Monday, April 28, 2014

THE GREATEST WEEK EVER!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIANNA!!! I SAW MATTHEW!!!!!!!‏

Yeah, it was that amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The greatest moment of my entire mission definitely occured this Tuesday. It was transfers and I had to go to Lima to bring everyone back to Barranca. So that's when the magic/miracles/mercy begins.

We were supposed to get out of there pretty fast, but some things set us back. Some missionaries had to do some quick things and I had an important assignment to fulfill (Hermana Hillary Young, my cousin, had sent me dulce de leche from Argentina so I had to go by the offices) We have to take a bus to Barranca that takes 4 hours so we had to buy the tickets and they told us that the bus would be leaving in like 40 minutes. We then went to go eat at Burger King (so amazing) and got kind of late. We were gonna be fine, but the hermanas went before us to buy some donuts (yeah, I didn't partake of the goodness) and as we were trying to leave the mall (Plaza Norte) to get to the bus station next door they weren't with us.

So I was calling them and looking around and then I saw some white people on the escalator. I immediately knew they were missionaries, and knew they were from the North Mission. I didn't see Elder Matthew Young (my cousin) at first so I was just gonna tell them real quick to tell him hi and then it happened. I just froze and everything went into super slow motion, alright maybe not so dramatic, but it was still amazing. My brain analyzed everything and I wanted to run, but I didn't want to just wait for him at the bottom of the escalator so I waited until he got off and then I bolted. My companion must have thought I was crazy, but I was already gone.

I ran so fast and before he even knew what was happening I was giving Matthew the biggest hug of my life. I almost knocked him over, but he's taller than the average Peruvian I'm used to hugging.

I only got to talk for a couple of minutes because we were already late, but it was just so amazing. It was so cool how I just felt like I had seen him last week or something and it hadn't been over a year. I think that's what heaven is going to be like. It was just like all the amazing memories came back and the time apart didn't even count.

Well, he speaks really great Spanish and it was just great to hug him and take a picture. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to leave because I know that next time I see him all the amazing memories will flood back again and it will be like we were never apart.

That was by far the most amazing experience of my entire mission and reminded me of the time I saw Elder Tanner Christensen in the temple. There really was no window of time for either experience, but I learned something cool. Heavenly Father never misses His window of opportunity and we all need to be ready to be able to make that window too.

So another cool experience this week was talking to a guy from Belgium. I saw the flag on his backpack and I thought it was from Germany so I tried out my more than rusty German on him and then he just answered me in English that it's the Belgium not German flag. That was more than a little embarassing, but I just rolled with it. We got to talking and it turns out some missionaries are actually teaching them in another area in the mission. His name is Chris and he's traveled all over the world. It was cool to run into him and I hope he continues to listen to the missionaries.

Another loco was we were talking to a less active guy and he told us about how he went to the temple before he was baptized and somehow he got in the line and ended up doing baptisms for the dead without being baptized. Welcome to Perú! I mean, that's just nuts, but I'm so glad God is in charge of those things and not me. I know it will all work out. Loco though.

About the temple again. I gave a little girl a pass along card with the Salt Lake Temple on it and she said ''A castle. A castle. A castle where God lives.'' (Un castillo, un catillo, un castillo donde vive Diocito). That was more true than she could ever know. I'm so grateful that the temple is the House of God.

My spiritual experience of the week was finding an awesome family just knocking thier door. I saw that they had elephants in the window and my sister loves elephants so that attracted my attention and then I saw that they had a Buddah too. I didn't knock that day, but then when I passed another day I felt it was time so I just knocked the door. I had been praying before and told God that I was talking with everyone and studying Preach My Gospel like Elder Ballard had said would double baptisms and I just wasn't seeing it yet. I told him I was trying my best and would just wait for the miracle. So when the hermano opened the door he was really receptive and we taught one of the most efficient lessons of my entire mission. Then we went back Sunday to teach them again (the mom and son) and they weren't there, but the dad and daughter with her husband were so we got to teach them. The son-in-law's mom is a member of the church and when we invited him to be baptized he said yes so quickly. It was an amazing experience and I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father trusts in us enough to bless us with an entire family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIANNA!!! ¡¡¡FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!!! I love you so much Brianna and hope you have the best birthday ever. Thanks for being my little sister and loving me. I love you all so much. Have tons of fun Oma, Opa, Mom, and Mariah in St. George.

Have the best week ever and know you are all in my prayers. Thanks for all of your love and support. And never forget that miracles do happen.

Love your miraculously blessed friend in Perú,
Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

The greatest moment of my entire mission! It was a complete miracle. I love you Matthew (Elder Young)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, April 21, 2014

We're Gonna Win!

Good times,

This week I got to go on a work visit with Elder Johnson, he's from Reno, Nevada, and is a totally cool guy. Well, we talked about a bunch of stuff, but the coolest was about this the final dispensation. It was cool how he talked about how much hope we can all have knowing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will never again be taken from the earth. He said it must have been way depressing before to know that no matter how hard the prophets or other believers worked, that everything...EVERYTHING would be lost once again. I took a lot of hope from that and am so grateful that we were all ''saved for these latter-days''. It's so amazing to be serving alongside such amazing people.

