Hello Everybody!
Christmas! Is just around the corner. That is my little joke for Sydney! I am sorry I did not email this past week. We went to the Temple on Wednesday and then that evening we were in charge of helping with the traffic control at the Temple. The lights up at the Temple are great and it was even better to do a session. It had been 13 months since I had last been. I saw one of the newer videos and I thought it was great! Once you have not been in so long, it makes you realize just how great it really is and just how strong the spirit is there.
Also, on Tuesday, I went on a sweet exchange with a missionary who is from the Rexburg area. He has been out for about 6 months and is an amazing missionary. It was way fun to be on a bike for the day and to get out and work hard. He had so much enthusiasm and I really needed that. I have been so exhausted lately and it was good to see how much fun missionary work really is.
On Thursday, we had Interviews with President Riggs and we had the oppurtunity to interview everyone in the zone as well. Every Interview is 15 minutes and we were at the church at 7am to set up and we left at about 5pm. It sure was a long day but it was a blast. We talked about how we can know when we are being successful and used page 10 of Preach My gospel to help us. For lunch, President took us out to eat and it was fun having a conversation about life and Christmas traditions because he is always so focused on the work. He is amazing!
A couple Investigators are doing really well right now. Salyu Jallah is on date for the end of January and he is wicked smart. The only thing that is holding him back is coming to church. He recently got a job and he is working with his Manager to make sure he has Sundays off. He is confident that it all will work out. The Fadika family is still progressing well and we want to set a date with them for the beginning of February. It is the Mom and her 2 kids that want to be baptized and they have all come to church 3 times now. Those are the two people who are getting very close towards baptism and it is exciting.
I am excited for Christmas. I hope you enjoy your Holiday and have fun as well. We have some fun plans and I am excited to call home. I think this time we can make the Skype work! Love you all.
Merry Christmas,
Elder Westover
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Monday, December 8, 2014
Hey Everybody,
It is so amazing to see Kayla home! Time flies so fast. I always said
when Kayla got home that I would be close behind her. In some
ways I feel that is right and in other ways I feel like that is completely wrong. It's my hope
that I can be a new person and that I can continue to change. It is
probably easier for a 18 year old, immature, kid to do that then
someone like Kayla! I can't wait to share stories with her.
Lots of meetings this week. We had a specialized training with our
mission president and assistants and then our MLC meeting on Friday.
We have talked a lot about power vs. Form.
For example, when Joseph Smith had the vision of God the Father and
His son Jesus Christ, he was told to join none of the churches. Then
he said, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a
form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof. As a mission, we
want powerful missionaries, not just missionaries who have a "form".
It is an interesting principle.
Yesterday at fast and testimony meeting, we had a family come for
their 2nd week in a row. The mothers name is Fatmata and she had been
very against the church until we came and started meeting with them.
Half way through, she stood up and bore her testimony about her belief
in Jesus Christ. She said that she changed when we came to her house
and she wants to know that this is true. It was awesome. We want to
set a date for Baptism with her and her 2 kids who are over the age of
8! We are stoked. Her sister is a member of the ward and a ward
missionary. She calls us miracle workers!
The Gospel is true. It will bring us more happiness than anything else
we can do. I love being a missionary. I love you and miss you. Enjoy
this holiday season!
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, December 1, 2014
Hey Family and Friends,
Thanksgiving has come and gone and we are approaching the Christmas season. I just can not believe how fast everything seems to be moving. As I went through the week, I really took some time to think about all the things that I am grateful for. I realized just how blessed I am and how much I have been given. My life has been good and I have been given so many opportunities to learn and grow. I know that God watches over us and gives us experiences to help us grow and become better. I am sure thankful for that.
Now here is a funny story which will help show why I am grateful for my families Thanksgiving traditions. Elder Taylor and I had been trying to find somewhere to go for Thanksgiving and then finally on Tuesday, a member of the ward called and asked if we wanted to come over. We were happy to accept! They are not active in the church by the way! While on the phone, she asked where we are from and when I told her Arizona she was so excited. She went on and on about ASU and UofA football and how the Cardinals were doing and naturally, I loved the conversation. When we got off the phone, I thought that was going to be a crazy Thanksgiving and there were no let downs. We got there around 4 and when we got invited in, the apartment really stunk and I was wondering what happened! It just smelled like cigarettes and cat pee!! Ahhhhh! I was thinking, where are we?! Now here is the crazy part. We walked in and when I saw the food, I almost died laughing. There was a thousand flies just hovering around all the food. Now I am thinking, "Uh oh what are we going to do?!" We sit down on this couch and they asked if we were afraid of cats and we told them no. She said, "Oh good cause there is one behind you." I turn and there is a black cat sitting there and it freaked me out! The cats just climbed all over us and kept jumping in our laps. We finally got ready to eat and I made sure to pray extra hard for the food and we started to eat. I have not got sick yet so that was a bonus. Then the 18 year old son just talked and talked and talked for about 2 hours and then we finally cut in and said we had to go. Not to mention, I won't even tell you the cats names! That is a story on its own. It was an insane night but I will never forget the experience and so I am thankful for good memories!
It was fun to see all the pictures of everyone enjoying the time together. I laughed at all the Polar Pops that everyone had! Good times. Thanksgiving has come and gone and we are approaching the Christmas season. I just can not believe how fast everything seems to be moving. As I went through the week, I really took some time to think about all the things that I am grateful for. I realized just how blessed I am and how much I have been given. My life has been good and I have been given so many opportunities to learn and grow. I know that God watches over us and gives us experiences to help us grow and become better. I am sure thankful for that.
Now here is a funny story which will help show why I am grateful for my families Thanksgiving traditions. Elder Taylor and I had been trying to find somewhere to go for Thanksgiving and then finally on Tuesday, a member of the ward called and asked if we wanted to come over. We were happy to accept! They are not active in the church by the way! While on the phone, she asked where we are from and when I told her Arizona she was so excited. She went on and on about ASU and UofA football and how the Cardinals were doing and naturally, I loved the conversation. When we got off the phone, I thought that was going to be a crazy Thanksgiving and there were no let downs. We got there around 4 and when we got invited in, the apartment really stunk and I was wondering what happened! It just smelled like cigarettes and cat pee!! Ahhhhh! I was thinking, where are we?! Now here is the crazy part. We walked in and when I saw the food, I almost died laughing. There was a thousand flies just hovering around all the food. Now I am thinking, "Uh oh what are we going to do?!" We sit down on this couch and they asked if we were afraid of cats and we told them no. She said, "Oh good cause there is one behind you." I turn and there is a black cat sitting there and it freaked me out! The cats just climbed all over us and kept jumping in our laps. We finally got ready to eat and I made sure to pray extra hard for the food and we started to eat. I have not got sick yet so that was a bonus. Then the 18 year old son just talked and talked and talked for about 2 hours and then we finally cut in and said we had to go. Not to mention, I won't even tell you the cats names! That is a story on its own. It was an insane night but I will never forget the experience and so I am thankful for good memories!
Dad, do you know what ward Sister Ogden's son is in? There is a kid that just came here who is from Peoria but he is a newer missionary. We have some other guys from Arizona but it could be me I guess. I'm not sure why you would ever talk about your Zone Leaders to members but, that is pretty funny! Bocce Ball would be a sweet activity if we could find the equipment from members. We are trying to get an ultimate Frisbee game set up now for today.
Life sounds like a ton of fun in Arizona. Keep enjoying it because I am having way more fun out here! You're the ones missing out. We have a busy week coming up so I can tell you more about that later. Love you everybody! Have a great week and be safe!Monday, November 24, 2014
Hey Everybody,
I am sorry I did not write last week. It was a crazy day but I am
glad I can write now. This past week turned out to be a real good one!
Elder Taylor and I learned that we are both staying together... again! This
will be our 3rd transfer together and we will spend the Holidays
together now. I am excited to stay here for another transfer and I
think the missionary work will continue to improve.
On Saturday, we had our baptism of Sarita and Sabrina Rex-Campbell! It
was such a great baptism and we had tons of people from the ward come
out to support. Solomon, the Dad, now has the Aaronic Priesthood so he
performed the Baptism. I have done baptisms before but on Sunday I was
able to confirm Sarita. That was an awesome experience. I love when
you can see people change. Those girls were always so nice but even
still I feel like I saw them grow up and really learn. I am grateful
that the Gospel can really change people and make them better.
With transfers, we lost some but gained new missionaries and Elder
Fitzgerald is now in the Alexandria zone! It was sweet because we went
out together for a few hours Sunday night and we went knocking on
doors. It was fun to see him again and to get to talk with him. He was
one of my favorite companions so I am glad we are serving together
again. I'm excited for all of the fun events coming up.
