8/18/14

Man oh man... The weeks are going by so fast it is ridiculous. I blink and its Monday again. Time flies in the service of the Lord. 

This week I just wanted to share a couple of experiences that meant a lot to me this week. 

We had another lesson with Irene and family from the Congo. We brought another member who speaks french. We went in to talk about authority and it wound up being the member and Irene hashing it out in French. haha I had NO idea what was going on, but I did catch on that they were talking about baptism. I just had a thought go through my mind. "Baptism is not about joining a church." I literally called a time out and was like what is going on haha. He said that she was concerned that she had already been baptized and feels like she is already a member of the church. She feels great and church and loves us coming over, but she thinks shes already a member haha We tried to resolve it, but we have come to the conclusion that she will be baptized when shes ready! The spirit will tell her and its not our job to push it. Her whole family came to church and it was a great experience. There is nothing like having a lesson in another language. I had no idea what was happening but it was SWEET!

On Saturday, we had 5 appointments in the afternoon, and all 5 fell through. We did have a cool experience however. We pulled up to an appointment in a rough part of town, and our investigator comes walking up with a bottle in hand with a humiliated look on her face. She had a black eye and her fingers looked like they had no skin left. She apologized and needed us to reschedule. We asked if everything was ok. She told us that shed been staying at her nieces house across the street and crazy things have been going down. Her house was being shot up and a whole bunch of other stuff, but she was so embarrased that she was cancelling on us again. With tears in her eyes, she said,"Please dont give up on me. I need this. Please dont give up on me." The love and compassion I felt for her were unreal. We went and got her some ice and some bandages and when we came back, she had this look of gratitude on her face that I will never forget. I wish you all could have seen it. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. 

We met one of the most prepared people I have ever taught. His name is Fred King. He had met with missionaries before, and had an incredible experience while praying with them in which he came to know that God loves him. For one reason or another, they stopped meeting together, but he knew that if he ordered a bible on this website, missionaries would come, because they did the first time, and that is what he did. We had an awesome Restoration lesson with him and put him on date to be baptized on September 6. We invited him to pray at the end and he got really nervous saying, "I dont know what to say." We just said, say what ever comes into your heart." His prayer was as follows: "Heavenly father, thank you for these guys. I know that you sent them. Please don't let anything get in the way of this. I want to go to church with these guys, I'm ready to repent. Let nothing get in the way of September 6th." It was one of the coolest prayers I have ever heard. 

When we were preparing for him a few days later, I started to feel uneasy about that date. It all just felt like it was too fast. I felt that he needed more time to make sure he was ready. Elder Erekson suggested we just go and see how he feels. Before we started we talked about how we wanted to go at his pace. He was so relieved to hear that. He said he had been waiting for this for a long time, and he wanted to make sure he was ready. He wants to go to church a lot and wants to make sure he has friends before it happens. Man he is such a solid guy! We had an awesome lesson of the plan of salvation and all is well with him.

My favorite quote this week comes from a member named Sister Heard. I swear, nothing bad ever deserves to happen to Sister Heard. She has been going through a ton lately. We were trying to help her out and she had this thought. "I'm too blessed to be stressed." Amen Sister Heard. Amen. All of us really are too blessed to be stressed. We have the gospel. We know God's plan. We have a Savior. Everything we go through is compounded for our gain in the long run. What do we have to worry about? Isn't life just great? I testify that the Savior lives and that the Holy Ghost is real. I don't ever want to live without it again. I know our Father in Heaven knows and cares about each of us. I love him with all my heart!

Elder Wheat

Our battle swords at a members house... Sick...

