MillaGrows & Such

Friends and Family,

MillaGrows=the gringo way of pronouncing Milagros, which means "Miracle" in Espanol.

I love you all a LOT. 

Thank you for the package. It was a tender mercy and perfectly timed. Fiber One bars win! :)

Love,

Sister Wells

Hello President!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are enjoying time with your family.

Thank you for an inspiring Zone Conference. As usual, it was a well-timed experience of repentance and renewal of commitment to improving the way we are working here in Westwood 1st.

Goals I made during the conference:

Pray always and better:  At night, pray out loud in the closet. Pray more honestly, humbly, and specifically.  Have companion and personal prayer whenever we even have the thought to do so (not just limiting ourselves to the "set" opportunities).  Make Heavenly Father apart of our daily and hourly goals.  (I was so impressed with the two elders you invited to bear testimony at the end of Saturday's conference, President.  It was inspiring.)

P-Days:  Our "10 gospel conversations per missionary" goals will stay the same, and we will be more prayerful throughout the day to have those opportunities. We'll practice contacting in the grocery story, etc.  I will be more prayerful in keeping my focus on the work in all of my p-day activities.  The content and recipients of my letters are centered around my missionary purpose.  I will write to someone on my personal mission plan list at least once or twice every p-day.

Obedience:  8am and 10:30pm. 

Less-Actives:  As we visit the "unknown" list provided by the ward, we'll consistently ask the Lord to consecrate our path with opportunities to find new investigators and to keep our mind focused on our purpose (and not just "checking them off the list").

Practice teaching:  Keeping our teaching simple and accurate. That must be why they say you have to KNOW the Doctrine deeply in order to teach it in its simplest form.  

LOVE OUR MEMBERS:  I generally haven't had a hard time loving the members of the wards I have served in (mostly because I have been blessed to serve in some exceptional wards and at a time when everyone is focused on missionary work), but I do need to check myself and my ambitious ideas for the "member missionary" efforts of the ward.  We're prayerfully finding the balance in how to humbly share some of the previously successful ward mission plan ideas with the bishop of the Westwood 1st ward.  He is very open and excited about the same kind of ideas though, so it shouldn't be a problem as we make it clear how deeply we love and respect him and the keys he holds for the ward. He has an amazing passion for the work, and it's been fun to see his energy and excitement for the Farsi elders.  You chose a great ward to send them to. 

PLANNING:  Every night, I'd like to count up how many hours were spent directly finding, teaching, and baptizing. 

So, those are my Zone Conference goals. Ready for the Miracles?

VC) 11/23/13 (With our mini missionary, ********)

***** came into VC to research for a role he was playing in a scene for one of his classes. He's an actor. Very funny. Gregarious. Very real. He's also black (and obviously loved the Alex Boye video :)  Raised Episcopalian, but now he's more of a non-denom.  He believes Christ existed and was a good person, but not in all of His miracles, etc...(at least, that's what said at beginning of tour).

Showed Christus, God's Plan, and taught about Restoration. Has BOM. Committed to read it. As we were in the Christus, he opened up a ton--especially as ******* (from WW2nd ward--she just happened to be in the Christus at the same time and started talking to him) shared a really personal experience about her non-member husband and her child passing away.  

He was kind of freaking out a bit (in a funny way, not in a crazy person way) about how "deep" the tour went and how much he was opening up to us.  He's been sober for 7 years.  There was a tragic car accident that occurred when he was in NY at that time in which someone was killed and it shook his faith in God for a long time...until AA meetings got him back into that.  He has felt that he needs to strengthen relationship w/ his mom and God's Plan gave him some of those answers/insights.

He knows it wasn't a coincidence that he came into the VC tonight...there were a lot of answers to prayers going on. Including for our mini missionary. Who testified powerfully throughout the tour and shared a personal experience that brought him to tears.  She told him that him coming in that night solidified her desire to serve a mission in a few years. 

Committed to read and pray about BOM and was reluctant at first, but agreed to meet w/ missionaries...of the Westwood 2nd ward. Aka the same ward that his favorite member, *******, is apart of.  

...There are moments on my mission that are just so overwhelmingly miraculous and perfect.  It's almost exhausting.

Our area miracle took place on Friday Morning, when we met with *******!  We met ******* on the street on my 2nd day in the area (on our way to a dinner appointment). She was incredibly nice and set an appointment with us for Friday.  And then she KEPT the appointment, which is often the bigger miracle.  We brought a member, who was perfect for her.  And she was incredibly open--asked all of the right questions, etc.  But the testimony-builder for me was the reason she gave for meeting with us.  There are a lot of things surrounding the circumstances of her life right now that make it the perfect time to meet the missionaries (newlywed, some powerful experiences recently that solidified her testimony that God does, in fact, exist, etc.)...but the one that stuck out to me most was her friend, *******, who she met just a few years ago and who is a member of the church.  She said her friendship with ******* had been an opportunity for her to ask all of the questions she's ever had about the "mysterious" Mormon church.  ******* served a mission.  ******* is one of the nicest people she's ever met.  So, in that moment that ******* met us on the street, she thought of ******* on her mission in Slovakia, and she knew she had to listen. 

...I know this may seem like an average, run-of-the-mill golden investigator story. But it's a testament of seed-planting, and it's a testament of how being a "member missionary" only requires honest discipleship and charity-filled relationships.  This is Hastening the Work of Salvation, and this is what I was especially called to witness here. 

I love everything and am grateful for everything--especially my dear companion, Sister *******, who proves herself time and time again as a True disciple and a loving friend.  She is phenomenal. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Sister Wells

It's been a great week in Westwood 1st! 

Though we haven't had a lot of time in our area this week, the few hours we have had have yielded wonderful results!

On the very first day in our area, we managed to get an appointment with a less-active that they had been trying to get a hold of for a few months now. She is very interested in coming back and committed to meet with us weekly. She also committed to invite her non-member neighbor over to join her as we review the lessons with her! Finding through less-actives will be the theme of my time in Westwood 1st. 

On our second day in the area, we spent about 10 minutes street contacting on our way to and from a meal appointment and we managed to find 2 new investigators. It's yet another testimony-builder that the Lord consecrates whatever time and efforts we'll give him. Especially as VC sisters. 

From what I can tell, the ward at least as somewhat of a 5-5-5 system--which is impressive to me. They have asked us to visit a large "unknown" list, which is going to be our main plan for finding and reactivation for this next transfer. Now it's just a matter of figuring out how we can support the bishopric in their recently announced "Next Step" program (which is essentially the ward mission plan). They invited all of the members to set a goal for themselves as their "Next Step" in coming unto Christ as well as a goal for their non-member/less-active friends and neighbors as their "Next Step" in coming unto Christ. I look forward to hearing more about it in our coordination meeting on Tuesday. 

In said coordination meeting, we'll also be meeting with and discussing the Farsi elders' role in the ward. I'm assuming you've briefed them on that matter, but if not, your input would be helpful. We look forward to supporting them however we can. 

We have a few-ish investigators, though it looks like we may need to drop 2 of them (or that they may have already dropped us). We should be meeting with the third semi-solid investigator, *****, sometime this week. I have heard a lot about her and look forward to meeting her.

My companion is wonderful! I have never taught with someone so easily. The teaching is mostly balanced and there seems to be complete trust on both sides. I really look up to her, president. She is humble and willing to work hard. What has amazed me most is how open she is to new ideas and yet she has amazing additions and ideas of her own that make everything BETTER. I feel like I'm on a powerful team with her and the Spirit. It should be a great transfer.

The Visitors' Center is doing well. Sister ***** has "shown me the ropes" and I now feel much more comfortable in my new assignment. Humbled. But comfortable. I did my first exchange with Sister ***** and was blown away. She is humble and loving and a solid teacher. I had/have a lot to learn from her.

Below is our Transfer Vision--formed using the "Area Standards of Excellence" guidelines provided in District Meeting. Also note the "Open Your Mouth" goals. I apologize for poor formatting. 

