This week :) (9 Sept, Week 4, Transfer 10)

Good Mornin' Family!

Good week. Thanks dear mother for the nice package I received:) I LOVE the skirt. It is perfect, and I will probably wear it everyday this week because it goes with everything and I am tired of all of my other skirts. 

I good an inside view on what "English work" is like this week.  We exchanged with some sisters, and let me tell you  it was hilarious! I guess I forgot how much of a culture gap there is. Hna Lythgoe's experience was too good not to share. (I am telling this in the persepctive of "we' b/c that's how my brain is wired") We walk into this nice, HUGE house and is is just clean and nice and yeah. Okay really, it wan't anythign extra special, just a regular home that is well kept- but it is a mansion compared to what we are used to here en la obra de espanol.  We were at our dinner appointment and it was great. We ironically had enchiladas and naturally, we just go at it. Becuase it is a FACT that the people love you more when you eat their food.  Especially when you eat all of it.  So, we easily eat the whole enchilada.  I look over at my companion's plate (who's area we are in) and she has eaten 1/4 of it and can't finish it. :) Then their kid, picks up his empty plate and puts it on his head and the mom makes him throw the plate away. Then everyone starts freaking out because there is a FLY in the house. One fly. in my mind i am thinking, oh if these people only knew how good they have it.  Oh, it was so funny:) It is just such a stark contrast to the circumstances we are in daily. We sit down and eat and we are constantly killing ant/ cockroaches/ shooing the flies.  We sit in the kitchen and eat our MOUNTAINS of food that they so lovingly give to us, as about 20 other people that live in the same house pass us. I actually really liked it, I learned a lot of things from working in a different culture- and it just made me love spanish work and hispanic culture even more. It was great! 

Our investigator Faustino has been MIA this week. He;'s the one we seta baptismal date withlast Monday, and we tried to call him throughout the week to see how his reading is going and to confirm for our next appointment but his phone always has the busy signal. So we stopped by his house, but he lives on this ranch, that is among a cluster of like 8 ranches all scruched together, and we can't EVER find him!  The bummer is that he's on the far side of our area and we can only go try the days that we have the car. So, we are parying that we can find him asap so that he can make his baptismal date!!

One of the families from Escondido cam e to our ward in Vista this week to visit some family they have here- and they brought Conchita with them (the 80 year old convert that I Taught in Esco). Oh it was so great to see her. It was pretty funny though- she couln't remember my name or who I was, when I went up to hug her all she saidn was, "Ay!, Son bien altas, verdad?" Wow, you're tall huh?" I don;'t mind though, it was great to see her. She is doing great. Still her lovely little forgetful self:)

We also got a new vacuum this past week. now- this may seem silly, but it was such a blessing. I don't think our apartment has been vaccuumed by a properly functioning vaccuum in YEARS> Oh it was absolutley revolting. I do believe I emptied the canister about every 2 minutes (no joke) to dump out all that was sucked up . So- I am very grateful for that! 

Thanks for all of those addresses mom! i'll try to write them today.

Addie! you hurt your ankle? Darn, you'll have to be careful on all of your future 'twirling' espisodes:) hope it heals quickly!

Well, that is all I have for today. Love you all. 

Hna WHicker

Prayer (3 Sept, Week 3, Transfer 10)

Is the theme of this week. So many good and interesting experiences.

Best Quote ever from James E Talmage, "Prayer is not compounded of words. Prayer is made up of heart throbs and righteous yearning of the soul."   Love that. 

