30 May 2011

Thanks for the emails. This week was really good. Here’s a few photos – 3 of the baptism we had on Sunday - Agustin and his mom, unbaptized step-dad, brother, Elder Echegaray – Area Authority Seventy – and Elder Peña and ISilvia, her cousin baptizing her, the cousin’s wife and kids, Silvia’s unbaptized mom and sister and useveryone that went to the baptism minus Elder Peña and meAnd the last photo was last week when I was sick. I had a 39° Celsius fever, but I’m better. It happens.

So our baptism was really cool. It says somewhere in the missionary handbook of Preach My Gospel to always leave your area better than how it was when you got there. Our area is a lot better. We’ve been able to have 4 baptisms in 3 months. Last year they had like 6 and unfortunately few are still active. Agustin who got baptized yesterday has a great musical talent. The branch president gave him a green hymn book last Sunday. In one week he learned at leave 5 hymns – 3 for sacrament meeting and 2 for his baptism. You could really perceive the difference in the meetings. It’s a big deal not having a brand pianist for years and then getting one. I told him how Mom was the Primary pianist at 12 years old. He’s 11.

It was really cool to have an area authority seventy at the baptism. After the welcoming into the branch he was given a little bit of time to speak. It was really spiritual. You can feel the authority of his calling, even though he didn’t say anything that I haven’t heard before. It really called my attention that he had the expectation that Silvia and Agustin will always be faithful until the end. Unfortunately, not everyone has such hope in people.

I can’t think of anything else to say. I’m still working hard and trying to end on a baptism. It’ll be tough but it can happen.

I love you all so much. Thanks for the support and prayers.

Elder Whitaker

28 March 2011

This week was cool. I met my new companion, Elder Peña. He is from Santiago, Chile. He is a third generation member, the first missionary from his immediate family. He has an uncle or two that were missionaries. He is the oldest son in his family. He has three younger sisters and a younger brother. He’s really good. One of my biggest worries was that I’d have to lower my level or speed with my new companion. That won’t be a problem at all. So far we’ve been getting to know the area and the members. The other elders left some good directions and a good map to get us up to pace really quickly. [Note: he replaced Elder Thornton, and you can find his blog here.] And yeah, we did have a baptism our first Saturday. Valeria married Javier on Thursday, and Valeria got baptized by Javier on Saturday, and I got to confirm her on Sunday. We have a branch and this Sunday there were like 30 or 40 people. The other missionaries were working well and we inherited an excited branch. They trust us already and are excited to help us. My area is located in Montevideo, but it’s at the border. Our area ends where Montevideo meets Canelones, and the main highway is called Camino Maldonado. It’s on the way to Pando, a little town Grandpa opened for two weeks and then realized they didn’t have any success and got shipped out. My district leader is in Pando; maybe I’ll be able to go visit one day. I’m excited for general conference. I’m in 3 Nephi 18. I need to read about 100 pages more before Sunday. Oh, and Megan, the other day you wrote that you gave a Book of Mormon to a friend. I forgot to tell you what we do. We learned this from Elder Arnold of the Seventy. When we introduce the Book of Mormon for the first time, we read the first paragraph of the introduction and let them tell us what they got out of it. Then we read the second to last paragraph and discuss a bit, then the last paragraph. Then we invite them to be baptized and place a specific date. It would be cool to get a referral that already has a baptismal date. I don’t know if regular members can set baptismal dates; I don’t see why not though. I think that’s it for now. Thanks for the support and prayers. I love you all. 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