I hope you're having a wonderful week. You and Sister Weidman are certainly in our prayers as always.

Love,

Sister Wells

Also, some pics:

Last workout with Sister ***** before she went home. Pigtail day. SO FUN.

Fat free cottage cheese. 15 grams of protein. 0 Fat. How do they do it???

Sis E at a Persian bakery on one of our last P-Days together. 

Sis E and I sharing our dirty shake and fries at 50's Cafe.

*****. The first baby I will hold when I come back to visit this place.

Moffats! Fun surprise visit! ;)

Sis E & I with ***. Last lesson. So sad. 

Me with the *****. They are the coolest family. She's super active, but the rest of the fam just isn't. She has an amazing AMAZING heart though.

Me with Sis. *****. Amazing member missionary. Was a Soc major and has just made me a better missionary/person/I love her a lot.

Our leaving VC Sisters. We lost FIVE last week--including my trainer, Sis. *****. It was an emotional morning.

The view from one of our LA members' balconies. *****. Designer of Queen Vee Jewelry. Aka the necklace Rihanna wore last week. (How cool is my mission?)

Yo Home to Bel Air!

...subject line may be inaccurate. (Is it "Go Home to Bel Air?")...but take comfort in the fact that this sister missionary hasn't had much contact with the Fresh Prince lately. 

Long story short:

I GOT TRANSFERRED!!  

To the Westwood 1st Ward...formerly known as Bel Air.  (They changed all the zone/area names to match the stake/ward names...it makes way too much sense, but of course we're all complaining about it b/c now no one can rap Fresh Prince of Bel Air to me everytime we talk about our area).

Fun fact about my new area:  THE wealthiest neighborhood in the United States is located within the realm of my stewardship. As is the 8th wealthiest. As are the homes of Aaron Spelling, Hugh Hefner, and Michael Jackson. Just imagine the resultant tithing funds of one baptism here.  You'd might as well consider the kingdom built, you know what I mean?  So, sorry playboy fans...but Hugh is gettin' dunked. 

New compa:  Sister ********. So nice. So sweet. AND she loves Harry Potter. You better believe our first P-Day stop will the be Harry Potter store. 

...Wanna know who else got transferred to my area???

Elders Craner, Cockrel, Fry, and Larkin.

....Wanna know what language they speak???

FARSI.

...Wanna know how many other missions in the world have Farsi-speaking missionaries???

One. 

And it's in Canada, so it doesn't even really count.

Just kidding. I love Canadians. 

But really, this is a BIG DEAL. We are now the 2nd mission in the world to house Farsi-speaking missionaries. Not only that, but Sister Larson, *****, ****...all of my beloved Persians are movin' with me to the Farsi language magnet cluster unit thing that's getting started in the Westwood 1st ward. 

I could not be more twitterpated about this, family. The chances of me actually learning Farsi just went up by 30%...which puts me at like a 40% likelihood! Woot!

Wanna hear about an amazing miracle this week that directly correlates with the miracle above?

So, the other day, we're just chillin' in the VC, studying our little hearts out. And this man walks up to us. He is Persian (hence the direct correlation), and he says. "Hello. I want to be baptized. How do I do this?"  

...yeah, I'll give you some white space to catch your breath. 

...His story:  He had met with missionaries in Malibu on and off for 25 years, but couldn't ever get baptized b/c his very Muslim mother would never allow it. But then he had a dream the night before where he was baptized and he KNEW it was his time. (He's crying while he tells us all of this, by the way) So he came to the VC. Where he found us.  

There are some other complications that have come up...BUT he is amazing. And he's ready to be baptized. No doubt about it. 

Gotta love the Lord's timing, you know? 

Love love love this whole mission thing. Faith precedes miracles, so get yourself out of the boat and try it out. Pray and do. 

Sorry I don't cite more scriptures. I'll work on that.

Love you and pray for you!

Love,

Sis Wells

 

Hello President,

7/7 on the safety minute!

Happy Transfers!

