June 14th

A lot has been happening here in Ebeye. This week had a couple married, RoseAnn and Tony. Last week had two baptisms. Our mission president came to the island one last time. My finish date is coming up fast but, I'm glad work is going well to keep me going strong. 

   Roseann and Tony marriage went well. We will hoping to have the married soon just got to get Tony coming to church, Roseann has been this whole month. Roseann and Tony our my parents age and so it's pretty cool with them. They told me how they were a little nervous before the wedding but, I asked how long they have been together. 21 years. Weddings in the Marshall Islands are very simple and just have close families and friends come to a small ceremony. 

   AJ and Betawin got baptized last weekend and both just beaming. Had all of AJ's family out there and quite a few others come as well. AJ's family is less active so although he was attending church for the last 3 months his family kept saying he wasn't ready so it was great to finally get him in the water. Betawin's story has been quite the experience with him feeling he was worthy and able to be baptized and has been coming to church for the last 3 months as well. I know Betawin will continue to be an example and because of that bring others into the church. 

   Our A/C broke so it had been pretty miserable and with it fixed now it makes all the difference. There are days where you just start to sweat from being outside and it's tough. Knowing I'll be leaving the heat in a short time can make it hard to get out and work in it sometimes, especially because during the hottest times people do not want to study or asleep. 

   Investigators are doing well. Betty is studying more regularly and always studying with a member. Has been reading the Book of Mormon and asked if we could come back a little bit later one day because she was just able to start reading and didn't want to stop just yet. With her we just got to get her husband involved and get them married. Started with Rodney and Kane, she's a member and his brother Stanford referred us to him. He's still pretty sick so we're taking it slow with him but, is listening intently. One of Renny's friends, Newton, started taking lessons. He just came from one of the outer islands and his grandma is a strong member so lessons have been good with him, took him over to the church for a youth dance one night. 

   Work with less actives has been good as well. Ned is coming to church every week for all 3 hours. Came Sunday despite having pink eye. Hoping he'll receive the Melchezidek in a few weeks. Also Johnny has been a break through as well. His wife Nesia is active and she told us we've been the first elders that let him visit and go over lessons with him. We were able to bless his 5 year old in the hospital and because he was fine instantly it helped to strengthen his faith a lot and we were able to bless him as well because he was sick Sunday. He said he'll be there this coming Sunday. Know the majority of less actives in our area and some are not interested in having of us visit but generally most are really receptive. Most were recent converts that fell away after baptism and need that encouragement to help them come back into the church. 

   Have been able to get subway a couple times this week from members. This last p-day went to Abejdik again went and night so walked crossed to the other island at low tide at night, slept over there and came back the next morning. Got our hammocks set up and way nice to get off the island of Ebeye only if it's 20 minutes away. 

Doctrine and Covenants 80:3-5 Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss. Therefore, declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true.Behold, this is the will of him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love 

Elder Weenig

P.S. One more thing Betawin told me how he was a baby turtle he's taking care of and he named it after me and says its birthdate is June 4th, the day he was baptized. 

S. Weenig

May 29th

 Interesting week. I almost left Ebeye to go work back in Majuro then the last minute told I could stay. Either than that work has been good; solid investigators. Two people will be baptized this Saturday and have set up dates with quite a few others. 

   So last week Saturday I get told by the senior couple that I have a ticket to fly out that Wednesday. When I heard I was absolutely devastated, definitely not ready to leave the island of Ebeye quite yet.  Well I was contacting the AP's seeing if I would be able to stay and they said they'd try to figure it out but Monday morning I got an email from my mission president telling me I'm transferring to Majuro. 6:00 that night, right before a family home evening/going away party, I get called by the AP's saying I am able to stay here in Ebeye. Elder Kim ended up flying to Majuro in my place with Elder Polson. Tuesday we had Elder Salanoa, my companion from back in MTC days, and Elder Mahanga fly into Ebeye. Both elders are from Brisbane and so it's pretty funny to here them go back and forth and just rip on one another. 