How did your past week go? I am so jealous about the whole Cultural
Celebration because I always wanted to be a part of that. It seems like
it went smooth and that it was a great spiritual experience for the youth.
How did the Cardinals play this week? Are they still doing well with the
QB out for the rest of the year? I'm pulling for them! There is a member of
the ward who loves football and is always trying to chat about it with me
and keeping me updated. I think it is funny but at times it gets over board
especially when I am trying to focus!
How are the kids doing? Any fun plans for the Holidays? We have not figured
out anything to do and nobody has invited us over. I guess we will see, it might
be a cup of noodle night! Haha No way we will cook up something good if we are
going to be solo!
I love you all! Thanks for everything you do. Have a safe week. I hope to see pictures
of all the Holiday fun! You are in my prayers.
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, November 10, 2014
Hey Everybody,
In has been a crazy week in Alexandria! This past week, so many
missionaries in the zone have gotten sick and it was crazy trying to
help them feel better. In the end, both Elder Taylor and I got sick
and so it was a pretty miserable week in that sense. It just kept
getting passed from person to person but it seems to finally be dying
down now. We all had the same symptoms and so it took about 3 days for
everything to heal up. Oh well, it was a strange week.
What else happened?... We has tons of meetings this week and so that also
slowed us down a ton. One of the families we are teaching had a crazy
week. The mother, Hawah had her baby on Saturday so she is going to be
out of commission for sometime. We are hoping it won't slow her process of
learning about the Gospel but we are super excited for her! Also, we
had a setback with Sarita, who was scheduled to be baptized this Saturday.
She needed permission from the Mom and the Mom said no! But... what we
did was have Solomon invite her to church and she came. The best part
was that she loved it so much she wants the girls to be baptized
and she wants to be taught more!! It was such an amazing miracle. So
the baptism will either be this Saturday or the next! I can't wait for
that to happen!
I heard the Cardinals won again?! Who have they played or who have
they beat? I think it is great for the city especially because the
Super Bowl is in Arizona right? That would be awesome if they could
make it all the way. How about the Suns? What are they looking like
this year? It seems weird that I have not watched a game in 15 months and I
feel so out of the loop. We were at someone's house and I heard the
buzzers go off and I was like, "wow I miss that! " Oh well, I will have
the rest of my life for those games.
I am excited to hear all about the Temple and the Cultural
Celebration. It would be great to be there and to experience that but
it will also be fun to see it and go in once I am home. How long is the Celebration?
It would be cool if I could see a short video of the dance and
program. They will not forget that memory.
Transfers are coming up soon and I am starting to get nervous. I love
the mission. I love what I am learning and although those hard experiences
stink, I sure do learn and grow from them. I am slowly starting to think
about what I am doing for the rest of my life and I just hope that the
mission has changed me and that I will be different. These are moments
I won't forget. I feel good saying that I feel like I have given it
my all. In the end, that's all that counts. I love the Gospel and I
love being a missionary. Have a great week and be safe! You're in my
prayers.
Love,
Elder Westover
In has been a crazy week in Alexandria! This past week, so many
missionaries in the zone have gotten sick and it was crazy trying to
help them feel better. In the end, both Elder Taylor and I got sick
and so it was a pretty miserable week in that sense. It just kept
getting passed from person to person but it seems to finally be dying
down now. We all had the same symptoms and so it took about 3 days for
everything to heal up. Oh well, it was a strange week.
What else happened?... We has tons of meetings this week and so that also
slowed us down a ton. One of the families we are teaching had a crazy
week. The mother, Hawah had her baby on Saturday so she is going to be
out of commission for sometime. We are hoping it won't slow her process of
learning about the Gospel but we are super excited for her! Also, we
had a setback with Sarita, who was scheduled to be baptized this Saturday.
She needed permission from the Mom and the Mom said no! But... what we
did was have Solomon invite her to church and she came. The best part
was that she loved it so much she wants the girls to be baptized
and she wants to be taught more!! It was such an amazing miracle. So
the baptism will either be this Saturday or the next! I can't wait for
that to happen!
I heard the Cardinals won again?! Who have they played or who have
they beat? I think it is great for the city especially because the
Super Bowl is in Arizona right? That would be awesome if they could
make it all the way. How about the Suns? What are they looking like
this year? It seems weird that I have not watched a game in 15 months and I
feel so out of the loop. We were at someone's house and I heard the
buzzers go off and I was like, "wow I miss that! " Oh well, I will have
the rest of my life for those games.
I am excited to hear all about the Temple and the Cultural
Celebration. It would be great to be there and to experience that but
it will also be fun to see it and go in once I am home. How long is the Celebration?
It would be cool if I could see a short video of the dance and
program. They will not forget that memory.
Transfers are coming up soon and I am starting to get nervous. I love
the mission. I love what I am learning and although those hard experiences
stink, I sure do learn and grow from them. I am slowly starting to think
about what I am doing for the rest of my life and I just hope that the
mission has changed me and that I will be different. These are moments
I won't forget. I feel good saying that I feel like I have given it
my all. In the end, that's all that counts. I love the Gospel and I
love being a missionary. Have a great week and be safe! You're in my
prayers.
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, November 3, 2014
Hey Family and Friends,
This area has just been so amazing. We continue to see miracle after
miracle and I am excited for November. I think we will be having a
few baptisms here soon and it makes me way happy. Missionary work is
one of the hardest things I have ever done but it is so fun and is so
worth it.
This week we had Stake Conference and so were were nervous it might be
hard to get people to church. Nope, it all worked out great. I think
the best part of what is going on is that we are seeing families
progress and really they see there lives change. Our Stake Conference
went really good and I think the talks were great for the people
watching. After, they had a meeting with the Stake Presidency and the
Mission President for those either returning to the church or those
who were investigating and they provided a lunch so It was great for
the fellowship!
Elder Kopishke of the 70 was also here for a visit to the mission. We
had a half mission conference on Monday and then we had MLC with him on Wednesday and we learned some awesome things. We talked about power
vs. form. "Why" do we do the things we do instead of just trying to do
the "How." It was insightful and it will change the rest of my mission.
I am glad that Grandpa and Grandma came home. It will be nice to have
them back for the time and to be around them. How is the shower coming along?
I can't believe Grandpa is 80! I think he is healthy and in great shape. I am glad that he is
back in Arizona.
It is so insane how fast time is going. I hit
15 months in a few days. I think it makes it fun when it goes fast but
it also is scary and sad when you think about it.
Have a great week Dad! I love you. I miss you! And one question..
Why are he Cardinals doing so good??!! That is crazy they have the
best record in the NFL! Wow.
Love,
Elder Westover
This area has just been so amazing. We continue to see miracle after
miracle and I am excited for November. I think we will be having a
few baptisms here soon and it makes me way happy. Missionary work is
one of the hardest things I have ever done but it is so fun and is so
worth it.
This week we had Stake Conference and so were were nervous it might be
hard to get people to church. Nope, it all worked out great. I think
the best part of what is going on is that we are seeing families
progress and really they see there lives change. Our Stake Conference
went really good and I think the talks were great for the people
watching. After, they had a meeting with the Stake Presidency and the
Mission President for those either returning to the church or those
who were investigating and they provided a lunch so It was great for
the fellowship!
Elder Kopishke of the 70 was also here for a visit to the mission. We
had a half mission conference on Monday and then we had MLC with him on Wednesday and we learned some awesome things. We talked about power
vs. form. "Why" do we do the things we do instead of just trying to do
the "How." It was insightful and it will change the rest of my mission.
I am glad that Grandpa and Grandma came home. It will be nice to have
them back for the time and to be around them. How is the shower coming along?
I can't believe Grandpa is 80! I think he is healthy and in great shape. I am glad that he is
back in Arizona.
It is so insane how fast time is going. I hit
15 months in a few days. I think it makes it fun when it goes fast but
it also is scary and sad when you think about it.
Have a great week Dad! I love you. I miss you! And one question..
Why are he Cardinals doing so good??!! That is crazy they have the
best record in the NFL! Wow.
Love,
Elder Westover
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Hey Everybody,
I am sorry that I am writing you on a Tuesday! Yesterday we had a Conference with a General Authority. It was Elder Kopischke and it was a great meeting. But anyway, I had a great week. We have baptismal dates set up with a few people right now. Sarita and Sabrina are two girls that we have been teaching. The Dad was baptized the first week I was here and now the girls want to be baptized. They have been in the Primary Program and are just doing so great. That date is November 15th. Also, a lady named Aminata is planning to be baptized on the 15th as well, as long as we can teach her everything quick enough. She lives with her cousin Samuella, who has come to church the past 3 weeks and is just on fire right now. Samuella was baptized in Maryland and lost contact with the church when she moved here recently. It has been great!
