15 Jan, Week 5, Transfer 4

"When work's done by Whicker, there's no room to snicker!"

Hahahahaha- Dad, that line made me laugh really hard! Especially the sentace after you wrote that that said "I just now made that up":)  Oh how I love you all so much:)  It is SO great to get email from everyone!!! It gives me the boost I need every Tuesday to keep going for the next week!  

This week. Well- we had a miracle find last Saturday.  We were on excahnges- Hna McBRide (greenie, and hardly speaks a lick of Spanish) came here to be with me for the day, and we had studied faith in our comp study that morning.  It was a pretty sweet study and we tried SUPER hard to exercise our faith and have fatihful attitudes while we knocked doors (Somethimes that is really hard...especially no days when you just get  rude people and rejection en todos los lados.) Anywho- we learned a lot on the exchange and right after we had exchanged back, Hna Adams and I went t ogo see a potential named Victor. We had knocked on his door the week before, but he hadn't been there for the return appointment we had set.  PRAYING he would be there (this was probably like the 4th or 5th tmie we had stopped by to see him since then), we knocked....Nothing.  We knocked again...nothing. I KNEW someone was home. So I just kep t knocking...I don't like being ingored:)  and finally the door opened!  His wife Guadelupe, opened up and had compassion on us becuase it was FREEZING (at least for Cali) and let us in.  She is super sweet, and we proceeded to have the first lesson. Man- it was SO SWEET!  She has a 4 year old son named Angel who has autism who was making so much niose the wHole time, but it didn't matter--the Spirit was so strong.  She was crying as we told her the first vision, and it was simply beautiful/ Just beautiful. We tried to visit her yesterday but something happened with Angel at school so she had to cancel- but she asked if we could come today, so we are sacrficing part of out p day to go and teach her.  Totes worth it!  It was a miracle!!

We have also started teaching a woman named Lisbeth. She has 3 kids and we inititally contacted her husband, but he's never home so we started teaching her. She is pretty sweet too- and we are excpecting some sweet miracles with her and her family as well! Glen, our only other investigator (other than Iris and the ninos) really likes coming to church (he's been twice) but he works all the time and we haven't even had a full lesson with him yet....he is funny. Always wants to come to church but never meet with us...we'll see what happens with him.  

We get transfer calls this Saturday. Pretty sure I will be staying. Because there are three hnas being trained currently- all in areas I haven't served in yet.  And they will all stay there and be trained in those areas for one more transfer. So I can either go to Escondido (which I won't becuase hna SChwegler is there and we have already served together), or Posolee Central (which is the same ward as Oceanside- and Pres Cook never (well rarely) puts people in the same ward again. Plus I was just there...so I doubt I will get moved.)  but we shall see. I will do whatever the Lord wants me to. If I do go I will be VERY sad to leave this area. 

Anywho...I am freezing my patootie off here. Well, I guess I am a little dramatic. Yes, it is cold- but I'm fine. 

Mom- No I don't have gloves Mom, but I've gotten along just fine without them and there's not that much longer left in the cold season.  I have pockets and lots of scarves:) 

Al- I'm excited to hear what you are having!!!! Too bad i won't know until next week!  But that is so great:) My guess is Boy.  fo Sho.

Jame- Nope, I didn't get a letter from you....but the mail system here is SUPER slow (at least the mission mail system). I JUST get a bunch of letters last night that were mailed on the 2nd of Jan. So hopefully I will get it soon. Glad all is well with the Girlies and Jamesipoo:) 

Dad- thanks for the letter:) Yes- I did get to see the newsletter you sent out! Thanks for sending it to me too:)

Cami- Cute CAde with his CTR ring.  Good for him for sharing it with the world!!!!  I love children.  So much. It's so hard on the mission that I can't pick them up or let them sit on my lap. Hardest rule ever. But obedience is the first law of heaven....so I shall obey.  

Tara- Kaylee will be in my prayers!  All will be well though:) Faith...just  have fatih.  That's what I keep telling myself:)  It'll a'll work out for Kaylee's benefit. And Audrie's:) 

Katie- HAPPYYYYY 17THHHHH this week:)))))) Enjoy your celebrations:) Love you lots girlYY!!!

