Elder Joe Wheat: 3.17.14

This week has been a little bit tougher but the Lord is blessing us still!!

The weather is super bi-polar. On Tuesday it was 55 and sunny, and on Sunday it was 5 degrees. On Wednesday we had half mission training, but the story of how we got there was probably the craziest part! The training was in Grand Rapids which was about an hour and a half north. It started at nine, but we heard it was going to snow through the night, so we decided to leave the house at 6:30 am in hopes that we would make it there at 8:30. Unfortunately, it snowed about 8 inches that night, so we were stuck going 25 mph just to leave Battle Creek. Then came the crazy part. We got stuck in a blizzard, and I swear that it was an answer to prayer that we were driving behind a snow plow. We couldn't see anything, except for the faint lights of the plow through the snow. We couldn't see the road, and if we hadn't been following that plow, we probably would have gone off the road. So that was exciting, and then we got stuck in traffic for 2 hours. It reminded me of home. Wonderful. We finally got there after about 3 and a half hours but we were safe!! The training was amazing, and it made me realize how much more I need to do be a more successful missionary. One of the AP's is named Elder Patterson. He reminds me so much of myself, except a million times better at missionary work. When I hear him speak, I feel the spirit, and I hope and pray that I can be like him. The other AP is Elder Bertilson. He is one of the most Christlike People I have ever met in my life. He is from Sweden, and he is sadly going home next week. I feel so close to those Elders, and they have given me a great standard to shoot for.

Tyler's baptism was this week as well as a young woman named Chana that the sisters in the area were teaching. Before we left for the baptism, I was thinking about what this baptism meant. I began to imagine that I was in the Celestial Kingdom with Tyler, and it filled me with so much joy to think about that. It wasn't just another baptism anymore. It was Tyler entering into the gate that leads to eternal life. I can't quite explain how awesome that feeling was... but it was something I won't ever forget. I pray that he can press forward with steadfast faith in Christ, and continue to study his scriptures. I pray that he can continue to strengthen his faith in Christ. I pray that he can learn what it feels like to be cleansed through the atonement of Christ. I pray that he can feel all that I have felt and learn all I have learned, and more. He is such an awesome kid, and it is amazing to see how the Lord is changing him.

Yevonne is going backwards. She has the same three concerns she had 2 years ago, and no matter how it has been explained to her, she just doesn't understand. It is so frustrating but I love her to death haha. She is just the kind of person you have to love into it.

Jazmine, the girl we gave a blessing to, totally flaked out on us. She cancelled our appointment, and when we called to set up another time, she hung up when we said it was the missionaries. I guess now I am beginning to understand what missionary work is like ahah

Noah is an awesome 14 year old kid we are teaching, whose grandma is less active. She and his mom wouldn't let him get baptized because he is bi-polar, and they fear that he would have to repent to much... I know right? We were shocked too. We invited her to pray and ask God what Noah should do, and the next time we went over, we taught how we can access the atonement through baptism and what repentance really means. We invited Noah to be baptized on April 12, and Sis Carrier (Grandma) said that she had prayed about it, and after speaking with us about it, she wants Noah to be baptized!!!!!! The spirit made that one happen. We just have to meet with his mom and talk it over with her.

I am learning so much. It is so frustrating when you knock on someones door and they slam it before you can say anything. It is frustrating when you bear your testimony of this marvelous gospel and they reject it. It is frustrating when you know someone has felt the spirit testify of this truth, and hang up on you when you try to set up an appointment. It is heartbreaking to think that they will never know what it feels like to be a member of this church. If I feel this way, I can only imagine how Christ must have felt. He suffered for all of our sins and pains. He went through every human suffering imaginable, and he was rejected, spit on, forsaken, scourged, and crucified by those people that he had just suffered for. I suppose that if he can still be joyful and loving after all that, I can be a little more positive when the door is shut in my face.The work is getting harder, but that means this is an opportunity to strengthen my faith, and rely on the power of God. I am always amazed at his perfect love for me, even though I have fallen short so often. I can feel that he is my biggest cheerleader out here, and I am so grateful for him.

This is an awesome work. Its been so much fun, and I can feel how much I am growing! Love you all!!

Elder Wheat