Also, Fanus is on date for the last week in October and so we are really going to need to help her to pray and know this is true. We took her to the visitors center this past week and I think she enjoyed it. The only issue for her is that she does not see why authority is needed. She was baptized before and has always believed that when you are married that you can be together forever. So, it is this battle we are playing but if she will pray about it then she will get an answer it is all true.I am not sure how else to explain it to someone without just telling them straight up but I think everything will work out for them.
For Halloween, we are watching two movies that night. Frozen and How to Train Your dragon 2. Everyone is excited for that time and I think it will be a fun night and a good boost for everyone. I think that if you let it distract you then it will be hard but if you have fun with it and get back to work, you really feel re-motivated.
Thanks for your emails. They are great. I love you and hope that you have a good week. Any cool Golf stories recently?
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, October 20, 2014
Hey Everybody!
Alexandria has been a great place! This past week, we were just super
busy. We have been teaching tons of lessons, meeting new people, and
having crazy miracles all over the place. At church, we had the
primary program and a lot of people were able to come and to check it
out.
Our Mission has been pushing member work like crazy! What we do is we
go into members home for 15 to 20 minutes and teach about something.
The whole point is to increase their desire to share the gospel and
help them keep it on there mind. We also want to increase trust with
them. I have never really worked with members on my mission and it is
hard! I think it is easier to just go out and talk to people or knock
doors, but I am really wanting to make these member lessons work. Our
zone went from 44 a week to 70 last week! It was a good jump and
everyone is hoping the members will help us.
I can't believe Tanner is home. That seems so crazy. I feel like it
was so short for him. Kayla and Laura will both get home in the next 2
months and I just think it is scary how fast it goes... But it is fun
and is a crazy roller coaster all the time!
It is funny you asked. I am not actually in the same zone that I was as a district leader, but we have
singles wards and so our missionaries cover that area. They have bigger areas. So
we went out with them to go find this week and they had chose to go to
my old area! It was so weird to be there and to do missionary work. We
met two people, one we walked with for 10 minutes to her house and
talked about the gospel. Then, we knocked one door and a lady opened
and let us in. We figured out she was meeting with the missionaries,
and that her date for baptism had passed. We recommitted her to the
22nd of November and then called those missionaries. They were pretty
stoked! Haha That was a great area!
It's always good to hear from you! I hope you have a great week. It's fun to hear about the things happening at home.
Love,
Elder Westover
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Hello family and friends,
I think that we get to email way to much! Every time I sit down I try to think about what I did and I just go blank. I know we did a ton, but it takes a few minutes to remember.
To start off, Monday, we went to Burlington Coat Factory with a group of Elders to look at ties and shoes. We were planning to be there for 25 minutes and ended up being there for like 2 hours! I will send a lot of the pictures from that it was seriously a ton of fun. The whole time, we were just trying things on and it was fun to see what the other guys thought looked good. We were just laughing and I never EVER thought I would have fun shopping. I guess I was for sure wrong. Then on Tuesday, we went on exchanges with some other missionaries in our zone for the day. On exchanges, we do some training and the biggest thing is just going out and working super hard. Helping them to see that missionary work is fun and that it is more fun when you work hard and are good at it. Haha But it went well and I know I left with things I could work on but you just hope the other missionary did as well.
On Thursday, we had our Transfer Meeting and it was a whole mission conference because we went and saw Meet The Mormons. Well, we went to the church building and watched it. I love being able to see all your friends around the mission and also getting to see how they are doing and what is new with them, but the movie was way good, it was just hard to sit and look at a screen for that long. It is a little embarrassing but true. I just struggled sitting still!
Transfers went great! I am staying with Elder Taylor and I am pumped about that. We get along really well and have had fun serving together. Our zone also got a lot of cool missionaries and I think that will be a big bonus on our end. Friday, as a result, was spent moving everyone's stuff to where it goes and making sure they have everything they need. Lots of driving and talking for Elder Taylor and I. We have some good music that we jam out to though, like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! :) On Saturday, we had a few appointments and so we tried calling around to the other members of the ward for help. We called 26 people and only 2 said they could go. We left like 15 voice mails and only 2 called back. Working with members can be extremely tough so if the missionaries call, just answer! We needed one more member and right then, President Riggs sent out a text that he wanted to come to a lesson and call him if you were interested. So within the minute we called and he came with us! It was super freaky but it went way good and we got tons of Praise Of Men from him. Then he came to church so that he could see the lady again and so it was constant best behavior mode for us this weekend!
Well, I hope to hear more of you about all the fun you're having at home! What else has been going on? Have a great week. I love you tons!
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, October 6, 2014
Hello Everybody,
I am so sorry I did not write last week. We went to DC and so we had to take off super quick! The DC trip was so cool. We parked our car at the 23rd St. Chapel in Arlington and then rode along the Potomac on the bikes and across Key Bridge into DC! I will say that is was one of the neatest bike rides I have ever done. We biked to the White House and to The Washington Monument and then parked up and walked around. The cool part was that there were 6 of us and it was cool biking around DC with the white shirts and ties in a long line juking through traffic. A very cool experience.
This week was full of twists and turns. It all started with a companionship in our zone that had all zeros and had done absolutely nothing the whole week. What we decided to do was to go and study with them in the morning and to just talk to them and see how we could help. We got there at like 8:15 and when we knocked on there door we got no answer. After 5 times of that and no answer, we went to there window and started banging on it. They heard us and one of them opened their door and you could tell he was a little nervous. We just sat down and started studying. One of them was awake and the other just kept sleeping. We had a good talk with the one and then left and reported to their District Leader. After the visit, that one missionary decided to shape up and told President everything that had been going on, even to the point that the one that was sleeping is no longer in Virginia. It was sad to see him go and I wonder if we had done everything we could to help him. President Riggs was thankful for the way we handled it but it was hard. The talks on conference were about making good choices and adjusting our lives to match and to follow the Savior. It sounds so easy but really takes so much application and dedication. If these Elders would have made small choices early on, it would have completely changed the way all this happened. It really is hard to see it and I am sure this is how our Heavenly Father feels when He sees us fall off the path.
I can't wait for the Phoenix Temple. That is going to be great having it so close and being able to go frequently. That will be a huge blessing. I still can not comprehend that Football started. I had no clue BYU was that good and that ASU was doing well. It sounds like it has been a good season for those teams beside the injuries that have gone on. As long as they are good next year that is all that matters right?
I will send pictures of the trip we had and some other moments. I love you! Have a great week and continue to apply the words of the Prophets into your life. I miss you and will see you..eventually! :)
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, September 22, 2014
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| Awesome Kids |
Austin Ave
Our View of Alexandria
Hey Dad,
I think it is so crazy that it is Monday again. While you're in the
week, you feel like time moves pretty normal but then you wake up and
you're emailing again. It really is so strange. I can't complain about
time moving quick though because it helps you stay motivated!
This week was so great! Elder Taylor and I have been so crazy busy and
this week we were really able to focus harder on our area. We taught
some really good lessons and the spirit was just screaming during our
lessons! It was wild. Also, at church yesterday we had 2 people come.
Saria who is the daughter of a recent convert and a lady named Fanus
Neguse. She is from Eritrea and is soooo nice! But she enjoyed it and
we are excited for her to continue to progress!
This past week we had our interviews with President Riggs and then we
got to take time with everyone as well. It was so fun but it was way
tiring! You have 22 interviews with different missionaries and you
just have to stay really positive and motivated for each person. I
can't imaging how President can do that for 10 zones worth every 3
months! He is a stud.
I love getting to know so many missionaries and being able to see them
have success! There is a companionship who is teaching a man named
Addis and he is so cool but the Ward Mission leader was hesitant for
some reason for the baptism. They asked us to help pray for it all to
work out and we sent that to the whole zone. They called us and were
so excited to report that it was going to happen Saturday! They
were so grateful that we had sent that to the whole zone to pray for him
and it was fun to see them happy! It is so great that God will hear
and answer our prayers. I have seen to many prayers answered to
question that anymore.
It sounds like a lot is going on. I can't wait to see the
Temple once I get home, especially being able to go through it. It
would be so cool to be there for the cultural celebration and the dedication. I am jealous of the kids!
Thanks for your email. We are playing board games with some elders. I
will send a picture of the view from this place.
Love ya!
