28 February 2011

So, this week was interesting. I guess horrible would be a better word, but somehow I’m still smiling. We lost a bunch of the investigators we found last week. We didn’t have anyone in church. We almost killed ourselves doing a special fast, but we feel good about what we did. It’s kind of weird. It’s a blessing though that our adversity is coming from outside sources. We don’t have to worry about the consequences of disobedience or an un-unified companionship. We get along great and are obedient to the best of our abilities.

We have a few investigators. One is named Sebastian. He’s 22 years old and well off. He is looking for the truth. The night after our first visit his business was robbed and he lost almost everything. On the night after our second visit his aunt died, which meant he was busy the next day, Sunday. But he’s doing really well. He’s reading the Book of Mormon and preparing for baptism.

Last zone conference President da Silva challenged everyone in the mission to read the Book of Mormon before the April conference. We are to read and mark every time it makes references to the word heart. We’re studying hard and soft hearts. It’s really interesting. When Elder Bednar came to our mission he invited us to do the same and said to look for a change in references to hearts before and after 4th Nephi. I started Mosiah today. It’s interesting though because I’m realizing it’s hard for me to read a lot every day and focus on one thing. I really liked what I was doing before studying Preach My Gospel for our investigators. But in order to be obedient to my mission president, I’m doing this, and the Lord is blessing me.

So, as I was cleaning the kitchen today, I found a pouch of Betty Crocker type cake mix – just the pouch, no box. We didn’t have instructions, so we mixed it with milk and eggs, and it looks like it should. It’s the white cake with rainbow thingies inside. I’m excited. We will probably eat it when we get back. That’ll be fun. Ironically, after we had it in the oven and I kept cleaning, I found the directions. We forgot to put a third cup of oil in. Oh well, at least it’ll be healthier.

Thanks for all the prayers. I love you all. I love being a missionary. I love representing Jesus Christ.

Elder Whitaker

21 February 2011

So, this internet hut is pretty killer. They got the Napoleon Dynamite song playing for us in the background. I just thought that would be very important for you all . . .

So this week was really good. I’m super content because in my old area they had 3 baptisms on Saturday – a family we found and were teaching. I’ll send a picture of them. (The other pictures are the view from our house to give you an idea of what it’s like in this part of Montevideo.)

As I was studying in 2 Nephi 1:26-27, I learned something interesting. It called my attention to how direct Nephi was with his brothers. It’s interesting that as I feel my testimony grow, I become more direct with the people. Jesus Christ was very direct when he needed to be. And I recognize that it’s a great way to invite the Spirit.

Another change that I can see in me is that my testimony is a lot more powerful than it used to be. As I am direct with the people and invite them to repent, because I really know what will happen to them if they don’t, I realize that my own testimony is more powerful. I also see that the quality of my investigators are a lot better now than they were before. I’m sure there hasn’t been a great spiritual rejuvenation in Uruguay in the last year. It’s because I’m a better missionary. Elder Eyring said once that the Lord sends his prepared children to his prepared servants. It’s incredible to see that become a reality.

Last week I had an exchange with an old companion who is now a district leader in our zone. It was my comp in my 4th transfer. We were together 6 days and then had a special transfer. It was cool to complete the week of our companionship. It was cool to work with him. We both changed a lot. The time I had 6 months and he had 4. This time we both had the experience of training, being a district leader and a zone leader. We had an incredible day and could feel the spirit so strongly.

We had zone conference last week. A sister made tacos for everyone, which is not a native Uruguayan food. And the next day almost everyone was sick – like 30 elders in 2 zones. Lucky for me, my comp had medicine, and I got healed.

Thanks for all the support, and prayers. I love you all lots.

Elder Whitaker

14 February 2011

Thanks for the emails.  It sounds like everyone is doing well.  Hey, Megan, Happy Birthday on Sunday.  We’ll try to get one investigator in church for each year you’ve graced the planet with your presence.  And while doing so we’d probably hit a record of some type.  I hope that doesn’t make you feel old.  Enjoy it.

So, I like my new area.  It’s very different from what I’m used to.  We live in a 13 story apartment building.  We’re on the 4^th floor.  There’s an elevator that works.  And it’s a lot more modern than other elevators I’ve seen here.

Something cool about this area is that the temple is really close.  There is a couple missionary that work in the temple that are assigned to attend church in our ward.  They are from Utah and have been here for 6 months.  They don’t speak much Spanish out of the temple vocabulary.  When they aren’t working in the temple they are free to accompany us in lessons.  It was really cool to hear their testimonies in very basic Spanish and translate what the people wanted to tell them.  Working 5 days a week in the temple gives them a special spirit and an increased capacity to love the people.

So we got to do an interchange with the office elders last week.  That was cool.  You usually do those for 24 hours, but the office elders are working in the office from 10 am to 4 pm, so we started the interchange at 4.  I got to work with our district leader who is the mission’s financial guy.  That was cool.

I really get along with Elder Salisbury.  He’s from Kaysville, Utah.  He has one transfer less than I do.  This is his third transfer as a zone leader.  It’s interesting to hear that he has been through a lot of the same experiences as me during his mission.  He’s just my second American companion and we were able to set some goals to take advantage of that.  The first time I had an American companion, it was my 6^th transfer.  After 5 transfer of Latinos, we almost never spoke in Spanish and I saw how it affected my ability to speak.  To avoid that problem now, we set a goal to always speak in Spanish together.  It’s really cool, and not even that hard to do.

It looks like we will have 2 baptisms not this Saturday but the next one.  And we’re looking for more people to baptize.  We’re working a lot with the members and asking referrals from anything that moves.  It’s an emphasis we got from Elder Arnold of the 70.

I’m kind of running out of things to say.  I want you all to know that I love you a lot.  Dad, I ordered your scripture covers, fyi.  Thanks for the letters and support.

Love, Elder Whitaker

7 February 2011

So the mission has had some changes. Tomorrow is transfer day, but P-day isn’t transfer day any more. We used to all go to the huge bus station in Montevideo on the Tuesday of transfers, but due to a fire in that bus station and having 120 some odd missionaries in basically what you would know as an airport sitting area terminal thingy and a bunch of suitcases and sometimes the disobedient missionaries doing stupid things, all that got changed. Now we have a normal P-day on Monday and tomorrow we are all going to meet in a church in Montevideo. The zones come in privately contracted busses to this church and they leave in the same busses. It’s going to be interesting.

Which brings me to the news that I am being transferred. I’m going to Camino Carrasco. I’ll be zone leader there with Elder Salisbury. I’m excited. It’s another small zone with 12 or 14 elders. It’s the zone where the assistants and the secretaries and financers work and live. It’s also where the temple is. I’ll be working in the Montevideo West Stake, the biggest stake in our mission. Every zone in the mission works with a district or stake, except the west stake. It comprises 2 zones. Cool. I’m excited. It will be my second time with an American companion. I have one more transfer than my new comp. I’ll let you know more next week.

This week was really good. We had 5 investigators at church and a retention of 9 over 10. We had like 70ish in sacrament meeting. It makes me feel really good to know how much I have helped in achieving that number.

I had an interesting experience this week. I realize that the time is coming to an end. I realize that I have 3 more transfers. That makes 18 weeks. So, I made a goal to baptize 18 more people. As I ponder how short this time will be it helps me realize what the mission has done for me and made of me. I’m excited to work with all my heart, mind, might, and strength to help at least 18 more of God’s children do what they need to do to get back to him. Without the sacred ordinance of baptism there is no way they can get back. As I thought about this goal I have set I realized something very interesting. I thought it would be hard to accomplish, but in the last 18 weeks I was involved in the baptisms of more than 18 souls. I know the Lord will put me in a place so that I can accomplish this goal.

I want you all to know I love you all so much. I love being a missionary. Thank you for the prayers and the letters.

Elder Whitaker