Week 71: Happy Birthday to Sister Watts!

September 29, 2014

Dearest family and friends,

It's been another hysterical and spiritually uplifting week. Dad asked if it's illegal to have this much fun on a mission. It might be... it just might be... :)

I'm actually sending you my original email. I will be sending a watered-down version to everyone else, just so they don't think I'm totally goofing off! :)

Hysterical stories first:

It was Sister Watts' birthday on Saturday and I happened to wake up an hour early, so I quickly made her a card and attempted to make her a pancake. The only problem is we didn't have any butter or vegetable oil or pan spray, so I had nothing to grease the pan with... and we didn't actually have a griddle or pan, just a saucepan. So I tried the first one... and it burned directly onto the pan. So I grabbed our second saucepan and thought I could try using honey to grease the pan. The result was a caramelized pan and lumpy/strange pancake. I put a candle in it, brought it to Sister Watts while I sang "Happy Birthday" and then immediately said, "Don't eat that pancake." We had a good laugh about it. :)

We spent the morning and afternoon of Sister Watts' birthday helping a non-member, Ruth, clear out her dad's house and get it ready for a tag sale (that's right- in New England it's not a "yard sale" or "garage sale"). Hysterical parts of the afternoon involved Sister Watts and I trying to pick out a random gift for Elder Terry's birthday next week and Sister Watts kicking me in the kidneys "accidentally". But on a spiritual note, we LOVED interacting with Ruth. She is friends with about half a dozen members in the ward and I think all of them are waiting for someone else to invite Ruth to learn more. (#diffusionofresponsibility) She invited us for dinner, so I think things will continue to progress with her. She's the sweetest! She actually reminded me a lot of Mom.

Speaking of Mom, remember how she always chops you across the jugular when you're driving with her and you make a snarky comment? I've been doing that with Sister Watts and on Saturday, somehow I missed and basically punched her in the face. We laughed till we cried! We were both so shocked and I felt terrible that I'd punched her on her birthday. I guess it's payback for her earlier kidney kick.

One last funny and then I promise I'll get spiritual: Sister Watts loves to sleep in onesies, so this morning we thought we'd prank the Elders, so we put onesies on over our dresses and when we picked them up to go email, their faces were priceless. They stopped dead in their tracks and Elder Paiva actually didn't recognize us. I think we thought it was funnier than they did- we laughed till we cried (again!). I actually felt a little like puking I was laughing so hard.

So yes, Dad... I think it might be illegal to have this much fun. :)

Waxing spiritual:

Victor, I love that you mentioned "Going About Doing Good". Sister Watts and I were actually asked to train our district on that part of Preach My Gospel this Friday. Sister Watts didn't want to sit around and talk about it for half an hour, so we decided to briefly discuss the principle and then we told everyone, "Alright, you have 20 minutes! Go out and find someone to serve!" and we ran out of the room. It was epic. :) And successful! I felt like my eyes were opened to thinking more like the Savior would think. I felt like I suddenly had a radar for who was in need of help or assistance. That is exactly how He lived. He didn't get caught up on running to and from appointments- He was always keenly aware of who needed help along his way. One set of missionaries came back and had actually gotten a phone number of a woman who said they could come back the next day to rake her yard. Success! :)

We had another baptism this weekend! Zahra, our cute Iranian investigator, was baptized by her brother Nick. She has the deepest testimony of Jesus Christ- you can just feel it. And the strongest desire to follow Him. She has been waiting since the 1990s to be able to come to the U.S. and be baptized. That is my whole lifetime. It was so humbling to realize that. And to realize how dangerous it is for others to be Christians in other countries. It made me stop and consider my own conversion: would I risk my life to follow Jesus Christ? Zahra wore a beautiful white head wrap with her jumpsuit for modesty and she looked celestial. After she was baptized, we helped her into the dressing room and she kissed our hands and then looked up to heaven and offered a prayer of gratitude. So humbling for me. The most powerful part was when our wonderful Relief Society President got up to welcome Zahra to the Relief Society. She was so overcome with the Spirit that she got down on her knees in front of Zahra, took Zahra's hands, and could only say,"You are my sister." It was powerful and it was all she needed to say. The Spirit taught us the rest.

And the Women's Conference right after the baptism!!! Am I just a missionary or was that meeting incredibly spiritual?! I was so overwhelmed by the Spirit in that meeting and I don't have words to express how I felt. It was supernal (as all those General Authorities like to say). If you didn't get a chance to watch it, WATCH IT! I felt my testimony of our Savior deepen. I know He lives. He knows us perfectly and through Him, we truly can become our real and happiest selves. We can reach our Heavenly Father's potential for us. How grateful I am for His infinite, atoning sacrifice that makes it possible and how grateful I am for His restored gospel that enables us to access the strengthening power of His Atonement through sacred covenants and temple ordinances. We are so blessed!

Love you all so very much! Thank you for your continued love and support! Have a beautiful week!

Love,
Sister Wheeler Jr.