What works for one team may not work for the other

I have learned on my mission that if you HAVE to do something, you might as well make it fun. Even if you don't wanna be there. So, I hope you had a blast spending some quality one-on-one time with Rach.

This week was slower but it was still very good and fulfilling. I wish it was exciting 24/7 but sometimes you just gotta put your head down and work. I enjoyed every moment.

I love how the Lord gives us things that, in the moment, seem to impede our progress but is actually for our benefit. The other day I got sick to my stomach suddenly and had to go in and rest for 30 minutes. I was upset because I thought it was just my mind telling me that I really didn't want to go work. Turns out that as soon as we were able to leave again we met someone that was JUST pulling up to their house for a split second to grab something and then to leave again. We were able to meet with them and you could tell that they really needed it. I've learned a lot this week about keeping a positive attitude and looking for the silver lining. Another instance, on Wednesday, when we went to go contact a guy that we met on the streets down in England last week, he doesn't live at the address he gave us but we asked the lady if we could teach her and she readily agreed. That's why we met that guy on the streets. Cause where she lives... I would've never walked through that neighborhood otherwise. She lives in a cul-de-sac of nice houses deep in a very underprivileged neigbhorhood. It's funny.

Oh. Also, I felt extremely compelled to go check on this lady right before we headed out of town and it was exactly what she needed. She was in an extreme slump because she's getting old and had to put her husband in the nursing home for a month while he recovered from foot surgery cause she can't take care of him herself. The event just gave her a very bleak hope and premonition for the future when they do get too old to take care of each other.

I know this gospel can raise spirits and bring people to their full potential. Sometimes I hate agency because I know some people know that what we're teaching them is true but they are too scared of what the world thinks.

I love missionary work because it is like a basketball game. The concept is always the same-- In basketball it's get the ball, score, and stop the other team. In missionary work it's find, teach, and baptize. But just like basketball you can't use the same plays every time. You gotta mix it up. What works for one team may not work for the other. That is why I love missionary work. You gotta read the defense and find the play that's gonna work. Each game is different and you gotta practice everyday if you want to have any shot at the constantly improving opponent.

Just rambling on.

Well, I love you MORE!

-Elder Wheatley

A change in scenery

Hey Momma!

This week has been SO much better!

Lonoke was getting monotonous and we made plans to expand our outreach. We were able to get a ride out to England (30 minute drive) from our Branch Mission Leader while he did some work in the surrounding areas. I knew that that is the place we needed to be and we found those who the Lord has been preparing to receive this message. This opportunity to go out to England brought the joy back into missionary work for me. We have plans to go up there every Wednesday and to hit up different cities on other days. You gotta get creative when you find yourself with nothing left.

The city of Lonoke, in and of itself, is hard to work in seeing as missionaries have been knocking on the same doors forever and I feel that I have knocked them all too. But as we have been Spiritual Harvesting the Spirit has carried us to those doors that have not been knocked or need to be knocked again. It's hard working all day to find only one person who may be interested-- but it's worth it.

This companionship is great and the pauses we take to allow my companion to gather his thoughts and speak is the silence that is needed in our lessons. He is very good at teaching and just needs that moment to gather his thoughts which turns out to be beneficial. We get along well behind the scenes and that allows for the Spirit to not be hindered. Thank goodness!

So I have to tell you a story about our trip down to England... We were having such great success all day but it was time to be picked up and go home. BUT the Lord wasn't ready for us to go home. Our Branch Mission Leader was running late and so we continued to go find more people. Suddenly, unbeknownst to us, our phone had no signal. We, not knowing that he was trying to tell us he was ready, continued following the Spirit to where the Lord wanted us to be. We approached this lady outside her apartment and she was not interested. But I used my "Well could we leave you with a card?" 99% of the time people will agree to a card and as I write, ever so slowly, our number on the card, I start creating conversation with said person. As I did this, somehow, we found common ground -- something that she and Rachel had in common. We were able to turn that into a Gospel conversation and now we have an appointment with her on Wednesday.

It was truly amazing!

-Elder Wheatley

Dull knife analogy

Hi Momma!

I just wrote a note to Rach which pretty much sums up my week so you'll have to ask her to see it. We have been Spiritual Harvesting (or Tracting) all day, every day. Nothing is really going for us. I should have realized that the Lord was gonna give me a big test sooner or later. It takes a lot of patience. Especially with self. At least I have a great companion who is putting up with slow work.

I feel like sometimes I am too missionary minded. I want everybody to join the church right now! Yes, definitely need some patience. But it's hard realizing what I have and knowing how weak these people's excuses are, "Raised Baptist, always gonna be Baptist." It's like, "Open your eyes!"

It's the dull knife analogy-- if you use a dull knife for long enough you're gonna think it's sharp. And until you use an actually sharp knife, you'll never know what you're missing. So... you should know with you're beyond repair cutco knives. ;)

It's a trial I am happy to conquer. Another opportunity to grow! Just gotta look for the silver lining and keep steppin.

I love you MORE!

-Elder Wheatley

"Perfect love casteth out fear"

Things are awesome. We hit the streets and with the spirit harder than I ever had on my mission with my new companion, Elder Wohlgemuth. He's a stud and a very hard worker. We have had great success finding legit people. Amazing. I'm extremely TIRED but am finally satisfied and fulfilled. I hope to be able to keep it up but I'm just exhausted. But happy.

I have a testimony about "the last 10 percent." Yesterday it was 8:30, dark, no lights on, and I was scared to knock cause it was so late. But I've truly come to love the people and perfect love casteth out all fear. Results followed. And I'm happy. 