Elder Westover
Monday, September 15, 2014
Hey family and friends,
The big news of the week, the move went really well! The complex we are now living in is very nice but our place is smaller than the last. We had to downsize a lot but that is not a bad thing. I will make sure to take pictures and send them to you. The move did take TONS of time though which was hard on the area a bit. We still had a good week even though we were not out and about as much. But overall, our area is doing well and I think we are on an upward climb here. This past week, I went on exchanges with a new missionary who is from Chesapeake, Va. He is doing a mini mission to see how the mission works and to have a better feel for it. It was around 8:30 and we decided to go knock a few doors and after I knocked one, I told him it was his turn. He looked at me and I thought he was going to faint, but I talked him into trying. He knocked once and then twice and nobody answered. We started going to the next home when I asked if he would like to practice. He said, "yes" and right as we started practicing, a lady at the last door opened and invited us to come in. We went in and met Terry and taught her about the Book of Mormon and she was just so excited! After the lesson, it was fun to talk up this Elder and show that his first door he knocked became a new investigator! It was a super happy and spiritual moment for me.
For some exciting news, this week should be a busy one as well. Tonight, our mission is doing a "Finding Fest". Our goal for the whole mission is to find 200 New Investigators in the span of 3 hours! I think it is very possible and we are hoping that we can reach the goal. Also, on Tuesday we are going on Exchanges with the AP's and that is always really fun because you learn a lot from those guys and they love to get out and work which gets me pumped up! On Wednesday, we have interviews with President Riggs and we also interview every member of the zone so that will be an all day thing. I am excited to see how that works on the other side of things. We have a full week but I am super excited to see tons of miracles!
How is work going by the way? I have not heard about that in a while and I am sure there are some neat changes recently. I have been thinking a lot about lately what I am going to do when I get home and for the rest of my life. Not to many ideas are flowing but I still have some time to think about that.
Dove hunting huh? How did that go? Brooks looked pretty goofy with all his Camo on! I hope that he had fun doing that.
Have a great week! Miss you tons!
Love,
Elder Westover
The big news of the week, the move went really well! The complex we are now living in is very nice but our place is smaller than the last. We had to downsize a lot but that is not a bad thing. I will make sure to take pictures and send them to you. The move did take TONS of time though which was hard on the area a bit. We still had a good week even though we were not out and about as much. But overall, our area is doing well and I think we are on an upward climb here. This past week, I went on exchanges with a new missionary who is from Chesapeake, Va. He is doing a mini mission to see how the mission works and to have a better feel for it. It was around 8:30 and we decided to go knock a few doors and after I knocked one, I told him it was his turn. He looked at me and I thought he was going to faint, but I talked him into trying. He knocked once and then twice and nobody answered. We started going to the next home when I asked if he would like to practice. He said, "yes" and right as we started practicing, a lady at the last door opened and invited us to come in. We went in and met Terry and taught her about the Book of Mormon and she was just so excited! After the lesson, it was fun to talk up this Elder and show that his first door he knocked became a new investigator! It was a super happy and spiritual moment for me.
For some exciting news, this week should be a busy one as well. Tonight, our mission is doing a "Finding Fest". Our goal for the whole mission is to find 200 New Investigators in the span of 3 hours! I think it is very possible and we are hoping that we can reach the goal. Also, on Tuesday we are going on Exchanges with the AP's and that is always really fun because you learn a lot from those guys and they love to get out and work which gets me pumped up! On Wednesday, we have interviews with President Riggs and we also interview every member of the zone so that will be an all day thing. I am excited to see how that works on the other side of things. We have a full week but I am super excited to see tons of miracles!
How is work going by the way? I have not heard about that in a while and I am sure there are some neat changes recently. I have been thinking a lot about lately what I am going to do when I get home and for the rest of my life. Not to many ideas are flowing but I still have some time to think about that.
Dove hunting huh? How did that go? Brooks looked pretty goofy with all his Camo on! I hope that he had fun doing that.
Have a great week! Miss you tons!
Love,
Elder Westover
Friday, September 12, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Hello Everybody,
The crazy week turned out to be really good! My new companion is named
Elder Taylor and he is from the Ogden area in Utah. I think he is a
way chill guy and we will get along good. I am not usually someone
that gets frustrated or upset and neither is he. He is a brand new
zone leader and has been out for 17 months now. So there is a lot of
pressure to really lead the zone and to train him on being a zone
leader. It is not to hard but at the same time it is different for
sure.
On Friday we had our Mission Leadership Council (MLC) and that turned
out really good. We talked a lot about leadership, motivating the
mission, and other random topics. We start the meeting at 9 and got
done around 3:30. It can get long but it is way fun to see how it all
works and to be a part of that. We also do zone accountability where
your zones averages are on the projector and you talk about the good
and bad and ways to improve. I learned a lot and feel prepared for
zone training on Tuesday. Our zone lost a lot of good missionaries and
so we are hoping that the new people will really help keep the energy
moving forward.
We were not able to move into the new place on Saturday so that will
happen on Tuesday. When I know our address I will make sure to tell
you. By the way, I could totally use a "welcome to your new place"
package of some different kinds of treats. Just thought I would let
you know ;)
Also, we found a lady named Samuella, who just moved here from
Maryland about a month ago. She was baptized and never thought there
would be a church here in Alexandria. With the Africans, sometimes it
does not all click at once. Haha But now we are teaching her family
named Aminata and Katie. That has been so fun and it feels good to
have some solid people we can finally teach!
How has school been going for everyone? I heard Brooks got to do fast
offerings and that he did a good job for his first time. It sounds
like he is really growing up now and that is super cool. I am excited
to see what he is like in 11 months or so. I can't believe I am 13
done..
Take care and have a safe week. If you have any questions that I never
answer or don't explain well just ask. I always try to talk about
things going on but they might not make sense sometimes. You're all in my
prayers and I miss you tons!
Love,
Elder Westover
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Hey everybody!
This week of ours was a step in the right direction but it was small
for sure. We FINALLY had a return appointment with 2 people this week
and so that was super exciting. We meet tons of people on the
doorstep, walking around,mor at bus stops but we can never get a hold
of them again. I feel like I have worked hard this transfer and I know
that we will see blessings for our diligent efforts. I really feel
that something will just explode here soon and we will be meeting and
teaching many people. I truly believe that.
I have learned how to be patient this transfer. I wanted everything to
work our right away so that we could be the example for the zone but
that is not what I needed. God teaches us in many ways and I know I
needed to learn how to wait for His will and not my own. I feel like I
have learned that principle but we will see what He thinks about that.
Our upcoming week is crazy!! On Tuesday we have meetings and then also
an exchange with a missionary who is way cool. Wednesday, we are
packing for transfers and also packing our apartment up. Thursday is
transfers and so that is always exciting and busy. Friday is our MLC
meting in Centreville which will be fun. Saturday we are moving into
our new place. This should keep me on our toes.. But I think it will
be fun and exciting!
I hope to hear from you and about all the exciting
news. Love you tons have a good week!
Love,
Austin
This week of ours was a step in the right direction but it was small
for sure. We FINALLY had a return appointment with 2 people this week
and so that was super exciting. We meet tons of people on the
doorstep, walking around,mor at bus stops but we can never get a hold
of them again. I feel like I have worked hard this transfer and I know
that we will see blessings for our diligent efforts. I really feel
that something will just explode here soon and we will be meeting and
teaching many people. I truly believe that.
I have learned how to be patient this transfer. I wanted everything to
work our right away so that we could be the example for the zone but
that is not what I needed. God teaches us in many ways and I know I
needed to learn how to wait for His will and not my own. I feel like I
have learned that principle but we will see what He thinks about that.
Our upcoming week is crazy!! On Tuesday we have meetings and then also
an exchange with a missionary who is way cool. Wednesday, we are
packing for transfers and also packing our apartment up. Thursday is
transfers and so that is always exciting and busy. Friday is our MLC
meting in Centreville which will be fun. Saturday we are moving into
our new place. This should keep me on our toes.. But I think it will
be fun and exciting!
I hope to hear from you and about all the exciting
news. Love you tons have a good week!
Love,
Austin
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Hey everybody,
The week really does seem to be flying by. There are times during the day when you are worn out and it can feel long. But honestly, I am amazed at how fast everything moves. I personally think it helps missionaries because it keeps us motivated and working hard because we never want time to slip by and be wasted. It has been a good transfer and we are approaching the end of this one now.
Our past week was frustrating at times but I still enjoyed it and had tons of fun. Elder Van Dyke and I have been working hard and seeing good things happen. In Alexandria, literally EVERYONE says they are busy and wont give us a time to come by. Every week, we meet new people and then when we go back to visit them or to try and get in contact it seems like they were abducted by Aliens and taken to a diffrent planet. It has been hard to continue to meet with people and so we have not had many people to progress at all this transfer.
The bright side is that there are a few people who have been recently baptized here who are doing fantastic. We are teaching Solomons daughter Sarita who is 11 years old and she has been fun to teach. Solomon and Lon who are both recent converts, got to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead which they both said were incredible! That was great to hear from them about that experience and the feelings that were felt.
