MANY THINGS HAPPENED IN BETWEEN THE LAST ENTRY I HAD in 2013 WITH THIS BLOG AND NOW

After Eishelle and Danielle completed their missions, I stopped blogging. I caught myself between busy and lazy and I am beating myself up right now thinking I shouldn’t have stopped.

These are among the many things that happened in between:

• Eishelle and Danielle came home August and September of 2014, stayed until the end of the year 2014 and then went back to college. Danielle continued to attend BYUIdaho and Eishelle moved to SLC, Utah to attend LDS Business College.
• November this year of 2014, we all went to attend my nieces’ temple wedding in the Washington DC Temple. Jet my sister came and we drove to Maryland and attended the temple ceremony. Since it was our 25^th wedding anniversary, it was fun to go back to the temple to celebrate the day with our children.
• We went to Utah April of 2016 to see Eishelle and Danielle and attended the General Conference of the church.
• Noelle graduated from Division Avenue High School June of 2016 and prepared to attend BYU in September.
• The same year (2016) Michael graduated middle school and is now ready to join Chantelle (junior) at the same high school.
• Beginning in 2016 I decided to pursue higher education and started my Master’s degree in Nursing (MSN) with an emphasis in Nursing Education online with Grand Canyon University. Young nurses from work inspired me to do it.
• Bill and I continued to co-teach seminary (religion class for high school students) from 5:45 am to 6:30 am We are going on our 6^th year in this church calling.
• Bill and I continued to work to support the family. Night shift has gotten into my health and well-being. It has been 27 yrs of night shift for me. I am hoping there will be some opening for day shift.
• January of 2017, I was called to work with Infection Prevention and Control Department of this hospital I am working for. God has heard and answered my prayers. I started working days shift.
• We planned our Philippines vacation for the summer. We bought our tickets, updated our passports and went on this long-awaited trip. We have not been back since 2004 when my youngest brother Harold got married.
• June of 2017, my brother Ruben graduated mortality. He has been sick for awhile and now in a better place where there is no pain and suffering, but peace and love abound. Alone, I traveled to the Philippines and stayed there for only about 2 days to pay my last earthly respects to my dear brother Ruben.
• July of 2017, Noelle received her mission call to serve in Tempe Arizona Mission (Spanish). She is scheduled to leave Sept 26^th, 2017.
• Our Barrizo Family Global Reunion came about- August 2017. Our family from the Philippines, Dubai, England, Japan and us from the USA came together to share moments that will last forever. (See my the CHRISTMAS 2017 blog).
• September 2017 – Noelle left NY bound for Mexico for her missionary training. Came back to the US November and went to the mission she was assigned to serve – Tempe Arizona Mission (Spanish).

From here I will be posting Noelle’s mission letters and pictures she sends us every week just like how I did when Eishelle and Danielle served on their missions. Pages of the Whitney family history, activities, milestones and etc will be available on this website again.

Eishelle’s homecoming announcement

Welcome home Eishelle JFK

Danielle’s homecoming announcement

Welcome home Danielle JFK

Happy 25th anniversary to us.

Not so light anymore.

We came back to the temple for my niece Gigi’s wedding and to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary

We were in Utah to attend general conference

Noelle graduated HS

Michael graduated middle school

Our passports ready for our Philippines trip

My brother Ruben graduated mortality

Went to attend Ruben’s funeral. This photoshopped picture of Mama and all her 10 children, Ruben added.

Noelle received her mission call to Arizona Tempe Mission (spanish)

skycycling in the Philippines

Barrizo Global family reunion

Noelle leaving for the Mexico MTC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS 2017

CHRISTMAS … it is around the corner and the Whitney Family is here to report how 2017 treated us. From the beginning of the year it has been in our heads to prepare for our big Philippines vacation. The matriarchal order was that nobody gets serious with boyfriends and gets hitched for Eishelle and Danielle who are almost done with school and Noelle who completed freshman at BYU has to be available for her mission when summer is gone. And so it was. Halfway the year though, Jayjay’s brother Ruben who has been sick for awhile passed on and as much as we want to see him, God needed him more. Jayjay alone paid her last respects and promised to see him in the ‘morning’.

