TRANSFER TIME!!

Sister Whipple, Sister Blimes, Sister Grampp

Sister Kelsie Whipple
985 Drewry Rd. #F
Monroeville, Al 36460

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I hope everyone has an awesome christmas!!!!

I am going to middle of no where Alabama! I am going to MONROEVILLE, AL!!! WOOT WOOT!!!! I leave on the 22nd! my new address is 985 Drewry Rd. #f Monroeville, Al 36460! It will be just me and Hernandez! I am so excited not to be in a trio! It is just a small branch, but they are on fire there and I can't wait, I will miss the people in Tally.

It was a really good week! We had a few miracles that happened this week! We had been working with a member in our ward's sister,J, for about 4 months. We teach her every week and I haven't been thinking she was progressing. Well, I have been trying to get her to come to church. She came to all three hours of church this week! it was pretty awesome and I loved it! J and I have formed a really good friendship and level of trust! It was a sweet farewell gift to have her there! I will definately miss her! Then, another miracle we had was with a potential investigator. We had a couple walk in to church about 3 weeks ago. I have been talking with them weekly, she has been really sick so I haven't been able to meet up with them. Well, I felt I should call them on Saturday so I did! She invited us over that day to have a lesson with her and her husband, it was really good! They are definately interested so we well see what happens! It was really cool though, becasue they are really solid people, they expressd a lot of interest in the Book of Mormon and in baptism. They have a ton of potential! Things seem to happen right when I leave bummer...oh well the work goes on!

Christmas came earily!!

Merry christmas!!! I LOVE YOU!! I can't wait to talk to the family!! It will be a sweet christmas!


I LOVE YOU!!!

Sister Whipple

Tally

HEY!!!

Zone Meeting was really good. It was different from a conference. I like zone meeting because I felt like it gave me tools on how to really be a missionary. It made me have ideas of how to be better. Focused on how to begin teaching so it was really good. It really helped to make sure that the first moments in people homes are set up right and the spirit is there.

The crazy thing that we talked about was mormon.org. Missionary work is fixing to be done in a dramatically different way. We are going online! The church has found a lot of success online for example over a 100 baptisms from the online chat with missionaries which started in august! The church has us no longer passing out pass along cards. We have new mormon.org ones and they are really nice. They want every member to get on the website and set up a profile. It the churches ways of having nonmember connect with real people. It only takes a little bit to get the confirmation; it takes a few weeks, because it has to get approved by the first presidency. Basically, tracking will most likely become a thing of the passed! It’s hard to explain, but I am really excited about it. I think it’s a perfect way for the church to utilize technology! Society is changing and become more closed off and I think this is a really good route. I am excited to be serving a time of change in missionary work!

It was a car less week, but not a complete failure. We got a text from bishop this week with a few names. It was a really big deal. We did the best we could to get to the names he gave us. We were able to get in with two of them and found out that one had moved. We will keep trying with the other two.

We had a good lesson with one of our investigators. she realizes that she wants to change, but is kind of lazy and fearful. We had a really powerful lesson about agency. We talked about how she is the one that has to make the decision. She has to act. We talked about how change will never come unless she does something. It was a really solid lesson. She is progressing but at a seriously slow pace, but it has been pretty amazing to see how she has softened dramatically in the last few months we have been working with her.

It’s a car week so miracles tend to happen and I am really looking forward to the week!

I love you!

Sister Whipple

Hope you had a great thanksgiving!!!

The high point of the week was definitely Sunday. We have sacrament meeting the last hour of church, so if people are visiting most of the time I don't know until sacrament meeting. I got caught up talking to a few people on the way in.The Relief Society president grabbed me and said those people over there are visiting for the first time. I waited my turn in line to introduce myself. I talked with them for about 3 or 4 minute. There names are C and H Evens. They are in there late 40's maybe early 50s. They were really interested. She said that her sister married a member and convert and they have raised their whole family in the church. C told me how she had called to request a Book of Mormon, but was waiting for the missionaries to deliver it. She told me how she has never been baptized but has a really strong desire to be. She was saying everything a missionary loves to here. I got all of their contact info and said well set up a time to come by and a bring a Book of Mormon. After the sacrament meeting, I thanked them for coming and set up an appointment for tonight. It was funny because she knows a lot about missionaries and even invited us over for dinner, but we already have an appointment with a recent convert in our ward that we could cancel on. I thought they must live out of our area and that is why we didn't get the referral for the Book of Mormon they requested. When I checked the phone this morning there was the text for the referral for C. I was so excited. I am really excited to meet with them tonight. I think it is really promising. Also, we have a young lady in our ward named O who is 13 and has been a member for about a year and a half. She brought her sister, J, who is 14,She also brought her God brother, Terry, who is 19. He has come to church before, but he slipped out so fast that I never got a chance to talk to him. We set up an appointment for this Wednesday, so well see. Church was definitely the turn around point of the week. I am going to attribute all the cool stuff on Sunday to tracting on Saturday night during the FSU vs. Gator game which in this not the best idea, but we didn't have any other options. People live and breath football her. The town comes to life on game day. it's insane. The gators are FSU's major rival. Also, the town of Tally is still here for only two reasons FSU and the capital building. Anyways, We got turned away at most of the doors, but the Lord definitely blessed us on Sunday.

I got to go see how Cane syrup is made! It a southern thing. It was crazy to watch it get made! It was a crazy process. When went out to a farm that is in our area and people came from all over the place to see, but some members in out ward do the whole thing! They grow the sugar can themselves. they grind it which is just juicing it. Raw cane juice is so sweet, but I loved it. I even chew on some sugar cane which is really good. They dump the cane juice in a big 80 gallon bowl and boil it over a open flame that needs to stay at the same temperature. when it get to the right temperature they have to pull the fire out and put it out. then dump all the syrup in a another big pot that has another filter on top and has a spout so it can cool and go in jars. it really was fascinating process! I loved it and the syrup is strong, but really good hot on a warm biscuit!

