He Always Hears Us When We PRAY

Hello all!

Yes it is once again that time for another post! I hope that all is well where you everyone is at who is reading this! Because all is certainly well here in Brooklyn!

So the big news is that transfers are coming up soon and I can say that I am definitely scared to hear the phone ring nowadays because I don't want the conversation to contain that I am leaving in it! But I have to get used to the phone ringing off the hook because we have Free English Class Flyers literally EVERYWHERE here around the church and on 5th Avenue! So let's just say that we get a lot of calls with questions! But I love it though! I think that my favorite part is where I answer the phone in Spanish but, the person on the other side of the phone call asks "You speaka Spanish?" in the thickest accent ever! It is so funny and then I am always able to say yes I do! And ask what their question is. It honestly never gets old! :) I love it!

So this last week was seriously so wonderful! Brooklyn continues to grow on me and I am loving it here! It is such a wonderful place filled with so much culture clashing! It is so cool! You literally con feel like you are in 4 different countries within minutes of walking it is pretty amazing! That is what I love about the Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, and Sunset Park areas of where we are pretty often!

We have been using facebook now and I am starting to like it as a missionary a lot more now. It is definitely still a little weird being connected to everything still but it really can also be a blessing to us in missionary work. We can do things now that we haven't ever been able to do before which is awesome! And I love being able to update my blog too! It is great! :) I am so blessed to be here in this mission in New York to have all of these wonderful privileges.

 I am loving my time here with my companion Elder Martinez! Man he is great! So funny and he loves Christmas! Let me tell you that much! He has the countdown started already! Also we officially started the Christmas season in our companionship! Elder Martinez has been playing Christmas music and we are loving it! A little early?? Yeah probably! :) But hey we love it!

Last Friday night our ward, or also known as Congregation, got together and had our annual Noche de Hispanidad!!! Oh my goodness was it wonderful! I loved it! There was some amazing food as always! Because hello the Spanish food here is the BEST! :) I am so blessed to have tried so many different things! I basically am becoming every type of Spanish person with all of the different foods I have eaten and all of the different people from many parts of the world! There definitely isn't only one culture here! Which is so cool! We also as missionaries performed a little skit/act and it was a lot of fun! The members here loved it and that is what we like! :) We love our ward members so much!

On Saturday we were privileged enough  to be able to go to Midwood, here in Brooklyn to help out the missionaries there! It was called Operation Good Shepherd! We went out as missionaries and looked for all of the people that were on the list of the ward that hadn't been to church in a long time to help them in any way that we could and to love them back into the fold! I went on a mini exchange with Elder Nyre who speaks Creole! That was sweet! We had a good time and got some good done! :) That is what we missionaries do! We go and spread the Good News of the Gospel and try our best to always go about doing good! I just love it!

Sunday was a beautiful day! We had a great day at church! There were many people there who were investigating the church and who were there for there first time! It was awesome! A man named Luis who we had met earlier last week came and he loved it! He is such a humble man and is so ready to continue to learn and accept the Gospel and Christ into His life and to live according to Christ's teachings. He told us that he is looking for something to fill his life with and we are so happy to be a part of it! We also met with a wonderful couple named Elizabeth and Elmer and they are such a wonderful family! They have such a cute little daughter named Allison and she is just hilarious! :) We talked to them about a lot of things and shared out testimonies with them! They are wonderful members of the church! We shared with them the importance of the temple in their lives and they put their vision there at the temple to go and be married and sealed for time and all eternity! We are so happy for them! It was awesome! And they fed us too! Bonus! :) They are so nice! :)

