Week 14 Elder Michael Whitney Tampa FL Mission 2/1/21

MAY ARA AKO SANG MGA BALITA!! MALIPAYON KASAYSAYAN SANG ITOM BULAN!!
I got news news!! This week is transfers and this morning I got a call from the APs (Assistants to President). They called to tell us ( Dade City A & B) whether we’re staying or going. Everyone’s huddled around the phone because this could be some exciting stuff right here lol. They talk to Dade City A first and tell them that their companionship will be staying. Then it was our turn (Dade City B). He tells Elder Jacobs (My trainor) that he’ll be leaving for Tampa. Before he gets to me, everyone in the room is shook because we weren’t expecting anything major or anything at all. He gets to me and tells me I’ll be joining Elder Jacobs in Tampa!! It’s pretty funny too because I never fully unpacked. I was getting there, it just never happened lol. We’re picking up another elder too so the duo is turning into a trio tomorrow. We leave tomorrow and we’re saying goodbye to Elder Jenks and Elder Bird tonight. I really hope the new Elder can cook because I’m not in the right mindset to carry the lunches and dinners right now lol. I’ll be in Tampa for the superbowl so you already know I’m hopping on the Buccaneers bandwagon!!
Yesterday Elder Jacobs and I had 3 member lunch/dinner appointments. 1 lunch and 2 dinners and all of them were within 4 hours. Literally back to back to back. The last one was a surprise too. We were on bikes that day and when we were going to our last teaching appointment we were super late by like 40 minutes. When we were biking my chain came off. My hands got pretty greased up to put it back on, but we made it to this teaching appointment with the Thornton’s. We weren’t expecting dinner and they told us you better be hungry. We’re literally full, but we tell them of course we are lol. They had a cookout for us too. Gave us steak and chicken with mashed potatoes. We weren’t complaining, but it was a real struggle getting all the food down. Good problems to have as a missionary lol. Earlier this week Elder Jacobs went to this restaurant together called Great Catch. We bike pass this place everyday and it looks super nice. We go because one of our friends that we’re teaching was performing there. He’s an older guy of course and it was fun. I didn’t know any of the songs he played though. They were all old country songs lol. A guy came over to our table and paid for half of our meal. He told us he grew up in Utah as a member of the church and left, but respects what we do as missionaries. He gave us a 20 and Elder Jacobs snagged Jackson before I could say anything hahaha. We tell him thank you. The white shirts and tags really take tare you so far lol. 
Scripture of the week : 6 Now ye may suppose that this is ^afoolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by ^bsmall and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
Keep it Smooth, Keep it Witty!!

                                                                                                                                                                    Yours Truly,                                                                                                                                                                                            Elder Whitney
1. Miniature horse service feat. Lullaby 

2. Twistee treat again!!

Sister Chantelle Whitney Oakland/San Francisco CA Mission 2/1/21

Aaahhhh Happy Black History Month!! Just pics for this week :)) Love you all and hope you all have a great week!
~sister whitney
Pics!1. Ministering walks @ the temple