On the positive side, we have a busy week ahead. Tomorrow is our Zone Confrence and so we are finishing up the preperations for that. I love Zone Cnfrence because we are taught so much and President Riggs is just so fun to listen to. Also, with Transfers coming up we are getting prepared to see what happens with that. FYI, we are moving apartments around the beginning of September so when that time gets close it would be smart to hold onto letters or anything you would send. But it will also be nice to have a brand new place where it is clean and yours to work with.
We are not to far from the mission office and we go once a week to get supplies for the members of the zone. That way, not everyone just shows up and is trying to get the supplies they need. It saves a bunch of time and hassel. The ward here is pretty tought honestly. I have liked the people I have met but the ward is SO transient. We will get people to move in for 3 months, others 6 months and yet others 2 years. In the next 3 weeks we will be having 7 families from the ward move and so I am sure we will get a ring to help load those. But I love the people I have met. With so much moving, the ward is not really unified and when it comes to missionary work people don't care because they are leaving soon. I would use that as an excuse to invite everyone because I would probally never see them again! Oh well, it has been fun but it is not like the Glen Lakes Ward at all.
I must say I am jealous that I will miss the open house of the Phoenix Temple. I wanted to be involved with that and those youth are seriously blessed to be a part of that event. It will be something they will never forget and I wish I could be a part of it.
Well, I hope you have a safe week and that it is a lot of fun. When I know the new address I will let you know about it. I am doing well here and I don't need anything. Thanks for asking. My clothes have been well taken care of! Have a good week.
Love,
Elder Westover
The week really does seem to be flying by. There are times during the day when you are worn out and it can feel long. But honestly, I am amazed at how fast everything moves. I personally think it helps missionaries because it keeps us motivated and working hard because we never want time to slip by and be wasted. It has been a good transfer and we are approaching the end of this one now.
Our past week was frustrating at times but I still enjoyed it and had tons of fun. Elder Van Dyke and I have been working hard and seeing good things happen. In Alexandria, literally EVERYONE says they are busy and wont give us a time to come by. Every week, we meet new people and then when we go back to visit them or to try and get in contact it seems like they were abducted by Aliens and taken to a diffrent planet. It has been hard to continue to meet with people and so we have not had many people to progress at all this transfer.
The bright side is that there are a few people who have been recently baptized here who are doing fantastic. We are teaching Solomons daughter Sarita who is 11 years old and she has been fun to teach. Solomon and Lon who are both recent converts, got to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead which they both said were incredible! That was great to hear from them about that experience and the feelings that were felt.
On the positive side, we have a busy week ahead. Tomorrow is our Zone Confrence and so we are finishing up the preperations for that. I love Zone Cnfrence because we are taught so much and President Riggs is just so fun to listen to. Also, with Transfers coming up we are getting prepared to see what happens with that. FYI, we are moving apartments around the beginning of September so when that time gets close it would be smart to hold onto letters or anything you would send. But it will also be nice to have a brand new place where it is clean and yours to work with.
We are not to far from the mission office and we go once a week to get supplies for the members of the zone. That way, not everyone just shows up and is trying to get the supplies they need. It saves a bunch of time and hassel. The ward here is pretty tought honestly. I have liked the people I have met but the ward is SO transient. We will get people to move in for 3 months, others 6 months and yet others 2 years. In the next 3 weeks we will be having 7 families from the ward move and so I am sure we will get a ring to help load those. But I love the people I have met. With so much moving, the ward is not really unified and when it comes to missionary work people don't care because they are leaving soon. I would use that as an excuse to invite everyone because I would probally never see them again! Oh well, it has been fun but it is not like the Glen Lakes Ward at all.
I must say I am jealous that I will miss the open house of the Phoenix Temple. I wanted to be involved with that and those youth are seriously blessed to be a part of that event. It will be something they will never forget and I wish I could be a part of it.
Well, I hope you have a safe week and that it is a lot of fun. When I know the new address I will let you know about it. I am doing well here and I don't need anything. Thanks for asking. My clothes have been well taken care of! Have a good week.
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, August 18, 2014
Hey Family and Friends,
Not much new to report here. We have continued to talk to people, teach
the gospel, and we went to church on Sunday. The week itself was good
just nothing to crazy to report. I do have one good story for you.
We are teaching a lady named Belinda from Sierre Leone and she is
super cool. It had been hard to catch her but we finally sat down and
had a lesson. As we were finishing, the spirit was really strong and
we were just explaining the Book of Mormon when this guy walked up to
us. We were sitting on there front deck of her apartment complex. He
asked her if she had a bible which she said she did. He then asked her
why she was reading other literature and then just went off. It was
pretty freaky because he as just laying into us and telling us all
these crazy things about our church and blah blah blah. When he
finally left we sat there in silence for a moment and used it as a
tool for her to recognize the difference between the spirit and the
spirit of contention. I think she really understood that and I hope it
won't affect her at all.
Dad, I can tell what you mean about acting and looking the part. I see that all the
time with missionaries and you can tell a little about them just by
the way they choose to represent themselves. I try my best to always
look clean and sharp.
It is fun having a new responsibility but it is
different. I am just trying to make sure my companion and I stay equal
and both play a role. It is so key to have a good relationship with
your companion as a leader. I am glad we get along well. It goes along
way.
I hope everyone is doing well and that the kids are having fun in school. I
can't believe I already missed one year of that and they are starting
again. That is so hard for me to comprehend! Oh well, I will be home in
no time so I better get to work and stay focused now. Have a good week
and be safe!
Love,
Elder Westover
Not much new to report here. We have continued to talk to people, teach
the gospel, and we went to church on Sunday. The week itself was good
just nothing to crazy to report. I do have one good story for you.
We are teaching a lady named Belinda from Sierre Leone and she is
super cool. It had been hard to catch her but we finally sat down and
had a lesson. As we were finishing, the spirit was really strong and
we were just explaining the Book of Mormon when this guy walked up to
us. We were sitting on there front deck of her apartment complex. He
asked her if she had a bible which she said she did. He then asked her
why she was reading other literature and then just went off. It was
pretty freaky because he as just laying into us and telling us all
these crazy things about our church and blah blah blah. When he
finally left we sat there in silence for a moment and used it as a
tool for her to recognize the difference between the spirit and the
spirit of contention. I think she really understood that and I hope it
won't affect her at all.
Dad, I can tell what you mean about acting and looking the part. I see that all the
time with missionaries and you can tell a little about them just by
the way they choose to represent themselves. I try my best to always
look clean and sharp.
It is fun having a new responsibility but it is
different. I am just trying to make sure my companion and I stay equal
and both play a role. It is so key to have a good relationship with
your companion as a leader. I am glad we get along well. It goes along
way.
I hope everyone is doing well and that the kids are having fun in school. I
can't believe I already missed one year of that and they are starting
again. That is so hard for me to comprehend! Oh well, I will be home in
no time so I better get to work and stay focused now. Have a good week
and be safe!
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, August 11, 2014
 |
| Gideon our cat. He enjoys companionship study! |
Well, here is my week for you.
It seems weird to report that I am now on the down slope in the sense that I am over the half way mark! Time really does fly by when you
stop and think about it. I have loved being a missionary and to serve and it has
been fun and yet so challenging. It is both scary and exciting to see
what the next year will be like for me. The people I will meet or the hard
things I will have to do. Only time will tell I guess!
In a lot of ways we had a positive week. We are continuing to find new
investigators and the Alexandria Zone is really doing well. Our goal
has been to shift the culture here to a hard working group of
missionaries who are hungry to serve the Lord. That really has started
to take effect and the numbers are proving that philosophy. It is fun
to rejoice with other companionships as they hit their goals and have
good weeks. That is the best part about leadership in my opinion.
Let's see, yesterday I had a "first" on the mission. We had to attend
a stake correlation meeting and discuss the progress of the zone and
what things the mission is looking to implement to increase our
efforts. We met with the Bishops, Ward Mission Leaders, and the member
of the stake presidency and the high councilor for missionary work.
That meeting was really fun to see what the wards our doing and how
they come up with the ideas to apply in there wards. A new learning
experience for me.
Elder Van Dyke has been way fun to serve with. He is a good missionary
and it is just great when your companion wants to work. I just have so
much more energy because I can rely on him to carry the load. It has
been a good couple weeks!
Lots of camping huh? Brooks was telling me that the forts were still
there at Stoneman lake. Those bring back lots of great memories. I am
sure you are a great scout leader and the boys enjoy doing fun
activities like that. I know when Brother Ely did all those outings, I
grew a lot with the other guys and will forever have memories of those
fun nights we had. Any calling you receive in some way can be
magnified, as long as you set a vision for what you want to
accomplish. I am glad your enjoying those trips. It would be fun to
join with!
Continue to keep me posted. I love you all and miss tons!
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, August 4, 2014
Hey family and friends,
Life is pretty swell over here in Alexandria! We sure had a week full
of crazy twists and turns. On Wednesday, we had our Mission Leadership
conference with all the Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders.
It was a really neat meeting and it is cool to feel like you are part
of what makes the mission as a whole go. I had fun discussing certain
topics and being trained by President Riggs. He is an amazing man.
Also, we had a half mission conference on Friday and the whole point
of it was to motivate and inspire us. They talked about the title of
liberty and standing up for what you believe in. Our mission theme now
is to hit the mission standard and to become consecrated missionaries.
So they made a pole and we brought a white shirt and "rent it" for the
pole which they will put it on. It is something that will get passes
around to the zone who is doing good things as a fun way to motivate.
I enjoyed it a ton.
Saturday, our mission got to attend the baseball game again for the
day to serve. It was almost a year ago we went for that and it did
feel weird to go back. It's fun because we take the metro into DC and
get to see all the cool sites from the train. The game itself is so fun
because you see all your friends and get to socialize with them. The
Nationals spanked the phillies 11-0 and so it was never to close a
game. We got home around 12:15 and had to wait up for everyone to call
in that night. If by 1, if we had not heard from everyone, then we had
to call president. There was a set of sisters who got lost on the way
home and so we got a call at 12:57! We were relieved to say the least.
It was a blast and I can send pictures here soon.
Dad, I got all those supplies. They are sure going to be useful so thank
you for doing that. It always feels good to get something in a new
area because it helps it feel like home. Which is funny because we are
actually moving apartments here in the next month! Haha oh well it
will be good.
Honestly, our responsibility is not that much more as a zone leader than it was as a district leader. We just over see that
more things happen. Our zone is a pretty cool group. We have some
veterans but also some young new missionaries that are real hungry. I
feel like they want to get better and will listen to the thoughts we
have. I don't feel like I am an old missionary but for the most part I am. Out of 12
elders in the zone, 7 have been out longer and 2 the same time. So I
am not the oldest just yet. My companion is a stud. I am learning so
much from him in his way to talk to people and to teach with the
spirit. He knows tons of scriptures, which I could be better at. It is
impressive. We work super hard to. We both know what to do so we want
to make it happen. I really like that.
A 17 year old girl name Anais Parker just got baptized from my last
area in Sterling. She is incredible and I am so happy for her. She wrote
me a nice message on Facebook. I am glad you had a good week! I am
sure your trip was a lot of fun. Have a good week! I will see you in a
year!
Love,
Elder Westover
Life is pretty swell over here in Alexandria! We sure had a week full
of crazy twists and turns. On Wednesday, we had our Mission Leadership
conference with all the Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders.
It was a really neat meeting and it is cool to feel like you are part
of what makes the mission as a whole go. I had fun discussing certain
topics and being trained by President Riggs. He is an amazing man.
Also, we had a half mission conference on Friday and the whole point
of it was to motivate and inspire us. They talked about the title of
liberty and standing up for what you believe in. Our mission theme now
is to hit the mission standard and to become consecrated missionaries.
So they made a pole and we brought a white shirt and "rent it" for the
pole which they will put it on. It is something that will get passes
around to the zone who is doing good things as a fun way to motivate.
I enjoyed it a ton.
Saturday, our mission got to attend the baseball game again for the
day to serve. It was almost a year ago we went for that and it did
feel weird to go back. It's fun because we take the metro into DC and
get to see all the cool sites from the train. The game itself is so fun
because you see all your friends and get to socialize with them. The
Nationals spanked the phillies 11-0 and so it was never to close a
game. We got home around 12:15 and had to wait up for everyone to call
in that night. If by 1, if we had not heard from everyone, then we had
to call president. There was a set of sisters who got lost on the way
home and so we got a call at 12:57! We were relieved to say the least.
It was a blast and I can send pictures here soon.
Dad, I got all those supplies. They are sure going to be useful so thank
you for doing that. It always feels good to get something in a new
area because it helps it feel like home. Which is funny because we are
actually moving apartments here in the next month! Haha oh well it
will be good.
Honestly, our responsibility is not that much more as a zone leader than it was as a district leader. We just over see that
more things happen. Our zone is a pretty cool group. We have some
veterans but also some young new missionaries that are real hungry. I
feel like they want to get better and will listen to the thoughts we
have. I don't feel like I am an old missionary but for the most part I am. Out of 12
elders in the zone, 7 have been out longer and 2 the same time. So I
am not the oldest just yet. My companion is a stud. I am learning so
much from him in his way to talk to people and to teach with the
spirit. He knows tons of scriptures, which I could be better at. It is
impressive. We work super hard to. We both know what to do so we want
to make it happen. I really like that.
A 17 year old girl name Anais Parker just got baptized from my last
area in Sterling. She is incredible and I am so happy for her. She wrote
me a nice message on Facebook. I am glad you had a good week! I am
sure your trip was a lot of fun. Have a good week! I will see you in a
year!
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, July 28, 2014
Hello Everybody,
Well, I ended up being transferred. I am now serving in the Alexandria 2nd ward with Elder Van Dyke who is an awesome missionary. It has been a fun few days. I, for sure, was sad to leave everyone in Sterling, especially since I had only been there for 3 months or so. I was excited for the change. I actually really got to know my companion and came to understand him but it was for sure a hard transfer for me. I was busy doing a lot of the work on my own at times. Elder Van Dyke and I are the Zone Leaders in the Alexandria Zone which has added some additional and unusual things to our week.
Well, to start, we had a new area that was opened up in our zone. It turns out that nobody was really aware that it was going to happen and one of the Elders had a TON of stuff. We tried to find a ride for them home but everyone else was pretty full. So we had to leave them at the building, drive to our place, put my stuff inside, drive back, get all his stuff in the car and find their apartment. It was alot of driving and manuvering to make it work. Nevertheless, it was fun to get to know those missionaries and to help them as much as we could! We also had to drive 2 missionaries to baptismal interviews at really interesting places. That also added to our craziness of driving everywhere!
The next day, we had to finish our moving palooza which took a few more hours. Then, we had an appointment with a man named Solomon, who actually got baptized on Saturday! That is a good way to enter a ward! Haha But we went to that and then had enough time to finally do some work. Saturday was insane!! That morning, the ward was having a picnic, so I got to meet people and to help serve them which was great for me. Then, the baptism was at 2 o'clock and the service was very good. After that we cleaned up there and rushed to the mission office to grab some things and to talk with President. After we left there, we had to go back because we had forgot something. When we walked in, President Riggs was on the phone with someone and motioned for us to wait until he was done. He explained that someone was in need of a blessing and he asked us to help him. We drove to the Hospital where the man, who was a former missionary here, was and we gave him the blessing. Tons of Pressure! Haha But it went great and it was fun to have been with President Riggs during that time. He is a special guy.
I have heard that it was very hot back home so that was probably nice to escape up north. That all sounds like you had fun. This week for us will be crazy. First, we have our zone meeting, so I am nervous about that. Also, we have MLC ( Mission Leader Conference), which goes for about 7 hours on Wednesday. Then on Friday, we are doing a Half Mission Conference which I think is to help motivate and inspire us. Nobody really knows what it is all about! On Saturday night, we are attending the Nationals Game for the day to serve. Elder Van Dyke is a big baseball guy so it will be fun to be with him for the game. Lots to report on next week. Love you so much dad. Be safe and enjoy the last week or so of Summer.
Love,
Elder Westover
Well, I ended up being transferred. I am now serving in the Alexandria 2nd ward with Elder Van Dyke who is an awesome missionary. It has been a fun few days. I, for sure, was sad to leave everyone in Sterling, especially since I had only been there for 3 months or so. I was excited for the change. I actually really got to know my companion and came to understand him but it was for sure a hard transfer for me. I was busy doing a lot of the work on my own at times. Elder Van Dyke and I are the Zone Leaders in the Alexandria Zone which has added some additional and unusual things to our week.
Well, to start, we had a new area that was opened up in our zone. It turns out that nobody was really aware that it was going to happen and one of the Elders had a TON of stuff. We tried to find a ride for them home but everyone else was pretty full. So we had to leave them at the building, drive to our place, put my stuff inside, drive back, get all his stuff in the car and find their apartment. It was alot of driving and manuvering to make it work. Nevertheless, it was fun to get to know those missionaries and to help them as much as we could! We also had to drive 2 missionaries to baptismal interviews at really interesting places. That also added to our craziness of driving everywhere!
