Just because you are educated doesn't mean you are wise...

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

We had a pretty good week. Im still adjusting to the new area but im starting to get into it.Its a hard area because there are a lot of wealthier people and educated people. Something I have learned, Just because you are eduacated doesn´t mean you are wise. Some of these supposedly learned people have the narrowest and most incorrect vision of life. I have met many simple people in my other areas that didn´t have more than an elementary education that understand so much more about life. It isnt always the case, because i have met many amazing people here as well, but I have been getting used to a new type of people.

We have been having to look a lot because there arent many people to teach but we have had some amazing fruits! We found a young family thats married (that NEVER happens) and we taught them about the restoration of Christ´s church there in their doorstep and the husband asked us what he has to do to be a missionary like us. We invited them to the ward activity that we had on saturday and they came and were in church on sunday! it was a miracle finding them.

Also there have been some days when nobody lets us in and we are in the last hour of work when we could have gone back to the pench to do some paper work or buy stuff for breakfast, but we decided to just walk around and doing that we met some promising people in the streets that hopefully we will be able to teach this week. It should be good.

Im having a good time out here. Its kinda weird because i have a comp that will be finishing the same day as Zak and Max. Its crazy that as my comp is getting ready for home some of my best buddies are as well. Its fun working with Elder McKean though.

Well have a good week yáll

Elder Whitaker

"God can make a whole lot more out of us than we can make out of ourselves..."

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

Gracias for the birthday wishes! Its nice to see that people still remember me haha ;) This week was the best! We have been seeing a lot of miracles here in romero and we are passing it good down here!

Its been way fun to be with Elder DeYoung. He reminds me of a combination of my buddies Zak Morgan and Jared Barton. We have a good time while still working really hard. We quote napoleon Dynamite and Nacho libre daily. its pretty funny.

Our investigators are making a lot of progress. Eliana, a 17 year old girl who is the grandaughter of a member, will be baptized this sunday. She passed her interview and she is ready. Its been amazing to see the change that she has made in her life. Her brother, Jonny, who is 15, had some doubts and some things to work on but we could help him resolve his doubts and he has changed a lot since. He took out his expander earing and is a lot more attentive. he will be getting baptized on the 10th. Sofia is a girl we found on the bus that was definitely put on our path. We started talking to her and it turns out her good friend is a return missionary from the ward that just got back from bolivia. We have been teaching her together with him and she told us the other day after church that she feels that this is the truth. She basically is living all of the commandments already. she was definitly prepared for us to find. She also should be getting baptized the 10th. Also the familia kallus that i have told you about. They finally got there papers done so they can get married! they will be getting a turno this week. I hiope they get married before i leave romero so that i can be there. after the wedding we will have the baptism for the hermana as well. If im there or not i will be so happy that they can finally take this important step. I have been working with them for the last 4 months. they havent missed a day of church since then. 

i really feel so blessed to be a part of this work here in Romero. This time has been a fruitful time of my mission but im no less grateful for the more dificult parts i have had to face. All the trials and joys that i have had have made me who I am now. I have truly changed so much out here on my mission. The other day I was thinking about what I was grateful for and more than anything I thank my heavenly father that he has been watching be and shaping me though the things he has been putting in my path. The key to happiness i think is just finding out the will of God, and accepting it. God can make a whole lot more out of us than we can make out of ourselves.

I hope you guys all have a good week. Write me!

Elder Whitaker

Ty and his "ladies"

We think Ty likes Argentina so much because he is a "giant" there.

Ty & Ian

"I'm loving being a missionary out here in Argentina...."

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

Como están? Its fun hearing about all your spring break and easter plans! Im not jealous at all though because I´m loving being a missionary out here in Argentina! (also next spring break and the next year in general I will be in Hawaii ;)  haha) But seriously this week went really well!

We have a bunch of people we are teaching that are getting close to baptism which is awesome! Jonotan and Eliana are awesome. They are only teenagers but they have been super responsible about getting themselves to church every week and reading the Book of Mormon and all of that stuff. They received their difinitive answer that they want to be baptized during the general conference. Its been awesome to work with them. We are going to have the interview for them this week im pretty sure.