We had a really good thanksgiving at the Holletts. She had several southern things that I just loved! Also, the south has made it so I just love sweet potatoes no matter how you prepare them. they are so good! Also, big fan of hear me out hear pickled spiced peaches. Sounds kind of crazy, but really good! We also stopped by the mission home on Thanksgiving. The Jensen's texted everyone and invited us to stop by and eat and hang out. It was a really nice to visit with them for a minute. they are really like family and I just love them! It was a good thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoyed theirs as well!

Love

Sister Whipple

Hey Fam,

Well, this may sound crazy but it really was my best week I have had in Tallahassee thus far that is to say missionary work wise. I made the commitment to work my very hardest this week. We had the car this week so it was time to feel like a missionary. We did just that. We worked and we worked. It was a really solid week because of that.
I know that zone conference was exactly what I needed this week. We had a super powerful conference. They told everyone to bring a rock. The rock is now the symbol of our mission. The rock represent the savior. Then, they gave every one a chisel as the tool to do so. The whole time they had a statue of Christ (the one in the visitor's center) just a small one, it was like a foot and a half. They talked about how each day we make choices. It is our decision to be great, each day we should be chipping away at the rock and smoothing out the edges to be more like our savior. They had us write down all the things that are holding us back from doing this and being great. Then, we all put the paper in the shredder. We all committed to live up to a standard of greatness, the standard of greatness is this long spill that is now the Florida Tallahassee mission standard. I don't have it in front of me or I would tell you more , But I do remember the first line. it says "today is your defining moment.." It is really powerful, but each day truly is our defining moment. Zone conference was just what I needed. I need to step up and be great. I needed to commit to being greater then I was the day before.
We had an awesome week finding less actives, nothing really promising, but it was good. We had a really powerful lesson with our investigator, J. She reads the Book of Mormon faithfully every week. Her walls are coming down and her heart is softening. We taught her about scripture marking and read Moroni's promise with her, she committed to begin to pray and know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I know she felt the spirit. She is coming along. We also picked up a few investigators this week which was huge. We had gotten some referrals from a member in the ward, the A's. the A's are a older couple like late 60 early 70s, and are super solid. They took us around with them on Friday to meet their neighbors. One of the people we met with was S. She is straight up COUNTRY folk. She was pretty interesting to visit with. We didn't talk to long, but she seemed pretty interested in having us over. we are going over tonight so we'll see. We also met with the lady across the street from the A's, her name was M. We were able to met up with her on Sunday evening. She expressed a deep desire to come to church and to sit and learn more about our faith. She seemed really interested. We have an appointment with her on Wednesday night, so we'll see how it goes. It was a lot of really sweet teaching experiences this week. It was really good.
We got a senior couple in our ward. I am super grateful to have the Willoughby's in our ward. They are from the same town as the the Jensens and just solid people. They will be working in the office and our ward. They lived just down the street from the Jensons. cool huh? Any way the Willoughby's are a huge answer to a lot of prayers. When they announced that they would be in the ward a huge feeling came over me that I knew they were the answer to my prayers. When they announced that they would be in our ward, I went to my scriptures. I didn't know what I wanted to read, but know I needed to. I flipped open my Book of Mormon to 2 Nephi 33. I read the chapter, but verses 3 and 4 hit me. They said " But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great a worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry. And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal."
I have been praying with all my heart in what I should do. The highlighted phrase really touched my heart. The lord heard my prayers and answered them in a very powerful way. I know that the Willoughby's are an answer to many prayers. The lord is ever so mindful of me and the people here in the Tallahassee first ward.

We have been challenge to visit 80 families in the ward by the end of the year. I am excited about the challenge. We have like 9 or 10 weeks left of the year so that means 8 to 9 families a week. It is totally do able, but not so much when you only have a car every other week. I will have to get creative and come up with a awesome lesson.

LOVE YOU!!!

Sister Whipple

Sasha's Experience

Sasha is one of Sister Kelsie Whipple's best friends from her college day's in Tucson. Sasha has been in Boston visiting friends this last week. Kyli is Sasha's friend that also served a mission in Tallahassee a few years ago and does not know Sister Whipple (she has only read her blog)

Sasha writes:

My phone rings. It was Kyli. I thought, how random at 1:00pm Boston time, but how perfect, I need to talk to her anyway.

M: Hello?

K: Is Kelsie Whipple in Tallahassee?

M: Wait, what?

K: Sister Whipple. Is she in Tallahassee right now?

Me: Oh. Yes!

K: Okay, hold on. I think I see her! I’m in Tallahassee right now visiting my convert *running* [in the background] Are you Sister Whipple? Because I’m on the phone with Sasha Piton, right now.

Sister Whipple: Hahaha, no way. That’s crazy! *grabs phone* Hello? How are you?

M: OH. MY. GOSH!!! I’m GOOD, how are you?

My hands were shaking and there was a lump in my throat! I couldn’t believe I was talking to one of my closest friends; my hero; my ray of sunshine; my missionary, on the phone. We only talked for a few minutes before we said goodbye. Again, it was bitter sweet. A joyful heartache. A Tender Mercy.

Half-Mission Zone Conference

(click on Picture or letter to enlarge)

THANK YOU!

All I have to say is thank you so much for all the birthday wishes!!! It was pretty sweet to have all those emails! Thank you so much and I love you all!! It made my day!

I had a great birthday! Mom your package was perfect. Everything fit and I just LOVED it! Roni, I am already sport some orange polish on my toes and that delicious body wash has been used everyday! It smells bomb!! I have all my pictures hanging in the apartment. I love love love them. Really prefect picture and just what I needed. I draw a lot of strength from looking at them. I loved that you were able to talk to Sister Richan. She loves you guys like you were her family. I was good to hear you had a good talk. I love her. It looks like she will hopefully be back in a week. she had some unexpected snags and hoops to get through. Cool story though. Sister Richan went to conference and two Sister Missionaries sat by them. They were talking and one said she was from Mesa, AZ. Richan is like my first companion was from Mesa, do you know Sister Kelsie Whipple. The sister replies "yeah were friends!" It was Brittany Dalton, who she met! Crazy!! Totally small world. she also said that her companion was way cool she was Japanese, but raise in Hawaii. I thought that was pretty cool!

Conference was the prefect boost I needed to gain some of the strength that I was desperate for! I loved it so powerful!

Thanks for the love and support. I miss you!

I LOVE YOU!

