5 October 2010

Thanks for all the letters. Yes, Mom, this week was transfer week, but before I get to that I want to tell you about all the miracles I saw at general conference.

On the 5 sessions, we had 9 investigators. That’s incredible. Cindy and Nicolas, Alejandra and Andres, Andrea and Richard, all couples that need to get married. Carmen and Agustin, and Axel. Huge miracles. I was so happy to help people hear the voice of the Lord’s prophet. I was sitting in one of the sessions and realized that we had 2 investigator families present. I can’t explain the joy that filled my soul. I’m doing my job and I’m happy.

Unfortunately, I’ve been transferred from that area. I didn’t want to leave. But the cool thing is I’m in the same zone and same city. I’ve been called as a zone leader and I’m serving with my second companion, Elder Vargas. I’ll be helping him end his mission. Exactly a year ago we were together, and we’re back together. I’m so excited.

I’m glad everyone enjoyed conference. I agree, the topics seemed to be follow the prophet and agency, and gratitude. The human race needs to be more grateful. That’s what the Lord told the prophet.

Well, I think that’s it. I love you all.

Elder Whitaker

27 September 2010

Wow, it sounds like everyone is doing well. Thanks for the letters. I got a few questions today.

Will I get to watch general conference live? As live as they can translate it. We’ll be in the district
center and there should be a handful of Americans, so I might be able to watch it in English again.

Have I ever taught a seminary lesson? No. No one ever invited me to seminary.

Could I write a valedictorian speech for Steven? I don’t have time for that chore – unless you want it in Spanish and on a gospel topic.

And what is my favorite cultural tradition about Uruguay? That’s a good question. Maybe a cultural characteristic that I love is when it rains the whole nation kind of shuts down. And then they make tortas fritas – dough fried in cow fat. Be careful with how many you eat. They’re really good with dulce de leche.

Note: Here's a recipe if you want to try tortas fritas yourself some cold, rainy afternoon.

We had an awesome baptism this Saturday. Maria Espinosa got baptized. 34 people came and 8 were not members. Then the 4 we had at sacrament meeting made it a good week. My comp and I are working hard and the whole branch is being affected. It’s really incredible to see the transformation. We’re being blessed so much. We’re being so blessed it’s becoming a challenge. Never thought I’d say that! But we just don’t have time to do all the good things we want to do. And unfortunately I don’t have enough time to tell you about all the miracles we saw this week.

I have a scripture insight for you all. It only works in Spanish, though. Jacob 5:70-72. In Spanish it says “la estacion viene rapidamente,” or the season come quickly. Our branch is called Estacion. “La rama estacion viene rapidamente.” If you put that in the context with the scripture it gives me the attitude I need to work hard.

I love you all. Thanks for all the help. I was going to send pictures, but I don’t have time. Maybe next week.

Love, Elder Whitaker

20 September 2010

Thanks for all the letters. I’m doing great. I have a few questions to answer though.

Cody was wondering if I get to eat a lot of rice and beans. I don’t remember ever eating rice and beans. Rarely beans find their way into guisos; a suiso is a stew you eat in the winter that has meat and veggies and either pasta or rice. We eat a lot of pasta with tomato sauce, milanesas, which are fried meat, and a few other things. I really like the food generally.

Brad’s question was about the leadership training without my companion. The meeting was for leaders and future leaders. Right now my only calling is senior companion. The meeting was for half of the mission; the other half is having the meeting this week.

And yes, I know Elder Sluder, Mom. He’s an interesting kid – a great kid though.

Steven said Brother Slovacek was his teacher. I’m assuming he meant the one that just finished “presidenting” a mission. Say hi for me then.

What else do I have to say? This week’s miracle was we had 6 or 7 investigators at church. The zone’s goal was 8. Almost made it. I won’t complain though. We had 6 of ours and 1 extra from another branch – the mother of our investigator – the one that is getting baptized this Saturday.

I hope the Lord lets me stay in this area a long time because we are really seeing huge miracles. This branch has only had 2 baptisms this whole year and right now I can see like 8 people that could be baptized. It’s exciting work.

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

Elder Whitaker

16 September 2010

So this is weird, writing on Thursday and everything. On Monday, we had a leadership training conference in Montevideo. It was Monday and Tuesday. Awesome. We learned about all the new missionary focuses and now we are putting them into practice. But there was a miscommunication in how we were going to have our p-day. My companion stayed in our area with another elder; they had p-day on Monday. So the elders that went to the meeting were supposed to have p-day on Wednesday, but I got back and we had to work. So I didn’t really get p-day, but that’s okay. I just wanted to write and say I’m fine.

I finished Jesus the Christ this morning and really enjoyed it a lot. I have to decide now what I’ll be studying.

I want you all to know that I’m really enjoying the mission more than I ever have before. President da Silva has asked us to make significant changes, significant changes in who we are, what we do, and how we do it. As I have been trying every day to make these significant changes, I have been blessed with a joy that I have never felt before in my life. I can feel that the spirit is really being y constant companion. President told us where we had 6 before we need to be getting 20, where we had 15 before we need 50 now. I’m seeing these things change and happen. Last week we had 6 at church and we invited 8 people to get baptized and all of them accepted. We’ll have a baptism the 25th. Her name is Maria Espinosa. We taught her the law of the tithe yesterday and it was awesome. I love my job.

