"God is leading me to where he wants me to be...."

Hola mi familia y mis amigos!

Hows life? things down here are going great! I was in a lot of meetings this week because its the start of the new mission Buenos Aires East. OUr new mission president is super cool. He is pretty young. He has 2 of his kids living with him in the mission house. Its kinda cool being able to talk with them between meetings. 

This week really opened my eyes. Im seeing my mission from a different perspective now and im stoked to take advantage of these last 3 months. I ha ve some good goals of thing i want to get done before im back. The area is still kinda slow but we are working hard. I know that not everyone i talk with is going to let me teach them but i dont want to miss any opportunity. I guess from having time in the mission you see somebody and you automatically make a probability that they will be open to talk but i learned a big lesson this week.

we found a man that hasn`t gone to church for years. He lives in a place that looks like a cave and is still under construction. People had told us not to waste our time because he was always drinking but one day we found him and tried to set an appointment with him. He accepted but we were just thinking that it would fall through but we went anyways. To our suprise he was there. Entering i was still kind in doubt that he would be receptive but as i heard his story i grew to love him in those 30 minutes. Yes, he was off track but he had made the decision between going and drinking with his friends and staying home to talk with us. The next day he was in church with us! God is always looking out for everyone of us. We are all lost sheep in a way but how amazing is it that no matter where we stray He is always looking out for everyone of us and is slowly leading us back to Him. Thats what happened with this man and thats whats happeneing with everyone of us.

I have seen God`s hand in my life too, leading me closer to him. These last couple weeks have been tough but Im realizing that these events, just like the events that have happened in the life of this man we met i realize that God is leading me to where he wants me to be. I have learned some important things and am in the process of learning still. It will be great to see where heavenly father is going to take me.

Elder Whitaker

"It's probably the best part of missionary work to hear those words...."

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

well we had a pretty crazy week this week. W

e had exchanges with the elders in our zone all week so i basically didnt even see my comp the whole week. it was crazy. I was so tired this weekend. It was fun though because there are a lot of cool elders in our zone. Well because my comp was in other areas i was running the area for the first time. it went well but we still need to find more people.

as for the people we do have, they are coming along nicely. We had a couple lessons with Mauro and jessica this week and they are doing everthing right. we showed up on thursday and they told us, "we have been praying together and we know its all true" so thats pretty awesome. Its probably the best part of missionary work to hear those words.

We have started teaching a family that the dad is a member but his kids, that have between 30 and 15, aren´t. we went over last monday to have a family home evening and i pulled out some of my mexican skills i didnt know i had and we made some legit tacos. we had guacamole and salsa and beans and everything which arent things that you can typically get here. They were soooooo good. i had been dying for a good taco. its was super funny though because the argentines think black pepper is spicy. I made one of the kids throw up because he wasnt used to the spice haha woops. but everybody else liked it. but yeah doing that we got the trust of the kids and they started listening to us. we had a cople solid lessons with them.

Well my comp is getting ready to go home next monday. its fun but also makes me a little trunky because he is remembering all the good stuff from the states haha but ill live. we will see who my new comp will be next week! Ill miss Elder McKean though.

spiritual thought of the week:

2 nephi 33:10-12 Its Nephi´s testimony (the first prophet who writes in the Book of Mormon) about the Book of Mormon. This book is the ultimate test. if it persuades us to believe in Christ and increases our faith, then its true. If it is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet called to restore Christ´s church, which had been lost, again the the Earth. This book has increased my faith and I know it is true.

10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believein Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.

11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.

 12 And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day.

Have a good week everyone. I love you guys!

Elder Whitaker

"There is nothing more precious than peace of conscience that comes from coming unto Christ".

Hola mi familia y mis amigos,

Hows it going? Happy Mothers day to all you moms out there. It was way fun to talk with my family again after so long. Weird that the next time you see me will be when i get off the plane. This last week was amazing! It was a little stressful but very gratifying. 

The Lord has been opening doors for us and helping us so much! The adversary tries to put everything he can between the people we are teaching and baptism but the people I have come to love keep going on strong! 

Eliana was baptized yesterday! she was going to be baptized last week but she got sick, but this week she was good for her baptism. It was an awesome baptisimal service. There was a lot of support from the ward and all of her family came. We have been teaching her brother as well but the rest of the family always kept their distance but them being there yesterday was a huge step for them which went really well.

Sofia also was going to be baptized yesterday but she has an aunt that is a jehovas witness that obligated her to go to a convention in Buenos Aires. It was a bummer when we found that out at the beginning of the week but we had some really good lessons with her and i dont have any doubt that she is going to get baptized this saturday. Also with all this we began teaching the rest of her family so hopefully we can help them as well.

We had an awesome lesson with Maribel. She is an old investigator that we recently were able to start teaching again. She had stopped listening to the elders because in a month her brother and two uncles died and she stopped believing. When we started teaching her again we assumed she already had a testimony of the book of mormon because she read a ton of it and is always reading but fwe felt promted to ask her if she knew that it was true. It was a perfect question because she had assumed that the deaths of her uncles and brother were signs from God that she was doing somehing bad, even though she told us she feels an undescribable feeling everytime she reads. We were able to help her understand her answer and now she is super solid. we only have to help her get married.

Elder DeYoung and I have been having a great time out here. We have been having ping pong fridays, where we go to the church and play ping pong during exercise time. Its pretty fun because we almost always go into overtime. Its been getting pretty cold down here so i hope you guys are enjoying the warmth.

spiritual thought: 2 Nephi 33:6

 6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus,for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.

Of all the things that I teach as a missionary the most important is testify that Jesus is the Christ. I am personally grateful for the debt he paid to free me from my sins and from death. There is nothing more precious to me than my testimony of Christ and the knowledge I have that for following Him I can be redeemed. There is nothing more precious than peace of conscience that comes from coming unto Christ.

Elder Whitaker

The key to happiness I think, is just finding out the will of God, and accepting it...."

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 yo 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

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