August 16th, the 7 of us found ourselves comfortably sitting in the plane prepared for a long flight to the other side of the world . Destination: Davao City, PHILIPPINES flying over the Pacific Ocean layover in HongKong then to Manila and finally August 18th – reached Jayjay’s hometown. We were all tired but seeing happy faces that day kept our adrenalines pumping. We went island hopping, swimming and sipped coconut juice. We also went zip-lining, gathered alot of courage to go sky-cycling, fed crocodiles and ate crocodile meat. Lastly, we visited graveyards, visited family members and had our BARRIZO FAMILY GLOBAL REUNION. Family from Dubai, England, Japan and our USA came together to gather and build memories to last forever. So much talents were shared, food galore, games and dancing. It was alot of fun. Our 2 weeks vacation was worth every penny saved. Every minute was all worth it. 85 year old Lola (grandma) Epifania Barrizo couldn’t stop smiling. We hope to see her and everyone again in 2 years.

Then summer was gone. Noelle was called to serve a a full time missionary for our church. Went to Mexico to train and back to the US and serve where she was called to – Tempe, Arizona Mission (spanish). We all miss her but this is what she wants to do and we have to support her.

Chantelle, 17, flew to Utah in June to attend SOAR, a college prep at BYU. She is now senior in HS, captain of the track team and was in the homecoming queen court this year. Michael, 15, our spiritual giant is obviously taller than all females in the family is slowly creeping up to beat Daddy vertically. He made it to JV basketball team again. Bill and Jayjay continued to work hard for the family and continued to faithfully serve in their respective church callings.

Thanksgiving this year was in Florida – a million of things to be thankful for, yummy food to digest and just being with family- PRICELESS.

As what we said in the beginning, CHRISTMAS is around the corner. “Christmas is that rarest of seasons—when we see others with new eyes, when we open our hearts a little more to the beauty around us and reach out to others with a little more kindness and compassion.”-Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

May we all do the same and even more.

From our family to yours: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Love always,

The Whitney Family 2017

The Last Letter (Danielle)

Heyy everyone…The Last Letter as a full time missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

So the departing missionaries for their last Friday in the mission, they go to the Salt Lake Temple. The temple trip was beautiful. It was my first time to go inside. That temple is amazing and the spirit is strong. So we go there to feel if the Lord accepted our mission or not. We say a prayer in the Celestial Room and President said that we will have a feeling come upon us. It was one of the most beautiful feelings. I know that the Lord accepted my mission. He made that manifest to me. ❤

The Departing Fireside was really good. For the people who are not sure of what that is…it’s a Departing Testimony Meeting for all the missionaries that are leaving! It was a sad, but I got to see a lot of people who I haven’t seen in a long time! It was really good and I received a lot of support and love too. I LOVE the mission!

Thank you everyone that supported me on the mission! I love you all! ❤

I am beyond grateful for my mission. That sentence is a complete understatement. The mission helped mold me into the person that I always wanted to be. I know that I still have a lot to learn but I’m on my way. The Lord is my life, my salvation and my song! He lives! He’s there! I will testify of Him and His grace forever!

Love you all always and forever!
Hermana Whitney

Matthew 25:23
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant;…

PS.  Now I have to reteach myself how to wear heels! Hahaha

 

 

our zone

The Warner Family

The Busdicker Family

My companion Hermana Smith and I.

What happened was …

Heyy soo everyone…have to say, everyone and their mom thought that I left the mission because of Eishelle’s homecoming video! Everyone thought it was me! So when members saw me they were like, “I thought you left without saying goodbye!” And one Elder was like, “Hermana Whitney is home? She’s definitely still in the mission. o_O”, he thought.  Hahaha. Some sisters knew that it was my sister  but still….DANNGG! So, “I was like so what happened was….remember my sister? Yeah she returned from the mission.” 😛

So weird…I got my itinerary! It was weird  to look at it.

We reached the Standard of Excellence again this week! Woot woot! It was seriously a miracle that we hit it! We prayed really hard and worked really hard and the Lord provided! So we have an investigator, his name is A__. He’s legit! He moved here from Arizona. He’s been through a lot and he’s only 19! He’s turning 20 at the end of the year. When we first met him he told us that there was a reason that he came to Ogden and that he’s here to figure it out. The other day he told us that he’s coming closer to knowing why. He was like, “maybe I was supposed to meet you two and we were like, that’s exactly why you came here. Then he wrote a rap and we were in it It was seriously one of the realest raps I ever heard. He’s a cool dude and wants to change and he’s doing everything he can to stop his addictions.

