Just some ramblings...

Dan emailed me back and forth today, but there really wasn't a whole lot that I thought was blog-worthy.

A few random thoughts from his email:

One thing that stood out this week besides walking like pioneer children was something kind of stupid. this guy we've been teaching, the guy who had been studying the church since '92, decided that the Telestial kingdom was good enough for him. He said that he liked his vices too much. I just thought of something that you said to me growing up, "You get what you go for."

Mosquitoes are killer out here.  It's honestly worse than a needle.

Side note from Dan's Mom:
I received a really nice letter from an Elder in Dan's mission.  Here it is...

 

I thought it was really nice to get a letter from another missionary.  Reading through that letter I thought Dan had set him up to this and so I asked Dan today via email.  He said, "He's my district leader and one night he asked me if there was anything he could do for me like they do every night, so I told him to write you a letter. He's hilarious. One night I told him to make me breakfast burrito for the next morning.... and he did it!"

 

Glad they are enjoying their mission!

 

Love my Bubba!

Another week chalked up...

Quick e-mail tonight... Hope it's enough. I just wasted our whole day cleaning because this apt was filthy! I think the mission prez is gonna send me to every dirty place just so that I can clean it. Elders are nasty, man. It's like none of em had mothers teach em anything! haha. My momma taught me right :)

So as you know, i'm in Lonoke! It's a small town again but it is a very great place for missionary work. This last week we had 25 lessons! We've met a lot of cool people. A lot of potential. It's gonna take a lot of work though. Skeeters (mosquitoes), heat, humidity. That's Lonoke. I changed my shirt and socks 3 times one day! But it was worth it because we saw so many.

I'm follow-up training. This Elder's name is Elder Cassler from Orem. He's gonna be a great missionary. He's got a lot to learn but he learns quick and is open to learning. We're getting along great!

We met a guy named H.... He's been researchin the church since '92 and believe all we believe. We had a discussion with him about the Plan of Salvation and he got super excited about the pre-mortal existence. We showed him Rev. 12 about the war in heaven and he was so interested that he had us walk with him over to his friend's house who was currently studying Revelations. I thought, "Crap... this person is gonna know more than me and say something that would turn Harrell away." But you wouldn't believe it! We knew more, due to the Holy Ghost filling my mind and mouth. We were able to teach them and they thought it was very interesting. They never were taught what we taught them... and it was all out of the bible! btw did I tell you how cool the bible is? EVERYTHING we believe is in there! It boggles my mind why folks don't see that-- even if we show it to them. It's sad actually. The devil has such a grasp on them. Even more sad, he knows this is the true church and he wants to join and go to the temple cause he understands it all but, "he doesn't want to give up this vices," (cigarettes). I don't even get it. ridiculous. haha. But we're gonna work with him.

Well i'm gonna hop off cause Elder Cassler needs to e-mail his fam.

Stoked to be here!

Love you more!

-Elder Wheatley

Write it down!

Hi Momma!

Ok. This week I decided to do what you do which is after something cool happens, write it down on a sticky note so that I remember what happened this week when I write you.

6 Major things:

1) Tuesday we had Zone Meeting and Elder Mortensen and I had a very spiritually powerful role play with another set of Elders. We, after two months together, are finally, totally in-tune with each other and with the Spirit. We learned so much from one little role play. It was awesome!

2) We took a deacon out teaching with us because for three weeks he's been asking. He is a great kid that wants to do what's right. He took us to his friend's house. He wanted to introduce the gospel to his friend. Isn't that cool?

His friend wasn't there but we were able to talk to his mother for a while. We went back Saturday to invite them to church. They didn't come but-- SEED PLANTED. And you can't harvest if you don't plant.

We'll follow up this week. I have faith good things will come just because that 12-year-old, Gabe, wanted to share the gospel with his friend and he wasn't scared to do it.

3) We had a very good lesson with Randy. Very unorthodox way of teaching because he has such an abstract mind but... So do I! So I know exactly how to put things in ways he'd understand. He's made leaps and bounds in the last week! Super stoked.

4) Got an interesting phone call from the mom of one of our peeps. He's in the hospital at UAMS. We vaguely knew that he had some health problems in the past (years ago) but he seemed perfectly normal this whole time we've known him. I'm not worried. His mom said he'd be fine. I'm gonna see if I can visit him after transfers on Wednesday.

5) Leads me to my next point.... I"M FREAKIN GETTING TRANSFERRED! What????? NO! I love this place! It's the Celestial Kingdom of missionary work! There are people, like Randy, that still need me! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

But. I'll, with a smile and upbeat attitude, go where He wants me to go. No matter how hard. Gulp. End of story. :)

Don't know where i'm going but thought i'd let you know before you send my peanut butter to my companion. ;)

Conway's been great though. It'll be very very hard to beat. Members are amazing here. I feel safe. I love the people.

6) Back to good news! Thursday night guess who came to visit?? Doug and Bridget! Yeah! They came all the way up from Bismark just for me! I feel so special! Those people are the best! We went out to eat at iHop and got some ice cream at a joint called, Shakes. Bridget even made me a 10-layer jello desert!

It made my stay even better to see them. I had an amazing time! :)

  

Well, I was taking it kind of hard that I was leaving. No one was expecting it, but I felt inspired to read Jacob 6, verses 2 and the first part of 3,

 2 And the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that the end soon cometh.

 3 And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard;

I have a work to do. Doesn't matter where or who. I just gotta do it. It helped. And i'm SO motivated.

I love this work. I'm gonna show it.

-Elder Bubba

"My GPS in a world of so many intersections"

Hi Momma!

So very glad your trip went well. So very jealous too.