2. We’re smiling on the outside, dying on the inside for our early morning workouts.

3. Service project

4. The most diverse trio haha.

5. Hotel California🎶

Week 13 Elder Michael Whitney Tampa FL Mission 1/25/21

KAMUSTA KAMO INNING NGA ADLAW!!
This week was a trip. This week was a test. This week I went through the refiners fire. Felt like a real current bush that got cut down. Give it up for week 13!! Hahaha I say all this jokingly, but it’s laced with facts lol. Last Thursday Elder Jacobs and I had a lesson with this guy Chris. He lives kinda a ways over from where we stay in Zephryhills. The bike ride was like 25 minutes and it’s a trailer park that looks very secluded, a barren area. So I got the lesson and it’s 3 Nephi 14 : 24 – 27. Basically the verses are if you build your house upon a rock (Jesus Christ), you’ll have a firm foundation. The rain, the floods, and wind will come, but you’ll be still rather than building your house upon the sand. You already know the verses are some heat. We’re going through our lesson and he’s not much of a talker, more of a one and done kinda guy for everything we say. We got the one word answers we needed lol. Closed out with a strong testimony and a closing a prayer. Afterwards we asked him if there was somebody he knew who could use a message about Jesus Christ or if we could anything for him. He said yes to doing something for him. He gave us a paper that he said to give to Bishop, then we dipped. It was an EXCOMMUNICATION FORM!! When he gave it to us we were just shook, but looking back we’re STILL SHOOK lol. The contrast of the solid testimony and the outcome is pretty humbling yet at the same time hilarious lol. 
Later that same day like an hour later a member caught Elder Jacobs snd I on bikes waiting in a parking lot for Dade City A – the other elders in our apartment, to scoop us. The guy came out of his truck and offered us a $20 for lunch. Missionaries don’t take money from members like this, but before I could say anything Elder Jacobs said thank you and snagged Jackson!! I tell him thank you too and he didn’t even give us his name and it was perfect too because it was lunch time lol. 
Elder Jacobs and I got dropped by one of our friends that we’re teaching this week… the day of his baptismal interview!! Literally he was my favorite. Straight up told us that he was never about the baptism and only enjoyed our company. This guy has given us so many little gifts too throughout our time spent with him – from pens, to socks, eggs, and even pancake mix. He literally thought Elder Jacobs and I were starving for some reason lol. He used to called us like 3x a day and we saw this guy everyday… until we didn’t lol. Right after all this I thought about that scene in America’s next top model with Tyra saying “We were rooting for you, we were all rooting for you…” hahaha, but I gave my first training for district council this week over zoom about being of good cheer. I taught this the day before we got dropped. I was really brought to a remembrance of being of good cheer especially after all that. There’s too many things to be happy about, if your eyes are open. The glass is always full. 
There were a few things that didn’t go as planned this week not gonna lie lol. Even after all these things it was still one of my favorite and most memorable weeks this far. So to week 13, thank you!!
Scripture of the week : 3 Nephi 12 :14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Keep it Tuned, Keep it Witty!!

                               Yours truly,                                   Elder Whitney 

1. Checkers in Dade City 
2. Elder Jacobs and I made cookies that turned out to be biscuits lol.

Sister Chantelle Whitney Oakland/San Francisco CA Mission 1/25/21

No need to fret. We did get robbed but we’re all chillin. So we get into the car the other morning and we see that everything in the front of the car is open and some stuff are on the seats. We’re mindlessly cleaning everything up not think anything and realize that we didn’t record our miles from the day before. So I open up the glove compartment to get the mileage report and there’s nothing in there aha ha… after like 30 seconds of looking at it all confused I realized that we must’ve been robbed. Welp. They took the gas card, mileage reports and all the books for the car so not much. The least they coulda done was take a Book of Mormon from the back LIKE CMON NOW. We know for next time to leave one in the glove compartment.
Friday was a crazy night bc we asked 2 of our friends to get baptized and they said YES! Our friend angie and our friend adriana! It just so happened that their lessons were on the same night so I was just peeing my pants all day. But everything worked out haha! It’s actually so funny bc we’re so bad at teaching. Whenever we teach, one of the members we bring in to help always looks stressed bouta pass out. We just can’t teach but the spirit does its thang and says bibbidi bobbidi boo. So we planned that I was gonna pop the question for adriana and so I was a nervous wreck. If you guys saw me you woulda been disappointed. I straight up asked her to bc baptized and then she was like “ABSOLUTELY!” I was so shook and I literally looked at sister von and was like “AHH what happens next??” Yeah so aha ha. If you saw me in a lesson I think you’d pass out too.
Well I hope you all have an amazing week! Love you all❤~sister whitney

Week 12 Elder Michael Whitney Tampa FL Mission 1/18/21

Maayong Hapon tanan!!
Saturday the 16th marked a whole month since Elder Jacobs and I have been together. Still feels like only my third day out here everyday lol. Whenever Elder Jacobs and I go biking – like everyday hahaha I feel like a little kid again just trying to look at everything, check out all the views, all the angles lol. We almost had a baptism on the 16th too. Our friend that we’re teaching Shirley was ready, but she took a fall, hurt her back pretty bad and chose to push her date back. Hopefully all goes well and the EXCITEMENT IS STILL THERE don’t worry lol. Shirley chose Elder Jacobs to perform the baptismal ordinance and me for her confirmation. So we’re currently exercising some patience right now, while still keeping the same energy lol. Prayers up for Shirley please. 
Earlier this week Elder Jacobs and I became certified to start proselyting on facebook. The social media missionaries gave us a training and now we’re in it!! We get to join groups in our area and try to share our message about Jesus Christ there. A week in and we really don’t know how to do it that effectively, but the EFFORT is there lol. The rules are 30 minutes on and an hour off, but we only do it like once a day. Elder Jacobs were on our bikes and went into so many communities for older people and got kicked out of almost all of them hahaha. They tell us no soliciting. Then we tell them we’re just visiting members of our church. Then they tell us to get out. Then we get out. It goes like that the majority of the time lol. I live for those exits, anyone can make an entrance, but not everyone can make an exit lol. 
Yesterday we had a phone call with our District leader ( just who we report to) and he asked us how Dade City B is doing (Elder Jacobs and I). It went like…Me : Dade City B is cooking with some hot grease. [to the district leader]Elder Jenks : Elder Whitney you do no cooking be quiet.I was in a different room too and I was dying lol.
Scripture of the week : 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Keep it here & Keep it Witty