We went to the beach last week and it was so so awesome. I took my frisbee and my football and just enjoyed the sand (minimal Peruvian garbage was nice too). I did some diving catches with the frisbee and I'm so excited to get out and play some Ultimate again.

A couple days this week I got to just walk and walk, talk and talk, knock and knock. It was cool to just give of my all even when it seemed like no one really wanted to listen. There were a couple of miracles that came later, but I'm grateful for a couple days where I had no evidence of my work because it makes me appreciate the other days so much.

My spiritual experience for the week was talking with Hermano M. He's the father of a family of less actives and he served a mission like 30 years ago. As I was talking to him I just felt like the words I was saying were given to me. I even recognized it while I was talking that it just flowed so perfectly. I didn't want to interrupt it though so I just kept opening my mouth. I wasn't condemning, but I didn't give him an escape either, well I guess that God didn't give him an escape.

I'm not the missionary that I need to be yet, but feeling the Spirit speak through me was something special and I know I am improving each and every day. It was so amazing to see that family come back to church. I told the father that our branch needs men who know how to honor the priesthood. Maybe he's not doing it now, but he's done it before so I told him I knew that he could do it again. That really hit me that God needs all of us even if we've strayed from the path. We've shown that we could do it before and God needs us again, and now. I gave him a big hug at church and he said he'll be coming again next week.

I know there are so many other people waiting for us to call them back to the fold too.  I'm grateful to be a part of this work. I don't know if I've felt like that before on the mission, but it was special to recognize the Spirit working through me in the very act. I was caught red handed.

I was just standing in a line yesterday to buy the bus ticket for my companion and something that Brother Osguthorpe (General President of the Sunday School) once told me about challenging his students to meet new people at BYU came to my mind.  He told us how one of them talked to everyone in a line waiting to buy books. Then I remembered Opa and how he talks to everyone he sees.  I looked around and there were a lot of people. I was going to talk to someone, but then he left. Then I turned around and before I could think twice I talked to the guy behind me in line. It turns out he's been invited by his friend who's a returned missionary and gone to church before. That was a really cool experience.  I want to thank Opa for his great example to me of talking with everyone. I'm seeing miracles as I open my mouth.

A couple times this week I had to sleep at the apartment of Elder Ortiz and Elder Castillo because my companion finished his mission today. Sleeping on the blow up mattress wasn't too bad and way worth fun times getting to know them.

Elder Garcia finished his mission today and I'm grateful I got to know him and learn so much from him. I'm excited for new experiences too. I was just thinking about how grateful I am for change and that sometimes we are even forced to change. I probably wouldn't choose to change if I was just left to myself so I'm grateful that God sends us curveballs every once in a while to help us keep learning and growing and to keep us attentive too. I'm grateful Heavenly Father sends us new people to learn from and to love (even learn to love) too. The mission is amazing.

A cute little Peruvian girl just helped pick up some things I had dropped. I'm gonna miss these kids so much. I love Peru.

You are all in my prayers. Thanks for your amazing examples. Have the best week ever!

Con amor, su amigo fiel,
Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

Monday, April 14, 2014

I Can't Believe It!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys,

I can hardly believe that Jacob Jespersen is already home. I remember chilling in his front room after he was set apart and just thinking about when I was going to be able to come on the mission. These 2 years have just flown on by and I love that man so much. I love all you brethren and sistren out serving the Lord too. Thank you all for being such great examples to me.

I forgot to write last week about my interview with President. My temple recommend expired at the end of April so I needed to get a new one. So when I was in Lima I asked him for an interview and it was so awesome. It was just so special to be able to answer those questions being a missionary and not even waver for half a second. I teach those things everyday and it was just so amazing to be able to say that I consider myself worthy to enter the temple, the House of God.

My spiritual experience of the week was definitely the baptism of Piero and his little brother Luiggi. Their dad, Roberto, was able to baptized them and then Sunday confirm them members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was so special to see a family united by the gospel. Both their parents are members, but were inactive for so many years. We have been helping them as a family come back and enter the path as a family. I love that family so much and it was just so amazing to see a dad who a couple weeks or months ago wasn't even thinking about going to church, who now could exercise his priesthood and bless his family forever. The branch is really helping them too and I'm so excited for them to be able to go to the temple and be sealed as a family. I gave them all big hugs and hope I'll be able to come back and give the mom a hug someday. I know those two boys can be great missionaries someday and it was just so amazing to be able to be a part of blessing an entire family. I'm so grateful Heavenly Father allowed me to be here at this time to come to know and love the family Aquino.

I have been really digging up all the good stuff in my studies of the scriptures. I had been reading some scriptures in Doctrine and Covenants 58 earlier, but then a footnote sent me there and I loved D&C 58:41. I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much, but He also wants us to be better and that scripture really hit me. These men were so great, but still had to repent and I'm so grateful that I can repent daily too.

I felt grateful more than ever for my pioneer heritage and for the amazing examples I have been blessed with my entire life. Thank you friends and family, because friends are family too, and family are the best friends we have.

