Hello Family!!!
How are you all doing? Sounds like you are doing grand. ¡¡¡¡¡¡HAPPPY BIRRTHDAY MOM!!!! I'll have you know that I was thinking about you all day and what a good mom you are. Thanks for everything you do. I hope you had a good day, from your email it sounded so.
Also, happy anniversary to 9/11. Yes I certainly do remember that, however my version of the story is different than yours mom. I remember riding to school on the bus and when I got in there everyone was watching the TV. I don't remember hearing about it at home but I do remember how it felt. At church yesterday a kid that is about 15 asked me about it. He didn't remember anything. It was tough and weird explaining it to him, I felt sort of old.
Today in the night we are going to receive a call about the changes that are going to happen. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go or at least there is going to be a change in our companionship. I'll let you know next week. I'm really going to miss Elder Puentes. I've had more fun with him and am better friends with him than any other of my comps. I could handle being with him the whole time. He is doing a lot better by the way. I'm going to miss him.
I have been thinking about the stuff I need for Christmas, but I can't remember anything right now. I do like it when you send deodorant because it is ridiculously expensive here.
We had another miracle this week, her name is Brisa. She asked us if we could baptize her. Her dad is a member and her mom doesn't like the church, but she knew it was right and had read all the pamphlets that the missionaries had given to her dad. Now her little brother wants to get baptized also. They are really cool.
I wish you all the best of luck. And challenge any of you to a push up and sit up doing contest in a little more than a year...
Love,
Elder Waite
Sunday, September 18, 2011
September 8, 2011
Hello Everybody!!!
I am really happy that you are all doing well, and I hope you are all staying sane there at the house.
I think it would be fun to help Dad with the fence out back, it’s probably the old one that only has three wires and isn't on the property line. Did you end up taking it down to the creek? So what are you all planning to do when Josiah and Austin are there? I hope you tell them hi for me and they enjoy their time there. I'm pretty sure Catherine still has a huge crush on Josiah so if your need someone to entertain them she could get the job done.
Thanks for all your prayers on my behalf and for my comp. This week we struggled and didn't have any investigators in church or baptisms but Carolina got baptized so that was good. I was also struggling a little. I read 1 Chronicles 28:9 and it sort of exploded the feeling of fear that I have always had that God judges us on where our hearts really are. I have always felt this way is right but I was really frustrated with myself and how weak I am. I was thinking and praying and one morning as I was putting on my tie. I remembered about something Mariah sent to me and started to look for the letter, I should have remembered this scripture but I didn't, Ether 12:27. Mariah said something about when we feel weakness that we are just getting closer to God. The scripture explains it really well also so I'll let you read it and hopefully understand what I was feeling. Just a little spiritual thing for you.
I hope everything is great. I love you guys.
Love,
Elder Waite
I am really happy that you are all doing well, and I hope you are all staying sane there at the house.
I think it would be fun to help Dad with the fence out back, it’s probably the old one that only has three wires and isn't on the property line. Did you end up taking it down to the creek? So what are you all planning to do when Josiah and Austin are there? I hope you tell them hi for me and they enjoy their time there. I'm pretty sure Catherine still has a huge crush on Josiah so if your need someone to entertain them she could get the job done.
Thanks for all your prayers on my behalf and for my comp. This week we struggled and didn't have any investigators in church or baptisms but Carolina got baptized so that was good. I was also struggling a little. I read 1 Chronicles 28:9 and it sort of exploded the feeling of fear that I have always had that God judges us on where our hearts really are. I have always felt this way is right but I was really frustrated with myself and how weak I am. I was thinking and praying and one morning as I was putting on my tie. I remembered about something Mariah sent to me and started to look for the letter, I should have remembered this scripture but I didn't, Ether 12:27. Mariah said something about when we feel weakness that we are just getting closer to God. The scripture explains it really well also so I'll let you read it and hopefully understand what I was feeling. Just a little spiritual thing for you.
I hope everything is great. I love you guys.
Love,
Elder Waite
August 29, 2011
Hello Family,Wow Hannah, great email!!! You fit just about everything in there... This email won't compare. We don't have time at all ever. As for me I am good, but really stressed and fed up with some of the stuff that happens in the mission. I don't tell you this that you lose faith in the missionaries, but one of the toughest things I've had to deal with in the mission is how the other missionaries act, that and how hard it is to see people who are ready to progress in the gospel and in their lives but reject the message.
However, I am really grateful that two little angels, Carolina (the small one) and Frida got baptized this week, that was legit. The pictures are of them. It’s so cool to see the changes baptism makes in people’s lives. I wish you could see the before and after of both the girls. Even though they are both just girls you can just see and feel the light of Christ in them more.
I love you all. I have the best family ever, and I hope you are all well. Stick in there with school Hannah, the faster you learn to deal with the stuff that other people do the better. That is definitely one thing I'm still struggling with. Cheer hard at the football games and tell Mr. Summers hi for me.
Love,
Elder Waite
However, I am really grateful that two little angels, Carolina (the small one) and Frida got baptized this week, that was legit. The pictures are of them. It’s so cool to see the changes baptism makes in people’s lives. I wish you could see the before and after of both the girls. Even though they are both just girls you can just see and feel the light of Christ in them more.
I love you all. I have the best family ever, and I hope you are all well. Stick in there with school Hannah, the faster you learn to deal with the stuff that other people do the better. That is definitely one thing I'm still struggling with. Cheer hard at the football games and tell Mr. Summers hi for me.
Love,
Elder Waite
August 21, 2011
Hello Family!!!
Wow it’s great to hear from you guys!! Sounds like you had a legit time as usual at the fair, I really miss that. This week has been another in the work. Pretty good. We confirmed Arturo and were supposed to have a baptism of Carolina (she is the girl in the red with Elder Puentes). She didn't get baptized because her mom couldn't come. The family are Mariachis and they got called last night and had to work all day, but next week she will get baptized. We have 2 other baptisms this week planned; the same girl I told you about last week and also a daughter of a recent convert named Brisas, she is 15. She came to church yesterday with her dad and I asked her if she wanted to get baptized and she said yes! Just like that. Danny is her dad. He owns a car paint shop and usually buys us drinks if we go over there. We did some service with him this week, we washed the inside of a brand new Honda accord. I wanted to drive it so bad. That is a really quick resume of what we have been doing this week.
I will do the best to explain how we baptized Chema, the man without any legs. It wasn’t that complicated, we had a few ideas about how we could do it but what ended up happening was we put him in a chair and carried him down into the font. I was the one who said the prayer and our ward mission leader was in the water with us. He had his hands normal with mine in front of him so he could plug his nose, and when I finished with the prayer I put my hand on his lower back. The other guy who was facing me then basically picked him up off the chair (his arm was a little below mine and the other was a little above) we moved forward (away from the chair) and then went under the water by bending our knees and leaning forward. It wasn't easy because we were battling with space also, the font isn’t that big. Then we put him on the chair again and carried him out.
I am sending you some pictures. The guy without the tooth is our district leader, Elder Morby. He was eating and his tooth just cracked so they shaved it down and made an ugly mold to go over it poor guy. One is when Elder Puentes tried to steal a pizza delivery bike (these guys that deliver pizza are crazy here, weaving in and out of cars and going at red lights and everything (I've seen some try to wheelie but they are pretty sad). The blurry one with the people in the costumes is of the matachines (I think that’s what they are called). They dance for the virgin & they were practicing. Every part of the city has a group. There is a big festival and they all go dance.
Well, that’s all for this week. Good luck with school starting, that’s pretty crazy. Glad I don't have to do that for a while.
Love,
Elder Waite
Wow it’s great to hear from you guys!! Sounds like you had a legit time as usual at the fair, I really miss that. This week has been another in the work. Pretty good. We confirmed Arturo and were supposed to have a baptism of Carolina (she is the girl in the red with Elder Puentes). She didn't get baptized because her mom couldn't come. The family are Mariachis and they got called last night and had to work all day, but next week she will get baptized. We have 2 other baptisms this week planned; the same girl I told you about last week and also a daughter of a recent convert named Brisas, she is 15. She came to church yesterday with her dad and I asked her if she wanted to get baptized and she said yes! Just like that. Danny is her dad. He owns a car paint shop and usually buys us drinks if we go over there. We did some service with him this week, we washed the inside of a brand new Honda accord. I wanted to drive it so bad. That is a really quick resume of what we have been doing this week.
I will do the best to explain how we baptized Chema, the man without any legs. It wasn’t that complicated, we had a few ideas about how we could do it but what ended up happening was we put him in a chair and carried him down into the font. I was the one who said the prayer and our ward mission leader was in the water with us. He had his hands normal with mine in front of him so he could plug his nose, and when I finished with the prayer I put my hand on his lower back. The other guy who was facing me then basically picked him up off the chair (his arm was a little below mine and the other was a little above) we moved forward (away from the chair) and then went under the water by bending our knees and leaning forward. It wasn't easy because we were battling with space also, the font isn’t that big. Then we put him on the chair again and carried him out.
I am sending you some pictures. The guy without the tooth is our district leader, Elder Morby. He was eating and his tooth just cracked so they shaved it down and made an ugly mold to go over it poor guy. One is when Elder Puentes tried to steal a pizza delivery bike (these guys that deliver pizza are crazy here, weaving in and out of cars and going at red lights and everything (I've seen some try to wheelie but they are pretty sad). The blurry one with the people in the costumes is of the matachines (I think that’s what they are called). They dance for the virgin & they were practicing. Every part of the city has a group. There is a big festival and they all go dance.
Well, that’s all for this week. Good luck with school starting, that’s pretty crazy. Glad I don't have to do that for a while.
Love,
Elder Waite
August 15, 2011 -- email
Hello Hello!!
How is everybody doing??? Thanks for all the birthday wishes everybody!! Birthdays are weird. It’s so strange to think that I am not a teenager anymore, I still feel like one. I am really sorry that I haven't written very much lately. We've been busy, playing hard and working harder. Last week we had a zone activity and went to Americas Incredible Pizza, it was a riot. It is all you can eat food, and two hours of playing arcade games for 200 pesos. I didn't think I would like it that much because I've never been much of a fan of arcade games but being with everybody made it fun, there was also mini golf, laser tag and go karts. There was a lot to do. This week we played soccer and because it was my birthday, the people in my district stayed and ate pizza.
Alright, enough with the stuff we do for P days... I have some legit news for y'all: I got a new comp!!! I'm now senior companion.. My comps name is Elder Puentes, he is really cool and a great missionary. He is from Utah, but his parents are from Uruguay and Peru. This has been the best two weeks of my mission so far. I have never felt satisfied or content like I do now, and the Lord is blessing us with our efforts. This week we had a baptism, his name is Arturo, we were just walking down the street and he talked to us. This is the first person of gold that I have had I'm my mission, he was ready. I would have loved to baptize him because any time the missionaries have seen him I have been there but we decided to give the chance to the guy that was baptized the first week I was in this area, Pablo. Pablo is a little guy and Arturo is a big guy, but he got it done. The first lesson with Arturo, he told us that he works on Sundays, so for the next 15 minutes we read about how the Lord blesses us if we keep the Sabbath day holy and all that jazz, and then invited him to do it. I don't think we needed to waste our breath because he accepted to go to church. It was the same way when we invited him to be baptized, and he said to us later that the reason is because he has seen missionaries a lot and has always thought that if we are giving up our time to invite people to change then it must be worth it to make the change. He is legit, he doesn't have work but he sells books in a Mercado by his house on Sundays. We promised him blessings for going to church and getting baptized, and last Friday Pablo called us to tell us he found a job for Arturo. To be a part of this change in the life of Arturo has been amazing. I have seen the hand of God acting in behalf of another one of his kids. The picture is of Arturo when he got baptized. His son is there, and also Pablo the guy that we baptized the first week I was here. Arturo is the bigger one.
We have found another couple of miracles; Carolina – 8 yrs old, and Frida – 9 yrs old. They live in different parts of town but their story is a lot alike. We were knocking doors and found them. Both of them have family in the church that are less active, and they both have always said that when they turn 8 they were going to get baptized. Carolina should get baptized this Sunday and Frida during the next week. Frida's whole family are members, they just have to work on Sundays so they inactivated themselves. They have been thinking about going back to church and having Frida get baptized, all it took was for us to be there.
Don't worry about us in Monterrey, the heat doesn't seem so bad, I was expecting it to be hotter. Everybody talks about this time of year as being a killer, I was thinking 115 degrees and stuff like that but I don’t think its broke 110 yet. My poor comp is dying, he just came from the offices as materials secretary with AC, and they didn't leave to work til 5 in the afternoon.
Sorry I can’t send pictures right now, something isn't working with the computer that I am at. I hope to send you more next week. I'm getting excited to open my presents tonight. I opened a deodorant already. Thank you so much, my comp probably thanks you more. Sounds like you are all having a ton of fun with the fair and everything, I will miss that. ood luck, and I expect to see some pictures. I love you guys.
Love,
Elder Waite
How is everybody doing??? Thanks for all the birthday wishes everybody!! Birthdays are weird. It’s so strange to think that I am not a teenager anymore, I still feel like one. I am really sorry that I haven't written very much lately. We've been busy, playing hard and working harder. Last week we had a zone activity and went to Americas Incredible Pizza, it was a riot. It is all you can eat food, and two hours of playing arcade games for 200 pesos. I didn't think I would like it that much because I've never been much of a fan of arcade games but being with everybody made it fun, there was also mini golf, laser tag and go karts. There was a lot to do. This week we played soccer and because it was my birthday, the people in my district stayed and ate pizza.
Alright, enough with the stuff we do for P days... I have some legit news for y'all: I got a new comp!!! I'm now senior companion.. My comps name is Elder Puentes, he is really cool and a great missionary. He is from Utah, but his parents are from Uruguay and Peru. This has been the best two weeks of my mission so far. I have never felt satisfied or content like I do now, and the Lord is blessing us with our efforts. This week we had a baptism, his name is Arturo, we were just walking down the street and he talked to us. This is the first person of gold that I have had I'm my mission, he was ready. I would have loved to baptize him because any time the missionaries have seen him I have been there but we decided to give the chance to the guy that was baptized the first week I was in this area, Pablo. Pablo is a little guy and Arturo is a big guy, but he got it done. The first lesson with Arturo, he told us that he works on Sundays, so for the next 15 minutes we read about how the Lord blesses us if we keep the Sabbath day holy and all that jazz, and then invited him to do it. I don't think we needed to waste our breath because he accepted to go to church. It was the same way when we invited him to be baptized, and he said to us later that the reason is because he has seen missionaries a lot and has always thought that if we are giving up our time to invite people to change then it must be worth it to make the change. He is legit, he doesn't have work but he sells books in a Mercado by his house on Sundays. We promised him blessings for going to church and getting baptized, and last Friday Pablo called us to tell us he found a job for Arturo. To be a part of this change in the life of Arturo has been amazing. I have seen the hand of God acting in behalf of another one of his kids. The picture is of Arturo when he got baptized. His son is there, and also Pablo the guy that we baptized the first week I was here. Arturo is the bigger one.
We have found another couple of miracles; Carolina – 8 yrs old, and Frida – 9 yrs old. They live in different parts of town but their story is a lot alike. We were knocking doors and found them. Both of them have family in the church that are less active, and they both have always said that when they turn 8 they were going to get baptized. Carolina should get baptized this Sunday and Frida during the next week. Frida's whole family are members, they just have to work on Sundays so they inactivated themselves. They have been thinking about going back to church and having Frida get baptized, all it took was for us to be there.
Don't worry about us in Monterrey, the heat doesn't seem so bad, I was expecting it to be hotter. Everybody talks about this time of year as being a killer, I was thinking 115 degrees and stuff like that but I don’t think its broke 110 yet. My poor comp is dying, he just came from the offices as materials secretary with AC, and they didn't leave to work til 5 in the afternoon.
Sorry I can’t send pictures right now, something isn't working with the computer that I am at. I hope to send you more next week. I'm getting excited to open my presents tonight. I opened a deodorant already. Thank you so much, my comp probably thanks you more. Sounds like you are all having a ton of fun with the fair and everything, I will miss that. ood luck, and I expect to see some pictures. I love you guys.
Love,
Elder Waite
August 8, 2011 - email
Family!!I sure love you all. The pictures will have to speak for me this week. I'll write more next week. Have fun for me on the hike, you are probably up there right now.
Love,
Elder Waite
July 25, 2011 - email
Hello Family!!Well I don't have a lot of time, not that I ever do, but especially not today. I hope you guys are all well, and I hope you aren't all too busy!! Sounds like it, but it also sounds like you are having a lot of fun also. This week has been a good one, with one baptism. It was pretty cool. In the Zone we had what they call Noche Blanca. Its where all the baptisms in the Zone go to one place and are all baptized at the same time. The guy we baptized is called Jose Angel, or Chema; he only has one tooth. He is Martha’s Brother and he doesn't have legs but he's cool. He called me all sorts of weird names because he can’t say Waite, not very many people can. Most people can’t say the 't' at the end and without it is a swear word and also a word that is sort of like 'dude' or something like that. Did you have the same problem Dad?
Sorry no pictures this week, I forgot the camera. I hope you are all doing swell. Just thinking about you makes me want to do things so well so that you will be proud.
Love,
Elder Waite
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