I'm experiencing the typical transfer emotions: heartbreak, anxiety, but mostly excitement for the change and opportunity to grow and serve the people of the Westwood 1st ward! I've been praying that my heart will be prepared for this transition, and I feel my love and connection to the people there growing.

Fun fact: The wealthiest neighborhood in the US, Holmby Hills, is located in this area. I think I'm going to buy some new shoes. 

First of all, I want to thank you for our short conversation at the New Missionary Training this week. For whatever reason, that brief mention of last week's e-mail (in which I bore my "wall dropping" testimony) gave me the last ounces of closure I needed to move forward pain-free. The closing of the repentance process. So, thank you for that.

And thank you for the opportunity to be the VC Sister Trainer! I am incredibly excited (and honestly humbled) to learn from and love these sisters in this way. The Lord knew (and perhaps you did too) that I truly needed this calling. I already feel my love for the sisters deepening, and I know it may be a painful process...but I will do my best to become what they need. I feel so blessed.

12-week reporting: Sister E is ready. That inspiration struck me strongly during one of our tours yesterday. She is confident, smart, organized, and just READY to project the work in Mar Vista forward. She and Sister **** will do wonders! 

Miracle of the Week:

******! We have already shared the details with you, and I know complications have risen, but I still count ****** as our miracle and I look forward to seeing him baptized someday.

******, our golden investigator who walked into the VC last week, now has a baptismal date for December 15th! I've been following up with her in the Teaching Center, and she's absolutely loving all of her experiences at church!

The fact that our mission is the second in the world to have Farsi-speaking missionaries. I feel like an innocent bystander in this whole miraculous series of events, but I'm so happy I got to witness it. Thanks for letting me be a part of it. 

*** gave himself the baptismal interview in our lesson the other day (we asked him to fast about any questions he was struggling with), and he passed everything except questions about Law of Chastity and testimony of President Monson. But he's working on both of those. He now attends church weekly, and he seems exhilarated every time. 

And the rest of our investigators are doing well as well. We're happy to report that they've all demonstrated progress on some level, and we're finding enough new investigators to keep us busy as well! 

...It'll be tough to say goodbye to my Mar Vista loves, but I trust that God's plan for Mar Vista and I will only get better and bigger from here.

Thanks for all you do. We love and appreciate you so much. And as always, you are both in our prayers.

Sincerely,

Sister Wells

Hello President!

7/7 on the Safety Minute.

It has been a week of MIRACLES! Obviously. 

But just to preset:

The news I couldn't fully share in the meeting the other day/the reason I was smiling/the moment "the wall dropped": 

I GOT DEAR JANED. 

TWICE. 

By the same person.

...It takes a truly pathetic sister missionary to get dear janed twice by the same person, president. Part of me wishes I could hate him, but I just can't. One) because he's a genuinely great person trying to follow the spirit and two) because it was obviously the best thing that ever happened to me. Both times.  Though I just received the second official "dear jane" last week so that one still feels a little raw.  Sometimes I just wish that the best thing didn't have to hurt so embarrassingly. But I suppose the reality of the pain makes the miracle of the healing that much greater. Heavenly Father has always had my back. The second after I got the e-mail, we had 2-3 miracles happen in the Visitors' Center. And then, of course, this week has just been smattered with them.  I'll share what I can in a second!

[Sidenote to save my hard-working missionary reputation:  I broke up with "him" before the mission and actually asked him not to write me so I could be 100% focused. But as I got settled in the field, I initiated some correspondence, which he responded to with news of his recent engagement. A few months later, I get a thick letter with news that the engagement has been broken off and that he'd like to write me and see how things go. And then, last week...well, you know the story from there.]

But the real reason I'm telling you all of this, President, is because I had never realized how real and how inhibiting my expectations of a future life with ****** were until they were shattered. I felt like a scab had been ripped from my heart and it was then free to grow and BECOME. In other words, I could more fully place myself in the hands of the Lord and accept the limitless plans that He has for me. I'm not going home to the same place I left. I am only moving forward to be a constantly evolving instrument in the hands of the Lord. To a beautiful future that I can't even imagine yet. But it all starts HERE and NOW. With the fleetingly perfect sunset that is my mission here in LA.