                          Yours Truly,                               Elder Whitney 

1. Birthday Sushi 

2. Birthday twistiee treat

Sister Chantelle Whitney Oakland/San Francisco Mission 1/18/21

It’s a party in Berkely

People are finally back on Berkeley campus and all the frats and sororities around us are filled again! Best part is that they’re always blasting music so if I’m ever on the balcony for “outside time” you already know I’m straight vibinnn. Hey I can’t tell them to turn it off that would be rude :)) yeah but there’s a lot of students walking around town so it’s pretty exciting. Bouta catapult some Book of Mormons at em. Yupp.
This week we tried going on a hike with our YSA ward and man was that a fail. We drove for 2 hours trying to find this trail head. In the middle of the mountains, no signal, no one to call, car sick, stressed, straight stranded. The worst part about it was that the Facebook post for this hike said “the sisters are bringing friends that they are teaching.” Aha ha that’s a big oof. None of our friends could make it bc it was so last minute. THEN out of no where our friend paul said he’s on his way! But wait there’s more. You would think that would be a good thing but it was very much not a good thing. We never made it to the hike. Big yikes. We literally did EVERYTHING in our power to get there and it just didn’t happen. We tried calling paul but neither of us had service so we just took the L and went home after 2 hours of disappointment. Homeboy went hiking by himself🤦🏽‍♀️ He said he had a great time so I’m happy for the guy.
So people keep saying that God is gonna use my weaknesses and turn them into strengths but I’m over here like “when?” My comps and I are the worst at talking to people on temple grounds bc were all socially awkward so we were trying to get better at starting conversations with people. So I have this problem where I have to sit on every single chair I see bc I’m lazy. Thats my weakness. So we were temple finding and walking around the temple and 3 mins in I needed a break so I asked my comps if we could “watch the sunset for a sec.” While we were sitting down we were able to talk to a really nice couple! They had some questions that we were able to answer about the temple and then we just talked for a while. Then after a family came up to us and started talking to us asking us questions. Many of you might not think that’s a big thing but covid missionaries dont know what social interaction is and dont know how to start conversations with people so dont judge me. 
I found this verse in the Book of Mormon the other day and it was straight fuegs.Alma 34:41- “But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.”One day we’ll all be chillaxing but for now were going through the refiners fire. God’s shaping us to be our greatest potential. More than we can ever imagine for ourselves. Always hold on to the hope.Love you all❤~sister whitney

Pics!

1. Sister Kawasaki and I on our ministering call reminiscing about our mtc days :))

2. I finally made dinner for the apartment and we had to document it bc its probs the last time I’ll ever do that. Im a whole chef tho ngl.

3. Sushi night!

Week 11 Elder Michael Whitney Tampa FL Mission 1/11/21 Elder Michael Whitney Tampa FL Mission 1/11/21

Week 11 on the 11th

Malipayon Adlaw Pagkatapos Ka-adlwan ko!!
After I sent my email last week I actually found a barber in Zephyrhills!! Elder Jacobs and I stopped by a members house just trying to set something up. The family was the Bristow’s and the husband is black and I saw his haircut and I was like yoo your barber is bouta be my barber!! He gave me the card to the shop and gave us waters because we were biking. A real blessing and I got to get my haircut today. Almost feels like forever. I’ve been talking about getting my haircut for like the past two weeks now. The elders I live with think I’m some boujee New York kid because I got my haircut every other week back home. When I told them that, these elders from Utah and Washington mouths dropped lol. When we went grocery shopping last Monday they were shook when I pick up name brand nutella. I’m just there like what other kinds nutella would I buy lol. The elders are cool people, I could hang with them hahaha.
Yesterday I had my first birthday away from home. Usually when I wake up on my birthday I know it’s my birthday. This year I woke up and wasn’t til after I said my morning prayer that I remembered. I really wasn’t about being 19, but I’m over it. The deed is done lol. Thee highlight was getting two people that Elder Jacobs and I are teaching to church over zoom. Yesterday Elder Jacobs and I run over to our friend Shirley’s house to watch sacrament meeting with her. She needs this attendance too because her baptismal date is the 16th. If she doesn’t make this we have to push her date. We’re at her door in her back porch and she’s still sleeping. We knew if we could get thr dog barking, we’re in, so Elder Jacobs knocked a little harder and we do it!! Dog barks and Shirley is up!! We watch the zoom together. Our friend Carm, is an older guy, but he just can’t  figure out clicking the zoom link to watch. This has been a problem for like a few weeks now, but Elder Jacobs calls this guy on messenger, screen shares with Carm while we’re with Shirley and they both get their sacrament attendance in!! Yeah Ik the most exciting thing on my birthday was getting older people to watch church with me lol, but a highlight is a highlight. Elder Jenks made Korean bbq for my day last night for dinner. It’s my favorite thing he can make so he’s a real one. Spoke to my family to end the night too that was great and yeah I’m 19 now lol.
11 years ago yesterday I got baptized by my father and became a full member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Ang Simabahan Ni Jesucristo sang mga Santos sa Ulihing mga Adlaw). Looking back I only knew that it was the right decision without truly having an understanding of the why. A decade and a year later I know the why now more than ever. It’s only through following the example of Jesus Christ that we can have lasting happiness. The path starts in the waters of baptism. Then we have to keep choosing Him. Keep his commandments. Use the atonement to repent of our sins, our shortcomings, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end. Being a missionary has been a blessing.
Scripture of the week : 1 Nephi 17:13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.
Keep it up and Keep it Witty!!

                            Yours Truly,                                   Elder Whitney 

Got to clean sole horse stalls the other day.

Sister Chantelle Whitney Oakland/San Francisco Mission 1/11/21

I was poisoned ://

Just to acknowledge my title real quick. We had some curry that we microwaved and so we ate it for dinner last night. I ate I and had a thought that there were nuts in it but then I just put that thought aside. We finally are in bed and the lights are off and I was like “was there nuts in that curry?” and sister von jumps out of bed and runs to the kitchen and checks the ingredients. All I hear is “IT HAS CASHEWS” 😳 aha ha welp. All I’m gonna say is that it was a ROUGH night last night. My mission president told me to rest so you already know ima do what he says and stay in bed ALL day. Obedient missionary right here. 
Alright alright. We kicked Sister Funk to the curb on Wednesday and got a new comp! Her name is Sister Greenleaf and shes better than I’ll ever be! Wow look at how humble I am its crazy. Missions do that to you 😉 Sister von is training 2 missionaries now. What a woman.
We got a Word of Wisdom lesson from one of the senior couples bc apparently eating string cheese and chocolate all day is bad for you? News to me. But no need to fret, we got the lessons and were hyped and way motivated so we’ll start eating better… starting tomorrow. 
One of the highlights of the week was when we gave a temple tour to one of our member’s friend. We were able to do it in person which was really nice! We took her around and onto the roof garden and talked about Jesus and how much peace we can find from Him. When we got to the top she asked if we could say prayers so I was able to teach her how to pray right quick and I prayed then she followed after me. The Spirit was so strong. Its important to recognize that the Spirit was strong because we all allowed the Spirit to be there. She even asked if she can get a Book of Mormon afterwards. Best book you can ask for! We didn’t even know until after that she going through a really hard time with family and just life in general and she told us that she really needed this. 
Many times this week I’ve been able to see God’s hand in people’s lives. It’s cool seeing how God uses me and my comps to be able to help His children. Like a lot of times we’ll have a whole plan for our day and God is just like “nah” and he fixes our schedule as we go. He always puts us where we need to be. Miracles happen when you trust in God! 
And that’s all she wrote. Talk to ya next week. Love you all❤~sister whitney

Pics!

1. We got Chipotle! LETS GOOO!!!

2. First pic of the new companionship!

3. One of my fav members in my ward, Maleah, is starting her mission this week called to the Philippines! She gave us a tour of Berkeley before she had to leave.

