May 5, 2014 - Week 18

So let´s start out with changes. We totally found out changes yesterday before church (usually we wouldn´t find out till today..) and guess what... I am staying in my area! I honestly had no clue what was going to happen. If I would change areas or stay. All I knew was that I would be getting a latina companion. And guess what. My companion is from Uruguay! So this should be quite the new experience. I wouldn´t be surprised if my Spanish just skyrockets this change cuz that is what I will have to speak ALL the time now. Also, of course Heavenly Father will help me with the language as well... So yeah! That´s the new news I have. So now it is up to me to teach Hermana Morales (that´s her name) my area! Pretty exciting, eh? We are both senior companion as well cuz we have the same amount in the mission. She just has 4 less weeks than my when I was in the CCM, but she came with me to the mission. My feelings about all of this: well, I will most definitely miss Hermana Braunersrither. We have seriously become so close and such great friends this last change together. We laugh about everything. Seriously. And she is such a good missionary! She has honestly taught me so many things!! She is going to the area of the temple. It´s called Moroni. The first chapel in Paraguay. We go on Wednesday morning to get our new companions and stuff and I was informed that I (and my new companion) will be signing into the country as well. So that should be fun. Not really... I hear it takes like 2 or 3 hours or something... But anyways... I am excited for Hermana B! Also, I am pretty excited to see how this next change will go. It will be difficult getting used to a new companion and stuff... Especially a latin one... But I remember her from the CCM and I think she is really cool and we will get along just fine. :)

So... Other stuff. My wallet got stolen. Here is the story... So we were getting on a colectivo to go to a baptism that the Elders had on Saturday, and I was the only one with money out of me and my companion. I had a 100 mil (like $20-25 US) so I was gonna be getting a lot of change back (It only costs like 2 mil to get on). So I was waiting at the front for my change and the guy was like counting my change for me. I knew that there were a lot of people watching and stuff and I remember thinking ´´Wow.. this could be dangerous. Everyone can see my money!´´ But I just took like my 90 mil and stuck in in my wallet and put my wallet in my backpack. And I didn´t even think about it. Then we got off the colectivo and went into the church. I took my backpack off to get something out and saw that the zipper was open a little bit.... My stomach dropped. I looked in and looked up at Hermana B and said, ´´someone stole my wallet´´ (like 4 times). I just couldn´t believe it. Well, actually I could. I was just so mad at myself cuz I totally had the prompting! UGH! Especially after I had that thought that there are a lot of people watching me get like 90 mil back in change... So long story short... LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT! LISTEN TO THE PROMPTINGS! But everything is ok. The mission office knows and I hear that my card is cancelled and stuff. So we´re all good! Mostly I was just mad that there are people that would do that and I just loved that wallet! It was so cute! ;) Also, I have money for the month, so I´m not too worried about anything.

 

This week went really good! We had a great Fireside that all our investigators and the menos activos were invited to and Elder Wilhelm (of the 70) spoke. It was really good! And also, he spoke to the missionaries in our zone the next morning for our Zone Conference. It was a super good talk! His wife spoke, too. They are just great people. So that was fun. Also, we visited Veronica this week and she said something that was so cool. She first started out telling us that after she was baptized, she honestly didn´t really feel any different. She didn´t feel anything... But then she told us that after she was confirmed and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost... She felt the spirit soooo strongly and she had like goosebumps! Then she told us that since she was baptized, she just feels more like herself. I can believe it, too! She has changed so much! She is just so much more bright! She just shines every time I see her! It has seriously been the coolest process to watch her go through. She is so much happier! It´s just a huge testimony to me that the Gospel of Jesus Christ really is the ONLY thing that can bring TRUE happiness into lives. It is so crazy!

So that is about it! This week has felt like it´s gone so fast and I can´t believe that this week I'm about to experience my first real change! I hope you guys all have a fantastic week and thank you so much for always looking out for me! And helping me out, especially with the wallet situation! I wasn´t even worried about it cuz I know you guys have my back! ;) LOVE YOU LOTS! Talk to you THROUGH SKYPE tomorrow!!! Don´t forget... 5 o´clock sharp be online! I will be ready at 7 here!

Love, Hermana Whittaker