A Welcome 2014

Hey Everyone,

This week was absolutely amazing.  Life just keeps rocking it down here in Peru. I'm so grateful to be here and see the hand of the Lord so much in our work. This is the greatest experience I have ever had in my life. Actually, Tuesday was kind of hard now that I think about it and Wednesday no one was home for New Years so it started off really weird, but that's life. I'm really learning how to be happy with what I'm given and to not worry when things don't work out as planned. I am learning a lot about how to be more patient with God, myself, and others and am so grateful for that. The mission just keeps surprising me and I'm so excited for what lies in store this week.

So this week I started reading in the Book of Mormon (3 pages a day, remember you are all invited to join me too, it's not too late, I'm on page 19 after today). Alright, so I just love reading the Book of Mormon so much and this week was absolutely amazing. I was just going to read it all so fast, but I get caught studying the footnotes everyday.  I am so grateful for the scriptures in our lives. They are so amazing and I just am filled with the Spirit every time I read. I've been trying to study Preach My Gospel more and in more depth too and I can feel the difference. I love reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures so much.

On New Years I definitely enjoyed all of the fireworks and the pure awesomeness. It's a little weird thinking that I won't get to see another one in Peru though. So there was no way I was going to sleep before the fireworks, but I did want to sleep. I thought, that would be kind of cool to wish my family a Happy New Year at there time, but definitely didn't want to stay up until 2. Well, it almost worked out. The fiestas were so crazy all around us and the music was so loud that my ear plugs pretty much didn't do anything. Peruvians definitely know how to party. Well, the last thing I remember was looking at my watch and seeing 1:55. I'm glad I finally got to sleep, but it's funny that I only had 5 minutes left until your New Year. I hope you all enjoyed it so much. That sounds so awesome about the sky lanterns.

This week I had one of the coolest experiences from my whole mission. My spiritual experience this week came one night as we were heading home. It was like 8:55 and I felt there was still something to do. I didn't feel like we could enter another lesson because it would take too much time, but I felt there was something. Gotta be honest here, we always are eating late and get home pretty late so I was wondering if I should just let it go so we could get home early instead of late. I said a prayer that Heavenly Father would guide me and then tried my best to be open to the Spirit. I didn't know if it was a door to knock or what but I just walked down the street trying my best to listen to the Spirit and then a guy called out ''elderes''. I knew we had to talk to him. It turns out he's a member from Iquitos and is really inactive, but has never forgotten about the Church. Actually, he was enjoying a nice cold beer when he called out to us. We got to teach him and his family this week and he went to church with them yesterday. That was so special to me and I'm so grateful I was open to the Spirit and that the Lord guided me to His lost sheep. So awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also saw a lady with a Mormon Helping Hands shirt on and said hermana, and she just said, ''you're confused''. I thought ''no, I wasn't, but now I am''. Funny stuff.

Alexis is a joven that accompanies us and he's so cool. He read from 2 Nephi to Alma 20 in one day and just wants to be the best he can be. We met a really cool guy yesterday who said he just wanted us to teach him religion. And then another kid ran up to us in the street and said he was a member who was looking for the church. He was baptized last week, but came to live with his mom. He's 11 and that's a lot of courage. 

Things just keep going awesome down here. Sacrament meeting was so full yesterday.

Oh yeah, and I saw a commercial with Ricky Rubio playing for the Timberwolves and it was awesome!

Have the best week ever! And enjoy school starting up again!!!!!!! I love you all so much. Thanks for all of your love, support, and prayers.

Love your hot and sweaty friend,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

Santa in Peru!

Christmas with Familia Santiago

Drinking mate from Argentina ("Kind of weird but I liked it!")

Chowing down on pizza -- YUM!

HOLA 2014, HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!‏

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so looking forward to the fireworks down here and all the loud noises. They do like bombs and stuff, so I'll take a video that you all can see, it's really awesome, and I'm sure horrible for the atmosphere. Bienvenidos a Perú (welcome to Perú). Gotta love it.

So this week was absolutely jam packed full of awesomeness and I hope you enjoy my take on things.

The greatest part of the week hands down, turn around, all that jazz was talking with my family on Skype. You all look so amazing and I love you so much. It's funny though how nervous I was to talk to you all. I mean, I walk up to complete strangers and knock random doors, but calling my own family gets me nervous, I'm gonna work on that one. I just was so excited to see you all and it was more than I could have dreamed of. I love writing you every week, but nothing compares to seeing your beautiful faces.

That reminds me. For those of you that haven't seen my face in a while, well funny story. So we had to get our hair cut and all the places were full. Finally we settled for a place that costs way too much. I told her I liked it pretty short and that's where it all went downhill. She just went to town. She started on the sides and I was like, oh well, it's done now. She then went to the top and too much again. Then I thought she was just going to go around the ears, but she didn't. I got a hack job. I just was thinking the whole time about the story from my dad's mission where the guy sitting next to him just kept saying ''too short''. It's really nice in the heat though even though I did get a little burned. Gotta love the fun experiences.

We had some awesome activities in the ward this week including a parrillada (grill) that brought more people than the regular sacrament meeting attendance, Christmas day there was fútbol and ceviche (which I didn't get to eat, we're not allowed and a member of the mission presidency lives in our ward), but the best was Christmas going around to the kids and giving out Christmas presents along with some panetón. It was really special and united our ward so much. We destroyed it this week in Sacrament Meeting with so many people and I love it here so much.

One of the most special parts of Christmas was Christmas Eve which was our p-day and we got to be together as a zone. We ate so much pizza and I was stuffed full for one of the first times on my mission (PizzaPie Café, Imma comin). Then my companion had the amazing idea to have a testimony meeting. He said it was the assistants who had suggested it, but it really was just an amazing idea from him. I felt the Spirit so strong and remembered so much about what I have learned on the mission. He talked about Galatians 6:17 where it talks about the marks that Paul carries to remind him of Christ. He said they are the scars we all have and I thought about the scars I have received in this life and even more on the mission. Not only physically, but mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. We're not perfect and we're not whole, but we will be someday. Those scars might never fully heal in this life, but I rejoice knowing that one day we will all be made whole and perfect again and they will be taken away. But for now I too rejoice in the scars that I have received serving my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We had an awesome baptism this week with freezing cold water as usual. It was Alex the son of Lucy who was baptized last month. He escaped us like 3 times for his interview, but we finally met with him. He's just a little kid that loves playing with his friends more than he remembers his interviews though and so innocent. He understands it all so well and is the bomb. It was really special too because Rocío, the lady that knocked on the church gate, was baptized too. She was taught by the hermanas, but is still one of the coolest stories from my mission and I'm grateful I was able to be a part of her story. The other baptism was a kid named Vasilay, he's the son of a recent convert and counted for the ward, but wanted me to baptize him. He was so awesome. The water was freezing, but he didn't even complain one bit. He jumped out of the water and was just so happy. That's such a great example to me. What a stud.

Then Sunday we get to church and I'm sitting there and the bishop says I'm going to confirm Alex a member of the Church. I've never done that before and it came out of the blue, but it was so special. I feel so blessed to hold the Priesthood of God and be able to bless other peoples lives. That's something I'm never going to forget.

I read ''Jesus Christ-Gifts and Expectations'' by President Ezra Taft Benson this week and it was absolutely amazing. It's so crazy how much things change when we are happy and loving life, than when we are going through trials. I know hard times will come again, but I'm just loving life right now. I wouldn't trade the hard times either, but this is extra special. I just felt several times this week how special it is to be able to be a servant of Jesus Christ during this time of year and love being able to testify of Him and His restored gospel. I love the mission so much and love Perú. It's not the most beautiful, but this is my Waters of Mormon. I'm learning to love the people, the culture, and the language and am so grateful to be here. I love Perú!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finished el Libro de Mormón this week and am so grateful I was able to read it in Spanish. I learned so much and love that book more than I can ever express. But now all I want to do is read it again. I'm going to read the Book of Mormon again this year before my birthday. I'm going to read 3 pages a day and want to invite any and all that want to join me on this amazing adventure. I just thought it would be a fun way again to feel close to all of you. Let me know what you all decide!

I'm loving it with Elder Herrera right now. We are being so blessed. He's most likely going to go home around the 15th of January for knee problems. It's only one transfer early, but I'm sure gonna miss him. Keep him in your prayers please. We are being so blessed and I'm learning to be lots more patient. Heavenly Father is so good to us and I can feel your prayers in our behalf. Thanks so much!!!!

I love you all more than words. Have the Happiest New Years ever and know I'm thinking about and praying for all of you. Thanks for all of your love and support. Talk to you next week/next year. Gotta love those jokes. See you all soon!!!

Love your happier than ever in Perú, New Year partying, good looking, best friend forever and ever,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡¡¡¡¡¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!

I love you all!

I'm so excited to skype tomorrow and can hardly believe that a whole year has passed since my first Christmas here in the mission. This year has definitely been different than I ever imagined, but I wouldn't change a single second of it for anything in the world. I'm so grateful to be a representative of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ during this very special time of year.

So real quick about the week.

The coolest part was just all of the amazing new things I learned or felt about the birth of Jesus Christ. In church we just talked about His birth and I realized just how amazing it all was and how special (or maybe not so special). Many times in this life we think that God doesn't love us because bad, or unexpected, things happen to all of us. I was just thinking about how Joseph and Mary would have felt on that special night so many years ago. They were going around from inn to inn, just trying to find one room, but there wasn't a single one in the whole city. So then they finally find the stable. They both must have felt like pretty big failures that they couldn't even give a room to the King of us all.

Then I was thinking. Heavenly Father is Jesus's father too. He could have made it happen if He wanted, but it was His will that His Only Begotten Son was born in a manger in that sacred stable. Joseph and Mary could have felt that God didn't love them or wasn't helping them, but I think they were lots better than I am about accepting the will of God. I had never thought of it that way before and know when things don't turn out as I planned or I even think God isn't watching over me, I can just remember the birth of Hes Beloved Son. HE ALWAYS LOVES US, even and maybe especially when we are passing through hard times and trials. I hope that brings you all some peace and joy in this Christmas season.

We had a cool Christmas activity as a mission and it was tons of fun to see some of my friends from the mission.

I've been chowing down on good ol' panetón, which like Hillary said is pretty much fruit cake, but AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it so much and am going to have to get it imported when I'm back home. And yes, I've found like 10 treasure maps and 50 skittles already.

It's been real cool this week going out with the jovenes (young men) in the ward and we have helped one make the decision to serve a mission that's so rewarding. Also, the ward is just so kind to us and we ate some cool food from the selva (jungle) the other day.

Oh yeah, we watched that awesome animated Bible story of Jesus' birth and it was so cool because I remember watching it when I was a little kid. I love looking back on this Christmas's and then looking forward and knowing there is so much to come. It was just so special and I thank you all for being a part of Christmas past and of course Christmas future.

I am really enjoying Christmas present.

Thank you all so much for your support. I'm so excited to finish el Libro de Mormón tomorrow and hope you all are reading that sacred book too.

Have the best Christmas Eve ever!!!!!!! And of course Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love your best friend,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

"Do it again, but better!"

Hey everyone,

So you won't even believe it. I was on a work visit with another elder and his pensionista (the person that cooks for us) had a Bop-It 2. Yeah, that was super crazy. It was probably last on my list of things I thought I would see here in Perú. Well, it was just awesome to remember all those times we played as cousins and I'm looking forward to some more fun times when we're all back together. It was just so funny for me and I hope you all appreciate the awesomeness.

So this week was super weird and crazy and I don't really know what else. I've been trying so hard to be a better missionary. I'm really trying to study for the investigators, I am praying for them so many times a day, and I am just thinking about them all day long. I fasted for a family this week because the two daughters are more than ready, but just kind of hesitant to actually act on their answers. The other daughter and the mom feel good and know it's true. The dad is the real hard one. He's the guy I told you about that lived in Vernal, well I think I told you. He's super cool, but he just doesn't really want to believe and it's hard because we only get to meet with him once a week. It's really going to take a miracle. I guess my prayers were answered because the two daughters finally said they had come up with a date for their baptism and it's some time in January.

That was still kind of hard for me because I was really hoping they could be baptized in December, but that was the will of Elder Wheatley. I'm learning so much more about trusting and accepting and submitting to God's will. I know that He knows best and will give us all EXACTLY what we need.

I was reading about the ''successful missionary'' in Preach My Gospel for like the hundredth time and I feel like I am doing my best. I feel like I am completing with almost every point it says, but I am feeling a little down. Like it says, it's hard when people don't do what's right even when they know it's true, but I'm doing my best not to get too far down that path. I know Heavenly Father has so much prepared and I'm just going to trust in Him and His timing.

We had a lesson with that family yesterday and I cried. I think it was the first time in my mission that I cried in a lesson, but the tears just didn't fit inside me anymore. I'm doing ALL I can and I know Heavenly Father is watching over me. I know He is preparing the way for all of us to return to Him and I am grateful I can be a part of His plan for these people.

So a cool thing that happened was no one could accompany us one day and we needed someone to go visit this girl. We knelt down to pray as we were leaving and I just prayed that someone would be able to accompany us and at that exact moment we got a text. It was this returned missionary in the ward who said he could accompany us. That was absolutely amazing. It turned out that all day we were just walking, but it was still an answer to my prayer and one of the fastest answers I've ever seen. Kind of like ''The Best Two Years'' super cool and still makes me laugh.

Probably the other coolest moment this week was when I had a dream about Sufjan Stevens. I have no idea where it came from, but it was awesome. For those of you who don't know who he is...go look him up. And if you're on a mission, put him on that list of things you have to do after the mission.

We had a really cool service project where we cleaned the beach. It was so dirty and we picked up so much garbage, but of course after we finished it still looked so dirty...welcome to Perú. It was really cool to see so many people show up though and I'm grateful that we can serve all over the world.

I love you all so much and hope you have the best week ever!!!!!!! You are all in my prayers!!!! For those of you in school, enjoy finals and finishing up before Christmas!!! Enjoy the break too, it goes by way too fast!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love your bestest friend learning and growing in Perú,

 

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

 

P.S.  I'm so excited to Skype next week. I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have the best week ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Cleaning up the beaches in Lima!

 

 

 

Singing on the Mission

Oh yeah,

So first off, thank you so much Mom, Dad, Mariah, Brianna, Aunt Julie, Aunt Kimber and Aunt Stacy for the package. It is absolutely amazing and I'm excited to open the rest for Christmas. The advent calendar is so awesome.  And thank you Oma for the best cookies in the entire world. I love Special-K Cookies so much.  They bring me such great memories.

So the first night my companion (Elder Herrera) and I sang the hymn and it was really cool. (Note from Dayna:  We sent him an advent "calendar" in his Christmas package with little pouches to open up each day with his companion.  They have a song and a scripture and a little treat to enjoy.)  I've been meaning to write for a while about my companions singing abilities, but this one just took the cake. We sang and then I started writing in my journal and he decided to just sing every song in the hymn book. Well, almost every song. He would just sing a couple of notes and well, he really struggles with the tones, like real bad and I love him for it. He sings so loud and proud and it makes me happy just to know that he loves music. So he starts singing a song and then moves on to the next one after like one line. And he keeps saying ''I know this one'' then he sings for two seconds and says ''I don't know this one''. I was cracking up so bad and we laughed for a while because he did it like 30 times. He was mixing up tunes and just going all over the place and it was so awesome. I sure do love Elder Herrera, he's such a funny guy.

One cool experience this week was when I was on splits again (dangerous I know) and was just walking with the member. I felt like I should talk to this old couple who were just sitting on the park bench. I said hi and kept walking by, but then felt it again and thought, that could be a pretty cool family. I told him we needed to go back and we started talking. The guy asks what state I'm from and I tell him, then he says that he has been to Washington and Oregon and has seen pictures of Salt Lake. That was cool, and then the lady asks us if we're Mormons. Then it all comes out that the guy is a member, but she isn't because she's kind of dark skinned. We talk for a little and then I ask if we can sit down. We say a prayer right there and I open up to Official Declaration 2 (first time in my whole mission using that in a lesson) and try to explain what happened. So the guy is still really offended and says he knows God just reading the Bible. The lady is super duper cool though and accepted a Book of Mormon and we went and talked to her another day too. It's gonna be kind of weird, but that was just so cool how God knew and how I finally listened. One of those too cool to be true moments. Who knows if it will lead to anything, but I followed the Spirit and know the Lord directs His work.

Another cool thing actually happened a week ago where we were in the church waiting for a member to accompany us. He got there and it was all just so perfect because someone started knocking on the gate. We were all confused, but went out and looked. So there was this lady knocking and she asked us for a Book of Mormon. She lives in the hermanas area, but she has a baptismal date and it was so awesome.

Another cool guy we met is super crazy. He asked us like 100 questions in 1 minute. He wants to learn so much and we are just praying that he prays. If he just lets himself feel for a second he'll get his answer and his mind can rest easy. His mind goes like a million miles an hour and reminds me of some other great people I know. He's super cool and I'll let you know how it goes this week.

My favorite quote of the week was ''To clean is good, but to not get dirty is better.'' I saw it in a park here and no one follows it, but it's the thought that counts. It made me laugh and at least some people are trying.

