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