Let Downs and Miracles

Hey everyone!

Can you guys send me some scans of piano music? Like Music of the Night and stuff like that? Ive been practicing just a little bit of piano but I dont too many opportunities.
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> What card games are there that we can play with just a deck of cards??? Please send me rules and how to play.

So this week was good and bad. Haha the bad part was that our investigators packed up and left to who knows where and nobody knows where they went to. They were so good but in the end Satan won them over which makes me feel deeply sad inside. They literally left salvation for the things of the world. I just hope that someday they make their way back to the truth and they can really feel that God loves them. I want to see them again and know that their lives are better. But I guess we will just have to see. I have faith that they will change some day.

Now the miracle. So we were feeling bad for what happened with that family and we were walking to a converts house when the second counselor calls us to visit with us. He had a reference for us and we went to the house to visit La Familia Avila. Saolo, Marcela, Manuel, and Diana. They are so cool! They are super prepared for the gospel and we had a very spiritual lesson with them. I invited them to baptism for the 1st of April and they accepted but said that they would pray to God first to know if everything is true. I just hope they get there answers!!! 

Anyway not much else to say because I don't have much time left so I gotta go! I love you all! God loves you all and knows each and everyone of you. Talk to him and feel his love for you, hes waiting. 

Elder Whelan

Choked a dog, Butt spews, Investigators

So let me just start out with the funny story. So one night we were going to visit a convert. My comp and I sit down next to the door and I knock on the door. Nestor (convert) has a huge rotweiler and it always wants to kill us. So theres a little hole in the door and it always looks out of it and barks at us. So it barked at us for about 15 minutes straight while we were talking. Then it goes quiet and we don't notice it until 5 mins later. At the time I was drinking some water and 5 mins later I hear BARK super loud in my ear! So I turn around and squirt my water at the dog and it stops barking. Little did I know that I shot the water straight down its throat and 10 seconds later I hear a choking noise. I choked the dog! As soon as we heard that we died laughing it was so funny!! 

Other funny story, my comp (Elder Butt) and I were at lunch the other day. My comp puts on some chili powder on his food. He goes to eat some potato with it and it burned his throat  so he goes to take a drink and as he's taking a drink, the powder goes into his throat and he spews all of the drink out on me. I was like WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!?! Hahahaha it was pretty funny.

We have two investigators that were hoping will get baptized this week, they have a ton of faith and want to be baptized, if they don't this week then next week. But they'll get baptized I know it. 

The mission is great! I was definitely dying last week and even my comp told me I looked like I was dying. But yeah, I'm all good now. My body hurts a little just from being in the mission, but other than that...all good. I miss those little boys a ton as well haha. 

My city is huge and there are a bunch of shopping areas. My shoes are trashed again. I destroy them haha. And Elder Butt is super cool. 

Other than that not too much else to say!! 

I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!

Seeing Elder Cook... and I almost died...

Hey guys!! So I dont have much time to write today but we were able to see Elder Cook this last week. I'll tell you more about what he said next week because I don't have much time to write about it haha. 

On another note I almost died last week!! So the day after the conference we got home from working and I was super sick. I was told to take pepto bismol and I started to puke while I was talking on the phone with the nurse haha. I started puking up blood and I passed out about 5 to 6 times. I had a terrible double dragon experience and my companion said I looked like a dead person. I literally could not left myself up off the floor. 

I'm so grateful for this experience because it helped me really reflect on how I was doing as a missionary and what I was doing to help other people. I felt like I was going to die. And it's crazy the things that go through your head when you feel that way. Most of all I felt gratitude to my Father. I when through so much pain that day and I reflected on how Jesus Christ could have suffered more pain than I was going through at that moment. Its humbling to know that He was willing to do that for ME. 

I love my savior and am so grateful for this gospel. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

Elder Whelan

Ooooiiiii!!

Hey guys!! 

So Oi means hey down here. Im not sure if it means the same thing in other places but thats what it means here. This week I was talking to my companion about speaking Spanish. I was thinking that its so cool to be fluent in another language and that I'm going to have opportunities to talk to other people in Spanish when i get home as well. 