  

   Also Elder Waniel, the one in the south area flew out to Ujae. It was pretty sad because I've been able to work with him for the past 6 months here in Ebeye and also in the first few months of my mission as well. Since he'll be on an outer island it was probably the last time I'd be seeing him. Ebeye is definitely different with having all the elders and sisters I've been working with for so long changed up but still good. 

   Pink eye this week that broke out Sunday night and has been on and off. Both Monday and Tuesday I was out of work and just confined to my house. Well actually Monday I tried to work, but... With the Ebeye sun I was out for maybe over an hour before my eyes start burning really badly then wind up with the worst headache. Tuesday I decided it would be best to stay in. Had Kalinowski go with Elder Kim and Elder Polson that day as a three way to cover both areas than I had Sonny just come stay with me. The pink eye is mostly gone but my eyes are still a bit sore. 

   Elder Kalinowski is good. His Marshallese is pretty impressive and a lot of people are amazed how much he knows for being out for a couple weeks. He still doesn't understand what people are saying but know a lot of vocabulary. Seminary ended so we won't have to be waking up kids at 5:00am anymore, I think it was draining this kids energy a lot. 

   Last p-day we went down to an island south of Ebeye, Abejdik. A lit over a mile we walked out there because our relief society was doing an activity and we were invited to come help out. Walked to the island at low tide and then came back on a motorboat. The day was really fun, first time being there and it's nice to be somewhere besides the 2 mile island of Ebeye I've been on for the past half year. Kalinowski and I were down there with Nelson and Sonny. What we did is just set up our hammocks and chill and sleep in the shade so really nice way to spend pday. 

   “Man alone, of all creatures of earth, can change his thought pattern and become the architect of his destiny.” Spencer W. Kimball

Elder Weenig

S. Weenig

May 15

Iakwe. Iakwe. All is great in Ebeye. Sorry for not writing these past couple weeks. My new companion Elder Kalinowski flew in the other day and Sister Lafaele finished her mission this week as well and returned to Samoa. Investigators or good and started with this really great couple. 

   The couple we started with are named Tony and RoseAnn. She had been coming to church a couple weeks and so we were able to start with her husband. Really neat experience the day before we started with them Tony says to her that they want to get married and study with the elders and says we need to ask them, Roseann responded that the elders would find them. The very next day we contacted them and had a lesson later that night. They have a really good foundation and are very ready to make a change in their life. Roseann is Nita's daughter and I'm not too sure if I've talked about Nita. I think she would best be described as matriarch, her grandkid Sonny was the one that got baptized about a month ago and the majority of her grandchildren are baptized and most of her children are studying at the moment. She has given us great referrals and was baptized not even a year ago. 

   Another woman we are studying with is named Betty. She's was at church Sunday and at the relief society activity this week. We have had a few lessons with her and it's good because with her we have Mañin as a member present to help us in the lessons and study at her house. Still continuing with the other investigators they're doing good just not coming to church yet so I'll keep you updated. 

   Elder Kalinowksi flew in from the states Thursday and got here to Ebeye on Saturday. Really cool guy he's from the Bay Area and enjoy him. He seems like a hard worker and ready to get to work so I'm excited. 

   Sister Lafaele left though and it was really sad. I've been able to work with her in Ebeye for the past 5 months as well as other times during my mission. Really hard worker and I respected her a lot. She did a lot to make pday fun and always coming up with something to do. As she left leaving for her flight she broke down and it was pretty sad. Might be one of the first missionaries to be sad that they're leaving. 

   Right now in my district we have Elder Kim who went down to work with Polson. Elder Waniel is with them and will be until they have a plane out leaving out to Ujae. Sister Clark and Sister Elanzo are the sister missionaries on island and pretty cool. Elanzo is Marshallese and her family is from Ebon so it's cool to talk with her about it then Clark is from Utah. It's a good district and have been blessed to work with only the best in Ebeye. 

   All is good everything is good and time continues to wind down. It seems as if Satan has picked up his game and work harder to finish my mission. Just feeling more tired or getting sick or some other thing, all for the best. 

  Doctrine and Covenants 54:10 and again, be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, and they who have sought me early shall find rest to their souls. Even so. Amen.

