There Are No "Final" Testimonies

Hi!

This is not the end. 

There are no ends to giving a testimony. There is no end to a 2-year mission. Something my mom said two years ago before I came here on a mission was that it doesn't matter how big or how small your testimony is. What matters is that you have one and that you cherish it. 

Before my mission I felt that I didn't have a testimony. I felt insufficient, unwanted by a Heavenly Father I didn't even think was there. Im sure everyone at some point in their lives feels this way and in the end somehow by some miracle God knows the perfect way to really kick your butt back in to gear. 

For me, that was my patriarchal blessing and the decision to fulfill the dream of an 8 year old child, serve as a full time missionary. I had that vision as an 8 year old and up, but somewhere along the lines I lost that vision and lost sight of what my purpose was in this life. I'm glad I made the decision to serve a mission though. My Father in Heaven knew the best way for me to humble myself and that was by kicking me in the behind and sending me on a mission. 

Serving a 2-year mission is in no way easy. Whoever says that a mission is easy was obviously not a good missionary or has ever served because it is not. Walking in some of the same steps as Jesus Christ can be hard. People spit in our faces, they tell us off using foul language, we get soaked to the bone and still have to work all day, we get bit by dogs running home trying to be on time!! Its not easy! But then again, was it ever meant to be easy? Jesus went through more than we could ever imagine and I have had the blessing for 2 years of having his name on my chest representing HIM. My testimony is not a lengthy email or long talk. My testimony is small in words, but huge in feeling. 

I love my Savior and I know he lives, HE LIVES. I know He restored the church again through a young man named Joseph Smith. I have a Heavenly Father that loves me and has always been there for me. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God because the 5th of March, 2017 I finished it and prayed to know of its truthfulness of it. God hears and answers prayers. I could go on and on about the things I know and the knowledge I have gained while being here, but then Id just be babbling. Just know this, I'm happy I am a member of the one and true church that is on the Earth today and that I was able to represent someone of great importance and someone who gave His all just so that we could live. Jesus Christ. 

I testify as a personal representative of Jesus Christ that these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Ale Alejandra

Alejandra got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was such a huge miracle to be honest. If I don't baptized my last day in the mission I'm happy that she was the last and final baptism I had in my mission. She is so full of faith and there is a new light to her countenance. Im glad that I could be a part of that and help her onto the correct path again with my companion.

This last week we sang in the park of the famous city named Antigua. There were many people who were coming up to us and asking what church we were from and what not, we also went to an old folks home where we did a whole bunch of yard work and later we sang to all the old farts there hahaha, so this week was super fun.

Next week don't expect much other than my testimony. Next week is my last time writing to you all and I hope that my testimony will be something to brighten your day or to at least help strengthen your own testimonies as well. I love you all and thank you all for your support during these past two years.

P.S. Please email my brother Dalton and give him support! Beginning a mission can be hard and scary sometimes. Dalton.whelan@myldsmail.net

Baptisms Once Again!

AAAAAAAAAHHH it feels good to once more say that we're going to baptize. Her name is Alejandra and she is a miracle!! One day we get a call from some members and they tell us they have a friend that wants to be baptized. So we went and started to teach her and she accepted to be baptized on the 2nd of December! I love how the Lord works. 

I was sent to this area with my companions as the first missionaries to open up the area. So for a while, our job has just been to prep the area for future missionaries. And I haven't been feeling like we were having much success until the Lord sent her to motivate us to work hard. I love how missionary work just seems to flow!! 

I've been learning a lot as well about how to cope with feelings of finishing my mission. It's not something I want to do and I can't believe it's already happening. But what I have learned is how to really experience what Jesus did in His lifetime. To walk where he walked and to feel a little of what he felt. Being followed by so many and then at the end being rejected by all of them must have been so hard for him. It makes me appreciate him that much more because he still followed through until the end, and that's what I have to do right now. Push through until I finish. Like what I was once told, Work hard and don't do anything that you'll regret, you can sleep on the plane. Something like that hahaha. But I love the mission and I love my Savior. 

I love you all and Happy late Thanksgiving!

Elder Whelan

Starting Over

Hey everyone!

So, many times in the mission a "start over" is needed for things to go forward in the missionary work. We had investigators and we've been working hard with them for a long time. Pretty much this whole transfer. But I had been thinking about how we can baptize and progress here in our area and we decided to drop those investigators and try to find new ones. 

I'm hoping that we will be able to find those people that God wants to be taught in this way. I've realized that we can't waste time with people that won't progress. No matter how cool they might seem or how positive they seem, we cannot waste time when there are thousands of other people waiting to be taught this Gospel. Its the same with being a normal member of the church, sometimes we get used to not sharing the gospel and what we don't realize is that someone is waiting for us to talk to them about the gospel. 