Mom always seems to tell me in her email that she is not only praying for us to find those people that are prepared, but for those people to be able to find us as well. I took that to heart this week and prayed for that specifically one morning in my prayer.  Our dinner cancelled on us that night- so we naturally went out to eat at Ranchero's. (It's a Mexican restaurant that gives us free food every once in a while b/c the owner's daughter was just baptized and he loves the missionaries!)  so we went and got our free food, and the whole time we were eating this man sitting with his family kept looking accross the rom at us. Not thinking anything of it, we eat and carry on our converstation and leave.  As we pull out of the parking lot we see this family getting in their car and hna asks me if I saw him looking at us. I said yes, and we immediately stop the car and roll down our window and yell "Bueno! Como estan hoy?" (it wasn't intended to be creepish, but I'm sure it was odd to them as the situation is a bit unusaul). We start chatting withthem and they are SUPER great! They just moved into our area and are so nice and humble! We are excited to go back for our return appointment this week!  That was #1 incident.  #2. We are walking down the street going to visit a potencial when we get a call form the hnas. MIRACLE. so casually they tell us, "Hey we have a man that wants to be baptized. Can you come to the chruch right now and teach him?" Um , YES!!! We will be RIGHT there!! Haha it was so great:)His name is Faustino and he's a rockstar!  He wants to change his life and be baptized:)  Love it so much!  We met him on Sunday night and we saw him yesterday morning too!  So he's got a date set and all- the only thing that could impede him from that is being able to come to church on Sunday.  We are having an FHE with him on saturday with soem ward members- so that should be great:) His familiy is separated and he has a tender heart. He was an alcoholic and a drug addict, but he's been clean and sober for 2 years now and he's just looking for a fresh start with God in his life. Love it!  Prayer answered!!

We also had a nother experience yesterday that was interesting. This woman had stopped us on the street the other day and asked us if we were mormon. NAturally we said yes, and ignited a conversation. So, thinking that this was an answer to our prayers of having the elect and prepared people find us we set up an apt and we went back yesterday. We ahave the lesson in the church- and all of a sudden she just goes OFF- talking about every worldly thing imagineable,a nd in a very uncomfortable way.  Oh I've never felt SO uncomfortable in my LIFE! All I could think was- we are sitting in the Relief Society room where the spirit should normally be and this type of language is coming out of her mouth. It wasn't anything rude to us, but very profaine and all I am thinking is how can we get her to Stop talking!  AFter many forceful attempts at cutting her off  and failing, we finally get control of the lesson and bring it all back nicely to prayer and how she can talk with her Heavenly Father.  Oh it was so crazy and such an odd feeling.  Hna L and I talked about it afterward and she did NOT want to go back and talk with her ever again. Although I was uncomfortable, she accepted the inviatation to pray right there in the lesson- and she said was seemed like a heartfelt prayer.   So I was thinking, all right- this woman is crazy, but she has a desire to learn. So we dicussed it asa companionship and [rayed about it. and it was actually a really cool expereicnce.  The answer that BOTh of us got was that we should NOT go and visit her and that she is not prepared to recieve the Gospel right now. It was a revelatory experience and the Lord was most defintiely looking out for us! 

Found out this week that one of my converts in Escondido- Mauricio, asked the missionaries not to come back and visit him.  Oh my heart broke!! It was so sad! He has ZERO support from his family and everyone at work was mercilessly mocking him. Por 18 yearold just feels alone and needs support, but has decided that it's too hard. Oh it hurt to hear that.  He was SO happy  when he was baptized...his life had just changed.  But Satan is good at gettign people to believe that things that are too hard aren't worth it.  So keep him in your prayers.  Hopefully he'll come around soon and realize what he's missing. 

One of the 8 year olds in our ward got baptized this last weekend and Juanita and her 2 daughters came to the baptism!! MIRACLE . THey felt the spirit so strongly- and we are going to invite them to ba baptized again tonight when we see them!  Can't wait. 

