May 4, 2015 - Week 70

I can`t believe it either... 2 months left! That is crazy. Well, this week also wasn`t too cool. It was pretty normal. You know, missionary work and stuff. But, it was cool. Some bad news that we had is that our assistence yesterday wsa really low. It was like 57 when usually it is like 100... But, that is only because on Saturday night and on Sunday morning, it was raining like a ton. Like a huge storm and Paraguayans just don`t do anything when it`s raining. So, that is the reason. But, it was still a good Sunday and I actually learned a lot from the classes. So, that is cool. A few people gave some really cool testimonies and stuff. The spirit was super strong even though only a few people showed up at church. So, that was way cool. Also, I realized that I only have one more fast Sunday left in Paraguay... Weird!

Another cool thing that happened this week is that I did divisions with Hermana Morales!! So, that was a blast. She is an hermana leader now and so she and her companion are in charge of doing divisions with the hermanas. So, of course when it was our turn, she obviously chose to go with me! So, that was fun. I went to her area with her and it was cool. I seriously was just remembering all the cool and great moments we had in Itaugua together! Cuz her area is like Itaugua... And so it was super fun. 

But, that is about all that we did. We just had a pretty borning week. We are really trying to help that one family get married so that the girl can get baptized. But, the boyfriend is kinda being stubborn. So, it`s just a frustrating experience. But, that is all. Today for p-day, I don`t even know what we are going to do. I think we are going to go to a place to eat with Hermana Valenzuela and her companion... But, who knows. Haha I hope you all have a great week! LOVE YOU!

Love, Hermana Whittaker

April 27, 2015 - Week 69

The companions in their home

This week was a pretty alright one. Nothing, again, too cool happened. We are just working and stuff and it is good. We did, however, meet a really cool family that is menos activo and they are really cool. My companion had already met them and shared with them a few times. They are the familia Martinez and we went to their apartment (cuz here, there are mostly just apartments) and shared with them on Tuesday. It was fun and we really got to know them well. They are funny and stuff and we just passed the whole night laughing and stuff. But, that was pretty much it of all the cool stuff that happened this week. In fact, we are going over to their house tonight to celebrate the birthday of the hermana. Should be fun. Also, we are still working with that one family that has to get married so that the hermana can get baptized, but when we visited them, she told us that her boyfriend doesn`t want to get married all of the sudden. So, that kinda sucked. But, we are going to try talking to him to see whats up. Other than that, we had a cake contest in the chapel this week and only three people make cakes. Us, the elders, and some other member BOUGHT a cake. So, that was kinda lame. And we didn`t even win! All the little kids voted for the elders and their ``tres leches cake``. Whatever. Haha but it was fun.

The activity with the Hermanas

Today, we had an activity with all the hermanas in our mission that are close (cuz there are like some hermanas that are like 8 hours away). But, everyone within like an hour`s distance in colectivo was invited. And a lot came! There were like 12 companionships or so. So, it was fun cuz I saw like everyone. And you know you have a lot of time in the mission when you see ALL of your companions except the 2 that have already gone home... Haha but it was fun! We all had to like bring a authentic dish from our country to share. So, I tried a lot of Peruvian, and Guatemalan food. And I made Chocolate Chip Cookies. So, that was fun. 

That is like all for this week. Nothing too cool... But, I can`t believe that we are like now done with April and we are going into May! Also, we are excited cuz next Tuesday, we are going to the temple as a zone! So, should be fun! 

I love you soooo much and have a grand week!!

Love, Hermana Whittaker

April 20, 2015 - Week 68

Well, not much happened this week. As for my ankle... It`s like better now. I can walk and everything. Really, it was only sore for like a few days. So, that is good news, right?? But, that is about all for that...

