Service, Zone Conference and Blue Crabs

Hello all,

How's everything going? Hopefully you enjoyed the reunion and everything went Fun. I really really liked the theme for the reunion! Hahahaha I'm sure everyone thought it was funny! I didn't even go and I thought it was. Haha

This week has been actually super good. We have done a lot of service this week and have spent a lot of time with some members here.

We had an amazing opportunity this week to go and eat Crabs at this place in our area named Capitan Bob's! It was awesome! They brought out a whole bowl of crabs and there was 4-5 blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay! They were so flipping good! Now I am a firm believer that a person burns more calories picking apart a crab and cracking it open then they are eating and putting in their bodies from the crab hahaha. There isn't a ton of meat on the crabs, but the meat we did get was amazing! Haha I loved it and they put Old Bay all over it! It was sooooo good. Haha we even got to keep a nice little wooden mallet as a souvenir with the captain Bob's logo on it! So I will always remember that day.

We have an investigator named Robbie Will that we have been working with for quite some time now. He was an active member referal and he is a legit investigator. He knows it's all true and he comes to church all the time! Well this last week we had a super powerful lesson at the church on the Plan of Salvation and it was great. We invited him to be baptized on August 25, 2018 and he said yes!! So we will be looking forward to that!

Well this week with Zone Conference.. I sparked a new interest.. I am now interested in a little thing called Family History! Haha President Mutumbo is tye guy to put all the Family History Records on Technology in Africa! So he is a big deal! Haha so guess what his new focus is?! STRENGTHENING MEMBERS AND FAMILY HISTORY. Pretty legit right?! So this week we had a family History consultant come to our family History center in our church and teach us how to use it. It was so amazing to see all that you and other relatives have done for our family. I got to look at Grandpa Welling profile and look at the memories and pictures. I looked at Brad's and Susan's as well! It was so amazing. Thank you so much for the work you are doing and continue to do. I've finally realized how great and how precious of a work it is. These family members are waiting to be found! Thank you again for all you are doing for these people. 

During zone conference we also did an activity where our mission president wanted us to identify people from back home that we thought needed help. So I prayed about it and I will be writing you a letter about who came to my mind and you are the one to help them. Haha!

I got to say. I love this area just like I have loved all my others. I love the corn fields, the people, the ward and everything else about it. It never ceases to amaze me how true this church is. What a blessing it is to be a part of it

Other than that our week was full of service and being out in the hot and humid weather. It's rained a few times. But even when it rains it is hot and humid rain. Hahahaha anyways I hope you have a great week! I love and miss ya!

Love, Elder Welling!

Busy Busy Week

Holy cow.. I can't explain how weird and crazy it was to see pictures of you and Dad next to President and Sister Christiansen! And even Elder Palmer! It was so weird.  I love that kid.   It feels like they were just out here on the mission with us and then boom.. They are home taking pictures with my family! So crazy. I'm super happy you got to meet all 3 of them. I love them all so much and miss them already!!
Well.. At last.. I saw my first Amish person this week!! Haha I saw the horses and buggy and everything!! We were sitting there talking to a guy on his porch and one came trotting up the dirt road! Haha it was so cool to finally see one!
This week has been good. It's feels like we did a lot of work this week so that felt really good. We have been seeing a lot of members lately. President Mutumbo new focus is the members. So we have been working and working with the members. It's been pretty awesome.
This last week we ate dinner with a Jehovah’s Witness lady! Haha which was quite interesting. We went with some members and one of the members brought her sister who was a Jehovah’s Witness. This lady I swear was going off on how Jehovah’s witness was the truth.. Haha it was kind of awkward. It was also funny though because this ladies husband isn't a Jehovah’s witness and he thinks she is straight up crazy. Hahaha so it was funny.
Unfortunately.. Our really solid investigator named Don who was looking to get baptized dropped us this last week. And that one hurt. He texted us and said "We need to talk." so we kind of saw it coming. But then we got there and he dropped us like a rock. It was actually super sad. He knew it was all true. But his wife goes to a church where they believe baptism is not needed and it's by believing in Jesus Christ that you are saved. So he said he was trying to keep a happy marriage.

We found one new investigator and that was pretty cool! He is pretty interested in Baptism as well!
This last week we got to go up to Lancaster to a baptism that the sisters were having up there for a guy named Tyree.  We got to take one of our investigators up there named Robbie. A member drove us and Robbie up there and it was pretty legit.

I saw the Susquehanna river for the first time this week!  It was so legit.  I took some pictures.  We are going back sometime so I will take some better ones.  It’s so cool to think that Joseph Smith was baptized in that river.
Some nice ladies in our ward named Sister Inak and Sister Gast are taking us to get crab this week!!! I cannot wait and I even told them that my dad would be so excited when I told him that I was finally getting some crab from the Bay!! Hahahaha so it's happening this week!!! I'm stoked!
Well I hope you all have a great week and enjoy the reunion and camping! Have a great week! I love and miss ya!

Love, Elder Welling!

Crazy Fast Week

Hey All!!

This week has been sooooo fast. It feels like I was just emailing you all yesterday. Elder Jackson and I are doing great and we are loving Pennsylvania. But we have noticed how fast the weeks have been going! Today marks 11 months out and it's crazy to think I will be half done in 30 days.. Haha

This week we found 2 new investigators and they are so cool. One is named Jennifer and we were knocking doors one day and a car driving by stopped and rolled down the window. A lady driving yelled at us and said to come up to her house at #212. So we did and she is legit. She came in contact with the church in the Dominican Republic and thought our church was awesome. So we talked to her for a bit and she wants to know more!

This last week we came across a man who had never really learned about God and Jesus Christ. He knew of them. But had no idea who or what they were. It was crazy coming across a man like this because out here in the east everyone has a church and everyone claims to be "saved".. So when I heard he didn’t know really anything about Jesus Christ it kind of shocked me. Haha but it's interesting how much the spirit can open a heart. He truly  wanted to know more about God and Jesus Christ. He wants to find them and build a relationship. We were so glad we knocked on his door! He is awesome.

The ward here is awesome. We did a little service project this last week called adopt a highway. And it was actually pretty fun. That's the first time I had ever done that! Haha we were all in our yellow Mormon helping Hands vests! Then that same day we had a ward Picnic!
I learned how to play a new game called "BUTT".. You have to juggle a soccer ball on your foot and pass it in the air to the others around you. It's like playing horse in basketball! Haha and if you lose, you have to bend over and touch your toes and then the winners get to kick the soccer ball at your butt! Haha it's like a big game of "Red Belly Rules" in ping pong as well! Haha unfortunately I ended up at the fence more times than I wanted.. But it was a pretty fun game. I love the ward here!

There is a family in our ward called the Rills. They have a little son named Seth that is 7 about to turn 8. So his parents wanted us to talk to him about some of the lessons and review some things. This little guy is so cool. Haha he wants to be baptized in the Susquehanna River and it's going to be so legit to get to watch him do that! He is a smart kid too! I can't wait for him to be able to do that. He is so excited.

No crazy stories this week other than some random dude flipping us off as we walked by.. Hahaha that was actually pretty funny.

This last week Elder Jackson and I have been able to teach a

lot of Restoration Lessons. And it never ceases to amaze me. When the angel Moroni came and visited Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith says this: "He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people."
The nation's of this earth know the name of Joseph Smith. Whether they know what he did or Not, They know his name. I am so privileged to be able to go door to door, street to street, and city to city declaring to people that I know Joseph Smith truly was and is a Prophet of God. I know without a doubt that he restored the true church of Jesus Christ. This church is so true. I do not care what others say about Joseph Smith.. Because I know all that he sacrificed, and all that he did just to bring back the True Gospel that would eventually bless and bring hope to millions and millions of people world wide. Being on a mission I have had many opportunities to hear what others may say and think about Joseph Smith. But the feelings I have had in my heart telling me that he truly was a Prophet of God will always over rule any doubt and disbelief. I cannot express how sad it makes me to see people stop believing in this church.. Because it's true! There is no questions about it. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and his name spreads throughout the entire world. This restored Gospel and Church has blessed my life as well as millions of others!!

Thanks for the emails and all that you do for me. It's always great to hear how the home life is going. I love and miss you! Thank again for all you do. Love ya!

Love, Elder Welling!