Week 18

Dear Family and Friends, 

It has been another great week here in NOM.  It sounds like the weather is looking a little better for you guys.  It sure is beautiful here.  I think it was 40 degrees the other day, and I thought I was going to freeze here.  I hope you all are surviving. This week came with lots of trials, but so many miracles.  We have three baptism sets right now, and like one member said, "They went through their expected opposition". We had a couple of set backs, but I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of them, and they will be able to overcome this trial that they are going through.  

We met with Leanne who is set for Feb. 22, and when we talked about her baptism she was like baptism I just can't even think about that right now.  I am so not ready for that nor do I know if I want to anymore.  She was a little grumpy with us haha!! She wants to continue to learn, and she said that she was going to pray about it.  So we are excited to meet with her this week.  We had an incredible lesson with Jeff.  He is the one who is very philosophical.  He has been taking extreme baby steps each time that we go over.  This week was so awesome! He was so humbled, and just knew that he needed this.  At the end of the lesson he said he was going to pray sincerely, and push everything he had been taught before aside, and just do what God wanted him to do.  It goes to show that Heavenly Father truly has a plan for each of us specifically, and sometimes he allows us to get to the lowest of lows in order for us to realize what is important, and that is what he did with Jeff.  So since I got here Sister Belka and I have been working with a lady who has been inactive for 3 years.  I just love her so much.  I love everybody I teach, but there is just something different with her, and I just LOVE HER!! Well after working with her forever she finally CAME TO CHURCH!! It was so amazing! I was literally beaming all during church.  She finally realizes that in order for her to be happy again and receive the blessings that Heavenly Father has for her she has to be doing what he has asked us to do.  I was so proud of her.  

We went and did Service for Claudia and Ramsey, and folded I think every item of clothing that they had.  We had just finished and told them that we wanted to share a message with them before we leave.  Well then Ramsey gets up and goes to the kitchen.  I knew we were in trouble.  So we start sharing this message, and he brings out a plate that had like 7 vienna sausages, and then a raw egg literally.  I think that he cooked it for 2 seconds.  My stomach was already queezy.  I had no idea what I was going to do.  Well for one I have trained Sia well and she started taking my sausages, and biting half of them, and then putting them on Sister Grahams plate haha!!  It was hilarious!! Well then I started teaching, and some how Sister Graham got them all on my plate.  Well we had a lunch appointment that we were already going to be late to so finally I get this bright idea to ask them if we can take it with us.  So sure enough they were like yeah of course, and were so excited.  We told them how grateful we were for them, and how delicious this was and then we left.  We got out and I looked at Sister Graham, and just said you owe me big!! I am terrible I know, but hey my stomach can't handle eating a raw egg, and vienna sausages.  Yes there is definitely a reason why I am here in Nebraska. 

This Sunday I was kind of having an off day.  We were working at the Trail Center all day.  Sister Farnsworth of course knows when something is wrong, and so she took me into the Memorial room.  I then asked her to take me on tour.  It was exactly what I needed.  Being a missionary you focus so much on what everyone needs, and how you can help them, and so forth.  It was amazing to have somebody do the same thing for me.  Everything that she said was exactly what I needed to hear.  The spirit was so powerful.  She made me realize that I can do this, and that I can be the missionary that Heavenly Father needs me to be.  She helped me realize how much Father really loves me, and is with me every step of the way.  I am so grateful for her.  

Our whole Stake changed boundaries this last Sunday.  It won't take place until February 10.  We are loosing our Relief Society President, YW presidency, and our Ward Missionary Leader, and missionaries, and so many other amazing people.  Plus we are loosing so much of our teaching pool including Alli, and Claudia and Ramsey.  Let's just say some tears were shed.  It made me realize how much I truly do love these people, and how much apart of my life they are.  I am excited to see the miracles that come from this.  I know that everything happens for a reason, and that this is how the Lord wants it to be.  

I love being a a missionary!! I know without a doubt that this gospel is true.  I know that Christ's same gospel has been restored through a prophet Joseph Smith.  As we strive to become more like the Savior each and every day we will have the happiness that Father has intended for us.  We must do our part in bringing this happiness to our brothers and sisters.  So I want to invite all of you to share your testimony with somebody you know this week.  I can promise you that if you do that you will feel of Heavenly Fathers love for you this week, and you will be able to know that you can do hard things.  

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Whittaker   

PS I am so glad you all had a great trip in TARGHEE..... Just think next year I will be boarding my little heart out with you all!!! 

Week 17

Family and Friends,

Happy Martin Luther King day. Another week is already here.  I am half way through the transfer and can't believe it.  Time needs to slow down.  Everybody says to enjoy every minute because it goes by so quickly, and I never seemed to understand that until now.  We had such a great week full of so many miracles.  Heavenly Father never seems to amaze me.  I hope that you are all staying warm.  We had 50 degree weather this weekend.  It was beautiful, but looks like we are getting your nasty weather here this week.  It is supposed to be 11 below today.  Yeah I am going to FREEZE.  I am so excited for you all to go to Targhee this week.  Ah I am not going to lie I am a little bit jealous, but I wouldn't change my time here for anything. There is going to be many ski trips to come.   Oh that good times we have while we are there.  You all better ski a run for me!! I know it won't be as fun without me because we all know that I am the life of the party well actually Stella is haha!! Have so much fun though, and be safe.  I better see lots of pictures. 

So this week I have been trying so hard to eat healthy, and so Sister Graham and I decided we weren't going to eat any Sugar. I was praying to Heavenly Father how I could stay nice and healthy (because all of the sisters have been so sick).  Heavenly Father promised me that if I eat healthy, and drink lots of water that I wouldn't get sick.  Well of course last week I loving sugar couldn't do it.  Well then my cold came on, and I knew that I wasn't obedient, and it was my own fault.  So anyways this week I recommitted, and was doing so good.  I have a stash next to my bed haha (yes I am my mothers daughter) and so I snuck upstairs so Sister Graham wouldn't see me, and I got in my stash and well I bumped the carbon dioxide detector and it started beeping out of control.  It was so loud.  So of course Sister Graham came running upstairs, and she was like ha ha your CAUGHT!! Put that candy away.  So my plan didn't work, and I couldn't eat my candy.  No worries though I am doing so much better, and haven't eaten anything, and my cold is going away woot woot!!

So onto more important things.  The Trail Center Leaders got special permission for all of us to be able to go to the temple and surprise the Watsons.  So we called the Temple President who we all know so well, and he let us have our own session.  So all 26 sisters, and all 8 Senior couples were sitting in the endownment room as Elder and Sister Watson walked in. Let's just say there was not a dry eye in the room.  Words can't express how amazing this experience was.  Then to all be in the Celestial room was incredible.  I have never felt the spirit so strongly.  This is what it is going to be like when we return home.  All of our friends and family will be there to welcome us home.  It was such an amazing experience.  One that we will never have again.

