Christmas Party at the Beach!

12-23-13

All the missionaries in the Florida Tampa Mission (the South part) had a Christmas party on the Siesta Key Beach.  It's suppose to be the #1 beach in the US.  Austin said the sand felt like baby powder.  He really enjoyed it.  This was his first time being on the beach!  He took some sand with him in a bottle.

Elder Barnett and Elder Whaley

Elder Whaley pointing to the water!

Elder Austin Whaley and his District?

Elder Whaley's Sandman!

Elder Whaley, Elder Barnett, and
President and Sister Cusick

New Companion

12-16-13

Well, I got a companion.  His name is Elder Barnett and he is from Farmington, Utah.  His birthday was this Saturday and he just turned 19.  He is such a dedicated missionary and follows the rules down to a T.  He got out here the transfer after me, so I am the senior companion and I take the lead in everything.  As of right now, we don't have any solid investigators, so we are just trying to figure out new ways that we can find people to teach.  We are working with a few people right now, the Parkers, but they won't really commit to anything.  We gave them the Savior's peace and blessing, and they loved it, and for some reason, it inspired them to go back to the Methodist church.  So, we have been going over there and teaching the lessons whenever we can.  They said that they won't join the church, but whenever we talk to them, everything they need at this time is found in the Gospel and Church.  We just need to make them see it, also.  So you could pray for them to understand that this is what they need.  This last week, we had some other elders move in with us into our tiny apartment.  It has been crammed, but fun.  One of them has a guitar and it's fun to play a little bit again.  I was thinking of buying one out here, but our president said no, so that stunk.  I wish I could, then I would be pro by the time I got home-haha.  Maybe I can ask for permission and he will let me get a cheap one, because that is what this Elder did.  I sent home a bunch of stuff with Sis. Brooks, so hopefully, she can get all of it to you.  There are a bunch of books and some souveniers that I've collected out here, so could you just put it in my closet, or you can use or read some of it.  Just keep track of it so it's not lost or misplaced.  Thanks.  I can't wait to see you for Christmas!

Love,
Elder A. Whaley

A picture a lady texted to
us.  She ran into them
in the store.

Not liking the sidebag!

12-9-13

First off, I'm sorry, but I already opened the package because I knew that it was going to be a side bag, so I needed to make sure that it would work.  I think I will end up having to send it back to you because I don't think that it will meet the standard of what we are suppose to get.  It looks like a hiking pack, and we are only suppose to have conservative colors like gray and black.  Thanks for going to the effort to get it for me, though.  I just ended up buying one out here that will work.  I don't know how women carry purses!  It is so annoying carrying a sidebag around.  I haven't biked with it yet, but I don't think it will be fun.  Elder Lott is leaving and I am staying, so I will take over the area and get a new companion.  I don't know who it will be until tomorrow when I get him.  I won't be training, though.  I am going to try and send some things home with Jennifer Brooks tomorrow, so hopefully, that will work out.  If not, then I guess I will just ship it out to you. I wish it was that cold up here!  I miss the cold.  There is like a 60 degree difference between here and there.  Everyone says that it gets way nice in the winter, but there have only been a few days where it has gotten down into the 60s.  All of last week was in the mid 80s.  It's still hot and humid.  I understand why some people say that it is an endless summer down here.  The work is slow right now, as it has been for the last little while, but we are always looking and working, so we are bound to find something eventually.  Love you!

Love, Elder Whaley

Austin with Elder Lott

Austin and his District

Elder ?, Elder Lott, and Elder Whaley

Elder Whaley hit the 1000 mile mark 5 months
into his mission!  

Austin's take on priorities for his
sister in high school.

Questions answered (finally) :)

12-2-13

I was looking back through some previous letters that you have sent and was looking for questions that I hadn't answered yet, so here they are:

-People who have influenced me to be where I am now: You (mom), Dad, Bro. Stewart, Bro. Chalmers, Bro. Taylor, Bishop Galbraith, Bishop Bean, Keegan, Taylor, all aunts and uncles.

-Yes, we have Walmart here, and it is a SuperWalmart.  I normally eat at restaurants like McDonalds and Wendy's.  This week we ate at Red Lobster and it was so good, and some mystery person paid our bill, so we got like $100 worth of food for free.

-Christmas: Don't send things like nerf guns, they will just be left behind whenever I'm transfered.  President doesn't want us having games and stuff.  I don't know what treats I would like.  Maybe you could send some easy recipes that have variety, because I need to eat better.  I just get a bunch of junk food.  haha.  A couple pair of garments would be nice and some music.

-Don't send any books, we are not allowed to have any that are not in the missionary library.  Someone left "Jesus the Christ" and "Our Search for Happiness" out here, so I have those.  We also have transfers on the 10th, but I won't know if I'm being transfered till the 7th, so I'll let you know next Monday for sure.

-If I were to send back my Ipod sometime, would you or dad or someone be able to put all the new Bible videos and other Church Message videos on it for me?

-Well, this last week was great.  It dropped to a low of 48 degrees in the morning on Thanksgiving and it felt so nice.  Everyone else was wearing sweaters and jackets, but I thought if felt so good.  Thanksgiving just felt like another day, except we ate a ton of food.  The Arsenaults (who we baptized in August) had us over for lunch and another member in the ward, had us over for dinner, and that was all we did all day.  It was kind of nice to relax and just visit with people.  The family that we went to for dinner, has a son named Brady and he is a little genius.  He is 11 years old, and he was asking all of these questions about the Book of Revelations and things about ancient Egyptian writing.  None of which was really necessary or important to know, but it was fun.  We haven't had that much going on in our area right now since we've stopped tracting and we have to work with the members in finding people to teach.  It's just been tough trying to get the members going, but it's picking up a little.  We've found a bunch of people to teach, but for some reason, we always have to hand them over to the sister missionaries because they live in their boundaries.  So, we've just been trying to find people we can work with, but it's been fun.  I still feel really inadequate when I teach.  I wish I was a better speaker, but oh well, I guess it will just come over time, hopefully.  Things are great here and I'm learning all the time.  I wish I could just study the scriptures all day long.  It seems like 2 hours int he morning just isn't enough. I hope that your week goes well with work and at home.  Love you.

Love,
Elder A. Whaley

Elder Whaley and Elder Lott's Thankful tree

Elder Whaley and Elder Lott holding
their Thankful tree GQ style!