For the work. It`s going along. We are pretty excited cuz we have an important appointment tonight after our p-day and it`s with like a couple that talked to a member that wants to learn and stuff. So, it`s cool cuz THEY are coming to US. So, we will see how that goes and all. But, I have just been getting to know the area and all and visit the investigators and stuff. One of our investigators, Margarita, pretty much said that she won`t be ready to get baptized anytime soon cuz she has to recover healthwise (I don`t even know if that is a word anymore???) But, basically, she needs to get better cuz she is not doing too well. Also, we have a recent convert named Amada that is going through lots of stuff right now and so we gotta help her out... Lots of stuff to do.

Raincoats for all the rain!

Other than that.. Nothing happened.. Haha except something super funny did happen this week and my companion gave me permission to write about it. Ok, so it has been raining like all week (also, it is raining really hard right now), and on like Thursday, we went to eat at this place for our lunch cuz we didn`t have a member to give us lunch that day.. And we are like sharing an umbrella and stuff and we get to the place, eat, and it starts to rain like SUPER bad. Like pouring and lightnight and thunder. And, we had to go back to the house and stuff to put boots on and all.. So, we decide to go out anyway into the pouring rain and we are walking and the roads are like full of water and stuff.... Also, my companion is like freaking out a little bit cuz she has almost never been in a rainstorm cuz where she lives it just doesn`t rain. So, we are like a block away from our house and there is this HUGE lightning that strikes and the thunder came like right after.. And all I said was ``Wow... That was a close one!´´ And I started to fast walk/run to get to the house and we get there and my companion says... ``I think I peed my pants......´´ HAHAHAHAHA!!! She totally peed her pants cuz she was scared! But, she is really cool and thought it was just as funny as I did and she said I could write home and tell my family... So, that is the funny thing that happened this week. I was laughing like forever!!

Well, that is about all. We did cyber early again and after, we are going to the Pizza Hut and meeting up with Hermana Valenzuela and her comp to hang out. So I am like BEYOND excited. Have a great week!!

Love, Hermana Whittaker

The new living quarters...

April 13, 2015 - Week 67

Hermana Morgan, Chloe's new companion

Well, I am guessing you are all dying to know changes... I am just sorry to inform that I DID receive changes and I am no longer companions with Hermana Valenzuela.... And I am PRETTY sad about it.... But... It`s all good cuz I am with a really nice companion who is pretty cool, too. Her name is Hermana Morgan and she is from Peru. We actually get along really well and are pretty good friends. I knew her from before cuz she was companions with an hermana that is my friend and we would always do stuff with her... So, it`s pretty fun.

In BIGGER news... I am not in Capiata!! It`s sooooo weird, too. 15 months in the same stake... You know, you get kind of used to it. But, now I am in an area called Luque. It`s like all city. I am used to like more spread-out type of areas. Like neighborhoods... But here... It`s like only apartments. And we are like the Central of Luque. So, we have like tons of stores and stuff. It is just really different than my other areas! I miss the people in Anahi... But I miss my companion more. But, it`s ok cuz I hear a lot from her. She calls me like everyday. Also, Hermana Valenzuela is training a new missionary, so it looks like she will end her mission like that! I at like 99.9% positive that this is my last area... Haha unless President does some crazy weird change for my last 6 weeks here (that sounds weird). And I am like 98.9% positive that I will stay with Hermana Morgan as well... But, those are the changes in my life right now. I am just trying to get used to a new area and stuff that is sooo different. But, it`s all good! I am already good friend`s with my companion, so that`s a good sign.

The time is just going soo fast. I have like 11 weeks left. And THAT is crazy... Speaking of that... I actually already received my ``Trunky Call´´. That is the call when the secretary in the office calls you to ask you for your final destination and at what time you want to leave to go home... So, things are real now! I don`t know tons of details yet, but I do know that I leave Asuncion at 1 AM on Thursday, July 2...!! (Too soon for this info...? haha) So, that is the news!

As for this area... It`s pretty cool. We actually have some investigators that are super cool, but they just need that ``push´´ to help them really progress so that they can be baptized! So, we are going to work a lot with them. There is an investigator named Karen that is really cute. She is 20 and has an 8 month old baby and her boyfriend is a member who is less active. But, my comp with her old comp were working with them a lot so that they can get married and she can get baptzied. And he is reactivating again. So, we have Karen along with a few other investigators. So, there is a lot of potential here in Luque. Our area is pretty huge, though. I feel like it`s just giant and I`ll never be able to learn it. But, one, it`s probably just cuz it`s all streets and cities and stuff and two, I probably won`t be left here to teach the area to someone else... Haha.

