March 31, 2014 (Out of Order)

I feel like I start with this every week, but I have no clue where to start!!  Except that I am so happy :)   I am glad you guys sound like you had a good week!!  Tell Michael he is awesome and to keep up the good work!!  Tell him to keep studying and take the ACT again so he can get scholarships and get school paid for!! 

Anyway so this week was pretty great :)  Except 9 of our lessons canceled this week so we kinda felt like failures and were all down and stuff until the woman's broadcast which was AMAZING!!!  The Spirit of the broadcasts are so awesome and so different than watching it later or reading it.  Because it is live and so many people around the world are watching it at the same time.  Sometimes we feel like we are alone here and the church is struggling, but when I see so many people in the conference center it reminds me I have brothers and sisters all around the world who are going through a similar thing.  WE ARE NOT ALONE!!!  and we are never meant to be :)  

So Andrea and Julian got married on Monday and we got to be witnesses it was pretty cool!!  They have adorable little kids!!  Then when we were walking out of the court house Julian (who is LA) says now that you guys witnessed our marriage you will see us at church Sunday!!  We didn't even have to invite them!!  When we teach people and help them feel the spirit they will do what is right!  Another investigator who has been sick called and said she already had a ride and would be at church Sunday as well!!!  It was amazing to see miracles happen because of prayers and faith and just trusting in the Lord :)  

We did A LOT of service this week for a quilting convention that was happening and then we helped Julian clean up a football field with his team.  His kids were there and we played with them a bunch.  The rules about us not holding little kids is HARD especially when they jump on you!  But exact obedience :)  OH and Andrea has accepted to be baptized but it is going to be difficult because she is pregnant.  She was due on May 21, but the doctor said he may have miscalculated and she might be due at the first of May, but she thinks it will be even sooner!  So yeah we are praying that everything will work out.

We are so excited for conference this weekend!!!  There is nothing like listening to the prophets and apostles while on your mission!!  It is SO amazing!!  I encourage you to watch it live and take notes!!  Oh funny mom you asked me a couple of weeks ago if I ever speak in church.  The Sunday after that I spoke and then I spoke yesterday and last week we taught Relief Society :)  So we keep busy on Sundays.  But we taught about the importance of Conference and how we should spiritually prepare for it.  So get ready :)  Pray for understanding and for certain questions to be answered!!  

I love you guys and hope that you have an amazing week!!  Keep smiling and having fun :)  

Sister Calton (Whit)

March 24, 2014 (almost in order :)

March 24, 2014

One of our ward members asked us if we could tutor her five year old neighbor.  So we went there and he is the cutest little kid in the world!!  He is in first grade and they are learning so much more than I ever was!!  But I decided I want to be a teacher when I come home :)  Actually I decided maybe I will help you out in your classroom for a while and then decided if it is really something I want to do :) But my Patriarchal blessing talks about me enjoying primary children and I know its true :)

So, so much has happened this week I don't even really know where to start.  I wish I could simplify it and just tell you it all!!  I have a story about it being dangerous.  So we read your letter about Decatur and laughed cause it seems so much better according to your paper :)  But really it has the highest unemployment in Illinois.  And sadly no one wants to get a job because they earn more off welfare than they could from any job.  So we went with a ward member and talked to a group of unemployed people about volunteer work, that was fun.  We have been strictly forbid to go certain places at night.  Oh and best part of all of this... I live next to a prison!!  hahaha I love this place :)  But really the crime only comes from gangs and everyone knows us as the Jesus people or Church girls and they love us.  Especially the kids.  I feel like they sent me to a third world country :)  

But a majority of our investigators are African American and I am loving it!!  I am going to come home with an accent hahaha jk but we laugh way too much about how they speak!  Oh and cool story everyone here has their own religion and does not want to become Mormon, but they love having us over to talk to them.  Doesn't make sense!  Two of our investigators told us they don't want to be Mormon, but they keep saying that God has sent us there for a reason.  There are a lot of hard headed people out here!  But as we teach them about Christ we are letting the spirit testify to them truth and then slowly their hearts are softened. 

So we are in a district with 6 elders and us.  And last week we were talking about our investigators. We have a couple that isn't married and the guy is a member.  So we were talking him and he wanted us to come and meet his wife.  But before that we had District meeting and we were telling the Elders that we were going to get them married totally joking knowing it was going to take forever.  Oh and the Elders had little faith in us.  Well today at 4 I get to go and be a witness for their wedding :)  And she is going to get baptized in the next couple of weeks and then next year I am totally coming out when they get sealed.  Funny thing about it is that the elders won't know until tomorrow that they are married.  All this area needed was sisters :)  I will have to tell you the story about their wedding sometime though!

So randomly the quote "You will miss 100% of the shots you don't take" came into my mind this week and it reminded me of you mom!!  I applied it to missionary work in that we aren't going to get any investigators if we just walk by people instead of talking to everyone that we can!!  Sister Montgomery is SO good at it!  We even talk to people while we are stopped at stoplights :)  Hahaha they work is progressing and we are loving it!  

I was reading Jesus the Christ and read about the Unrighteous Steward.  The moral of the story went along the lines of this "If they are so prudent as to provide for the only future they thing of, how much more should you, who believe in an eternal future provide therefor! If ye have not learned wisdom and prudence int he use of "unrighteous mammon" how can you be trusted with the more enduring riches?" -James E Talmage.  How true is that!!  Heavenly father has given us so many blessings especially money.  And when we use it wisely and are prudent then we gain more wealth!  The same comes with our spiritual knowledge!  But if we are weak with our money or blessings then how could God trust us with eternal riches?  So this is what I am trying to work on.  Being prudent :0  

So last little thing.  Sister Montgomery shared this quote with me "There are some who make living the gospel seem like a sentence to a rock pile.  It's not living the gospel that's hard.  It's life that's hard.  It's picking up the pieces when covenants have been compromised or values violated that's hard.  the gospel is the GOOD NEWS that provides us the tools to cope with the mistakes, the heartaches, the disappointments we can expect to experience here." - Sheri Dew.  I have seen this SO much!!  The gospel is truly the greatest thing and I know that we can only have true everlasting happiness as we live the commandments.  I saw an old lady the other day with a lot of wrinkle lines.  It made me sad to see that the biggest ones came from frowning :(  Yesterday at church I met a 94 year old member who had just as many wrinkle lines.  But she was so much more beautiful because one her wrinkle lines definitely came from smiling too much because she was still doing it, and two because her beauty came from inside :)

The Church is true!! Love you all and I hope you have a good week and enjoy your trip to Nevada. Tell everyone I say hi and I love them!!  Keep your heads up and all that other good jazz.  Oh and SMILE :)  

Love

Sister (Whitney) Calton

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March 17, 2014 (Not in order yet)

I am exhausted... Always is like this when we get to a new area or when I get a new companion.  I just pray that I don't get sick and stressed.  But I am happy :)  My new companion's name is Sister Montgomery.   She is 23 and a hair dresser and a professional singer.  So if you look her up on youtube or something its Trisha Lynn. She has an amazing voice!  I miss Washington, but Decatur is becoming home. 

So this is a crazy kind of area that I will tell you about.  The notes you sent me were okay, but man they don't say how run down and ghetto this place is!  Probably worse than my first area.  No wonder they haven't had sisters here for 25 years.  Yeah we are the first and the Wards are LOVING us!!  We have a tiny tiny ward but that will change :)  We are here to work hard and not let Satan get in our way!!  So I have to tell you about our second day here.  We were contacting people and stuff and one guy just got released from prison for rape.  Later we met a guy that was high.  Sister Montgomery said she could smell some weed, and I realized that is the same stuff I have been smelling for the past 8 months in various places haha.  I know Heavenly Father is protecting us though because we have been in so many homes of people that smoke!!  If I ever get lung cancer I know where it is from.  Later we met a drunk guy that thought we were Amish.  So yeah that is Scary run down ghetto Decatur and I am loving it :0

I will for sure tell you more next week when we meet more people and find some to teach!  but I want to tell you one last story thing from church yesterday.  We were reading about the Sacrament in Relief Society when I realized the prayers for the bread and the Water are different.  

• Doctrine and Covenants 20:77

  77 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they mayalways have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

• Doctrine and Covenants 20:79

  79 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

It says that his blood was shed for us.  So I was thinking about that and how when he gave up his body he gave it up for EVERYONE.  Immortality is a free gift to everyone.  On the other hand, eternal life can only be achieved by those who have been baptized and keep his commandments.  That is us!!  Yes everyone can have it, but for members who have been baptized and recieved the Holy Ghost and are enduring to the end, that is truly who the blood has an affect on.  That is why I am here!  To help other people to take part of that.  I am helping so his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain!!  For we can only enjoy the blessings of his atonement fully after we are baptized!  It is interesting how many other churches focus on the death on the cross.  We know that was important, but really, truly, the sacrifice in Gethsemane was the even that made is so we could live with our Father in Heaven again AND with our families!  I have left my home for 18 months so that others can be with theirs for eternity!!!

I love you all and am glad that things are going well back home :)  Thanks for the updates on everyone and tell Josh and Megan CONGRATS!!!  I love you!!

Whit

PS she cut my hair :0  Just a trim, but I love having a hair dresser as a companion :)  

March 10, 2014 (Still not in order)

March 10, 2014

Awe!!  What an eventful awesome week!!  Sounds like you guys had tons of fun!!  Amy's hair is SO long and Michael is getting So tall!!!  Tell him to stop growing :0  Maci and Liam are as cute as ever and I just wish I could hold them.  Or any baby for that matter!  We have an adorable little girl in our ward who always runs up to us, but we can't pick her up!!  It is crazy, but rules are rules.  

So to answer your question about the armadillo... It was totally on the side of the road!!!  Sister Martinez saw it and so we flipped around and got out to chase it.  But it ran away really fast.  But first time I think I have ever seen an armadillo in my life!  They are actually really ugly looking.  

But I don't think I will be seeing them anymore :(  I am getting transfered!!!  If I had a choice it would be to stay in Washington the rest of my mission!  But I know the Lord has a better plan.  That includes me training in Decatur Illinois!  So I don't know ANYONE!!  So I get another greenie and am going to a place I have never heard of, we probably have to ride buses, and I have no clue how I am going to pack everything, and I am dying cause I am going to miss Sister Martinez!  But truly I am way excited.  I have never felt so calm about such a crazy situation in my life!  But I know that Heavenly father has a plan for me and that no matter what "Everything will work out" :)  

So the family we have been teaching (I will send a picture next week hopefully) none of them have gotten baptized... yet.  But Mark will be probably this weekend.  It has just been one thing after another and has been the most trying time of my mission for sure.  But just like I said "everything will work out".  I am pretty sure that has been our theme this transfer :)  But I am really going to miss all these people.  I have seen this area make leaps and bounds and with our new ward mission leader things are only going to get better!  I pray that I will be able to serve here again someday!

I don't know what else to tell you except that I miss you all dearly and love you as well.  An investigator's dad always wants to bible bash with us and last night was arguing the fact that we won't be married in heaven and that we won't even know who our family is in heaven.  In that moment I was able to testify that we WILL be with our families in heaven!  We don't know exactly how, but we know that is what this is about.  I have never felt closer to my siblings because I am close to my Heavenly father.  I have never prayed so hard for them either!  

So in your letter you asked if I ever give talks.  Well yesterday was actually the first one I gave on my mission!  It was amazing because of the studying I had done.  I talked about the Christ Like attributes that are contained in Preach My Gospel Ch. 6.  I know that in them lies the secret to obtaining eternal life.  actually the secret to everything is in there!  That is the purpose here!  To become like Jesus Christ!  That is what everything is focused on!  I don't know if you have seen Finding Faith in Christ, but watch what he does.  He is the perfect missionary in there.  At one point all he does is wave to someone.  Later he helps someone pick up their pears.  As I watch the DVD my desire to be like him grows greater and greater.  The secret however is that it cant be for us.  It has to be for others!  I urge you to study it in personal study and as a family as well.  I know you have taught me that well growing up, but it seems that finally I am grasping the concept!  :)  Funny how that works :)

So a couple of quotes from this week

What do we have that Cain, Able and Seth didn't?.... Grandparents :)  

One of our less actives was telling us about her Atheist friend and told us this one "You know I don't have to worry about you.  You fought for God once and that is why you are here.  Someday you will remember."  If we have a body then we know we made the right decision once, now we just have to keep making them ;)  

"If we come to the apartment at night not smelling like smoke, then we are visiting the wrong people" -Sister Martinez

I hope you all have a good week and hope that dad has a good birthday! 

Whit

February 24, 2014 Happy Birthday (Still out of order)

Wait its my birthday?! Jk I totally knew ;)  We have been shopping all day so I don't have tons of time to email very much.  Plus we have to leave soon cause one of the ward members is having a birthday party for me.  I will send pictures if I can remember to take some.  Sister Martinez and I have a goal to take more pictures ;)  

I don't know what to say about anything.  SO much has happened, but yet so little.  I feel we are doing less and less finding and mostly trying to teach some members.  One of the sisters in our ward had a really rough last week.  But seeing her work through her trials has literally changed my life.  As well as another less active in our ward.  We have been going to see her every week since I have been here and she has only come to church once.  But this week she told us that she has been working back and finally ended a really long relationship that has kept her from coming to church!  It is only the beginning of a long road for her, but it is exactly what we have been working toward.  I have developed a greater testimony of our own personal agency.  No matter what we tell people, in the end they have to make the decision to follow and accept our heavenly father.  Some people it may take 30 years and for others it make take only one week.  I have seen both happen and I KNOW that everyone has the chance.  My patience has increased 10 fold and I know this is an attribute that will someday help me as a mother.  

Sorry this is kinda short but I promise to write more next week :)  

OH and one more thing.. We saw an Armadillo!!!  a live one!!  Sister Martinez said it was against the rules for me to chase it...but I got out of the car anyway and wanted to take a picture.  It quickly ran away.  So we were looking up the rules and it said to avoid all animals including cats, dogs, and monkeys.  (Seriously!!  Monkeys!!  I wish)  But then it said that if you get bit to identify the owner.  Well it was late at night and we were tired, but I yelled out "who owns this armadillo!"  Now we say it all the time and laugh.  I think we have too much fun sometimes ;)  I pray that they let us stay together at least one more transfer or until we can get the "A" family baptized :)  

Anyway I love you guys and I promise a better email next week :)

Thanks for the most wonderful 20 years of my life!!!  I couldn't have asked for a better family :)  Love you all

Your ancient daughter :(

Sister (more elder now) Whitney Calton

 

February 17, 2014 (Still out of order)

February 17, 2014

Valentines day was great!!  We spent the morning doing service and then we ate lunch with the Ashton's.  It was a pizza party!  We got a heart shaped pizza and taught them to pray over their meals.  Then when we went to leave David (11 year old) asked if we were going to say a prayer before we left!  The faith of this young boy is amazing!  He is quickly making friends with a boy in the ward and is convinced that he wants to go on a mission someday.  His friend in the ward is only 12 and just got the priesthood so it is amazing to see his example!  He also got David a small children's hymn book because he didn't know any of the songs in primary!  It was way neat!  We have an amazing ward!

Also that night the Young Women did a fundraiser dinner for girls camp and we got invited to go.  We sat with the Elders and with the Griffiths.  It was totally weird because of the romantic lighting and music, but we just made fun of it the whole time :)  While listening to the "worldly" music though we realized we are totally brainwashed as missionaries because we couldn't remember any of the song names or the singers!!  Funny how when you fill your mind with good things like the gospel everything else that is unimportant just seems to slip our memory :)  

All in all a good week and we are way excited for this week.  Tomorrow I get to go to Zone Conference which is going to be right next to Glen Carbon!!  I will get to see Sister Anderson and it will feel like I am home haha.  I have SO many homes now!!  

I love you all!

Sister Calton

February 3, 2014 (Still out of order)

SO this week was EXTREMELY.... well there are really no words for it.  Its weird cause I had a dream the other night that I told you all about it mom :)  I am pretty sure that is Heavenly Father's way of making sure I never get homesick :)  But then when I email or write letters I can't remember what I have or haven't told you!  So If I tell you something I already have I apologize.  

So this week was Sister Martinez's birthday!!  (Totally feels like it was forever ago, but it was only last Wednesday).  We spent a lot of time cooking and eating :)  (See attached picture of our cheesecake)  

I don't know if I have told you about my family here...  They are the most amazing people ever and are totally getting baptized!!!  We tracted into Mark and started teaching him.  He has been to church 4 weeks in a row!!  He lives with his sister Erica who we started teaching as well!  We started teaching Erica's two kids.  So we have taught the first lesson 4 times in their house because there was always someone else wanting to learn :)  Well to our surprise Eric (the dad) wanted to come to church!!  So Erica explained a lot of the first lesson to him and so did Mark!  They are our miracles ;)  

OH So for Sister Martinez's birthday her mom sent her a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of flowers!!!  They are so pretty...Except they stink and I have had allergies for the past week :)  Doesn't help that the weather here is bipolar.

One last thing since its almost Valentines day ...
We learned this in Relief Society and I wanted to share it.


10 Ways to Love
1. listen without interrupting
2. speak without accusing
3. give without sparing
4. pray without ceasing
5. answer without arguing
6. share without pretending
7. enjoy without complaint
8. trust without wavering
9. forgive without punishing
10. promise without forgetting

Love like Christ :)  I love you guys hope everything is going good!

Love, Sister Calton