The work is progressing so much.  Like I said earlier we had so many miracles occur this week.  Leanne is still doing amazing.  She is still set for February 22.  We call and read from the Book of Mormon with her everyday. Our last lesson with her the spirit was so strong.  We taught her the Plan of Salvation.  She looked at me and said this is a lot to take in.  I can't believe that Heavenly Father has a plan for me.  I want this in my life.  I know this is true.  It was so humbling!! It is amazing how the spirit works, and for the opportunity I have to be Christs mouth piece.  Every lesson I leave amazed with what comes out of my mouth.  Alli is still making a lot of progress as well.  When we taught him this last week he was really drunk so kept it short, and sweet.  We went on Sunday morning and tied his tie again, and him and his family made it to church it was GREAT!!   We were teaching a man the other day for the first time named Jason. He is a former investigator from a year ago.  The spirit was softening his heart as we spoke. He is so prepared. So all during the lesson I kept thinking about my interview with President, and how he committed us to set every one for baptism on the first time. I knew that I needed to ask him to be baptized, but I kept questioning myself and would come up with excuses like oh he isn't ready for that, or oh that would overwhelm him, and so on. But then all I could think of is that I promised that I would ask everyone on the first visit. So I just kept praying that I could do it. So I finally asked him to be baptized, and he accepted. He is going to be baptized on February 22. I am so excited!! This experience made me realize how important it is that we keep our commitments. We expect so much from our investigators, and if we aren't keeping commitments how can we except them to as well. I know that there will be days that I fail, but each day I am able to better understand the Atonement, and us it every day. I know that it was through the spirit that I was able to ask him to be Baptized, and that he accepted because the Spirit has softened his heart. We also started teaching a girl named Ashley.  She is 11 years old.  Her parents are less actives, but we have recently gotten them back to church.  Well the spirit has gotten them back anways... We started teaching Ashley this week.  She is so darling, and so prepared.  We set her for baptism as well for February 22.  It is definitely going to be an AMAZING DAY!! We pray every day that they will be able to overcome the advesary, and that they won't fall into temptation.  We have had a great week full of so many miracles. I feel so blessed!!

Elder Watson left a couple of days ago.  It was so hard to see them go.  What a huge influence they have been in my life.  We will be friends forever.  He has changed so many lives here, and truly impacted so many people.  He really wants to meet you guys so you should go and see him sometime.  He is the best!!  He left me with a case of Diet Coke ha ha!! I don't know where I am going to get my supply now!! 

I hope that you all are happy, healthy, and living life to the fullest.  I am so grateful for the gospel, and the blessing that it is in my everyday life.  As we strive each and every day to become more like the savior we will have happiness, and be able to overcome anything that comes our way.  It is like the scripture in Helamen 5:12 that talks about building a foundation.  As we build a foundation of Christ we will overcome the advesary.  I invite all of you to pray tonight, and ask Heavenly Father what you need to do to build your foundation stronger, and then act on the answer you receive.  Father is so aware of each of you.  He loves you, and wants you to be happy!! It is only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can have the fullness of JOY!! I love you all and hope you have a great week!!! Have fun in TARGHEE!!

Sister Whittaker

Week 16

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been another amazing week here at NOM.  It has gotten pretty cold this week, but no where near as cold as it is at home.  Oh how grateful I am to be here instead of home haha!! I hope you are all staying warm.  So I thought I would give you some info this week about life as a missionary.  I love Sister Graham.  She is from Orem, and I know that we will be friends forever.  I have so much to learn from her.  She is such a powerful teacher.  We get along great.  She only has two transfers left.  We both feel like we will be together for both transfers.  I am just going to be killing all of my companions off.    I had a melt down this week with Sister Baker.  I missed my Sister Belka a lot. I learned so many amazing things from her.  I am the missionary that I am today because of her. Sister  President has talked to us a lot this week about not looking back, and of course with every commitment comes a trial of our Faith. So I had to repent about that and move on. I am so grateful for the trials that I face each and everyday.  As I pray to Father at the end of the day I am able to reflect on my day, and realize that I have changed.  This gospel is all about changing and truly becoming who God needs us to be. 

 The Trail Center has been really slow this week.  It is great though because we get a lot of time to study.  I was able to study and learn about some of my ancestors this week.  It has been amazing.  I learned that the First Bishop of the Church is my 5th great Grandfather.  AMAZING!!  I also learned that My great great great great grandfather was a twelve apostle.  We have quite the legacy.  I am grateful to be able to learn from the pioneers.  Just as they had trials we too have them as well, but as we give everything to the Lord like the pioneers did we too will be strengthened, and be able to see miracles just as they did.  I am so grateful to be here.  This is where Heavenly Father needs me to be.  

