5/12/14 Email

From: Camille Weller [mailto:camille.weller@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2014 11:20 AM
To: Melissa Wheatley;

Subject: Happy Mothers Day!!! (:

 

Wow it was so fun and good to see all of your faces yesterday!!! And I dont think you realize how much motivation it gives us to get out there and work even harder to make our families proud. We miss you all so much but i think we understand now how important the work we are doing is and also that the time we have until we get back home to you all is so short! Thank you for all of your love and for the advice that you gave us! Also happy mothers day to all the moms out there! especially to my mommy (: and aunts, and grandma and sister(: haha Alright so ill get down to business.. heres a little from each day of what happened this week (:

Monday... Cinco de Mayo.. sad to say we didnt really do anything for the holiday.. not even tacos or anything. we suck. sorry mexico. But we did go explore a little town down the valley and had some fun there, visited an old catholic church, went on a hike, and did some more yoga haha then we had a family home evening with Hermana Asunta and Hno Santos, cant say it enough, love that family. Then we got to go help one of the girls in my young womens with her english homework, anyway to serve is worth it right? haha 

Tuesday we got to go down to Arequipa. we rode down in a mini van sort of thing and made friends with the driver, we ended up teaching him the restoration and it turned out really good! He even let us put in our english church music and we were singing fools the rest of the way there haha when we got to arequipa we went and got a couple things we needed and then went to the mission home. We met up with Hna Robinson and Levitt who are our sister training leaders and got to go to chilis to have a little meeting with them. 1. Chilis was the best thing in the whole world. 2. They helped us a ton with ideas and things for the branch in Chivay because there in an area thats also a small branch, theyre a little more advanced down there but they still helped us a ton! They even gave us a cute little present with a branch inside and a note that says "lets go build a branch." love it! 

Wednesday we had a nice yummy breakfast at the mission home (captain crunch(: ) and then went to our zone conference with our zone down here in arequipa. It was an awesome meeting and made us even more eager to get back up to our area and get to work. One of my favorite things that was taught was that sometimes we think too much about the "how" and not enough about the "why". If we only think about how were going to baptize people and not the why.. the importance of baptism and how its necessary for the life hereafter.. the work is pretty much pointless. There are so many reasons of why the work we do as missionaries is so important and i think its good to remember them! Our mission also started a new challenge that is to read the Book of Mormom for fifteen minutes everyday as a companionship. We have been doing that every day since then and it has become one of my favorite parts of the day, we always seem to read what we need to hear and i can feel how much power the book of mormon has when we read it. We ate at subway and headed home. 

Thursday we had weekly planning and we both felt really strongly after praying for about a week that the Lord has 7 people that are ready to be baptized this month.. so we had lots to plan and prepare for to make that happen! we had english class too.. still going strong!! then we planned a surprise party for elder hulet and it turned out to be so much fun! Hna Asunta helped us and it was a fun little party for him! 

Friday we had an amazing lesson with Hna Brenda and her mom, We taught them the restorationa and invited them to pray about it and if they recieve an answer, to be baptized. they both accepted.. they also both expressed how difficult it would be to change religions but that if thats what God wanted for them they are willing to do it. We are praying so much for them that they can feel the spirit and make the change. I love that family and want them to be able to recieve the blessings that are waiting for them.. i know that God has a plan for each of his children and that when their ready they will accept the Gospel into their lives. Im grateful to be a part of at least planting the seed and i hope ill get to see it grow(:

Saturday we got to be there for the baptism of Angie. One of the Elders investigators, it was probably the most beautiful baptism ive ever been too. We had to hike and cross the river to get to the spot and when they did the actual baptism the spirit was so strong, i thought a lot about how before there were baptismal fonts that that is how they had to be baptized.. its cool to see how nature, and a beautiful ordanance of baptism make for such a spiritual experience. That night we had the movie night as usual and also had our first releif society activity of the year!! Things are starting to get going here in the branch of chivay(:

Sunday was a great day (: first i got to talk at church and talked about charity and the love of christ. Then we handed out little gift bags that we made for all the moms and got a special present for one of the elders investigators that we also visit.. she doesnt know how to read so while we were down in arequipa on wednesday we bought her the book of mormon and doctrine and covenants in CD form so she can listen to them, she loved them! then we rode down to arequipa again and had lunch with my pensionista in Graficos, my last area. So yummmyyy!! miss her food! then we went and skyped our families.. loved that(: then we stayed at the mission home and made milkshakes. 

It was a busy but amazing week!! There is so much work to be done and so little time. Next week is transfers but were almost 100% possitive were both staying. So keep the prayers coming for Chivay! I cant believe how fast this month is going by... time needs to slow down!! Well just like i told my family yesterday i have a challenge for all of you.. there are 4 things to do to better your relationship with your family and with God and i promise that if you do them you will be happier and your relationship with your heavenly father will grow. They are:

1.Have Sripture study every night as a family. (Even better if its the Book of Mormon)

2. Family prayer at leaste once a day!

3.Go to church ( all 3 meetings) every sunday. and keep the sabath day.

4.Have Family Home Evening Every week!!

Well i love you all and hope that you have a great week!!! thank you for your love, prayers and support!! (: Til next week!!! 

Hermana Weller ( from the Steller companionship.... (stone+weller) (: