Monday, July 26, 2010

Transfer 6 Week 3, July 26, 2010

Dear Family,

It's good to hear about all y'all's week. I really did enjoy the package from the YW. When I saw the key in our mail box slot-thingy I thought Sister Winder had gotten another package, she's the one who usually does, but when the package was for me, I was surprised! (Mom, you don't have to worry about me being nice I sent Sister Davis a thank you card as soon as I got the package, and I asked her to thank the YW.)

This week has been kinda slow, and hot, really, really, really HOT! Our Daily Contacts (DC) is low this week because of it being so stinkin' hot here, no one wants to be outside, not even us, but by being outside in the heat it sparks an interest in people to want to know why we're outside. Sister Winder and I have talked to a lot of people about why we come out on missions (it was brought on by Sister Woodall not being there. Remember, Sister Woodall was the mini-missionary, and they wanted to know where she was).

I was wondering if you could send me the Ensign every month, we get it here, but we use them as visuals for our investigators. I'd just like my own copy that I can mark up and stuff and now with Zone Conferences being every three months instead of every month I don't know what they'll do for the Ensign.

I can't think of anything else. So . . . .

Love

Monday, July 19, 2010

Transfer 6 Week 2, July 19, 2010

Email 1 (about the knives she mailed home):


Okay, the ones in the red paper bag thingy, those are for dad (his father's day gift—a recent convert in Dickson gave those to me and Sister Goff). The small pocket knife and the other(s?) are mine/my future husband’s. Isn't John Fuller nice?


What would you like me to say for YWs?



Email 2 (again about the knives):


No, but if Dad can't remember than perhaps if I saw them I could tell. I know that there are two mother of pearl knives the big one is for dad and the small one is mine. There's one in a leather holder that one is for Dad. There's one for "Mr. Right" I don't really remember what that one looks like, Sister Goff and I opened the box to see what it was (we weren't supposed to), and it's a really nice knife as well, though I believe that one was in a box like my knife. If there are any other knives, I don't know.


Email 3:


I'll start off with questions they might have that you can answer when they ask it or at the end if they don't.


Questions/Answers:


1. Q: Should girls serve missions if they aren't dating anyone when they're 21?
A: No, if sisters aren't dating anyone when they are 21, they have many options before them, continue schooling, or if they so desire, they may serve a mission, even if when they were younger they didn't think (or want) to serve a mission. So, pretty much ask God if it is His will for you to serve a full-time mission with the black tag.


2. Q: Why do sisters have to wait until they're 21 to serve a mission and why is it only for 18 months and not 24?
A: Well, we (Sister Winder and I) recently had a mini-missionary as another companion and we know why we have to wait. One, while we tend to be more mature than the elders a mission is really, really, really hard and we need that extra time to prepare ourselves. For elders a mission is their preparation.


3. Q: What's a mini-missionary? (Mom you don't have to answer this if they don't ask.)
A: A mini-missionary is someone who comes out to see what a mission is like, only they serve for two weeks instead of 1 1/2 or two years.


Okay, I'll now talk about my experiences.


I've been one of the missionaries to see at least 6 people come to the water's edge (baptism). It's amazing to see what a difference the gospel makes in the lives of our sisters and brothers. I have to say that the best time I've had on my mission was when we taught member's friends/family and they were baptized into this church. I never wanted to serve a mission. Never, if you had asked me on my twentieth birthday if I wanted to serve a mission, I would have told you no, however, I'm glad I'm here helping the work progress. I know in Utah it doesn't seem like there's much to do as far as missionary work is concerned, but just being a good example to others helps a lot! You don't even have to do much, going to the temple is doing missionary work, you are helping others receive salvation. That's what a missionary does, we help people receive salvation.


My time is almost up, I must get going.


Love Sister Whitehead.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Transfer 6 Week 1, July 12, 2010

Hello family!


Transfer news: first the English elders (Zone Leaders) Elder Campbell is leaving McMinnville, I don't know where he's going. Elder Carpenter is staying and his new companion is Elder Nicholl, I get Elder Nicholl again! Yay!!!! He's an awesome missionary/leader. The Spanish elders, Elder Ulmer and Elder Vasquez are being whitewashed out, I don't, however remember who's coming in to replace them. Sister Winder and I are staying here. Fun.



Will the Ward be doing anything special for Pioneer Day?
Yes, the ward is doing something in Altamont, and also in town they'll be watching a movie or more, somethin' like that.



