HONDURAS IS AWESOME!

Hey everyone!

Well my companion and I didn't have transfers! I am happy to have 6 more weeks here in Puerto Cortes :)

This week has been a little crazy. We went to go visit Maribel, one of our investigators that is doing awesome. We were teaching her about the Book of mormon and reading the introduction with her when all of a sudden her brother came running to the door and told her that their sister had overdosed on some pills and was in really bad condition so she took off with him and totes left us with her 3 year old daugher and 9 month old baby...it was a little crazy haha. The baby was tired so he was crying a ton so my companion was trying to sing and do crazy things to help him stop crying...he finally just fell asleep. She was only gone for about 20 minutes though and her sister is doing okay so thats good. Gotta love awkward experiences. But she is doing awesome! She came to church this Sunday and she has even been talking to her family members about the church :)

We went to go visit a less active family for the first time and they live sooooo far....we had to walk a TON. But it was awesome because we got to know a part of our area that we didnt know existed and it is super pretty there. Honduras is awesome!

I hope you all have a good week!

Hermana Whittle

Another week in Paradise!

Hi everyone!!!

Elder West, Hermana Whittle's DL, photo bombing the picture.
He is the only other gringo in their district.

The first counselor in the Stake Presidency lives in the ward Hermana Whittle
 is currently serving in.  He took all the missionaries serving in her district
to lunch at this beautiful restaurant in Omoa.

Hi everyone, 

This week has had its ups and downs, just like every week in the mission :) Things have been really difficult here....our investigators are having problems and aren't progressing much. And the members frustrate us sometimes. But we had a super awesome experience on Sunday. One of our investigators told us she could come to church with us and so we were super excited and we went to her house Sunday morning to bring her with us and she had left with her mom. I was SO bummed. But yet somehow, we were able to have 4 investigators in church and meet the mission goal, all from non members that had come with less actives. I felt so happy and so blessed! I know that the Lord loves us...He just wants to try our patience and faith a little :)

This Sunday we also had a super awesome sacrament meeting that we put together about missionary work. One of the elders put together a choir of missionaries, future missionaries and returned missionaries and some of us spoke(myself included). It went super well and everyone loved the choir.

There are transfers this week, but I think I am going to stay here in Puerto for another transfer. I hope so at least. It is super hard here, but I love it! I will find out tonight.

I hope you are all doing well and that you have an awesome week!

Hermana Whittle

July 7, 2014

Hi everyone! I hope you all had an awesome 4th of July...I was feeling a little homesick. But I'll be there next year :)

This week has been alright. We got a ton of rain this week and because of the rain these weird bugs came out and they were EVERYWHERE. It was weird.

There is a talk that Elder Holland gave to missionaries where he talks about how missions aren't easy for us because it was never easy for Christ. As missionaries, we are getting a little taste of what Christ went through...joy of teaching and bringing people to the gospel, but also pain when people have problems or when they don't want to listen to us. As I have been working with the less actives here in this area, I feel like I have felt that a lot, and even more this week. They are starting to have trust in us, and they have told us about the hard things that have happened to them and the problems they are going through and why it is hard for them to go to church...and it hurts me! All I want to do is help them and sometimes there is nothing I can do...but I am trying! And I know that Christ is there waiting to be able to help them in their lives. He is ready to help all of us :)

We found out this week that our mission has had problems with baptisms recently...we are the lowest baptizing mission in Central America. So this weekend we had a mission wide fast to know how we can have more baptisms. So my companion and I are working on getting ideas. 

On the bright side, our investigator, Carol, came to church for the first time this week! She has been wanting to come for a while but was having problems. She loved it and she is excited to return!

Have a great week!

Hermana Whittle

Oooohhhh we're halfway there...:)

Hermana Whittle and Hermana Cardona after the mission conference.

Hey everyone!! First off....I cannot believe I have already completed half of my mission. It has gone by so fast...and I know the other half is going to go even faster. Nooooooooo....

This week was pretty normal. Lots of sun, lots of walking, and lots of fallen appointments. But I'm enjoying myself and I love Honduras :)

On Wednesday we had a conference with all of the mission and Elder Ochoa from the 70 came and spoke to us. He talked a ton about faith and what we can do to help the people we are teaching to have more of it. It was good :) And it was awesome to see my old companions and friends from my old zones :)

On Saturday I was feeling a little discouraged because our two investigators that are doing awesome and progressing had to cancel on us and weren't able to come to church on Sunday. So I was a little down. Our ward had an activity for the Primary that afternoon and it came to my mind that we should go and invite two girls that we have been teaching. So the whole time we were walking over there I was just praying and praying that they would be able to come to the activity with us. And they did :) It went well...I know that God answers prayers!

I tried a new food this week...yucca con chicharron. It was not my favorite...afterward I just wanted to throw up and I could barely walk because there was so much yucca in my stomach. I do not recommend that to anyone...

I hope you all are doing well and that you have a great week!

Hermana Whittle

This is the infamous scorpion they found in their apartment last week.  Hermana Whittle said it was about the size of her hand! 

Hermana Whittle, Hermana Cardona and another Hermana at their mission conference.

Hermana Whittle was happy to see Hermana Marroquin again, as well as Hermana  Grondel and Hermana Bahr! 

Heat, Scorpions and Baptismal Goals!

Hermana Whittle and her previous companion, Hermana Marroquin,
 with a member family in Puerto Cortes.

Hi everyone! Wow...I can't believe another week has already passed.

This week has been good! I am finally getting used to Hna. Cardona...she is awesome and we get along really well :) But this week has been exhausting! We had two days in a row where we walked A TON and it has been soooo hot...I have been exhausted. We had to stay in again on Friday for a game Honduras had and although I was bummed because we had to cancel our appointments, I didn't complain...I needed a nap haha. 

Our bishop this week decided to put a goal of 20 baptisms in the month of July between us and the two pairs of elders in our ward...WOW. We have a ton of work to do...but I know its possible with the Lord's help!

I have been a little frustrated lately because of the members. Yesterday we met a lot of less active familys who are SO AWESOME, but have stopped going to church because of problems with members. I don't understand why people have to say things and act like they are better than others...we are a family!! We should be helping each other out like Alma teaches in Mosiah 18. I'm just frustrated and I don't know what I can do to help the less actives return to church and help the members to have love....

Thats about all. We found a huge scorpion in our house the other day...that was fun. I will say that that is one thing I miss about the states...houses without cockroaches and ants and spiders. But I love Honduras and I am so happy to be here :)

Love you all! I hope you have an awesome week!

Hermana Whittle

Hermana Marroquin, Hermana Whittle and Elder Paredes

HOLA EVERYONE!

Hola everyone!!!

This week has been SO LONG. I feel like its been an eternity. It had its ups and downs...but such is the mission!

So Hna. Marroquin and I had cambios :( That was super hard for me because she has grown to become one of my best friends. But I know the Lord needs her somewhere else! So I'm still here in Puerto Cortes and my new companion is called Hermana Cardona. She is also from Guatemala...I think this is going to be a thing. But she is great. She is super sweet and we get along well :)

Things are going well here in the area! Our church attendance jumped from 114 to 160 yesterday...we were so excited! We still have a ton of work to do with menos activos....but it's going! I love this area so much and I want to do all I can to do the Lord´s work here :) 

Its a bit crazy here right now since the world cup just started...EVERYONE is watching. We had to stay in our house for a couple hours when Honduras was playing...I hope we don't have to anymore.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Hna. Whittle

Outside of Hermana Whittle's home after they received A LOT of rain! :)

June 9, 2014

Hey everyone!

Honestly, we didn't do much this week because my companion and I both got sick. I just had a cold, but she was having problems breathing so we couldn't go out for a couple days. I HATE staying in the house...I was happy to leave again! But I kept myself busy studying and updating the area book(something that nobody wants to do haha) and so it wasnt too bad. 

Things have been going well with teaching the less actives this week! One day when we were teaching Hna. Marroquin had the great idea to help all of the less actives feel important and that we really need them in church...because we do! They are so important to us and we want them to feel that! So that has been our goal :) 

We had an awesome experience with one less active this week. We weren't planning on visiting her, but our appointments fell through so we decided to go over there. I know it was inspired. Her name is Alexandra and she is 16. Her mom doesn't go to church because she works, and she has an older brother but he doesn't go much either. Well we talked to her and she has been discouraged lately because she doesnt like going to church alone and her mom doesnt want to go anymore. Well my comp whipped out an awesome scripture that helped her a lot...we could feel the spirit so strong! I know the Lord loves all of his children and knows their needs :)

I also had another awesome experience yesterday in church. So I wasn't too excited to go to church yesterday because I didn't think we were going to have anyone there. But it was the opposite...there were a ton of new faces! There were a lot of less actives and investigators. I know a lot of them were from the elders...but I just felt so happy and blessed that I wanted to cry! I know the Lord is helping us out in this work!

Have a good week!

Hna. Whittle

A cute note from Hermana Marroquin. Hermana Whittle has already been out 8 months! Time is flying by!

Hermana Marroquin having some fun! :)