God Works in Mysterious Ways

9-8-14

Last week was great!  The other missionaries  handed over their investigator because he is staying in our area, so we get to teach him!  All of your prayers help-thank you so much!!!!!  I'm sorry to hear about Aunt Jana passing away-that's so tough.  Good thing for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation.  This week was a pretty good week...a little slow, but good.  We met with all 3 of our investigators and we had interviews with President Mella.  They were a kinda get to know ya, then an actual interview, so it was alright.  We meet with Carrie this week and you can totally tell she has been prepared-it's awesome!  She wants it to be a family thing, so if she wants to be baptized, she wants her husband to be there, as well.  We haven't met him yet, but hopefully he's been prepared, as well!  We'll see how that goes, but it looks promising!  We also met with Joseph and talked to him a little bit about the Plan of Salvation and that went alright.  We might have to go back over some things with him and see what he remembers from last time.  We also met with Scott on Saturday and shared the Restoration with him and invited him to be baptized and he said YES!!!!  Wahoo!!!!  We set a baptismal date for October 4th, but it might get bumped since it's General Conference weekend, but at least he said yes!  We are still going to meet up with him and finish the lessons.
On Saturday, the ward had a luau!  It was a lot of fun.  We participated in the Haka.  It was a lot of fun and a good experience, with quite a few non-members there along with some less actives-so it was good!  Yesterday was a good day since we had church, but none of our investigators came, though.   We had lunch with the Yuens, Super awesome family.  We then went contacting at Santa Clara university, and they were having a wine walk or something like that, so a lot of people drinking, it was very interesting talking to people especially a couple of gay guys who were drunk and hitting' on us....eeehhhh bleh!  Man, those were one of those moments I have never felt so uncomfortable in my life and violated!!!! Yuck!  So, that was interesting!  After that, we went to dinner and on the way back from dinner, a piece of my frame broke on my bike!  It stinks (but don't worry about it.  I'm going to borrow another bike). So while we were waiting for the Zone leaders to come pick us up, we talked to a lady in a pizza place, since my comp had to use the bathroom.  I talked to her about the gospel and she said she would be interested and also gave us one of her friend's number!  It was pretty cool!  I guess God works in mysterious ways sometimes.  If my bike hadn't broken and if he didn't need to go to the bathroom, we wouldn't have talked with her...awesome!  Tonight, we are meeting with a potential investigator that some members are bringing to their house for us.  I'm excited to see what happens!  Hopefully, it goes well!  Well, I hope you guys have a great week this week!  Love ya!

OFA ATU!
Elder Whaley

Elder Moody and Elder Whaley
at ward Luau

Elder Whaley Luau face art

Blessings!!!!!

9-1-14

Everything is going great!!!  The first part of the week was kinda slow, but the end was great!  We did quite a bit of service through the week almost everyday during the weekdays and we tried visiting people that were far away since we had the car, but nothing really came of it.  So Thursday, we gave the car to another set of elders to use, so we were on bikes.  We did a lot of riding this weekend, but it was all worth it!  We will meet with Scott, the one who called us the previous Sunday, and we met with him Friday and he is now our new investigator that we will be meeting with!  That was awesome! Then, as we got done with that lesson in the morning, we got a referral from the mission office through our phone and Carrie was referred by a friend in Salt Lake. We rode to the other end of our area and she was home and we talked briefly with her and she wants to know more and she seems so prepared-it's awesome.  She's a super nice lady!  So, that's another investigator-Wahoo!!!  Then, after that, we caught another referral we were trying to catch after that and were able to meet with her and she wants to come back to church and get back into the swing of things, so that was pretty cool!  Then, the next day we basically helped people move all day and sometimes it stinks being the biggest guy because then I get volunteered to carry all the really heavy stuff, and awkward things.  Oh well-I'm alright with it, I guess.  I'll just get stronger and more blessings right?  Another set of elders called us during one of the moves and handed over an investigator of their's who has a baptismal but in December since he has to work on somethings.  So, hopefully, we can help him overcome those things and hopefully move it up!  So, basically, we got 2 new investigators on Friday and 1 on Saturday.  Wahoo-3 new investigators in 2 days!  Today the stake had a labor day breakfast that we went to and we had a member come up to us saying they invited one of their old neighbors to take the lessons and he said yes!  Wahoo-another potential investigator.....BLESSINGS!!!!!  Things are going well!
We just came back from the Samoan branch labor day bbq!  Lots of fun!!!  Football, rugby, volleyball, and lots of food!!!!  Man, I miss the branch, but I like this area!  Do you know how hard it is to play tug o war with a bunch of Samoans?  My hands kill!  I am definitely super tired now-especially being back on bikes!  It's always a good feeling at the end of the day to just crash onto the bed and knock out after a good long day of hard work!  I'm excited to see how this week goes.  Oh, I almost forgot-2 of our investigators came to church on Sunday as well!  It was pretty legit!  It's always tricky getting people to church.  I'm looking forward to the rest of this transfer!
To answer your questions, yes I see the McFarland's quite a bit, since he is the ward mission leader. Nope, I don't need anything.  I just got some new pants today since I blew mine out from moving....rrrriiiippp-dang it!  That's so cool that you got to go to the open house in Ogden.
You mentioned the guys talk about following up. Yes, following up is important so people keep commitments and don't fall through the cracks.  Preach My Gospel is definitely very helpful and I've heard a lot of it applies to life even after the mission with everyday things.  It's an amazing book.  Tell Aunt Lezlee I don't want to come back yet!!!!  I'm not ready!  Stop reminding me-I was still thinking I had 6 months......till now! :(  Hopefully, you have another great week!  Love ya!

