News Article Writen for Ward Newsletter for August 2011‏

Ola Granite 8th ward! Things are going really well out here on the islands of Cape Verde. There are some days that it's hot, and then there are some days that are hotter. Recently my mission has had a change in it's presidency and we now have ourselves a new mission president. Lately we have been receiving lots of council from him on changes in the mission and in the way we teach and on the expectations that he has for us as missionaries. Through all of this I have realized how important it is to follow the council of your leaders. Think about how our lives would be if we didn't have any leaders. There would be no governments no society really and no order. Once in a while we feel the desire to criticize our leaders and to question their directions that they have for us. We don't really realize why they say the things they say or do the things they do. I remember a story I read in a book of inspirational stories that talked about the importance of our leaders. The story talked about a boat that was out at sea. A terrible storm came and the boat needed to return to the harbor. The captain was sailing for the harbor, but the shore was very dangerous. There were lots of jagged rocks and obstacles that were difficult to see. Also because of the storm, nobody could see the light house. Nobody but the captain of the boat. The boat continued to sail in the general direction of the harbor and some of the people on the boat were telling the leader that they should turn this way or that, or that they were lost. But the captain with is trained eyes could see the light off in the distance. The light from the lighthouse. And this captain pulled the ship closer and closer to the dock until the other people could see the light as well. The captain safely docked the ship and all of the passengers were safe. I really liked this story for a few reasons. One being that at first, only the captain was able to see the light. Sometimes in our lives we don't understand why our leaders are giving us certain types of instruction or why they tell us to act in a certain way or to do something in a certain way. It is because they can see the "light" even if we are not able to. I know that we have inspired leaders in this church. That these leaders see that light in the distance and they give us instruction because they see what will happen. I know that we have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson. That he is our captain, and following the counsel that he receives directly from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we too will reach the harbor. We too will return to live with our Heavenly Father one day. Follow the council of the church leaders and you will be blessed in your life. You will, also, come to see the light that they can see. I close this Em o nome de Jesus Cristo Amem.

Elder Weiss