The other day we also found a family while we were in the bus. The 2 youngest daughters were singing so i turned around to comment that they are really good singers and we started talking. It turns out that one of their friends is a return missionary that just got back from Bolivia and is from our ward here so we set up a day to visit them. We only got to teach the daughter that has 18 years but we invited her to be baptized and she accepted and came to church this sunday and like it a lot!  Hopefully we will be able to talk with the rest of the family this week. It helps a lot that the return missionary always comes with us to help us out. 

The familia Kallus should have their papers in order so that they can get a turn to get married (sacar un turno?? i dont remember how to say that). so as soon as they get married they will also be able to get baptized. They are so awesome! it doesnt matter when we call them but if we call them they make time for us to visit them.

I´m loving working with my new companion Elder Deyoung. Hes super cool. Its my first time having an American comp in a long time, actually since i started the mission. Its pretty fun. 

Spirtitual thought for the week :

I believe that as we deepen our understanding of the Savior, we will have an increased desire to live joyfully and a conviction that joy is possible. Consequently, we will have a greater ability to go about each day with more enthusiasm for life and for keeping the commandments of God, even in challenging circumstances.

José A. Teixeira from this last conference

Elder Whitaker

"It has been so cool to see the changes in them".

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

¿como están todos? I hope you guys are all having a good spring break! Im enjoying fall down here in Argentina. It definitly cooled off a bunch. Im going to start freezing in a bit!

Well this week was awesome! we were able to have the baptism of norma and Ian! it was sweet. WHen they came out of the water Norma said, " this is the best choice I have made!" It has been so cool to see the changes in them! 

Well im beginning my last week with Elder Altamirano. He goes home to chile next week because his 2 years are up. It is weird to see that. Its crazy that now i only have 6 months left. Especially knowing that I´ll be attending BYU Hawaii and kinda knowing what will be happening after the mission its kinda weird!

Well I hope everyone has a fantastic Easter this weekend! I hope everyone can take the time to pause and remember why we have Easter.  The Church made a video about Christ and what he did for us. Its short, like 3 min but its super good! watch it! This message has changed everything in my life for the better. I know its true. Here is the link.

http://www.mormon.org/easter

Have a good week!

Elder Whitaker

This sweet boy's face is so precious.  It makes me so happy Ty is in Argentina, serving the people there!

"...I know this doesn't happen because of me or my companion, but because God is helping us out".

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

Todo tranqui aqui en romero. The work is going well. We have been having a good time down here. This sunday Norma and Ian are going to get baptized. They already had their baptisimal interview and everything. It has been such a blessing to have been able to find and teach them. They are examples to me. They are so ready to believe. Our only stuggle with Norma was that she didnt want to bother asking God if this was His church because she already believed it was and didnt want to bother Him. We taught them the word of wisdom the other day (the commandment from God that we shouldn´t drink, smoke, use drugs, or drink coffee or tea) and the next day she had donated all of her tea to her job. How awesome is that?

As we have been watching the conversion process in them we have also been able to see other people make changes in their lives as well! We have 5 other people committed to be baptized and a bunch of new people that we are going to begin teaching this next week. It has been awesome to see the growth of this area. I love being able to be a part of it. I kow that this doesn´t happen because of me or my companion, but because God is helping us out. 

Well the 19th was one of the hottest days i had had all summer, and the 21st was one of the first times i have been cold since i left La Costa. The 21st fall started and it feels like it jumped from summer to winter in a heart beat. It made me get sick. i was super congested and i didnt have any decongestant medicine so I had the idea to eat a super hot pepper to loosen everything up. It worked but it killed me in the process. I think my mom will put up the pics. at least it worked though haha.

spiritual thought for the week: Mosiah 16: 6-9

6 And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.

7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

 9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

We are getting close to easter. Its a great time to remember the sacrafice and resurection of the Savior. Without Him we would be without hope but because of Him we can overcome all things.

Que tengan una buena semana!