Mom- Sorry the libraries were closed yesterday- so our pday got moved to today:)  Um... as far as the computer goes, I guess I would prefer one with an internal cd drive, but if that's not available, then it's whateves.  No, it really doesn't rain much here. Actually it rained in Mission Viejo- so probs only in like Nov and such is when we get rain. but for when it does rain, my rain coat works just great:) 

Al- that is so great that you saw Hna MAdsen :) I most definitely remember her:)  Haha tell her I said Hi!   So fun! So then I take it she's in you stake then? Sweet. Congrats on the call for as Ward Missionaries!   Saw that one comin:)  Pretty sweet statistics about your mission numbers!  love that. We don't count the number of doors that we knock- just the number of contacts (it doesn't count for us as a contact if we knock the door) so that'll be interesting to compare someday:)

Jame- I missed something. You had stitches in your foot? Ouch. I must ahve missed that email!  That is great news though that you get to do Salem days. Sounds like you've been seeing a lot of success from your little business there- Nice:)  That was the cutest little "To Do" list from Addie. she has such a sweet and tender heart!

Cam and TAr- glad that your kids got to sleep over together. how fun:) I always remeber how fun it was to sleep over with Kendall when We'd all go up to visit gma Stones.  Our night normally consisted of playing uno forever and listening to H arry Potter cds in the background. yup, we were rebels:)

Kate- That is a sweet new calling t ha you got! Special needs mutual.. Love it. and You will be great at it too!  Hope you r knee gets to feeling better soon!

Ah, I'm already out of time!  I will not miss being 'on the clock' 24/7, i can tell ya that much!  but I love you allso !  Have a marvellous week!

-love, Hna Whicker

EXCHANGE Week:) (26 Aug, Week 2, Transfer 10)

Hello Familia

It has been a FAST Week. We had 3 excahgnes this week which just made things FLY by. It was so great to go and work with some of these Sisters that we have. One particular exchange that we had was just marvellous. It is her second transfer in the field (still being trained) and it was her first time leading the area without her trainer there.  Oh it was great!!!  Her spanish is absolutley terrible...but she has THE BEST sttitude of anyone I have ever met in my life. Oh it was just so inspiring! IT was like watching her spread her wings and fly!! Loved it. It was so great, becuase She told me that I was able to give her lots of help and correction with her spanish, but in a way that she was built up so that she just kept going and WANTEd to learn more. She said that was something she hadn't ever gotten before- so I was just thrilled to be able to be there with and learn so much from her and hepl her out as well. That is seriously on of hte best feelings in the world. LOVE IT!  I am so glad that I have this assignment  an dI get to go and owrk with the other sisters! Especially because this area is difficult, it gives me that sense of accomplishment and success that I want in the work. It just helps me and makes me love the sisters and the work even more. 

We had a prettycool experience yesterday.  We went to church and one of th SUPER less active ladies showed up without notice. OF course we went over immediately and chatted with her and it was great. As we go in to make an appointment-she says, "YOu're coming over tonight right?" Immediately Hna Lythoge and I jump on that and say "SI!" Then she proceeds to tell us that she is going to make enchiladas and this and that....too bad we already had a dinner schduled for that night...but we COULDN"T say no- because we can NEVER get in the door with this woman.  So- our stomachs suffered a little bit with 2 gigantic dinners last night- but thankfully we got some hepl from on high becuase we miraculously made it through BOTH. (it was like Thanksgiving all over again...oh so oooo much food).  but it was such a great experience. She opened up about Everything and she is really wanting to come back to the church. It has been a long time though- and we are going to start with the basicss and re teach everything. But as we were sitting and sharing our message and she was pouring her heart out, I just felt such a love for this woman.  IT was just pure and overwhelming. And After we left I just felt so free and light- it was amazing to see and feel the power of the atonement. He really just lifts us in everyway, IF we turn to him.  So so cool.

I have had so many "A ha!" moments this week in the sense that , 'Wow- this is so great-I am a missionary, and people just look up to us and trust us so instantly and openly.  When else in my life will I ever be able to have this calling and opportunity to do all of this. IT is just so cool. I love it so much.  I am so blessed. 