Love Elder Weenig 

S. Weenig

April 24-100 Days Left!

100 days left. I promise I'm not counting I only know from reading Doctrine and Covenants. I try to he better about reading the scriptures I'll read a section in the morning but basically once we get back from seminary and waking kids up I usually pass out until the time we start work for the day. Lost and dropped a few investigators this week. Right now really focusing on both less actives and inactives. This Sunday it was more full than I've ever seen it and I found out we had 178 people and I was able to look around and recognize every single face there. All makes the missionary work worth it. 

   Right now we have 3 solid people we teach that have been to church the past 2 months. Two of them are kids and they're parents want them to wait a bit longer before they are baptized. So we have people that will be baptized but we just don't know when. Our other one needs to speak to the mission president so we have to wait for him to come in a couple weeks before he can be baptized. 

   One of our investigators is gay. It finally came up during our lesson about Chastity. My companion wasn't bringing it up and I ask him. Then I explained how there is no sin with him and as long as he is abstinent he can be baptized. He told us how he used to study with the Elders in Korsae but once they taught him about chastity and found out he was gay stopped teaching him. Was the first time we heard that he studied before despite asking him a couple times if he had. I find it sad that he wasn't baptized back in Korsae and felt like he wasn't able to be baptized before we taught him. He's one of our best investigators and so I'm really glad well able to move forward with him and he'll probably be baptized in the upcoming weeks. 

   Our pday was way fun this week. Friday night the stake did a campout so us and the other elders went with all the youth and drove out to one of the smaller islands. Was way fun had both a prayer meeting at night and in the morning. So besides hardly any sleep really great. Saturday us and the seminary kids just walked to the next island Gucci Gue and had a seminary activity there. Pretty exhausted a lot different than sleeping all pday like we usually do. 

   One of the verses this week I read was in Doctrine and Covenants 36:7 And this commandment shall be given unto the elders of my church, that every man which will embrace it with singleness of heart may be ordained and sent forth, even as I have spoken.

Just thinking about how great the opportunity it is for me to be on a mission and anyone who is willing to go has the opportunity as well. Similar to the savior Jesus Christ, he takes us as we are then shapes and mends us to perfect us. This really is one of the best things I can be doing and thank all those who helped me to be here and prepare to go. 

I love you all. 

Elder Spencer M. Weenig

S. Weenig

April 17

This week has been nice and productive. We had as much lessons with less actives that we had with others. Besides some bad insomnia and my companion being 'sick' all is well. 

   Elder Kim gets sick a lot.. But his version of sick is usually the fact he's congested or has diarrhea so it can be kind irritating. He's constantly complaining about the most recent sickness that he's dealing, including every time he gets a headache. It's not too bad but everyone now and then he'll use diarrhea for getting out of work but then just sit there and be find while I go with Nelson or some other member. It's kinda bad I got to the point where I don't even feel bad for him when he is sick just annoyed.    

  All the people we go and teach are doing really well. All just at different stages we have a handful that come to church out of the dozen or so people we teach. Also have a good amount of less actives that we go and have lessons with strengthening the family and helping to push the men towards Priesthood. 

   We have begun to watch conference over at the Ricks' for district meeting. Always nice to be able to read and hear from modern day prophets. It can be hard with conference because I've never been able to watch it directly always reading it or watching it a few weeks later. Anyway one of the talks for Saturday morning session really stood out, "I am a child of God" Donald L. Hallstrom. How this is really the most important and crucial belief of being a Christian of even being a human being. That we are descents of a God who loves us and cares for us some who is very personal. I'm also reading a book title 'A God Who Weeps' and it points out all the things in our relationship with God we often take for granted. In the book of Moses "Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?" But then again how can we not be a God that suffers with us and understands our pain. The more we begin to understand the gospel the more simpler it becomes with the most principles we are God's children. Often understated and not understood as deeply that he truly cares and loves for each one of us he does not gain joy from the trials we go through but is often understanding and helps us to bear our trials. Because of this I know the church is true. That Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and guide this church through a prophet today Thomas S. Monson as well as 12 apostles. These men are not perfect but, because of their faith they lead, guide and help us to one day return with a loving God. 