Sister Whipple

Happy Birthday

On October 1st in:

1869 Political and spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India.

1890 Comedian Groucho Marx was born in New York.

1919 President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.

1944 Nazi troops crushed the two-month-old Warsaw Uprising, during which 250,000 people were killed.

1950 The comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schulz was first published.

1958 The former French colony of Guinea in West Africa proclaimed its independence.

1959 "The Twilight Zone" debuted on CBS.

1985 Actor Rock Hudson died at age 59 .

1988 Kelsie Elaine Whipple was born to Garry and Debbie Whipple, on Saturday General Conference weekend

1990 The Senate voted 90-9 to confirm Supreme Court nominee David H. Souter.

2000 The International Space Station got its first residents as an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts arrived aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule for a four-month stay.

2002 A man was shot and killed in a grocery store parking lot in Wheaton, Md., the first victim in a series of sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C. area, that left 10 dead.

2008 Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden faced off in a vice presidental debate.

2008 Searchers found the wreckage of millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett's plane more than a year after he disappeared on a solo flight over California's Sierra Nevada mountains.

2010 Sister Whipple turns 22 serving faithfully as a full time Missionary in Tallahassee Florida

We Love you Sister Whipple, Happy Birthday!

September 20, 2010

The BYU & FSU football game was a lot of fun. One of the BYU alumni is in our stake so he got us volunteer jobs at the BYU tailgate party. We sold merchandise, set up, handled the registration, and I got to paint faces. I painted like 30 faces. I painted face for like 3 hours. I loved it, but was so over painting faces. After the party, we ( Grampp, Tuaone, and me) were the last to leave, because our line from painting was so long. It was really a lot of fun. We walk a mile to the game, because the tailgate was at the Civics Center and it was like 7 dollars to ride the shuttle. It was 95 degrees which is way hotter then 110 in Arizona. I had a good time with Sister Tuaone. We get along really well. Tuaone is training and her comp, Sister H, got lost the other day when they were on campus. They were on there way to a teaching appointment and Sister H took off way head, but didn't know where she was going. When Tuaone got to the appointment Sister H was nowhere to be found. Tuaone called the district leader and had like 6 elders looking for her. They eventually found her, but one of the basic rules is always be in sight and sound. I love hanging out with Tauona. When we got to the game, Sister Grampp was about to die. We missed kick off, but only missed the first couple of minutes of the game. Sister Grampp by the time we got to our seats, was about to pass out. We got her a bunch of bottled waters, other then that, I got to hang out with all the Sisters and several of the Elders that have become my friends. It was so weird to be normal for a day. It was weird to blend into the crowd, it was really a lot of fun. We sat in the BYU section and watched them get their trashed kick, but I had a good time. The FSU stadium is pretty cool and they have a really cool cheer. I have quickly come to learn that in the south there are only three important things: God, Guns, and football! The tailgate parties and the enthusiasm for the game was a pretty cool sight to see.

I do have to say the best day of the week for me was Saturday, we went on splits ALL day long. It was Sister Hernandez, Tuaone, and me. We went and did service at the place we chopped down the tree. we worked our butts off doing service from 7:30 am to 4 pm, and the rest of the day was spent in appointment. it was such a good day.

I want you to keep Sister Richan in your prayers. She got sent home yesterday, she has a tumor on the back of her leg. It has grown rapidly the last 2 months and has gotten hard. she had to go home and have surgery, all the test so far have shown that it is not cancerous, but they won't be a 100% until it is removed. It is wrapped around some delicate nerves and veins ( I think). All I know is that if the surgery doesn't go well, she could lose a lot of function in her leg. If it does go well, then she will be back out here in 10 to 14 days. its a bummer, because it was like having my sister go home.

We'll I have to go. I love you!!!!

Sister Whipple

Tracting

Hey family,

We had a cool experience tracting, we knock 3 doors and were turned away. The fourth house a college aged girl answers. The girl said she has never talked to latter day saints and would love to visit with us. We asked if she had time now and she said yeah come in. We sat down and two of her roommates came into the family room and sat and visited with us too. We went into the restoration and the Plan of salvation. It was all over they place, because they were asking a ton a questions. We were being drilled! We were struggling because we had left our bibles in the car. It kills your back to carry them around and you never sit and visit with people when you tract. We usually have really brief visit and they never get heavy. Well, we got into some deep stuff. I was struggling. Sister G didn't say anything and Sister H even stopped talking. I was left to answer their questions. I was rocky, but they were super cool. I was definitely guided and answered everyone the best I could and they seemed to be satisfied with that. I did a few times have to give the honest answer of I don't know. I hated having to do that, but I didn't have the materials or knowledge to answer it. They were cool and we left a Book of Mormon for them and pamphlets. They said we could come back. it was a very humbling experience. I would never say that I am confident in my scriptures, but I have become very comfortable talking about the gospel. I totally got a reality check, which was really good. It made me recommit to do better with my study. Also, I will never be caught without my bible even if it is heavy!

I love you!!!

Sister Whipple

Monday, August 16, 2010

Hey Fam,
We had a really good week on the missionary front. We had a great lesson with M. We had some good experiences with a less active. I had an incredible experience with trade-offs this week. We had three sisters sign up and each of us went with one. I went with Sister B. I love her she is the same age as Roni and is married and has a super cute little boy. She's was a really cool to hang out with. She is definitely one of my favorite people. We had a really awesome talk in the car and a really powerful visit when we were out. It was about as close as I could get to hanging out with my sister so I really loved it. We struck out on our first visit, the second person we went to visit, we drove out to the country. I didn't realize that the person live 30 minutes away. I felt bad about that. I, also, got kind of nervous, because I would feel bad if we drove all the way out there and got shut down. Well, we get out there and knock on the door. We ask for the less active and they say no one lives here by that name. My heart is crushed. Sister B starts talking to her about a sign they have on their door. The lady was about to let us go when she asked what we were doing out here. I gave a door approach which still make me nervous every time. It never gets easier. She invited us in. We sat and visited with her and her husband and his two kids for over an hour. It was so crazy! They were interested in coming to church. We talked about really a little bit of everything. It was nuts. We drove all the way out there and just have this amazing talk with a random family. Totally inspired! It was such a cool experience. It was so unreal. Sister B and I were just blown away. We both were like did that just happen! Super cool. I loved it!
I love Tally! I love the people and love working. Thanks for all that you do!
I LOVE YOU!!!

Sister's Conference

Yes, the Gator has a arrow stuck in it's back,

they said it would be more painful for his to take it out than just to leave it in.

Hey hey!!!

Let me just start off by saying I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Sisters conference. I can't thank President and Sister Jensen enough for opening up your home to all of us. It really was just what I needed. I have forgotten how to just relax. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It felt like being at home. I just love them so much. They truly have become family to me. I really appreciate all that they are doing. they are wonderful. The conference was wonderful! Basically, all the sisters in the mission got together and spent the night at the mission home. We have 12 sisters in the mission. We just got together had chocolate fountain and made pizza, then we literally just hung out. We didn't have to be on our regular schedule, so we stayed up late. Sister Jensen hung out with us in her pjs. It was super relaxing and we got to sleep in. I loved it. I felt kind of guilty for not doing stuff, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself! It was really cool, because in the mission president's handbook it says no sisters conferences. Well, when the Jensen's met and were visiting with Elder Hales ( a member of the 12), he told Sister Jensen that she could do whatever she wanted to with the sisters. If she wanted to have a sleepover with all the sisters, then president move out of the way. Thus, Sister Jensen has permission to have sister conferences. Pretty sweet!!! I will say this much it was a lot of sister missionary in a small area. It was interesting to watch certain sisters avoid those who they have served with or watch how they interact. I had a great time. All the sisters were hanging out until midnight before any of us went to bed. It was fun and all us shot out of bed by 8! Weird! I thought for sure my body would take advantage of the extra sleep. nope! We had breakfast the next morning and hung out some more, we took some group pics, it was fun! I really loved it.

We had a pretty good week. We definitely had the spirit guiding us and inspiring us where to go this week. Our first experience was with a referral that we had received from our Relief Society President, Sister D. The woman's name was B, she's probably around her late forties. We knocked and she let us right in, before we could even get a word in. We sat at her kitchen table just talking. We were making a lot of connections because she is from California and Sister Hernandez is from there and I was born there. We were just having a really good time and establishing all sorts of connections. She started to tell us her back ground, about How Sister D stopped by with a another lady and they gave her a Book of Mormon. (It was the ward missionaries, they were looking for a less active.) Then, she told us about how she had been fasting all day and praying. She told us how she has been out of church too long and is just hungry for the word. She had said that the missionaries knock on her door when she was visiting her son in Atlanta and had answered a lot of her concerns and it was after she had gotten the Book of Mormon from the ward missionaries. It was crazy how all of these events were happening. She recognized us as an answer to her fasting and praying. We really didn't get to say much, because she was just pouring all of this out. We wants us to come back. It was a really sweet experience to see and be apart of the the lord's hand in people's lives. The lord has been working with her, so we will follow up and see what happens. The second experience was with a less active. We were driving down the street to visit a less active and on the way we passed another home that is another less active family, the P's. I felt like we should stop at the P's even though none of us had met them and none of us knew their story. We decided to stop on the way back, but I was glad when the one less active wasn't home and we head right back to the P's. We knocked on the door and no one came and no one came. We assumed they must be avoiding us. We were about to leave and Sister P answers the door. We end up having a really good conversation with her at the door. She told us about all of these health problems that her and her husband have been having. She had been taking the lessons with some of the missionaries ( not sure if they were ward or full time) and they were really pushy, so she told them that she didn't want to have the lessons. I guess what happened after that they just never came around and her visiting teachers stopped coming. She told us how grateful she was for her home teacher how comes by and is always checking in on them. It was really cool to see the impacted of a faithful home teacher. She told us that being able to talk to us really did help her feel better. We offered to come over and help her do some help around the house, because her and her husband really can't keep up with it. She told us we could come back and was happy that we stopped by. It was a sweet experience to get a prompting and act on it. Sister Hernandez and I were so grateful for the promptings that we got this week. We are still desperately trying to find people this week. We are trying, but it is slow going. We are hoping to launch a ward mission campaign next week at church to help get the members more involved in the work and get more referrals so we'll see.

We volunteer at the homeless shelter serving lunch a few days a week and told President and Sister Jensen about it. They totally came with us on Friday and again today. Way cool of them! They loved it! It is really cool to be around them as much as we have. It's really a cool experience.

I LOVE YOU!!!

Sister

8-2-2010

The work is kind of slow. We literally only have one investigator. We have nothing going on in the area. We are desperately trying to make things happen. We had some really good visits with less actives. We were able to have some great lessons this week and get into homes where we haven't been in sometime. It was really good. We are trying to find people to teach, but haven't found any yet. We are really trying. We face some challenges. The members don't really know us or trust us (sister Alston who was here before me served here for 9 months. the first 9 months of her mission. sister Hernandez had only been here a transfer before me and the sister she replaced had been here for 7 months.) We are working to get to know the members and gain their respect. We just got a new ward mission leader, Brother Brock. He's like 26 and pretty cool, We are struggling to get on the same page. It will take some time for him to figure out something that works. Our teaching pool is 1. Basically, we are starting from scratch. sister Hernandez and I have never been in this situation. We are just trying to do our best. At times is feels like we are running around with our heads cut off. We don't know how to really get things going. we are trying and hoping something will work.

Our one investigator, M, wasn't at church on Sunday, because her goddaughter had her christening. We did have a really good lesson with her this week. We talked further on the Restoration. She still isn't sure about it, but is praying and searching to know. It was a crazy lesson, because we discussed polygamy and she had concerns with race all in the same lesson as well. She really is thinking a lot about what she is hearing. She wants to learn and asks a lot of questions. She is a lot of fun to teach. I LOVE teaching her. She is coming along, so we'll see what happens. Teaching M helps me feel very hopeful. I just know I need to be doing more.I want to so badly. I know I am doing the best I can, but it's not enough. I don't know. We need to find others to teach SO bad. I want to be teaching up a storm, but can't seem to make it happen. I'll figure it out. it's just frustrating cause I just don't know how. Oh well, being clueless is the best way to be, because then your completely dependent on the powers of heaven (that's from Elder Bednar). I know that is the ONLY way that I will be able to be and do what that lord wants me to be. I'll keep working!

Love,

Sister Whipple

Also, E, who is an investigator that I taught the entire time I was in Lynn Haven, set a baptismal date. She is getting baptized on August 7! I was so excited to hear that. I am bummed that I won't be there for it. Also, K, a lady that we were working with while I was there, set a baptismal date too along with her 8 year old daughter. Totally, bummed that I will miss that too. K and I became really good friends. I was excited to hear that and I'm grateful for the small part I got to be involved with.

July 26, 2010

Hey!

Congrats to Jared and Heather on the baby that is so exciting! I so happy for them!

Well, it was a good week! We worked really hard. We were going hard everyday and taking advantage of every second. We had full days. I just love to work! It feels good and brings peace to my heart.

We have a new investigator named M. She is a friend of a recent convert in our ward, Brother S. Brother S is pretty amazing. He is from Jamaica and has the awesome accent and everything. I will say this much when he said the sacrament pray the other week in church, it was awesome! He is as solid as they come. M is a friend of his from work. She came to church last week, we met with her during the week, and she came to church yesterday. She is from Jamaica and is really interested. We had a really good lesson with her on the restoration, marriage, and about missionary work. It sounds like it was all over the place, but it really was perfect. The spirit was there and she was asking questions. It was a sweet experience. On Sunday, I was sitting by her and she was asking a lot of really awesome questions. She wanted to know about redeeming the dead and sacrament. She is really just absorbing everything. It's so awesome. We have appointment with her on Thursday, so we will really be able to see where she at. I can wait for Thursday!

We are working hard and doing our best to find more people to teach! We are basically starting at square one. Dad, I was all game to race to see who can get more baptisms, but I think you’re going to win! You have so much going on its awesome. Your ward is just tearing it up! Us on the other hand don't... we just lost our best ward missionary, she is R.S. president now, and we got a new ward mission leader. He is a young guy like 26. He is trying to figure it all out. He has a lot of nice ideas. We basically just track and go after less actives, so well see. M is our only hope right now. We had an other really promising investigator, but she dropped us.

We did a lot of service this week . We do service for various people 2 to 3 times a week. Most of the time we do yard wok, because you neglect your yard for a month and you have a jungle. Everything grows so fast. One day this week, we drove out to the country picked blueberries. It takes forever to pick blueberries it is so much work, but we got to keep whatever we picked. We also picked some of their green tomatoes and we had fried green tomatoes which are awesome. Work is my outlet and my therapy. I am here to work.

LOVE You!

Sister Whipple

July 19, 2010

Hey family and friends,

I forgot to email this to you last week.

(my letter to president last week below):

It has been a whirlwind of emotions this week. It broke my heart to say goodbye to all the recent converts and investigators. Then, to be transferred some place new and all the stuff that comes with that. It has really been a crazy week. It was kind of exhausting. We have some good things are happening with the work in this area. we are in a desperate state of finding people. We have a boy named B, who is 20 years old, and amazing. Sister Alston and Sister Hernandez tracked into him a week or two ago. He already has a desire to be baptized. He believes everything he is taught. He came to church on Sunday and loved it. The gospel principles teacher is a 19 year old boy who is getting ready to leave on his mission in like two months. He was talking a little about it and B ask if he would be allowed to go on a mission. He is so solid. it's almost unreal. he is the key for his family and he knows that. He really is something else.

much love,
Sister Whipple

President wrote me a letter back. He doesn't write individual email, we usually only get a mass emails. It was really nice, so I thought I would share it with you. It is below:

Thank you for your email. I look to you as a leader among the sisters and I have complete confidence in you. I feel that I can trust you and know that you are a team player. Also, you are so compassionate and kind and CONSISTENT! God bless you for who you have become.

Keep up the good work. Sounds like many good things are happening.

With love and admiration,

Pres Jensen

I thought it was really interesting, because dad told me the same thing as president. I think I got it. The goal for the week show more charity! I will work to be nice and find ways to serve.

Well, on to this week, It was an OK week. We didn't have the car this week, so it was really pretty slow. We are kind of handicapped without a car, so we are still trying to figure out something that works. we relied a lot on members to give us rides which is a good thing that the members are willing. We can't ride our bike much cause we have no where to ride them. We have only two options for roads to go down to get anywhere. We have Old Bain Bridge, which is two lane road, it has no sidewalk or bike lane. It is a canopy rode which means you have trees that arch over the road. Cars just don't see you and you are pretty much going to get hit by a car. The other rode we have is Monroe which is a 4 lane super busy street. It has tiny bike lanes. Also, a biker got killed on that road recently so members won't let us bike on it. Basically, we don't have very many options. Our area is massive, because we cover the outside edge of Tally. Our area is basically impossible to cover on foot or bike. What that means is that our week with the car things are jam packed with visits, appointments, visiting members and less actives. The week we don't have the car is lots of tracking and drags on, because its hard to get anywhere. Also, Sister Hernandez has only been here for one transfer so she still doesn't really know everyone, so it's hard to find a ride. It was a super slow week with out the car. Also, things were just a little out of whack trying to work in a third person.

The lord is definitely blessing me and helping me. I am doing fine. it's just rocky right now and will be for a few weeks. We are struggling with a routine (3 people getting ready takes some work to perfect), the area is unfamiliar, the people are new, and all of that just takes time to figure out. I am doing good, though, and really love Tally.

A really fun lesson that we had this week was with M, who is less active. She is an older lady probably about late fifties early 60's. I loved it. She believes that everyone is out to get her and everyone is raciest against her cause she is black. We aren't just sweetly talking to her, but we weren't contentious either. We were all just going back and forth yelling and speaking with so much boldness. We were just speaking with the power of god! You could feel the sternness, but love. She was going off on the priesthood, everyone hates me, baptism, and a ton of other things. It was such a cool lesson. We had one of our ward missionaries, Mama Hollett (that's what we call her), with us. She is pretty amazing. If every ward had about 50 Mama Holletts we would never have less actives. She was saying all the right things and testifying like crazy. I just wish you could have been there to feel the power in the discussion. We had to speak with that kind of boldness if she was going to feel anything. I felt like after that lesson, she had no other choice, but to come to church. Her heart will take a VERY long time to soften,. It was a really powerful experience for me. I felt the spirit and I was definitely edified.