How did things go with your mini-missionary? (What is a mini-missionary, by the way?)
I'll tell you that next week, so ask again, she's still here. A mini-missionary is someone who wants to see what it's like to be a missionary without being a full-term missionary. They're just out for two weeks, and then they go back to "normal" life.



Just so you know, I have a copy of Preach My Gospel in both English and Dutch and I'm working on reading them side-by-side. I just might finish the book later this summer or early fall (which is to say I'm not speed-reading them).
That's so cool! I love how you want to keep your mission language up, in the words of Elder Vasquez, that's awesome.



Let's see, I sent you the talk you wanted by Neil Anderson, did you get it? Did you also get the padded envelope with your new debit card? And did you understand that you just need to call either of the phone numbers to activate the card and that you don't have to use our home phone to do it?
The answer to all of these questions is yes.



Tell us anything else interesting that's going on. Are things any better with Kenny Priest or Linda Presley?
No, not really, we reset a date with Kenny, but he has a phobia of crowds that we need to overcome first before he will come to church, or at least have him meet a lot of people in the ward so he doesn't feel alone, somethin' like that.



And what great news about Wanda Kelly! I'm excited about that!
I know! (took her long enough). I'm so happy for her and her family. I know they'll be blessed.



For the past week I haven't really been feeling well, I go out and teachify, but my stomach hurts if I stop and have a moment to myself, so at lunch and dinner I take a nap. If any of you have a suggestion as to how I can feel better please let me know.



Love, Sister Angela Elizabeth Whitehead

Monday, July 5, 2010

Transfer 5 Week 6, July 5, 2010

Dear Fammawee,


Angela, you said you've got baptismal dates set. Who are your investigators? How are they doing? Well, first our baptism dates have been postponed, they didn't come to church yesterday, and I don't think they'll find a good reason to, unless we teach them with more pure doctrine. They were/are Kenny Priest, we met him contacting, (it's kinda like tracting only we don't knock on doors---tracting isn't my favorite thing in the world, it doesn't get many people to water's edge). Though one person that I met tracting did get baptized on Saturday . . . finally. For those of you who know Wanda Kelly, (Sister Blackham and I first set the date with her for January 16th, but it fell through because of her family).


The other is Linda Presley. We also met Linda contacting, there isn't much to say there. I feel bad that I don't have any good feelings about them, I know they're children of God, and that one day they will be baptized, but I'm just not feelin' it lately, I really hope I'm not getting into a funk.


How did Sister Hutchings happen to be with you for setting one of those dates? We had interviews that day, and President Hutchings, Sister Hutchings and one of the APs, Elder Hare (a Spanish elder) went on exchanges with us from 6-9. It was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome that she came with us.


Are you scorching in the heat or getting along okay? When our AC went out Sister Winder and I were drenched in our own sweat, and the apartment gave us no relief, in fact in the morning it was cooler outside than in.


Is your apartment air conditioned? FINALLY! We have our AC back on, and I can't tell you how happy I am! Though one nice thing about no AC for the weekend it helped Sister Winder and I get used to the heat, so being outside isn't as bad as it once was.


Have you been getting the snail mail letters I've been sending okay? Yes, I have, and if I could, I'd like to make a request for a talk, it's by Neil L. Anderson, it's called, "Repent that I may heal you." I really like it and would love to read it from time to time, like I do with the other talks I have.


Tell us anything you can think of to share. It's all interesting to us! Well, it really isn't that positive, but I feel that I need to get it off my chest so that I don't think about it anymore and I can focus on the work at hand. The ward here seems nice to us, but they would much rather help the elders than the sisters, and I'm not just talking about meals, we can handle the no meals thing. This ward is just so worked I think they need to remove the sisters for a time, I know that there are some less actives/excommunicated members who wouldn't like that, but the ward, in my own opinion, needs a swift kick in the rear. I know that those that we've been teaching haven't been to church, and honestly I don't blame them. In Gospel Principles the members trash other churches and at the same time they aren't, saying somefing like, "In other churches they don't have the priesthood authority of God," or they talk about things that only members would know, things that are too overwhelming for people looking into the church. I hope all of you try not to talk too in depth of the doctrines of the church when in R/S or where ever you may be. We are told in Preach My Gospel that we are not to teach all we know to our investigators. I honestly think that every member should have a copy of "Preach My Gospel."


Sister Winder and I must get our food for this week before one so that we can be ready for the mini-missionary that we'll be getting later today I'll write more later, but for now,


Love!