February 23, 2015 - Week 60

Wow. Well, tomorrow we will know if we have changes. That is just crazy to me. The time has gone by so fast and I think it feels even faster cuz I am in a new area and stuff. But, it has been a great change. I don`t know if we will have changes. My companion has like 7 and a half months in her area, so chances are she`s gone... Which I do not want! I seriously love that girl. I would love another change with her. So, maybe miracles will happen.. And if not.. It`s God`s will :) But, it would be awesome. You guys will all know in a week! 

Hermana Whittaker a little freaked over incoming storm!

But, this week was another good one. We actually visited a lot of people, so that was good. We also had our zone conference. It was interviews, too. So, we got to learn some things and have an interview with President. So, it went good. The truth is, I learned so much! My interview went great. That guy is just so cool and I learn so much from him! Also, we had ´´stations`` to learn on how to set goals and stuff. But, they put a twist on it and related setting goals in the mission to setting goals in your real life! And they started talking about like marriage and all that crap... Wow it was a shocker. Haha I`m still too young!! But, it was actually a really good capacitation and we learned tons. Also, as companions we set a ton of goals this week and we are doing pretty good with keeping them! So, that is good. One of our harder goals is lose weight... Haha it`s just so hard! But, we are working with that.

Hermana Whittaker found a wall that describes her...

 But, we had a great Sunday again. 68 people in church! So, we`re going good! Also, our investigator that we have had for like 3 months (she was an investigator when I got here...) came to church yesterday for the first time! She is really cool and will totally get baptized, but she was just too lazy to come to church. But, she came! And her husband was beyond happy that she came with him cuz he, also, is an investigator that has been coming every week for like 3 months... He is so cool! They got married civilly like the week before I got here and everything. The only thing is... He can`t get baptized yet. We are working with him on that. But, they are such a cool family and we are so excited cuz she came and now we can work with her for her baptism!! Their names are Joel and Lucia.

Hermana Whittaker with her companion and Suzana

 So, that is all that happened this week. It was a really good one. I can`t believe how fast it went by, though. Super fast. And this change, too. WAY TOO FAST! But, that is the mission! Have a great week! LOVE YOU!

Love, Hermana Whittaker

February 16, 2015 - Week 59

So, this week was good. We had some really good days and especially yesterday. It was another good Sunday. We had like 57 people in church, so it dropped a bit, but it is still a lot better than what we usually have!! So, that was good. Then, after chuch, we visited a lot of people and had some really good lessons. We are pretty sure that there is this kid named Samuel that is 9 that will get baptized in March, so that is good news! He is the son of one our recent converts and we loves chuch... So we are helping him out.

Also, that guy from Spain, Antonio, totally came to church again! But, he looked so different! Turns out that he got a job as a taxi guy through one of our other recent converts! So, he is like working and stuff, and came to church again! Amazing what kind of blessings we can receive from the Lord, right? Like, one Sunday in church and now he`s got a job and is doing great! Also, he came in a dress shirt and everything! When the other week he showed up in jeans and a tank top... Haha and that`s ok and all... But I`m just saying that there is a huge difference in him. But, we still don`t know if we can teach him so he can get baptized cuz we aren`t exactly sure where he lives permanently... But, it`s cool that he comes to church and stuff now!! 

We also have received some really cool references from members this week that we are gonna visit. They are probably some potential baptisms and stuff. So, that should be awesome, right?? Also, we contacted a family last night on the way home that is really cool. They were so nice! We just went up to them to give them a contact card and invite them to church and they like gave us water and talked with us a bit... Cool! So, we will see how they are and be passing by for them again!

So, that is about all that happened this week. We had a pretty good p-day, too. We went to visit a family that is in Aratiri (but in the elders area) and had another despidida with them (Familia Martinez) and Elder Laura. The hermana made us a delicious lunch and it was so fun! But, that is about all. Tomorrow we have zone conference/interviews with President... We`ll see how that goes. He`ll probably just drop cane like always.... HAHAHA ;) But, that is all for this week! I love you and have a great week!!

