Warning! This is NOT a Drill!

So funny story this week. I had to go to the bathroom really bad and we were really close to the house so we went home so I could go. So I ran to the bathroom and I saw something taped onto the toilet. And it read: Warning: This is not a drill, the toilet seat is up. I was like, you have got to be kidding me. A couple days before I had gotten mad at my companion because he ALWAYS LEAVES THE TOILET SEAT UP. And I told him to please close it! haha and a couple days after that conversation I see that dumb little papers taped to the toilet seat hahaha. I was like, dang it Kirk, WHY?!?!?! hahaha my comp is pretty funny sometimes. 

Anyway, so now we have investigators this week that I'm hoping we can get baptized! They're all very positive people and want to make this decision in their lives. But for some problems its making it very hard for them to get baptized. The Familia Vasquez is super cool and Im hoping they get baptized this Saturday. And then Ronald Lopez on Sunday, so that should be sweet!!! I love baptizing so much!!!! 

Other than that not much else to say! I hope I have more to tell you next week! I love you guys!!

Elder Whelan

Fruits of our Labor

Hey everyone!

So remember how I said the work is kind of going slow for us? I thought a lot about that this week and realized that the work is NEVER slow. We may feel that way at times but God always has a plan. There is urgency in the work and God will never let it go slow. What made me realize that was that we did a lot of divisions this week and that's where other Elders will go to our area and help out a little and find new people. 

This last week I left our area and my companion and another elder found a kid that can get baptized this week. So we're working with him and he has a lot of faith. His name is Oscar Vasquez and he's 14 years old. He's very positive and were hoping that he has the faith enough to get baptized at the end of this week. 

God loves us and I'm so happy that I know that. Please continue to pray for us and our other missionaries all around that world. Also for our investigators and members here because they need it a lot. The world today is so corrupted and so many people leave the church for things of the world. Be IN the world and not OF it. We've been taught that by the prophets. Listen to the council of the prophets and you will never stray from the church. 

I'm sorry I don't have much else to say! I also don't have any pictures to send so please forgive me!!! I love you all! Share your testimonies!! Read the Book of Mormon! Be a MORMON! BE YOU! 

Elder Whelan

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Comp Vomited

Hey guys!!!

So everything is going good here!! I'm still here in Las Delicias, I'm starting my 6 month here I'm pretty sure haha. To be honest time really does fly in the mission. I was just realizing the other day that 7 months left in the mission is a really short time compared to how much time I have IN the mission. It just goes to show that when you're focused on the Lord's work and you don't pay attention to the outside world everything just passes by without you noticing! 

Anyway, story time! Sunday night we were walking home and I was talking on the phone and suddenly my comp just starts spewing in the middle of the road! He didn't even stop to puke on the side of the road, he kept walking while puking haha. I had to tell him to stop and puke in a certain spot haha. It was a ton of puke. He was puking the rest of that night and didn't feel good enough for us to go to a place called Panajachel. I've heard from about every missionary here that it's very beautiful and I've been wanting to go so bad. But, I think God had other plans haha. So I had to humble myself a little bit so that I could help my comp out a little bit haha. Other than that it was good. My comp is better and I'm not bitter at all about going to Panajachel! 

I feel that we've hit a bit of a wall in the missionary work here but I know that with faith we can break that wall and start to see miracles and baptisms again. And soon! I hope haha. God has a plan and he's not going to let the missionary work go cold for too long. I love this gospel and I love God's plan for us. I don't remember the words to the scripture so I can't quote it, but if you want to read it, it's one of my favorite scriptures! Alma 29:13

I love you guys!!!!

Elder Whelan

We Had Anotha!!

Hey everyone! I

I'm so sorry but this will be one of my shortest emails I'll probably send! We had another baptism and her name is Hermelinda Chicay! I've been trying to baptize her for forever haha. I've been here 5 months already, I baptized her daughters awhile ago and she finally took the decision! She gave her testimony at the end and she was crying. It was so spiritual and I know that she knows that the church is true. I love her and her family! They are so amazing and chosen of the Lord!!!

Other than that I had changes. Elder BUTT is no longer!! I'm with Elder Kirk now! I just call him captain kirk haha it pretty funny. Hes cool and hes from Utah!

We're looking for more people to baptize!!!! 

I love you guys!!!! I love the Gospel and I love my saviour JESUS CHRIST

Elder Whelan

Weddings and Baptisms on Baptisms

Hey erebody, 

Everything is going awesome here in Las Delicias!!! We had the baptism of Yoselin last week and that was awesome!! And on Saturday the 14th of April a.k.a my birthday we had a wedding of an awesome family! The Familia Avila!! they were so happy and excited! We were able to eat a really good lunch and a lot of cake! 

The next day on Sunday they were baptized and it was so amazing! They were able to share their testimonies at the end and you could really tell that they are going to be converts. Just from the way they understand the doctrine and how willing they were to accept everything we taught was a sure sign that they would be. It makes me so happy that in 1 year they'll be able to go to the temple and be able to be sealed to each other and their children for time and all eternity. This is one of the reasons I came here. To bring families like this to the restored gospel and help them make it back tot he fold of God. 

I love being here. I finished The Book of Mormon again this morning and again was able to recieve an answer that it is indeed true. There are so many things you can learn from this book but the thing that I really got from it this time was how much our Heavenly Father really loves us. He made sure that our ancestors kept a record so that we could learn from their mistakes and their successes. All of that because of his LOVE. He sent his Son here to suffer our sins and he accepted. I know The Book of Mormon is true, that Jesus Christ is my saviour and redeemer who gave everything he had for me and you to come back to Gods presence and be saved. I say that as a humble servant and representative of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you guys!! Share the Book!!!

Elder Whelan

Tender Mercies and Baptizing

Hey guys!! 

First of all I want to thank all of you for reading my emails and supporting me over here in Guatemala. It means a lot to me.

To start off we were supposed to have a baptism this last Saturday but it fell through. Her name is Yoselin Coxaj and she told us a day before her baptism that she wasn't getting baptized because she didn't feel ready. So after that I was feeling pretty let down and didn't feel like working because it sucks when that happens. 

But we continued to work and Sunday came around. It was fast Sunday and everyone was sharing their testimonies. We got to the end of the meeting and suddenly the kid that we just baptized got up and walked to the front. I thought, what is he doing? Does he feel obligated to do that or what haha? But he got up and shared one of the most sincere and spirit filled testimonies I've ever heard in my life. It was beautiful everything that he said. He thanked my companion and I for baptizing him and bringing his family to church. He's 15 and has so much courage. He said that we brought a lot of knowledge to him and now he understands why he has to follow the right paths. I honestly felt in this moment the biggest sense of satisfaction for what Im doing here. He brought the room to a hush and so many people came to us afterwards saying what a good job we did. It honestly wasn't anything we did, it was the spirit that converted him truly. He also said that some day he hopes to serve a mission like us one day. I love this kid haha and it was such a tender mercy to me when he got up and did that. Like it was God telling me that everything is still ok.

On another note we have three baptisms. Saolo and Marcela Avila and Yoselin Coxaj!!! She's getting baptized now!!! But something I want to share with you all. We had a visit with Marcela and her son Manuel last night and we taught the 10 commandments. We taught the lesson and I shared a little story about my life. And I don't remember how we got to this point but Marcela started talking and with tears in her eyes she said,"You left your house and everything you know, to put my house in order." And she said it with such sincerity that I started to tear up and I couldn't help but cry. She understood perfectly the reason that we are here and she feels grateful for it. Im so excited to baptize them on Sunday and I hope you can all pray for them!!! I love you guys!!!

Elder Whelan

 

Baptism!!!!

Hey ere´body! 

So we're doing good over here! Working hard as always! We had a baptism ON SUNDAY!! His name is Manuel and he's the son of Saolo and Marcela Avila. He's a super smart kid and he's 15 years old. His parents are going to get married on the 14th of this months and then will be baptized on the 15th. I'm so happy that this family is choosing the right path. They're showing their faith and really want to be right with God in all things. I love this family so stinkin' much, and I guess it goes to show how much you really start to love the people you teach. 

I have many friends here in Guatemala. Now they didn't all get baptized but that doesn't mean that they're bad people. They're all good people and they're better for listening to me and my companions. :)

On another note! We went to the temple with our branch and it was so cool!!! Three kids went through because they're going to go on missions and we were able to go through with them! It was such a cool experience and reminded me of when I went through for the first time. Anyway I included some pics I took from that trip!

Love all of you!!

Elder Whelan

(These pictures were from a previous email)