Monday, October 25, 2010

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

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

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.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Half-Mission Zone Conference


(click on Picture or letter to enlarge)

Monday, October 4, 2010

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

Friday, October 1, 2010

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!