HAppy Birthday to Gpa Whick this week toooo!!1 Love you lots Gramps:)  

Oh man- well, that's the report for this week.  Love you all so.  The Gospel is true.  The Book of Mormon is the best book on the earth. I don't think I've ever read it this quickly (started at the beginning of the year and will finish be Easter) or so dilligently. It is blowing my mind. The gospel is so simple- and so profound. We have a great work to do here!  So in the word's of my mother, Let  us all "Rock ON"!!!  :)  Hope you all have a great week!!!  

_Love 

Hna Whicker

Jan 8, Dia de Rosca, Week 4, Transfer 4

Hellllloooooo Familia!

Good week. We have been talking to a million and one people looking for people to teach. And we have gotten a LOT of return appointments...but not ONE of them has been there for our Return Appointment. Regardless if we call and confirm the appointment or not. So that has been a little frustrating...but we keep a goin' no matter what!  

WE FINALLY got a date set with IRis and the Ninos to be baptized. Feb 16thhhhh WAhooo!  I'm still a little worried about Iris backing out...but we shall see and pray and hope and WORK so that doesn't happen.  Other than them, we are in serious FINding mode. Can I just say it is so much more fun to TEACH than it is to find? But we are always finding- so we am making it fun:)  WE had a NOche De Hogar con IRis and the ninos last night and Andrea came up to me afterwards and hugged me so hard and asked me to come back for her "Quince" next march (quincinera- the celebration when a girl turns 15 in Latino cultura) and then she asked me to be her Godmother!  To be honest I'm not even sure what that really even means... BUT I was flattered. I really feel like I am in this area for those kids. Even if they don't getbaptized while I am here- I know that I needed them and they needed me. 

I had a pair of shoes die this week. Attached is a picture...they are pretty bad. HOle in the bottom, ripped on the sides, my feet are SOAKED immediately in them everytime it rains (which has been pretty often lately) I've pretty much worn them almost everyday of my mission because they are just so dang comfy...but the time has come where thy are gone. 

I got to experience "El dia de Rosca" this week on Jan 6th.  BAsically in Mexico they celebrate This day more than Christmas...they don't really have Santa in MExico...they have "los Magos" or the Wise Men.  The wise men come on the evening of the 5th and leave gifts in the kids' shoes (which they leave out).  But they have a tradition where you eat "Pan Rosca" which is just a sweet bread in an oval shape (pic attached).  In this bread there is an unkown number of little baby Jesus dolls (teeny tiny) and each person takes a turn cutting their own piece of bread. IF you get a "muneca" in your piece you have to make tamales for everyone present on the 2nd Of February.  Guess who gets to make tamales??????? YOu betcha- yours truly.  AND Hna Adams:) So if I don't get transferred we will be making tamales on Feb 2nd:)  IT was super fun and I took lots of pictures:) 

Mom- I am so sad to hear about Lynn Chandler. She was a wonderful person full of light and is in a better place now. I will most definitely keep you and her family in my prayers. 

HAPPPPPPPYYYY Birthday to ALison tomorrow:) Hope you have a WONDERFUL day and enjoy every minute of it:)  And to KAtie next week!!!! (Ps I hear you havea date:)  I would like to hear about that from you:).  

Question for all-  So we teach an English class 2 times a week and I am seriously running out of Ideas of things to teach.  Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe Jay has some good grammar worksheets or something from her class...I don't know but we have no set curriculum and there is still so much for them to learn I just don't really know where to begin.... Thanks:)

Aights- goottttaa go!  But Love you all!  This work is soo true. So true. THat's why it's so hard, because Satan knows it- and is fighting his little patootie off to thwart it.  BUT HE WILL NOT CONQUER!!!!  We just gotta keep fighting back, and we'll win.  There is nothing bettter then this gospel in the World. each day I am reminded of my SAvior and His incredible Atoning sacrifice for me.  I am forever grateful for Him and for this time we have to learn and grow on the earth- so let's make the most of it:)  Love you all so!

-Love, 

Hermana Whicker

12 ubas, January 2, Week 3, Transfer 4

(By "ubas" she means "uvas".  Latins are notorious for mixing "b" and "v" and Lynds has got herself mixed up in that confusion!!)
 
Buenos Dias Familia!

Happyyy New YEAR!! CAn you believe it is 2013 already? Cause I sure can't.  things here are good. We had a hard week last week and we picked up ZERO new investigators and we are having trouble helping the investigators we have progress.  but we are still working our tails off.  

