Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Working/Playing hard!!!!

7-21-14

Wow!  It sounds like a lot has happened this last week!  A member was telling me that Rexburg flooded, but man, seeing the pics-that's crazy!!!!  Hopefully, things get figured out with Dad and hopefully, you guys have a better week this week!  Today we went and did our activity first, so that's why I'm on here later.  Some member owns a place called Golfland, so we went there this morning.  We did laser taggin'-it was super fun and free for us- so that was nice!  We were there from about 11 to 2.  It was a lot of fun and they had a laser maze.  Basically, it's trying to go through lasers like on spy movies.  It was a lot of fun, but I'm too big and my feet are too big.  I didn't do too well-haha!  This week was pretty good.  We had a lot of lessons drop, so we only had 10 lessons by Saturday.  We kicked it up on Sunday to try to meet our goal of 20 for the week.  We got 8 or 9 lessons on Sunday, I think.  It was a crazy busy day, but we were able to hit 19 lessons, so it was good!  Hopefully, people follow through this week!  My bike is doing good, the brakes just needed to be adjusted so it's fine.  Nothing interesting or exciting really happened this week, at least that I can remember!  Hey, keep up studying the scriptures!  Don't ever say you don't have enough faith EVER AGAIN!!!!!  That's a bunch of crap and not true!!! It's just another trial that will make you stronger!  You guys are always in my prayers and I really hope things really do get better for you!!!!  Hopefully, you have a great week!  I love ya guys!

OFA ATU,
Elder Whaley

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Adjusting to the New Area

7-14-14

Well, the new area that I've been transferred to is right above my first area-pretty crazy!  My new companion is elder Moody from North Carolina and he has short man syndrome-haha.  He even admits to it-haha.  He is definitely different from past companions.  He has been out either 8 or 9 months.  I am in a car share area, but it's mostly bike.  We bike 2 weeks and have a car for a week, then repeat.  You had asked why Elder Racule had a beard in some of the pictures that I sent.  He had skin irritation from shaving, so the doctors said he needed to grow it out so he had permission to.  The new area seems pretty nice, even though I have only been here for a couple of days.  Man, I can't believe how much I miss the other wards, the Poly wards.  It was so different and weird going back to a palangi ward (I'm guessing this means an English ward)!  There was definitely a different spirit about it.  Man, I miss the people from my last area a lot!  It's super weird!  Something cool is that Will Tukuafu (a player for the 49ers) is in our ward.  Also, the 49ers stadium, the new one, is in our area.  Our area is HUGE!  Our area alone covers everyone else's area combined, basically.  On Wednesday, it took us an hour and a half to ride to dinner-it was a crazy long bike ride, but wasn't too bad.  This week has just been quite a bit of biking around.  Elder Moody has been here for 2 transfers, but still gets lost...oh man!  We have 1 investigator and are looking for more!  Hopefully, the work picks up in this area.  We'll see.  My comp has been telling me that the ward might split soon, so we'll see what happens with that.  There is Stake conference in August, I think, so maybe it will happen then.  Our new mission president seems great, I just have to get to know him better.  He seems like a great guy!  I'm not sure if I'll die here or not since I only have 5 transfers left.  Man, that is a scary thought that I don't like!!!!!  Well, I hope you have a great week.  Love ya!

Ofa Lahi Atu,
elder Whaley



Elder Whaley and Elder Moody
by the new stadium-they look hot!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Getting Transferred!

7-7-14

NOOOOooooooooo....I'm getting transferred!..DANG IT!!!!!  The thing is, Elder Racule is getting transferred, as well!  It's crazy!  I don't know what's going to happen!  We'll see on Tuesday!...Dang it!!!  That stinks right as I was getting to know the members, man they are great!
On Friday, the Samoan branch had an activity.  We played football and volleyball almost all day!  It was super fun!  One of the best 4th of July's ever.  Man, I was so tired after-especially running around in the sun and eating all day-haha.  Then, we went to Sister Drova's, a lady in the Moorepark ward that I worked with in my first area, and watched fireworks from her house.  It was a really good day!  I loved it.  On Saturday, we just went around and did service and tried visiting people, but a lot of people were gone.  We had dinner with the Misa'alefuas.  They're an awesome family and so nice to us!  They have a son on a mission, too, and when we go over there, we just go in and they call us their sons-haha-it's awesome!  Love that family!  Sunday was good.  We were at church from 9 to about 5:30.  It was a long day, but we had a meeting with all the Poly missionaries in the morning, then went to the Tongan ward.  We then went to the Samoan branch and had a super awesome testimony meeting there.  It went for an hour and a half!  There weren't any gaps.  There were people lined up to speak!  It was awesome!  You could feel the Spirit really strong!  Man, it was a great meeting!  Last week was really good!  Man, I loved serving in this area!  I hate that I'm getting moved!  It's just part of the work......it happens, but we'll see what the Lord has in store for me!  I don't really want to go back to the English program-haha!  It sounds like things went well in Utah and hopefully, those tests will help out!  I hope you guys enjoy your summer and have fun.  Love you guys!!!!!

Ofa Atu,
Elder Whaley












Wanting to stay in the Tongan program

6-30-14

First of all, Happy Anniversary on July 2nd.  The big 21 or 22, right?  I can't remember, but hopefully you enjoy it!  Also, hopefully, the trip down to Utah is good and they're able to help!  Yes, I got the book that you sent.  Thank you SO much!  Ya, I think that's the name of the place we live (I looked up his address and it had an apartment complex that looked really nice and I asked him if it was where he lived).  It's pretty nice where we live.  We live with two other missionaries, so it's fun!  It's a pretty big apartment, so it's nice!  We got the new president on Saturday.  I think the outgoing pres and the new pres were together for an hour, then president Watkins left to Utah....Super Crazy!  We will meet him on Wednesday morning, so it will be interesting!  I'm hoping to stay in the Tongan program, but we have president Mella now and he can change a lot of things up since he's new and there's a new Tongan elder coming in, so we'll see what happens.  I really don't want to get moved-that would suck!!!!!
This week was good.  We did a lot of service, which was fun.  About every day we averaged around 2 to 3 hours of service.  Then, we went around and tried to find new people and visit less actives.  Even though some people aren't active or are non-members, they're all super nice!  It's just the way their culture is-it's awesome!!!!   Things are going good!  I'm just anxious to see what happens in the upcoming transfers!  Hopefully, it will be good!
Well, I hope all goes well in Utah this next week and you have fun and make the most of it!!!  Love ya guys!

OFA ATU!
Elder Whaley