To Momma Whetten

Hey Mom!  There was a big Christmas thing here and I did play the guitar and sing with my companion.  It was a lot of fun!  I'm not really as nervous about things as much as I used to be which is great!  I think the mtc really helped with that.  I even spoke in sacrament meeting a couple of weeks ago. 

I am so excited for Christmas!!!  I get to talk to yall in a couple of days!!!  Oh can you tell everybody who has sent me mail and packages and stuff thank you so much!  I really appreciate everything everybody back home has done!  On the other hand I feel like I am getting a lot more mail than my companion and I don't want him to feel bad so maybe keep that in mind?  But thank you!!!

I think that we will be skyping at either 10 or 11 here.  I'm not sure what time it will be there... maybe 9 or 10?  Love you!  Cant wait to talk to you in a couple of days!!

Elder Whetten

Also, he didn't mention it in any of his emails, but Elder Whetten got to participate in a live nativity, where he played a Roman Centurion. He said it was really hard to stay still!

Merry Christmas, & Silent Night...

How is everybody doing?  Alabama is great!  I love it here in Cullman.  This week has been pretty slow though...  There must be something going around in Cullman because a lot of our investigators have been sick and have had to cancel appointments.  We have still tried to stay as busy as we could though.  We did a lot of walking around town just trying to talk to as many people as we could.  It turned out pretty good!  We met one guy named Jason who might be interested in the Gospel.  We talked to him for a while and taught him a little bit about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. 

Well that was the most interesting thing about this week other than the missionary Christmas party.  Which was really awesome! We had a talent show and I got to play Silent Night on my guitar while my companion sang it.  

That's about all that happened this week!  Hopefully I will have even more awesome stories to share with all of you next Monday.  Oh!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Elder Whetten   

Sketchy Truck, Christmas Festival, And The Like...

Dear Loved Ones,

Well this week has been great!  On Wednesday I was able to go to the Temple and that was so fun!  Then on Friday night my companion and I had a somewhat sketchy experience.  (Mom you may not want to read this part)  So the Hermanas here asked us if we could help them teach one of their investigators about the priesthood and they would translate for us.  His name is Mario and the lesson went really well!  Afterward it was pretty late and we only had a few minutes to get home so Mario offered to drive us.  He doesn't speak much English so to get home My companion and I memorized "right" and "left in Spanish and that is how we gave him directions to our house.  While he was driving I noticed his truck kept on slipping into neutral.  I thought that was weird.  As we drove a bit longer we realized why.... His truck didn't have any brakes!!  He was shifting into neutral to slow down before a stop sign and using the parking brake to stop.  It was kinda crazy but Mario did it like a pro! haha  I remember him telling us before giving us a ride that "the truck was missing some parts."  Who knew that those parts were the brakes?  Haha It was a pretty awesome experience and I probably will never forget it. 

On Saturday we helped out with a Christmas festival in Huntsville and it was amazing!  They had a choir and orchestra concert that sounded so great!  I want y'all to here it!

Things with our investigators are going so awesome!  I am loving the people here more and more every day!  I can't believe that this transfer is already halfway over!  I am looking forward to the rest of it!  I love it here in Cullman everybody is so cool!  Well I hope that y'all have a great week!

Love you!

Elder Whetten

Homesickness, Freezing, Faith, & Such...

Hey Everybody!

This week has been great!  It started out a little rough and I got a little homesick but I am feeling great now and am loving the work!  It has been raining or cloudy pretty much every day I have been here.  Super cold too!!  Sometimes it gets painful when I'm on a bike haha,  Oh well!  All part of the experience right?

Our investigators are all super awesome!  We had a lesson with a couple this week(Brad & Liz) and invited them to be baptized.  She seemed like she wanted to and got a little excited about it so that was awesome!  He straight up told us "honestly no"  I appreciate his honesty haha. 

Another one of our investigators is named Tina.  Her husband is a member and that whole family is just awesome!  She believes in the church and has a strong testimony.  She has even done a ton of missionary work!  She pretty much got her son to be baptized even though she technically isn't a member yet haha She has been taught by missionaries a lot before but didn't feel like she was getting as much out of it as she wanted too.  She told us if she can understand things better she will get baptized.  I really hope we can teach her in a way that she can understand everything. 

I have really learned that if you put aside all of your feelings and just focus on the work and on other people you will find happiness in missionary work.  I am so thankful to be here in Alabama!

 

I hope you all have a great week and an awesome Christmas season!

Love, Elder Whetten

Cullman, Christensen, Smokers, & So Forth...

Monday's email!

Hey y'all!!

Wow! What can I say about my mission so far?  It has been so long since I have has a p day!  I have been out of the mtc for about a week and I am now in a small city in Alabama called Cullman. It is about an hour away for Birmingham.  My trainers name is Elder Christensen and he is awesome!  The members and the investigators here are all so cool!  They are really crazy though..... Sometimes it gets kind of sketchy.  When I first got to Alabama the night before I drove to my area I was told that great things are happening in my area.  That is absolutely true!  I have been in Cullman not even a week and have already received 2 new investigators and a couple of potential baptisms.  It is so crazy!  I haven't had a whole lot of time to do any service for anybody so that's kind of a bummer.  I have just had opportunities to visit some really cool people.  One of the investigators here just has to quit smoking before he can be baptized.  It's sad because he wants to be baptized so bad!!  I know he can do it! 

I feel like I haven't had any contact with any of you in so long!  I'm glad to know that you are all doing well!  I love you!

Love, Elder Whetten

P.S. Write me!!  My address in Cullman is, 1632 Logan Dr SW Cullman AL 35055

And if you want to send me a package (I know you do, and it would be much appreciated)  packages have to be sent to the mission home.  I miss you all!!!