8/11/14

I pretty much hit the wall this week. I just felt like I was doing this work all by myself. It is stressful when you are basically in charge of 20 people's salvation haha. It is exhausting to feel like you are always falling short, especially when the work you are doing isn't yours. But I had a really cool experience. I received a call at 10:00 from the assistants this last Thursday telling me they needed me to give a baptismal interview about 50 miles away the next day (my first one btw... AHHH). We show up to this woman's trailer and we perform the interview in the front seat of her car. It didn't take long for me to realize that she was just like me. Stressed out of her mind by everything going on in her life. Her stressors were much more serious than mine, but it felt like I was talking to another me. She was repeatedly did this half sigh-half laugh thing that I always do which means, "I am stressed out my mind but I am trying to just smile it away." She was constantly feeling like she was falling short. I felt this overwhelming love and compassion for her. All I could do was smile and laugh with her and just tell her how proud heavenly father was of her. As the person performing the interview, I am able to receive revelation specifically for this person and discern the Lords will for this person. I felt that what I was feeling for her was exactly what heavenly father was feeling for her. All she needed to hear was "you are doing a good job." We talked and did the interview (she was gold btw). I got to share a couple of scriptures with her that helped calm her down. She prayed to bring the interview to a close, and she said, "thank you for sending Elder Wheat to do the interview. Its nice to talk to someone just like me. Its nice to know you always send people where they need to be.

It was one of the most memorable experience of my mission. I was pondering that hour for the rest of the day. Right before I went to bed, I had this question come to my mind "What would the savior say if I was having that interview with myself?" I felt that I would be telling myself the same thing I told her. I would smile and laugh and say "you are doing a wonderful job. You are trying, and that is all the Savior asks for. No matter how you feel about your effort, I know that the Lord is smiling on you and is willing to help you. He feels more happiness for what you are doing than disappointment for what you are not doing." Then he'd smile and give me a hug (which I did not do in the interview because that would be wildly inappropriate haha) and say "just keep going." This life really is all about progress and not perfection. We can still expect the best from ourselves without feeling overwhelming disappointment when we fall short. God did not "send his son to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved."

Notwithstanding my own personal trials this week, it really was awesome. We met a former Michigan football player, and he wants to meet with us!! But the real miracle happened on Wednesday. We went to go meet with the Clan again. We weren't sure how it would go since Ken dropped us. We were only planning on meeting with Becky. We were praying that a miracle would happen with them. We go in and not only was Becky there, but Dennis, Erica, her sister, and a couple (Lauren and Jack) that they had invited over to listen to us! We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I felt that they loved it! They had tons of questions and it was so great! The cool part was when we started talking about the Holy Ghost. I asked them how they knew that the Bible was true, and Lauren started talking about the physical evidence behind it. I felt like I should ask, "Do we have proof that Jesus walked on water, or that he raised the dead." None of them could answer. We read Moroni 10:4 and broke it down with them. We taught that each of them could receive a personal answer from God to any question they have ever had and committed them to do so. They were really excited about that. Lauren especially couldn't wait to meet with us this week. She has a ton of questions, which I am thankful that the Holy Ghost has a ton of answers. That was just one miracle we had this week. We found some new investigators and are starting to make progress! I am really looking forward to getting out and working with them. 

I must share how grateful I am for a God who answers questions. Who loves each of us enough to not only listen to our prayers but answers them. I received so much needed counsel from my Father in Heaven this week and I know that he can do the same for all. While answers do not always come quickly, they will come when we are truly ready to receive them. I have not received all the answers yet, but I have been given an assurance that he is there, and that he is listening.

Elder Wheat

African Party!!! 8/4/14

So we get a call from our investigator from the Congo call us on Saturday. She doesn't speak any english, but Elder Erekson was able to make out that she wanted to meet us at 5:00 at her sisters house. We brought a member with us to translate and we pull up to a house with a bunch of balloons. We were invited to a birthday party... We are invited in and immediately celebrated by about 40 Congoans (not sure what they are called). We look everywhere for Irene and we sit down and start teaching her the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Her friend who is a recent convert sat in as well as another who is investigating in the next ward over. It was powerful to hear there testimonies. The spirit is the same whether in French or English.