Thanks so much for all your support. Have the Merriest of Christmastimes and enjoy all of the lights. I loved the Christmas Devotional last night.

Have the best week ever!!!!!!!! And know I'm praying for you all!!!!!!!!!

Love your Christmas loving pal in Perú,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

Oma's Special K Cookies -- Yum!

''When the Dog Bites, When the Bee Stings''‏

 

What a story,

Yeah, so I assume you all just want to hear about the pictures so I'm gonna start there. First off, everything is fine and no, I'm not gonna turn into some kinda werewolf or freaky Peruvian dog, I'm doing great. It's kind of a cool bruise now though.

Alright, so my companion and I were on divisions with two guys preparing for the mission. I was with Alexis who is a cool guy here, that actually lives in Connecticut, pretty crazy. We were walking around the base of a hill trying to get to some less actives who are a part member family. I was super excited because we had just found a super awesome family too. So we're walking and this UGLY looking dog starts barking at us from the stairs on the hill and then runs at us. It's owner called it so I thought it was all good. It was a super mean dog though, it just hated everything. Well Alexis was closer to the dog so I thought I was double safe. I just kept walking like nothing happened because dogs always bark here. They also say that if the dog barks it won't bite so I was all cool. It barks once behind Alexis and then I just hear and feel my pants rip. Definitely not cool! I mean, that was my third time being bit in the mission. The other two just nipped my pants, but this one destroyed my pants!

My leg was good, just a scrape that bled later. Well, the owner was looking at us and then like 30 seconds later decides to come over when I don't move. She asks if I'm alright and I say I'm fine. She apologizes, probably because she is so afraid her dog just bit a gringo. Alright, I don't really know her intentions, but you catch my drift. I decided this could be a cool mission experience so I try to contact her and she just kind of leaves in a hurry apologizing. Well, I tried at least. I was pretty mad I didn't kick the dog at least so I hucked a rock at the next dog that barked. Well, I guess people were looking and maybe it wasn't the best decision to take it out on another dog, but its over and done now. A friend in the mission suggested that I chop up some ají (peppers) and go throw them in the dogs face. I think that's a bit drastic, but I mean, come on man, I didn't do anything to that dog. Oh well, I'm laughing now and it's all good. 

My companion called the offices for me and they said I should be fine because the dog shouldn't have rabies and I'm just on some anti-biotics. Crazy stories from the mission.

This week was super cool about meeting new people. The Lord really blessed us.  I just know He is preparing people all over the world to hear His message. He loves every single one of us.

We had the longest lesson of my mission yesterday. We got this reference from some members and it's a pretty cool family. The daughters are awesome and have gone to church for months now. The parents are really hard to find and are only there on Sundays. The dad is pretty cool too because he lived in Vernal, Utah working on a ranch for like 3 years, but doesn't know any English. Well the parents have listened to the Jehovah's Witnesses before and that was super crazy. Well the lesson just got hard when we said ''God is our loving Heavenly Father''. I think they are starting to understand, the hermana at least seemed to understand pretty good, but it's so hard to undo so many years of teaching and thinking.

More than anything I am just so grateful for ''the plain and simple things'' that we have as members of the Church and for the Book of Mormon. I love that book so much. I finished 3 Nephi and 4 Nephi this week and loved reading the words of the Savior. I'm so excited to finish for Christmas and give this present to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It's been cool to read in Spanish for the first time and reading it twice in one year is awesome too.

Oh yeah, so the Hermana Lucy is so awesome. She made it to church yesterday with her son Alex who is getting ready to be baptized too. She has so much going on in her life right now, but she's doing all she can to hold on to the peace that she has found. It was so amazing to see her walk in without anyone that brought her.  I love her so much. I just am so grateful to be here in Perú and for these amazing people.

Thanksgiving was good, but just nothing compares. It was cool to eat turkey, but I miss just being absolutely STUFFED after eating with the family. I'm so excited for next year and my stomach is preparing itself already.

I hope you are all enjoying December and the fun weather you are  having. This year has just flown by and I'm excited for all the next one has in store for me.

Thanks for all your love and support. I love you all so much and pray for you all everyday. Thanks for being the best family (friends are family too)!

