Woooot, 16 Oct Week 4 Transfer 2

BAptismssssssssss are flippin' awesome!!

Actually, it was probably the most stressful day of my life, but that's okay because Juan got baptized and confirmed and that's all that matters:)  Juan was super quiet and nervous and his little brothers were being little pills throughout the entire service!  So much so that Rosi and Ruben (Juan's parents) both had to keep getting up and taking them out throughout the whole thing. I really just wanted to give those children some discipline - but alas, that is not my place, and as it was our investigator getting baptized we couldn't just leave to help them because we were in charge. But despite the stress and craziness, it was a lovely day.  We went over to see Juan last night and talk to him about his experience and he was just so happy. He is normally a very quiet boy with very few words, but he told us that he has felt different, and he was just full of smiles and happiness, and it just brought joy to my soul!  So happy for him and his family!  They have a date to be sealed in the temple next February and they are so EXCITED! Now they can ALL go as a family, and Juan is going to be adopted by Ruben (b/c Ruben is not his biological Dad, but has basically been his father his whole life) I hope I will be able to get permission to go to there sealing from wherever I am in the mission then! That would be SWEET!

Also, CHRISTIAN CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY!! Boom Baby.  I'm not sure I've ever been so happy before!  We had exchanges this week and Hna Farr came here to Oceanside with me and we went and visited Christian.  He was super nervous about talking to his boss, but we were b old with him and promised him that if he prayed with all his heart, and then talked to his boss and told him the importance of coming to church to him, then his boss' heart would be softened and he wouldn't have to work on Sunday.  Let me tell you, the Lord listens!!! Christian called us and told us that he doesn't have to work the next 3 Sundays and that it is probably going to be a permanent change!  MIRACLE!!  So, his baptismal date is the 25th of Oct!  We are so excited for him!  He is so ready, and he is such a sweet man. Can't wait!  

It has been freezing here this week.  Well, really only at night.  But still- I'm definitely gonna  need someone to send me some tights when the winter time comes. because it gets way colder than I ever expected.  And I definitely didn't bring very many or sweaters or anything. So I'll have to get some or have you send me some from my stash in the garage mom when winter gets here. 

Um- Did I know that Maddy and Stu were pregnant??  I think I might have, and I just forgot...but anyways Congrats to them!!! Let me know when you find out what it is:)

Mom- you inhaled chlorine gas? Oh dear. Glad you got a blessing and I hope that you get better quick! It seems like every time you write, you tell me about some type of health issue that you are having...that is not good.  You need to be healthy mother!:)  I'll keep you in my prayers!  How is Katie doing?  All is well after the surgery?

Tara- You won an Ipad? Geez louise.  You are the second person in our family that has won an ipad.  Maybe that luck will be passed on to me when I get home:) Hope Audrie's nose is okay and that nothing is broken!!

Jame- I already replied to your email, but just in case you didn't get it, i most definitely prefer apple over black licorice:)  

DAd- got your card this week:) Thanks so much!  It's always fun to hear from you in spanish:) Hope you are doing well this week...didn't hear from you today, but you're probs just busy:)  

Al- glad you got to go to SG this week! Wade sounds like a little cutie at this stage! Glad you are enjoying him so much !!

CAm- I think you are right, I think that Porter does kinda look like me when I was his age:)  I don't mind at all:)  Love you - and hope the Fords are doing well this week too! 

KAte- I'd really like to hear from you sometime you little stink.  I think that last time I heard anything from you was like my 3rd week in the MTC! Girl-----that is unacceptable! I expect an email from you next week k?  K. Love ur face. 

Well there are only 2 weeks in the transfer left and it is most likely that Hna K and I will be split up.  Trainers are normally only with their greenies for 2 transfers.  I"ll be honest, that makes me really nervous....I feel like we have just gotten to the point where we have really good relationships with all of our members and that we still have a lot of good that we can do here together in this area.  But...we'll see what the Lord has in store for us!  Hope all is well at home and if I can remember to get stamps today I will send my memory card home with pics on it.  Love you all so!  

-Han Whick

9 Oct Week 3 Transfer 2

The Gift of Tongues...

has been abundant in this area!  In more than one way...let me tell you!!  Spanish is coming along quite nicely, and I continue to learn so  much every single day.  I mean, let's be honest, I still have a LONG way to go, but I am getting there, one step at a time! 

