Monday, April 1, 2013

Just call me Momma Wheats

Good afternoon dear family and friends! I don't have much time because I have to still go grocery shopping (it's been a very long day with transfers...) so I really just need to get going and write as fast and little as I can, yeah right!!


First of all, I was going to keep this til the end but decided to just tell you now... I'M TRAINING!!!!!! That's why the title of this email. I really am freaking out a little right now. I'm nervous and scared and excited all at the same time. I know that Heavenly Father trusts me enough or he wouldn't have me be training but man, it's just a scary thing right now. I'm not sure who my companion is yet. I will find out tomorrow at like 3:30 pm. So tonight and tomorrow I am spending time with Sister George who's from Wyoming. She is also training so we get to spend the day together. She's my "mission Aunt" so that's fun! I haven't gotten to know her yet so it will be a fun time to get to know her a little more.

Waiting for transfer calls: Elders Robinson, Garcia and Bucholz
Well, I guess I will get started with what happened this week. Tuesday the 26th we did more service with the Elders at a members house who had surgery a couple months ago and he's having some bad reactions and other various things happen with it so we went over to help out. We did a lot of phone calling and contacting the rest of the day so not a whole ton fun. But it was nice to get out in the garden and pull some weeds (no mom, I did not just say that...) I just HATED the nasty spiders. I killed a ton but there were just so many. It was gross!

District picture (L to R): Elders Robinson, Garcia, Yoshikawa, Erikson, Newton and Sisters Amataga and Wheatley
Then Wednesday the 27th we had a last minute lesson with our investigator in the singles ward, Anthony. Things are going well with him. It was last minute and we had a lesson at 1:30 so it was going to be a very short lesson. But it ran over. Oh well... Turns out it was ok because our next appointment had to do some things before we were able to go anyway. So that was nice. But our lesson with Anthony went really well! We talked about baptism and he was a little hesitant because he feels like he's already been baptized by proper authority. So we talked a little more about it and asked him to pray. It was just a really powerful lesson and I'm so thankful for the Spirit that was there. It really helped us during a time where I didn't know what to say. Just like it says in Doctrine and Covenants "Open your mouth and they will be filled." It's so true! Sadly he wasn't able to come to the YSA ward yesterday but his friend/co-worker who is in our ward said that they went to the family ward in the morning and he's really working on finding out if this is the true church and if he should be baptized. I know that a good thing will happen with him. We just have to keep helping him and things will all work out!


Then Thursday the 28th was a good day. We had a very good district meeting and had fun together for our last meeting of the transfer. Our District Leader is going home tomorrow so we were all able to give "eulogies" for him and that was funny. He is such a comedian that it was just a funny thing to do. And after that we had a lesson with our new investigator in the singles ward, Claudia. She's friends with a girl from the YSA ward who is on her mission in SLC (it's a Facebook mission so she's been able to stay in contact with Claudia and teach her some things over the internet. It's interesting how she was sent to that specific mission and because of it she's been able to teach her friend...) Anyway, we finally got her information so we could actually teach her in person and it was good. We can tell that it's going to take some time to move towards baptism for her but that's ok. We have to take things nice and slow but I think that will be good for her and us as missionaries. Sometimes we just need to slow down a little. So we are excited to teach her and she's excited to learn from us.


Friday the 29th was good. We usually do weekly planning but once again, it didn't happen for as long as we would have liked. We had a lesson with Jen in the morning so we parked our car at the church (No Car Friday) and walked to her house. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it was super good. We also talked to her about baptism and she wants to be baptized! She just needs to talk to her husband and do this all together. It was very cool to have a good lesson! We love going over to teach Jen because everything we are teaching her, she's thought about and it just makes all the sense in the world to her. So that's awesome! Sadly they weren't able to come to church yesterday though because their baby girl didn't have a good night and finally at 8am she went to sleep. But church started at 9am. But hopefully they will want to come to General Conference this weekend (which I am SUPER excited about getting to watch!)
Last night as companions...Sisters Amataga and Wheatley.3-31-13

Saturday the 30th we did service again at the Elder's in the 1st ward. They went to Utah for their daughters wedding and our Zone Leaders decided that we'd all get together on Saturday and just plow through the garden and get it all done before they come home this week. It was a wonderful project and it was so much fun! Even though a couple of the Elders there were a little lazy... LOL ;) But it was fun to have one last service project, all of us together as a district. And that night we got together and waited for our transfer calls. It was a very weird night. It was fun but the transfer calls... Not expected. During the week, during lunches, I would start packing and getting things organized because I was SURE that I would be the one transferred. I have been here for almost six months and I just knew that I was leaving Glendora. But calls came and I wasn't the one leaving... It was Sister Amataga. She's going out to Diamond Bar (she's going to be in Mama J's ward!) And, like I said at the beginning of the email, I'm training. So it was an unexpected transfer call. And it was really hard on Sister Amataga and I. We have gone through so much together and we have grown to love this ward. Dang it! Why do we have to get so attached sometimes to people and places. It's so hard! But, it has been a wonderful four months with Sister Amataga and I know she will do wonderful in Diamond Bar!

Sister Amataga talking to AP for her transfer call.
Sad day :(
And as for me, well, I'm just sitting here breathing in and out a whole ton hoping to do well with the newbie. I don't want to ruin her LOL It will be a very fun adventure and I know that I wouldn't be training if Heavenly Father didn't trust me. I am so thankful for that knowledge that I have, that we are never given anything that we can't handle. I know that this experience will just help me grow even more as a missionary and as a person. And even though I'm nervous, I'm looking forward to it! Good things are going to come. And I had a good trainer myself so I'm going to take what I learned from her and apply it!

I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ restored to the earth through Joseph Smith. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet today and I'm so beyond excited to hear him and the Apostles speak this weekend. I know that Jesus lives. I know Heavenly Father lives. I know that we were all sent here to this earth to go through life with trials and triumphs and that we can return to live with Them again one day. Christ died for each and everyone of us and He DID rise again (so thankful for the Easter holiday we had to remember His resurrection). I'm thankful that I'm a missionary at this time to go out and share that with others. This is the best news ever!

I love you all so much!

Love always,

Sister Rachel Anna Wheatley

PS - Thank you to mom, Bekkah and Renata for your letters/packages this week. And Happy Birthday to anyone who's celebrating. Love you all!



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