Ofa Atu
Elder Whaley

Random phone call and earthquake

8-25-14

Ya, we had an earthquake!!!  The bookshelves tipped over making a mess.  Stuff was everywhere in our apartment.  The bunk bed almost tipped over and there were car alarms going off and it was crazy!  Wow-I can't believe all the people coming home already and those that are getting married.  Landon emailed me about his mission call.  I can't believe he's going to India-it's super awesome!!!!!  The video that you saw from our mission was a good video, but it was made a while ago and our district leader didn't make a video with us, so we didn't have a part in it.  That's neat that you communicated with Elder McAllister's mom.  He is an awesome guy that is legit.  I almost got him to come to USU, which he was going to, but then switched to UVU since they have his major....dang it.  I still can't believe he's home already!  How fun that you guys did the slip n slide with all those families.
This week was pretty good!  We had quite a few lessons and did quite a bit of service and a lot of biking.  Yesterday we got a call from a random number and he was asking for the previous missionaries that served here and he wants to start studying again on Friday, so we'll see what happens.  It was really cool!  We also helped out with a baptism on Saturday for Lance Ve'e, who his wife is in our ward, so we would always go visit them.  Sisters Kapu and Tauti, the Samoan sisters, taught him and he got baptized yesterday.  It was awesome to help out!  They are both amazing missionaries and they go home at the end of this transfer.  They were fun to serve around when I was in the Samoan branch.  Both are hard working missionaries.  They almost had a baptism every week for 6 weeks-it was pretty cool!  This week was good and we'll see how this next week is going to go hopefully!  Actually, about the earthquake, it happened, but it was like at 3 in the morning and we slept through it!  I was so mad.  I wanted to experience one!  We didn't find out we had an earthquake until we got to church...so all the stuff from the first of this email was a joke-haha.  I'm so funny!  Well, I hope you guys have a grey week!  Love ya!

Ofa Atu
Elder Whaley

At a Brick Wall

8-18-14

I got the "Jump" package-Thank you so much!!!!!  We hit our goal for lessons this week, but we are still working on finding people. It's been tough looking for people, I feel like we are at a brick wall, but we just got a part member list of the ward, so we'll see if that helps out with finding people.  So, Tyler is home? Man, that's crazy!  We just went to the outgoing fireside last night and all the sisters that I came out with, are going home along with a lot of Elders I got close with....man it stinks.  That means my time is coming sooner and sooner!  Flip!!!  Last night was weird...mixed emotions....but some really great testimonies!  I also saw people from previous wards like the Makasini's, Mama Smith, and some other people-ah man, I miss those guys so much!!!  It was great to see them!  They were all asking when I was coming back-I wish!  That would be a dream come true!!!  I talked with Leimana and Carla is going through a temple prep class since her year mark is coming up for her baptism from when Elder Dalton and I taught her!  So, hopefully, next month I will be going to the temple!  I'm super excited and pumped.  I hope all goes well!  It was a super good night last night!  But, now I really want to go back to Redwood City-haha!   But, I really like it here, too!  Oh Man!  There was a couple of youth I got to see last night.  One was leaving to Japan on Wednesday and another one is working on his papers.  It's so great to see people you work with progress like that in the gospel!  It's FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!!!  I love it!  We had dinner with the Tukuafus' and it was awesome!  They are such an awesome family and very missionary minded.  Will is always sharing the gospel in the locker room with him team mates and supposedly, he's working on one guy that could possibly be interested in the future!  As we were leaving, he didn't give us tickets, but he gave us some headphones and food!  He is a super cool funny guy! I'm fine on the pants.  I patched them up and they're good! I was just wondering if the place we bought them at replace them.  Don't worry about it, I'm good!  Transfers are happening Tuesday, but both my companion and I are staying. Hopefully we can push the work forward!  Thank you for all you do!!!!  Love ya!

Ofa Atu
Elder Whaley

Elder Dalton, Will Tukuafu (a 49ers football player in their ward)
and Elder Whaley

Picking out their new bikes?

Working hard to Find Investigators!

