21 March 2011

Thanks for the emails. It sounds like everyone is doing well. We had a good week. We keep finding new investigators, and families at that. We broke our 0 investigators at church streak finally – 5! Heavenly Father is very generous. We changed our prayers; that helped. Instead of praying for investigators to get to church so we could have a great number we started praying that they would come so that they could be baptized and enter into the Celestial Kingdom and that investigators would help excite the ward to help us. After working like crazy, we made our list Saturday night of people that could make it to church. 19 people were on that list. 2 of those people came, and 3 more came – part member families we visited weeks earlier. Heavenly Father doesn’t need missionaries. He can do it all by himself. I didn’t even need to leave my house this week and 3 investigators would have landed in church. But I’m grateful for the opportunity that I have to grow and help those that wouldn’t have made it alone.

The other BIG news is transfers came. It was interesting being in the zone with the offices. They knew the transfers on Thursday; we found out Sunday night. It’s weird verifying each night with a district leader who really knows your future. My companion is leaving the area to be zone leader over another zone, and I’m leaving to train a new missionary. 2 new zone leaders are coming into the area. It was the last thing we saw happening, but we’re super excited. It made us wonder, though, because usually they only take two elders out at the same time if they’re doing bad things, or if they want to put in or take out sisters, but we know we were working our tails off and doing things right. The Lord knows what he’s doing. Because I’m training my comp, we will get to our area both new. That’ll be fun; it’ll be the second time I’ll get to do that. It’s a good way to learn. I’m excited. I’ll find out tomorrow who my new companion is.

It’s kind of sad that I won’t be able to continue being a zone leader. I’m going to miss that calling. I’ve learned so much. It’s interesting that as a zone leader we say the opposition is a lot stronger than before in my mission. The better you get, the harder your trials have to be so that you can keep growing. I’m thankful for the opportunity I had to serve in that capacity, but I’m excited to serve as a trainer. Instead of focusing my service and help towards 12 missionaries, I will be called to focus on helping one the whole time.

What else can I say? I’m still reading the Book of Mormon. I’m in Helaman. Helaman’s a good book. Nephi and Lehi were really good missionaries. I want to be encircled by fire, but as I meditated on that story, yeah, I’ve done that already. If you interpret the fire symbolically as the Holy Ghost, I can say I’ve felt that. I’ve learned recently that when I feel that, those around me feel it too. It’s real.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. I love you all lots.

Elder Whitaker

14 March 2011

Thanks for the emails. It sounds like everyone is doing great.

Hey Brad, I ran into Juan Pablo Rodriguez yesterday in stake conference. He remembered you. You were the assistant when he go to the mission. He’s from Montevideo. And interestingly enough, the elder I trained is in his ward. He got home 2 months ago. Weird, I’m now where you were when I entered the mission. Holy cow.

At stake conference I also ran into my trainer. That was weird. He actually lives in my area, but he goes to a different ward. Weird. I ask myself why the Lord put him in my life in the very beginning of my mission and now. There’s a good reason and when I find out I’ll let you know.

Stake conference was cool. A newly called mission president spoke, our mission president spoke, the temple president spoke, the stake president spoke, 3 returned missionaries spoke. It was pretty good. Unfortunately, we didn’t have investigators for the third week in a row. We’re finding families, but it’s tough to get them to church. Looking back, it’s incredible how many families we are teaching now. And all of them were found thanks to following the Spirit.

It’s interesting that as my companion and I read the Book of Mormon, searching for the word “heart” we feel ourselves changing. We are more sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit. And we’re only half way through Alma. President da Silva times it perfectly so that we’ll be finishing just in time for general conference, which would be a great moment to have a soft heart. It’s cool to be able to have a 6 week preparation for general conference. I know it will be an amazing experience.

We have had a lot of success recently in our work with less actives, though. We’ve gotten more less actives to church in this area than investigators, which is not normal. I feel like we’re the bishop’s special forces. We go in, find their problem, share a scripture and help them feel the Spirit, and then get out. It’s interesting. We are able to do in one visit what the home teacher should be doing and accomplishing in months. I guess the Lord knows we don’t have months so he makes us more effective. It will be interesting to see if I will be able to help in the same way when I’m not a full-time missionary.

But yeah, I’m doing great. We’re preparing our area for next transfer – one week from tomorrow. We could be staying together; it would be my companion’s 4th transfer here. We’ll see.

Thanks for all the prayers and support. I love you all. Elder Whitaker

6 March 2011

with Elder Salisbury

Thanks for all the letters. I got a lot today, which helps because I was in a grouchy mood. I just waited 90 minutes so my comp could cut his hair in 10 minutes. Uhhhhh. In Uruguay Monday is the traditional day off for barber shops. There are like 5 around where we live, but only one is ever open on P-day. At least I got a few letters written.

This week went way, way better than last week. I’m tempted to make a blasphemous comment about how someone must be praying harder, but thanks to my increased level of maturity I’ll refrain myself – Alma 38 something, refraining passions.

We started the week with 2 baptismal dates and ended with 11. On Saturday while we were fasting we found 2 families – 7 new investigators. We invited them all to be baptized, and put specific dates with 5 of them. We visited another couple from earlier in the week and set baptismal dates with the 2 of them. Cool

We had a zone leader meeting on Tuesday. It really helped me to change my attitude. After I did that success came naturally. It is interesting how it all went down. The day after this meeting there was a leadership meeting for half of the mission. It was for the zones that aren’t in Montevideo. So they don’t have to travel hours home and come back the next day, they stayed in Montevideo. They did divisions with the elders in my zone, so on Tuesday we had 10 zone leaders working in our zone and we got double the work done. That was a huge blessing and a tender mercy for me.

Hey Grandpa, if the gossip I heard is right and accurate, Elder Arnold of the 70 went to 33 yesterday and made 33 a stake. I hope that makes you happy. It’s interesting that my current companion was in 33 and Pando, just like you.

My old area had another baptisms this week. Unfortunately, we didn’t. Hopefully we can get investigators to stake conference next week.

I’m kind of stressed out and in a hurry after spending 90 minutes in a barber shop, so this one will be done now. I’m not used to doing nothing for 90 minutes. It’s weird. I love you all. Thanks for the prayers. Keep up the good work.

Love, Elder Whitaker

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