Glad that everyone is getting back in to the school routine and I hope it continues to all go smoothly.  Especially for Addie and KAylee- who seem to have had less posotive starts:)  But all will be well!

thanks for sending the memory card back Mom:)  My shoes are just fine and I am good with socks- so no need to send those:) 

So fun that you are all involed in missionary work- whether it be with the sister missionaries, or member missionary trainings, or Visiting teaching, or whatever- it is SO great! WE are focusing on that with our members all this week - Visiting and home teaching..becuase it is just like zeros accross the board every month...so hrrible.  but hopefully we can help them get on top of it

thanks for all your prayers! Love and miss you all:)

-Hna Whicker

EXCA

Swollen Feetsies... (19 Aug, Week 1, Transfer 10)

...is the theme of this week.  Can I just tell you how much we are spoiled in the Carslbad CA Mission? Seriously.  We went from having a full time car  (a 2013 Ford Fusion nonetheless- muy suave) to Full time walking.  And let me tell you my feet are feeling it:) 

It's actually been kind of fun to walk everywhere:)  Hot and sweaty and sunburned, but good. 

in spite of the fact that we have pretty much lost all of our investigators, it has been a pretty good week.  WE started our round of exchanges this week with Hna Sheffield and Hna Goodwin. I got to go with hn aSheffield this time and it was just great to be with her again. She is a rockin missionary!  Our ward and all the missionaries were so excited b/c there was a baptism in out ward this past weekend! We were all rearin to go and had plans to walk over with our investigator and her family, but she bailed on us last minute and we didn't get to go:( ( You can only go to a baptism if you have a less active or an investigator present- b/c missionaries in the past have abused that privilege:()  So we didn't get to see the baptism, but we were excited to see her confirmed on sunday! 

WE had a mtg with P Kendrick on Friday and it was pretty good. It is good to get to know him better, b/c I don't feel very close to him. So that was good.  We talked a lot about what we can do to preserve the culture our mission. We got a part added to our mission when we had the division, and they are just very different.  Very lax about rules and etiquette and professionalism, whereas our mission is SO STRICT about all of these things.  Seriously, we have so many rules. But I lOVE it, b/c it just prevent So many problems.  So  great.   so that is one of our main purposes on our exchanges, and I'm excited!  I love going on exchanges, b/c you just see them through the eyes of our Heavenly Father.  It is so great. 

It's been kind of a distracting week actually- as far as being focused on the work. There were 2 wedding this week in our ward, one of 2 Return missionaries that served together in this ward- which is crazy.  But also means that everyone and their MOM asks all the missionaries to come back and do their wedding reception here and about things that are happening at home, and how long you have left on the mission, etc etc. SO many questions- and as much as you try to dodge them, they just keep a comin.  But it was fine, thinkga are back to normal now and it is much easier to focus. :)

Hey Mom and Dad- did you get my memory card that I sent home?? I sent it 2ish weeks ago, but I haven' heard anything...and that makes me nervous...I hope it didn't get lost, I would be SOO sad!  So just let me know in your next email please! 

Miracle: Diana. So Friday night in Vista- on foot. Not the safest area. We decide we can't go to our 8pm appontment becuase we would have to go thorugh an unsafe area with very little lighting- not smart.  So we adjust our plans. We walk to this nearby apartment complex to go visit a potencial investigator. no one home.  So we knock acouple doors, but to no avail b/c it's like 8:40 and peeps are either out or already in bed.  So - feelign a little bit unsure of where we can go next and a little unsafe- we decided to stop and pray. Oh how Heavenly Father listens to our prayers!  We decide to knock a couple more ddors  before we leave the area.  and...nothing. As we turn around and start walking out of the parking lot this cute young mom starts walking towards us. It was just so great. WE started talking to her and found out that she was actually looking for a church and it was a MIRACLE!  Oh love it.  We have a return appointment with her this week.

