May 31, 2011

Hey!!!

It has been another great week! It seems like every week in the mission is a great week! Of course there are those hard times but if you are serving the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength you are going to be happy! Transfers were this past Thursday! It was bitter-sweet. We lost Sister Lillywhite and so I am just in a duo with Sister Szymanski but I am excited that I get to stay here in the Mounds for my last transfer! I can't believe I have been here 6 months going on 71/2! It just seems so weird to me that I have lived here and worked here that long. I really love this ward and the members! They always try to take care of us and so many are willing to help with the missionary work. I have seen such an improvement with the leaders of the ward since I have been here. The meetings are just more focused on missionary work and they are really trying to help us. It's great!! I forgot my planner today because we started a new one and so I really can't remember what we did this past week. We were able to find 2 new investigators. We are starting to teach Krystal Fox's sister Nicole. We are also teaching Melissa Jenkins Krystal's friend. Krystal just keeps giving us referrals because she knows the gospel is true and has seen a happiness come into her life that she wants’ to share! It great! We had a great lesson this morning with Betty Dumas! She is a 60 year old black woman who used to be Pentecostal but is going to be a Latter-day Saint now! We committed her to be baptized on June 25 and she had an overwhelming feeling and she said yes! The spirit was so strong! It was amazing! She has come to church once and loved it and is going to continue to learn and then be baptized! I am excited for her! We actually found her on "accident." We were going to see her less active neighbor in an apartment complex and went to knock on the back door instead because it was closer to where we had parked. Well we knocked on the wrong door and Betty let us in and wanted to know more. She was actually a former investigator! AMAZING! The spirit directs even when you aren't sure what you’re doing! We are still working on finding new investigators. The entire mission is having difficulties finding people to teach! Ugh. So we will be going tracting in the 93 degree weather today! YUCK!!! It's so hot and humid! I am trying to drink lots and lots of water though! I am hoping they will feel bad for us and let us in! Who knows...? We are working with less actives a lot recently also. There are a few that are very close to coming back. Just need that little bit of guidance and push? Then there are some who are far away. But we keep trying! The best thing we can do is be friendly and invite the spirit into their home. Help remember the covenants we made at baptism and help them realize the blessing that they are missing. I am excited for this next transfer! I am going to work hard and use my time wisely! I just can't believe how fast the time goes by! It's crazy! But we are going to continue to FIND, TEACH, and BAPTIZE! I love this work! It is the best work in the world! Those are awesome experiences that Tanner had. I don't really remember him though. I can't believe how many people are leaving on missions and coming home! It's just crazy!! How is Levi doing? Is he still on the Island? I am excited to see Brent and Lorna. The 4th of July is a p-day and so I think we are going to be spending it with the Trauntveins and they should be there. I am not sure though. We did get to go to Michaels’ graduation party for a little bit. We didn't have a dinner appt that night and so we went and ate our dinner their and said congratulations. That was fun! Mom, can you find out when I will be giving my homecoming talk. I would like to know so that I can invite some of my companions that are home. And if you could find out what the topic is on that would be great! But if not it doesn't really matter. And did you ever get the conference ensign? I haven't gotten it and would like to read it all before I get home. I love you all so much! Keep the letters coming! I haven't received one in like 2 weeks! AHHH! Just 1 or 2 more and you won't have to write me again. Except you lance... I want more than 1 or 2. I love you!

Love, Sister Madison Whitney

May 23, 2011

Hey!

This week has been such an amazing week! One of the best!! So I think I may just go through the week and look back at all that has happened.

Monday: We just stayed inside for p-day and we wrote letters, cleaned, and we also cleaned out our car. Then we were able to have dinner with the Trauntveins! I love that family! It has been so great to be able to get close to them and get to know them more! We weren't able to stay way long because they are super busy this month with the end of school and they had a reward ceremony for the middle school.

Tuesday: We taught our recent converts Lorraine and Krystal. They are both doing great! They were talking about receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and how they weren't sure what was going to happen but they both said they just had this really warm feeling that filled their entire body. It just felt good and right! So exciting for the both of them! We are working on getting them home teachers and visiting teachers. And then hopefully they will be going to the temple soon so that they can go and do baptisms for the dead! I love the gospel! We also went to the Arlington Nursing Home and we played bowling with the residents. There is a worker there, Wes, and he actually started opening up and asking questions. We also found a new investigator on Tuesday, Kristina! She is great! We taught her the restoration lesson and after reciting the first vision she just looked at us and asked "Did that really happen?" We just looked back and said YES! We were so excited! She felt the spirit and the lesson just went so well! We invited her to follow Christ's example and to be baptized once she found out it was true and she said YES! Hopefully we will be able to set a date this next week when we see her. She has an 11 year old daughter that would be learning also.

Wednesday: We saw a lot of less active members. There are a few we are working with that are really close to coming back to church. Actually 4 less actives we are working with came to church on Sunday! It was exciting! We had dinner with the Haltom’s! They are just a hoot. They are an old(er) couple who were less active but have been coming since we started visiting them! They are just hilarious though! They are always making us laugh!

Thursday: We had Zone Conference with President and Sister Jensen! The conference went from 9 am to 4 pm! It was amazing though! We learned some fabulous things about doing missionary work! We are going to start having our investigators write their commitments down in their copies of the Book of Mormon we give them. In the blank pages on the back! Of course there was a lot more that we learned! President Christianson came; he was an old mission president and the last Ohio Columbus Temple President! It was amazing to hear from him! It was interesting because Monday with the Trauntveins we were talking about how they came to Ohio and some leader was telling them that if they didn't know why they moved to Ohio is could most likely be because they had ancestors in the area and they came back to receive their inheritance. They found some relatives they are related to that we are also related to. But the Pres. Christianson talked about how coming to THE OHIO is a privilege! He talked about how President Benson removed the curse and how the work is moving forward here. He also said we as missionaries probably have someone in our line who didn't receive that inheritance and how we were here to receive that and to help the work move forward here! It is amazing. He also talked a lot about the temple! It was the best Zone Conference!

Skipping Friday because I am short on time!

Saturday was the best day ever! We were able to go to the temple and I was able to see the Sherman and Brenda O'Bryan get their endowments out! It was such an amazing experience! The spirit was so strong! I was crying... of course! Then we were able to see them get sealed together and then they had their 3 daughters sealed to them! I love that family so much and it meant so much to me that I was able to go and be apart of that! I love the temple and I am grateful that we are able to go and be sealed together and be eternal families! That was such an amazing experience I will never forget! The spirit was just incredible!

Sunday: We went to church and had an investigator come, our recent converts, and less actives. Then we were able to go to the Mission Home Fireside with Lorraine! It was great to hear President Jensen speak. He talked about 3 Nephi 11 and 12 and the comparison of that and the temple! It was great!

And finally we had today! We went to the Columbus Zoo! We went with the Haltom’s! It was so much fun! We also met a bunch of other missionaries their! A ton of Sisters came! It was so so much fun! And then we should be getting transfer calls either tonight or tomorrow night. So I will probably have Sister Pat Smith post it on face book for you mom. A lot to write... not even finished! Now I need to answer some questions.

1. What blessings have come to you because you decided to follow rules? Could be at home or on your mission.

I know that a ton of blessing have come to me because I have followed the rules. Sometimes I know that we wonder why their are so many rules. But I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. He gives us commandments because He loves us. We just need to be able to say I will go and do, Like Nephi 3:7! I know that I am a lot happier because I follow the rules!

2. Why do you think the Lord considers missionary work so important?

The lord considers missionary work so important because He loves each of us so much! It's what brings his children back to him. Moses 1:39!

3. Why do you think missionaries have all the rules like (not calling family all the time, weekly reports to mission president, not get into debt, not going outside your assigned area, etc?)

It keeps us focused, safe, and gives us self discipline. If we are obedient to these rules it shows that we will be obedient to other commandments we are given.

4. What good things have come from following these rules while on your mission?

I know that everything has come from following the rules. Obedience is everything on a mission. I know that I would not have been able to be a part of a third of the people lives I have worked with. I know that we are happier when we are obedient and I know that we teach more. People have their agency to choose, but we find more and teach more as we follow the rules. We are also kept safe and have a better time.

I love my mission. It has been the greatest experience of my life! I have learned so much and I know that Heavenly Father will bless us with knowledge as we are obedient!

Read in PMG under Christ like attributes and Obedience!

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Madison Whitney

May 9, 2011

Hey Family!

It was so wonderful to talk to you on Mothers Day! It was so great hearing all your voices! It's going to be so weird coming home and you are all going to look different. Be taller and have deeper voices! Crazy... ha-ha. I don't really know what to say because I pretty much told you everything yesterday on the phone call. We are working hard and trying to find new people to teach! We may be dropping a bunch of investigators this week because none of them are progressing. It's so frustrating when people won't read the Book of Mormon and won't pray about it. They just don't really have that desire to know and that's a problem. Mom, Pat Smith added you on face book make sure that you add her. She is the one that does so much for us missionaries and whose phone we called from yesterday! I love her! I am really excited for the baptism this weekend! It's been such a long process to work with Krystal but she is finally ready! She has changed her life a lot but she will definatly be blessed for that and will be happier in the long run. Sadly, she is moving soon to Indiana but it probably won't be to the end of June and so I hope that she finds a good ward up there that will welcome her in. Lorraine and Sophia are excited for their baptism! It will be so good for their family! Hopefully Savon her 11 year old boy will have that desire to be baptized. I can email Zack... what is his email address and I will email him starting next week. I think it's always better to get hand written letters but that's ok. Some communication is better than none. Good news is that it's not raining here today!!! It's supposed to be like 70 degrees! I am excited about that. It's too bad we are probably going to be inside most of the day writing letters. Maybe I will take a blanket outside and write out there. Who knows? But the work is going well here! I love serving in THE GREAT OHIO! I love you all so much! I hope that you have an amazing week!

Love, Sister Madison Whitney

April 25, 2011

Hey Family & Friends!!

It's been a pretty great week! Where do we start? This week we were able to commit a few people to baptism for May 14. Hopefully that day will be a wonderful day! As of right now Krystal Fox, Lorraine McIntyre and her 2 kids Sophie(8,female) and Savon(11,male), and also Thomas Scarberry are getting baptized! They are all so close and really have that desire to be baptized but just each have a few of their own problems with different commandments. They are excited though and Krystal and Lorraine and the kids came to church on Easter! So did Bob!! Bob also wants to quit smoking... we had to drop Bob a while back because he wasn't progressing but he says that he really wants’ to do it because of his health and because he wants to be baptized and so if he can quit he will also be able to be baptized in the future. Syndy Ford was so close to being baptized but her fiancé won't let their children come to church and so she doesn't want to go to church without her children. She kind of dropped us but we also talked first and told her this was the most important decision of her life and she really needs to take the time to pray and ponder about it and so we are still in contact with her just not teaching her right now. It's so sad when these darn husbands or boyfriends get in the way. But it's been going really great! Because we are starting to see the investigators we are working with progress. Now we just need to find some more investigators. We are trying to go tracting an hour each day to find more people. We are also working with some less actives that are starting to progress. A few of them actually have been coming back! It's exciting to be able to help people remember the covenants they made. Wednesday we had interviews with President Jensen! He is such an amazing man! I learn so much from him! We were able to color Easter eggs with the Haltoms this week! It was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed myself! They also got us each an Easter basket and way too much candy! I give most of it away to kids we are teaching though... Ha-ha. Except my yummy jelly beans and Cadbury eggs. Speaking of Jelly beans the Myers sent me a little package! Tell them thanks for me! That's so appreciated!! Saturday morning we went to an Easter Activity that the Newark ward was having. The Trauntviens invited us since our ward didn't have one. We went and ate breakfast with them and then did an Easter egg hunt with the little children. It was fun! Easter was a good day! My companions and I hid Easter Eggs around the apartment for each other. Thanks mom for sending the eggs. It was fun to find them... I am definatly the best hider though... Ha-ha. Then we went to church! It was great because we had 5 investigators come. We also were able to sing in the choir during sacrament meeting. After church we went to Pat and Greg Smiths home for Easter dinner. It was really good! Pat is an amazing cook and loves to do it! It's funny though because she cooks us this big meal and then eats a little tiny healthy one because she is on weight watchers. It was a great Easter though! We were even able to get some tracting in and set up some return appointments. It was great! Today for p-day we went to Hocking Hills near Lancaster, Ohio. It was so beautiful! It reminded me a lot of Zion's National Park. It was weird that they had it in Ohio though. I will probably send a c.d. or s.d. card home soon because I took a billion pictures today! It was called old mans cave but it had little water falls and it really just reminded me of the narrows! It was sweet!!! We went with Tabby and the Lancaster Elders. When we come back to Ohio that's one place we should go. It was only about an hour and a half drive from Newark. It was gorgeous though! That's why we are emailing later. I am still just doing great! I love the Trio! We have a lot of fun together!! Sister Szymanski is from Salt Lake City. That is crazy that Ryan is going to Afghanistan! It's really weird to think that Marissa has a child that is 1 year's old now. Brigham will qualify for BYU! I have faith in him! He is really fast! Good luck!! That's scary that his girlfriend’s hair got stuck. I would be really scared to have it cut off by a pocket knife. Its sounds like life back home is good. My life here in Ohio is great! Time is going by really fast and so I am just trying to live it to its fullest and work hard! Thanks for the 4th missionary talk! I am still reading it but so far it's great! I love you all so much!

Love, Sister Madison Whitney

April 18, 2011

Hello Family and Friends!!

It has been a crazy week! Monday we had p-day and we went to the Mounds. It was really cool to see the inside of them and to imagine Alma 49 and 50. When we come to visit that is one thing I definitely want you to see. It's just cool to think about it. Then Monday evening we went over to Amy and Todd Trauntviens and we had dinner and FHE with them. It was fun because we played Imagine-If and it is a great way to get to know one another better. I am so excited I get to stay another 6 weeks at least. That means I will be 6 months in the mounds and probably finish my mission here! We also got transfer calls on Monday night. READY... Sister Lillywhite and Sister Whitney you are both staying in the Mounds, but you are getting another companion! I was so excited to here that. I get to be with Sister Lillywhite another 6 weeks and I get to be in another TRIO! So on Tuesday we had the mission office deliver another bed and a desk. We set up the apartment for a trio. It's a little tight but it works. We also went to the baptism of Tabby Sies on Tuesday night! It was so wonderful to see her be baptized! She was so happy! Sister Lillywhite and I sang because I have been given much right before the baptism and it went really good! I love being a part of these people's lives! The Ohio-ans are wonderful people! I love them. Thursday was transfers and Amy took us down. We got to the meeting and there were a lot of Sister's being transferred and so it was hard to even guess. But we ended up getting Sister Szymanski. I was a little worried at first actually because she is really really shy. She has also only been out 3 months and so I am breaking (co-training) another one. But it's been really great so far. We are having a lot of fun as a trio and I love both of them! She has opened up to us also it's just a little difficult to teach with 3. But we are getting it. We also committed Krystal Fox and Lorraine to be baptized in May along with Syndy Ford and they all said YES! They have said yes before though so hopefully this time will be a little different. They seem to have more of a desire this time. Hmmmm.... trying to think of what else happened this week. It all just seems to go together in a blur.

That is cool that Sister Hazleton's mom stopped by. Sister Hazleton told me that she might when I saw her at Transfers. I love Sister Hazleton! It was really sad that we were only together 6 weeks. She is definitely 1 of my favorite companions! The weather has been ok...It changes here a lot in Ohio. Crazy!! It's rainy a lot... the whole April Showers (and thunderstorms) bring May Flowers. Brigham is not allowed to have a girlfriend. That's weird.

But that's pretty much all that is going on here in NERK, AHIA!! I love you all so much! You are wonderful! Thanks for all of your love and support!

Love, Sister Madison Whitn

April 11, 2011

Hey Family!

It's been a great week! Lots went on... I can't even believe how fast this transfer has gone by! It's crazy that we find out tomorrow if I am staying in the Mounds or leaving. I am really excited that I get to stay an extra week. It will be a great experience. And Caleb we won't forget your Birthday, Ha-ha. I did color my hair this week...well my companion colored it. It turned out good. It's just a little darker but even all around now. Tevon texted you because I couldn't remember but she wasn't with more or didn't even color my hair. I am feeling fine. I did get my prescription and I am taking 2 a day. I am exercising and eating pretty healthy. I have actually lost about 7 lbs. My eyes are fine. The prescription hasn't even changed. My mission president and his wife leave on July 1st and then that's when the new mission president comes. So I will have 2 different mission presidents but the one only for 2 weeks. It's kind of cool though because President Jensen said because he was the mission president pretty much my entire mission he will still interview us before he leaves and he is also going to take us to the temple since that is a tradition here. So I will get to departing interviews and 2 temple trips! WOOT!! That's exciting! Not to mention I should be going with Misty Posey in June to see her get her endowments out! I love the temple! We actually got to go on Thursday with all the Sisters in the Columbus area! Their were 12 of us there! It's so much fun to see other Sisters and be in the temple with them! I love to go to the temple! I love the spirit and the power I receive as I go there! It's amazing! I had such a great spiritual experience there and it just strengthened my testimony that Christ lives and loves each of us so much! I can't even remember what all went on this week! So much happened! The biggest thing was that we had exchanges! I was able to leave my area for a day and go back to Marion with Sister Hazleton! It was amazing. First because I love Sister Hazleton so much and it was great to spend another day with her. Second because who actually gets to go back to an old area and do some work! I know that it was inspired for me to go back though because I was able to help! I wish I had time to write about everything. But the best thing was that I was able to get into a house where no one in the branch has been able to get into. The missionaries had tried a month earlier and she told them to go away. It's crazy because when I was there she was amazing! She was so strong in the gospel. She was going to the temple when her health allowed and shared the gospel with everyone. When I heard that she was antied and didn't talk to anyone I was SHOCKED! But I got this impression that we needed to go see her. It was amazing... once again it strengthens my testimony that God loves ALL of His children and knows what each of us needs. We went and knocked on her door. She was smoking and put it out and then she saw me through the screen door. I told her Hello and told her that I missed her. She saw me and let us in the door. Sister Hazleton was shocked. We sat down and we were talking to her I asked her questions and she opened up. She was going through a very hard time. She is having a lot of medical problems and almost died. She did tell us that she knew the church was still true and she still read her scriptures everyday. She just felt like she had let the branch down and other things. We ended up reading scriptures with her and sang hymns. It was amazing! She is willing to let the missionaries come back and wants to get a refresh of the lessons. She wants to come back but was scared and is scared. But seeing me is what she needed. I love her and was glad to go back and help. I am going to write her and continue to support and encourage her. I was also able to talk to my recent converts of that area! Some are doing great others not so much. It was heart breaking to see one had started smoking again and stopped reading the Book of Mormon. But I talked to her and she said she would start reading it and I will continue to write her. The exchange was great and it brought happiness and sorrow. But I know that The Gospel is True and it is for everyone! I love my Savior so much! I know He lives and Loves each of us! His Atonement is real and works for every single person! We can be together forever as families and I am grateful for that! Missionary work is amazing! Share the gospel with everyone!

I love you so much! I hope you have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Madison Whitney

April 4, 2011

Hello family!

O my goodness! So we are sitting in the library emailing and it all the sudden just starting down pouring outside. It is probably some of the hardest rain I have ever seen. It is also like 70 degrees outside which is crazy because it snowed last week. I don't understand the weather here. It's just nuts. We are supposed to have lightning and thunder storms all day today which is pretty crazy. I love hearing and watching it though. I am just glad that I am in for p-day and don't have to go tracting in it. Ha-ha... So this week I got a call from my mission president and he told me that my new release date is July 15. Their is a new mission president coming in and so they are having a seven week transfer so that he can do transfers instead of President Jensen. It will be good though. Transfers are next Thursday. So we will see how that goes. My guess is that I will probably be transferred somewhere else. But we will see. I have been with Sister Lillywhite since January 20th so it will have been 3 months. I had Sister Hazleton for 6 weeks in December.

It sounds like Brigham is doing really well in track! That's awesome! Keep up the good work Brig! I am excited to see you run when I get home. General Conference was amazing this weekend! I absolutely loved it! I loved Elder Holland’s talk to Dad. He is probably one of my favorite Apostles. I loved Elder Uchdorfs talk and Elder C. Scott Grows also. They were all good! I am really excited to come home and start my own family though. It seems like their has been a lot of pressure on that lately. Especially when Elder C. Scott Grow came to our mission. He said that we were to get married when we go home and have children. If we waited until we were done with school or until we had enough money we are not showing our faith in God and that he will help us through it. We watched general conference at the church because we needed to be their if investigators came. Thomas Scarberry came to all 4 sessions. He is so close to baptism but wanted to know if Thomas S. Monson is a prophet. He was disappointed that he didn't speak very much but is going to go home and pray about it. He was the only investigator to come to the church but some watched it over their computers. We had another great week of finding and teaching! It seems like the work is really moving forward and that the ward is starting to pick up a little. We taught 28 lessons this week and we have a lot of return appointments for next week. So hopefully we will be able to find a lot of new investigators. It's pretty great because we have to schedule things out to next week because we are so busy. It's just hopefully the people that made appointments will keep them. We seem to have a lot of people cancel at times. Lorraine and Krystal are still on for baptism for April 23! We are excited for them! Keep them in your prayers. Tabby is getting baptized on April 12 and wants us to sing at her baptism. Hopefully we can get permission to go. We started teaching her but she was in another area and so we had to let the Elders take her over. And Whitney should be baptized in the next 2 weeks! She is the one who moved to Arizona. I am trying to think of anything else that has happened this week. We had to drop Bob because he wasn't progressing. He just doesn't have a desire to give up his cigarettes and coffee. It was so heartbreaking though. We were talking to him about it and I just wanted to cry. It's so hard seeing people you love not accept the gospel or not be willing to go far enough. We will still check on him but won't be seeing him 2-3 times a week anymore. We played Bingo with the residents and the nursing home. That was fun! It really is crazy how much you hear as a missionary. It's been kind of a weird week because we go into peoples homes and they trust us and they just load all of their issues on us. I have heard things I have never wanted to hear and then they ask you to keep it a secret. That has happened allot this week and sometimes it is a burden but I know as they tell us these things and we can share scriptures with them it helps them. Then Sister Lillywhite and I just have pillow fights at night to relieve our stress. Or go out to Whit's for frozen custard! SO YUMMY!!! It's been a great week though and I love being a missionary! I wouldn't trade my experiences in for anything! I have learned so much and have loved so many!

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church on the earth today! The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ! I know that as we read it daily a power will flow into our lives! Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet on the earth today! The words we heard from general conference are the things our Heavenly Father wanted us to hear! I love the gospel and know its ALL true! You can't pick and choose the commandments you live!

I love you so much! Thanks for all the love and support you give to me! Have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Madison Whitney

Mom that's cool that you have been hanging out with Shauna McBride. Of course I remember her we taught a Sunday school class together.