I found an old Liahona and loved the talk ''I Love Noisy Boys''. I think that's what it's called in English. It's a good reminder to look at the eternal in each and every one of us. Thanks again for helping me grow up right, far from perfect, but I'm working on it.

I'm so ready for this week and I'm gonna keep giving it my all. It was so awesome to mow the church lawn, even if it was just for a couple of seconds. I'm so excited to do yard work at home. Love you all so much.

You're all in my prayers. And for those of you doing finals, I'll be praying a little extra for you too.

Love your best friend forever and always,
Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley
 
 
 
Mowing the lawn never felt so good, the grounds keeper guy at the church let me have a go.       

What a beautiful family.
 

Sunday, April 13, 2014

GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! SO READY!!!!!!!‏

The spiritual experience of the week was definitely General Conference. I forget really quickly the things I have heard so I need to study it a lot more, but the feelings I felt stay with me for a long time and I thought about how investigators probably feel the same and how I can relate to them better now. I shared that with an investigator last night and it just hit me how important it is to feel the Spirit. It doesn't matter so much what people (or I) say, but what everyone feels.  I'm so grateful we can enjoy such an amazing feeling during General Conference as the Spirit speaks to our spirit. It was amazing yesterday too because a joven who went on the mission but came back for medical reasons a year ago took his first steps inside the church in almost a year. I know he felt so much and we're not going to let him escape again.

A part from my letter to President.

My family,
 
General Conference was just about the coolest thing that has happened in this century. I mean, I was just soaking it all in and loving every minute of it. I got a little of it in English, but then I realized that this is my last time in Perú so I gloried in the Spanishness for Priesthood and the two sessions on Sunday. It was so amazing and I am so grateful that we can listen to a prophets voice in our day. I feel so extremely blessed.
 
We had an amazing leadership counsel last week. I don't know why, but usually I just don't feel it so much and hearing all of my friends write about their awesome experiences in leadership counsel made me wonder why I wasn't feeling the same. Well, I prayed extra hard that I would be humble and could learn this week and it was amazing. Presidente Archibald talked about how we need to focus on repentance because like it says in 3 Nephi 7:24 if these people repent, then they will be baptized. We talked a lot about what repentance really is and I'll try to send some awesome papers he gave us to you guys next week. I've been trying to apply it in my work and it's been helping a lot. The people here have so much faith, they have ''believing blood'', but we need to help them repent.
 
Our branch mission leader is super cool. He's kind of an older guy and is just so happy to help us with whatever we ask him. He has a habit of saying ''parece mentira'' (it seems like a lie) before a lot of his sentences so this week he said ''it seems like a lie, but God loves us''. Man, that was so hard not to just bust out laughing in the middle of the lesson. I love him so much though and am grateful for his help.
 
Oh yeah, so we were just walking this week and I saw a guy with a football jersey on. Then I noticed that it was some nice colors (blue and gold) and then on the back it said FAULK and there was no way that we were going to pass him up. Yep, it was a genuine (genuine fake that is) Marshall Faulk #28 from the St. Louis Rams. That was amazing in and of itself, but then it turns out that he and his dad have actually gone to church before. They didn't make it to Conference, but you can rest assured that we'll be visiting them this week.
 
Sorry I don't have much more time. I just wanted to say that I loved Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk so much. I've been really trying my whole mission to stay low on the preaching and committing my family and friends, but I felt like his talk was just too special. He challenged us all to invite one person every 3 months to listen to the missionaries. A lot of excuses came to my mind, but then I realized he's a prophet of God. I know it's maybe not so easy in Utah, or anywhere else (there are always excuses), but I want to invite you all to follow a living prophet of God. We're gonna have to think outside of the box and try some new things out, but that's why we were born. ''A prophet of God has spoken and I must obey'' is what I wrote in my notes, I hope you can all take the time to say a prayer. I know that God will tell you who you should talk with.
 
I loved Conference so much and missed you all more than I can even say. Enjoy the last little bit of school and give it your all. I'm really feeling the urgency in my mission and am trying to give more than I've ever given before. We're going to have a baptism this week of the two kids of a less active couple and the dad is going to baptize them. I'm so excited and it's so amazing to help a whole family come back to Christ. They all went to Conference and are doing what they need to come closer to Christ. I feel so blessed to be a part of this great work.
 
Thanks for all of your amazing examples to me. I wouldn't be anything without my family (friends are family too). You are all constantly in my prayers. Have the best week ever!!!!!!!!!!!!! And go share the gospel, I'll be doing it with you all before we even know it.
 
And one more thing. I don't know if I've ever really asked for advice before, but the more I learn, the more I realize I have so much more to learn. Any advice on how to give it my all here in the mission would be greatly appreciated from any source. I'm doing great and loving it, but I want to be better. Please just let me know what I can do, any advice is appreciated.
 
I love you all more than I could ever say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Tupananchiscama (until we see each other in Quechua-a native language of Perú) LOVE YOU,
 
Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley
 
Giving Service



Good 'ol Guinea Pig!