Spreading the Gospel Through New Manners: Online! :)

Hello all! This is actually me! Yes! As a part of being online missionaries I also get to update and edit my blog! I want to first thank my wonderful and amazing mother and my two incredible sisters for doing such a wonderful job keeping this up to date when I send home emails about what is going on here in New York. I am so grateful to have such an amazing family back home who supports me!

Well since it has been the second of October that this has been updated, I should definitely give an update on what is happening in the happenin city of Brooklyn. Wow. That is the words that I can basically only use to describe this place. It is completely different than any other place that I have ever been! Well I haven't been to many many places but this city by far beats them all in everything I must say. New York. It is one place that turly lives its name. The City that NEVER Sleeps. It really doesn't and I just am amazed at how things are always running on all cylinders here.

The people here never cease to amaze me either. You can never experience the same routine each day because things are always changing. And literally things are always changing. Brooklyn, where I am living as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is one place to behold. When I imagined Brooklyn I could have never thought of what I experience on a daily basis but I am so grateful for every single day that I get to spend here. It is so much fun and also so much work to be a missionary. To be completely honest though, I wouldn't trade this experience that I am having now for anything in the world. Yes that phrase is used way too much sometimes, but I really do mean it. Everyday isn't a cake walk here. It isn't just me and my companion Elder Martinez going around and seeing the sights of Brooklyn. It is us laboring in this wonderful place to find those seeking for the truth. Yes that sounds kinda funny that we are laboring and trying to find people to share our message with but that is what we as missionaries do. We believe and we know that the things that we teach which are central in Jesus Christ and families can change the lives of others for the better.

There really is nothing better than meeting someone who says to us that they have been looking for the truth everywhere and haven't found it yet. Because then we are able to ask "Well have you heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints before?" And when they reply that they haven't and as we begin to share with them the teachings of Christ the understanding that comes to them is incredible. I know that this is true because I have seen it. I have blessed enough to experience it first hand. I know that The Gospel of Jesus Christ really is the "good news" that will one day fill the entire Earth. It is a way of happiness. A way of love and a way of personal peace and righteousness.

Since the last update a lot of great things have happened! Namely General Conference! It was just incredible! I love conference so much and I am so grateful for it every time that I am able to see it! Here in the mission it is like our Super Bowl or Righteousness! :) It was so much fun! It was my second General Conference here in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn and oh it was a good one! I would encourage you all to watch some of the messages that were shared! They are incredible and honestly for each and every one of us they can also be life changing. They can apply to all of us in different ways and I know that they have helped me.

I am so grateful for these messages because they have helped me to look inside myself and try to work on things that my Heavenly Father wants me to better about myself. I know that these messages can help us all have meaningful introspection and assist us in the everyday lives we live. I know that these messages are true with all of my heart and I invite you all to listen to them and to watch them. We can truly be edified by the uplifting spirit that they all contain. I am so happy to be a missionary to be sharing this message with thosse here in New York. I am loving every day that I have here. I love you all. I know that what I am doing is true. Like Nephi from the Book of Mormon I am proud to say "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."-3rd Nephi 5:13

I love you all and thank you for your continuous support! Christ lives! We are so blessed!
With love from Brooklyn,
Elder Waidmann

And ps! Here are some of my favorite talks from conference! Check them out!

"You Can Do It Now!" by President Uchtdorf 
"Come, Join With Us" by President Uchtdorf 
“I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee” By President Thomas S. Monson

"The Lord is so true to His promises to us"

"Here he is!"
 (Elder Waidmann, our investigator, a member in
our ward and Elder Martinez right before the baptism)

Hi all!!

I hope that you are doing well and that everything is going well with you! So this past week was definitely one to remember! It was amazing. Yesterday we were able to see the amazing miracle of our dear friend and investigator get baptized. It was truly incredible. The service went wonderfully and it was so great to be able to see him enter the waters of baptism. The smile on his face was just so wonderful to see and was so prevalent yesterday!  Elder Martinez and I were so happy and it was such a great experience to be able to see this happen. It really shows that the Lord prepares his children to receive the Gospel in times in their life when they are humble and when they are ready and willing. Not every person is the same, but everyone as I can see, comes to the point where they realize that they need to know the truth and so it can help them everyday.