Elder Whitaker

Ty & his Chilean comp, who will be going home next week, having completed 2 years.

from Ty "we made a wall of cockroaches that we have killed so that the other cockroaches that try to enter have to climb over their comrades".

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

I got to capture an eagle thanks to my ealge scout and half mexican powers.

hows it going? we have had a solid week out here in romero. its been super productive. We have a lot of perople progressing towards baptism. we have two investigators, Norma and Ian that will be getting their baptisimal interviews this week! hey are awesome. In our class on sunday we were talking about prophets and she bore her testimony about how she knew that God had sent us because when we found her she was in a depression and since she met us her life has changed. It was touching to hear her testimony. She and her son should be getting baptized the 29th.

We were going downtown to get a training about doing an open house for a church down here and we got there early. We found some guys that werent members of the church behind the church playing on the churches basketball court. my comp is from chile but he knows how to play so we went and played with them for like 15 min before the training and it was super fun and we got 4 new people to teach out of it. Its for another area but hey you got to play basketball for a good cause. It was also way fun because i havent played basketball in a ton!

Well a lot of people in our ward down here are passing through some tough times and I was thinking the other day about how I can help them. A scripture came to my mind that i was able to see in a different way.

 its in 2 nephi 25 verse 26

 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

as i was thinking i relaized that christ is the source to which we may look in everything, not only for remision from our sins. I know that it is true. through christ we can really solve any problem we have and recieve the consolation and comfort that we need. If we can take time to pause, look at or situation and look for the way we can move closer to chirst i know that we will have the strength we need to overcome our trials.

well i hope you all have a good week!

Elder Whitaker 

My boy!!!

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

Como andan? I hope all is well up there. Everything is awesome down here in romero! We had a really solid week! 

Well a new transfer just started so a bunch of friends left my zone but some friends came as well. Now my district is basically all sister missionaries except for the zone leaders. Its a different dynamic now but they are all great missionaries. 

This last week we finally started connecting. We found 10 new people to teach this week and 6 of them are preparing to get baptized in addition to the couple that wants to get married and baptized. It is awesome to see the people get excited about this message. A lot of times we just work and work and sometimes it doesnt go any where. I enjoy the work and i see the change that happens in me but sometimes its sad to see that all your work falls on people that dont want to open their hearts. There is an even greater joy when you see other people recieving the blessings!

Of the people we are teaching that are progressing a lot we have the family Kallus. They are from paraguay and are basically already members. The husband is a member that was inactive and his wife isnt a member. Recently they have basically come to church every sunday since we started working with them and they are working on their papers so that they can get married soon so that sister kallus can get baptized. ITs awesome beause every time we go to thier house we see how excited they are and they always tell us about their expiriences they had during the week sharing the gosple.

We also found invited to be baptized that family that we invited to the family sports activity that we have every friday. the Mom´s name is Norma. she showed up with her son and her nieces and they loved it. At first they wern´t interested because they are catholic and didnt want to hear about our beliefs but seeing all the famalies at the activity they really liked it and when we showed up at their house they had a bunch of questions about being baptized so now they are preparing to follow the savior as well.

The last family we have been working with was a reference from a less active sister, los Perunetti. The mom is a little closed for hard things she has had to experience in the past but she let us in and we taught her and her kids. she has a daughter thats 16 and sons that are 14 and 11. The kids want to be baptized as well but the mom is still a little skeptical. but the kids are excited.

Well i dont write a ton about the people i teach sometimes because some stuff is more personal but I wanted you guys to know about these awesome 3 families and have you guys keep them in your prayers so that they can keep on going in their path. I know i write a lot about stories and interesting stuff that happens but if you were to ask me what is the best part of being here in argentina i wouldn´t tell you about my adventure (although i have some pretty legit adventures) I would tell you about all the amazing people i have met. More than sight seeing I was sent down here to help people i knew before coming down to live on earth. There is a special joy that comes from fufilling my promise to help the people i promised to help find the gosple. I love it.

Have a good week.

Elder Whitaker

A little time off-

(p.s i also helped capture a wounded eagle this week. pictures to come)

He finally found his favorite thing:  PB&J

Ty with his district.  He is a District Leader