The next day, we had to finish our moving palooza which took a few more hours. Then, we had an appointment with a man named Solomon, who actually got baptized on Saturday! That is a good way to enter a ward! Haha But we went to that and then had enough time to finally do some work. Saturday was insane!! That morning, the ward was having a picnic, so I got to meet people and to help serve them which was great for me. Then, the baptism was at 2 o'clock and the service was very good. After that we cleaned up there and rushed to the mission office to grab some things and to talk with President. After we left there, we had to go back because we had forgot something. When we walked in, President Riggs was on the phone with someone and motioned for us to wait until he was done. He explained that someone was in need of a blessing and he asked us to help him. We drove to the Hospital where the man, who was a former missionary here, was and we gave him the blessing. Tons of Pressure! Haha But it went great and it was fun to have been with President Riggs during that time. He is a special guy.
I have heard that it was very hot back home so that was probably nice to escape up north. That all sounds like you had fun. This week for us will be crazy. First, we have our zone meeting, so I am nervous about that. Also, we have MLC ( Mission Leader Conference), which goes for about 7 hours on Wednesday. Then on Friday, we are doing a Half Mission Conference which I think is to help motivate and inspire us. Nobody really knows what it is all about! On Saturday night, we are attending the Nationals Game for the day to serve. Elder Van Dyke is a big baseball guy so it will be fun to be with him for the game. Lots to report on next week. Love you so much dad. Be safe and enjoy the last week or so of Summer.
Love,
Elder Westover
Friday, July 25, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
Hey Everybody,
I am thankful to report that this week was a whole lot better. It is always nice to remember that God is in control of His work, and that we are fortunate to be his servants! God provided everything for us.
For example, we were bummed because a lesson fell through and we stopped and thought about where we needed to be. We decided to go and see an older lady and offer some service. As we were biking down this highway, a guy blew his tire and so we pulled off with to see if he would let us help him. I am glad I can fix a tire! As we did, he explained that he was ok and did not need our help but we had a great conversation with him. We continued on and when we got to the stop light, a lady gave us her Apartment address and the number. Then the light turned so we dont know a name or anything! But God led us to being there at that time.
We tried the ladies home and she did not answer and we just thought, well what's next? We went on to try a potential we talked to on the road. We went and of course his apartment number did not exist. So we knocked all the doors there. The first door ended up being an inactive member who had been considering coming back and trying to find the Gospel again. How cool is that? Turns out our friend, the one we were looking for, just moved there and on accident told us the wrong number. We found him and taught him the Restoration. It sure was a fun night!
I recognize that through obedience we are blessed. It is essential. I have been trying to do more and work harder and it just felt like God was rewarding me. I felt so peaceful and happy that God knew what I was dealing with and helped me after I did all I could.
Transfer calls are tomorrow and I will let you know what happens. I have a tough district. Very hard to motivate and inspire. I work hard to prepare for district meetings, but they don't try and take much or anything from it. Sister Riggs showed up to my last meeting and was happy with how it went. She asked why people dont take notes or why they dont talk much. I told her that it was a great question. She was nice in explaining that I was given this group because God knew I could work with them. I think I can but it is difficult. I can't do the work for them but if I could, I would.
I am very happy for Brooks. The Aaronic Priesthood provides so many great opportunities to learn and grow. It did for me and with great leaders, it helped alot! We need more Ben Ely leaders.
D&C 88:73 Is where the "hastening of the work" comes from. I think more that it is the start of the end, if that makes sense. The way we have been taught is that for centuries, the Prophets have asked for more time. I think now it is more about how we can save those before it ends. They won't ask for more time. Its the story in Jacob 5. That is really where it all comes from I think. It's on its way and it is cool to be a part of it all. I hope that even when I am done here, I can contribute with the hastening so I can say I helped lead the charge for the second coming. I think that will be a neat time.
I love you all! Have a great week and I hope you are safe.
Love,
Elder Westover
I am thankful to report that this week was a whole lot better. It is always nice to remember that God is in control of His work, and that we are fortunate to be his servants! God provided everything for us.
For example, we were bummed because a lesson fell through and we stopped and thought about where we needed to be. We decided to go and see an older lady and offer some service. As we were biking down this highway, a guy blew his tire and so we pulled off with to see if he would let us help him. I am glad I can fix a tire! As we did, he explained that he was ok and did not need our help but we had a great conversation with him. We continued on and when we got to the stop light, a lady gave us her Apartment address and the number. Then the light turned so we dont know a name or anything! But God led us to being there at that time.
We tried the ladies home and she did not answer and we just thought, well what's next? We went on to try a potential we talked to on the road. We went and of course his apartment number did not exist. So we knocked all the doors there. The first door ended up being an inactive member who had been considering coming back and trying to find the Gospel again. How cool is that? Turns out our friend, the one we were looking for, just moved there and on accident told us the wrong number. We found him and taught him the Restoration. It sure was a fun night!
I recognize that through obedience we are blessed. It is essential. I have been trying to do more and work harder and it just felt like God was rewarding me. I felt so peaceful and happy that God knew what I was dealing with and helped me after I did all I could.
Transfer calls are tomorrow and I will let you know what happens. I have a tough district. Very hard to motivate and inspire. I work hard to prepare for district meetings, but they don't try and take much or anything from it. Sister Riggs showed up to my last meeting and was happy with how it went. She asked why people dont take notes or why they dont talk much. I told her that it was a great question. She was nice in explaining that I was given this group because God knew I could work with them. I think I can but it is difficult. I can't do the work for them but if I could, I would.
I am very happy for Brooks. The Aaronic Priesthood provides so many great opportunities to learn and grow. It did for me and with great leaders, it helped alot! We need more Ben Ely leaders.
D&C 88:73 Is where the "hastening of the work" comes from. I think more that it is the start of the end, if that makes sense. The way we have been taught is that for centuries, the Prophets have asked for more time. I think now it is more about how we can save those before it ends. They won't ask for more time. Its the story in Jacob 5. That is really where it all comes from I think. It's on its way and it is cool to be a part of it all. I hope that even when I am done here, I can contribute with the hastening so I can say I helped lead the charge for the second coming. I think that will be a neat time.
I love you all! Have a great week and I hope you are safe.
Love,
Elder Westover
Monday, July 14, 2014
Hey everyone!
Can I believe I am 19? Absolutely not! The reason I say that is people always ask how old you are and I just have said 18. Now to think I'm 19 is just weird. I am sure when I turn 20, that it will be a whole lot worse!
This week went way good.. for the most part. 95 percent of our investigators are out of town and that made it hard to stay busy. We talked to a lot of people and knocked a ton of doors so it turned out just fine. We met a lady named Elaine, who actually met us. She asked us if we were evangelizing and she explained how she wanted to be better about spreading the word. She let us come by and we taught her the restoration and how it is easy to preach when you know its true. To keep it short, lets just say she has had an interesting life. That was a neat experience.
Also, on Saturday, I got to go back again to Fort Belvoir to see Matt Kough get baptized. His family is just amazing and I can't believe he progressed so quickly. He just ate the Gospel up and is just so smart and he can see how good it is. I was the first missionary to make contact because my companion left when we first met them. They also made a cake for me and I was grateful for that. Such a spiritual experience!
One of our Zone Leaders birthday was July 12th as well. So, we went on a blitz together when we went tracting and used it as an excuse to talk to people. It was a ton of fun and we met a kid who had the same birthday! We took pictures with them! It really was a fun day and I enjoyed it.
The Utah 4th of July holiday is over but I hope you all had loads of fun! I sure missed out on that. I have felt low on energy. It just gets sucked away when you plan everything at night, wake up on-time to study and are the only one to know your investigators or the members. It also is a bummer when your companion does not know your phone number, the address to the church or how to get anywhere. I am not as mad as I was before but I just feel sad for him. It is his choice and when you have been out for almost 20 months, you know the right choice. But, I am doing well for the most part!
Love you Dad! Thanks for the bag! I think it is way nice! I can for sure use that for meetings and when I am in a car area again just carry it all the time! I would hate to see it get ruined in the rain on the bike. I am so thankful for it! I love you a ton and appreciate all the advice you have! Be safe and have a good week!
Love,
Elder Westover
Yes I did get your pictures!
Can I believe I am 19? Absolutely not! The reason I say that is people always ask how old you are and I just have said 18. Now to think I'm 19 is just weird. I am sure when I turn 20, that it will be a whole lot worse!
This week went way good.. for the most part. 95 percent of our investigators are out of town and that made it hard to stay busy. We talked to a lot of people and knocked a ton of doors so it turned out just fine. We met a lady named Elaine, who actually met us. She asked us if we were evangelizing and she explained how she wanted to be better about spreading the word. She let us come by and we taught her the restoration and how it is easy to preach when you know its true. To keep it short, lets just say she has had an interesting life. That was a neat experience.
Also, on Saturday, I got to go back again to Fort Belvoir to see Matt Kough get baptized. His family is just amazing and I can't believe he progressed so quickly. He just ate the Gospel up and is just so smart and he can see how good it is. I was the first missionary to make contact because my companion left when we first met them. They also made a cake for me and I was grateful for that. Such a spiritual experience!