There is a Doctor Named Dr. Fisher who is friends with Elder Watson.  He holds a free clinic every Thursday.  He has a whole pharmacy, lots of nurses, and doctors.  He found out that I was a nurse, and so he let me take care of the patients.  Ahhh it was so awesome.  I learned so much.  I was with a Med Student, who was really attractive, but don't worry I remembered I was a missionary.  It is my goal to convert him, and then marry a doctor haha j/k j/k.  Anyways back to the clinic it was so awesome.  I saw like 5 patients, and was able to treat, diagnose, and just learn a lot.  It was awesome!!! It made me miss my job back home.  It is such a tender mercy from Heavenly Father because I will be able to count all the hours, and then I won't have to stress about keeping my license when I get back.  

Right now we are working with a lot of Less Actives.  We had three of them come to church on Sunday.  It was awesome!!!  We also have been working with a lady named Leanne.  She is in a rest home, and is great as they come.  When we walked in a couple of days ago she got a huge grin on her face, and was like oh my girls are here!!  She was able to get a priesthood blessing.  During the blessing I was overwhelmed with the spirit.  I was able to feel of Fathers love for her.  She had so much faith, and she knows that she can be healed.  She is set for baptism on February 2, but she isn't able to come to church because of her health so we have to figure something out so we can get her into the water.  She is incredible.  We have also been meeting with Alli who is Claudia's dad.  He has met with missionaries 3 different times, and his whole family is baptized.  We have met with him a lot this week.  The spirit is changing his heart right before our eyes.  It is so amazing.  It was his birthday this week, and so they invited us over for dinner and fed us.  Well let's just say I am always dreading eating there food because it is well DISGUSTING.  So let's just say that I am such a nice companion hahaha!! Well we sat down to eat, and they always give us way more then we can ever eat.  So there is this rice that they make that literally makes me want to Gag.  So being the nice companion that I am I got a huge scoop and when nobody was looking I put it on Sister Graham plate hahaha!!  She gave me the look of DEATH!!! She literally was going to kill me, and I could not stop laughing.  I switched couches so she wouldn't give it back to me.  Then I really got the look of death.  Ah aren't I so GREAT!! So I finally get control of myself and realize I have to be able to find a way to get this food down so I came up with another great plan.  Sia always comes to the rescue, she is 2 by the way.  So I have her come and sit by me, and start feeding her.  The family all thinks I am so cute with her, and so nice to share my food haha, but hey the plan worked!! I had a clean plate.  After Dinner we were talking to them all about the importance of coming to church, and Alli turns to us and says if you come tie my tie for me in the morning I will come to church.  So of course we were all over the idea.  Well we got into the car, and we both realized that neither of us could tie a tie.  So it was 9 at this time so we had 30 minutes to learn.  So we ran over to Elder Watsons house, and he taught us haha!! Luckily he was patient with me, and laughed at me a lot because who knew tying a tie was so difficult?  So Sunday morning we went over there after our meeting and tied his tie.  His whole entire family was at church together.  It was AMAZING!! Heavenly Father truly blessed us.  I am so excited to continue to watch him learn and grow.  

I love this work!! I am so grateful to be here.  I LOVE being a missionary.  I am happy that you got to talk to Sister Belka she is amazing! I miss her everyday.  I can't wait for you guys to go to Targhee too.  You better tear it up for me.  I hope that the snow is good this year.  Send me lots of pics.  I hope that you stay nice and warm too!!  Know that I love you all, and am so grateful for each of you!!! 

Love, 

Sister Whitt

Week 15

Dear Family and Friends, 

It has been another great with here in NOM. Ah I just continue to love and embrace this work.  I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for this amazing opportunity that he has given me.  I am so humbled each and every day.  This week so a roller coaster of emotions.  Sister Belka and I well let's just say that we are just the best of friends.  I love her so much, and am so grateful and humbled for the many things that she has taught me.  I will be forever grateful for her.  I was so blessed with an amazing trainer. One who I will be forever grateful for. She taught me that obedience is everything, and how we receive blessings. She taught me how to have charity and love people. She taught me how to strengthen my relationship with Father. She taught me how to use the atonement. She taught me how to love this work, and work hard. I could go on and on all day. I am so grateful for the many things that she has taught me. I just hope and pray that I can continue to grow, and become who Heavenly Father needs me to become. I hope and pray each day that he is proud of me, and the missionary that I am. My new companion's name is Sister Graham.  She is amazing!!  We joked a couple of weeks together how sad we were that we would never be able to be companions, and now look what happened.  We are both so excited.  As we have taught together I have already began to understand the many amazing things that I am going to be able to learn from her.  