Elder Wohlgemuth is from Brigham, he's a hard worker and we're tearing it up. He's been out 5 months. The spirit has been so strong and I am just exhausted. Although I finally feel like I'm on a roll... working hard, waking up on time (which is crazy!), getting ready on time, cleaning the apt, cooking dinner not just pb&js, etc. It's exciting cause I never thought I'd EVER get to this point. Kinda surreal.

-Elder Wheatley

Father Time robbed us!!!!

Hey Momma!

Thanks for the letter. As always, I loved it.
Sorry I won't have long to write. I was reading about Doug. So many memories come and I will have to hand write them later and send to you.

This week was... just another week I suppose. Which is not in the least a bad thing. Just another week. BUT... this weekend... That was something else was it not? Just when you think a talk couldn't get any better.... Boom! [ Exclamation point ;) ]

btw: it was so funny to see Gifford Nielsen stand up and think to myself, "Wait. That's a PHS alumni and BYU QB, not an apostle." Kind of made me think about what qualifies as an apostle. ANYONE! Even a little kid who almost burns down Vivian Park! Makes you want to step back, check yourself, and start living right... The Prophet might call ;)

I just loved General Conference and I think Father Time robbed us because that was not 10 hours! I should learn to be content, seeing as I got pages and pages and pages of notes, but I still want more! I feel so safe, as if nothing in the outside world matters, as I listen to conference.

The best part was being able to get a couple investigators out to Priesthood session! This guy, Cody, came and he loved it, especially, "The order of it all."

I'm staying in lOnOke. I'm happy. There are people here that I know I need to continue to see. I enjoyed very much the time I had to serve with Elder Casler. He is a great missionary, knows his stuff, and will be a power-bomb missionary.

I love being a missionary. It's showed me what I really have. 

Approaching my year mark I think that, "everything I just went through... I gotta do it ALL over again :/" But I am very optimistic and confident to see what's next, to tackle it with the Holy Ghost and the skills I've developed, and just enjoy the heck out of it! Exclamation Point.

Much Love,

-Elder Wheatley

ps: I love all the health food in this last package. It was all SO good! And I could eat it guilt free.

Mom: I LOVE YOU MORE!!!!!!!!! Love the pics with the b-day posters. BIG SMILE on my face. and you're so pretty.

Tell Sammy I said good luck and congrats!

Tell Dad I love him so much! I see him in the way I act it's funny. I go wait, that's something my dad would do.

LOVE YOU MORE!!!!!!

The Spirit Changes People

Momma,

Thanks for the e-mail! I love it. I'm so very thankful you were "straight up" with me about grandma. That helps. I feel like I'm right at home. Except useless to help. :( but when all else fails, pray harder, right? <--- Oh that's good. I should make a Mormon t-shirt outta that one!

Well let me tell you about my week. As was yours, mine went by very fast. Which is good. I like it. Means things are goin good.

This week was just incredible. Last night we had some spare time to go check on some investigators. As we walked we were led and guided every step of the way by the Holy Ghost. He told us to turn here and to go there, knock on this door and to stop and pray for a sec. As we heeded these promptings we were brought to a house were we met an extended family of about seven, all over the age of lets say 15. They invited us in, we introduced ourselves and began to recite the message of the Restoration. Immediately the Spirit enveloped the entire room as Elder Cassler and I taught in perfect unity. You could see the sincere interest and desire to listen. That is what the Spirit does. We are invited back. I'm not sure if all will make it to the baptismal font at this time but I know at least one will-- and that means everything. The Lord wanted us there. And to have physically seen the Spirit working with that family was worth my whole mission. That's why I'm here. The Spirit changes people.

So many things I've learned on my mission. Mom, you're gonna have a heart attack when you see how much I've changed. I love working in the yard and as occasion permits I'll probably be willing to work in the Community Garden for I have found a new love for farming. I know-- shocker. It took the South to do it to me. (No promises though. This document cannot be used in a court of law.)

I just love service and doing hard work. I feel like I've grown up. Although I still hate getting pet hair on me and I don't necessarily enjoy cleaning-- some things will never change.

So I must say, Bomb-diggity watch! I don't know how you were able to guess that I would wear that but-- wow you're good! Oh and the card made me super trunky. Only 13 months! I loved the shirt and the food is perfect! Healthy and sweet. You guessed totally right on everything you put in there. Does my momma know me or what?

Anyway, thanks for everything Momma. I love you. Tell the fam I love them! Tell Jonny I said, happy by the way you're old day (b-day).

The Master Mechanic

So this week was a real growing week for me. Something happened out here that was a big misunderstanding and it almost affected the status of where we are currently serving. No worries though. Like I said, it was a big misunderstanding. But I learned something in high school, believe it or not, that truly helped me discern the actions I needed to take. Let's say something broke and you broke it. Nobody knows you broke it yet it's still broke. Now there are two choices you can make. You can run and hide and hope no one finds out it was you OR you can man up and fix what was broken. With the first choice, you may have saved yourself from embarrassment but the fact is, it's still broken-- not to mention the guilt that would always follow you. With choice number two, the fact you chose to fix it says something. You chose to take upon you shame and ridicule for a moment in order to fix what shouldn't have happened in the first place. Now it's fixed.

I can't help but think of what the Savior has done for me. For all of us. Throughout life we put ourselves in situations that, alone, we cannot fix. But there is one who can fix it. The Master Mechanic, our brother, Jesus Christ. I owe everything to Him yet all He charges is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. His repairs are available to all at the same universal cost. Let us all be partakers of His miraculous atonement.

-Elder Wheatley