We had an interesting dinner appointment this week...anyone ever eaten TONGUE before?  Let me tell you, it was a first for me...and I think I would have been much better off had I not seen it being prepared and cut... it is really quite sickening and fascinating all at the same time. ANyways, it tastes just like regular meat, just a little more fatty, and has an interesting smell to it...but all in all, I'd rather eat tongue than shrimp.  Honestly. I hate shrimp. And people here love seafood. Ugh.  I'm gonna attach a picture for you to see what it look like!  So gross!   ( The third picture is nothing out of the ordinary...ya know, just peeling the tongue to get the meat inside....gross!! The fourth pic is of me in a traditional guatemalen shirt...one of Hna K's converts froma  diff area is in love with her and sent this to her this week:)  DAd and Ali, did you guys ever eat Mole in Argentina or is that a Mexican thing? Mole is like  a chocolate sauce that they put of chicken or other meat...it is interesting, not horrible, but not somethign I would ever voluntarily make for myself.  Just curious:)

This week has been a great one.  Just great. I love Conference SO mUCH!!  I'll be honest though, seeing it made me feel a little homesick. I think it's the first time I've really had a desire to be home since I've been on my mission...I mean I love you all, but I just haven't struggled with that since I've been gone Thankfully. But I'm doing just fine now:) It was great to be spritiually uplifted, but it was a different experience because after it was over, I just wanted to sit and read my  notes and absorb everything that had just been taught...but alas, no part of the life of a missionary includes just sitting and absorbing...:)  Ya just Go go go!  Sweet news about the new missionary age limits huh? so Awesome!!!

And here we are....going!  Juan is getting baptized this Saturday and it is just going to be so flipping great!  HE's had his interview, and all is a go! Christian....is being a little stink. Well, he is still great, but he;s just stuck...stuck with his job! And he can't progress or be baptized if he doesn't COME TO CHURCH! We are working real hard with him, being BOLD, and doing everythign we can to make him act, but we are still waiting to see some results from that. So, we'll keep you updated on him for sure. We still have a baptismal date set for the 27th of OCt with him, so we are praying realllllllll hard for that to still work! 

WE picked up a new investigator this week, her name is Elsa, and she is flipping awesome.  She has SO much potential, and we are hoping that next  time we go over there we can teach her whole family!  This could be the family we've been praying to find....so we are super excited about them! 

Oh. I cut my hair:) Chopped it off again, and it is SO much better! Cooler, easier, and it looks better....so it;'s a win win situation!

MOm- got your pictures yesterday:) THanks so much for all the mints and EMergen-C's!  I also got a letter from Marisa Kendrick and she said things are great out there in OK except BErt wants to move back:)  Haha they are so funny. I hope they do move back:)

Gma Whick! I got your letter too, the print out of the blog!  That was great to read, thanks so much! 

Oh- I have a favor. Mom- you have 2 Paul Cardall cds that are just the hymns piano music....any chance you can burn me a copy of each of them and sen d them to me?  That would be great! Maybe Kate or Ali can talk you through that process when she comes down this weekend:)  It sounds like you already talked to Claudia and heard that I say her son and his family in the Chapel while we were watchign conference:) They were very sweet and told me if I ever needed anythign to let then know:) 

Tara- that is such a sweet and tender experience that you had with KAylee! What a miracle it is to have children around us t oremind us of what is important in life... love that.  CAmi- Porter is a little CHUNK!! WHat a cutie! HE;s gonna be so huge by the time I get home!

Anyways, I am so glad to hear that Katie is doing well!  I was thinking and praying for her on Friday! Glad to hear all went well and that she is on the recovery and back at school already!   

Anyways, I LOVE you all more than you know!  You are all such great examples to me of faith and love and trust in the Lord, despite whatever is happening in life! I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to receive all the joy and happiness that the Lord wants us to have in this life!  There is no greater joy than that of the knowledge of the Gospel and LIVING it! So keep on keepin on, and the Lord will continue to bless you in way s that you can't even imagine!  Love you all so and hope you have a wonderful week this week!!!

-Love always, 

Hna Whicker

Workin' hard!