Funny story.  So our first night walking, we over estimated how much time it would take to get back to our apt complex, so we got there about 15 mintues early- so we decide to comtact atound our apt complex  before it was time to go in. We start talking to this man- he''s in the marines and he basically just tells us his whole life story, he was so nice and just chatty. So as we are ending the contact, I realize we didn't even get his name, so I  exentd my hand and say I'm hermana Whicker, the saem with my compainion. And he says, "Oh I'm Nate. What's your name again?" "Hna Whicker" "Is that your last name? In, that case, I'm nate, NAte DArling. But you can just call me darling"  All of this is said without the slightest crack of a smile on his face, whicle hna Lythoge and I are both about to lose it laughing. Oh it was just so funny! I don't know if that sounded very funny, but just believe me it was quite hilarious:)

Alrighty family! That is all the time that I have. I love you all and am glad to hear that everyone is doing so well!  Good luck with school everyone and can't wait to hear from you next week!

Love you all!

-Hna Whicker

"Me pide y nos casamos" (12 Aug, Week 6, Transfer 9)

...is a phrase in spanish meaning- tell me what to do and I'll do it! nad it's just fun to say. Quite literally it means, "Ask me, and let's get married!'Haha so funny. But we've heard that a lot this week  so I thought it'd be a fitting title for the emailtoday:)

It has been a wonderful week this week!

Congrats to Katie on gettign her new ears!! That is so exciting:) I am so happy for her:) you could just see the joy emminating from her face! Oh happy day:)  Thanks for sending all those pics Dad do I could be a part of it too!  You be looking real fine my dear Kate!!

We picked up some sweet new investigators Miguel and Anali and they have 3 kids! Oh in my heart i just feel that they will be baptized!   They are so great! 

We also set 2 new baptismal dates this week- with 2 girls, Mara and Sara. They are sisters and their grandparents are active members- their mom inactive and dad=nonmember. We had a lesson on Baptisma and they were sooo excited! THe only bummer is that their dad isn't really on board- so we are going to have a lesson with teheir parents this week (and fast in preparation!) to try and see if he will soften his heart! We are praying that he will!!

We also had transfer calls last night and............................................................I am staying her ein Vista....................WITH Hna Lythgoe! We are excited! This is the longest I have ever been with one comapinion! We'll see how it goes:)   Hna Lythgoe and I were so happy to find out that we are staying together:) We have great feelings about this transfer and we are determined to see a baptism! As we were studying in companionship study today we read a verse in John about when Christ was teachign the woman at the well and the people from the town of Samaria come out to see Christ, and Christ just says to His apostles, They say the harvest is 4 months away, but look: "The field is white all ready to harvest" ! Oh I loved that! We aren't just planting seeds (even though sometimes that feels like all we are doing), but there are people here that are waiting to 'be harvested' and find the living waters that He spoke of! Love it. .

We also found out that we are gettign our car taken away again because there are so many new missionaries coming in! I think they just take it from us b/c we are the closest to the mission office and it's just easier. So we'll be takin it on foot for the next month or so before we get another car:) 
I will be writing letters today to the fam...but I am lacking some new addresses: namely Ali's new address and CAmi's! Can you send that to me asap? Gracias:)

CAm- congrats on the new house! so exciting! I would have loved to have seen a picture of Brin dressed like that! Glad Shane is adjusting well  and that is great that he'll get off early on Fridays!!! so since you bought a house, does that mean that you are planning on staying in Texas for a while?  When do the kids start school down there?

DAd- Good luck with school starting this week! It seems like you are always running and running and you'd it'd change- but that is just life in itself eh? I feel like that everyday too- so at least take comfort in the fact that you are not alone! 

Mom- Glad you get to be home for a week:) How is Gma doing? Any better or any worse?

Tara- Tell ty that those are some SWEET instruments of his! He'll have to teach us how to play some of them at Christmas time:)  Is he excited for Middle school? I remember my first day of middle school- my home room was Mrs Folly, and my other teachers were Mr Spencer, and Mrs Schick. I sat next to a kid named Luis who had a red mohawk the was about 6 inches high. And the other girl on my other side was shannon...and she threw up all over her desk within the first hour. It was disgusting. But she was just a little nervous:) Eh. Glad you had a fun anniversary with your hubby:) Congrats to you two!!

