Are you smarter than a high schooler?

read the red letters...basically a mission
in a nutshell: "in case of fire,
pull handle firmly"
side note from mom: "??"

GUYS I GOT TO DO SERVICE THIS WEEK!! Like hands dirty in someone's yard service! Honestly at this point I'm just getting desperate to do some kind of service that isn't just sorting bags at a thrift store. So you bet, I was PUMPED to finally do some good ol' hole digging to move a tree in a church member's yard. :) There's nothing quite like seeing actual results come from the work you do. So yes, sometimes missionary work gets hard, with how rarely we get to see results of our efforts, but that doesn't mean the results we do see don't make the rest of it worth it!

Internet photo:
this is what 9 Square looks like

BLOOD PRESSURE RISES. Ok, so Sister Whitesell moment of the week. On Friday night we helped out with the ward youth conference and at the end, we played "9 square." I hadn't heard of 9 Square until Rocklin. It's basically 4 Square (but with 9 squares) and it's a funky looking setup, with pipes that raise that grid above your head. The goal is to keep the ball from touching the ground after it gets to your square. Hopefully that makes sense.

I didn't have any of this
before my mission, so great!

It was so fun! And as missionaries, the stereotype or unwritten rule is that we're peaceful and kind 24/7. This is obviously a good goal, but I'm kinda competetive. At one point I was in the middle square when this over 6-foot-tall 16 year old, volleyball player, uses his skyscraper wingspan to just grab the ball and slam it down into my square, leaving me ZERO time to actually defend my position. I about lost it. (But it's okay, cause the atonement is real and I don't yell at people younger than me during a game of 9 Square at youth conference.) I've grown a lot, guys!

This is Q, he's completely ridiculous in the best way,
even went shopping with us today. He's the Ward
Mission Leader of the YSA in another zone but
we see him at the Institute bldg all the time

We had a lot of miracles this week, though, and as always it's really cool to see what Heavenly Father does to make things a little easier. I'm not gonna lie, it was a bit rough this week because I'm still adjusting to taking over the area and teaching the area to my companion BUT I can do hard things! And so can you (cheesy line of the day)!

Monday trip to Petsmart of course!

We also did a facebook skype lesson! It was definitely entertaining, and it's so cool how much more work we can do with technology. Never thought I'd teach a lesson like that on my mission :)

Oh yeah, we got smartphones! They'll
be activated on Friday but for now
we'll just have all the technology

GREAT PEOPLE. One of my favorite times of the week, though, was when we got to teach one of our investigators named Richie. He's amazing, and it's so fun to teach him, and our biggest thing is helping him recognize the spirit because he hasn't been able to feel it for a very long time. But every lesson we teach shows us he's making progress, and it's just amazing to have someone who is so willing to learn. He knows that even if in the beginning he's borrowing the testimony of others, as long as it's enough to motivate him to change, then it's okay and eventually he'll feel it on his own.

exchanging back Tuesday evening

Another amazing person, his name is Jacob. As a missionary, you feel like there are some things that only happen in those missionary movies, or in our training videos called The District...where basically everything is perfect for them always, and it all works out in the end.

we finally found Lauren
again! It's been too long

Well, we have this kid who hit a point in his life a few months ago where he was at rock bottom, there was nothing left he felt he could do on his own, and just needed something. So he did what was only logical to him, and that was to google How To Pray. Eventually over time he learned about the church through his girlfriend, and they prayed each night and read a few church magazines, until we finally got to meet him on Wednesday!

exchanges, so of course we went to Arbys
because we are the only 2 sisters
on the planet who like it there

Our lesson went PERFECTLY, and he came to youth conference and then asked us 2 things that a missionary is completely shocked to hear:
1) can we meet twice a week? and

Easter basket #2, you can tell it
fits my persona perfectly

2) how soon can I be baptized? I think Sister Nield and I were stunned for a minute. His testimony is amazing, and I'm so excited to help him build that relationship with Heavenly Father!

hates crickets, and yet seeing a box of
them is too intriguing not to inspect

THEME FOR LIFE. I learned a ton this week and know that the work I'm doing is important enough that I'm willing to give up 18 months of my life. If you feel like you need some sort of direction, read the scriptures. If you need peace, read the scriptures. If you need hope, read the scriptures!

sometimes the roads in Lincoln are
pretty hard on the Malibu

Because of Him and the sacrifice of His Son, I have the courage and strength to push myself every day to do things that I never thought I would. Heavenly Father wants each of us to find our way back to him, and he's doing everything he can to help you! All we need to do is reach back.

You're each killing it!

Remember who you are, don't let it get you down :)
Sister Whitesell
teresa.whitesell@myldsmail.net

751 Central Park Dr. #321
Roseville, CA 95678