Transfer #9

Well, transfer calls were this weekend but thank the heavens above, Sister Amataga and I are staying together!!!! We are so happy! To be honest I was almost positive that I was going to be transferred. Things are going WONDERFULLY here and I just knew that I was going to be gone and I was so sad. But I am very happy that we have another six weeks here together in the Glendora 5th and Glendora 6th YSA wards! Good things are happening and coming!

District Picture

Well, I will try to make this short because we have very little time to write because we are going to Arcadia today to say goodbye to my trainer, Sister Davidson, who goes home tomorrow :(

So to get started... Last Monday the the 11th we were supposed to have dinner with a part member/inactive family in our ward but they had to cancel because of something that came up. I was bummed! But we have a raincheck so we have to set that up again!

Then Tuesday the 12th we did a LOT of walking. We had to pass out Mormon Next Door fliers and that took us a couple hours going from house to house putting them on doors. But it was nice to be out walking and getting to talk to people along the way. President's commitment to me at interviews has really helped me. I haven't talked to five people every day like he asked but I try! Sadly there aren't a lot of people walking around in the middle of the day and I just don't feel good about two girls walking around after dark in the evenings so yeah. But it is helping me!

V Day with Sister Russell and the Butler's
 

Then we had an AMAZING lesson with our part member family we are working with. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they had a lot of questions and they also had good answers and comments and it was just amazing! At the end of our lesson, their inactive son, Jonathan, asked what time church started and he really wanted to come! And Sister Moon said that he needs to help them all get to church. Sadly we didn't see them on Sunday but we aren't giving up and seeing them someday at church! They are so close to coming! I just love this family! I can see them going to the temple within the next two years and I'm just so happy that they all want to turn their lives around and be better!

Then we had our lesson with Henry and Peter who are getting baptized this coming Sunday! They are so incredible. They have a very good knowledge of the gospel for being so young and not active for as long as the family was. So it's so fun to teach them!

OK, the finger thing is a joke because
of something the Elders did and we couldn't stop laughing at it

Wednesday the 13th was good! We didn't do a whole ton but we met with the zone leaders and discussed how we can have better success in the YSA ward because we are really struggling. But it's looking up there. We had two non members at church yesterday with their friend who's in our ward and we are going to call them today to set up appointments to meet with them! We are so excited about that. They were in our Gospel Principles class yesterday and they gave great answers!

Then that night we went over to our less actives, Sharron, and started teaching her the lessons again. She hasn't been to church in about a year or longer and she loves the church and the people but we think that us teaching her the lessons again will help her have a better understanding of the gospel and will help her to come back to church. And she was very nice to have a lesson with. She knows a lot but sometimes it's hard for her to explain. But we love her and keep going to see her and helping her to come back! The whole ward loves her and wants her to come back so we are hoping soon!

Red tongues from the Petite Sour Hearts...THANKS FOR THOSE!
 

Rach with Elijah, Becky's grandson

Then Thursday the 14th, SAD (Singles Awareness Day) or as some people call it, Valentine's Day ;), we had a district meeting which was good and then we did more Mormon Next Door fliers haha That was our biggest push this week and it was a good turn out (will talk about that later...) But for dinner that night we ate with Sister Russell and the Butler's. Sister Amataga was so sad when we got our dinner calendar and no one signed up for Valentine's Day, I wonder why... :) But she said something to a few people, haha, so we got dinner! And it was so good! We had this delicious Shrimp dish! Yes, Shrimp! I ate Shrimp! And I love it! We have it all the time out here! It's delicious! I really have expanded my food likes. It's funny what I love now and didn't love just one year ago :)



With Sister Wilson from the Carbon Canyon Ward

Then Friday the 15th we had a really long planning session! We got a big map of our ward boundaries so we spent a couple hours home made laminating it. Staples and Office Depot could only laminate things 24 inches and our map was bigger so we had to laminate it with packaging tape! I love packing tape now! It's my new best friend! I use it so much as a missionary to laminate things!

Not much happened Saturday the 16th. We had a meeting with our district leader and in the morning made cookies for the Mormon's Next Door thing on Sunday. Speaking of.... Mom, everyone LOVED the Ginger Snaps!! haha So thanks for the recipe. Sister Beck forwarded it on to a couple people who asked for it. So you are famous with that recipe even all the way out here in Glendora California!! :)

Sister Davidson and Rach with their convert, Rose

Then Sunday the 17th was a good day. We had church until 3:30 and then a lesson at 4, the Mormon's Next Door presentation at 5, and then the missionary farewell in Arcadia at 6:30. Church was incredible! Our lesson went really well and the Mormon's Next Door was awesome! President Becerra and our stake President, President O'Bryant put it on and they did awesome! We had to leave part way through to go to Arcadia but there was such a good turn out there! We had about 75-80 non members there. We sent out about 40,000 (maybe that's an exaggeration but it was a big number) of fliers so I have to say, I think that was a great turn out for it! Then the missionary farewell in Arcadia was awesome! I wasn't able to go at first because we didn't have investigators or recent converts to take but I got permission to go if Rose, mine and Sister Davidson's convert from Carbon Canyon, went. And she called during church yesterday and said she was going! So Sister Amataga and I got a ride with the Powell's in our ward and we were able to go! I was so happy! And I was doing great until Sister Davidson got up to bear her testimony. She told a story that made me cry and then as we were singing the closing song, God Be With You Til We Meet Again, I wasn't crying but then I looked up at Davo and she was BAWLING! So then I just let go and cried! I'm going to miss seeing her around the mission. She taught me so much while she trained me for six months and she is one of the best missionaries and friends that I know. But I'm glad that we got to serve together and that she'll be in Provo going to BYU so we can see each other once I get home. And after the testimonies, I went back with Rose to see Davo and a couple people from the Carbon Canyon ward were there and it was so nice to be reunited with the people that helped me learn and grow as a missionary. So yeah, it was a little sad to be there because it made me miss Chino Hills but I love the people here in Glendora just as much!

with Brother and Sister Williams from Carbon Canyon Ward

Well, I forgot to check birthdays this week so happy birthday to anyone and everyone who's celebrating this week. Gotta run but will talk to you all next week! Love you all tons and tons!!!

Love always, Sister Rachel Wheatley

With Brother Apgar and his daughter Jessica from Carbon Canyon Ward

With Ryan from CVYSA ward and Elder Nielson -- awkward picture!