Transferred from Juncos

"Goodbye to Obispo Blanco"

"Goodbye to the Gallardo family"

"Goodbye to Juncos"

Hello Family and Friends,

I kind of knew this was going to happen because I have been here in Juncos for about 6 months. I have learned so much here and have met so many wonderful people that I will never forget, its kind of, for the lack of a better word…bittersweet. I am excited to go work in Carolina with Elder Tarr. He is a great guy and he has one more transfer in the mission than me, and we get along well.

"Last district meeting"

This week was super special as we had General Conference. The challenge in the mission was to come to conference with 2 questions/doubts in mind and if we studied and prayed we were promised these questions would be answered, as we listened to our prophet and apostles the spirit was felt and my questions were answered and I feel uplifted. What a blessing that was! 

We started teaching a couple and they are Aileen and Jonathan, a reference from a member in Caguas. They both have a great spirit and a desire to know.

Xiomara is also doing well and still her countenance is beautiful. She is smiling and she enjoyed conference. The Atonement of Jesus Christ has healing power. All that we have to do is humble ourselves and come unto Him through repentance and we will change. Such a beautiful promise.

Carmen and Pedro are well, but couldn't come this week but will the following. As we read the Book of Mormon and pray about it with REAL intent, there is no doubt that The Holy Spirit with tell us it is true. I know that is true with all my heart, I have seen personally lives change.

"Goodbye to Carlos"

I am excited for this new part of my mission and I plead that the Lord with bless and guide you all. Be happy, this life is so that we may have joy. Find the joy in the little things.

Elder Waidmann

"I felt as if we were really working with the Savior"

Elder Lopez and I contacting

Hello!

I want to thank everyone for your love and support… it has been felt and the work is progressing here in Juncos.

This week was awesome!  We did a follow up on a new investigator, Wilfred, from a week ago and he is keeping his commitments and wants to be baptized. This week was stake conference and it went so well. On Sunday we went to Caguas, and Vicente showed up in a white shirt, tie and slacks.  He looked amazing!  His soon to be wife, Delia came with her daughter, Xiomara, Arriana and Aleya. Vicente and Delia are great… just working on the legal side of things with the marriage situation.  God is helping them so much! Xiomara is changing, always smiling and is progressing so much.  As of now Aleya is happy with her decision and we are so happy to have the opportunity to teach and help another daughter of God find the path to eternal life.

I went to the area of Elder Castro for an intercambio and we had a miracle of a day. We planned the night before with the Carpeta de area, with the ward members list and we set reachable goals that made us work efficiently all day.  We found that new investigator, Artie.  So many people were interested and gave us return dates to visit.  It was such a wonderful day.  I am sure God knows and loves every single one of His children. I felt as if we were really working with the Savior. The Spirit was every so present all day and I know He was there leading us to those who were prepared.

I love this work with all my heart and I know that as we set a goal and plan according to reach it, the Lord will bless us reach it. I love you all and hope you all have a great week! I love this quote from D. Todd Christofferson "Our lives should be a confession of Christ and, together with our words, testify of our faith and devotion to Him"

Elder Waidmann

"Every soul is precious in the sight of God"

Hello everyone!

Thank you for all the love and support.  I am so grateful. This week was good, another week of learning, growing and serving. First, I am so grateful for the mission and for all that I have learned here, and for the opportunity I have had to serve shoulder to shoulder with my Savior, Jesus Christ. There is nothing like it. At times in the mission I have felt so exhausted and my body just wants to rest and take a break, but then I remember that the Savior took no breaks.  He was always about doing good and serving others, and He gives me so much energy and faith to get out that door and walk that extra mile to help others come unto Him.

This week we were out contacting a lot and we have been able to find many! We are super blessed and grateful and we are hoping and praying that their hearts will be softened and that they choose to accept this message in their lives, as it will change them forever. I was having a hard time yesterday and this morning and I got on my email to write home and my old companion Elder Wilcox sent me a picture of a person who just got baptized in Ponce and it surprised me so much! It was an investigator that Elder Wilcox and I taught and I was so surprised and it made me so happy!!!! It gave me so much faith and desire to keep on working my best because every soul is precious in the sight of God and He needs me out there finding and teaching His children.