Love, Hermana Whittaker

February 9, 2015 - Week 58

Well, this week was a really good one. Especially yesterday. It was a great Sunday for us. All week was pretty good. We worked hard and stuff and then on Sunday... It was like a huge blessing!! We had like 66 people in church. And that was in sacrament meeting. That is what counts! We have had like 44 every week since I´ve been here and this week it shot up by 20 people! We were so shocked and so happy. Also, there was this guy that showed up named Antonio and he is from Spain. He just decided to come to the chapel to see what it was like. He doesn´t have a place to live and is alone just searching for a job. Anyways, it was cool that he came and later on that day... We found out that like 3 of our recent converts like totally helped him out and are trying to help him in the process of getting his documents all together so that he can go back to Spain (like he wants). But, it was just so cool to see how awesome our members are and how willing they are to help out other people. People that they don´t even know. We were able to talk with him and found out that he really had kinda a cool experience. He was just going along and all of the sudden, he heard a voice in his head that said ´´follow me´´. He literally heard a voice tell him that and he ended up at the church. So, it was a really cool experience. We shared with him a bit and he said that he would for sure come to church again. He also told us a lot about Spain and stuff. It was really cool. But, we will see what happens with him. If he progresses and stuff.

But, last night I was talking with my companion and we were talking about how happy we were to see our members be so willing and also to see lots of less active families come back to church. It was just really cool.

 

Other than our awesome Sunday, we also had divisions with the hermana leaders. It was fun but kinda sad cuz this is the last division that I will ever have with Hermana Hunt cuz she goes home in like 2 weeks. It went great though. We worked good and even visited one of her investigators in her area that is like golden. She seriously understands the lessons SO GOOD. She pretty much taught us. At the end of the division it was sad, but at the same time, we know we´ll see eachother again.

 

That is our week. Today for p-day we didn´t even do anything. We just slept and then ate lunch at a place and we bought a few things. That´s it! Have a great week and I love you all so much. More than you know... LOVE YOU

Love, Hermana Whittaker

February 2, 2015 - Week 57

Wow January came and went!! That`s crazy. But, this week was pretty good for us. 

We are still working with less active members and stuff cuz our whole area is full of less actives. Seriously. But, we are working with them. I met some more families in our area and they are so cool. For example. There is familia Muñoz and they are cool. At first, I thought that they were super serious, but then they were cool. And I like fell over in my seat in the middle of the lesson and they definitely got a kick out of that. Hahaha it was funny. But, they are cool. Also less actives, but we`re helping them out!

Also, we had a zone conference this week and if you thought that President dropped cane the other time that I said he dropped cane... That is just wrong. THIS time he really dropped the cane. It was harsh. But, we just had some really low numbers as a mission for baptisms in December and January. We all just need to work harder, but I am excited and stuff. We are gonna really look for some people in these next few weeks. So, it`s all good. We also ended up meeting the father-in-law of our mission leader in our ward and he is really interested in learning about the church and stuff and he came on Sunday!! So, that is cool. We will see if he progresses.. Also, speaking of people who came to church on Sunday... You`ll never guess.... HUGO AND MALENA AND LUZ came to visit me!! They came to my NEW ward to visit me. They said that they miss me a ton and I was just SOOO happy... Beyond happy to see them!! So, that was like the best surprise that I received this week. 

Also, the elders had a wedding on Saturday, so that was fun. We made the cake and it took a good two hours. Haha but it turned out pretty good. It was a beautiful wedding and the husband is the investigator that is going to get baptized. The only problem is that the elders found out that he actually lives in the boundries of a different ward and so he now has to get baptized in the other ward and stuff. But, it`s all good! He is gonna get baptized and that is what matters, right??

Hermana Whittaker and her cute companion

So, that was pretty much our week. It was pretty good. Also, today was pretty fun. We went to Pizza Hut with all my old friends! Haha with Elder Laura and the other elders in Aratiri and also the hermanas that we used to hang out with. So, it was like good old times. We went to celebrate that Elder Laura is going home soon! He only has like 3 more weeks, so we needed to celebrate with pizza... Haha but that is so weird, right? We are already halfway through this change. I cannot believe it. It is just weird to me.... The time goes fast. Well, that is my week! I love you all tons!!

Love, Hermana Whittaker