But I realized that I wouldn't be able to speak Spanish if I hadn't asked for help with the gift of tongues from my Father in Heaven. I wouldn't have anything without his help. So that was kind of a humbling moment for me. I realized that I needed to let go of my pride and realize that all of the blessings that I have received so far in my life are from a Father in Heaven who loves me and wants me to progress in life. 

The only thing that he wants in turn is someone who is grateful and will use those blessings to help others. I'm coming up on 14 months in the mission and thats super weird to me. Never thought I would get to this point but here I am, right? Now I just gotta finish strong! 

My week was good, it was kind of slow but we're getting there. My comp is doing good and we always get along. We're a little sad though, because were about to have transfers on the 13th. I would say that we're in the 80s right now and we'll get into the 90s. Not sure on that one though haha. I haven't gotten my package yet. I'll probably get it on the 13th.

Other than that, nothing much happened this week, except we do have three potential baptisms for this Sunday and we're hoping to "close the deal"😄 with them today! 

Also shout out to my sis, Ty! She's turning 18 this Saturday! Happy Birthday!!!

I love you all!!! 

Elder Whelan

Miracles!!

Hey guys!! 

So not too much happened this week! We've been working pretty hard and not been seeing too many results. But even though haven't seen anything, Sundays down here are always full of miracles. When we don't have anything happen during the week we know that on Sundays we will see at least one. So this Sunday we were expecting one and we got one. 

A family came that we didn't know, so after the meeting we went and talked to them, and the husband was a member, but his wife ISN'T!!! So we're hoping that she will be able to get baptized!! Some other little kids were able to come as well and were hoping that they can get baptized as well. 

So some of you know I'm a district leader and I have to give a little workshop every Tuesday. So today I talked about three of the most important things about our church. The Atonement of Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon, and getting sealed in the temple. Those three are the most important I believe and those three bases will get each and every one of us to the kingdom of God, as long as we do them and keep the commandments. WE MUST HAVE A TESTIMONY OF THESE THINGS!!! I wish I could write more but I lost the time haha, sorry!!!! I love you all and I love the Savior most of all.

Elder Whelan

Pics of our uno games. Elder Richens Finally beat me haha

Me 

my swollen foot from playing soccer haha

I Dominate at Uno!

Ay muchá! Como estan todos? Muchas gracias por apoyarme durante mis 13 meses de estar aqui. Me siento tan agradecio a mi Padre Celestial que yo estoy aqui en el mejor mision de todo el mundo. No tengo mucho que decir pero sepan que les amo un monton y que espero lo mejor por cada uno de los que leen mis correos. Les amo!!!!

So not too much happened this week. Bummer. But sometimes we go through points in the mission where there aren't too many people ready to listen to the gospel. Not. There are always people. We've just got to look harder and thats what me and my comp are doing! 

In other news we had a zone meeting and now we're allowed to play card games and send videos! It was a rule before that we weren't allowed to do that stuff. So the Uno that I was sent is being used a lot now. I beat my companion about 10 time in uno and he hasn't won a single game. I kind of feel bad but the good thing is, is that he's not a poor sport and is determined to win! Haha I love my comp, if it were one of my siblings they wouldn't want to play with me anymore or would want to change the game. 😈 muahahaahahah!!! 

Anyway in other news, we get to see the Apostle Quentin L. Cook on March 7 so that should be spiritually awesome!! Other than that not too much else happened! Ill write more next week!! I love you all so much!!!

Elder Whelan

Anotha One Hits the Watta

Hey everyone! 

So I'll make it pretty short this week. I don't have too much time on my hands right now haha. We had another baptism! Her name is Cinthya Benavente. She's that sister of one of our converts!! She's 11 years old and she finally took the decision to be baptized. Now we're working on her mom and her sister. They're tough but I think we will do it before I leave this area. 

We also have 3 more investigators that were hoping to baptize this Sunday. They're very positive and want to get baptized. We just have to convince their parents to give them permission. So other than that everything is going so so good. Were super blessed in this area. 

I love the Lord, I love this work and I CAN totally wait to come home. I dont want to because its so amazing here. But alas it is getting so close..

I love you all!!

Elder Whelan

Pics of baptism, Us being weird, and my convert from my first area. I called him and HE'S GETTING READY TO SERVE A  MISSION!!!!!!!!!!! He already completed a year of being a member!!!