OUCH!

Oh... Another thing. So, something happened yesterday. So, we live in an apartment on the 4th floor, right.... And yesterday on our way to church, I was walking down the stairs and on the last one... I fell. And I sprained my ankle REALLY bad. Like it was so swollen! And it freaking HURT bad... So, I called Hermana McMullin and she told me I had to stay in the house all day and elevate it and ice it and stay off of it... So, that is what we did yesterday. I can like barely walk. But, the good news is that last night, it was hurting SOO bad, but this morning, it is doing a lot better. So, I think I will be good as new in a couple of weeks. I just walk really slow... Also, I had to buy like this brace to wear. But, I`m all good.

That is our week. Today for p-day, we have a zone activity in Aregua (that place that is like a lake with a beach that I have sent pictures of before...). And they are going to play soccer and volleyball and have like a BBQ. So, that is what we are doing. But, I am probably just going to be sitting downt the whole time... Haha. And then I will probaby rest some more and I have to ice my foot when we get back home. LOVE YOU ALL! Have a great week. 

Love, Hermana Whittaker

Initial reaction when they found they were no longer companions...

April 6, 2015 - Week 66

So, I feel like lots of stuff happened this week! But, only cuz we took a lot of pictures... But, for reals, it was a full week. First of all... It was Easter and conference! The 2 were both great. I loved conference (like always) but, we had to watch it in Spanish cuz the english wasn`t working... But, it was still good. The last time I will see conference in Paraguay... Wow. But, I loved it. They talked A LOT about marriage and the family... Next step??? HAHAHA just kidding! But, it was great. I really liked the talk about helping people who have lost their way come back. Also, one of the spanish speakers, Jorge F. Zaballos is like a leader for our area over here! So, that was cool! And it was so cool how like every speaker remembered decided to talk about Christ cuz it was Easter. I thought it really showed just how much we really do only believe in Christ. We don`t adore Joseph Smith or the prophet... Just Jesus Christ. And so I loved that everyone talked of his resurrection and stuff. It was great.

The Rabbit Farm

 This week... We just had tons to do, I feel like. We started off great and on Tuesday, we met an elder that just got back from his mission that is in our ward. Elder Souza (he is the son of that family that is Brazilian--but they`re not members...) And he is super cool! We hung out with them and his mom has like lots of desires to get baptized! So, we are working with her on that! But, we just had a blast with them. On Thursday, they gave us lunch and it was pretty delicious. We ate rabbit... So that was fun. Haha I would say in honor of Easter... But, we usually eat that with them cuz they are the owners of a rabbit farm... So, we took a lot of pictures with their bunnies! Then, that night we did a fun family home evening with some recent converts, Familia Nuñez. They are just so cool. We talked a lot about the family and stuff and our responsabilities as parents and children. And then, we ate dinner with them. We had just like meat and sausage... Typical Paraguayan asado. But, it was fun. We celebrated for Semana Santa. 

