Let's see what happened this week... Monday the 26th, the
Elders text us and said that we were having a zone activity playing softball. I
was so excited! I had been wanting to play baseball since I got here! So you
can bet that Sister Butler and I were over there. She wrote tons of letters
while I played and I really enjoyed it! I was good for another couple months
haha
Then on Tuesday the 27th, oh man, that was an adventurous
day... We drove to Glendale because President Lew (the mission presidency 2nd
counselor) is a doctor and he was giving us flu shots. So we drove out there
and it was so fun to see so many of the missionaries there. We have had many
conferences lately so I've been able to see them more than normal but it's
always fun when we get to see each other. And while standing in line, we find
out that it cost $10 for a flu shot. Our dear Zone Leaders never told us that
it cost money and I was out of money for the month so I stepped out of line and
didn't get one... So now I'm praying that I don't get sick. But after flu
shots, we had to go to the mission office in Arcadia and pick up a couple
things and while we were there, Elder Olsen had to take our car to get
something fixed so we were at the office for 30 minutes. And while there,
Sister Butler realized that she left her bag in Glendale. So after Elder Olsen
came back, we drove all the way back to Glendale to the church to get it. But
the church was locked and everyone was gone. So we called the missionaries
around the area but no one could come open the church for us. Crab apple... But
as we were sitting there, a car pulls up and it was Sisters Harker and Amataga.
Turns out they were serving in that area and they had also gotten a flu shot
and President Lew, as he was leaving, saw Sister Butler's bag and took it back
to his office. So we had to drive to his office and pick it up. We were both
really hungry so across the street from the hospital was In-N-Out and Sister
Butler wanted that so we stopped there and waited in line for 20 minutes. It
was pretty ridiculous! haha I don't understand what's so good about In-N-Out
haha And since I don't like In-N-Out, we found a Wendy's on my GPS and started
driving when we got on this freeway and realized that it was taking us towards
LA... Not in our mission. So we had to hurry and get off the freeway and head
back towards home. It was a very crazy day! We didn't get back to our area
until 2pm. It was a long morning and we were so tired because we spent so much time
in the car. And because of all this fun adventure, we ended up going 115 miles
on Tuesday... That's a little much for one day but it was funny! It's gonna
make us look like we went for a joy ride around California! :/ But it was
funny!
Also that day, we had an INCREDIBLE lesson with a less
active/part member family in our ward, the Moon's. Sister Moon has been
investigating the church for a few years or so and since I've been in Glendora,
they have been really busy at their work so we haven't been able to meet. But
we finally set a time and it was one of the best lessons ever. Sister Butler
and I were really not sure what we were going to teach them but Sister Butler
had been reading in 3 Nephi one day and felt like she should go back and ready
chaper 11 and we used that chapter for the basis of our lesson. It was all
about how we need to make Christ apart of our lives and what we need to do to
have Him apart of our lives. It was incredible because you could really feel
the Spirit and after the lesson, Sister Moon said that making Christ part of
their lives is something that they've been trying to do a lot lately and that
the scriptures we shared was exactly perfect! It was awesome! And then we left
them a challenge to read their scriptures daily. It was just amazing! I can't
explain it. Especially because Sister Butler and I had been having a hard time
feeling the Spirit guide us to know what we should teach them. But we walked
out with our jaws dropped in awe that it was such an amazing lesson. I'm so thankful
to my Father in Heaven for sending the Holy Ghost to tell us what to do even
when we felt like we couldn't feel the Spirit.
Then that night we had a lesson with Jose and then a
coordination meeting with our new ward mission leader, Brother Ballard. He's a
former Bishop so we are really excited to have him as our WML. He will be
wonderful! We have a lot of good ideas of ways to help the ward with their
missionary opportunities and we're making a new ward mission plan and things
are just going to be so good here! I've very excited!
Then on Wednesday the 28th, we spent a ton of time visiting
people and then in the evening, we went through our ward list and wanted to go
visit people we hadn't met yet. There was this one name on there, Steven Dahl,
who has not been active for years and so we went to visit him. It was
interesting because the second he opened the door, he let us in without any
hesitation. And we got talking to him and he said that he had been inactive
since he was 17 years old but he doesn't know why. So we see some major
potential there that he will come back to church sometime. He's a really nice
man and his wife is super nice as well. So we are very excited to go back and
see them. We hope that we can help him to come back to the fold and to help his
wife come unto Christ.
Then not much happened on Thursday the 29th except for that
it was the last District Meeting of the transfer so the Heritage Elders got
some money from one of their ward members so they had us go buy donuts to bring
them to District Meeting and that was fun! And then that night we went to the
church where they were having practice for the ward Christmas party. Sister
Edginton and the primary were in charge of it this year so they asked Sister
Butler and I to be part of it as well. The theme of the party was "Back to
Bethlehem" so everyone was dressed up in clothing from that time. So that
was fun to watch them practice and to get fitted. We look crazy in our costumes
but it was fun!
Then on Saturday the 1st, we had a very busy day. Sister
Butler and I went out to IHOP for breakfast for "AP Saturday" and
then we did a ton of service that day and went out and visited members on our
ward list and potential investigators and former investigators. Then we went to
the church at 4pm and helped finish up a couple last minute things for the ward
Christmas party and we dressed up and took our places at the doors so that when
people came in we could say "Welcome to Bethlehem. Make sure you sign the
census so your family can be counted for and get your gold coins as well."
It was so much fun! We had so many people there! The cultural hall was PACKED
with people! And the program was amazing!!!! The primary did an amazing job!
And at the end of the program, we joined the kids and adults in the program and
sang the Hallelujah (ok, I don't know how to spell that word...) chorus. And
that is one hard song to sing but the kids, OMGosh were amazing! They did
really well. And the Spirit the whole night, so strong! It really took us back
to Bethlehem and made us feel like we were there when Christ was born. It
brought a whole new meaning of Christmas to me. I always remember Jesus and His
birth but it was just amazing!
Then we went home after it was all done and did our
planning, got ready for bed, and then sat and watched the church movie Legacy
waiting for transfer calls. We have a special ring tone for the AP's and when
it rang, neither Sister Butler nor I thought it was real. We did not expect for
the phone to ring for us. But it did. And Sister Butler was being transferred
to Glendale 1st ward and the Filipino branch with one of her former companions.
So she was excited but very sad at the same time. And my new companion is
Sister Amataga from Samoa! She's awesome! But we have to run and go get groceries
before dinner tonight at the Powell's so I gotta finish here! It was an
incredible week! We had a lot of good things happen to us this week. And I'm
looking forward to this next week with Sister Amataga. We are going to have a
very good week! Good things are happening in Glendora! I'm super excited!
And to end off my letter, a very Happy Birthday to Aunt
Susan yesterday (the 2nd), Valerie Osmond tomorrow (the 4th) and Jane Merritt
on the 5th! Love you all! And thanks to Renata and Brie for the letters and
bracelet this week! Along with Sister Pack for the letter and Christmas tree,
Mariah (aka Sister Wheatley) and Grandma and Grandpa Wheatley for the delicious
Special K cookies! Love you all! Oh, and Sarah and Michael, I got your
Christmas card this morning while at the mission office, so thank you for it!
:)
Hope every has an amazing week! The church is true, I know
it is! And I'm so thankful to be here on my mission to share that with others,
especially this time of the year when we remember Christ's birth!
Love always,
Sister Rachel Anna Wheatley
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