Baptism!!!!!!!! 2 October 2012, Week 2 Transfer 2

So much to say, so little time....

BUT-Sweet things have happened this week! It has been a good week here in Oceanside.  We had some great things happen and I just get excited to be able to play a part in the work of the Lord! One recent convert family in the ward has a son, Juan, that is 15 that didn't want to get baptized when his family was baptized. He has since taken the discussions but didn't ever want to live the Law of Chastity. BUT, his family is getting ready to go to the temple to be sealed in a couple of months and he really wants to be apart of that. So, we've started teaching him this last week and he is willing to start living the law of chastity, and agreed to set a baptisimal date and everything. He is great, and he is ready!  His baptism is set for the 13th of Oct and we are so excited! Miracle:)

Christian is doing so great!  He is so ready to be baptized...but his dang job is the only thing that is impedeing him from doing it!  He is looking for a new job, but hasn't found one, and doesn't want to quit his old one until he has something secured. Which is understandable...but if he doesn't come to church then he can't be baptized!  Ahh, oh man. He is so ready and keeps ALL of his commitments (except church), we just need a miracle to happen with his job! So we are praying hard for that to happen... and it will...just gotta keep doing all we can to help move thigns along!

K -- imagine this. SO Hna K (who btw has the rest of this transfer left and then 1 more transfer before she goes home...and she is from indiana.  Someone asked me that last week and I forgot to tell them) and I are driving along to get to our dinner appt with a family and we see this only astro van sitting in the middle of the road, broken down with the hazards on. This guy is almost completely blocking traffic on a VERY busy road during rush hour.  Poor guy was sweating bullets.  The light turns green and we go along on our merry way...but we both felt REALLY guilty that we didn't stop to help him.  So, we turn around and go back, and he's still sitting there, sweating bullets.  So Mind you--Hna K and I weere looking pretty good that day, if I do say so myslef... but there we are- two missionaries in our nice skirts and outfits pushing this HUGE astro van out of the middle of the road with a million cars passing us.  I'm sure it was quite the sight to see...I was giggling quite hard myself:) Then to top it off, once we get him around the corner out of the way, this old man beach bum comes up on his bycicle and starts shouting " We gotts keep these ladies safe!!  I'm dropping everything to come help ya right now! We gotta keep these lovely ladies safe!" It was Hilarious! So so dang funny. People here are f unny:)  But, at least they try and keep the ladies safe;) Anyways, it was a fun adventure! Not ONE person out of all the million cars that passed him  stopped to help him, but I'm glad we could:)

We also got hit by a car in the parking lot yesterday.  HArdly any damage, just some paint scuffs, but we were parked in the back of a grocery store parking lot waiting to meet the Zone leaders to exchange some papers.  Hna K looks in the rear view mirror and says, "This guy's gonna hit us!" then he really did hit us, and she is just sitting there repeating, "I can't believe, he hit us...and he's driving away. HE's driving away!" On the other hand, my first reaction is to look at the car, get the model and lisecnce plate number...to which I immediately did! 6HEU639, and I just kept repeating it to myslef while she is sitting there saying "He hit us!"  It was quite hilrious just to see the different way s we both reacted to the same situation:)  Just made me giggle!

Anyways, it's been a god week here!  Bummer to hear that you guys had quite the crazy week with Katie.  Glad that she can get the surgery can get done so quickly, and I will be praying for her safetly and quick recovery as well! 

Mom - I didn't have time to read you piece for the blog...if you could mail that to me it would be awesome! And yes, I do have the green recipe thing for recipes that you gave me before:) I'll work on my piece for the blog and get that to you guys as soon as I can! Sorry I didn't get it to you yet!  Sorry Cam that you have had such a cruddy week with sickness and such, hope all gets better very soon!  Tara - tell Audge congrats on her grades!! That is so awesome:)  AL- congrats on your calling in the Rs pres, that will be fun for ya:) Jame- glad Ella is loving Joy school so much! You're grls are so cute...tell them that I have their pictures that they drew for me up on my wall and I see them everyday:)  Kate! Good luck with surgery this week, you'll pull through with flying colors- I know it!  DAd- so glad your leg is doing so well!!  Mom- hope you get your energy back soon!

Love you all so ! Hope you have a great week! LovE

Hna Whicker