Week 34 - "Miracles happen once in a while when you belieeevveee"

This week was insane. 

Thought i'd start you all off with a cliff hanger there. I will tell you the whole story from the beginning. 

So Sister Safsten and I have just been going about our normal missionary lives. Nothing super crazy has been happening and we've just been having a good ole' time. AND THEN..... On Tuesday, we had exchanges with the sisters in Pendleton. Sister Safsten stayed here and while I was in Pendleton. The sisters in Walla get this referral from a member in our ward (Brother Hafen, who is amazing). He gives us the name of a less-active man who's son in law is interested in taking the discussions. I come back and Sister Safsten is all excited, telling me how we need to contact this family. We give them a call and we set up a time to meet the next night. On our way there, we were stopping by a potential investigator and this giant fat cat comes up to us. This lady in our ward gave us lazer pointers, for some odd reason, so we decide to play with this cat (the only natural thing to do). The cat starts freaking out, runs into the street and gets hit by a CAR. Luckily, it got up and ran away but of course we are freaking out, thinking we just killed someones cat. Great. So we knock on this door across the street to tell them. ( it wasn't their cat) but they turn out to be a less active family that we had no idea about! They agreed to let us come back. Who would've thought that a spastic fat cat would lead us to this family?

We leave them and continue on our way to our golden referral. As soon as we get there we are warmly welcomed by the less-active parents, their less-active daughter and her non-member husband, and their three non-member children ( Ben; 13, Whitley; 10, and David; 7). They are so excited to meet with us, their faces are just glowing. We sit down and start to talk and the spirit fills the room. Darren (the non-member father) begins to tell us about his life-changing experience. On Monday there was a funeral for their grandfather held at the church. His wife Corrie and her father sang "I know that my Redeemer Lives" and Darren said he had an overwhelming feeling come over him. He had a complete change of heart. He mentioned that he had absolutely no interest in religion before the funeral but now he wanted to know and do everything he possibly could to come closer to Christ. Sister Safsten and I are just sitting there in awe at this family who is 100 percent ready to follow their Savior. After teaching them and inviting them to be baptized, they all accepted and want to be baptized as soon as possible. Tears were shed when they expressed their desires to be sealed a year from now in the Boise, Idaho Temple to be an eternal family. 

We have had 3 lessons with them since them and we met them on Wednesday. They are so excited about everything they learn. I don't think I've even understood the term "becoming as a little child" until we met Darren and his family. The light that fills their eyes is unmistakable and we are so grateful to the Lord for placing them in our path and allowing the Spirit to guide and teach them. 

Believe it or not, we had more miracles happen with another family as well! Nimo (yes, we found her. HA) has been investigating for a while. She finally is ready to commit so we were able to have a church tour with her, her sister Ama, and her son Willy on Saturday. The Spirit was so strong as it testified of the eternal truths of Christ's Gospel. They too want to be baptized. 

AND THE BEST PART........ 

They all came to church on Sunday to take the sacrament and to be taught even more by the Spirit! Sister Safsten and I are OVERWHELMED with gratitude. These wonderful families were literally just placed into our paths and we feel so humbled to be a small part of the Lords amazing work. I know that as we let the spirit guide us completely in our lives, the Lord can use us as instruments to guide, love and serve one another. 

This week was amazing and I am so grateful for all of the love and support. I know Christ is at the head of His church and His missionary work. Have a wonderful week! 

Love, 

Sister Madeline Whetten 

Sister Safsten and I in front of the lovely (tiny) Blue Mountains 

Week 33 - "Rain, Rain ...Go Away"

Hello! 
Not too much to write today, its been a pretty crazy week. We had transfers this week and my new companions name is Hermana Safsten! (yes hermana..she has been Spanish speaking her whole mission so hopefully I can learn from her!) She's a cute lil red head from Maryland and she is so ready to go! I'm excited to have here here with me in Walla Walla. Its pretty crazy taking over an area after 6 weeks but its been so fun learning as we go. 

We had some great miracles this week! We were trying by this lady named Alicia who had asked us to come back. She wasn't home so we knocked on the first door we saw. Out came Robert and we ended up having an amazing, spirit-filled conversation with him. He has a strong desire to find light in his life through our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that as we keep working with him and as He nourishes his testimony he will be able to find that light. 

One of my favorite parts about being a missionary is being able to promise blessings. Nothing beats  when I am able to promise blessings from our Savior to someone who didn't have that knowledge of truth and light in their lives. It brings happiness and I am so grateful to be a part of it. 

It has been raining like crazy. But not normal rain. SIDEWAYS rain. People think we are just nuts walking around in that. We found so many people this week though so it looks like we cant be "fair weather fans" haha. It is super funny teaching someone while you're being pelted with cold rain on your face. Makeup smearing and all, it is still a good experience and it doesnt make you love it any less. 

I am so grateful for all of you and the support you bring! I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Love, 

Sister Madeline Whetten 

Week 32 - "We Love Them"

Hi! We had a pretty eventful week. Much of it revolved around a GIANT service project on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We had the opportunity to serve an elderly lady who is the grandmother of one of the recent converts we are working with, Deanna. We helped her clean her house.

We had some pretty amazing miracles this week. Our teaching pool continues to grow as more and more families are coming to Christ. It is wonderful to watch them progress toward becoming eternal families. WE LOVE THEM. 

This year I am working on turning outward. In John 15: 12-13 The Savior teaches, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." This is His commandment. Focusing on others and truly turning outward in Christlike love is what helps us become like our Savior and what helps us to be happy. 

We had a great, cold week here in Walla Walla and we are SO excited for this next transfer! 

I love you all and hope you have the best week. 

Love, 

Sister Madeline Whetten 

Week 31 - 'Appy New Year!

Hello from frozen Walla Walla! Its been a balmy 18 degrees to welcome in the new year. Sister Purcell and I have been so blessed to see some wonderful miracles this week. I'll have to admit, its not always super fun to be totally frozen while you are talking to people outside but man does the Lord give you strength! We've decided its a blessing to be numb haha then we can't feel it! We always make the best of every situation though! For example: last night a nice lady named Janette let us in for hot chocolate! She wasn't interested in learning anything but it was so kind of her to take us in! little things like that totally make the frozen toes worth it.

One of the families that we are teaching fed us dinner and we had the most amazing lesson with them. It was the food I think. Haha! just kidding! It was the love from our Heavenly Father and His spirit that made the lesson so wonderful. They had a ton of questions about the plan of Salvation and we were able to direct them to scriptures in the Bible that brought them peace. I know the scriptures are such powerful tools. We talk to our Heavenly Father through prayer and he answers us through the scriptures. Its so simple it is easy to overlook and overthink. I do it ALL THE TIME but luckily our Father in Heaven is patient and merciful and loves me anyway. 

We have been meeting with a sister in our ward who is a recent convert. Her job doesn't allow her to come to church with the new year schedule and its making her sad. She is so strong and we have been able to study the scriptures with her weekly. Its our own little book club! I love it and I know she will receive strength from the scriptures.

We had exchanges this week and I got to go down to Pendleton Oregon with the hermanas! It was so much fun to dust off my middle school Spanish and stumble through my simple testimony. I loved it and I could just feel the love our Father in Heaven has for His children. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the same, no matter the language. The spirit can speak every language and fills in the gaps when our words are inadequate. Basically this week was a blast and I truly cherish every moment here. From frozen toes to a less active sister at church running into a wall because she saw a "cute boy" it was a wonderful week. I love you all and hope you have a great time! 

Love, 

Sister Madeline Whetten 

  

Me and the Hermanas in freezing Pendleton