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

 

Loved. (Eishelle)

So, there were a few days this past week where my companion was sick and so we stayed home. President Woodbury gave the mission a challenge last weekend to start studying the doctrine of Christ in the Book of Mormon highlighting all things related to faith in Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. IT’S ROCKIN’ MY WORLD studying those things in the Book of Mormon. I couldn’t put it down and I read and studied about 70 pages in it in those 2 days that we had to stay home.

On Tuesday we had a dinner appointment with a member so we went over and she tells us that she had sent us a text saying that she wouldn’t be able to meet tonight. Oops. Turned out she sent that text to the Elder’s thinking that we shared the phone haha. But she let us come in anyway to share a message though she felt bad she hadn’t made anything for us to eat. We had a beautiful lesson about Christ and His Atonement. I KNOW that we needed to be there for her to know and be told that she was loved by our Heavenly Father. She teared up and the Spirit was very strong. It was meant to be… just like everything else.

 

I know that there is a God in the heavens that loves us.. every single one of us. We don’t understand that love because it’s just too much for us to handle. But we’ll understand when we’ll live with Him once again.

 

Love Always, Hermana E. Whitney

August 11, 2014

Chicago Riverwalk. LOVED IT.

Trump Tower

Biggest library in the world. Emailed there last week. Forgot the name of it 🙂 takes up a whole block! And has 10 floors!

Cool building I do not know the name. Chicago Tribune below the tall building on the left

P.C. She can now read because she can see the letters. Thank goodness we had that book in our trunk!

Ogden Temple is beautiful! (Danielle)

Heyy everyone!!! I hope that everybody is doing well!

So for my week…

The Temple Open House is amazing! That is one beautiful temple, inside and out! You really do feel something different. So the tours actually started on the 28th of July and those were for the VIPs. I met Elder Ballard and his wife! He’s a funny guy. He told me to be nice to the non-members that come and like don’t scare them off, they’re good people. Hahaha. I kept my promise 😉 Also I met Al Fox yesterday!! If you don’t know who she is….she’s the tattooed Mormon…look her up on facebook, she’s awesome!! She’s a LDS motivational speaker. I have also met and talked to one of the seventy…is the tall African guy. He’s really wise. I talked to him and his wife. They’re sweet people. So the temple tour is that you first watch a video about why temples are so special, the sister missionaries do that, and then you take the tour…it’s huge! Then there’s an exhibit tent where there are sister missionaries there to answer any questions that you may have and also there are displays of Jesus Christ. Also there’s a Cristus (I think that is how you spell it) in the tent…So anyone who is not sure of what that is…its a statue of Jesus Christ. They have one in Temple Square. There is also music playing in the background. The piano plays by itself and everyone is amazed! Haha it’s cute. So people take pictures with them and the Cristus and something that I love is that the children recognize that He is Jesus Christ and they touch His hands and His feet. When I saw that, the spirit was really strong because that’s how the Nephites were when He came to visit the Americas! My favorite part of the Book of Mormon. Some children hug it and say, “that’s Jesus!” It’s soo cute! It’s just reminds me of the day that we will actually get to do that but it won’t be a statue but a Beautiful Glorified God, that died and lived, and lives for us. It’s a Beautiful thing.

The temple is somewhere where we can feel close to God and really feel how close He is. You can feel the love of Him. The temple is a symbol or a representation of who God is because God is Love. I love to see the Temple.

Our investigators are great! They came to church on Sunday! Woot woot!! I love being back in the area because I get to see my recent converts!! I had a lesson with my first recent convert and it was super fun! I love them soo much! I missed them a lot. The kids grew up a lot! So many things happen in a year!

Okay I got to go now! I love you all! I’m ending strong! God lives and He loves you!

Love always and forever!

Hermana Whitney

August 5, 2014