Jami- That's so great that you did so well at the "Salem Days' event thingy!  Nice:)  I hope Addie got her cast all the way off today:) When does school start for her? Is she ready for 1st grade? 

Ali-  That is horrible news about your car:( Poor thing!  Will insurance cover it all or what? THat's good that you get to go be with Per for a week rather than in your new house all alone...!   A 7 hour car ride alone with 2 children...oh dear. I 'm glad you survived:)

Well That's all I have for today!  Life is good.  The gospel is true- and I love it.  And I love you all. That is all!!

Until next week!!!

-Hna Whicker!

5 August, Week 5, Transfer 9

Familia!

It's been a good week here in good old Vista.  Good week- new investigators. We seem to have a knack for finding people to teach, so we picked up a ton this week---they all seem super excited at first, but then they just pitter out and we can't ever fins them again!  Sometimes it's frustrating...well really that is always frustrating, but we deal:)

Our ward had a ward talent show this weekend in which they asked the missionaries to be the opening act. Hna Lythgoe and I came up with this SWEET Idea to "Dance" but we can't really dance as missionaries so imagine this:

-One missionariy from each companionship on front of a white sheet with their arms behind their back- their companions behind the sheet, with their arms through holes in the sheet acting as the arms of the missionary in front.  Then the missionaries in the front lipsyncing to the most upbeat hymn we could find.  So great. I'll have to send a picture next week b/c I forgot my camera cord this week. 

Oh we thought it would be so hilarious!  And that they'd get a kick out of it watching us lipsync and have the opther arms dance for us....but it was just crickets the whole time....oh it was so funny.  Not even hardly a smile! We decided it was a cultural thing, b/c we watched the video...and it was pretty funny:) 

Anywho- so that was embarassing, but oh well:)  Not too much to report on, I feel like I just barely wrote you all:)  We did have a GREAT fast and testimony mtg yesterday, oh so great!  Hna Lythgoe and I got to share ourtestimonies and the Spirit just witnessed to me again as I was doing that that this is the truth.  Love that. A testimony really is found in the bearing of it! That is definitely something I have learned on the mission! 

Well, KAtie! You;re in my prayers today! I hope all is going well with your surgery that is happening in a little bit!  i bet you are just ecstatic about getting your ears:) Can't wait to see some pics:) 

CAm- hope all is going well in the new house and that you are accostuming (sp? Idk, but i DO know that it is 'acostumbrando' in spanish) well to the new area/ward./climate/ and job!  So fun and exciting!

Al- you too! Why does Perris have to leave for 16 days after you just got there? Job training I assume or somethign like that.  WEll good luck unpacking and getting everyythign going!

Time's up ! Love you all!

Have a great week!

Love, Hna Whicker

Dia de los pioneros- Pioneer DAY! (31 July, Week 4, Transfer 9)

Yesterday the internet went out in the library, so I didn't get the chance to write.

Anyways, there are lots of changes happeneing here!  The major one that will affect you all is that our Pday s are changing to MONDAY.  They are changing the system that they collect weekly numbers (of how many lessons we had/contacts/people at church etc) with and in order for that to work and be effective, they have to be able to have an extra day to ensure that all numbers in the computer are correct before they get sent into SAlt LAke Tuesday evening. I don't know if any of that made sense, but in short it just means that I will now be eamiling on Mondays- so you all will just have to bump your writing schedule up 24 hours:)  I don't mind that it is changing, it's just different than what we are used to.  It's been nice to have it on Tuesdays because it's been a nice break in the week, but we'll all acclimate just fine:)

We had a great week this week!  It was quite lovely actually. We picked up 7, yes SEVEN new investigators. Pure beauty! and 2 Families. Very interesting families, but they both ahave a lot of potential!  so we are excited to have them and to get them going. The biggest issue around here is that you find people to teach and then they just seem to drop off the face of the earth- due to WORK, family, or whatever else. so we are praying that that won't happen with these people.  WE also had a lovely pioneer Day celebration as a Stake activity.  and it turned out So sweet. We had a n investigator come, her name is Adriana and she brought her cute littel kids and they loved it!  She is about to give birth though, so she's been super busy at getting things ready for the baby to come and is hard to catch at home.  Our ward built a replica of the Nauvoo Temple in the back parking lot of our Stake center and it turned out so beautiful!  It was so sweet. There is a picture of it with me and Hna Lythgoe attached.

