Transferred!

I can't write anything too long, cause we're about to go to Morgantown to play some basketball and stuff. But, I'M GETTING TRANSFERRED! I'm going from Kingwood, WV to Lynchburg, VA. I can't wait. It's going to be soooo sweet. My new companion is Elder Richard. I dont know anything about him yet except that he's been out for 6 months. I think that's my calling, young missionaries. Every since missionary that I've been with when I meet them is always 6 months or younger. It's ok though, I love it. apparently he's absolutely awesome, which I dont doubt. His companion, Elder Lillie, is coming up here with Elder Stewart. We might not've gotten along at first, but I gotta admit, I'm gonna miss that kid. He's growin up so fast! Haha

Well family and friends, I love y'all very much, and I'll send a much longer email next week!

~Elder Wiederholt

888 Oakwood Rd Ste 310

Charleston, WV 25314

I feel happy... (Video)

Video, see last post " I feel happy..." for reference.

I feel happy...

And I dont know why, but its kinda wierding me out.

Really quick, just some pictures and a pretty cool video attached. Hopefully it all sends. The video is of something called a Tractor-pull, something definitely not in Oregon. It turns out that, as you can see in the video, the hole in the Ozone is actually over Oakland, Maryland. That video is of one tractor of many, 22 seconds over about 3 hours worth of Semi's, tractors, raised trucks and more. It was awesome. I also know that if this happened in Oregon, there would be people hanging in the streets. Pictures of us with some glow in the dark hats my Aunt Teddie sent us, Me with The Freeland family(we baptized Jeff and hopefully his wife will follow soon) and then us with Zac Lowery, a member who moved into the area for a month, then moved out again.

All the sudden over the last couple days I've been having a lot better time, and things have been better. It hasnt been so hot, and I've been really trying to show more charity and patience and stuff like that, which inevidentily just makes everything better. Also I'm really starting to get into the scriptures. Everything is so awesome. Everyone says this is a hard area, and its true. Everyone challenges your beliefs if youre not a regular christian(aka if your not mormon or jehovahs witness), and the more theyre challenged for me the stronger my beliefs get. Not that I'm bashing, I'm really trying to hold off on that, but once a muscle is torn down, it grows stronger.

Also I gotta say that I'm super thankful that all my companions so far have been erally patient and longsuffering with me. I have realized more and more of a hard head I am. As the Lord describes Israel in Isaiah(one of the first few verses of the first few chapters. I read that a few weeks ago), I have a neck of iron sinew. It's true, I tend to not budge too much. I'm working on that though. I swear!

It seems like that lately I've been doing a lot of changing. I suppose its about time, but I'm really starting to push myself and work harder. Not exactly tracting working hard or anything, but really just learning what I need to learn and applying it. Of course we're working, but it's slowed down since in my last 6 months here we've just about knocked every door in our area. We have a couple streets left, but we're doing a TON of Less-active work lately.

Well, I got some other stuff I gotta do really quick, and I sure do love yall! I saw some pictures from the beaverton 3rd ward get-together, and those seemed like it was an awesome time! I'm sad I missed it and hope that it'll happen again shortly!

~Elder Shain C Wiederholt

888 Oakwood Rd Ste 310

Charleston, WV 25314

[No Subject]

Unforunately, these emails seem to get shorter and shorter because it just seems that not much is happening here. We're working hard to find people and especially Less Active work as of late, but its never anything too exciting. Unfortunately as well this area just gets harder and harder. I dont feel like its any regard to us, we just dont have too many places close to home to knock and we're running out of miles this month. The ward isnt helping as much as we would like, and we're eater cheaper and cheaper every week. Hopefully soemthing will be happening at transfers on the 10th, so I can get a change of scenery.

But! Jesus is the Christ! And everything will be better some day! We just have to work hard and try harder every day and we'll have our reward. I know all the protestants say no works, just faith. Well yea, faith is definitely that starting step. But having faith is a work because you're doing something, having faith. We dont work our way to heaven but we do need to be Christlike and love everyone to really take the Atonement for what it really is. Remember, Faith without works its dead! If you dotn believe me, just read James :)

Love yall!

~Elder Shain C Wiederholt

888 Oakwood Rd Ste 310

Charleston, WV 25314

Hippie Fest?

Apparently Preston County is home of the largest music festival in the country(according to the natives) called the All Good Festival. It was this last week, and 30,000 people came through town and camped out on an old farm for 4 days, listening to bands from 5am to 2 am. It was pretty nuts from what I hear. Our neighbor is a cop and she's been working 18 hours days because of it, but we heard from her that they've been making some HUGE drug busts because of the festival.