I had such a humbling experience yesterday on tour.    I had a feeling that I needed to go and sit up in first chair.  Not even five minutes later an older couple walked in through the doors.  I knew that there was something special about them from the moment I looked into their eyes.  I walked them into the Theater room, and started asking about them.  Patricia is having surgery tomorrow, and so they wanted to come and touch the temple tonight to bring her some comfort.  They then began to tell me that they had been really inactive for quite some time.  Patricia felt prompted to read in the bible one morning, and knew in her heart that she needed the gospel back in her life.  So she told her husband thinking that he wasn’t going to agree with her, but to her surprise he felt the exact same way.  He then went on a drive and ended up at the church where he found his old bishop, and went in and talked with him. Since meeting with him they have come back to church, and have received the blessings that this gospel brings.  They have understood that this is where they need to be in order to have the fullness of Joy that the gospel brings.  They then told me that they were going to be sealed next month.  I was instantly able to feel of the love that Heavenly Father had for them.  It was so overwhelming.  The spirit was so powerful as I told them the love that I had for them, but most importantly how much Heavenly Father loved them.  We all just sat there and cried.  We then watched God’s Plan.  There was not a dry eye in the room.  I was so humbled to be able to grow such a powerful love for them instantly, and to be able to share my testimony with them.  I was then able to take them on tour, and focus the whole tour on covenants.  We all were able to bear testimony of the blessing that this gospel has brought to us.  It was such a tender mercy.  As we got to the Temple I was able to testify of the blessings that come from the temple, and the blessings that they were going to receive as they prepare to enter the temple next month.  They then asked me to go to their sealing.  How humbling.  I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of me, and he allowed me to change tonight because of their testimony.  I hope that I will be able to be a part of their special day.  Before they left Patricia told me that what I said at the beginning of the tour as I expressed the Love that God had for them was almost exactly what her patriarchal blessing said.  I am so grateful that I was able to speak from the spirit, and be able to teach them what they needed to hear.  I love this work.  I love the trail center.  I am so grateful to be here. 

I also had a very powerful experience with Elder Watson.  He has become my best friend (He is the TC director).  He is leaving in just two weeks, and so he told me he wanted to give me a blessing before he left.  So he brought me into his office, and started telling me how proud he was of me, and most importantly how proud Heavenly Father was of me.  We talked about some other stuff, and he just gave me some really powerful counsel.  He then gave me a blessing.  In the blessing he promised many so many powerful things.  He was able to tell me how proud Heavenly Father was of me, and also how proud my family was.  He told me that they were such a huge support to me.  How I got so lucky I will never know.  He then told me that I have been forgiven from everything.  That I am pure and clean, and that I needed to move on.  This past month I keep looking back on all the mistakes I have made, and am sick inside for the things that I have put my Savior through.  Today I realized the true power of the Atonement.  I can't tell you how humbling of an experience this was.  I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for his atoning sacrifice for me.  I know that he loves me, and is with me EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!!  I walked out of that office a new determined missionary.  I walked out of there knowing that I can do anything.  That I have a Savior who loves me, and is going to bless me as I continue to Change, and become who I need to be. 

Sister Whitt

Week 14

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy New Year!! I can't believe it is 2013.  What a great 2012 we had, and what a great 2013 it is going to be. It was such an awesome week.  I am so grateful for the many miracles that we saw this week.  Heavenly Father put us exactly where we needed to be, and when we needed to be their.  I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me personally, and allows me to bring his children into the fold. 