We had to come in early on New years Eve because of the crazies that are out.  but it was good- felt weird to be in our Apartment that early, because we are just NEVER there at that time. We had posolee with IRis and the fam for dinn and then  HNa Fabian gave us each 12 ubas (grapes) to take home (b/c we couldn't stay an dcelebrate with them). There is a tradition in Mexico that at midnight on NYEve, that you eat one grape for every month of the year and make a wish for that month. So in all- you make 12 wishes for theyear. It was fun:)  Except we did it at 10pm instead of 12:)  

Andrea and Iris (daughter and mother) came to another baptism this weekend and it was great.  Andrea SOOOO wants to be baptized, but her mom is still hesitant.  the baptism was great and she felt the Spirit, but then as soon as it ended all of the ward members basically "Attacked" her.  They had good intentions, but they were basically shoving baptism down her throat---and seeing as we (as missionaries) were already putting a little pressure on her to get her to act, the pressure of a million other people has made her pull back a little. we are Sad about that. It will happen, eventually, and I guess I just need to work on my patience. But in the meantime we are doing everything we can to help her overcome her doubt/fear. She is just afraid that Her kids will be baptized and then they'll fall away and she doesn't want that to happen becuase she knows the improtance of baptism . So that is the situation we are in- hopefully the Spirit will touch her heart as she continues to pray and read and as we continue to work with her. 

Haha- Andrea told me that at least one of my grape wishes had to be for her mom to say yes to  her getting baptized...:)  All 12 of mine might have been devoted to that cause...:) MAN- I just want it to happen SOOO badly!  She just wants it so bad and I just want it so badly for her!  Ahhh-- Come on IRIS!!!!!

We also saw Enot yesterday. We went into our lesson with plans to drop him, but it just wasn't right.  So we read in the Book of Mormon with him and it was aPOWERFUL lesson. So sweet. The BOM is such a powerful tool- it is the bomb.  Not gonna lie, though, I was really ready to give up on him- and He surprised us and the Spirit just told us not to drop him.  I was kind of excited to drop him only because He has some hard problems that we are going to have to overcome, and I would have been happy to not have dealt with them, but the Lord just told me to bite my tongue...so here we go once again.  Hopefully this time we can get him over his problems!

We are also searching our little hearts out for people to teach. We've gotten a lot of rejection lately, but we have some cool potentials that we are working on picking up this week. We have some others, but I think they dropped off the face of the earth since we started teacing them becuase we can't EVER get ahold of them. So yeah.   I read a conference talk this week by President Monson about treating people as what they can become rather than how they are now -and how they will rise to the occassion and change. I want to do that!! So that is my goal this week and I am excited to see the miracles that will come from it- becsue there wil be MIRACLES! 

We are in week 4 of the transfer which means only 2 more weeks of the transfer. Time really flies- it's crazy. We both think we will both stay here in Mission Viejo. We heard that we will be getting 4 Spanish sisters over the next three transfers-- so we'll see what happens. Dunno how many of those will be coming in this transfer. But we shall see. 

Sorry- this isn't the best letter. I just really don't have much else to say. 

Glad to hear about Katie's pain level and that it has decreased. Hope that it will last!

We are going to learn how to make papusas from a couple from El Salvador that are recent converts. It will be sweet. Not exactly sure what papusas are, but I've been told they are kind of like a stuffed pancake...but we shall see. I will take lots of pictures:)  

Pday will be back to Tuesday next week- so just be aware:) 

LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOO!!!  Pray por favor for a miracle with Iris that she will give her permission!  

This work is great- hard as heck, but great. 

Aights- gots to go. Much love Familia!!

-Hna Whicker

Dec 26, Week 2 Transfer 4

(We talked to Lyndsey via Google Plus as a family on Christmas day for 1 hour.  It was AWESOME, she looks great, she is a shining light!  I even spoke a little spanish to her--and realized she is all MEXICAN spanish!  It was really, really wonderful.  We love her!)
 
What A GREAT day it was yesterday to see all ofyour lovely faces:)

It was just pure joy to Google Plus-- sorry I feel like I didn't really get to talk with everyone the equal amout, but it was just lovely! And I love you all!  Definitely am a Chillona (cry baby)....whoops:)  Thanks James, for your lovely declaration of that at the end "You Glow baby..."HAHAHAHA that was hilarious:)  You have all changed, but you are all the same:) I can't believe it has already been 6 months!  

