April 9, 2018
“You Find Out Who Your Friends are, Someone’s Gonna Drop Everything Get There Fast…
Dear Familia, Amigos y Mundo
Where do I start? Let’s just say this was one of the hardest weeks ever! I know, I know, I’ll bet that all of you are thinking Elder Weaver seems to have a lot of hard weeks! Well that’s something that I have thought too. Well, I really don’t know what I want to share about this week but here it goes… First, my companion is no longer the District Leader of our District...I have now been called to be District Leader. If I am being completely honest, I don’t want to be. I am also now the senior companion in my companionship with Elder Castro. Which, I don’t want either. I am sure that you are all very confused as to why and wand to know what has happened. But I really just don’t think I should share all of the details. I have been humbled this week and God has tested my faith. As I have now been asked to walk blind in faith. However, I am doing great now and I am so happy every week that Heavenly Father has built me and purified me just a little bit more to get me closer to the man that He wants me to become. Now, I would like to share the cool part. We started a fast. We fast every Saturday into Sunday and I know that might be dangerous here in the hottest city in Colombia, but it’s for the blessings and we really need them. I have a testimony of fasting. It was hard, really hard! But when that time came to go to church, with a prayer repeating in your mind that hopefully someone came and you finally open your eyes, and see 10 people there you gain a little bit more faith! I am so happy and thankful that we had people come to church. It wasn’t easy, and it never will be. But it sure is worth it when you see them there. I am grateful for fasting and I have seen miracles every time I fast and forget about myself and focus on the people.
Another thing I am grateful for is the amazing people put into my life here in Barranca. One being my second father named Hermano Ochoa. He has really helped me out a lot and seems to always know what to say. He talked to me a bit when I was struggling and a lot of what he said I felt was something my actual dad would say, but it was in Spanish! I love that man and I know my Heavenly Father just keeps putting people in my life to help me. The Familia Ochoa has helped us a lot and we had a great Family Home Evening with my older converts Yolanda Zapata and her daughter Valentina and then Sebastian. They are all going through hard things right now. Yolanda is a little dry on the money side and sometimes doesn’t have water or even light in her apartment. Now, take a step back and imagine that. NO LIGHT OR WATER! Duro (Hard). Then, with Valentina and Sebastian we are trying to get them prepared for missions. But they aren’t going to seminary. Well, Valentina actually goes every now and then but we are trying to get her there every day! But with Sebastian, his parents are being really hard on him. So, we had a great Family Home Evening about faith, we watched a short movie about a man who had a lot of faith to walk with a messed up leg and then talked about it. I just told Sebastian, “I know if you actually go to seminary and try your hardest to be here and talk with your parents that a pathway will be opened that you never knew could be open.” I said that if he tries, God WILL bless him. I know he will, you just need that faith! Now, it’s all in his hands. He just needs to take those steps. I really thanked the Familia Ochoa for that. They really are great people and they are going to help Yolanda financially. I Love them!
Another thing I learned is that when things are hard you find out who your friends are. Well, Elder Razcón is one of them. All through my life when things seem to get tough I always find out who my friends are. Those who will hang on and help you through the process and not just drop you. Well, Elder Razcón is a perfect example of that, he has been through a lot with me and he hasn’t dropped off. He really has helped me through almost every trial of faith I have had here on the mission. I think as missionaries we have trials every week which truly test our faith. But I know our heavenly father is always watching over us. I know it. He has shown me time after time and week after week. I Love how the first thing we teach as missionaries is that God is our loving Heavenly Father. Because it’s so true. He never gives us something we can’t handle. Your knees might be weak and sore every now and then, because of the time you spend pleading and praying for some source of help. But, I know after all the tears He is there helping you out. I love that. Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial (God is our Loving Heavenly Father).
Love,
Elder Weaver
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