Funny story… we told our investigator F__ to read the next chapter of the Book of Mormon and she agreed. It’s 1 Nephi chapter 4. We read chapter 3 with her and we left it on a cliff hanger and it was exciting. Then we have the lesson and we asked her if she read and she said, “No I wanted to wait for you. It will be better with you.” Hahaha. i couldn’t even be mad  that she didn’t read because she wanted to read it but she waited patiently for us to read together. It was the cutest thing ever! I love her soo much! I DIED laughing and she was like why are you all laughing? hahahahaha. She was serious. Hahaha.

I know that the Lord is so aware of all of His children. He loves each of us.

This week is my final interview with President and we go to the Salt Lake City Temple too. I’m excited for the temple trip. This Sunday is my departing testimony meeting. Keep me in your prayers because I will be needing all of them! 🙂

Peace and Love!

Hermana Whitney

Miracles upon Miracles (Danielle)

I can’t believe that Eishelle is going home tomorrow! I mean Hermana Whitney! She will be Eishelle tomorrow! CRAZY!!! Be good Hermana! I love you!! Yah did good kid! Hahaha

Heyy guess who I saw this week!? Whitley and Tami came to visit me at the temple and it was super good to see them! We were able to talk for some time! It was good to catch up on life. I love them both!!

So we had interviews with President and it was soo good. That was my 2nd to last interview with him. I love my President soo much! We were laughing and having a good time. He asked me if I had any questions and I asked him, “How will Sister Whitney be remembered in the mission?” And the answer that he gave me was very sincere. I felt the sincerity in his words and in his eyes.

So Bertita got baptized on Sunday!! It was a beautiful service! So when she came back in after she got dressed, she was waving her hands around and saying, “I’ve arrived, I’ve arrived! God can take me up now!” Hahahaha. Of course this is all in Spanish because she doesn’t speak English. Everyone was laughing and I was DYING!!! Hahahahahaa She was saying all of this when the Elders were giving a presentation of the Restoration. Hahahaha. Her testimony that she gave was very beautiful! She said that, “I knew that the message that the missionaries were telling me was true and I know that this church is true. I have a lot of faith in God and I have a lot of challenges coming my way because my son is a preacher and my other son is a Christian (from other religions). I just hope that they can understand why I did this.” She closed correctly too! It was beautiful! She’s is going back to Guatemala on the 9th and I’m leaving on the 8th. That will be a hard goodbye.

So another miracle…We have been visiting my recent converts Fabiola and Jovani! They were my first baptisms. So the thing was she couldn’t go to church because she’s a single mom and she had to work. So we talked about the importance of reading the scriptures, praying and going to church. So ever since we (Hermana Arnell and I) left she told the missionaries to stop coming by to her house. So she’s been kind of closed. But she came to church on Sunday and she told me that she quit her job! She told her boss that she couldn’t go to work because she needs to go to church and she quit! WHAT!?!? For her to do that, is saying soo much!! It was soo good to see her again and her children! I love them soo much!!

Miracles upon miracles are happening! It’s amazing how the Lord is blessing our area immensely! The service that we’re giving at the temple is seriously helping. I love the Lord and this work! I love being a missionary!

 

Love you all always!
Hermana Whitney

August 19,2014

PS.  Eishelle, no boys until after I get home!

 

My new companion Sister Smith

Bertita’s baptism

Michael DeRosa (my friend from primary in NY and his family) attended the Ogden temple open house.

 

Difference Made (Eishelle)

Saturday was probably one of if not THE best days of my mission. It
was the day Ricardo and Carmen (the couple we baptized last transfer
in Midway) went to the temple to go to baptisms! There were other
members from the Midway ward that went to do baptisms too and it just
made it even more sweeter to have a family reunion 🙂 So many people
were at the temple that day! Many tender mercies to see people that I
hadn’t been able to say goodbye to in the past when I left the Chicago
Stake. I was touched. When taking pictures I saw Ricardo and Carmen
walking towards me. I dropped my stuff and ran towards them with tears
in my eyes. Carmen said, “I could see that smile from a long ways
away.”