Thank you for all your support and encouragement. This last week has been a hard week...I just get frustrated when I work so hard, but I feel like I'm not making a difference because No one's getting baptized.  Plus, I just don't feel very close to my companion now...which is really difficult for me.  I am trying not to be prideful and just love her, but we are SO different. So different. We are fine- we don't fight or anything and we get along, we're just not best friends.  But I know that I am here with her doing what the Lord wants!  So watch our Mission Viejo...cuz here we come and we're gonna start off the new year the right way...hopefully with some baptisms! Oh man I SOOOOO want to find a family to teach that is just READY for the Gospel!  I want that so bad:) We wil find them!

I'm not gonna lie, I was really nervous that seeing everyone would make me really homesick and it would be astruggle to focus on the work after that. BUT Heavenly Father is blessign me greatly, because it was just the BOOST I needed to put a pep in my step and keep on truckin'.  So so great. I love you all. 

Yes- I am a mexican.  Seriously. Soy Mexicana.  I eat spicy, drink Abuelitas, eat rice beans and tortillas casi cada comida. I thought it was funny that ALi kep tsaying that on the webcam yesterday-we definitely are having different experiences than you did in Argentina:)  But it is fun.  Sometimes we pick up vocab from our Cuban/ Peruvian friends and then say them to our mexican friends and they have NO IDEA what we are talking about...so that is kind of funny...I will defeintely have an interesting vocabulary when I get home. 

Thanks Jalyn for the Thanksgiving day package with carmels and letters from everyone!  It was so fun to hear from everyone on the Stones side:)  Haha- it made me laugh that about half of you said how much fun it was to read my letters and how much more descriptive they were than Todd's:) Haha-gave me the gigggles.

Well --- The tradition has continued....we pretty much eat 2 dinners a day...i'm gonna be so Huge by the time I get home...gross. For Christmas dinner we had Tamales (delicious...and they are Traditional for Christmas with Mexicans) and you drink it with Ponche (like a warm fruit cider with the fruit in the cup). Our second dinner consisted of Posolee (Po- soul - lay) wich is flippin delicous (at tleast when hns FAbian cooks it) and it is like a soup with carne and corn (but it's not regular corn...it's like mexican corn, I don't really know how to decribe it...) and you put crema and cabbage on top with aguacate and tostadas. So good. Soooooooo Fullllllll!  

OTher than that Chrsitmas was good- we had a lesson with Enot---he is an idiot I've decided. We are probs going to drop him. He wants to be baptized, but he doesn't and then he reads the Book of Mormon and thinks he finds all these inconsistencies as he reads it...but he can't even explain them to us, and then he gets frustrated. He just doesn't get the fact that He just needs to read it and pray about the BOM--- that is the KEY. B/c if they BOm is true, the Joseph Smith was a true Prophet b/c He translated it, and He really restored Christ's church. Everything hangs on the BOM. And no matter how many times we say that...he just doesn't get it. So anyways, that was frustrating.  But- we have picked up a lot of new investigators this past week---now we just got to get them rollin' and progressing.  

At our Mission Christmas Conference that we had on the 24th our P. Cook Challenged us all to read the Book of Mormon before Easter (which by the way falls on March 31st this year:) My Bday) and Mark all the references to the Savior's name as well as all of His pronouns (He, his, etc). We have to read 5.5 pages a day starting yesterday to get through it in time and I am sO excited!  It is going to be great and I just love the Book of Mormon!  Love love love. I know it is true!  And I'm excited to do this and have my testimony strengthened even more. 

So funny story - Andrea and Jose (the ninos we are teaching) have really struggled with saying the Lord's name in vain. Constant battle- and they have improved SO much, but they still have their moments.  So my last companion- Hna Schwegler- was super loud and crazy and her catchphrase was "OH JUDY!" So now everyime they slip up - they hurry and correct themselves by saying "Uh I mean... Oh Judy!"  Okay, it's really not that funny of a story, but it just made me think of When that girl (Adriana?) from spain was staying with us and she waould always correct herself by saying "Oh my life!" :)

Mom- that is a beautiful Christmas present!! I don't know what to call it...but it is very pretty:) Thank you so much:)

Anywhoo... hope you enjoy the pictures that I sent ( in the mail) and that they get to you safely. There were lots,.... like casi 200...whoops. It's been a while since I sent my Memory card home. but they are good ones:)

Also- Pday next week will be on WDNESDAY again because of the new year...all the stores will be closed on Tues. So, that's what's up:)

Love you allllllllllllll soooooooo muchhccccccccccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

-FEliz Navidad y prospero ano! (In sing song form of course.  Just imagine Celine Dion singing that...cuz that's most defintiely what's going through my head:)  

-HErmana WHICKER!