Vicente and Delia are still doing super good. They are so happy and are waiting to get married. We are teaching their grand-daughters too and one of them is really interested so we are happy for that family! Vicente and Delia have committed to go to the Santo Domingo LDS Temple next year to be sealed, and that made me so happy! Carmen was not able to come to church because she is super sick and we are praying and hopeful that she will get better and progress.  She is such a great person!

I love you all so much!

Elder Waidmann

"Back to Work!"

Hello Everyone!

Well as you have all been informed, I was really sick last week… but thanks to you all for your thoughts and prayers, I got better quickly and I was able to get out of the house and go to work! I am so happy!

The week has started out so wonderfully. Yesterday was church and wow… it was such a beautiful day. My companion was able to find a new investigator when he did intercambios  (exchanges) with different Elders this week when I was sick. The new investigator’s name is Carmen. She is so awesome and she impressed me when I met her. She has an open mind and a sincere desire and she told me when I was getting to know her she is trying to find the find the true church! Also Delia, Vicente’s girlfriend came too! It was so wonderful. It was the fist time she has gone to another church for years. In Gospel Principles class she said, “I have never felt the Spirit like this. Here it is so different and I feel the Spirit so strong.”  Later Vicente also testified of the truthfulness of the Gospel in the class, they both have noticed the difference in their relationship as they have lived the Gospel. They are so happy and you can see it glow from them.

Carmen had a wonderful experience in the church and cried because she desired that her family could also be at church to experience the joy she had been feeling! Later on, Vicente gave me his Book of Mormon and he had written his testimony in the front cover. It said I know God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. Later, during the third hour of church, we were talking about a talk from general conference called “I Believe”. We were talking about how the word “believe” can mean a lot of things depending on how we use it, but we were talking about how it means in a sense a knowing of something. Then Vicente, shared his testimony and said aloud this time I know God and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, that the Book of Mormon is true and that this is the true church! The power of his testimony was amazing. I am humbled to be a servant of God as a full time missionary, and to be able to see and feel the love God has for His children. I love these people. I am so grateful for the hard times and the good times. It really is God helping us become more like his Son, Jesus Christ, and through being like him and following him, we will be able return to our Father in Heaven

 3 Nephi 9:14-15 - In the Book of Mormon

14)Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

15) Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

Love you all!

Elder Waidmann

"I love my mission with all my heart"

Hello everyone!

Another week flew bye, and the work here is progressing. We have been so blessed from God, and we have seen his hand in this work.

This week, we were contacting in San Lorenzo and we said a prayer to start finding and we set off. The third or so house, we saw a young kid and he looked at us and his eyes widened so much and I saw him whisper, “Oh my gosh!”  I said “What happened?” and he said, “I am a member or that church”.   His name is Jeanpol, we talked to him and taught him. Turns out he was baptized with his five other family members last year, they then moved from Florida to here and haven’t been able to find the church for a year. We called his mom and told her there was a meetinghouse close by and she was so excited! 4 out of the 5 family members came to church yesterday and took the sacrament for the first time in a whole year! Jeanpol is 14 and wants to leave with us to do visits and he is excited to be a missionary. That made me so happy! I was really pondering about the experience finding them and it was such a miracle. Who knows… if God wouldn’t have put us there, who knows if they would’ve ever found the church here and that the boys would’ve never served missions. Six lost sheep have been found and I am so grateful for that experience.

We are teaching the son of a less active member. He is 10 and his name is Kervin. He is a champ! It is so cool to see that although he is so young, he has been able to see the change in his life. He says he feels so happy when he reads and the next step is church!

Vicente came to church again and is excited to be baptized. I love that guy so much! Him and his wife call us their sons… I love it. Vicente is such a special man, and he has the spirit glowing from him. You can’t help but smile when you talk to him!

I love my mission with all my heart. I have learned to love people that I meet at their doorstep, I have been an instrument in the hands of God to be able to find his lost children. There is nothing greater than this calling. I know God loves us, I know it. I know Jesus Christ is the LIGHT and LIFE of this world and that He lives.

Love you all!

Elder Waidmann