Seeing Ricardo and Carmen do baptisms was probably the most rewarding
thing that has happened to me on my mission. As I watched them bless
even more lives so others could be baptized was an amazing experience.
I felt so at peace and that I really have done all that I could in
this work. On top of that, Hermano Puente came with the group to do
baptisms. Now, Hermano Puente was inactive and hadn’t met with
missionaries for a year until Hermana Jones and I got in with him and
taught him and his daughter and her friend (this was all when it was
still early Spring). I remember pouring out my heart to them about how
I knew the Book of Mormon is true. I remember how we all felt. I
remember looking at them in their eyes and them looking back at me as
I told them the things I knew to be true. Seeing Hermano Puente now at
the temple was very rewarding as well. He took me to the side and
said, “Thanks for visiting us. It made a difference.”

I love Chicago. To be honest it was in this city where I really found
my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know with all my heart that it’s
true. This church is the true church of Christ. People serve missions
to find those that need this gospel and on top of that, we’re really
here for ourselves. Because of that, I’ve found the person The Lord
wants me to become at this time in my life. I can only go up from
here.

Thank you for all the love and support you’ve all given me throughout
my mission! I really do appreciate it and I’ll never forget.

Love Always,

Hermana E. Whitney

August 18, 2014

 

Me, Leilani, and Hermana Felt! Leilani was never in my ward but we
met on an exchange and just clicked!

 

Me, Ricardo, and Carmen ❤

Me and Hermana Meanea my comp 🙂

 

Me and Hermano Puente!!!! He wanted to take a pic so I never forget him.

Miracle Week (Danielle)

How’s the fam bam doing!? How’s everyone? I hope that you’re all doing well!

Soo this week was a miracle week! We hit the Standard of Excellence! We actually passed it! Woot woot! It’s a great accomplishment! Hermana Smith and I have been working really hard! There’s no time to waste, literally! we are soo busy!! I’m being sleep deprived. Hahaha. But it all works out. Being at the temple everyday for 5 hours puts a toll on your body! Because you’re standing for most of the time, sometimes the whole 5 hours. You get like 2-5 minute breaks though. It’s better than nothing! My body and my feet ache a lot. But it’s all in the service of God so I can’t complain. 🙂

So our investigator is going to be baptized this weekend! She knows that this church is true! It’s really amazing to be apart of a conversion process for someone. I love it! I love being a missionary! Our investigators came to church again!! The same 2 that came last week. The others couldn’t come! 😦 But F___ is the other investigator that has a date and she is doing great! She loves to talk! but it’s all good!

Ooh miracle! So we had dinner with this lady. I assumed that she was a member of the church because she signed up to feed us and you sign up at church. So we go to this lady’s house…her name is J.G. I had the strong impression to asked, “why did you get baptized?” So I asked and she told us that she wasn’t baptized! But everybody thought that she was! WHAT!? How does this happen!? So she told us that she couldn’t be baptized because she was living with her boyfriend. She wanted to get married but he didn’t so she was like, “okay if you don’t want to marry me, then move out!” So he moved out and now she’s able to be baptized! So right then and there we set up her baptism! She will be baptized on the 24th of Agosto and the Bishop will baptized her. She accepted everything soo willingly.She told us that she has been praying and praying to be baptized and now it’s her time and we made that known to her. She’s amazing and a great example to me. 🙂 Her faith never failed her. Amazing.

Sad story…she lives in the Elder’s area so it’s their investigator. 😦 It’s okay…she’s getting baptized!!!!!

Another miracle! So we had a lesson with this one guy, F__. We met him contacting. When we went to his house there were a group of drunk men! I never seen soo many empty cans of beer in my life! It literally filled almost the whole front yard!

My first reaction was like, “yeahh I’m not going…”

Then it was like, “you have to go!”

then I was like, “they’re drunk though!

Then the spirit was like, “Just go!”

So I went.

That was going through my head when I saw his house.

He was in the back sleeping. He wakes up and we have the lesson in his backyard. He was a grown man. He was telling us that he wants to change his life…that was the first thing that he told us. And that he drank alot. Then I understood why the Spirit was telling me to go. It clicked. He cried like a little child. It was soo sad to see that. He was really humble. Only the humble accept. Sometimes you just have to obey when you don’t always understand why.

God is so aware of all of His children. He knew that F__ needed us and that’s why we went. I’m so grateful for Him and His Son Jesus Christ. Because it is through Him and only Him that we receive a remission of our sins.

I love you all!!

Hermana Whitney

August 12, 2014