like it or not.....the day is here!!!

Today way the bitter-sweet day!  We took Philip to the MTC.  He has officially begun his mission, which means this will not only be a blog about Hailey's adventures, but also Philip's!  Welcome to our missionary world!

We begin with last night, as we were supposedly packing.  Philip, his cousin Cameron, and his brother Derek weren't too serious about helping me pack!!!

We finally finished packing and got out the door this morning.  When we got to Provo we went to eat before the MTC experience.  We went to Golden Corral.  We began with the blessing of a free meal for our new missionary!  Very kind people at Golden Corral!  I think they give a lot of free meals there.  We ran into several other missionaries.  One came and met Philip which I thought was very nice.  As we began eating a sweet lady came up to Philip and said "I heard you say you were going to the Utica Mission?"  She proceeded to tell us she was from there and gave Philip a card with a couple referrals on it!  He's getting started off right!  Then a few minutes later a nice gentleman came up to him and congratulated him on his mission and said they had just taken their son to the MTC a few weeks ago.  He asked where Philip was going and got very excited to hear Utica because his brother just got released as the Mission President for the Utica Mission! 

Very good but hard day!  I know he'll do a great job.  Very excited to hear from him!  What a great time of life it is!  Having missionaries is the greatest! (It'll be even better when they finish their missions and come home to me!!!)

fall sports day!!!!

 

 

Family!

 

Okay, White Oak.....It's good.  I really like it so far.  We're building our teaching pool, but we've got a good investigator and some potentials that we are hoping to meet with this week.  We've also got a ten year old boy who is our investigator, we've met him once, but will meet with him on Friday, so that'll be good.

 

Anthony is the boy that Sister Jones found, or he found her rather.  he's super great, comes to church and is feeling really good about being baptized at Christmas time so the guy that introduced him to the church can come, his girlfriend and his family.  So that'll be good.

 

Okay, so today we had a mission activity.  Fall Sports Day.  It was epic.  We played soccer, Capture the flag, and Quidditch all at the same time.  It's called Hero Ball or something like that.  Super fun, I'll explain it all when I get home one day.  The church is true and I love it!

Love, Sister Wankier

 

editors note:

So they have soccer going length wise on the field, Quidditch going the width of the field, Capture the flag going diagonal on the field, and dodge ball wherever!  Whoever gets hit with a dodge ball is out no matter what game they are playing!  Sounds awesome!  I dare anyone to try it!!! :)

 

(Sister Fehlman got hit in the face with a soccer ball!  Ouch!)

 

 

 



 

 

transfers!!

Family!

Well, it's transfer day.  I'm going to White Oak with Sister Ertelt to white wash.  So we're both going to a new area.  They split the White Oak area and neither of us have been here before, so we're both learning.  It'll be fun.  our roommates are Sister Wong and Sister Holt, so that's going to be great!  Sister Wong knows the area, so she can tell us a bit.  Apparently we have two investigators.  The members are awesome and we will love it.  Sister Ertelt is half French and half German, she is from Germany and we are friends.  She's great.  Love her!  It's great that we have the visitor center because we know all the sisters.  So all my companions, I know them before we're companions, it's cool!
Well....I'm sad to leave DC2 but it's okay.  Sister Jones is training a new sister there.  They'll do great.  Arunjana is still moving along and progressing.  Sister Holt, Wong and I are praying that she gets baptized this transfer, she's headed that way.   Now I'm back to a family ward, I am kinda excited to teach and be around children and teenagers again.  It'll be good.  Although I do see them at the vc, so that's good.  I love giving youth tours and primary kids tours, it's super fun and good.  The spirit is always super good too.

The missionary work is going good.  I love being a missionary!  I love the temple!  I love you.
Love, Sister Wankier

golden investigator!!!!

(august 22)

Family,
Things are going good here.  Yesterday we had a lesson with a girl who has been taught everything and we're trying to see what's holding her back.  It was so good because the spirit was there and she knows it's true, but she's got some things holding her back right now.  It may take some time, but as she relies on the Lord, it'll all work out.  She's great!  Also, last night was a welcome night at American University (Sister Jones went to that with a member while Sister Holt and I taught Lauren - the investigator I was just talking about).  So there was this guy who's been investigating, just moved here and has been looking everywhere for missionaries and the church.  he apparently walked over to Sister Jones and said, "Finally!  I've been looking everywhere for you!"  It's great, Sister Holt and I will meet him today for our first lesson.  He's been taught everything and almost knows it's true!  So as of now with our investigators, they don't have far to go.  Just the realizing that they know it's true and having the courage to act.  YSA is great because if they commit to something they will commit to it!  They're solid for the most part.