That's where prayer comes in. We must pray in order to find people who need us. There are many who have been chosen to be leaders in the church, but how will they progress if we don't just open our mouths and speak? We need to leave our fears of feeling inadequate and our fears of looking dumb in front of someone and be the disciples of Jesus Christ that God wants us to be. I don't have much else to report. T

he end of my mission is nearing and I'm scared to face the real world again. But I know that there are many chapters to my life and this is just another one of those. I love you all and testify that my Savior lives and loves me as well as all of you individually.

Elder Whelan

P.S. Will send more pics next week!

Don't Let Letdowns Get You Down

Hahaha thats kind of a funny title for an email.

So in life there are a lot of letdowns (not sure how to spell that..). And I'm here to tell you to not let them get you down!! It's a sure way to go down a path you don't want to go down! Regret, sadness, stuff like that sucks! BE HAPPY MA PEOPLE!

So this Sunday we woke up early to get some investigators to bring to church. We woke them up and they said that they would get ready and go by themselves. Keep in mind that this family is very positive and wants to do the right thing and go to church. But, they didn't come to church (sad face with tears in eyes). We waited for them outside the church for about an hour and a half in hopes that they would come and, they didn't. So for me that was a huge let down.

But I've had a lot of those in the mission and what I've learned from them is that I should never let them get me down. Satan has a special way of tempting and hurting those people that feel bad about something and the opposite of that is being happy all the time! I've learned that because of the Gospel I have in my life, I don't need to be sad or have feelings of resentment. I don't need any of that! And to add on to that, I love the people here with all my heart.

I'm coming home soon, but that thought isn't making me stop wanting to work. Im working till I finish! Not much else to say though, we've been working really hard to find more people to baptize and I'm hoping that soon all of the work will pay off. I love my mission, I love the work and I love all of you!! Have a great week and invite someone to church!!!

Elder Whelan

Getting closer

Well, I'm down to just one trainee. With the transfers and people going home, we ended up sending one of my "kids" off to another trainer. I still have Elder Hitz, the one from Wyoming.

When does Dallin get home?? It has to be soon!

My answer to your question [Editor's note: Kollin and I send each other questions and such regarding what we're studying that week. This week I asked him 'how come everytime a group of people are asked to do something for Christ, they embark on the most difficult, challenging, faith-testing experience of their lives?'] is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The a path that Jesus took was a lot harder than any trial we've ever faced in our lives. His whole life was full of trials. Trials are a part of life because they are what make or break us. Many converts go inactive because they don't understand the atonement. They don't understand that the life of a member of our church is not easy because it's the true life that were meant to live. If that makes sense. In one of my areas I baptized a family and their son started to act out really bad, I left the area and they went inactive. Im very sad about it but I know that they felt the spirit when they went to church. They'll return some day and I know it. Why can't it just be easy? Because that's how God wanted it and how we chose it to be. Pre-Earth life we chose to have the trials and afflictions we have today because we knew we could face them and come out on top. That's another reason it's so important to teach these people the gospel, they need to know that they chose the plan of God, not the plan of Satan which WAS the easy way out. The only thing we can do is be humble and suffer our afflictions with patience. At least that's what I think.


Elder Whelan

Charity and Love

Hey everyone!

So today I gave a workshop about charity and love. Its interesting going over notes and scriptures about those wonderful attributes of Christ. Without these attributes its very hard to be a missionary, Ive learned the very important lesson that we have to serve with the same love that Jesus did while he was ministering here. It can be a hard process learning to love people who spit in your face, slam the door on you and swear at you all the time. But I can testify to you all that, it is possible. When I started out the mission I hated when people did that to me, I would hold that anger inside me and start thinking, whats the point in teaching these people if they don't want it? 

I came to realize that that isn't what a true disciple of Jesus Christ thinks. I was told once by a wise missionary to "not get angry because of the agency of others, just love them." In that moment I realized that none of my complaining or being angry was going to help anyone. I was being selfish. Sometimes we don't realize that were being selfish and we don't realize it until someone tells us or we come to the realization to late. Im glad I was told a long time ago because it changed me for the better. It changed my view of the mission. Now, more than a year and a half later, I'm here in Pastores Antigua and I love all those that I come in contact with. I feel the saviors love for all the people here and I want them to know that. Every person I come in contact with I tell them that God loves them, even if they slam the door in my face hahaha. 

So this last week was fun. We've been talking to everybody we can and been having fun doing it. Its fun being a trainer because I get to teach my greenies that the mission is not about being uptight and boring. We can be fun as well because were bringing glad tidings to all people here! Ive been teaching them to not be scared talking to people either hahaha. So they've been contacting a LOT hahaha. We've also been talking in British accents from the medieval times and its so freaking hilarious. Three white dudes talking in those accents attracts a lot of attention hahahaha. 

We have some investigators that are really positive, my kids are learning a lot of hard work like chopping wood and hauling huge things of corn stalks up mountains so thats cool. Were hoping to baptize soon which I cant wait for. I love baptizing so much! 

Read Moroni 7:45-48 

LOVE YOU GUYS!! I KNOW JESUS CHRIST LIVES AND I HAVE A TESTIMONY THAT HE DOES!!

Elder Whelan