This week has been so great! Work is on the up-swing.

I'm just so thankful/ grateful for the Spirit. I know I have said it a billion times, but it's true. Without it this work would be nothing. I and all I do/ say would be nothing. Countless times I've been able to walk into a lesson with no idea what to teach but the Spirit with me and it's been incredible.

This week I could feel it. Strong. What peace and protection it brings. It leads and guides.

Last week I was struggling with trying to have and keep the Spirit with me. It's not just something you can flip a switch, on and off. I don't know why'd you ever want it off.

I'm just glad it's back on. Because it's my GPS in a world of so many intersections.

I LOVE YOU MORE!

-Elder Wheatley

 

Hi Momma!

So... no big awesome missionary excitement this week. haha.

"The Mountain"

We did a lot of knocking doors out in the 108 degree weather. A lot. Sweated my big behind off but went to the Westover's house for dinner Sunday night and it came back ten fold. :) With the Spirit guiding, though, it was quite enjoyable. Wet. But enjoyable.

I wish there was more to say but there is not!

Although we did do something super fun last Monday. We went to Petit Jean "Mountain" and you know why I put it in quotes. Haha

I'll send pics!

I'm still havin a great week and I have faith that we'll get the ball rollin this week.

Some things never change, Momma!

Have a blast in Colorado! "Lucky!"

Love,

-Elder Bubba 

Follow the Spirit

Hi Momma!

This week was "slower" than the past few weeks in Conway but it was still very productive as I stayed diligent.

With three baptized since i've been here we are now low on investigators. Time to find!

Finding is a missionary's least favorite "chore." I used to feel that Finding was a monotonous motion to go through but as we are truly in-tune with the Spirit. It is not a chore, it's an exciting treasure hunt!

The approach we use, Spiritual Harvesting, has proven to work. What we do is as we feel prompted to go down a particular street we listen to the Spirit tell us which house to knock on. We introduce ourselves as representatives of Jesus Christ and inform them that we felt inspired to knock on their door to leave the Savior's peace and blessings upon their home. We ask if we could come in to leave that blessing. Once we're in is when we work our magic. We get to know them, find out what they need, etc. Before the prayer we invited them to pay attention to the feeling they receive as we pray. After the prayer we ask them how they felt. We explain that that feeling was the spirit and show them how they can have that feeling stronger and with them always.

It works-- as we listen to the spirit guide us of course.

The other day we were looking at our map and I felt inspired to Spiritual Harvest down a street called, Rushing Circle. As we walked down the street I felt this huge pull towards a particular house and as I looked up at my companion he was staring that same house down. We decided to hit up that house last on our way back.

There we met a middle aged man, Glenn. I thought his name was Glancer at first because when I asked his name he said, "Glenn, Sir." Haha.

When we knelt down for prayer you could feel the Spirit envelop the room. He was so excited and HE asked us, "When can you come back?"

Next visit, on Thursday, we felt inspired to give him a bible and Book of Mormon. He was stoked. "My very own bible! My first King James bible!" And when we explained the Book of Mormon and how they were equal, he put them level with each other on his lap and he froze for a split second. He said I just got a chill down my whole body! He said i'll take the Book of Mormon with me to work and read it on my breaks.

I'm so glad we were able to meet Glenn. He has definitely been prepared for this time. I'm stoked too!

I loved the Broadcast last night! I'm so glad you went! It was just as good as General Conference. So inspiring! I wish everyone could have watched it. Nothing really new was said but it sure invited the spirit and got me fired up.

I loved L.Tom Perry's soccer analogy. We need to know our position so that we aren't caught  playing "bunch-ball." haha.

And Boyd K. Packer saying, "It comes when you start."

Maybe this week WAS better than I gave credit for! haha. 20/20 hindsight

I love you more!

Don't know how long i'll be on cause a member (with investigator!) is taking us hiking today and we gotta go shop before we leave!

Love you, love you, love you all!!!!!!!

-Elder Wheatley

My Joy is Full...

Momma!

I've been trying to find the right words for how I am feeling today but I keep finding myself deleting and retyping and if it continues for much longer time will run out-- so i'll just type and hope it sounds good.

Late Friday night I got this phone call from our investigator, Brad.

Brad (18 years old) is the kid from California who we met at his Grandmother's funeral about a month ago. He decided that he needed to stay here permanently and take the lessons.

First off, I gotta tell you, this kid is the greatest. We were definitely friends in the pre-mortal existence. He has a magnificent grasp on the spirit and listens to it incredibly well.

He decided that he wanted to be baptized but was going to wait til his dad could come back out from California.

My friend, Brad Gregersen

Back to this phone call... He says, "Elder Wheatley. I want to get baptized ASAP and I want you to do it." I was blown away. Neither me or my companion could go to bed after that. The spirit was so strong in that call we just stayed up and partied and gave thanks to Heavenly Father.

So Sunday after church I had to blessing to baptize my friend Brad. Most spiritual experience ever.

In the changing room I asked how it felt. He said, "Oh, I felt it! I'm still feelin it!"

Then I asked him, "You wanna know how you can feel the Spirit even stronger than you do now?"

"How?"

"Go on a mission."

The response was the best, "Oh, i'm already planning on it." He continued to tell me that the other day, I had told him a story about me not listening to the spirit and the negative consequence that ensued and that because of that story (in which the spirit told me to tell) he knew that he needed to serve a mission.

Mom, my joy is full.

I don't know how I could be any happier.

I feel completely at one. Peace. Love.

This week has just been amazing. I don't know how I got so lucky as to be in this beautiful city at this marvelous time and have the blessing to reap the harvest. This is true happiness.

-Elder Wheatley