8-12-14

Everything is going well.  We did a lot of service this week-about 15 hours, and spent a lot of time going out contacting and going through referrals, but no luck yet with finding new investigators!  We just got a part member list this last Sunday, so hopefully, that will help us out!  We'll be on bikes this week, so we won't be able to get from place to place as quick.  We'll see how it works out!  This is the last week of the transfer.  It's crazy how fast time goes.  A lot of missionaries I've served with are going home this transfer along with the sisters I came in with!!!  Super crazy!!!  I heard Tyler Thueson is coming home, as well???  Wow!  Time flies!!!  The next couple transfers, a lot of missionaries I've worked with and gotten close with will go home, it's going to be weird!  This week was alright.  Just a lot of drop byes with no one home, but hopefully, this week will be better.  Something I'm excited for this week is that the Tukuafus signed up for dinner (he's the football player for the 49ers).  Wahoo!!!  Hopefully, I can practice my little bit of Tongan that I know with him.  Hopefully, it works out!
Sunday was a really good day!  I really enjoyed church!  It was kinda interesting since most of it was about families and how to have successful families, but it was really good.  The reason why I didn't email yesterday was because we were in Santa Cruz on the beach playing beach volleyball and just relaxin!  It was nice and enjoyable!  It was good to see some missionaries that I haven't seen in a while!  And some that are about to go home!  It was a good day!  It sounds like you had a fun at the Family reunion.  Don't feel bad that the girls had to buy their own school clothes-it build character-haha.
This last week I was reading in this months Ensign and it was really good!  I woke up around 2 and couldn't go back to sleep, so I read the whole thing and it was really good.  You should read it.  I think you would like some of the talks in there.  Today, during district meeting, we were talking about the priesthood and the Spirit and blessings came up.  Sometimes our prayers and blessing don't come true because the Lord has something else in store for us and somethings are just set in stone for us to go through and nothing is permanent-not even this life.  All the hardships are for our benefit to learn and grow and we don't have to worry about it in the life to come!  It was a really good meeting today!  Well, I hope you have a great week!  Love ya!  Keep the faith and the strength!  Love ya!

Ofa Atu
Elder Whaley

18 months down!!!!

8-4-14

WHY!!!!!!  Why?  I don't need that!!!! (I had reminded him that he's been out 18 months)  Ahhh-it's going by too fast!  Dinner last night at the McFarland's was awesome and delicious and yes, I ate a lot-haha....it was good!  The pictures she sent you were at a baptism and I got a cupcake to the face.  I wasn't too happy since I was in my suit!  But it's whatever.  I cut my own hair and it's going to get cut soon....I know, I know!  (I was asking him who cut his hair and that I noticed it was starting to look a little long).  We tried to go back and visit Salvador, but he didn't want to talk to us, so basically, he dropped us.  :/  So, I guess he just wasn't ready or it wasn't his time!  We had dinner with a family, the Merrifields.  They went to BYUI and they're super cool.  Brother Merrifield got up yesterday and gave his testimony and gave us some props for coming over and bringing the spirit into his home and also mentioned that we eat a lot-haha.  It was pretty funny, but he's a cool guy!  The members want to help, but this ward has a lot of people moving in and out, so it's kinda hard sometimes because they don't know a whole lot of people to invite.  You can tell that they actually want to help, though.  I have only met Tukuafu once, but he's busy with camps and practices, so we haven't been over.  A lot of the time he usually sneaks in and out of church on Sundays, so he's busy.  There is only the 2 of us that live in our apartment.  My companion and I get along fine.  He's just different from previous companions-short and a military brat-haha.  It's just a different background to work with, but things are going well!  I have been lucky to have good comps so far.  I think I had only one and he wasn't so bad either, so I'm lucky.  I think I just get crappy roommates sometimes-haha.  I am the senior companion.  We are just looking for people to teach since our last investigator dropped us.  So, we are in the process of finding right now, so it's been tricky to get lessons, but it's going good.  If you could pray for us to find investigators, that would be great!!!!!
Man, it sounds like quite a journey with everything going on at home!  Hopefully, things get better!  I really hope that medicine will help Dad!  But, like they say, it will get worse before it gets better!  There's always a light at the end of the tunnel!  Keep the faith and continue pushing forward!  Love ya!

Ofa Atu
Elder Whaley

Elder Whaley doesn't look too happy!

Giving the spiritual thought to a family!

Spray painted shirt (since they
can't burn them)

Getting Kicked Out!

7-28-14

Ya, Golfland was lots of fun...and it was the same laser tag system that they had in Logan at Fun Park!  Yes, this area is awesome.  I'm just trying to get to know the area and the members.  It's a big area and ward.  It sounds like they might split it soon, so we'll see what happens!  We have one investigator we were working with.  We taught him the Word of Wisdom and it went pretty well through most of the lesson until almost the end.  When we mentioned that his mom was worried about him and his habits, he flipped and said he was leaving and that we needed to go!  Dang it!  So, basically, we got kicked out.  We'll give him some space and see what happens!  His name is Salvador, so pray for him.  Thank you for sharing that information from your reading.  I will definitely keep that in mind!  We have actually had quite a few lessons cancel and one that the Sisters stole!  (I had shared about a mission president that challenged the missionaries he was over to not get discouraged when appointments cancel on them or are a "no show".  He challenged them to look around and open their mouth and they had a lot of miracles happen by doing that.)  Hopefully, you guys have a great week this week and things go better and you're able to get things done!  Love ya!

Ofa Atu
Elder Whaley

Golfland Lazer Tag