24 January 2011

Wow, where do I start? Last week was really good. Mom asked last week about how a Uruguayan baptismal service is. It’s pretty much the same as one in America, but during the changing time 99 percent of the time we put in movies. It’s easier, quicker, takes less planning, and can invite the Spirit just as well as other things. Invite is the wrong word, maintain the Spirit.
Our baptism was awesome, but we had a good amount of adversity. Agustin felt sick Saturday morning. He was having trouble breathing. We went and gave him a blessing. It was incredible. My testimony in the power of the priesthood was increased a lot. We gave him the blessing and stayed a shared a scripture and when we left he was perfect. Satan can do a lot, but he cannot win. The motorcycle also broke so they couldn’t get to the church. A member went to pick them up. They got there late, but he got baptized. It’s interesting to see adversity when someone is trying to do something so good and necessary. It led my comp and I to an interesting discussion on the difference between trials and adversity. Is there a good talk defining those two things? We decided that adversity comes from Satan and by using our agency and becoming agents we can overcome all adversity, but trials come from another source. I’m not sure yet if it’s God or others use of agency, but to overcome a trial you must persevere. Help on the subject would be nice.

So, I had a great birthday. I made brownies. Elder Vargas’ example two transfers ago helped me to have the best birthday ever. He didn’t tell anyone it was his birthday. I knew but I didn’t tell anyone because for me it’s not a big deal. I asked if he wanted me to tell everyone, but he was indifferent. I think that as a missionary when they know it’s your birthday it shifts the focus from Christ to you. On my birthday I got cards and emails from the family. Thanks. My mission president called to wish me a happy birthday. And when President called at 9:30 PM my companion realized it was my birthday and wished me a happy birthday and gave me a huge hug and asked me why I didn’t say anything all day. I explained why. It was really special. No one else knew. I’m sure if I would have told people I would have gotten my fair share of cake, but this was better. The hug my comp gave me was really interesting. I felt the Spirit so much. It was like all the birthday wishes packed into one. I love my companion. It’s been a huge blessing to be able to work with him these past three months.

Oh, Mom, thanks for making sure I learned the hymn “Rock of Ages.” I had to lead the music in sacrament meeting Sunday. That isn’t a song we sing a lot and we were a capella. It could have been weird.

And the other maybe miracle I want to tell you about was one of our last contacts on Sunday night. We knocked a door and an old Catholic lady opened her curtain half way. There’s only so much you can do in that situation. I told her we were here to baptize either her or someone she knew. Nothing. Thanks for the contact. But as we turned around we found a man sitting in his car waiting for someone. He basically contacted us. “You’re here to baptize people?” he asked. Yep. We didn’t have time so we gave him a pamphlet and we’ll visit him on Tuesday. It’s too early to know. It could have been nothing, or it might be another baptism.

Love you lots,
Elder Whitaker

28 June 2010

So, this week was really good. At district meeting last week, Sister Hegarhorst made chocolate chip cookies to share with the zone, and she made them thanks to Mom’s blog (here's the recipe). Thanks a million Mom. It was good to eat a good old chocolate chip cookie rather than an alfajor.

This Saturday we had our baptism. Norma and her adopted daughter Victoria got baptized. Norma recently moved from Maldonado, another state, to Rocha, where her kids live. She wanted to be closer to her family. She went to church with her son, and then we got a golden reference. Her son baptized her. It was really special and it was my companion’s first baptism. But the baptism gave me a question to ask. Is the baptismal prayer the only time in our church where we do something in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost? Just something I was wondering.

Another special thing that happened this Sunday was I had a spiritual epiphany. I was sitting on the stand in sacrament meeting because I was leading the music. Yeah, can you believe that? I was sitting there and I could see the entire congregation. Sister Pizarro was speaking, a sister that remembers Grandpa, and I realized that I love the people of Uruguay. As I realized that the Spirit was very strong. I love the people with whom I serve.

And Dad, you’re welcome. It’s the least I could do. I’d like to see how it turned out. Anyway, I’m still working on my goals. At least now I’m remembering to pray for help. I hope one day I can get to the point where I change and never fall again.

Well, I think that’s it. I’m going to send this and see if the pictures sent correctly.

Thanks for all the support. I love you all a ton. When people ask, you can tell them I’m doing great.

Love, Elder Whitaker