Too old to change

Hey Fam, 

How is everybody this week? It has been a great week for me this week. We have had some pretty cool experiences. We went to this older guys house. His name is Mario. He has always been so nice and just accepting of us. But from the beginning he has told us that he is too old to change and that we weren´t going to be able to change him. So we just keep visiting him and this week everything changed. We went by him and he was asking us if there is life after this one. And we told him that there definitely was. And then he told us that he was going to be changing religions and quick. So then when we went back, he was talking to us for a minute and he said he wants to come to church, but he wants to be sober of everything for two days before going so that he can understand everything and really feel what he wants. He has lost lots of family. He has lost his wife and two of his children so he is really sad and lonely. But he wants to change and be able to achieve that eternal life. He said that we have brought him a peace inside and outside that he has never felt before and so it was just really cool, because he is so receptive to what we want to tell him. Just a cool experience that we have had this week. 

So President Rastelli who is in the mission presidency, his family is all in the states right now visiting. Because their oldest son graduated from byu idaho and so Adriana the mom went up a week or so ago to see it and then Jonathan and Yamina (y said like an english j) just went up. So I gave them the address to come visit if they want. Because they were saying if there was something that you wanted to send to me that they would bring it back for me. So maybe a mountain dew, wink wink. They will be coming back the 30th of august. So if you want to send something with them let me know and I will let President Rastelli know because they asked me if I wanted to. So it wasn´t something like it would be a pain to do. So let me know. But ya the kids and when I say kids I mean adults, because they are all in their twenties, but they all speak perfect english so I hope you have a chance to talk with them because they are an awesome family.

Well that is all for this week. I hope that everyone is doing well and that you had a good holiday weekend. I have officially hit a year since leaving. The twenty seventh was my year mark. So we are on the down hill side. I can´t believe that it has been a year since I have seen you all (in person atleast). But it has been great so far and it will be great for the rest I am sure. I can´t wait to get back out into a normal area and not have to worry about being in the offices. It has been too long I feel. I know I will miss it, but I am just ready to get out and work all day everyday outside. By the time I leave here it will be the end of winter and into spring. So I will have spent most of summer and winter in the offices. It has been a long good run, but I am glad it is my turn to get out. Anyway I love you all and hope all is well in everything.

Until next week,

Elder Wheeler

We got some grape juice. It is pure grape juice, don't worry not wine haha. But it looks like it. It has a really strong flavor and is just really good but you wouldn't be able to drink it like a normal juice. It is too strong so you have just little bits. I mean it sounds a lot like wine and has kind of the same smell, but it is good and has no alcohol so that is the reason I can drink it right...haha. But for real it was good and cool to have a bottle now.

1 year this month!!

Hey fam,

So tis been a great week this week. We had a baptism this past sunday...It was great I had the chance to baptize her so it was really fun. I was a little dissappointed in the ward because they didn´t stay to support. We had the good ones stay but the others just peaced on us as soon as church was over. And so it was just a challenge. Because there have been two other baptismal services that the other elders have done that are in the area full time. Because we have the office so we are only there from 4:30 on. And those have just been full of people. And then when we have one nobody shows up. We did it on sunday afternoon because the bishop only wants to have them then even though the prophets have said that saturday and then a sunday confirmation is the way we are supposed to do it. So we did it the way he wanted so more people could be there, but in all reality he didn´t even show up. Nor were any of the other bishopric members. So it was just a big problem. But thankfully she got baptized and she will have her confirmation tomorrow.

That is all that is important but just frustrating that we are bringing people in and nobody can stay for five minutes later because it is fast sunday and they are hungry. Seems a bit backwards that we are fasting and then can´t stay to be uplifted by the spirit for a baptismal service because they are hungry. Just is a little frustrating that you can see the problems that the ward is having and then all of the members complain that nobody is coming anymore. But they aren´t supporting the new people coming so they don´t even feel welcome, it is just hard. 

But now I will explain a little about the pics. There on the first one from the left Elder Jacobs who is the assistant heading home in a week and a half. Then me of course and next Elder Baker the Canadian who has a half a transfer left after this one ends. And then Elder Alberro. These are from last week when we were playing cards up on the roof of the apartment. It is a really pretty area to just go up and sit and relax. But this week it was just freezing so we weren´t doing much of that. The past two weeks haven´t been very cold, but this week has been extra cold so it has been interesting. It actually feels somewhat like winter. Which reminds me I saw snow in Argentina for the first time this week. So that was cool and then the other pictures was us eating tacos in a beg. Yes beg because it is the canadian pronunciation. So they are really good and we had them again this week. But Elder Baker says that they do them when they are camping because they are really easy and just good. So here´s what ya do. You cook up your taco meat with the seasoning and then cut up some onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. And then you crush the bag of doritos up and then you cut it the long way open so it is more open and shallower. And then you just poor it all in there with the chips and then poor ranch and guacomoli on top. And then you mix it all up and you just have a great meal. I wouldn´t suggest doing the big bags like we did. Because you feel very sick by the end of eating them, but it is really good and something easy that you can do. So that was fun, but anyway then there is one of the church plaque out front. It was a really cool picture so I figured I would share because I really liked it. 

So not too much has happened this week. We had a pretty cool zone conference this week with a small zone. Because the offices aren´t really in a zone so we just get thrown in with one of the smaller ones that is close. But it was really good. It was all about obedience. And that is always something that we can all improve on so it helps so that everybody gets back on track and just focused on the purpose of being here. I have tried to be focused on it this whole time and the time has just passed me by. I am almost at a year already which will be super weird I remember everyone else saying that they were about to a year and just thinking that was forever away and that I would never get there. But I am there and I will be soon past before we know it. I just love being here and just being able to be apart of all of the blessings that comes with being able to be a missionary. Everything is going great and I am loving my time here. So thank you all for the support and prayers they all help and I deeply thank all of you for that!

If there is anything that I need to be praying for, for you guys please let me know so that I can keep them in mind. Thanks a million for everything and have a great week. 

Love, 

Elder Wheeler

P.S. Mom I have been trying to think of a story that you could use for your lesson tomorrow. And I think I came up with one. It happened last night. So we were out and just following what we had planned and passed by one of the members that we are trying to get back to church. And she had to leave so we were walking down the hill with her and her baby in the stroller and she says well this way is terrible way to go for the stroller. I always go the other way but I don´t know why I did that. And then we ran into the other member that we were trying to get in contact with for the whole night to be able to go out with. And he was just walking up the hill that exact way to head home from the store with a huge bag of dog food for his big golden retriever. Whose name is tiago short for santiago or the english james, so I was playing with him. But anyway we went up to his house to drink some hot chocolate because it was so cold out. And then we went down to visit some other people with him. But the first wasn´t home and then the second who was our plan wasn´t either. But my companion had the impression that we should go up to the next floor of the place we were at because there was a guy we had talked to that we hadn´t been able to find so we did. And then he wasn´t to sure on letting us in, but the member being a normal guy just talked to him for a sec and then we got in and had a great lesson. The investigator was asking us if he could have a couple days to read the pamphlet and that if it would be trouble to come back and talk some more after he has a chance to read. So ya exactly what we were going to ask him. But it just shows that the lord is preparing the people and that the members along with the missionaries are a huge part of the work. Nobody can do it alone. So it was just a great blessing to be able to have him there and that he could help us get in the house. But ya it was a great so maybe if you want you can use that because in all reality if we hadn´t been being guided by the spirit we wouldn´t have had any success that night. Among other blessings we saw that was one of the smalle miracles that we had just last night. And missionary work is full of them, but we won´t see them unless we go out and do the work to bring people unto the knowledge of all of the wonderful things we have in our lives. Anyway hoped this helps and good luck tomorrow on your lesson! Love ya