The original Jack-Jack the Lumber Jack.  Cutting wood in Winchester...

Week 30-February 22, 2016

This is a grand occasion. This marks my thirtieth email sent beginning from week one! This is a historic landmark in the history of the Tennessee Nashville Mission. I will do something special for it.

Hey, hey, people of the world, how are ya'll doin today? My week was good. It was probably the fastest week of the mission so far! Let me give yall the run down...

Okay. First off we got transfer news and Elder Overfield and I are both staying in Altamont. Not super surprised with this news. In fact, most of our district is staying the same. We are only getting one new Elder. It's cool because Elder Overfield knows the new guy. I guess he was in his home stake. Small world huh?

Monday was pretty slow... Our pday was mainly spent watching these church history dvds Elder Overfield was sent. But they were documentaries. And these were really really monotone and slow documentaries....so we had a good nap. Later we went out with one member for supper. We went out to Mexican. I asked for the hottest hot sauce they had. It wasn't that hot. It left a lot to be desired. Regardless, it was delightful. The rest of the week has been really good as well. I wasn't in Altamont for most of it though. We had an exchange with the winchester elders. I got to go with Elder Cushing who is. Spanish missionary. As in he speaks it. There area is kind of rough. Hey are really trying but they hardly teach anyone. It just seems like they can never catch anyone at a good time. That has got to be frustrating. The lessons Elder Cushing and I did have though we're really good ones. The Lord certainly knows who is ready and who isn't. They have some of the strongest investigators I've seen. That somewhat ties into the main lesson I have learned this week. Sometimes as missionaries we feel like we need to be exact. In fact we are counseled ( at least in my mission) to be exactly obedient. Have you ever tried doing that? It's far from easy. Somebody in that situation can become overwhelmed by it all. We have a final goal in mind of perfection. Yet we sometimes beat up on ourselves when we are not perfect in the moment where it seems like it matters most. A good friend asked me this question. 

"In your minds eye, what do you think perfect means to you?" I answered, I guess somebody who does what there supposed to. She responded, "somewhat. Perfect to the Lord is the very best you can do today. You can't be perfect and God doesn't expect you to be...he wants you to do your best. That's it. End of story. Your gonna screw up but that's why we have the atonement. It's like state Farm, it's got you covered. Always and forever. That's the great lesson I have learned. Tony Horton said it best. Do your best, forget the rest. It's true. So don't freak! God knows what your situation is. He understands you! All he wants is your best. And that's all you can do. 

Aside from these things, we had a week that is good enough for the books. Whatever that means. I love yall. Let me know if I can do anything for ya. Keep it real and party on dudes.

Love 

Elder Weight

petting a deer

 

Can I have this?

February 15, 2016

Hey, HI, Hello, HI guys. I hope yall have had an excellent week filled with joy and wonder. Let me give you a summery of each day this week as I can recall.

Monday-

Monday was filled with walking and a lot of rain. Elder Overfield and I went hiking to Greeter Falls. He was impressed with he beauty of the place. I never get tired of going there. It truly is a testament of the heavenly beauty that resides here in the state of Tennessee. Despite the rain, our journey was far from dismal. It truly was a peaceful experience . It is easy to feel close to the Holy Ghost outdoors.  To be surrounded by all of the creations that were made for our enjoyment...it's always an enriching thing, Something I always delight in. Besides our adventure into the wild, we enjoyed our day of rest in peace.

Tuesday-

Our zone leaders requested to have our exchange his week and desired to come with us Tuesday. Instead of trading out one missionary for another, one zone leader accompanied our companionship while the other went with a separate group. We had our very own Elder Daines with us. Tuesdays are usually our "powerhouse" days, in which we travel to the cities of Tracey City and Monteagle. We have many investigators and from these we gross numerous lessons. At the end of the day we taught seven lessons. Seven people that day learned more about how to gain happiness in this life and joy in the next. For this I am humbly grateful. 

