Happy Pioneer Day!

Hey Everyone,

This week was super crazy. The highlight of the whole week might have been Tuesday night when we just sat back, relaxed, and ate the best meal of my entire mission.... a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So, so good. I've definitely been missing me some PB&J. The greatest birthday present. Thank you so much family for the peanut butter.

So then this week was pretty jam packed full of us preparing for a ward activity. Nothing gets done in the area of activities down here if the elders aren't involved and that was definitely true this week. We did EVERYTHING for this activity. It was super awesome though and the ward loves us now. It was Santa María Tiene Talento and everyone loved it. I did my special number doing some super crazy jump rope stunts and everyone laughed at my costume, which I will try to send the picture next week.

It was all just so awesome, but took up ALL of our time. We did get some good lessons in this week though and were blessed with our first baptism. It was an 8 year-old kid who was just so awesome and so ready. His grandparents, aunts, and cousins are members, but not his dad. His dad actually came to the baptism yesterday though and we're going to try to make him more of a priority. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord knows EXACTLY what we all need and how much He has prepared people to hear the message
.

Thanks to Hyrum for the birthday letter and I'm super excited for Aannaliisa as well as Matthew who will be joining the missionary force so soon. I wouldn't trade this for anything and am so grateful to be sharing it with so many people that I love so much.

It was pretty cool this week to be able to work with Elder Poole who was my MTC companion because he's in my ward now and it was cool seeing how far we've both come.

Yesterday I got to talk to some German guy who is here just doing service for a year in a Lutheran church. It was pretty crazy to be able to talk to him in Spanish and understand things. He was definitely less believing than the Latino's and I have a ton more respect for all my brethren and sistren who have and are serving in Europe. Dad, if you have some cool German things I should say to him let me know.

I love you all so much and am loving the mission. This is the best!

Thanks for being the greatest ever and I'll talk to you again next week with more details and awesome stories from the land of the Lamanites. I'm so grateful they have ''believing blood'' as my president calls it.

Have the best week ever and know you are all in my prayers.

Love your best friend forever,

Elder Aaron Wheatley

So So Good!!!!!

Hey Everyone,

This week has been one of the greatest for me.  I sure am loving it here in Huacho! More than anything the ability to just talk with my companion about anything and everything has sure been a blessing to the both of us. We just go crazy about sports or about Utah or who knows what. I just love Elder Sines and am so grateful we can be together.

Shout out to Hermana Young rocking it in Argentina. South America is definitely a better place for you being here. I sure do love you and am excited for Matthew to join us so soon.

This last week was super awesome because we had a training from President Archibald. I don't even know exactly what it is about him, but he is just amazing. He told us that we are among Lehi's children and that little kid that we teach is the same little kid that Jesus put on his lap. That was so special to hear and it definitely got me more excited to go out and preach the gospel. So many prophets have prayed for these people that we are teaching and I am so grateful to be here in Perú.

He talked about how we need to work with the leaders more too and I know some big things are happening. He sure is making us a lot more self sufficient and he was an awesome institute teacher for 30 years. I already have learned so much from him.

Huacho is just the bomb. It's kind of older style architecture and I'm digging it. You get the good old farms with cow poop and a ton of FLEAS too. I thought I was done with those wretched creatures, but I was sure wrong. The best part is just being able to see the stars at night though. I love it so much and am soaking up the more peaceful atmosphere.

I got to give a talk yesterday and the person before me took a bunch of time so I only had about 3 minutes. I remember the legendary ''Come to the Temple'' talk by Dad and did sort of the same. This week I told Elder Sines that I don't know jack about squat, all I know is that the Book of Mormon is true and that it changes lives. I just told the people about the power of that book and I felt the Spirit. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and I don't know if anyone was changed by that talk in the ward, but it changed me and maybe that's the greatest part.

Yesterday a member told me that I don't speak with a gringo accent, but with a German accent. I thought that was pretty funny seeing as we always thought Dad sounded so funny speaking Spanish with a German accent. I keep feeling really good about my Spanish and then I get told that it's bad. I'll just keep working on it though. That's what it's all about after all, getting better.

Not much news about investigators, but I'll get you all up to date next week. I am loving the mission so much. It's still the hardest thing I've ever done and I still have no idea what's going on, but we're all making it. I think that sounds a lot like life though.

I love you all so much. Have the greatest week ever and just know that I am happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love your boy/man in Perú,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

Happy Birthday Mariah

Hello Family and Friends,

This week was one of the craziest weeks of the mission and probably of my life too. I'll get on to my news, but first

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIAH!!!!!!!!!