Near the end of the lesson, they start handing us plates and Irene stops us and says time to eat. Thank goodness we didn't have a dinner appointment... They brought out a major feast which included fried plantain, hamburgers, african donuts, chicken, and goat. MAN it was good. We asked Irene if they do this for every birthday and she says, "In the Congo, if we have and excuse to eat, we do it." All of this for a 1 year old! haha Naturally we had to take pictures with all them, so we start lining up and taking pictures. Then they say "you need to take a picture with my baby!" Before I could explain the rule to them, they just dropped their baby in my hands!!! Everyone was there and we had no idea what to do! haha Elder Erekson whispered to me, "you are so apostate!" and we just couldn't stop laughing! Funniest picture/memory I have so far.

We finished the lesson with Irene, and this is how it went. She says "you won't convince me I need to be baptized again, but I love church and I love the Book of Mormon." That has basically how our week went. Ken, the investigator that came to church last week dropped us because we had answered all his questions. It was heart breaking for me. You put so much into these investigators and these lessons. We pull out every scripture, analogy, and testimony we can, and it still is never enough. I started to feel a little discouraged. We have so many wonderful investigators. I see the spirit work with them in every lesson. I see their sadness turn to joy in one lesson, and it is like they forget as soon as we leave. If there was one thing I could say to every investigator, it would be this: Meeting with the missionaries can change the course of your day, but acting on their teachings will change the course of your life. I often feel like Alma when he cried out "Oh that I were an angel!" so that perhaps I might have a greater effect on them, but nevertheless, I know that the Lord is with us.

How I love the people of this city. I would do anything that I can to see just one of their lives changed by the power of the Book of Mormon. I know that it is true. I often have to remember the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith when he said, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." I know that everything is going to work out, because the Spirit is a better teacher than I will ever be. I know that those we are teaching will be changed by him if they will just read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. In its pages are the words of Christ, which are the words of eternal life. I know he lives!!! How grateful I am for him. It is I, who owe him my heart and devotion. I stand all amazed.

Love you all!!!

Elder Wheat

The coolest and nicest people in the world. I love the Congo! 

The coolest and nicest people in the world. I love the Congo!

There is a running joke in our ward that Elder Erekson and I are vikings, so Bro Banner got us helmets. Oh yea...

7/28/14

Looking back on this transfer, is is unreal to see how merciful the Lord has been to us. So many miracles. This last transfer, we have found 26 new investigators, and 9 this week and I can't tell you how much I love everyone of them!! I swear we got it all this week. We had a full day of 6 appointments and 5 fall through and we saw miracles at church. It was just so great.

Ken and Becky came to church as well as a family from the Congo (thank goodness we have members that speak French.) Ken absolutely ate it up. He would just nod his head the whole time and I swear he was on fire the whole time!! He is so awesome! I am so glad to meet with them on Wednesday!

Sorry this email is so short but transfers is today and its always crazy on transfer day... We are getting 2 new awesome missionaries in the district and I am so psyched!!

The Lord really is so great. I wish I could explain the way I have felt this week... This area is blowing up. I am so happy to be here for another transfer!!

Elder Wheat

My first district!!!!!

District Ties

Pinargoates... Best family ever!

Look who's staying the Night?!?! My MTC COMP!!!

Elders GQ picture

Finding Family 7/22/14

Holy Smokes time is going by fast. I don't understand how it has already been six months... Crazy.

Life as a missionary really is the best. I must admit that I am gaining a testimony of the principle of fasting. The missionaries in my district (6 of us in all) agreed to participate in a 7 day fast for a few purposes, one of which is finding prepared families. The fast is still going and we are already seeing miracles. Every companionship has found a new family to teach!! Let me tell you about ours. 

A few weeks ago, we taught a woman named Becky on her front porch. It was a total train wreck... We taught her the Plan of Salvation, and then squeezed in the Restoration and it was just WAYYYYYYY to much information. We set an appointment with her to meet again this past Wednesday. I was 95% we were going to get stood up, but she invited us right in, had a tuna fish sandwich for the both of us, and her husband Ken, and her friends Dennis and Erica were there too waiting to be taught.... It was so cool!!! We all sat down and started teaching the restoration. All of them are graduates of a Christian college in Grand Rapids and they are very well versed in scriptures. Erica was taking notes, and Ken and Dennis had some stellar questions. They asked why we need prophets and we read Ephesians 4:11-14 (read it, its a great scripture) and it struck a chord with Ken. We asked what that meant to him, and he said that deviation from the doctrine was definitely not a good thing. He now understands the great apostasy and the need for a restoration. The spirit was so powerful as we taught the first vision, and Ken was reading the Book of Mormon before we even left. Dennis wants his wife and other roommate to sit in on the next lesson. All of these people live in one house, so we just call them the Clan because we don't know what else to call them haha.

The next Family was a family from Nepal. Unfortunately, I don't speak Nepali, so there is a bit of a language barrier, but Tecc (the dad0 is very eager to learn.  They are such a great family!!

The last woman is named Irene. Her and her family are refugees from the Congo that moved to Michigan about 7 months ago. Sadly, my Swahili is a little rusty and my French is even worse, so we need a translator (thankfully, Mormons are often bilingual and we know one who speaks french.) They have obviously been through a lot. We couldn't understand each other much, but we did pray together. It was a very special. I know that the spirit is without a doubt universal. The smiles that were on there faces were so beautiful... they need the gospel so bad. The whole family followed us out, and Irene pointed to her 8 year old son and said in broken English, "He will be a missionary one day." It was beautiful.

I don't know if you all remember Yasmine, but she was the miracle story from a few weeks ago where I tapped my GPS and there she was. But an update on her: She has totally dropped drinking (she eats candy when she gets the urge) and coffee (which she drinks more than water) just like that! She is working on the 7 day smoking program as well. She is so awesome. She doesn't understand much of what we teach, but I know she feels the spirit. She says that every time we meet, she feels like there is nothing that can ruin her day. She is so awesome :) She really needs to get to church but that is ok! We will get there!

Remember Cynthia? the lady who we cast evil spirits from her house last week? Well we went back to see her, and things have been awesome for her. She says that things have been so great since we came the first time and she feels at peace for the first time. We taught her the plan of salvation, and she is super solid. She wants us to teach her son and daughter. 

The Lord is being so good! I am so thankful for his patience with me and his infinite love. I know that he lives and that the fullness of his gospel has been restored. It has changed me forever. I have never been so happy, and I wish that everyone could feel the way that I do. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and I know that all who read it and pray to know its truthfulness will know. Most of all, is my testimony of Jesus Christ. He lives, he speaks, and he loves. I love him with all my heart! 

Elder Wheat

The Sisters made me a cake!!!!

The Berlin Wall

I really wish missionaries could ride these bikes

Thank Goodness for Michigan!!!! (Quote by Abe Lincoln)

Me and the Grand River

I have grown older today 07/14/14

Every time I think I won't have any more crazy stories, I end up having one....

We received a referral from the sisters for a woman named Cynthia, who had just lost her son to what was believed to be an overdose. She has been having a crazy few weeks. Her mom just died, her son just died, and her other son was shot 5 times last week... We went with Brother Banner (coolest old man in Michigan) to go see her a few days ago. She was distraught, and rightfully so. She has been desperately trying to find answers from God and hadn't been getting anything. The whole time she was talking to us, I was thinking, how on earth are we going to help her. She mentioned that she just wanted direction. She said that she was feeling a spirit come accross the room every night. She couldn't sleep at all and she was just going crazy. The thought came that we should give her a blessing. I was asked to offer it. In the blessing, I felt very prompted to say, "I command any spirits that wish to do you harm to depart." 

After the blessing, she exclaimed, "Why did you say that??" I said, "you know, I am not sure..." She said, "Every night I see a black spirit come across the room from the head of the couch where I sleep down..." We talked a little bit more about how the atonement can help us find relief, and we left. She was smiling when we left, and she said she felt way better.