4. Last pic with sister Funk 🤧5. It was way foggy the other day so you could barely see the temple from the VC doors.

6. When the fog cleared up a few hours later. 

Week 10 Elder Michael Whitney Tampa FL Mission 1/4/21

MALIPAYON BAG-ONG TU-IG SA INYO!!
The weeks just keep on getting better. My only downside is not finding a barber. I keep my eyes open for the shops, but I think I’ll be looking for a while smh. My glass stays full though don’t worry hahaha. One of the highlights of the week was being able to teach lesson 1 (the Restoration) for the first time with Elder Jacobs. It was actually great not teaching in a TRC or a role-play, but the real thing!! The person we’re teaching is named Jeannette and in our first meeting she asked for a Book of Mormon and even downloaded gospel library on her phone, so she’s on her way!! Our second meeting was teaching her lesson 1 and she loved it. I got to recite the First Vision and she was with it hahaha. It was cool at the end of the lesson she complimented Elder Jacobs and I how well we taught. I let her know that this was our first time teaching this lesson to somebody and she was shook hahaha. We’re gonna get lesson 2 with her this week, so I hope Elder Jacobs and I will still be cooking with hot grease lol. This week we were on bikes for the majority and we taught two lessons on the road. Elder Jacobs and I are still learning scheduling lol so we scheduled these two lessons to be over the phone, but we were still out on our bikes so we had to start the call. For the first lesson Elder Jacobs said the opening prayer while we were riding on a busy road hahaha. We get to a church parking lot and share D&C 88:67 and it was really good. The second road lesson. we were on the highway hahaha. I was testifying about D&C 1:37-38 and this huge truck just rolls by. Harsh environment aside, my guy Brother Judah was all about D&C 1:37-38 lol. 
I haven’t given Elder Jacobs the clout that this elder deserves lol. Gotta say that the first week and a half with him, I had to adjust. He’s from Draper, Utah. I remember we did our first companionship inventory and he said “there’s gonna be times where you don’t like the companions you’re given.” In my head I’m just like OH WORD?? hahahah. Things are better now lol. He’s literally like an older brother even though we’re basically the same age lol. One night there was a car beeping that woke us up and Elder Jacobs was so dazed. He turns to me and says “Don’t worry Elder Whitney I’ll take care of this.” He says that then goes to his phone on the other side of the room, when the noise was clearly coming from outside hahaha. Whenever someone we’re teaching is rude to me, he always reassures me after to not worry about it. I’m just like I’m from New York hahaha they could try. Our relationship in it’s simplest form is like when you’re presenting in class, but your friend is trying to make you laugh. It’s really not a good mix when calling members, but I keep it together. 
I had my first fast and testimony Sunday yesterday and it was cool hearing from the members. It was sick too because I had the chance to bear my testimony. There was a huge gap of silence so I had to ruin that hahaha. I was the last one to speak and I felt welcomed into the ward afterwards. Lowkey went up to schedule some dinner appointments, but I wasn’t successful in that lol jk. 
Scripture of the week : 37 Now my brethren, we see that God is ^amindful of every ^bpeople, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.
Stay Witty!!

                                                                                                                                                                                  Yours Truly,                                                                                                                                                                                          Elder Whitney

1. Dade City A & B on the same street

2. First Twistee Treat 

3. Helmet hair

Sister Chantelle Whitney Oakland/San Francisco CA Mission 1/4/21

I hope everyone had a good new years! We had a pretty lit night over here in Berkeley and went to bed early. Crazy times. Yupp. We celebrated in our dreams and said happy new year when we woke up. We out here😎
We got the sad news that sister Funk is leaving us :(( The best trio the world ever did see and they’re being split up smh. We’re getting a new girl so sister von is going to be training both of us. She told me that she’s not doing anything and I’m gonna be training the new sister hahaha. I still know nothing. Im so happy I still have sister von tho! I wouldn’t be able say goodbye to both of them. I’m soso sad to see sister Funk leave us and we’re cherishing every last second we have together but we’re excited to have an addition to our fam! Its gonna be good :))
I had the cool opportunity to give a temple tour to some members of the NAACP! it was way fun! There were 10 youth and then they all brought their families so we had a big group. We were paired up with seniors and My senior couple ended up leaving me and so I gave a tour by myself so aha ha🙃 She straight up told me that she’s not saying a word hahaha. A lot of them don’t know much about our Church so I was nervous I was gonna say the wrong things. I ended up just taking them around the temple and we just talked and laughed the entire time. I was able to talk to the youth and really connect with them. There were so many people so I always had to yell when I spoke and there were so many people talking at the same time. But it was crazy bc the second I started talking about about the sculpture of Jesus on the back of the temple it went completely silent. You could hear a pin drop and I was almost whispering. The Spirit was there and you can tell they felt it too. That was probably my favorite part of the week 🙂
God is real! He is there and wants to bless us. We just need to have the faith to reach for His hand and accept His love. I love you all so much and you’re all always in my prayers❤ ~sister whitney

Pics!

1. A bunch of my favs sista!

2. This is us waiting for someone to hop on our zoom call.

3. Bathroom pic after getting rained on. 

4. We went on a hike in the rain and absolutely hated my life. I covered it up with 2 thumbs up and a smile. Whoever told me that it doesn’t rain in Cali I’d like to talk to you privately.