Meeting, teaching and getting to know our investigator truly was a miracle of our Heavenly Father.  He was placed in our path and we were placed in his. It is amazing and is so incredible. The Lord is so aware of every single one of us.  Our investigator was baptized by a strong member in our ward, and is a great friend. It is so wonderful to see the fellowship that is happening and the love that the members of the ward have for him already. They supported him wonderfully yesterday and helped us out so much with the baptismal service. It truly was a miracle to see everything come through the way that it did. The ward members were such a great help and I am so happy that they were so happy with the baptism that took place. Members said to us how happy that they were to see our investigator get baptized. 

I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father is so aware of every single one of us and how He helps us to know that our efforts here as missionaries are for a great purpose.  I am so happy to have been here and to have seen this amazing story unfold before my eyes. The Lord is so true to His promises to us. The more we love and serve Him and try and show our faith, the more that he will bless us. It is so true. I know it.  Jesus Christ is so close to this work because this is His church. He is so aware of us and I know it.

The Church is true. I have no doubts about it at all. It is so wonderful to see our investigator, now a brand new convert, that has just been baptized, share his testimony and say how he “felt just like Joseph Smith”. How he “had searched everywhere and couldn't find the truth”. How felt good when he came to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He said that he knows that it is the true doctrine of Christ. He said he knew that the things that we were teaching were true when he had dreams about Elder Martinez and I teaching him. That was so amazing to hear! Elder Martinez looked at each other in the lesson when he said that, and we about died! That seriously was the coolest thing ever to hear! I was just floored yesterday!  I love how, to know if the Gospel is true, all one has to do is feel it. The Holy Spirit will provide that witness and feeling to your heart.  I know that our investigator feels the truth, peace and joy in his life right now. It is amazing. That is all I can say. I am so happy!!

Overall everything else is going great! I am continually learning so much and I am so grateful to be here.  I know that it wasn't by accident or coincidence that I was put here. I am so grateful for the scriptures and the truth within them.  I am grateful for my wonderful companion. This week was so great! I got to go on an exchange with Elder Parker, our district leader (who looks like Chris) too and that was way cool! We learned how to cook some way good rice and beans from a member, and man that was sweet! You guys better watch out when I get back…because I got the authentic cooking skills down! Haha. Okay not really, but let's just go with it!  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Waidmann

"The Lord is so good to us and He loves us so incredibly much"

"Mom! I miss you and love you!"

"Yes! I can still make UGLY faces! :)"

"Two words... OH YEAH!"

"Yeah we painted this...not! I wish! :)"

"Hey there! Camera on sport/action mode baby! :)"    

"We look pretty scary right? :) Love you guys!"    

"Our Wonderful District! :) Top: Elder Parker, Elder Hernandez, Me!, Elder Martinez Bottom: Hermana Alverio, Hermana Ellsworth, Hermana Sanchez. They are in a trio Hermana Sanchez is leaving though! :("

"Basically describes us perfectly haha :)"

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are doing wonderful! First off… I totally met Elder Hallstrom from the Quorum of the Seventy! It was so cool!  It was a shock to see him yesterday at the church! It was a pleasure to meet him.

Well just to let you know everything here is moving right along! It was so cool to here about the new companionship and then to meet them this last week! I am so happy to have Elder Bills and Elder Garcia with us. They are awesome Elders and they are so ready and willing to work hard and to find people to teach! They are already having some success in doing that, which is so wonderful to see! I am happy to have them with us.

This last week was wonderful! I was so happy to see the progression of our investigator! That man is a walking miracle!  He is so humble and so pure in heart. He is already a missionary, in the sense that he knows the importance of preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. It is so amazing to see how the Lord really does prepare His children at the perfect me to help them accept the true and restored Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today. I am so grateful and will be forevermore grateful for this wonderful and miraculous opportunity that I have to be here to see that hastening of the Lord's work here. It truly is so incredible!

I am so happy for our investigator! He is getting baptized this next Sunday. He is so happy and so ready! He is such a warm man and is so kind to others!  We taught him this week about the importance of commandments and principles that he needs to commit to live, before he is baptized. The great thing is that he is already living them!  He tells us of how when he reads the Book of Mormon, that he can understand things so much easier and how he loves what he is reading.  I love how he says that here, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is where he feels the truth. He feels good and he feels that he is walking in the way that God wants him too. It is amazing. 

I am so happy to be able to be a part of this. I am learning so much about the Lord and how He provides miracles in these days. The Lord is so good to us and He loves us so incredibly much. I know that to be so true. The gospel is true. I know it, and I know that God knows it! I love you all so much! It is so cool to see all of these great things happening here in New York!  This week has been so wonderful! We are so happy to be here! Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Waidmann

"God placed us in his path"

Well it is a wonderful time to be in New York… let me tell you all! It has been a wonderful week here filled with some amazing experiences! I have loved it and I can say that it has definitely been one week to remember! Our investigator, that we found, or rather, God placed us in his path, about a week ago, is just a walking miracle. This man is so pure in heart.  Everyone…prayers are answered! It is amazing how the Lord just tests and tries us and we continually show our faith and then he blesses us with miracles such as these. It really is incredible.

Our investigator is progressing so well and it is amazing to see how is understanding grows when we teach him the gospel. On Saturday we taught him about the Plan of Salvation and it was so cool to see how everything just made sense to him. He is just so ready to accept the truth. It is incredible how the Lord prepares His children at the right moments for people to bless them with the truth.  Yesterday we taught him about the Doctrine of Christ and it made him so happy.  It is incredible! He wants to receive the Priesthood and really loves the idea of how God has given man His authority to act in his name on the Earth! 

Our investigator is truly a man of pure humility and love, who hungers and thirsts for the truth.  As we were teaching him yesterday about enduring to the end and following Christ, it was so amazing… he asked us in effect "What can I do?" It made us so happy because he said that he just wants to go and teach others and share the gospel with them. It is just the coolest thing ever. He loved learning how, as members of the church, we go and do visiting and home teaching and serve so many others. He says he really wants to be a part of it.  He is just such a humble man and always asks us to pray for him.  Yesterday we gave him a Priesthood blessing at the end of the lesson and he was pleased with it.  He is keeping all of his commitments and promises and loves everything that he is learning.

Everyone, the gospel and the role that missionary work plays is so true and important.  There are people are out there who are really searching for the truth. I love being able to be a small part of this story of conversion for our investigator. I love him and his example to me. He has such great faith and a huge desire to know if the things that he is learning are true. He is an incredible man. He has a baptismal date for the 29th of September and he is excited for it. We are too! It is amazing. 

I am continually learning so much and I am so grateful to be here in the New York New York South Mission. It truly is a blessing. I love you all so much!

Love, Elder Waidmann

"Our God is a God of Miracles"

Hello there!

I hope that all is well and that life is treating you all wonderfully! Because life is beautiful! It is so great! If we take a step back and look around we have so many things to be grateful for! :)

So as the email title says “Our God is a God of Miracles”… let me tell you why! :) So on Saturday, we were in Sunset Park (which is a park in our elliptical area) looking for an investigator that we had set up an appointment with and sadly we couldn’t find him and he wasn't there.  Before that, an earlier appointment that we had set up fell through because they weren't home and the Dad was at work. So we were walking through the park and then all of a sudden as we were about to sit down and figure out to where to go next, a miracle happened. A man came and sat down right next to Elder Martinez and we started to talk to him.

All I can say, is that prayers really are answered! This man is such an amazing man who is so pure in heart. He told us that he has been looking for the true church but hasn't found it and that he just wants to learn about the things that Christ taught and learn "la doctrina de Cristo" or the doctrine of Christ! It made me so happy to hear that because we study the Doctrine of Christ so much.  Furthermore, that is what we have to teach and offer people! It was amazing! We bore our testimonies to him about how we know that what we teach is true and it is what he has been looking for. He was so sincere and had a lot of questions.

After meeting and talking with him, he came to church early yesterday.  Before church started, we had an amazing lesson with him.  The ward’s Elders Quorum President joined us for the lesson (he is a very strong convert to the church) and he talked with our investigator about many things and happily shared his Gospel knowledge. It was an amazing lesson and our investigator said a beautiful prayer at the end asking to know if what we were teaching was true and if Joseph Smith restored the church! It is amazing how pure this man is and the desire that he has to learn the truth of this Gospel. He is so open and accepting.  After the discussion, our investigator stayed for all of the church meetings and also stayed after to attend the baptism of a girl in the ward who was eight years old. He loved it!  And we are going to teach him today!  Our God is a God of miracles. The Atonement is real and so is God's continuous and loving grace. I just wanted to share that experience with you all.  We are so excited for our investigator to have this knowledge in his life. 

Let me just tell you that this was the sweetest thing ever! Elder Martinez and I have been praying for a miracle for a long time and have been asking, praying and trying really hard to do all that we can to bless the lives of others that we come into contact with. We have been praying with a lot of faith and it is so amazing how God pushes us continually to exercise our faith and then out of nowhere, He gives us the blessings.  

A scripture that I love just came to mind. It is so true for every single one of us and especially in this experience here. It is found in the Book of Mormon.  It is Ether Chapter 12, verse 6.  It reads, “And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”  Miracles are real they do happen! It is so true! God even tells us that he will give unto us miracles!! :) In the Book of Mormon in 2nd Nephi Chapter 27, verse 23, It reads, “For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.” 

It is true! It all is!  I am so grateful to testify of these things to you.  I love you all so much and pray for you. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and love!

Love,

Elder Waidmann

"I am so grateful for the experiences that I am having as a missionary"

Here I am outside the Temple!

"Us four on the roof"

Hello Everyone!

Holy moly it is September! Can you believe it?!  I can! :)  It seems as though I just got here about a day ago, but it feels like I have been here for a really long time too … so I am not exactly sure how to balance out the time here. All I know that it is still hot and humid! Oh yeah! Pretty crazy, but that is how New York is! You kinda get used to it, but not really at the same time! It is all good though!

So this last week was really good! We had a great time! Today Elder Beazer and Elder Sefcik are moving out of our pad and moving into their own. It was a beautiful and crazy time having them with us, but now we sadly have to go our separate ways.  It is so crazy because Elder Martinez and Elder Beazer were good friends in high school and they were living together on the mission! Crazy!

In the picture above, I am at the New York Temple. It was so awesome to be there and feel the Spirit.  I love going there! 

So this past week of missionary work was great! We are really trying our best to help others to have this wonderful truth in their lives! The first step is to have people have an open mind and with that, understand that miracles can occur in their lives. It is just amazing! I love it! We are really hoping that we can continue to help people in the ways that they need it! We had some great lessons with people that are wanting to learn more! We really really hope that they can progress and that they can continue to learn and to come to know for themselves that all of these things are true! It is so wonderful to have the knowledge that we do and why we are here and why we have to go through the things that we do. They make us stronger and help us trust in our Savior Jesus Christ and our loving Heavenly Father. They are so wonderful to us and all they want is for us to be happy. 

The work is going great here we are just needing to find some more people to help and teach. I am so grateful for the experiences that I am having as missionary. It isn't easy, let me tell ya… but I love it! It is wonderful how true the Gospel is and how simple it is to live. We are so blessed in this world to have it. I am so grateful for all of you and your love! :) Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Waidmann

"We are loving it here in New York"

"I got this bag for Elder Hernandez since he is from Honduras."

Birthday breakfast for Elder Martinez

Hey there!

I hope that all is well with everyone! I love and miss you all so very much! This past week was really good! We are loving it here in New York! It was Elder Martinez's birthday on Saturday! Yay! We celebrated! By doing you know what?! Missionary work! Oh yeah! It was sweet! We had a good time! I made him some breakfast and then put candles on the pancakes and stuff I made and then wax got everywhere and the candles blew out when I was presenting him with his breakfast.....yeah should have thought that one through a little but more :) But it is okay! We had a great time!

I went on an exchange with Elder Hernandez on Friday and it was super sweet! We always have a great time together! He is the coolest Honduranian I know, even though he is the only Honduranian I know! But hey that's okay right? :) I love our district! Elder Parker just got to our area at the beginning of the transfer.  He is from Las Vegas and has been out on his mission since January. We also got another Sister missionary in our district who leaves to go home in December and another Sister missionary that just got here straight from Puerto Rico! Super cool! So now we have 3 native speakers in the district! It is sooooo cool! I love it!

This week was good! Elder Martinez and I are working hard and trying to do the best that we can to bless the lives of others around us! We could have three super solid investigators by the end of the week, maybe even four if things turn out the way that we hope! The gospel of Jesus Christ is an amazing thing and can bless the lives of all those who come to know it. I testify of this truthfulness.  I love you all so very much!

Love, Elder Waidmann