Wednesday-

Wednesday was a day to remember. I had asked Elder Overfield to  give a training for the coming district meeting which was to take place on this day. Though reluctant, he accepted the task. He trained on her importance of the spirit. He had Elder Daines recite the first vision of Joseph Smith and bear his own personal testimony of the truthfulness of the event. One could scarcely keep from feeling an outpouring of spirit from that zone leader. It testified to us all that his words were true. Elder Overfield continued to tell us that that is what we must do to all we meet. Bring the truth along with the spirit to those we come in contact with so that others may have the chance to believe. We cannot force the truth into people, yet we can bring the truth to them. It is their choice to accept or reject. I also had the opportunity to give a training on that of obedience. We learned that we can measure our missionary success not by baptisms and confirmations, but by our obedience. Our love for the Lord is shown by our willingness to obey, for baptisms come in the lords time. The mission experience is, yes, to preach the gospel to those who have not heard, but to change us. We become more devoted, more loyal, more committed to the Lord...and have joy in the process and in the end. Later on after the meeting we met a family in whom I can relate with very well. We met a mother with her three sons. Her youngest son had severe autism. Elder Overfield and I both shared that our families had sons with autism as well. She took a great liking to us. Regardless of the family's numerous trials and challenges, their hardships, as well as their autistic son, has brought them closer together. He is a gift from God, and he was given to them for that very purpose. What a wonderful visit we had with them. They greatly admired the beliefs we have about how the family is ordained of God and that we may be with the ones we love forever. They invited us to continue to return and teach them.

Thursday-

For what ever reason, the remainder of the week was rough. It was so cold. The wind pierces you no matter how manay layers you may have on. We knocked on so many doors that day. Not one person was home. When we found those at home they told us to come see hem a better day. In the end we taught one lesson that day. It was trying, but it was not in vain. In the midst of hard times, God makes strong servants. I know whatever purpose that we were sent out to do was fulfilled. For we went out and we ready and available to be used as the Lord desired. He made young boys just that much more devoted servants. 

Friday-

Friday availed to be a much better day than the previous. We taught a total of five lessons. Most of them were very spiritually uplifting, not just to the students but to us as the teachers. But our final lesson that day was not so. The husband of this family was released from jail only a few days prior to our meeting with him. He expressed strong desires to alternate he course or direction his life was heading, for he has made many grevious mistakes in the course of his years and desired to turn to the gospel of Christ. Unfortunately his employer has harsh feelings to the church and always has from an early stage of his youth. He warned this man a great deal about us Mormons and also spread many anti Mormon feelings to him. Throughout our meeting he was very adamant about being biblically correct and expressed his disagreements regarding our doctrine. What was yet miraculous was the fact that his wife and step daughter were sitting beside their father and had their eyes fixed on us throughout he entire duration of the lesson. As Elder Overfield recited the words of the prophet Joseph, their eyes illuminated with the right of it all and the spirit was present in them as well as us. Unfortunately the father was so busy in fumbling with his Bible to find evidence that what truth we were speaking to him was so drastically absurd, he let the words along with the spirit pass right over his head and gave no notice to a single word in which we spake. We told him that we would return and teach yet again, but he must read from the book of Mormon and pray to God if the words were true. The difference in the father and his family is this. The family was able to recognise the spirt because they had a willing heart and an open mind while the father desired to find fault in our church. That is the difference. In order to receive a witness to the truthfulness of this church, one must seek answers for purposes, not to tear down, but to build up. Many do not receive the promised witness found in Moroni 10: 3-5 and claim the church be false because they fail to do such with a sincere heart. If we do not do what we must on our part, the answers we desire will not be given to us. 

Saturday- 

Saturday seems a great big blur. We taught many people that day but I honestly cannot recall to much of what went on.

Sunday-

I have grown a great love for Sunday as a missionary. The sacrament is so essential. That is the most important part to my week now. But aside from the sacrament, we have the chance to go out with the bishoprick. We always have the best lessons when we go out with them. We were able to meet new Investigators and teach them. They are excited for us to return. 

