March 2, 2015 - Week 61

Hermana Whittaker & new companion Hermana Valenzuela

Ok... I got changes of companions and you`ll never guess who it is!!!! MY COMPANION IS HERMANA VALENZUELA!!! I am like pretty positive that I told you guys about her forever ago when I was in the CCM in Argentina... But, she is like my BFF! Also she looks like Emma Watson. She is American but grew up in Mexico for like her childhood, so she was only in the CCM for 2 weeks instead of 6 cuz she spoke fluent spanish. But, we became like so close in those 2 weeks and NOW SHE`S MY COMPANION! The best part is that we always... Like ALWAYS would talk about how we were going to be companions at the end of our missions and finish our missions together... We never thought it would happen!! Haha we are both like so happy!

Hermana Whittaker & Hermana Bautista

Anyways... We got changes and Hermana Bautista is like super sad and stuff cuz she has been in Anahi for like 7 and a half months and stuff... But the good news for her is that she went to Itaugua. My first area!! So, I was so happy for her cuz I love those people!! But to be honest, at first I did not want changes cuz I like just got used to being with Hermana Bautista and stuff... But Hermana Valenzuela....?! Like YEAH! I was so excited!! So, hopefully I keep up my spanish and stuff cuz now I`m with an American and it`s nonstop english... Haha but I`ll be fine. Not even worried about it.

Ok... So not only are we like best friends... But we are literally the same person!! I am not even kidding a bit. We like think the same about everything and it`s so cool! We have the same mind. It`s kinda really weird. But, I just don`t think I have laughed this hard in like 14 months!! We are the funniest people you could ever meet!! You don`t even wanna know how much we talk. It`s like ridiculous. But, it`s been so great. Like SO great. You don`t even know how much fun I am having!! It`s AWESOME! And I probably sound like a little bit like I`m overexaggerating, but I honestly feel this way! This will probably be my favorite companionship. We are gonna be so great together! And we`re gonna change Paraguay together!! ;)

So... More things for this week is that we had a wedding?? Haha like the weirdest thing happened, but there is this family (familia Figueredo) that have been members for a while (like 12 years) but they never got married. The guy is a returned missionary from Chile and he is so cool and the girl is from Argentina and she is so cool, too, but like 2 weeks before I got here... They got married (like civily) and they are like coming back to church and stuff. They are so cute and it`s just great. Well, anyways... They have some friends that like totally wanted to follow their example and stuff and told us that they wanted to get married, too. And the familia Figueredo like told us that we should start teaching them and stuff and so then my companion (Hermana Bautista--at the time) like calls the judge to set a date for a wedding and she sets it for the 27th of Feb. And then it comes around and I call everyone to really see if all this is gonna go through and stuff and then... BAM.. We have a wedding Hermana Valenzuela`s like second day here!! And it`s just awesome. So, they are now married and we are gonna start to teach them!! Hopefully this couple is like super prepared for baptism!! 

Wondering how the wedding happened - but it's cool!

Anyways... Another cool thing is that we totally had the BEST lesson ever with our investigator Lucia and we put a date on her for baptism. 20 of March. So... We are gonna be having a baptism!! She came to church yesterday and everything!! That`s cool, right?? And her husband (Joel) has to work a little bit harder on things with reading the Book of Mormon cuz he has his legal problem that keeps him from being able to get baptized... But, he`s doing good! Like they are just great... I love em. But, she is gonna get married soon, so we are so happy!!

And we just had like a great week. Like so good. I can`t even believe, though, that February is over now. How fast was that?? Like I knew it would be fast cuz there are only 28 days in February so it`s not even like a real month...... But wow. It FLEW. And it was pretty sad cuz like all my other best friends went home... :( Not really, but like Hermana Hunt and Braunersrither and Elder Laura... Everyone. But, it`s all good!! That is the mission, right?? I`ll see em all again and I am just super happy for this new change and companionship and all the cool blessings we are always seeing!! It`s so cool and this gospel is real! I know it and I LOVE it!! Have an amazing week... I love you more than life!!

Love, Hermana Whittaker