Love you. 

Elder S. Weenig

S. Weenig

Ebeye: April 10, 2016

Biggest news from this week is that I'll be staying in Ebeye. Elder Kim will be transferring to the south end of the island and I'll be training most likely. Either than that nothing new has been going on lately. The members are really great at watching out for us. 

  What's nice about the members half of them we address them as mama and baba. Elder Soromon would call almost everyone mama and baba despite their age so it was pretty funny, like Lupe who's 20 some with toddlers. I'll usually call them mama and baba if they're in their 40's with children older or the same age as me. Always feeding us though there will be some who would be happy to feed us daily and give us food whenever we show up. Two really great experiences this week is we are about to go to bed and members Kahn and Anne Marie show up with a bunch of fruit they brought for us. Then another night we visit Shelly Ann and Ned and they apologize for not having anything and they like give us a loaf of bread a dozen eggs and a can of spam. Always so grateful for all their help and just making us feel at home. Quite a few will say hello children hello my sons, or some Sisters in the ward when we walk in they tell their husbands look our sons are here. Really glad to be in Ebeye North, it is probably the best ward in the mission and really great for members. Almost all missionaries that work in Ebeye get fat but I'm still working out daily so I'm good. 

   Started with Zepty, Renny and Joel's older brother. Studying with two older ladies Rise and Betty both have one of our members come with us for a member present and it really helps us to make the lesson better. What's hard is we have quite a few investigators where they are happy to study but we just don't get to see them that often. Have about a dozen solid investigators at the moment and will probably have 4 ready for baptism at the end of the month. So working hard to meet that goal. 

   Missing everyone. Always nice to hear what's happening back home. Keep pushing myself to finish hard. 

Love 

Elder Spencer Matthew Weenig

Ebeye: April 3, 2016

Iakwe from Ebeye

 This week has been alright. Elder Kim has been sick quite a bit but, I'm not too sure how much is laziness and how much is actual illness. I've been working with Nelson a lot, Elder Polson keeps telling me I have to blindside him so I might just have to take him home with me. He's only 14 but definitely the best kid in the ward to work with because he's not lazy at all and really great about sharing his testimony and will teach part of the lesson as well. 

  Went on splits with the elders in the south area my first one since being here in Ebeye. So finally worked the other half of the island, it can be nice to switch it up rather than seeing the same people all day but, at the same time I do miss seeing my investigators. While I was with Elder Polson we were teaching this girl from Kiribati and I swear when we gave her the Book of Mormon in Kirbati she wanted to cry with joy. Elder Waniel has been sick for almost two weeks so we finally took him to the hospital and is getting a lot better. Worked with Sonny so good for him, although at the end of the day he was pretty exhausted. Basically I worked with Kim Monday and Friday then the rest of the days with some of the youth in the ward. 

  Other news with investigators is that Randa went back to one of the smaller islands Abeton with her aunt. Rayna's parents are good with her being baptized but want us to study with her a bit longer. The week didn't go exactly as planned and we probably won't have any investigators ready for baptized anytime soon but, work is going pretty well. 

   New members are doing well. Found out this week Diosi is getting a calling as a young men's leader. Renny and Joel are solid, Renny is pretty good at coming to seminary. Some of the others that were baptized a little bit ago haven't been too good. Both Junior and Sonny have missed church the last two weeks but, have been good at seminary so we went and visited them Sunday night. Always sad seeing some of the new members starting to backslide. Have been focusing on finding old members that are less and inactive to strengthen them. Sunday morningcontinued with the sunrise testimonies and always great to have the youth have their own time to share their testimonies. 

   And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

(Doctrine and Covenants 18:15,16) As I'm reading through the scriptures I continually find more and more verses that share about missionary work. This week I feel with less actives just the importance of missionary work and helping them to realize one of the most important things they're doing in their lives is raising their children and teaching them the gospel. That they must strive to do everything they can to help their children understand Jesus Christ and to gain their own testimonies. Than from that joy that work they can go so much further to share the gospel with extended family and friends. Missing you guys. 

Love 

Elder Weenig