All in all, we had a wonderful week. In his past week we had the opportunity to grow testimonies. Not just others but our own as well. I love you all and enjoy hearing from you. Let me know if there is anything yall need. 

Love yall,

Elder Weight

February 8, 2016

Hey! Sorry for the late email. We spent the day up at greeter falls again. I had to take Elder Overfield.

This week we had a good week. We found a lot of new people and are continuing to work with the ones we already found. I think I will share a story from this week. During the week we ran into antis or people that had quite the wore spot for the church. One lesson we had with this woman, here friend came in and sat down and she got kinda riled up and she said, I don't want to hear nothin bout your Joseph Smith and book of Mormon. Then her friend agreed and was like yeah, what do you guys want? I mean do you really need us in your church? You guys already have donnie and marrie Osmond! That was funny. But what we did is we bore what we KNEW  and held dearly to our hearts and the lesson ended. They kindly led us out. 

We had another situation that was actually kinda creepy. We went to this house because our GPS took us there. As we walk up to the door this man comes out and says come on in,it's cold out there! We were confused because usually we fight our way in the door. The wife was sitting there and we made ourselves comfy. We then start talking and we talk about the book of Mormon. I could feel something wasn't right. The wife left the room and came back with some book and flipped through it and kept glancing at the pages. I sat quietly observing. Elder Overfield was talking to them and they were twisting his words so carefully and cleverly that they were missing with his head and trying to trip him up but the weird part was they were doing it so politely. I then said we had to go and we made a hasty exit. I told Elder Overfield that they had an anti book and we're messing with us. They were almost acting out a play in front of us. They were terrible actors by the way. But it was creepy. It annoyed me. I mean why would anyone go to such great lengths to do something like that. Especially tear down a church that only does good? Oh yeah maybe because it's the TURE CHRUCH! Like seriously. Why else would people do that. 

On a brighter note we were able to attend the temple again! I haven't been in so long it feels that I forgot a lot about what happens. It was really a great moment to rest from the troubles of the world and step out of the world into a blissful paradise. 

Other then that it's been working. Elder Overfield got really excited this week because he was able to help a member fix his pick up. He is super into that. All in all we have had a great week. Sorry for the short notice but I was able to get this out. Love yall! Love to hear from ya also. Keep fighting on.

Elder Weight

I love this picture

I love this one too.  Thanks, Elder Snow!

Some people have way too much time on their hands!

A Preacher's car...It's ok, we gave him a Book of Mormon

Chapter 27:  Killin it!

How's it going everybody? I hope your doing well. Let me tell you about what went down this past week.

My companion, Elder Overfield, and I are really trying to step up our game and lead by example in our area which is what the District leaders are counseled to do. We have been trying to go and find brand new people to teach and invite to the gospel. So this week has consisted of a lot of tracting and asking for referrals from members. 

Tuesday we spent most of our time serving at the food bank in Tracey City which neighbors Altamont. We then tried to visit as many people as we could in Tracey City and Monteagle which also is by Tracey. Tuesday was a rough day. Mainly, because it was ridiculously foggy outside! I am not exaggerating when I say that it was so bad you literally could not see in front of you! Driving in it was a nightmare. I don't know how we were even able to. I think we probably shouldn't have...but It's okay were alive so...

Despite all our efforts we were able to come back home that day with three lessons taught. That is actually a really good day so booyah! 

Wednesday was our district meeting. We had excellent trainings given about our role as missionaries and the importance of the book of Mormon. In the book of Mormon training all the greenies went up and had 15 to 20 seconds to look for a scripture about a specific thing the missionary doing the training requested. They did a whole lot better then what we thought they would do. We ended up staying later in Jasper because they had two investigators who would be baptized Sunday. I had the opportunity to be the one to interview them for baptism. It was really amazing to see how much they were able to learn and how their faith had grown in only a few short weeks. I am proud to say they both "passed" and we're baptized yesterday. We also had an exchange with jasper so I had Elder Sanders come to Altamont with me. 

