As you can tell from my title, I have been transferred. It
has been a very bitter sweet weekend for me. I was happy because I'm moving on
to bigger and better things but I was sad because that means I am leaving what
I have come to love as my home. When Elder Dixon, one of the Assistants, called
on Saturday at 10 pm, I almost didn't answer the phone. I have felt for a
while that I was going to be transferred but I didn't want to be. I have grown
to love the Carbon Canyon ward. They have been so wonderful to me these last
seven months. I have felt like they are my home ward. And it was hard. But, on
Sunday when I thought that I would be a mess at church, I was totally dry, not
one tear. It was crazy! Especially because if you know me, I cry over the
smallest of things :) But it was good! I love the Carbon Canyon ward but I know
that Heavenly Father has something bigger and better for me. I can learn from
my new area, companion, and ward. So I'm excited for my new adventure. I will
write more next week about today but my new companion is Sister Butler. She is
from American Fork and I have been on exchanges with her a couple times. So I'm
happy that we are companions!
Sisters Wheatley and Carrell at the Pumpkin Patch |
Well, to start off, Monday the 15th was a very good day! We
got up at 4:45 am and had to leave our house by 6 am to make it to Arcadia by 8
am. No, Arcadia is not two hours away but with California traffic you never
know if you are going to get stuck or not. The reason we had to get up so early
and be in Arcadia is because we had a mission tour with Elder Laurence
Corbridge of the 70. It was a very good conference! We learned so much from
him. But at the same time, he is so deep it was kind of hard for me to follow
him the whole time. But that's ok! I took lots of notes and hopefully I can go
back and learn at my own pace with them. I will admit though, my favorite part
was after lunch when Elder Corbridge was gone and President Becerra spoke and
we just had good conversations with him about the things we learned that day. I
really love the insights that President Becerra has. And from the other
missionaries in the mission! That, to be honest, was the best part of the day.
Then that night when we got back to Chino Hills, we met up
with Rose and took her to dinner. I had wanted to take her to dinner for a long
time and this time around we hadn't eaten yet after getting back from Arcadia
so we all met up at Panda Express and had a nice dinner together!
The Elders at the Pumpkin Patch |
Then on Tuesday the 16th, we had a big double zone Pday! It
was so much fun! The Chino zone got together with the Hacienda Heights zone and
we had a big game of dodgeball. The Chino zone is very small so we ended up
having some of the HH zone come over to our side and help us out. But the fun
part is that we got to wear our zone tshirts! Heck yes! :) I did have to laugh
though because whenever an Elder would throw a ball at me and get me out, all
the other Elders would boo the Elder that got me out. Then if I got hit really
hard, they'd come up to me and see if I was ok. Yes! I'm not a baby LOL I have
brothers! haha It was just funny! I loved it though. I had so much fun! (I was
the only Sister playing dodgeball most of the time...)
Then on Wednesday the 17th we did service at the Let It Be
foundation. We made angels again for their angel tree breakfast next month. It
was so much fun! I am sad that I will not be able to volunteer there anymore.
We had only been in twice and we have grown to love the people that work there.
I will miss them but I'm glad I got to work with them while I could.
And then we had lunch with Sister Lancaster again! I love
Sister Lancaster! We have gone to lunch with her a few times and she is just
amazing! I was sad because I had a feeling it would be my last lunch with her
so that was hard. But come to find out this morning that she actually lives in
the next town over from Glendora so she said that when she has days off, she
will still take us out to lunch! I'm so happy! She is amazing!
My Pumpkin |
Then that night we went to visit converts from the Carbon
Canyon ward that moved to the Los Serranos ward. When she and her kids moved,
they became inactive. I was sad to hear that because everyone we talk to in the
ward says how amazing she and her kids are. And they say that they ate the
gospel up while learning. Well, the reason we went to see her is because our
investigators, Mae and Eric, speak Chinese and Sister Lin speaks Chinese so we
thought she would be a good translator. So we spent about an hour over there
talking to her and her two kids and really enjoyed our time there. They have
such a spirit about them. They still know that the church is true but they are
struggling. The biggest thing is that Sister Lin doesn't know for sure that
Heavenly Father really does love her. So we focused on that a lot with her
that night. By the time we left, we felt good about going over there. I'm
happy that Sister Carrell and Sister Lehman (her new comp...) will be able to
go see them and help them come back to church. I know that Sister Lin knows the
church is true. I just hope that she realizes also that Heavenly Father really
does love her! Because He does! He loves each and everyone of us and it makes
me sad to know that there are people in this world that don't know that. So I'm
happy that I'm out here on my mission to help people realize that!