Missionary work wise it was really good. We got several new investigators, so we'll see how that goes. We have a almost nonexistent teaching pool, so we are working really hard to get things going.

Love YOU!!!

Sister Whipple

Florida Light Show

2 Great Missionaries

We (Garry and I) received the most delightful letter

from a wonderful ward mission leader in Florida.

I love ward Mission Leaders (Garry is the ward mission leader in our ward)

(click on letter to enlarge)

Letter To Parents

July 12, 2010

Hey family

It has been a CRAZY week here in Tally! It was so much harder to say good bye then I thought it would be. It about crushed me to say goodbye to Emma. She should be setting a baptismal date in the next few weeks, so that will be pretty awesome. On Wednesday, I was transferred. I spent literally the whole day doing that. I got picked up in Cotton Dale, drove with President, Elder Dame, and Sister Tuaone to Crestview. Sister Tuaone was being transferred to Destin, so Crestview was her stop. I could have rode with President to Pensacola, but decide to hang out with the other sisters. Sister Fink was being transferred to FSU (Florida Stake University area), so we had to wait for the transfer van to come back around on it's way to Tallahassee. I hung out with Sister Tuaone and Sister Bunsen (who are both in Destin), and Sister Fink. We had a good time hanging.. On our ride back to Tally, we talked with President about all kinds of things. It was fun to get to know him better. He really is super chill and way cool. I really like him and get along with him really good. He's cool. When we got to Tally, I met my new comp., Sister Hernandez she is a lot of fun. She's loud, chill, hard worker, I think we will get along really well. We headed to our duplex which is about 30-45 minutes from the mission home. When we pulled up, I had a flashback to girls camp. it is super wooded and really secluded. It is a total dump. It's worse then the place where I lived in Tucson, it's just super crusty. I could scrub for days and not get any of the crud off. It is good here... We are having an emergency transfer. All of the sisters will now be in trios and they are closing FSU Florida Stake University area. Our We are getting Sister Grammp.

ALSO, I SAW GATORS ON SATURDAY! WOOT! WOOT! more details to come...

Love Ya,

Sister Whipple

New Mission President

Marilyn and Dale Jensen

Dale Homer Jensen, 59, and Marilyn Pihl Jensen, four children, Florida Tallahassee Mission; Deseret-Oasis Ward, Delta Utah West Stake. Brother Jensen is a gospel doctrine teacher and former stake president, bishop and counselor, stake Sunday School president, high councilor and ward Young Men president. Teacher in the Millard County School District and farmer. Born in Delta, Utah, to Homer Dewsnup and Alice Rae Roberts Jensen.

Sister Jensen is a ward Primary teacher and former counselor in stake and ward Young Women presidencies, ward Primary president and counselor, ward Young Women adviser and ward Relief Society teacher. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Robert Gilmer and Emaline Peterson Pihl.

I'm Getting Transferred

WOOT! WOOT!!!!

I am headed to Tallahassee 1st!!!! My comp is Sister Hernandez. I met her the day that I picked Sister Richan up at transfers. We hang out most of the morning. I don't know much about her, but I am so excited to be in Tallahassee! A change will be good. I am so excited!

It was a super crazy week! Everything from tracking multiple times in the rain, meeting the new President and his wife, and getting an investigator who is expressing a desire to be baptized. We tracked in the rain which is the best time to because it show your commitment to work to the Lord, more people are inside, and people see your dedication so they are more willing to listen to you. It was really good. I felt really good, which I hadn't in a while. It was great. I met President and Sister Jensen, totally my kind of people. I already love them. President is cool and a lot of fun! Sister Jensen, totally love her. She has a fun personality and was super cute. She gave us the great new that we no longer have to wear nylons! Woot! Woot!! I felt naked without them though so it's kind of a weird adjustment. It also is such a relief cause it is HOT here! Also, the best news was we no long have to have mid calf or longer skirts. The rule now is that our skirts just have to cover our knees when we sit.

One funny story that happened when I met President and Sister Jensen was they said when they received their call that they goggled the mission. Well, guess what the first think that popped up was...MY BLOG!!! They had looked at some of the pictures. I just hope they didn't read too much. It was pretty funny I didn't even think about something like that. I got a kick out of it.

We had really powerful lessons with Brother Daryl and Emma this week. Brother Daryl was the best we have ever had. Emma asked "what's the procedure for baptism?" It was pretty awesome. She isn't quite ready to set a date, but I think she will be baptized before the end of the month. It was way cool. She is getting it.

LOVE you!!!

Next time you here from me I'll be in Tallahassee! WOOT! WOOT!!! Back in the city where I belong!

LOVE YOU!!! Thanks for the letters everyone. I really needed them last week!

Love Sister Whipple

6-14-2010

Hey fam and friends,

We had zone conference this week! I love love love it! It was super powerful, but so sad. It was our last zone conference with President and sister Summerhays. I will miss them terribly. They really are beautiful people, who will forever hold a special place in my heart. Zone conference started off pretty cool. It focused on the power of the atonement. One thing president said "He doesn't plan for abuse or bad thing. He plans for our escape! Bad things do happen to good people." He shared in 2 Nephi 2:1 which talks about who Jacob suffered at the hands of his brothers. They were the people who were suppose to love him and yet he suffered greatly because of them. Lehi was acknowledging his love and understanding to Jacob. Lehi had a special love for Jacob because of what he suffered. The question is "How much more does god know how to give good gifts to those you suffer?" In 2 Nephi 2:2 "thou snowiest the greatness of god, and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." The Lord will make up for ALL the tragedies that happen in our life. He will use our afflictions for our gain and more will be available to you because of them. President concluded with this very powerful statement "The lord did not create the abuse, but the lord uses every difficult circumstance to our advantage. He makes us more then we could have been. He makes us WHOLE and MORE. I seal that upon your heart right now as an infinite promise." WOOH! Talk about powerful. It touched my heart, it was really powerful. It was perfect timing too.