So I had so many funny things happen this week.  On Wednesday we were going to see Sharon our recent convert.  We pulled in the parking lot, and parked not where we normally park.  We were going over our lesson plan, and then a man walked in front of our car, and sister Belka jumps out and said we need to teach him. It took me like 3 minutes to really comprehend what was going on, and then I finally got out of the car.  He was deaf, and guess who knows sign language yup you guessed it Sister Belka.  So they were signing back and forth.  He was so engaged in the conversation.  She would try and tell me what he was saying, and what she was saying, but let's just say I was just standing there looking really cool.  Well then his friends walks up, and was like what is going on here?  So we explained to him our purpose, and that we were representatives of Jesus Christ.  Well then Sister Belka just starts talking back to Eric (the boy who is deaf), and I start teaching his friend who is looking at me all weird.  Then he was like You are really pretty, and I was like oh thanks so the Book of Mormon ha ha, and then he was like No really you are so pretty can I take you on a date? So Jesus Christ? I am going to take you on a date okay?  So I went on to tell him that we aren't allowed to do that we are here to bring others closer to Christ.  Then he was like come on we would have so much fun!! Let's go hang out while they keeping talking because it is freezing here.  Here I am dying and Sister Belka is in her own little world leaving me with this creeper.  So of course I just ignored what he said and started teaching him the restoration when again he tells me how pretty I am and how there are so many nice restaurants that he is going to take me too!!  I am literally dying.  I have officially entered the awkward club ha ha!!  I never thought I would be awkward when I got home, but yup it only took me 3 months to enter into that Club.  Finally Sister Belka pipped in and told him that she was glued to my hip, and then of course he was like well let's go on a double date haha!! So then of course Sister Belka being the charitable person she is she was like yeah of course.  We would love to teach you about the gospel over a nice dinner ha ha!!!  So I never thought I would be asked out on a date on my mission, but I can now check that off my bucket list.  I am so grateful to be out of the dating world right now!! 

Funny story number two so we had just gotten done with church and we were eating our dinner in the kitchen.  I had to go to the bathroom of course because for some reason I have to pee every 10 minutes it feels like.  Drinking a lot of water is so over rated.  Well anyways I go to flush the toilet and in land my tag haha!! Leave it to me for something like that to happen.  So I of course panic, and run and grab Sister Belka, and try to bribe her into getting it for me.  Well the bribing didn't work so I finally found a plastic glove, and well I am sure you don't want to know all the details, but hey another thing to check off my bucket list.

So other then really funny things happening we have had a great week.  We actually met all of our goals for the week which we were so grateful for.  I know that it is when we are obedient, and strive to do our best that Heavenly Father will bless us more then we will ever know.  Heavenly Father placed us where we needed to be, and at the exact time that we needed to be there.  We went see a referral that came through the gingerbread, and he wasn't home, but we felt like we needed to go and see two house, and of course they wanted nothing to do with us, but then a car pulled up into his house, and a lady got out.  We started testifying to her, and teaching her about the restored gospel when she told us that she was a member of our church, but doesn't go to church anymore.  She was a total lost sheep.  She is so prepared and ready to come back to church.  We met with her again, and she is incredible.  She has such a strong testimony she just wasn't ever converted.  We had such a powerful lesson with her, and she has started to read the Book of Mormon, and is praying to know if it is true.  We are hoping to see her at church on Sunday.  The next day we met another lost sheep while we were trying to find another referral.  He just landed in our lap pretty much.  He is battling cancer, and is really struggling, and knows that he needs God in his life.  We saw so many miracles today it was so amazing, and such a humbling experience. 

Well I am sure that you are all anxiously waiting to see what happened with Transfers.  Well I actually won't know until tomorrow, but they did ask us to take the new Sister Missionaries out which most likely means I will be training.  Words can't express how nervous I am, but I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me specifically.  I am so excited for change, and to be able to come closer to my Heavenly Father.  I just hope that I can make my Heavenly Father proud, and to be able to do all that he has asked me to do.  I love this work, and am so grateful for the blessings that it brings to me, and the people of Nebraska.  I am so excited for a new year!!! I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week!! Please pray for me this week.  I need it. 

Sister Whittaker