One of our Zone Leaders birthday was July 12th as well. So, we went on a blitz together when we went tracting and used it as an excuse to talk to people. It was a ton of fun and we met a kid who had the same birthday! We took pictures with them! It really was a fun day and I enjoyed it.
The Utah 4th of July holiday is over but I hope you all had loads of fun! I sure missed out on that. I have felt low on energy. It just gets sucked away when you plan everything at night, wake up on-time to study and are the only one to know your investigators or the members. It also is a bummer when your companion does not know your phone number, the address to the church or how to get anywhere. I am not as mad as I was before but I just feel sad for him. It is his choice and when you have been out for almost 20 months, you know the right choice. But, I am doing well for the most part!
Love you Dad! Thanks for the bag! I think it is way nice! I can for sure use that for meetings and when I am in a car area again just carry it all the time! I would hate to see it get ruined in the rain on the bike. I am so thankful for it! I love you a ton and appreciate all the advice you have! Be safe and have a good week!
Love,
Elder Westover
Yes I did get your pictures!
Monday, July 7, 2014
Monday, June 30, 2014
Hello family and friends,
Our week here has been faster than the last one. It was not the best
week I have had here but it was not bad. It was hard because a lot of
our appointments fell through and so we looked back at the end of the
week and were like, I thought we were busy! Haha The nice part is that
we were able to do some great service projects for people and it was a
lot of fun to interact through service.
Also, this week was the Ashburn Stake Conference. On Saturday, we had
the adult session which pretty much filled the chapel and the whole
cultural hall. So on Sunday, they broadcasted the Conference to
multiple different buildings. So while we were watching, just as the
intermediate hymn starts we lost signal, so we missed the talks by
those of the Stake Presidency. It was a bummer to miss those but it
was cool because the two Bishops of the wards scrambled to get a game
plan together and I thought it was funny to see. The stakes here just
have so many people in them!
I can't believe the 4th is on Friday! That is just so insane to me.
Time flies when your gone. Although it will be fun to have a new
tradition and experience, I will for sure miss being with all of you
in Lewiston. I don't plan on missing many more of those Lewiston 4th
of Julys. They are the best.
Is everyone coming up for that this year? Any other fun plans while
you are there? How has your week been and what is going good for you
all? I hope you will enjoy your trip and vacation and celebrate a lot
for me! You will have to send many pictures so that I can see the
days! Or maybe posting them on FB!
Love you all,
Elder Westover
Our week here has been faster than the last one. It was not the best
week I have had here but it was not bad. It was hard because a lot of
our appointments fell through and so we looked back at the end of the
week and were like, I thought we were busy! Haha The nice part is that
we were able to do some great service projects for people and it was a
lot of fun to interact through service.
Also, this week was the Ashburn Stake Conference. On Saturday, we had
the adult session which pretty much filled the chapel and the whole
cultural hall. So on Sunday, they broadcasted the Conference to
multiple different buildings. So while we were watching, just as the
intermediate hymn starts we lost signal, so we missed the talks by
those of the Stake Presidency. It was a bummer to miss those but it
was cool because the two Bishops of the wards scrambled to get a game
plan together and I thought it was funny to see. The stakes here just
have so many people in them!
I can't believe the 4th is on Friday! That is just so insane to me.
Time flies when your gone. Although it will be fun to have a new
tradition and experience, I will for sure miss being with all of you
in Lewiston. I don't plan on missing many more of those Lewiston 4th
of Julys. They are the best.
Is everyone coming up for that this year? Any other fun plans while
you are there? How has your week been and what is going good for you
all? I hope you will enjoy your trip and vacation and celebrate a lot
for me! You will have to send many pictures so that I can see the
days! Or maybe posting them on FB!
Love you all,
Elder Westover
Monday, June 23, 2014
Hi Everybody!!
This week was pretty good there although these was not a whole lot to report on. It
seemed really slow but my companion thought it was fast so it must be
me then! Haha but it was a normal one; nothing crazy yet.
One of the focuses I have had was to get the ward list
and meet a bunch of the less active families to see if there were
no members in that pool as well. We met a couple people who were cool
with us coming by and we hope that we can teach them the lessons with
the family! That would be a neat situation. We will see how that goes.
How was your week?
Love ya!
Elder Westover
This week was pretty good there although these was not a whole lot to report on. It
seemed really slow but my companion thought it was fast so it must be
me then! Haha but it was a normal one; nothing crazy yet.
One of the focuses I have had was to get the ward list
and meet a bunch of the less active families to see if there were
no members in that pool as well. We met a couple people who were cool
with us coming by and we hope that we can teach them the lessons with
the family! That would be a neat situation. We will see how that goes.
How was your week?
Love ya!
Elder Westover
Monday, June 16, 2014
Hey Everybody!
Happy Fathers Day to you, Dad!! I hope you had a great day!
Soooo my week. Let's just say that I am frustrated. We had transfers
this past week and I got a new companion. His name is Elder ********. I
am pretty sure in every mission there is one person that at transfers
you just feel bad for. It was me this past week. Honestly, everyone in
the mission has called this kid "pile" *******. At transfers, literally
6 people came up to me and said they would pray for me and 2 of them I
did not even know.
He has been out for almost 19 months and just does not have a desire
to do much more. He talks about 2 things, going home and working out
when he goes home. Yes, I am frustrated but I am doing really all I
can to push away what people have said and to just love him. I really am.
But even already he complains about biking, studying, and even going
out once. I am at the point where I want to be with someone who wants
to dominate an area and bust it and this will be another companion to
carry on my shoulders and just move along. I am praying for patience
and understanding. I have been obedient, trying to be the example.
It is going to be interesting.
On the bright side, I had the privellage of ordaining a recent convert
man from Cambodia to the Aaronic Priesthood and the office of a
priest! That was so cool for me and for being here for so short of a
time, it was cool he asked me to do that. It sure was an honor! I
remember being more nervous to do something like that and I feel more
confident and I really feel the importance of a blessing now. I know
that the Priesthood is real and I am grateful to bear it for the
service of others.
It sounds like everyone has lots of summer plans coming up. I will for sure miss
the 4th of July but I have the rest of my life to be in Lewiston. I
will just enjoy here for now.
The district is doing ok. It is a hard group of guys to motivate. I just try and crank out my area so that I
can lead others and show them what they can do. The only thing that
really separates people in life is how hard they will work for what
they want. That's it. I really want to help this ward and so I want to
have success to help them.
Thanks for the updates about everyone. It is good to hear what they are
doing. I love you and miss you. Getting close to 11 months now! Time
is flying by. Kyle just got picked up by Uncle Scott and so that is
crazy and exciting. Keep me posted!
Love,
Elder Westover
Happy Fathers Day to you, Dad!! I hope you had a great day!
Soooo my week. Let's just say that I am frustrated. We had transfers
this past week and I got a new companion. His name is Elder ********. I
am pretty sure in every mission there is one person that at transfers
you just feel bad for. It was me this past week. Honestly, everyone in
the mission has called this kid "pile" *******. At transfers, literally
6 people came up to me and said they would pray for me and 2 of them I
did not even know.
He has been out for almost 19 months and just does not have a desire
to do much more. He talks about 2 things, going home and working out
when he goes home. Yes, I am frustrated but I am doing really all I
can to push away what people have said and to just love him. I really am.
But even already he complains about biking, studying, and even going
out once. I am at the point where I want to be with someone who wants
to dominate an area and bust it and this will be another companion to
carry on my shoulders and just move along. I am praying for patience
and understanding. I have been obedient, trying to be the example.
It is going to be interesting.
On the bright side, I had the privellage of ordaining a recent convert
man from Cambodia to the Aaronic Priesthood and the office of a
priest! That was so cool for me and for being here for so short of a
time, it was cool he asked me to do that. It sure was an honor! I
remember being more nervous to do something like that and I feel more
confident and I really feel the importance of a blessing now. I know
that the Priesthood is real and I am grateful to bear it for the
service of others.
It sounds like everyone has lots of summer plans coming up. I will for sure miss
the 4th of July but I have the rest of my life to be in Lewiston. I
will just enjoy here for now.
The district is doing ok. It is a hard group of guys to motivate. I just try and crank out my area so that I
can lead others and show them what they can do. The only thing that
really separates people in life is how hard they will work for what
they want. That's it. I really want to help this ward and so I want to
have success to help them.
Thanks for the updates about everyone. It is good to hear what they are
doing. I love you and miss you. Getting close to 11 months now! Time
is flying by. Kyle just got picked up by Uncle Scott and so that is
crazy and exciting. Keep me posted!
Love,
Elder Westover
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