is it was a miracle that we left our car window down!! If we hadn’t it would have been a cold night! haha 

         No worries, I am staying obedient and I am still doing great! Homesickness isn’t has big of a problem as it was before! But it’s still there! But I’m starting to realize the severity of my calling more and more each day!! And I’m starting to love it!!

Other than that nothing huge has been happening! We were talking to our investigator named Terry and we were having a sweet lesson and the spirit was strong and we were talking about the plan of salvation and it went soooo well. So of course me and my companion got big heads and we were feeling good so we asked him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized.  And he straight up just says "No." He didn’t say anything else with the no.. it was just "NO".  It was the biggest slap in the face ever!! Never get cocky right? I’ve officially been humbled.. haha but other than that its been a good week!

Love,

Elder Welling

Missing Hunting Camp and More Baptisms

The winter box arrived safely and I have all of the stuff! Also, can you send me some sweaters? I dont care what color they are! Guess what?!? Elder Fitz did not get transferred! He is staying with me for another transfer! Which is awesome because me and him are doing work in our area! I know the area pretty good and I actually drove for the first time on my mission last week! Im glad hunting week is going great and It makes me sick to think you are already up in Bondurant! Tell everyone up there that they better be missing my back massages ;) anyways, Im sure it is different without Brad! But it will still be fun, He is still there I promise! Tell everyone hi for me. I miss it! And it makes me sick to think about it. But I only have to miss one more!!! I wish I was there with them! haha I love hunting! I am also kinda homesick.. but it will get better! Priesthood blessings are quite the experience. For me, a lot of times, what first comes to mind is to tell people how much Our heavenly Father loves them. The things that come into your mind you just have to say! It is actually really cool and a great experience! We have been teaching Barbara's son Ashton.. He agreed to be baptized November 11th! I was so happy to hear him say yes! We are also teaching Hunters sister and she is really close to baptism as well! She is a pentocostal.. and they are known as the "Holy Rollers" lol, They get up in middle of there meetings and throw their hands up in the air and start yelling and rolling around on the floor! Its pretty crazy! haha Well I have to admit.. the mission makes us awkward. I say the most awkward things sometimes.. and it is so weird! haha I write down all the awkward things me and my companion say to people! We also get asked some weird questions! Like Elder Deardon once was asked if we pray to Santa clause.. Someone told this person that Mormons pray to Santa.. haha Well not much has been going on this week! The confirmations were cool! And Gettysburg was so awesome! We are eating every night and sadly.. We do not play much bball.. Im trying to stay fit because I don't wanna get fat! Haha!! Hopefully all is going great for you! I miss you tons and think of you daily. I also received all of your letters. Thank you so much. Its hard being away from home. But it is only making me stronger. Thanks for the encouraging words and ya better shoot a big one for me! Thanks for the advice also! It will help! The scriptures seem to sink in to me more now than they ever have! I love you all and hope you have a great week! Hopefully there is more to share next week! Love ya!

                                                                                                                                      Love, Elder welling!!

First Baptisms and Gettysburg

Im glad everyone likes my blog, and all that good stuff! Its been pretty hard to stop thinking about home. Im not gonna lie. Anyways, Gettysburg was so awesome! you will see the pictures!! We all need to go when I get back!! The baptisms were great and all too!  Anyways, the baptisms were so flippin awesome. Its totally a different experience watching someone get baptized!! They were baptized by a man named Dan Taylor! He is actually moving to Utah! Then that night after the baptism, we went to barbs moms house and spent the evening with her whole family.. None of which are members and so it was a gold mine for us to teach!!! We get asked a lot of weird questions.. They were asking if we even believe in the same Jesus as they do!! So then on Sunday, I got a text early that morning saying that Both Hunter and Barb wanted me to confirm them members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints.. a very humbling experience! I had never done it before and it was so great to be able to do that!! Never will I forget the experience!! I loved it!! We are going to teach a guy named Ed.  Ed has a long grey beard, no teeth, and is messed up because of drugs.. He is so freaking funny though!! A little hard to understand, but that’s okay! Anyways, We were teaching him last week and we were talking about the book of Mormon and all of the sudden he just looks off into the distance all dramatically and just starts speaking in tongues.. So he starts making all of these weird and obnoxious sounds with his mouth and then at the end of it all he yells AMEN! me, being the sarcastic person I am yell AMEN as well and because I was laughing so hard I had to put the book of Mormon in front of my face to hide my smile.. haha It was quite the experience! I also really hope that Elder Fitz doesn’t get transferred.. He has been in my area for about 3 months now! And transfers are the 18th!! Ill be pretty sad if he gets transferred.. But today we are on exchanges so I am with and Elder named Elder Dearden! He goes home next week!! So today is my first day taking over the area! Its been pretty fun so far!!  Everything has been going pretty well. It gets better each day. Of course I get homesick.. But that is part of the experience!! The letters and stuff really helped!! Mondays are my favorite days too! Not much else is going on though.. WE are staying really busy and we are just out here changing lives ya know ;)

                                                                             Love, Elder Welling!

I could have smacked him.... and service at the Ghetto Zoo

      Hey everyone….I had the opportunity to watch general conference! It was so good!! Elder Oaks laid down the law! haha I took a lot of notes on general conference. I don’t even know which talk was my favorite. I think Elder Andersons talk was pretty amazing. But anyways it’s really weird how much general conference means to missionaries. It’s like the missionary super bowl! haha But back when I was home I didn’t pay attention to it that much, But out here is a whole other story. Hearing the words of God’s Chosen servants is amazing. They will never lead us astray. And I know for a fact now, that the Book Of Mormon has the power to do anything. The spirit that is found within that book is amazing. In the month and a half that I have been out, I find myself continually relying on the book. It answers every one of life’s questions, and I have already seen how investigators change their lives because of the Book of Mormon. Our mission president told us that 85% of recent converts that have only read 21 pages or less off the book of Mormon fall away. So we, as a mission have really been focusing on the BOM mission wide. It’s an amazing book. I wish I would have studied it before my mission like I do now.  I am getting to the point where I know a lot of BOM scriptures, and adding colts bible references will help! I find myself on my knees more than 10 times a day. The Lords work is stressful. But like apostles have said, Put Faith in every footstep and while on the Lords errand you cannot fail. We see his hand daily. We see little miracles daily and I have seen countless prayers answered. I love my Savior and My testimony has grown only by bearing it. Bearing testimony of the Savior is the best thing we as members can do. After all, he is the only light in this world that can shine through the darkness!  Our investigators are doing great and they are set to be baptized this Saturday!! Hunter and Barbara both will be baptized October 7th! I can’t wait!!  We went to Frederick Maryland.. There was a new missionary/ Trainer meeting with the mission president there!!  We have also been teaching a guy named Kent.  He is an older fellow and he really nice! He is about 70 yrs old and we found him by knocking on his door! We got talking and it turns out that he has actually read the entire Book of Mormon! We asked him what he thought about it and he said that he loved it. So we begin teaching him all the lessons, and we finally ask if he knows our church is true.  He hesitated for a second, and then says "Oh yeah! I know it’s all true! I think all of it is great!!" so My companion and I being shocked at the answer are like great! So we invited him to come to church and to work towards baptism and then he says "Oh no.. I can’t do that. I’m a Methodist."  And I was like, Soooo you know our church is true and you won’t join it? I didn’t say that but I was thinking it.. lol I coulda smacked him.

                                                                                                         Love, Elder Welling!