We have a new approach that we are going to start to use as a companionship. We are not just sitting and waiting to be acted on; we are acting!

HEY Family,

THANK YOU So MUCH for the package. I loved it! It was perfect! I did open it very first thing when I woke up on Saturday! Sister Richan set her clock to Arizona time and would ask me "what's your sister doing now?" So thank you for the play by play. We were home for a good part of the day cause we had a weekly planning session. It was a good thing too, because I wouldn't have gotten the flowers. It was perfect! I loved them! They were beautiful and I did feel apart even though I was so far away. The pictures were so cute! I haven't gotten to watch the DVD yet. The notes were tender and I appreciated them! It was funny cause as I was reading the last card from Roni; I laughed cause I was thinking the same exact thing she had written! Also, Sister Richan sported her clip in her hair all day and loved it.

We had Miss Brannen's baptism on Friday night. It went really well. Miss Brannen has a lot of health problems and struggles to make it through all of church. She usually makes it through sacrament meeting, so she doesn't have the fellowshipping that she needs. We were nervous that she wouldn't have very many people there to support her at the baptism. Well, Lynn Haven pulled through for us and we had a full R.S. room. It was awesome! The spirit was really strong and it was a sweet baptism. Her son, Chris, baptized her and he's the only member in their family and there are six kids. It was powerful! Miss Brannen was so ready to be baptized. She had been waiting for years for this moment. She had the faith, but wanted it all! She's amazing! I know that her example will impact her family in a powerful way. I mean she is about 80 or 81 years old and has found the complete truth that she has been searching for. She KNOWS with all her heart that the gospel is true. Miss Brannen is truly and amazing women. I know that on June 4, 2011, Miss Brannen will be in the temple and getting sealed to her husband who died 2 years ago. Miss Brannen always told Chris when she dies she wants to be sealed to her husband. He always replied you don't have to wait until your dead to do your work, you can do it yourself. Now, she will be doing it herself. It was a sweet experience. Her confirmation was perfect as well.

The work here has come to a complete stop! We literally have no progressing investigators, and no less actives we are teaching. We are spinning our wheels and making no progress. It's sad our numbers and productivity have hit an all time low.. On Thursday, we were at the library doing service. We were doing some stuff and it really was only a two person job, so we told sister Grampp to role play and teach us lesson one. We set up a situation and ran with it. Basically, the role play crashed and burned. We got started talking about having confidence in the message and not yourself. We got into not saying "I guess" after every phrase and with your body, because it takes all the power out of what you are saying. For example, we said here is what it sounds like "Heavenly Father loves me, I guess." All the power and truth in the statement is destroyed. The conclusion that it came to by the end of the session was "never give up!" It was exactly what she needed to hear. Sister Richan was really inspired and said one phrase that got to the core of everything. She said " What you do will change everything!" I felt the spirit feel the room, I almost broke into tears. it was so strong that I KNOW that those were NOT her words. It was a really powerful moment.

The timing the book,"you are special," you sent me was perfect! It was way cool you sent that because Sister Richan thought that I had asked for it and I said no. Well about a month ago in district meeting one of the elders was talking about this book. We had had a really good talk cause of it. The book went perfectly with the talk that we had the night before. When I pulled the book out, Sister Grampp said that's one of my favorite books. We had her read it to us. We asked "why it was her favorite book?" She said because I relate to the main character and that I am special to my Heavenly father. It was sweet and really important to everything that we have been talking about with her that she remembers that. Thank you for sending that book. I did have a strong impression that night as I was writing about that experience that I didn't need to be at my sister wedding, but right there for that moment. It was a powerful realization.

Love You!!!

Sister Whipple

Update 2-24-2010

Yeah yeah!!

I'm staying in Lynn Haven!!! I was so sure I was being transferred, but wasn't sure it was my time to go. I guess it wasn't.

Well,it is getting way hot here. The humidity is awful!!! I'm so glad to know that I will be in a car for a good part of the summer. Hopefully all summer.

On Sunday we had a sweet experience. Our early morning meetings were canceled so we had a little extra time to get ready for church. I was ready early which is amazing because usually I struggle, lets be real always has been a battle and always will be. I had the impression and prompting which was not my own to flat iron Sister G's hair. I really didn't want to, but I knew it would have a huge impact. I asked Sister G if she wanted me to and before I knew it I was doing her hair. It surprised me as much as Sister G because she said usually Sister Richan is the one doing this. I said I know. Once we finished she looked so GOOD!!! It was amazing to watch her confidence change. she carried herself different and even countenance changed. She was happy, she felt good about herself. It was sweet! Then, it got better. At church everyone noticed. People were commenting right and left. She for once did not get over looked, she did not fade into the background, she did not disappear! She was seen. People noticed her. It was great. Her confidence went through the roof! We got home early that day cause our car had a flat so we got grounded early on Sunday. We decided we would take the time to teach her how to fish instead of just giving the fish to her. We know that she will most likely never have the time to straighten her hair everyday, but she can feel the way she did on Sunday everyday. It was a lot harder then we thought it would be. Let me say this much we spent 2 hours teaching and we were just shy of masterye! It was progress. We talked about how she felt at church that day. We asked what was different. It was only her hair, but everything felt different. Sister Richan started talking and it was not her but the spirit testifying to Sister G, Sister Richan started speaking with power. She said something to the affect of "you have spent 25 years trying to disappear into the background. It's your life get control of it. You are front and center in your life, because you are worth it. the spirit is testifying to you right now that you are worth it!" It was powerful. Sister G was the one who said she has been trying to disappear, but the spirit spoke to her last night. She did feel that she was worth it. She knew that Sister Richan and I were her companions here and now because she is worth it. She was touched last night!