A trip to the Temple

Then, on Friday, we went to the temple! The story is that my companion had a member in her old area that she worked with that was going in for her endowments and so she was going to go as well AND that we had our recent convert, Tito, who was going to do his baptisms for the dead for his family history for the first time and we were going to go with him (and Hermana Bautista was going to come--cuz with her, we worked with him on it) and we were just all going to do it on the same day so it would be a lot easier!! Like a 3 companionship deal. Sounds like a great plan, right? And it would have been... But, Friday of Semana Santa in Paraguay is like a huge holiday (cuz it is the day that Christ died) and NO ONE works. Like NO ONE. So, there would be no form of transportation (there are only very few to no colectivos). So, we had to end up cancelling Tito`s visit to the temple and went for Hermana Valenzuela`s person from her area. We got on a taxi (that we had to call in advance) and went to the temple. When we got there... She went with her old comp from her old area in to do the session and I went back to her old area with her old comp`s comp... (if that makes any sense) Basically... We did a division. And after waiting for a colectivo for an hour and a half... We went to ``Mariano Roque Alonso´´ and did a division! I was with Hermana Mera from Mexico and she is just so cute! She is like super new in the mish... Still in her training. But, we had a good division. We visited a few investigators. It went well! Then, we all four just slept at the house in Mariano. So, me and Hermana V had to sleep on the floor. It was pretty horrible. Like I felt beat up in the morning. But, it was a fun day. We got lots done! And Saturday morning, we got on a colectivo and went back to Capiata for conference! 

Hermana Valenzuela & Hermana Whittaker - April Fools!

Ok... So, you all know that this past Wednesday was a very important date... It was April 1, 2015. So, we (being us) definitely did an April Fool`s joke!! It was so funny, but yet so simple. And this is what we did... We dressed as eachother!! Haha like completely.. You just have to see pictures. So, you`ll definitely be getting a lot. I just hope our families find it as funny as we do! Cuz, we seriously did everything exactly like eachother! Even changed our plaques. And that`s how we looked ALL DAY. It was great. A lot of the members noticed, so it was just a great idea :)

So, that was our fun week. Also, we made chocolate chip cookies for all the elders and hermanas in our zone for Sunday conference and I saw lots of cool people again! It is always so cool to see all of the people you`ve met at stake things like conference. Also, we painted EASTER EGGS!! They are so cute! We just had to.... It was way fun! And earlier in the week, she showed me some acrobatics. It was pretty hilarious. And so we just had a super fun week. 

Well, tomorrow we find out about changes. I am thinking we will stay together just cuz I was with my last companion for only one change and I don`t even have that much time in my area yet.... But, we will see what happens. Anything is possible. Just hopefully we don`t have them! But, you`ll all know next week.

Today... We had a super cool p-day cuz we went to Itaugua to but a TON of stuff! So, we are both very happy about that :) And it was just a fun and chill p-day. I hope you all had a great Easter this weekend! I love you all so much and I wish you the best semana. LOVE YOU TONS!!!!

Love, Hermana Whittaker

March 30, 2015 - Week 65

How weird is that?? March is now over! But, we did have a pretty good week. It was pretty chill actually... It`s so weird that this week is the last week of changes... The time is seriously going so fast. I feel like I JUST started my time with Hermana Valenzuela but 6 weeks has already passed almost! But, we are having the time of our lives... So, that`s good.

Family Home Evening with Familia Bazan

This week, was pretty chill and boring. It was actually kinda cold. I think it`s starting to be winter here soon, so in the nights it was pretty cold. So, that sucked! But, it`s not even anything close to the cold at home... Haha. But, it rained a bit, too, so that is never good news for missionaries. No one wants to attend you when it`s raining out.. So, that was kinda lame. But, we still had a good week. We had a super cool lesson with this family (familia Figueredo) yesterday and it was so SWEET! Like, he is a returned missionary, but they are like less active members and we went to like figure out what they need and what their whole mindset and feelings are and stuff... And we had like a SUPER long but WAYYY cool lesson. We just like really focused on them and how we can help them and the spirit was SOOO strong. It was just really cool. I just love being a missionary.. For real. Like, honestly, it can be so easy to just get homesick or want to just go back to ``normal life´´ and stuff... But, when you are in situations like that and you just feel the spirit testifying SO STRONGLY that you are really in God`s true church and that this is the only way... I just forget about everything else! I just love it!! So, that was like the cool highlight of this week!

This week we also had our zone conference. It went well. We just talked about ministering to the people (which is awesome) and I learned a ton! But, we learned how to minister to the investigators, recent converts, and less active members using the Book of Mormon. So cool. So, that was fun. And also we have this goal to read the Book of Mormon as a mission (starting in April) like with a new copy and mark on things about Christ (in blue) and the atonement (in red). So, that should be a cool focus. We have a schedule and everything to keep us all on track as a mission togehter. And good news... We get done with the BOM the last day of my mission! So, that`s funny.

Ice Cream for P-Day

Today for p-day we did like nothing. We just chilled at home and then went to this mall to eat KFC. So, it was pretty fun just to chill together and stuff and not have a huge plan. But, next week I think we are going to go to Itaugua to buy stuff.

 

But, that is about it for this week! Love you and have a great EASTER! I am so excited... But, I totally didn`t even know that Easter was this week until yesterday! Haha someone just said... ``everyone is out of work this week cuz of Semana Santa´´ and I`m like ``What? Easter is THIS week? The same week as conference??´´ Haha so that`s cool. We get a cool conference/easter week! I`m excited! Have a great Holy Week everyone! :)

Love, Hermana Whittaker

Drinking mate dulce because it's getting cold outside

P.S. The other day I was sitting on my bed and my companion is like organizing her desk and all the sudden she is like on the bed too and just says ``HOLY CRAP DUDE! There is a huge taratuala in our room and I`m gonna have to kill it!!`` Haha cuz she knows the terror I have of spiders... So, she gets down and with a like a wave of courage... Kills it!! But, I didn`t even look at it while it was still alive... So I don`t actually know just how big it was! But.... The fact is... THERE WAS A TARANTULA IN OUR HOUSE........ 

March 23, 2015 - Week 64

Lucia on her baptism day

Yep... 100 days left. That´s crazy, right?!?!?!?! Yeah..... But, anyways... We had a great week. Why? Cuz Lucia got baptized on Friday! And it was a great experience. She told us that she felt so happy that she was baptized and that she is just super content. Also, we made two sweet... Like freaking awesome cakes for the baptism and nobody could stop talking about them!! They were lieterally in love. And it was like two box-cakes that we bought from the store!! Haha but they turned out great and we all just had a great time. Especially Lucia. So, we are so happy. And, she was confirmed a member and given the Holy Ghost on Sunday. That went well, too. And so that was really the highlight of our week! It was a great one. 

Other than that baptism... We didn´t have too much happen. I had like a lot of headaches... But, that´s alright. Also, we went to the chapel yesterday after church to get a package that a returned missionary brought from one of Hermana Valenzuela´s friend´s that was serving in Argentina with hjm. So, that was pretty fun. She got a cool package. Also, yesterday I got a sweet call. Hugo and his girls (Malena and Luz--from my old area, Aratiri) called me yesterday just to tell me thank you for everything and to tell me that they are super happy with where they are in life and that ´´thanks you for helping us return to church and to really feel content with where we are... ´´ It was beautiful!! I almost started crying! I miss them a ton but I am super happy that they are doing so well!! :)

For the other work.... I don´t even know. We are trying to work with that family that got married like the other week but they just don´t ever answer their phone. But, we did see them yesterday and told them that we are going to visit them this week on Friday... So, we will see how that goes! Also, there is antoher family. Ramon and Fanny that we are working with. We are hoping that they will progress cuz there are super cool and stuff.. So, we will see this week as well. We have a brownie appointment with them on Tuesday... So, should be good! Other than that... The only other news is that we are going to have our zone conference on Thursday. So that should be good, too.

 

Today for p-dady we really just did tons of checking things out and buying stuff. So, it was fun! But, we went to this tonwn called Aregua (which I have been to two times before) to find some cool things. Also, we went to San Lorenzo to this cool mall to buy an ipod charger for my companion and we found a freaking Quiznos! Haha that never happens. I´m pretty positive it´s the only one in this country. But, we split a sandwich and it was good! And guess what... We were so excited just to see all the stores and stuff... That we forgot the ipod charger! Haha so we didn´t even get it. But, it was a fun p-day!

That is about all for the week. I love you all so much a wish you the best this week! See you in 100 DAYS!!!!! :)

Love, Hermana Whittaker

Playing a new game - catch the camera. Set timer and toss till it takes a picture!