Thursday we struggled to find people to teach. We had planned to go and visit someone every hour, but every single investigator we planned to go see fell through so we were stranded with no plans. And it was only 11 in the morning. We thought a great deal about what we could do. The zone has a goal to try and get at least three lessons a day. We continued to pray the we would be where we were needed. We tracked a street and had no success. Some people were relaxing on their front porch and when they saw us walk by they jumped off their porch and ran in their house and locked the door. I have never seen an old lady move that fast in my life! It was cool because we had three dogs follow us the whole way up the street and back to our pick-up. Elder Sanders thought they were the three nephites and we named them Moroni, Lehi, and Teancum. We came back down the road later and couldn't find those dogs again at all! Crazy. I kept feeling like we needed to visit these two investigators. We tried three times for both. The second time for one, they drove right past us in their car. On the third time, one of the doors finally opened. His name is Roni and he was excommunicated. We have been trying so hard to get him to come. We talked about the book of Mormon and he said he has been reading it still and feels so much better from doing it. True that. The other we had no luck with. At the church we have basketball at seven Thursdays. We came up and set up. Unfortunately the last three weeks not one person came. This week we had two people come. And guess who it was? It was the boy we could never get a hold of that day! And he brought his brother. Man those kids are good. What's amazing is how they are both autistic. But they act totally normal. I guess they overcame it pretty well. They remind me of my brother. They had me running up and down the court! He began to ask us about how we became missionaries. We explained the process and also shared the restoration of the gospel with him. He was really impressed with that. We still only had two lessons for that day. I thought of who we could go visit. We eventually came to a less active sisters home that lived by the church. She was in a great deal of pain. We offered to give her a blessing and she graciously accepted. She was very happy we had come to do that for her. We were able to teach her also. So in the end not only did we achieve our three lessons, but we also had our prayer answered. We were where we needed to be that day.

Friday was zone conference. We had a lot of great trainings and motivational speeches. It is always fun to meet the missionaries in different areas and to get advice from them. Unfortunately that took up most of the day and we didn't get to do much later. 

Saturday was rough. We spent the whole day finding, tracting and anything and everything related to that. We had a lot of people tell us off and a few doors slammed in our face. People telling us that the book of Mormon shouldn't even exist and so on. This one crusty old lady told us that we teach Joseph Smith and not the Bible the. Slammed the door. Well that's the Bible belt for you.  Even though there were a lot of rude people there were a great number of kind ones as well. In the end we taught four lessons. We were able to exceed our goal for that day! It payed off. We have been trying to find this one less active forever but could not find him for the life of us! Then one day when we weren't looking for him we got the impression to knock on this door we passed and sure enough it was him! The Lord does give. He did it right there.

Sunday was a great day for us. It was nice to have normal church meetings again after not having them for two weeks. Taking the sacrament felt so good. We taught five lessons that day! One of them was actually in jail! Kind of. There was an investigator who went to prison who gets out in a few days. We went to visit him and gave him a book of Mormon. He said he was going to do things right when he gets out and try to fix his life up. We actually gave a bible to the security guard watching us. Haha. We had a great day though.

The beginning of the week, we were very worried we would have enough people to teach. But by the end we ended up have 23 total lessons with 11 new investigators! I owe that one to the Lord. We have been working really hard to help fix this area up and it is paying off. Eventually things will pick up and people will be getting baptized around here soon. Despite trials and crazy people, we were able to teach a ton of good people. We are working and we are loving it. I hope y'all are doing well. I'd love to here from you and know what's going on in your life. Let me know if I can do anything for ya. Keep it classy!

Elder Weight

(Sorry, this email was so long! I had to make up for my short ones I have been sending out lately. So if you are like me I usually skip the words and look at the pictures first. So here you go.)