Jenifer Wintrode's baptism is scheduled for this Saturday. Everything is going perfect. I know this week will test her like crazy. She almost didn't make it to church yesterday due to car problems. She was super overwhelmed. We met with her twice this week. Both meeting were solid. On Friday she met up with us and we went to Lorecia's baptism. Lorecia is in the Callaway ward and is a super sweet 21 year old girl. She already wanted to go on a mission before she was even baptized. Jenifer felt the spirit. It was a super tender and sweet baptism and the spirit was strong. She is very excited for her own baptism. Later that night we went to her house and watch "The Testaments". She is doing really good. We have several meeting set up with her this week. I can't wait for her baptism and I am so excited I will be here to be apart of it. Miss Brannen is doing pretty good. We taught her the word of wisdom. She said her only vices are coffee and tea. Then, she said that she will give them up, because she wants it all. She knows that baptism is the only way. The following day we stopped by and she was doing pretty good. She had been drinking a ton of water and only 1 cup of coffee. She is trying, which is all you can ask. Her baptism got pushed back to June 4 so one of her granddaughters could make it. I'm a little worried about her making her date because she has only been to church twice and didn't come this past week. The work is good and we are trying.

LOVE YOU!!

Sista Whipple

With Commitment

1994

Cousins Kelsie and Brady at a family reunion

I hope they call me on a mission

When I have grown a foot or two.

I hope by then I will be ready

To teach and preach and work as missionaries do.

2010

Cousins Elder Brady Hale and Sister Kelsie Whipple at the MTC together

I hope that I can share the gospel

With those who want to know the truth.

I want to be a missionary

And serve and help the Lord while I am in my youth

May 10, 2010

Kelsie was given another companion, fresh from the MTC three weeks ago (she is now in a threesome). It has been a difficult situation and she has had to teach a lot of life skills to the new companion. Here is her most recent letter.

May 10, 2010

President Summerhayes decided to go off course and follow that spirit during zone conference. President wanted to put together a blessing (a patriarchal one) for Sister Grampp. He wanted all the elders to pretend that she was their daughter and they were giving their daughter a blessing. President had all the Elders make a list on the board of what they would put in the blessing. He even asked Sister Grampp what she wanted in her blessing.It was really cool. then, President asked "why do you think we did this exercise?" I was thinking cause he wanted the Elders to learn more about giving blessing and cause he was going to give Sister Grampp a blessing. President simply said "because I felt an out pouring of love for her (Sister Grampp)." It was really sweet. He had an overwhelming feeling and he had to follow it. Then, President said " I know Sister Grampp is on course. I know Sister Richan and Sister Whipple are on course." I found that kind of hard to believe, because I have felt so off course. president made me feel all good when he said "I have keys and I know it it right." I know he is right! He said "you are right where you are suppose to be." Then president shared how he came to that. He said "when Sister Whipple and Sister Richan got to together it was prefect. It was nirvana (he really used that word). I felt I should send a third sister. I thought but why? It's perfect and Lynn Haven is on fire. I thought well I'll be a good boy. It did it and it felt good. I don't know why, but it felt good so I followed the prompting." Then things got crazy. Before he was talking all about Sister Grampp, but then they change to Sister Richan and I. What happened next was so humbling and healing I will never forget. President gave us an apostolic blessing. He promised us that "your area will prosper more as three, then it ever would with just two, and a generation would be saved." Then, he gave Sister Grampp a blessing and promised her more blessings then she could or would dream of, the tears just pourd down my and Sister Richan faces. It was everything I needed and had prayed for. The peace I needed was brought to my heart. In my interview with President he talked further with me about the blessing. he said the blessing for Sister Grampp was so she knew she was doing good. The blessing for Sister Richan and I was so we knew that we would not be denied any of the blessing of the work. It was a powerful zone conference. President told Sister Richan in her interview that "Sister Grampp would have very little chance in life if not for the two of you (Sister Richan and I)." WOW! I know Sister Grampp is a challenge that I never dreamed I would face. I know I am where I am suppose to be it. It is hard but I can do it. President said to keep the pressure on. I said I feel like she is a broken/glued together vase that I just keep hitting with a stick. President said don't worry about breaking her because I'll put her back together. He said if problems aren't addressed now they become someone else's, so we are keeping the pressure on.

Well, I don't have much to say after having such an amazing zone conference. The spirit was so strong, spoke peace to my heart, and gave me the healing I was in desperate need of. I can't thank President Summerhayes enough for all his support. I have felt very far off the path of being a good missionary lately. I have not been very Christ like and had lost the spirit. When I went to zone conference I was desperate to have the spirit back in my life. I needed it. I wasn't sure how to do it and knew I needed help. I have been praying with all my heart to just love Sister Grampp. It was not coming easily, because I didn't have the spirit to be able to feel Christ love for her. Zone conference spoke to my heart. I now feel love for her. It still is not easy. Let's be real everyday I still pray for it, but it is not impossible. Thank you for the blessing. I know heavenly father is very aware of me. I needed the reassurance that he still was. That experience was so powerful, so consuming, and healing. I can't explain, but know that it changed my life.

Overall this was a good week. we got out and worked more than we had been. We had an extremely powerful lesson with Jenifer Wintrode. We taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ. She had expressed on Sunday her desire to be baptized and said she would figure out a date by Wednesday. Well, after our lesson, she said she wanted to be baptized on the 29 of May! I couldn't believe how soon the date was. She knows what she wants and doesn't want to wait. She is very impressive. She also said she has been telling her family and friends, they seem very supportive. The Lord is blessing Lynn Haven, it is a amazing and beautiful to be here and apart of it.

Things have greatly improved in our companionship. we are not perfect. we struggle everyday, but aren't giving up. Before, it felt impossible, now it is more of a Challenger that can be worked through. Well, President gave us the go ahead to address any issue that comes up, so we did. On Saturday we had a super busy day, but that night we decided that we had some issues that we should take care of. Sister Grampp had some very unattractive and not really appropriate red and blond streaks in her hair. Sister Richan and I decided that they needed to go. We bought a box of hair dye and colored it all one color. It looks so much better now. She looks cute, Sister Richan taught her how to do her hair and we both helped her do her make-up. We talked about the importance of our appearance matching our message. Everyday, we address something having to do with personal hygiene, proper etiquette , and manners. It is slow going, but things are improving. It just a challenge because she has really never been taught.

I loved loved loved talking to you!! I miss you! It was good to know I am still loved. I was afraid I was out of sight out of mind! I love talking. I was so bummed I didn't get to talk to Tyler and Trevor and only got a little bit with dad. It was good hear you. I love you!

LOVE YOU!!

Sister Whipple

PS for got tell you happy mother's day ! MOM! I love you!!!