On the ride home, Brother Banner said, "Gentlemen, we've gotten older today." He was right. Just this week, we taught a man who sold drugs and been in and out of jail until a few years ago. He was 65 (and super solid by the way). We gave a blessing to a recent converts sister who was suffering from a health issue that could kill her any minute. This is a crazy world. I have seen things I never thought I would see. I have no idea how these people do it. My goodness.

It has been an awesome week nonetheless. We are being so blessed. We have found 10 new investigators in the last 3 weeks, and I swear the Lord has been guiding every step. We pray to know where to go, and a few minutes later, we are led to exactly where we need to be. If only I could write about the experiences from this week alone.  I know that the Lord is going before our faces and leading the way.

We got to meet the new mission president this week! President Jacobsen is definitely a coach. He compared the hastening of the work to the no huddle offense. We now run the spread in the Michigan Lansing Mission. Yea... I am going to love this guy haha Thank you so much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! It meant so much to me you have no idea!

I have said it before and I don't think I will ever stop, but I know that this work is true. Joseph Smith really was a prophet. Every time I tell or hear the restoration story, the air in the room changes. I know that he saw what he said he saw. I know most of all that Jesus is the Christ. He is changing me. I feel like a totally different person than when I came out. His atonement changes lives. Even if my mission doesn't change anyone in Michigan, every second has been worth it, because it is changing me. He Lives. None of us ever has reason to despair because of him. I know of my own strength I can do nothing, but we can do anything, because of him.

This cat doesn't like anyone btw... Except me... I don't know why

07/07/14

This has been a growing week for me. We didn't teach to many lessons, but I have learned a lot. The weather lately has been pretty wacky. We had a crazy storm roll in last night. I remember just sitting on the balcony, hearing the rain coming, and seeing the lightning light up the sky, and I just started to sing "How Great Thou Art." It was a really cool experience for some reason. No matter what storm rolls in, there is always peace in thinking about the greatness of the savior. 

I sadly don't have any fun stories this week, except for maybe one. We stopped in to visit a 90 year old baptist reverend and his 85 year old wife. They were wonderful people!! They started by saying, "we hope you guys learn something today," and I thought, "Oh boy." They asked where do you think we came from? I whipped out Jeremiah 1:5, and I swear all I read was, "before I formed thee in the belly," and I said nothing else for the hour we were there. Reverend goes, "Wait where??" and I go, "The belly?" and he goes, "NO!!!! From the GROUND!!!" They proceeded to go on for an hour about how we come from the ground, how Adam "knew" his wife and somehow that equated to Mrs. Reverends past life of gambling and selling marijuana... It was... interesting. They were such wonderful people though! Could not have been nicer.

My first district meeting went really well. The zone leaders told me they would be there, but what they didn't tell me was they were going to be on trade offs with the Assistants, and right before we started in walks Elder Dericott, and I was like, "Well great!" It turned out to be an awesome experience. I seriously just have the greatest district in the whole world!!! Afterwards, Elder Dericott told me it was the best district meeting he has ever been to. I am so thankful the spirit was there to take over!

All I can share this week is this: We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, and we prophecy Christ, and we will become like Christ. I know the Savior lives and his atonement is real. I cannot ever repay what he has done for me. I wonder which drop of blood did I make him shed, and I know it has been far, far to many, but I am thankful that he did it. I am so grateful that because of him, each of us can begin again. Through faith, repentance, and baptism, our sins and there effects can be completely washed away. Everything that is unfair or difficult about life is covered by the Savior and his atonement. As we make covenants with him, we access the fullness of his power. Through his atonement, we can be completely transformed. I know how hard it is to give up our old ways and plastic pearls, but I know of the real ones Jesus offers us. Life is easy when you rely on the savior, for his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I know he lives and I know his love.

Elder Wheat

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