Unfortunately we've had a pretty bad week. EVERYTHING fell through, and all our work was done from dropping in on people. There really hasnt been a whole lot going on. Oakland is having a baptism next week though, and we're going to that. Also District Meeting this week, and also interviews the next day.

I really do wish I had more to tell everyone this week, but there really inst a whole lot going on! Oh, yea. It's going to be SUPER HOT this week. Not excited.

Love y'all!

~Elder Shain C Wiederholt

888 Oakwood Rd Ste 310

Charleston, WV 25314

Another Week

Just because I thought it was a topic of discussion between Elder Stewart and I, we were talking about what it would be like to cease. It's cause a couple days ago out of frustration with a youth, who was trying to get chalk all over me, I told him that he would cease(which I probably shouldn't have said now that I realize the severity of it) and he asked what that meant. He thought that he would just die, but we thought about it, and to cease means to completely go away. All memories and influences of you as well. At least when you die your spirit still exists, but to cease means thats even God would completely forget about you. Crazy, huh? I plan on saying that nearly as often anymore.

We had an interesting day on Saturday, let me tell you about it. We were visiting a Less Active member on Thursday when her 16 year old grand daughter came in and after talking a bit she invited us to this church event thing going on in Oakland on saturday. It was a youth thing, but we went so that we could talk to her and enjoy ourselves, but of course everyone there who was putting it on was going to school to be a minister, and wanted to test their learning on us. So these people just started bashing with us for an hour and a half and we only got to talk to our friend for just a couple minutes. Other than that, they actaully got some doctrine out of the Song of Solomon, and we did learn a bit. Plus, there were a couples kids there speaking tounges, and that was crazy. Intense stuff, because I've never seen that kind of stuff before.

Other then that, we're still working with the same people, everything good seems to just be leveling off now, and soon the coaster will go down hill once again. I'm hoping it wont be so bad, but thats expected. It happens frequently it seems. Its all for our good though! To help us learn and grow and be prapared for later on in life when things get harder and harder!

Unfortunately, not much else is going on. hopefully things pick back up. Love ya'll and talk to ya'll next week! :D

~Elder Wiederholt

202 E High St #3

Kingwood, WV 26537

Phew boy

We're kind of in a hurry today. Yesterday we werent able to check our emails because of the 4th and so we're doing it really quick today. Here shortly, we're going to be on our way to meet up with the Clarksburg Zone Leaders for exchanges and then I'm going to Clarksburg today. Its the first time I'll be leaving my area for an exchange since my first transfer here in Kingwood, so early March. Tomorrow we'll exchange back and go to Zone Conference, where we're going to meet our new Mission President. He's Apparently an awesome guy, and I cant wait to finally meet him. I dont know if anyones seen his picture in Church news, but he's such a teddy bear. haha.

Yesterday, for the 4th, and since we were able to do much, Oakland and us drove to Morgantown and played a bunch of basketball for a few hours with the 4 missionaries in Morgantown. It was a lot of fun. We got really tired though, cause its been super hot and super humid lately. Especially since yesterday there was a HUGE storm that came out of no where. That tends to happen a lot here for some reason. It was dumping.

We're still going strong with Cameron, Charles and Ashley. In other news though, we have found a couple of Less Actives that we're really excited to work with here soon. One is Zac Lowrey. He's about 35 and he builds prisons. He went on a mission to Hong Kong and is now just traveling with his job. He lives in an area for about 2 years, then moves. He really likes it here though. He's also got one wallop of a testimony. He's probably the clsoest thing to the stereotypical surfer dude in the middle of West Virginia that you can think of, and its a nice change for once. The other is Jeremy Shreaves. He grew up in the ward, and he's 19 now. He's had a really tough childhood with being adopted, foster homes and being kicked out of the house a year and a half ago. He's a good kid though. We've been meeting with a guy for a few months, and we were over there when he pulled up. It turns out that he's staying there temporarly til he finds an apartment and goes to school in Fairmont or Morgantown. He also said that he's been thinking hard about coming back to church since we came by that first night, and he wants this part of his life again. Its weird, because everyone always says that theres that one person that you'll help the most on your mission, and I think I'll be able to really help this kid. Hoepfully we can get him on a mission.

Well, thats pretty much all thats happening here. Its quite the exciting place. I'm really hoping that my next area is bigger. Love yall! talk to yall next week! :D

~Elder Shain C Wiederholt

888 Oakwood Rd Ste 310

Charleston, WV 25314