The Mission field is ready to Harvest

Man the mission field has been the BEST THING OF MY LIFE!!! My

nickname in the MTC and in the Mission Field has been Elder Calhoun

(The Best 2 Years) because I'm so excited about the work all the time.

I think it's pretty funny.

We have three people on date for baptism next month! One family I am

just in love with. They are progressing so much!!! I'm just so excited

for them because they are just wanting to do everything they can to be

baptized and come closer to Heavenly Father.

So I used the prank "No tear toilet paper" on my companion. He was so

confused/frustrated because he could've sworn he had just changed the

roll to a new one and it was different material. haha My companion is

Elder Chambers. He is THE MAN! We have so much fun together and

we teach with so much unity. We both rely on the spirit together in

our lessons and so our teaching is so much better. He knows EVERYTHING

about the scriptures. I hope I can be like that someday. I'm workin on
it. Anyway, He is District Leader as well so I was glad that I could
get such a good trainer. I've been praying for him for the past 2
years so I was so happy that Heavenly Father answered my prayers with
a Trainer that is committed to excellence and lost in the work.

MIRACLE:

My first night tracting we didn't have very much success and we were
finished and as we were riding our bikes down the street we passed a
house with a Nativity set in the front yard. I called out "Elder
Chambers! Can we turn around and knock on this door?" he said "just
this one?" and I said  "I just feel like we should!' (Which was the
spirit guiding me, which I didn't realize at the time) So we knock on
the door and I said "We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we saw the Nativity in your yard and we
wanted to share a message of our Savior Jesus Christ for the Christmas
Season" She said "the nativity is my Parents" I said "do you mind if
we sit down with you and share a message?" She said "come on in"

I looked at Elder Chambers with a shocked look on my face. This was
the first time someone said yeah sure come on in.

We sat down at her kitchen counter and we asked her if she believed in
God. She said "I believe there is a higher power that influences our
lives and that he isn't male or female." She then went on to say that
she thinks God has turned his back on her throughout her entire life,
that when bad things happened to her, God was never there.

We continued to listen and she told us about her rough life. My heart
just weighed down and I wanted, at that moment, for her to accept the
Gospel of Jesus Christ so much! Every part of me just wanted her to
have that joy, peace, and comfort that following the Savior brings.

We asked her if she had ever met missionaries before. She said
"Mormon? Yeah I know a lot about mormons..." she went on to say "Well,
I know that you can't eat pepper..." among many other wild myths about
us.

We explained that our church is a completely different church than
what she was hearing about and we assured her we were normal people. I
told her that "we would love to tell you what we DO believe, because I
can promise that whatever your challenges and concerns may be, and I
know that you have been through so much, this message will help you
and bring more happiness and peace to your life than you have ever
felt before." She said that she would like that.

Elder Chambers asked her what she wants out of life and why she let us
in. She said "knowledge. I just want knowledge and understanding." I
then asked, what makes you happy?" She said "My family, my kids. I
want them to grow up having the life that I never had and I don't want
them to have to go through the same things that I did."

I told her that she is a great mom and that I could tell she loves her
daughter and son so much. We told her that our church helps us
strengthen and build family relationships and that we actually sit as
families at church. We invited her to attend a church tour. She
accepted!

I told her that "Elder Chambers and I weren't going to every house
knocking on doors anymore tonight. We were just riding our bikes past
your house. When we passed this house I got a feeling that I needed to
turn around and knock on your door. That is why we're here." Elder
Chambers said " Maybe God hasn't turned his back on you."

She paused and took a deep breath then she said "Yeah and it spooks me
that you came and knocked on my door tonight and it spooks me that you
knew that you needed to come to my house. And it spooks me that I even
let you in my house because normally I would've said "Kick Rocks, keep
walkin" but with you two it was different. I felt something."

Elder Chambers and I just smiled and allowed the Spirit to talk to her
and she said, in a soft and sincere voice "And you know what else?
This spooks me too... and I've never told anyone this but I haven't
been inside a church since I was a little girl over 20 years ago
because of a bad experience I had but I drive past that Mormon church
building many times a day and every time I can't help but look at
it.... every time. And I get this feeling that I need to go in. So it
spooks me that you invited me to tour the building too. So many times

I have almost said "Dad stop the car I need to go in that church."

The spirit was SO STRONG!!! I asked her how she felt right now and she

said "For the first time in my life I feel peace. I haven't felt this

peace since I was a little girl."

We told her that it was the spirit and it was God telling her that

this was the right path for her. We promised her that if she would

read the Book of Mormon and sincerely pray to know if it was true that

God tell her if it was true. We asked her if she would and she said "I

think he already has! But I'll read that whole book!"

We were talking about baptism and her 9 year old daughter comes in and

said "I want to be baptized!!!"

What an incredible experience. I'm so happy that the gospel can bring

her that peace and happiness that I've experienced through out my

life.

This wouldn't have happened either if I hadn't followed the prompting

from the Holy Ghost to turn around and knock on the front door. So

remember to "Act on every worthy thought" as President Bean has said.

You never know what Heavenly Father has in store for you to do.

Love you everyone,

Elder Whiting

p.s. I wish I had time to tell you every miracle that has happened.

There are many more.

.

12.22.11

I have permission from President Palmer to send you an email regarding our Christmas Skype call. I will be able to Skype at 3:00 PM on Christmas which is at 4:00 PM your time I believe. I hope you got the email regarding my first area.... Lewiston IDAHO!!! YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW INCREDIBLE IT WAS TONIGHT!!!!!! I HAD THE MOST INCREDIBLE MIRACLE OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU!!! 
Joslyn, Please update my address on facebook to my mission home address 
Elder Whiting 820 S Pines Rd. Suite 101 Spokane Valley, WA 99206 and that address will stay for my whole mission. 

Loves,
Elder Whiting
 P.S. Thank Heavenly Father for EVERYTHING!!! He loves us so much!

Arrived safely to his first area!!!

Dear Brother and Sister Whiting, I was pleased to welcome your son, Elder Whiting, to the Washington Spokane Mission this week.  I’m happy to report that he arrived safely.  I had the privilege of meeting and associating with him the day of his arrival and note that it is evident that he comes with a great desire to serve Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Elder Whiting understands the role of the Holy Ghost in accomplishing the work here in the Washington Spokane Mission and has committed to live worthy of that power.


After prayerful consideration, I have called Elder Chambers to serve as Elder Whiting’s training companion in the Lewiston, Idaho area.  It is our objective to call only the best missionaries to serve as trainers and I believe that your son is in excellent training hands.  We expect that your missionary will serve in this area for the next 6 to 12 weeks as he begins his mission here.

I have enclosed photographs of your missionary and assure you that Sister Palmer and I will love Elder Whiting. Our great desire is that his time here will further establish him on the path of righteousness, as well as bless the many people he will serve.

Attached are the new updated recommended guidelines we have for parents.  These guidelines are based on many years of accumulated missionary experience, especially those guidelines concerning personal contact with your missionary. Elder Whiting needs your good example.  I sincerely request that you consider them for the benefit of your son and his fellow missionaries.

Thank you so much for sharing Elder Whiting with us. 

Sincerely,

S. Mark Palmer, President

WASHINGTON SPOKANE MISSION

Mitch and his companion. Seeing him with his badge makes me tear up! 

Mission President and wife with Elder Whiting

First Area

 Airplane ride to Spokane.  Can hardly wait to get to my mission.

Spokane ready or not here I come!

 My Greenie Group.  We all came out together.  Picture taken with President and Sister Palmer

So beautiful.  Love my new area!  Lewiston Idaho, December 19, 2011

12.12.11

Family!!!!!

Man why haven't I heard from Jake? Every day I'm hoping I get a letter from him! Tell him to write me! I wrote him twice! And i want to hear from everyone! Mom, Dad, Joslyn, Justin, Laurisa, Grafton and Jake....Send me LETTERS please!!! haha with PICTURES!!!! I love pictures!!

I love you so much!!! I pray for you all the time! So this week was so good! I've really improved as a missionary. I've recognized more how to use the spirit in my teaching. I'm teaching a Grandma who is less active. She hasn't been to church in so long because she got offended years ago but she committed to going to church once we explained by the spirit how important the sacrament is and that she can have a clean slate every week!

Since i've been District Leader I've really been striving and striving and striving to develop the Christlike attribute of Charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ and without it we are nothing. Charity is another name for Christ so when we have charity we are actually becoming more like our Savior. Well so the other night I had a heart to heart with one of the Elders in my District and I felt so much love for him and he did for me that we both just started bawling. The spirit was so strong and I felt so much more like Christ. I'm really striving to become more like Him.

I cannot wait to get into the field and teach real people. And really be able to help them. Role play is great and all but I get a little tired of it. I just can't wait to get to Washington! And I can't wait to meet my mission President, President Palmer and give him a huge hug. I already love him so much and I've never even met him!

Two things I need... I need Sammie's address (her address in Idaho) and Haley Brown's address. You can text or call them from my phone to get it. Mom would you do that for me? then just send the addresses in a Dear Elder. because then I'll get it that day.

Oh and Mom can you send me that Santa Tie for Christmas?!

Man I only have on minute left on the clock for email. I will write you today and send them out! 

oh yeah.... I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Book of Mormon. I've been studying it like crazy. That's all I want to do. Man if I had any advice for Jake... Just study the heck out of the bible and BoM. Love you so much!

Elder Whiting 

Missionary Training Center

Missionary Training Center 

My Companion-Elder Bobo

 Our District at the Provo Temple.

Our district

 District 2 Celebrity Trainers.  I was so excited to meet these trainers in person.  They are celebrities.  My dad always showed their training videos in mission prep.  Learn from the best.  I took these pictures for my dad.

 Called to Serve- picture of the MTC

Getting some practice for all the bike riding I'll be doing.

Anti-gravity room

Elder Mathew Henningson, my neighbor who is a trainer at the MTC.  Us redheads stick together.

The sister missionaries in our district.

Classroom studying the gospel. I had the best instructors.

Look how marked my scriptures are.

First Letters

#1 
Dear Amazing Family,

The MTC is my favorite place ever! It’s incredible!  I’ve already felt the spirit so strongly!  So my companion…is so Great!  You would never ever ever guess his story and past!  He is a retired gang banger!  He has been shot 3 times, knifed on multiple accounts and was into drugs.  He got into gangs when he was 8 years old.  He has broken his hand 16 times fighting and punching cement. Haha! 

Elder Bobo is from West Valley Utah.  Who knew gangs could be so serious in the Mormon state.  We connected the second we met each other!

The spirit is so strong here that sometimes I just feel like bawling!  Wish I had more time to write! 

I love you all!

Elder Whiting

#2

Hey it's Elder Whiting from the MTC!!!

Man you would not believe how crazy this week has been. For the first few days everything was so easy. Then it started to change. 2 nights ago I was teaching an "investigator" and during the lessons lately I've just completely bombing them! They all have been going terrible! It's like I was so nervous or something and I was just some stiff missionary trying to teach the lessons.and two nights ago I was humbled more than I ever have in my entire life. Basically I got punched in the face by the spirit and realized that I wasn't the great missionary I thought I was. I thought I was such a good missionary just because I knew a few answers in Mission prep. Well I needed to be humbled. Honestly I felt like crap because I wasn't the perfect missionary that I wanted to be. Do you remember the story of Peter walking on water with Christ? Well I am JUST like Peter! So just like Peter I showed a ton of faith just by stepping out of the boat and onto the water or in other words, leaving my home, my family, my friends and life as I knew it to come on a mission. And man when I got into the MTC I felt so amazing! I couldn't wipe the smile off my face and I was so focused on the work. I still have been focused on the work but I became worried about other things like how I wasn't such a great missionary. So just like Peter, as soon as I took my focus off of Christ and started worrying about myself I started to sink!!! For the first time in my entire life I was literally begging Heavenly Father to help me in my prayers. I was praying and I started crying because I knew I needed Christ's help just like Peter begged Christ to save him when he was sinking through the water. My favorite part of the story of Peter is that Christ didn't let him drown and He would never let me drown either but instead he has picked me up and pulled me out of the water because I was humble and asked for his help. Christ then walked with Peter by his side and helped him walk on water till he got to the boat. Then Christ stopped the storm.

And Christ is doing the same for me. I have felt him by my side and I know that as long as I stay humble I will eventually become the great missionary that I want so badly to be! I had to realize that this place is called the Missionary TRAINING center for a reason! I just have to be patient and rely on the the Lord. I've learned to rely on Him with everything. The spirit is so strong here. Probably because I've been praying at least 15 times a day.

So I've been called as District Leader and it has helped me grow a lot. My District is so supportive and we have so much love for each other. None of us can believe how close we have become in just 5 days. It's unbelieveable. My companion told me that if it weren't for me being his companion  he would have packed his bags and gone home 3 days ago. It brought tears to my eyes because I know that we were supposed to be companions for a reason. Maybe so that he would stay out on his mission but also because he has taught me so much already and I love him so much.

I love you so much family!!! I hope everyone is doing well!! I"ve sent each of you a letter so you should get it soon. I can't wait to here from you!

I don't have much time at all on the computer so if you write me letters;

1) I get them during the week as soon as they get here.

2) I have all of P-day to reply instead of thirty minutes. Which is impossible.

Please send me pictures with your letters. That would make me so happy :) and Dad please forward this to everyone!

With all the love of my heart,

Elder Whiting

See you in two years!

Elder Whiting saying goodbye.. 

           

Saying goodbye to my BYU roomates- our last hoorah at J dogs our favorite place to eat.

My grandpa and grandma picked me up from the airport and took me to the MTC.

Commiting to100% daily scripture study while I am gone for 2 years!

Laurisa and Grafton  

Such a great younger brother

Cutest Brothers!

My goodbye hug in ohio, even though it was a little early! 

 

The Nana!

At the airport!

Final Hugs!

Mom and Son

Dad and Son  

Such proud parents!

We are all so proud! What an amazing thing to serve the Lord and bless many lives!