Sisters Wheatley and Carrell at the Pumpkin Patch |
Then on Friday the 19th, our zone went to the college, Cal
Poly Pomona, to help out at their Pumpkin Festival. The lady in charge of the
festival lives in the Los Serranos ward and she asks the missionaries to help
out every year. And it was so fun! Once again, Sister Carrell and I got the
easy work haha I wasn't like super sad about that but at the same time, I have come
to love working hard. So finally we found the Elders moving hay bails so we
went over and helped them! It was so much fun!
Sister Wheatley and The Pumpkin Patch |
Then on Saturday the 20th, we went back to Cal Poly and help
them all day with the opening day of the Pumpkin Festival! It was so much dang
fun! All of us missionaries spent most of our day in the corn maze looking for
lost little kids haha But it was fun! It was a little chilly and it started to
rain a little bit but it was good! We had so much fun! I'm excited to come back
after my mission when it's going on and actually get to go around and have fun
there! They do so much! It's awesome! The only downfall is that the corn maze
doesn't have any cool design like the one at Cornbelly's has. BTW, what was
their design this year?? haha
Then that night we got transfer calls. After getting home
from meeting with Rose, I just sat on the floor in the front room in silence
waiting for the AP's to call. I still had a little hope that I would stay but
at the same time I knew I had reached my limited time in Chino Hills. So when
the phone finally rang at 10:05 pm and Elder Dixon was on the other line and he
asked me how I was doing, I almost said, "Well, I was doing good until the
phone rang! I almost didn't answer it." But I decided that wasn't nice of
me haha So I finally got my very first transfer call. I hung up the phone and
started to cry. I didn't know if I was crying because I was sad or because I
was happy. All I know is that as I was crying, I felt peace in my heart. The
one thing I asked my Father in Heaven was that if I was being transferred, was
to give me peace in my heart. And He answered my prayer very quickly after my
call from the AP's. And that I am very thankful for!
Sister Wheatley, Kellie and Brother and Sister Jones |
Then on Sunday the 21st, like I said earlier, I was
surprised that I couldn't cry. I was sad to leave but no tears would come. I
guess that's because whoever I talked to and told them I was going to Glendora,
said that it's a very nice area and that I would love it! And that's all I
needed to know. I don't want to be picky about where Heavenly Father sends me
but as we were driving through Pomona the other day, I got this not-so-good
feeling being there. I was just scared there. But everyone said that Glendora
is nice so I'm happy about that! And not only that, Sister Mautz in the Carbon
Canyon ward, her parents are in the Glendora 5th ward that I'm serving in! So
that made me happy! At least I have some connection still! :)
Sister Wheatley, Sister Carrell and Rose |
I think that hardest goodbye though was Sabrina. I did not
want to say goodbye. I have grown to love that girl! She wasn't able to come to
church yesterday so we stopped by her house yesterday to say goodbye. She was
not very happy though. She was sad especially because first it was Sister
Davidson and now it was me. But I told her that she needs to stay strong and
that it's about the church, not the missionaries. But at the same time, I
didn't want to leave because I want to be able to teach her more. But she loves
the gospel and she knows it's true so I'm not too worried about her. It was
nice though because we also got to say goodbye to her parents and we took
pictures and we talked forever and it was just nice. But not going to lie, it
was really hard for me to say goodbye to her.
Well, that's about all that happened this week. I don't feel
like this gives you as much detail as past weeks but that's about all that
happened. But before I end I want to say good luck to Bubba on Wednesday! I'm
so proud of you for going on this new adventure. Just like everyone says, it
will be the hardest thing you've ever done but at the same time, it really is
the best thing ever! You are going to love your mission! And I'm so happy to be
on a mission at the same time as you! I guess when we were younger and you said
you wanted us to serve at the same time and I kept saying I wasn't going on a
mission, I guess you knew somewhere in the back of your mind the whole time
that we really would be serving missions together! I love you Bubba! Good luck
and remember, no Bible bashing with the people you meet :)
Gotta run! Love you all! Hope things are going well for
everyone!
Love always, Sister Wheatley
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