One of the ladies we picked up as an investigator this week is super sweet. her name is Blanca and she accepted a baptismal date the first lesson!!  We are excited for her. She is just full of love and she invited us in and made THE BEST agua de melon I have had yet.  it was so good.  I don't know if I mentioned this before, but Mexicans call juice 'water'. They make their own juice out of all fruits- there's types like "agau de fresas/melon/sandia, etc' strawberries, cantelope, guava, watermelon, etc.  I didn't really like it very much at the begginning of the mish becuase it tasted like watered down juice, but it is so delicious. they basically just blend the fruit in a blender and then stick some water in it and sometimes some sugar and There ya go!  I will make some when I get home.  So yummy.  Anyways, we are super excited about her!

Hna Lythgoe and I are doing well:) Next week is the last week of the transfer and I am almost positive that one of us will leave. I think I mentioned this in my handwritten letter, but I'm a little worried that I am going to be moved to English work this transfer:(  Just because we have a LOT of experienced Spanish sisters, but hardly any new span sisters coming in. And there are going to be a TON of new english sisters coming in and all of the english sisters rigjht now basically just got into the mission and are all super young.  So we will see.  I hope not, but if that is where the Lord needs me, I will go! 

Our new mission president is doing well, he is still adjusting. You can tell it is all still very new to him, but he's doing a great job:) 

That is exciting news about Benj and his release date!!!  So great. I hope all goes well with that! 

Well that's pretty much all there is to report on this week!   Glad to hear all is well at home!  Mom- don't worry, things with the Bishop are fine, he's just learning:)  And yes, I got hte package, thanks!! 

Love you all lots! Good luck to the Kusileks and Fords with their moves this week !!

Oh and to Addie and Ella, no we don't have fireflies here;( 

Love, Hna Whicker

23 July, Week 3, Transfer 9

Family!  time is short today but it;s been a good week! 

WE had 4 excahnges this week, and I am tired from it, but I actually enjoy it a lot. It's fun to get to go to other areas and see the progression and how other missionaries work!  But it's been great. Time and time again I just realize that everyone is just so different!  Different skills, styles, and ways of thinking- obvious I know, but it's different to know that than it is to experience that (especialy when you excperince it 4 times in one week:).

But it was great. 

We seem to be having trouble getting solid investigators lately, they just keep flaking off...but we had some SWEET exchange miracles this week! I got to go back to escondido and we set THREE baptismal dates in one night! It was so miraculous- I just loved every second of it!  This work is so great! 

Dad- remember ALfredo? My recent convert from Escondido? HE came to Vista Sacracment mtg the other weekto visit me. It was super fun:) I love him so.  You and him are like 2 peas in a pod- you have exactly the same humor, and I told him that and he said he'd love to talk to you sometime:) So don't be surprised if you get a phone call from him.

Funny story in Gospel Principles class this week. WE met this man on the street named Rodolpho- who didn't want to give us his info, but he told us he'd come to church on Sunday if we told him when and where.  So we did, not thinking much of it b/c that is a comment we get ALL the time, and peeps never come. But- lo and behold who but Rodolpho walks in-:) So we go to GP and of course we are talking about the Word of Wisdom and what we should avoid and how our bodies are temples.  First off, Hna Lythgoe was struggling in church...so when the teacher asks us to Compare our bodies with the temple...the first thing out of her mouth is, "Beautiful!" quickly followed by "white" Hahahaha in a class full of LAtinos!  It was so funny. She didn't mean to, all she heard was "Describe the temples" Hahaa oh everyone got a good kick out of that.   Then as the teacher is bearing his testimony at the end, he asks a reciprocal question and pauses for dramatic effect, "What did our HEavenly Father give us?" But immediately Rodolfo just pipes up and yells "VINO!" Which translated is WINE!  Hahaha it was quite an entertaining Sunday:)

Things here are well!  Sorry I ran out of time this week! good luck with all the moves!