I love you all. Thanks for all the support and prayers, but I have to go and find Julio and teach him what Jesus Christ would have him know.

Love, Elder Whitaker

6 September 2010

It was good to hear from you all. It sounds like everyone is having fun getting back to school. Wow, I can’t believe football season is already back. I remember last year when that happened, it caught me by surprise. It’s interesting to note that I liked to know last year, but as of right now, I could care less. Isn’t that cool that I’m more involved in the work? It makes me feel good that I’ve matured.

So this week I saw a really cool miracle. It all happened because I got sick. I got sick in part because it rained all week. A yearly storm called Santa Rosa came it. It rained from Tuesday until Saturday morning, a constant annoying drizzle. But I got sick and got a priesthood blessing and took vitamins and medication and went to work. At the second day of being sick, I woke up with “Alma 8” in my head. I had no idea what Alma 8 says, so I went to read it. I didn’t catch what I was supposed to get the first time. So, I read it later again during my language studies. The first verse says Alma went to his house to rest. Was that a message to me? So I asked and got an answer. I rested, took a 90 minutes nap, then I went back to work. I felt better and we had an amazing day. It was really cool, though. The Lord knew I was going to work until I couldn’t, but I needed to rest. It was cool because I never got personal revelation in that way before.

I think that’s it for now. I’m running out of time. I love you all. You are always in my prayers.

Love, Elder Whitaker

30 August 2010

Wow. Thanks for all the emails. It sounds like everyone is doing really well. Mom asked the question if I live in a 2 or 4 elder house. There are 4 of us, 3 Americans and my comp from Paraguay. The 3 of us all came together to the mission, but I never go to know them that well because I was put in the Latino group (at the MTC).

Steven, have fun with all my old teachers. It looks like you have 4 or 5 that I had. You’re welcome for my setting the bar really high. Good luck doing better than me.

And Michelle mentioned something about keeping the house like the temple. Ironically, I had been thinking about that this week, and I changed something to make our house more like a temple. I set a goal. Sometimes I would do what I needed to do faster than the schedule gives me. In the morning or at night when that happened, I would start my studies or sleep earlier. But this week I put that time into cleaning the house. One morning I swept and mopped the floor. I also washed dishes and cleaned my desk. It’s made a difference. I’ve been able to sacrifice 2 things I like to be able to feel the Spirit more – some sacrifice.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! Enjoy that. I’ll refrain from any other comments. Just know I’m thinking of you.

So, I’m really excited for this transfer. I love my companion. This is his third transfer and he’s really learning English well. It’s interesting that he knows enough to be at the point in the learning process that I can help him a lot. We talk a lot in English and he always prays in English.

Another cool thing that we found out this week is that the missionary that taught my companion’s mom the gospel lives in our city. I thought that was way cool. It shouldn’t happen, but things like this happen all the time.

Our investigators are good. We were a little disappointed because those that said they’d come (to church) didn’t make it. But we’re being super obedient and we’re going to see some awesome miracles. I’m excited.

I love you all. Thanks for praying for me. And thanks for the pictures.

Elder Whitaker

24 August 2010

Thanks for the letters. It was good to hear from everyone. First I wanted to answer David’s questions. Am I allowed to look at blogs? I really don’t know, but it would be easier for me to just attach a photo or two to an email. And Dave asked about how we get food. The members provide for us usually every day besides P-day. We eat lunch with them. Breakfast I make for myself. I’ve been living on hot cocoa during the winter, and I’ll probably go back to corn flakes when it stops being cold, and that might be really soon. Sometimes we eat dinner or a snack when we get home, but not always. It’s a really interesting change from America. If I eat a double portion at lunch, which is what the members give us, I’m usually not even hungry until the next morning. But it was an interesting journey getting used to not eating dinner.

I had a question for the family. Where are you reading in the Bible? Have you finished it? Or are you in Isaiah or something? At the moment I’m reading Jesus the Christ for the second time. Good stuff. I’m also transferring marks from my old Bible to my new one.

Another random question: In America has the Lays chips company made these “French fries in a bag” chips things? Because they sell these things in every little shop and my companion always buys them. Just wondering.

Here’s another question for my missionary relatives. I’ve been wondering what habits you acquired on the mission that you are still doing today. Are there habits you lost and had to get back? And are there habits you lost and want back? It’s just something I’ve been wondering.

So, Elder Arnold of the Seventy visited our mission this week. It was awesome. I don’t think I have time to say how awesome it was, but the Lord is changing missionary work. We have new things we’re focusing on and I think there’s a new book to supplement Preach My Gospel. And there are new DVD’s to teach us. I don’t think I have time to explain that either.

So transfers came. I’m staying in Florida, but I have a new comp – Elder Nunez from Paraquay. And my new zone leader was my second companion. I’m so excited.

We had quite a few miracles at church this week, like 6 investigators came. 3 that came felt the Spirit, and don’t have to get married or divorced, so we should be having baptisms soon.

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

Love, Elder Whitaker