Hello dearest family!
I hope you know I am feeling so much of your love here on the East Coast. I got letters in the mail from the Betas, Woods, and Brad this morning before I even opened my email today. You are all the best! I feel so blessed to have you.
This week has been incredible. Sister Hollan says I'm a good luck charm because we've been so busy ever since I arrived (I mentioned to her that that's probably not the case since Wheelers never win anything.) :) My favorite part of meeting with all of our investigators this week has once again been the overwhelming feeling of love for them from the moment I meet them. I know it's our Heavenly Father and Savior's love and just the smallest taste of it.
We met Catherine on Tuesday. She is beautiful! She's got the prettiest ice-blue eyes (although she says they're green..) :) More than anyone else we met, I was overwhelmed with that feeling of heavenly love for her the second I met her. She's got some mental issues, so she lives in a group home, but she sincerely wants to do what's right and be relieved of the burden of her sins. She's been trying to quit smoking for a long time and is working on the 12 step program. We're doing our best to help her and teach her, but it's hard to know how accountable she is with her mental illness. She is brilliant though! She catches on to everything we teach. After we visited her on Tuesday, she asked me to say the closing prayer and I started crying before I even started the prayer. That feeling of love was so overwhelming! And I want to do all that I can to help her because I know how important and special she is to her Heavenly Father.
We also met a recent convert, Teresa, who is getting ready to go through the temple in November. A member, Kim Fowler (Mom, she takes great care of us, so we're in good hands!) :), helps us teach the temple prep lessons. Teresa has AIDS and lives in a rehab center, so we're not sure how much longer she'll be in okay health, but she is the sweetest lady with a major Boston accent. I just love her and am excited to keep helping her and teaching her. November is going to be so great!
We also "practiced" (sneaky!) the first lesson on Ramona, a friend of the Salazars (BEST MEMBER MISSIONARY COUPLE!). She is Baptist, but the Salazars have been working with her for a long time and she likes/wants to keep meeting us. Bro. Salazar is usually there when we teach her and he is SO great at using analogies that apply to her.
Some things I've noticed about how Satan works as I've met/observed people here in Boston and as I've been reading Helaman- 3 Nephi:
- Satan holds us down and keeps us from progressing with addictions, ignorance (lack of education), complacency, selfishness (spouses up and leaving their families) and poverty. (Boston)
- Pride, doubt, contention, sin (Helaman- 3 Nephi) As I've been reading in these last chapters of the Book of Mormon, I am continually blown away at how many times these people are delivered from a seemingly impossible enemy and then "in the space of not many years" forget God. Blows my mind. I really hope I can do my best to avoid doing this in any way.
I was so fun to hear from Jord. So many of his thoughts and observations were exactly what I was feeling in the MTC. Elder Wheeler, you are a rockstar! I'm sorry you have to leave the MTC at 2:30 am. Not fair. Sleep on the plane! (After you give the person next to you a pass along card... ;) I am equally terrified of talking to people on the bus/train. Then I read D&C 60:2 and decided I'd better buck up and get brave! Yikes!)
And here goes a list of random things to tell you:
Mosiah 2:41 is the best. Love it.
GUYS! I LOVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION! Riding the "T" is too fun. Also, there is a station called "Wonderland." Boston rocks. :)
It was super rainy all last week, but it's nice and hot and humid today. (more what I was expecting!)
THANK YOU ALL for the letters in the mail! It is so much fun to get them. As Josh says, L.A.N.D. (Letters Are Not Dead) :)
Guys, just like Jord said, I will be that member who helps the missionaries when I get back! I feel like growing up, I had no concept of member-missionary work because everyone I knew was LDS. But, there is a way! And you should all read Clayton Christensen's book, "The Power of Everyday Missionaries". It's giving me some great ideas!
Mom, you would DIE at the houses out here. I feel like each one looks like the cover of Better Homes and Gardens or Country Living. :)
Also, I'm embarrassed that I didn't know Walden Pond is like 20 minutes from us. I thought it was in England... whoops!
BTW, funny (morbid) story: Sister Hollan and her last companion went contacting people who were on the old ward directory but hadn't shown up in a long time, and one lady was dead. Can you say outdated?
I taped up family pics next to my desk and the picture of Lindy dancing keeps me going when the going gets tough. :)
Guys, I'm actually excited to watch "The District" when we get the chance... nerdy. :)
Sister Hollan is hysterical. We've had some great laughs this week. :) BTW, she had been accepted to the Disney program before she left (TO WORK AS A PRINCESS! Does this give you any idea of how pretty she is and how hard it is for me to keep up my self-esteem?! Jk.) :)
And last, but certainly not least, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD! You are the best!
Okay, I think that's it. I'm sure I missed something, but I love you all! Thank you for all your support and love.
Love,
Sister Wheeler
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