Ps Al- If you would like to send me an early birthday present, I would gladly accept another journal cause mine is almost finished:) 

Ready? Dec 18, Week 1, Transfer 4

Well you ready to hear who my companion is?  You all know her already..........................................HNA ADAMS!  We were in the same MTC district.  and now we are companions! Craziness. (she's the curly haried one with the glasses in the pictures from the MTC). 

Not gonna lie though, this week has been really hard for me.  STress up the wazooooo.  LAst Tuesday at the Transfer mtg Hna Kohrman went home- so I had to say goodbye to her, and although Hna Adams and I are in a "co-senior" companionship- it is difficult.  I feel like I am most definitely the Senior companion...because I do most of everything. and it's hard.  WE are working on it together, but her spanish isn't as good and she is just quiet! She doesn't talk in lessons much-and it is just difficult.  So there has been a lot of weight on my shoulders....and it makes me worried for when I do have to train, I'm just not sure how I'm going to handle it! It is hard!! And I've been praying my guts out to Heavenly Father to  help me to know how I can be better and how I can help her better and how we can both help our investigators better.  Plus I have to started to experience a little bit of homesickness just because it's Christmas and everyone is talking about famliy...

I just need to take a deep breath and know that the Lord is on our said- we can't fail becuase we are doing HIS work.  Thanks for sharing that scripture in your email CAm- I needed to hear that too:)  

And on top of all of that, things have kind of been falling apart with our investigators. The ninos still can't be baptized becuase their mom won't give them permission. We are working out TAILS off the Iris, the mom, so that we can get them baptized, but to no avail so far.  WE are hoping and praying for a Christmas Miracle.  Things with Enot are improving....he has a new bap date for January, we are just still working our tails off to find him a different apt to live in so he can be living the law of chastity.  And other than that we have been doing a heck of a lot of finding! and we haven't had much success....it's been a little discouraging actually.  That is probably the hardest part of the mission- working SO DANG HARD, and then not seeing any results from your efforts.  People just have their agency and they just plain choose WRONG.  Dumb.  Oh well- we will keep searching to find those that are prepared to listen to us.  But - ONWARD CHIRSTIAN SOLDIERS right?  Onward we go!

I had to speak in sacrament Mtg for the first time in SPANISH--man it was stressful.. Can I just say you have NO time to prepare a talk as a missionary...none whatsoever.  Thank goodness Heavenly Father helped me out with that one! I"m just glad it's over. 

Monday we get to have a Christmas party as a mission- that's pretty much the extent of our celebration here. Other than that we will just be visiting families and searcing for people to listen to us:)  Mom and DAd- I got your wreath:)  THanks- that was quite a surprise:) An dMom I got your other package as well! I haven't opened the presents yet...except the mini nativity which is super cute:)  Ali- I also got you package and CAmi's :)  Thanks everyone for sharing the love:)  Sorry I still haven't sent pictures yet... the kiosk at walmart has been nroken these past 2 weeks and there are some pictures I need to print our before I send it home to dump the card. Hopefully all will be in working order when we go today. 

aLi- your Christmas package will be late. So sorry. but it will come:)  

PS- Katie is going to meet her birth father after Christmas? WOAH!  I didn't know that!  When did this happen?  I would like some more info on this please:) Preferable from little miss KT herself.  OKay kate:)  

Ali- will you accept the latinos on my fb?  Thanks:)  and Why are Jelyn and Sterling in the hospital?

Welll- time is gone already. Happens everyweek. But I just want you all to know that I have a testimony of this Gospel I know that our Savior Jesus Christ came to earth for a specific mission- to make it possible to us to return to our Heavenly Father.  And i know that it is only through the gifts of His birth, his life, his sacrifice, the atonement, and his ressurection that we can have the promise of living with our families for all eternity. How indebted are we all to Him?  More so than I can even comprehend.  I am forever grateful fro this Gospel, and let us all give a gift to our Savior this Christmas season- for He has given us everything. I know this Gospel is true!  Love you all to death and talk to you in exactly one week and 10 minutes okay? 

Mucho Amor!

-Hna Lynds Whick