Love your dog-bitten (finally not fleas) amigo in Perú,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving you guys,

I hope you all have tons of fun eating turkey, or whatever may be offered in the case of missionaries. At the request of Elder Jacob Jespersen I think I'll be eating a double helping of rice. Well actually, we were invited by a member to eat with her, so maybe she has some tricks up her sleeves. The elders lived in her house for years so I'm pretty excited.

This week was just wild.  I am so grateful to be here on the mission. Monday we got to play tennis, which was amazing (shout out to Elder Tanner Christensen), and I'm even getting better. I made it over the net a couple of times. I guess my problem all along was that I was playing on a real court. I'm actually not half bad if there aren't any lines and no rules too. It was tons of fun. Then we went and made picarrones at a members house which are like Peruvian donuts and that was awesome. She said I needed to learn so I could feed my family when I get home. Well, the good news is I know now, the bad news is we'll all be super fat.

Oh yeah, embarassing moment of the week. Monday night we were walking to a noche de hogar (family home evening) and this guy says ''how ya doin'?'' and I knew that he didn't learn that in some English class. I asked him where he learned English and then he told me he lived in New York and was here visiting. It was in the hermanas area and they went to visit him and it turns out his wife and kids are members. That was pretty cool (shout out to Elder Jeremy Sherman repping it in New York. The guy lives on Long Island. So, the embarassing part is that he spoke better English than me. Well, his accent was horrible, but he actually could think straight. Maybe it was just his accent that threw me off, but I couldn't put together a coherent sentence. I just opted for Spanish and he kept rocking the English. Well, that's how Elder Wheatley got beat in an English contest by a Peruvian. You guys are all gonna laugh so hard when I get home.

Then I had a great work visit this week where I saw a two year old drinking some beer. His mom didn't even flinch until I said something and then she acted all surprised. Gotta love Perú and everything, but it's getting to a whole new level. That work visit was awesome because I remember something I heard at the beginning of my mission. ''It's never too late to have a happy childhood'', well now I can say ''It's never too late to have a happy mission''. It hasn't been at all like I expected, but I can decide now. Even looking back I can be happy for what happened and I encourage you all to do the same. If you have some scars from the past, look back and change them into happy times. It's not easy, but I know it's possible and it's so amazing to me the power we have in our hearts and our brains to change things.

Another funny story was this old guy that kept calling me ''monka uma'' which means ''pot head'' in quechua. That was just funny to me.  I hope you know I don't do drugs, although he was literally talking about like a cooking pot.

I read a great article this week that was suggested by Sister Aannaliisa Moulton entitled ''That ye 'might not...shrink'''. It's by Elder Bednar and it's amazing. It definitely tugged my heart strings and I am learning so much that Heavenly Father's will is so much more important to accept than our own ideas. He really does know what is best.

The highlight of the week was definitely the baptism of Hermana ________ this week. It was one of the most special for me. I was kind of doubting if she was ready for the baptism and I couldn't shake it all day. I don't know why I'm so reserved, but I just want people to be ready so they will stay strong. Well the thoughts kept coming all day long, but I knew she was ready. The Spirit kept testifying to my heart that she was ready. Then I would pray and feel good, but the thoughts would come back. Pretty much I was getting ''cold feet'' for someone elses baptism. Well, I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to stop things if they weren't right, but I was going to continue forward because I felt she was ready. I was able to baptize her and it was so special, she said she felt like she was flying with the birds. Well, I was changing and then it came to me that I hadn't had a single thought contrary to her getting baptized. A warm feeling came over me and I knew we had done what was right. I don't know why those thoughts kept coming, but I told Satan to get lost. He doesn't get any room in my brain.  I'm so grateful for that lesson I learned. If any of you are getting ''cold feet'' about doing a gospel ordinance or making another decision (it used to happen when I went to the temple), just tell Satan to get lost. Listen to the Spirit and it all works out. Remember that the Spirit speaks to our mind AND heart. That's what I was reminded of this week.

Oh yeah, flea situation. I'm doing pretty good, but one attacked me while I was sitting in the church yesterday. There's no safe place for Elder Wheatley and his sweet blood.

Once again, Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!! Please tell everyone hi and how much I love them. Just give them all hugs and kisses. Have the best week ever and know I'm praying for and thinking about all of you.

This year I'm grateful for my family that can be together forever, for my mission that has changed my life, for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the chance we have each day to come closer to Him. I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon and for a living prophet. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you and am looking forward to many more Thanksgivings to come that we can all spend together.

I love you all so much and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Les amo mas que palabras,

Elder Aaron Micah Wheatley