And okay! So about the title of this blog! I have been continually praying that we can continue to see miracles here in this area and I have been trying to do my best to find them no matter how little or big they might be. So yesterday as we were finishing preparation day and riding the B9 bus that runs on 60th Street right next to our church we get a text message from our Relief Society President saying that there was someone who was interested in learning about the church in the church. And she asked if we were close and if we could come. So since we literally were right outside of the church when she texted us we got off of the bus at the nest stop at 8th Avenue and headed over. Elder Martinez and I thought that it just might be someone asking for information about English class, oh but lo and behold we were wrong! When I hopped off the bus I was hoping that it would be someone that would want to learn more about the church. Then we got into the church and our relief society president, Hermana Casiano began to tell us of what had happened. A man had came in wanting to learn more about the church and since we weren't there she talked to him and gave him a Book of Mormon and explained some things about what we believe and she let him into the chapel to pray. So then we went into the chapel and waited for him to finish praying. It was so great to be able to sit there and just feel of the spirit that is always present in that room. Then he finished and Elder Martinez and I introduced ourselves to him. It was then that we learned his story.

His name is Miguel. He told us that he had come into the church to pray and find peace. He had seen one of our Free English Class Flyers on the street and he said that he was interested in two things. 1) That it was a church, and 2) that it was offering free English Class. So he said that he got off of work yesterday early and had nothing else to do so he made his way to the church. He said that he couldn't find it and then went and looked for the paper again to find the address. After walking 15 blocks he found it and then went to the church. And then, that is where our paths crossed. Miguel is such a humble guy. We still don't know too much about him but I know that He is one of our Heavenly Father's children who is looking for the truth of the Gospel to fill his life right now. He said that when he moved here to the United States he fell away from God, but now he wants to bring himself back. That was one of the most amazing things that I have ever heard. These people. I just wonder. How? How do we cross paths and meet these people that are so hungry for the truth? And then the answer obviously comes to my mind. It is simple and one word. GOD. Yep that is really the answer. God. He is so aware of everyone and everything. He knows who His children are and He knows them by name. He is all knowing and all powerful. He wants to bless us and have our lives filled with truth and with light. That is why He has given us the gift of prayer. It is our straight line of communication with Him. He is always listening to us at ANY TIME and ANYWHERE. I know that this is true with all of my heart and soul. God listens to us. And when we are acting in Faith of the things that we have asked for He Will Bless us. I have no doubt about it. I have seen it and I have felt it. I know that there are no such things as coincidences. Just only ANGELIC ARRANGEMENTS. And I am grateful to have been able to been a part of one yesterday. Miguel is so ready and so humble to learn and so willing.

I would love to invite all of you to do as he did. Search if you don't know. Be patient and listen after you pray because your Heavenly Father will answer you about anything that you ask. He will answer us especially as we serve others I love what President Uchtdorf says: Often, the answer to our prayer does not come while we’re on our knees but while we’re on our feet serving the Lord and serving those around us. Selfless acts of service and consecration refine our spirits, remove the scales from our spiritual eyes, and open the windows of heaven. By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer, we often find the answer to our own. 

 I love Him so much. I love my Savior Jesus Christ who did something that I could have never done for myself. He is the one and only person who knows all of us perfectly. His grace is sufficient and perfect even when we feel that we don't deserve it. I know that this is true. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It is simple for us to live and all that we get from living it is pure and true happiness. Not one that the world thinks is happiness, but what God knows is happiness. He loves us. Me and YOU and everyone on the Earth. How we can never comprehend. But we can know it. I know it and I feel it. God's love is the best! Elder Terrance M. Vinson describes it so beautifully :

I believe that if we could have the privilege of walking physically with the Savior, that we would feel His arm draped over our shoulder just like that. Like the disciples heading toward Emmaus, our hearts would “burn within us” (Luke 24:32). This is His message: “Come and see” (John 1:39). It is personal, inviting, and embracing in its invitation to walk with His arm around our shoulders.

May we all feel as confident as Enos, as reflected in the last verse of his short but profound book: “I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father” (Enos 1:27).

Because of the multiplicity of experiences and the power with which the Spirit has witnessed to me, I testify with absolute surety that God lives. I feel His love. It is the sweetest feeling. May we do what is needed to align our will with His and truly love Him.

 I love you all so much. And remember Miracles are possible when we ask and when we ask in faith! I love you!

With love from Brooklyn,
Elder Waidmann

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