...and that's my testimony of walls dropping. 

Okay, so now for all of the incredible miracles Heavenly Father has blessed us with this week! (I may only share the best ones so as to not use up ALL of my e-mail time on this letter).

An hour after e-mailing last week, ******** walked into the VC by herself. Age 19. Non-member. Boyfriend/fiance gets home from his mission in 5 months. She seemed a little nervous and unsure. She assured us she had no expectations, but that she just felt like she should check some of this stuff out before he gets home because she would never want to convert for anyone else. He had always been so careful not to pressure her, though she had attended a lot of meetings and activities with him to support.  Her religious background: Mom is super inactive Mormon, Dad is Christian Pastor. (He actually joined the church for her mother originally and then dropped out right before getting sealed. Sad, I know).

As we showed her pictures of the various rooms of the temple, she got so excited! Especially about the sealing room...because she knows that she wants to be with her boyfriend forever. And especially about the Celestial room, because she kept thinking that we were saying her name over and over again.

Then, we showed her D. Todd Christofferson's testimony of the First Vision.  It was here that the real miracle occurred. As she described to us how she felt (that "safe, home" feeling), she explained that the only other time she had ever felt this perfect feeling was at a fireside with her boyfriend, where a man bore testimony of his conversion story (which happened to mirror hers--i.e. dated member of the church and wanted to be with her forever...so he got baptized, went on a mission, and took her to the temple)...Apparently this man worked in the temple somehow, which is what brought her here in the first place :)

Long story short, she put all of the pieces of the puzzle together and she knew that this was a path she needed to continue.  She's coming back in in a few hours to continue her journey. We'll introduce her to the LA YSA sisters when she gets here :)\

Then, later that week, we contacted more than we have ever contacted before. And we saw miracles in the form of 3 new investigators found on the streets of Mar Vista :)

Now to the miracles that are a specific result of our ward fast for missionary work:

On Saturday:

Met ****'s girlfriend, *******. The most natural fellowshippers happened to be there. And the seeds were planted. Marriage to/permission from ******* is just about the only thing keeping him from being baptized. He fasted about it on Sunday.

****, our investigator that originally wanted to transition to YSA, decided she wants to be baptized sooner and she wants to be baptized in Mar Vista. So, I'm sad for the YSA sisters, but happy for our ward because they'll get to see the fruits of member missionary work (Bro James originally introduced us to ****).

On Sunday:

Random new investigator shows up at church and sits through two different sacrament meetings until she finds the right one (ours). ***** has been sober for 24 years and is excited to switch up her AA meetings with some meetings with the addiction recovery groups. We'll teach her more tomorrow.

The testimony meeting is infused with missionary work. Including the testimony of *******, the young, stressed out mother of 5 who had never really cared much about missionary work. Even at our dinner appointment with her a month and a half ago, she didn't seem too interested in the ward mission plan.  But she agreed to try and organize a BBQ so that she could reach out to her non-member/LA friends.  In her testimony, she said that even though no one showed up to her BBQ, she felt an increase of the spirit in her life as she made an effort to reach out. Which is the promise we extended.  

...So, of course, as she bears her testimony, I start to bawl. Because that's just the purpose of everything, isn't it? Conversion on some level and on some side of the equation. Members and investigators alike.  I don't know that I had ever felt more fulfilled as a missionary than in those moments.

Later that day, we get a text from Sister *******, who's another member who used to be a little baffled about member missionary work. Apparently she had walked outside to take her trash out and her neighbor (who they barely know) walked up to them and asked to go to church with them next Sunday. 

If I could put a GIANT SMILEY FACE EMOTICON here, I would.

Heavenly Father is spoiling us. But I am so full of gratitude today, President. 

Thanks for being so kind and loving. I can't tell you how grateful I am for you and Sis. Weidman. I love and trust you both so much. 

God bless you!

Sister Wells

P.S. That wasn't even half the miracles.