My birthday was pretty cool and everything, but it was definitely interrupted when I was told that I would be getting transferred to Huacho. I was just thinking about if I would ever come up here to Norte Chico and it is so awesome. So, they told me that I was coming up here with Elder Sines. He's the first friend I made here in the mission. He went to high school at Alta, but grew up in Chicago and likes telling people he's from there to be different. He's a really cool guy and has about 18 months in the mission. He's the district leader and he's showing me how it's done.

I was totally shocked when I found out I would be transferred and even more surprised when they told me I was going to be junior companion again. I definitely didn't see that one coming and it felt really weird. I know it really doesn't matter, believe me I'm loving it, but it was just weird to think about it.

So pretty much my whole birthday I spent packing my bags. I opened up the package and loved EVERYTHING inside of it. It was so amazing and thank you so much to Mom, Mariah, and everyone else for making my birthday such a great day. That night I got to go around and tell people goodbye. One family bought me a piece of cake and then shoved it in my face. That was really awesome. They also gave me a sandwich full of chicken blood (gotta love Perú).

The next day we went into the offices and got to talk with President Archibald. He is such an awesome guy and gave us so much counsel and advice on how to be great missionaries. He said he came into the mission, looked at the board and said something was wrong. He said he felt we should be together and the Spirit has definitely testified that to me. He said a bunch of things I'll be sharing in the next couple of letters, but a lot of it was pretty special and personal too. I sure love President Archibald.

We got to go out to Chili's for my birthday even if it was a day late and it was so delicious.

We got up here to Huacho (my ward is Santa María) and I've been loving it ever since. I'll be sending some pictures home next week. There is some green and some farms out here. It's really cool and I love it so much. It's a lot more peaceful and you can actually see the stars at night.

I haven't been here for too long, but I already love it and know we are going to do some great things together up here. President just told us that a wave is coming and we are on the crest. I am so excited for all of the things coming my way and know Heavenly Father is watching over his work.

We even saw a Suburban the other day, so it just doesn't feel like Perú anymore. It's super awesome being able to talk about sports with my companion too and we are going to work hard here.

The 4th of July was awesome.  The other elders in our ward bought a huge firework. It was super cool and I'm so grateful for our beloved USA.

I love you all so much and love getting all of your emails. I hope you have the greatest week ever and I'll talk to you all soon.

Love your best friend forever just chilling in Huacho,

Elder Aaron Wheatley

God Bless America!!!!!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sure love the good ol' US of A. I hope you all have the greatest 4th of July known to mankind wherever you may be. I'll be thinking about you all and imagining fireworks in my mind. That's one thing I'll never stop missing. I am so looking forward to being with all of you and just enjoying a nice summer evening together. The mission sure helps us realize all the blessings we have been given...family and freedom are at the top of my list. I love you all and will be thinking of you.

Happy Birthday shout out this week to Aunt Stacy and then Mariah on Monday. I'll be writing you again, but you're a bunch of hours ahead so know I'll be thinking about you in your morning and then writing in the afternoon.

It was so amazing to finish the Book of Mormon this week and I am so grateful to have been able to read it so many times in my life. I love that book more than I can even say and know it is true. I took the chance to kneel down and ask God if it was true and you know what, I didn't really feel different. I didn't see an angel or anything, but every time I read that book I feel better. It makes me a better person. I received my spiritual witness a long time ago and now I just keep going forward strengthening it. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon in my life and will keep reading it until the day I die.

I loved reading some talks this week by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. ''Sunday Will Come'' was especially good when he quoted his mom as saying ''Don't be a scrub. You must do better.'' I had no idea that word existed such a long time ago and reading ''scrub'' just made me laugh. If anyone else uses that word, I hope it does the same for you. I also really liked ''Live in Thanksgiving Daily'' and am making the change in my life. He said exactly what I need to hear and I recommend it to all of you. I especially liked how he said we shouldn't feel bad if we weren't grateful before because we can start now. And about how it would surprise the people who thought they knew us.

This week was just so tiring and I have to figure something out. It's great to be a part of the Lord's work though and we were blessed with some people who have been so prepared for baptism. We also focused a lot on less actives and even though it doesn't show up in the numbers, it sure was special to see some people make it back to Sacrament Meeting. We just keep working hard and the Lord blesses us so much.

It got super cold this week and was raining (at least as much as it does here). The sun didn't come out for like 4 days, but today something happened and I am just soaking it all in. The humidity definitely gets you combined with the cold (only 55 or 60). It sure feels a lot colder though seeing as none of the houses have heating so there is no relief. I'm sure anyone who served where it really gets cold is just laughing right now though. Oh the adventures we have on the mission.

I'm praying for you all and will be thinking about you Thursday. Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes. I can't believe I'm only a teenager for one more day. I sure have grown up fast. I just wanted to thank you all for making me who I am. I love you all so much.

Love your almost 20 year old best friend forever,
Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley