A week of Miracles

Well, this week has been a week of miracles!

The weather has been 50's to 60's all week! And this next week is supposed to be in the 70's. Today is supposed to be a high of 69! This has been an amazing winter! The warmest for sure that I have ever had! The nights drop down quite a few degrees, that even to a point, we had snow when we woke up, and later that day it was in the 50's! 

That was a miracle in and of itself! But a few others have happened this week!

One day, right before dinner we had a little time, so we decided to walk in the park to talk to people. It was one of the colder days this week so we didn't think too many people would be outside, but luckily there was one guy! We decided to talk to him, even though he was sitting all creepily with his hood on in the middle of the park. When we walked closer we decided it would be ok because he was reading harry potter! We sat down right next to him and taught him all about the restoration of the gospel. He loved it and we set a time to go visit him. We went to go see him later that week with a member that we had with us, and after knocking on his door a couple times without him answering, the member yelled to the door "It's the missionaries" and the door opened! Well, ok, Chris (that's the guys name) didn't seem to sincere, but we still taught him! And this Sunday he came to church! Ah, it's so amazing to have him come! There's something about that coming to church that just shows the interest and sincerity of someone! :) 

Well, my companion has to go to the chiropractor three times a week now! But there's a story to that! Let me back up!

 So in December (I was currently not Elder McGlothlins companion) Elder McGlothlin got in a bike crash, and three weeks later a member sent him to the ER because he didn't want to go. They diagnosed him with a concussion and said that he would have post concussion headaches and migraines for a few months, and that he was not able to do anything physical. Well, the same member that sent him to the ER asked if he had gone to a chiropractor yet to help his headaches, so we then talked to another member in our ward (a chiropractor. Really, members are amazing!) and we got my comp to see him! Turns out he has a compressed fracture (I think that's what it's called) and a bulging disk because of the bike crash, so yep! Thus the three times a week! 

So, because it is basketball season, every single tv (or at least it feels like it) is constantly turned on watching basketball! For some weird reason because of that, everyone is a lot happier than when watching football! Ya, in Oklahoma they don't classify the seasons by the weather. It's "basketball season" "it's football season". Yep! 

Elder Wheelwright!

Sunsets in Oklahoma

60 degrees and lovin it!

Well, life goes on! It's been a beautiful week in Oklahoma! 60 to 70 degrees all week! I've been loving it! Especially because we walk everywhere! It's sooooo weird! In the middle of January it is 60! Yaaa, that would never happen in Utah! So it's been amazing! I don't think I've never been so happy in my life! There's nothing big that has been happening that makes it wonderful, but the more I give of myself, the more I find of myself. The Gospel is wonderful about that! While the world tells you to be selfish, Christ tells us the opposite. 

I got to do exchanges! It was fun! I got to take over our area after a week and a half! So, with a few wrong turns, it still went pretty well! As a missionary, we get a few hours a day to (kind of) ourselves in the morning and at night, and these elders (they are in a trio at the moment) absolutely love to play yugioh during that time. Yep, that's right, the card game. Hah, so they tried to teach me the ways of it! We finally went tracting after so long of not doing it yesterday! We had gotten out of church and everything cancelled, so we had about an hour till dinner. Excercising a little faith, I kept praying to Heavenly Father that he would let us find his elect during that one hour of tracting. (Also to help my companion feel the fruits of tracting occasionally, since we hardly do it) 

A little background first. So, people in Oklahoma always go to church. If they don't, then they are usually very grumpy people. So knocking doors on a Sunday could turn either really bad because you run into a lot of bashers and apathetic people, or good because people are in the mood to hear a gospel message because, of course, it's Sunday! The first few doors, not good! Got some of the harshest rejections I've had on my mission, and because I had such faith that we would find God's elect, it felt like each rejection cut my faith a bit. But, we kept going. Every door we knocked was a harsh rejection, except the last one. We come up to the door and knock it, and a guy answers. We asked him if we could say a prayer with him and he said now is not a good time. Not giving up, I said that we were also going around reading scriptures to help them feel the importance of scriptures, and, without asking, I said I want to read you a scripture. I had a BOM in my hand and flipped to Mosiah 4:9, which talks about believing in God. We read it to him and stated to teach the restoration of the gospel with him and gave him the Book of Mormon and set up a return appointment! It was truly an amazing experience! Sometimes the elect don't always seem like they are, but don't give up! Everyone here on this earth has already acccepted Christ before this life, so who's to say they won't accept it again? :) 

I love you mom!

Elder Wheelwright

I could tell the whole world

 I have been asked to talk in church about my amazing missionary sons and I have been asked to tell the congregations ways that you have grown and maybe some spiritual experiences on your mission.  Would you please send me some help.  I would rather tell the congregation what you would like me to tell them to go blabbing at the mouth and say things that might embarrass you.

Ooh, this has me thinking. There's nothing that just pops into my head straight off that has definitely changed about me, but many small things in so many ways.

A way that has changed about me is that I am not ashamed in what I believe. I could tell the whole world and not feel any shame in what I believe. I feel a lot like Ammon when he expressed to his brethren his thoughts " I do not boast in my own strength,nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things;"  

I have had to rely on the Lord. Every time I open my mouth and declare what I believe, I have to rely on the Lord. I'm not a public speaker, or a teacher, but I've learned that that does not matter in the Lords eyes. When I exercise my faith by declaring the gospel, the Lord helps me, and makes up for the many mistakes I make through out the day. 

So basically, I'm pretty much the best. Tell Jeremy I took his spot ;)

Well, I don't like to talk to much about myself. You got this mom :) 

Well, this week has been a pretty amazing week! I got transferred down to Norman! I'm loving it already! It's a wonderful area! 

• It's crazy! Everywhere we go, we always walk! My companion got a concussion from a bike crash a few weeks ago and has post concussion syndrome, so he can't ride his bike at all. We're praying for a car :) But ya, awesome apartment too! It's got two showers! Pretty legit! Man, Jeremy sprained his ankle??? ooh! tell him to get feeling better! Did it swell up? Good luck on the house! Still praying for you guys every day! 

• Well, I got to work in the Spanish area on Friday! Ya, tell Austin I have no clue how he did it. Spanish just flew right over my head the whole time we were on exchanges! We visited a Spanish family, and the kids spoke perfect English, and they also spoke Spanish, but the parents didn't. And also my companion at the time spoke English only barely. I got to follow most of the time and listen to Spanish! I definitely am glad sometimes that I only speak English! So ya, that was a pretty fun day! The ward here is soooooo small! It's crazy! It's probably the smallest ward I have ever seen in my life! I told some missionaries that down here, and they got a good laugh! They had just come up from Northern Texas in a branch that meets in a house with 12 people normally present! But I've been in some pretty good sized cities so far! Well, I wish to leave you with a scripture. It is an amazing one! Kinda changed it a little though :)
• Mosiah 18:30

  30 And now it came to pass that all this was done in Normon, yea, by the waters of Normon, in the forest that was near the waters of Normon; yea, the place of Normon, the waters of Normon, the forest of Normon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever.
• • Elder Brandon Wheelwright

An answer to our prayers happened this week!

Man, sometimes I wish I spoke spanish. A few days ago we were riding by this guy, and both my companion and I went to go talk to him. He started speaking Spanish to us, and my mind blanked and all I could think about was Hola and Bueno! Ya, not too good for a Spanish conversation, but by the end we gave him a card in English, so that man probably doesn't even know what it says, but hey, maybe the Lord will give him the gift of interpreting the card for him! 

Well, the 60 degree weather on Christmas day didn't keep up with us too long. It's dropped to very cold! It's a weird cold. Imagine one of the windiest days in winter in Utah, and then that is Oklahoma, except it's a tad warmer here. With the wind chill it probably gets to at least 10 Degrees every day! Ha, ya, the weather is always the topic here that everyone talks about. That, or what church you go to. Which is good for us :) 

Well, Edmond has been an amazing area to grow in the mission field. 6 months and still loving it, but now I'm heading off. I'm going to Norman, (which I hear is flat compared to Edmond:) Much better on bikes) But ya, many memories here. The ward feels like my family. Ha, it's kind of sad, but I know this ward better than I do my home ward in Utah. 

Well, this week has been an amazing week! I've felt my testimony grow this last week. We had many times to minister to people. 

We had a referral from the ward to go check this family and see how they were doing, and we go there and talk for at least 30 minutes on the porch (which is crazy because no one want's to stand that long outside in the cold). Then they invited us in! It was a rather weird experience. The family  was a family of 12, all very close to each other. While we were talking to the mom of this family we started to teach her about Joseph Smith and she said totally out of the blue "yaaa, I'm ok with this polygamy thing. It doesn't bother me!" me:"huh?" (this is the part where I was counting all the kids of theirs, and was thinking "gosh, I sure hope they don't practice that") Luckily, we were good! Talk about a relief! The dad reminded me of one of the guys off of duck dynasty. He was dressed like them and had a beard just like them. 

We also had a chance to go give a blessing to someone down in OKC. The ward told us to go visit Richard and give him a blessing. Richard(Never met him before) was in the hospital and was completely sedated, so when we got there it was rather awkward. "Hey Richard, do you want a blessing?...Ya...? Ok, sounds good!..."(meanwhile I'm checking with the doctors if we could.) Gave him a blessing...Then "Hey Richard, hope you get feeling better". Ya, I don't like hospitals. Pray for this guy Richard that he gets feeling better. 

So we got our answer from  (the Catholic priest) on whether he wanted to be baptized or not. Ya, the day before the baptism was scheduled (stressful!). It was definitely an interesting lesson! He had wrote a whole essay on his decision. Sadly he said no. It is rather weird though, because he sees both churches as true right now. 

An answer to our prayers happened this week! So amazing! We were teaching this guy that comes to church every week, and we taught him about baptism, and without meaning to, the way we were reading this chapter about baptism, the verse in Mosiah 18 was saying "10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness beforehim that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

 11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts." And the man was like, "hmm, I will go and ponder on this" !!!! YAY!!!! So ya, that's progress! Love him! Well, I'll Email you my new address next week so Y'all can write me letters ;) No excuses :)

I love you

Elder Wheelwright