Love,

Hna whicker!!

"The Spirit is willing...but the weak is flesh" (16 July, Week 2, Transfer 9)

......That was our funny quote of the week:)  The most hilarious part was that I  said it and Hna Lythgoe just completely accepted it. And then about 1 minute later we both just start cracking up! It was so funny.  Goes to show that the flesh really is weak:)

Helllllllloooooo Familia!!

This week has been a whirlwind!  Can I just say that I am so grateful for a car? So grateful:) So spoiled:) We have ahad a good week. We've started up excahnges again for this transfer with one last week and 3 this week, so it's going to be a busy one, but I'm exctied for it.

We picked up 5 new investigators last week, so we are super excited about that. Han Lythgoe and I have also started another "40 day Fast" to get fas tfrom the littel daily things that distract us so we can be more fully focused on the Lord and His work. I LOVE it so much. One of my goals was to study all of the Life of the Savior in the new Testament and from the Jesus The Christ. I started that this morning with His birth and it was just pure beauty!  I love the scriptures so much! My testimony is already being strengthened so much!

We also had an interesting experince this week with our bishop...actually he was so rude to us- Hna Lythgoe and I were just SO hurt and angry.  We were in a meeting with the Bishop and all 8 missionaries in the ward and he pretty much just starts bashing on us- but it was probably the nicest bashing I've ever had...but he was just implying things right and left that we don't have enough faith as missionaries and that's why we're not seeing any baptisms here right now and, oh it was infuriating. I kept my mouth shut because I knew that if I opened it I would explode, and I didn't want to cause and MORE contention, because contention is of the Devil... and we've had mtgs like this in the past and all of what I said was just immediately pushed to te side. Anyways we left the meeting feeling like there was about 12 elephantes that had just been dumped on us. So later in the day we are walking to our next appointment and we pass the church and we see Obispo's car in the parking lot- so we decided to go and talk to him and let him know how we had made us feel...we didn't want to fight or anything, but just let him know that his actions and words cut deep. We were super nervous. BUT it actually turned out sooooo great. We had a nice little compainionship inventory with the bishop and it was so lovely. I just have a testimony of communicating honestly and openly and then you just feel love for that person.  The day started off feeling like I could have strangled Bishop and it ended just feeling an outpuring of love towards him. It was lovely. Just a cool little experience.

Perris, I've decided that you are going to be called as the Ward Mission Leader in your new town.  SEriously. I'm pretty dang sure, so just expect it:)

One of our investigators, Herminia, wants to be baptized but her husband is a super macho punk...there are quite a few of those in mexican culture. Just very controlling and very degrading to their wives, it makes me quite sad actually. So we are going to try and work with her in that area- going to church is the first step, and her husband forbids her to go to any chirch but the catholic..and she doesn't like the catholic church so she just doesn't go. 

We also found two ladies named MAria this week- it was so cool- we taught them the REsto and it was so powerful!  THey are coming to church this week and we are super excited about them! 

The mission is just so great! There really just is no other time like it:)I love love love it. I know it's true.  I know it.  We are so blessed to have the Gospel.  And to uinderstand the FULLNESS of it. Tha's the beauty right there. Satan is so good at deceiving people and telling them that "any church will do". That is the number one most common thing we get here in contacts...God is everywhere so the church doesn't matter!  FALSE.  the church does matter. but people just reject it so easily wihtout any knowledge of it. I just hurt for them. But they will understand one day.

WEll I love you all!  Good luck with the moves AL and Cam. Kate- that's sweet that you started a blog and it's already super popular!  Got to go- time is up ! 

Love you

-Hna WHicker