Well, I love you all.  Keep being awesome!  Have fun!
Love, Sister Wankier

all these things make me happy!!!!

Good day family,
So, Arunjana's visa ran out and she doesn't know if she'll be able to get it renewed.  Pretty much she may get kicked out and have to go back to India.  We don't know when, it's whenever she gets notice in the mail.  We're super sad and are praying she can stay because the church is super small and far away in India.

We've got some other good investigators but we've only met with them one or two times and will hopefully get them on date for baptism soon.

(update a week later...)

Arunjana may not know if she is kicked out until December.  We'll get her baptized before then.  Well the Spirit will tell her and she will recognize the answer and want to get baptized before then.  She came to the visitor center yesterday, watched the Joseph Smith movie then stayed for Night of Music and Inspiration, which was all based on the Restoration.  It was so good and the spirit was so strong.  She says she's getting closer, she is, she'll make it.  She's putting in more effort, she's getting more results.  She'll be baptized soon.

I don't think I told you, but do you remember Cadie and Yvonne I taught in Laural?  Well they are getting baptized this Sunday!  Also, Sister Holt taught them last transfer too, so we got permission to go!  We are so excited!  There was going to be a slight problem, because we're short on miles this month, but... we have awesome visitor center directors, Elder and Sister Olsen (they're the best) who told us that they would go and take us.  Because of the shortage of miles, we have bikes now too.  So, when we're in the city we're biking it.  Which is so much easier than trying to find parking.

Well family, the church is true.  The Book of Mormon is true.  Joseph Smith is a prophet and he did see God the Father and Jesus Christ.  We are all children of God and He loves us so much.  All these things make me happy!  Also, I love you all.
Love, Sister Wankier

everything is great!!!

Hailey really hasn't been saying a lot lately.  A lot of answering our questions, etc. but not a lot of mission info so this will be just bits and pieces of recent letters.  Also I got the chance to meet Sister Gordon!!!! That was Hailey's trainer when she first got to the mission.  I can see why they got along so well!  She is so cute and fun!  It was fun to visit with her and hear stories about Hailey and the mission right from her! I wish I had've gotten a picture but I didn't!  Thanks for the fun visit Sister Gordon and I hope to see you again soon!!!

Family,
...So, Sister Jones is perfect for this area.  She's got great ideas and is good at putting them into action.  We're having a Mormonism 101 night at the institute this Sunday for all the interns to bring friends to and for anyone who wants to understand better.  We're also offering 2 hours of free cleaning for students.  What student wouldn't want someone to come clean for them?  And since there are 3 of us we can go into any home.  We're expecting good things to happen this transfer.

Things are good here.  We've got some new investigators we're excited about and we're still working with Arunjana, helping her recognize that she knows the Book of Mormon is true.  (She knows it, she just doesn't know that she knows!)  We've got two investigators moving in a week for school.  But things are going great.

Well, everything is going great here.  I love you all!  Thanks for everything.
Love, Sister Wankier

ps I made a scripture case from an oatmeal box and decorated the outside with a picture of the family and these awesome pictures from a super old family home evening pamphlet.  There's this black and white picture of a family holding hands and running.  It's SO great!

changes!!!

(july19)

Dear Family,

There are sister missionaries serving in Brigham now?  And they came over for dinner?  On that note, there was a girl I met in the visitor center, I forgot her name, but she's from around here and she got called to the Ogden Utah mission, so I told her to look for you guys if Brigham ever became a sister area.

Okay, I'm still in DC2, but I'm in a trio again with Sister Holt and Sister Jones.  They are great!  They don't know how to work with YSA, they're used to family wards, so they felt super awkward at our first member meal yesterday.  No worries, it'll get better for them.  Also, Sister Jones programmed our phone to our car, so when someone calls us it is hooked up to our speakers so everyone can hear and talk.  It's awesome!

The lemonade stand was good.  We only did it for an hour and it wasn't during lunch or dinner time like it will be next time, but it was good!  We have a new potential investigator.  We asked him if he could ask God one question what would it be?  His answer was which church is true?  AWESOME!  Also, we met some girls who wanted to come to church, so hopefully we'll see them this sunday.  Well, 6 more weeks in DC2 - it's exciting!  It's hard to get/find investigators because it is the city and not tons of people want to learn, but the ones we have are solid and the members are fantastic!  This transfer we are focusing on members and hopefully the work will explode!  It'll be good, especially with a trio.  Well, Love you all!
Love, Sister Wankier