Week 28: Turkey and chitlands

December 2, 2013

Hello my beautiful family and friends!

FIRST! I gave you all the wrong address last week (don't worry, Nicole, I got the pics from Alie and Lindy!) It's actually 57 Petteys Ave, Providence, RI 02909. I gave you the wrong zip code. :)

It's been a great week in Providence. Have I mentioned how ghetto it is?! I learned this week that the ridiculously LARGE speed bumps on our street are there because it used to be a good street for high speed chases with the cops. Haha! One of our members, Misty Osby, told us that little tidbit right after she told a story about how she kept a teenager alive by giving him CPR after he'd been shot and they were waiting for the ambulance to come. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Misty's house where she cooked a real Southern Thanksgiving, complete with cornbread stuffing, baked macaroni and cheese, deviled eggs, white potato pie (I feel like a true Idahoan now!), and chitlands. If ya'll don't know what chitlands are, listen to This American Life: Doppelgangers. It's basically one step away from bung. I, unlike the younger missionaries, am not as susceptible to peer pressure, so I did not partake, but I did watch as one of the Elders and my companion, Sister Budvarson, almost puked all of their Thanksgiving dinner back up onto their plates. So nasty! (Jord, I'm serving with an Elder Motes. He says he knows you from Hillcrest? I think he played baseball.) We also had Thanksgiving dinner at our Branch Presidents house with more traditional food. It was fun to get to know some of the members who came as well. We really do have family wherever we go, thanks to the gospel!

Mom and Dad, we inherited an investigator from the Elders- her name is Alice and she is from Taiwan! I adore her! She is so smart and so lovable! We taught her about prayer and praying for spiritual gifts this week with an RM named Danielle Smith (I think?) who served in your mission! She says she knows missionaries who know you, so the world is small! And Alice said the closing prayer and Danielle said it was very sincere. She said on her mission, once they got their investigators to really pray and develop that personal relationship with Heavenly Father, that's when their progress really took off, so this is definitely what she needs! Sister Budvarson is so great at following promptings- she asked the right questions about prayer during the lesson that were just perfect. And I love how the Taiwanese people pray- it's very sincere and like a very open conversation. In her prayer, Alice talked about how she felt about what she learned and said that she would like those spiritual gifts for her children and that she wants to build a stronger relationship with Heavenly Father. She went to church with Danielle at the YSA ward yesterday and really enjoyed it!

We have another investigator, Chantal Newton, who has investigated with the Elders before, but we think we just need to clarify our purpose with her. We think she just likes to have us over for a little chit chat and a nice boost- we need to determine how serious she really is about changing!

Things are going well with Sister Bud! She is a hard worker and very fun! We are learning to communicate with each other about expectations and differences and that's a good experience for me. I don't like confrontation, so I usually don't say anything if I'm bothered, but she's pretty good at reading me and isn't too confrontational/emotional when I bring up a concern (that's a benefit of her being "one of the guys")- so it's working out well. :) I am learning to communicate.

My testimony of Heavenly Father's unconditional love has grown a lot this week. I have felt it as I've studied about our divine nature and potential and as I've studied the Atonement. Everything in this plan is for our happiness. And Heavenly Father and our Savior give us so many chances and are so patient with us as we work to overcome our weaknesses and as we work to improve. I am so grateful for that and it just makes me want to be better! (And be more patient with myself). It is such a blessing to serve and to help others experience the happiness that comes from building a relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Savior.

I have been studying Alma 19:23 this week (Caty's favorite verse). I love the peace that comes from knowing that we can trust the Lord to keep his promises when we are obedient. I noticed in Alma 17:15 that these promises are extended to EVERYONE, the righteous and the wicked. All we have to do is repent and follow our Savior. And that's why Ammon and his brothers were out teaching the gospel to their enemies- because they hoped they could help them to repent and experience the happiness that comes from making promises with the Lord. Being a missionary is such a blessing! 

I love you all and am so grateful for this chance to serve!

Love,

Sister Wheeler Jr.

P.S. Funny things about Rhode Island: they have an intrusive R (idear, etc), the economy is terrible, 

P.P.S. Felt a little sick over the past few days, but I'm happy to report that is the first time I've felt sick on my mission!

P.P.P.S. Rhode Island is like Idaho in one way- the mice have found me here! I want to die. That's dramatic. :) But really, they're disgusting and they climb up on our kitchen counter at night and poop. We've caught 2 so far this week and this morning in the basement, one jumped in the sink where the washer was draining and drowned and clogged the sink and it overflowed. The Spanish members who live below us are convinced we brought them with us, but they were totally here before! SO NASTY!