Well, I had an interesting Saturday night/Sunday morning sleep. As I'm
sure all y'all know we had a 6.1 earthquake here in the California
Santa Rosa mission at about 3:20/3:30 in the morning. The epicenter
was in American Canyon, and there and the cities of Vallejo and Napa
were the only ones that really had damage, so apart from being a
little shaken, we're doing great here in Santa Rosa. I don't really
know how bad the damage is in the other cities, but it doesn't seem to
be too bad, although I have heard of some people with broken
waterlines, or other utilities taken out of commission, but I haven't
heard of any fatalities or anything. That being said, I don't hear
much as a missionary about things like that.
Apart from that it was pretty disconcerting to wake up in the middle
of the night to being shaken around. In fact, the rumbling of the
earthquake is similar to the sound of a tornado, and for a few seconds
at first I thought it was a tornado that was so close it was shaking
the building and I thought any second I'd watch the roof just go
flying off! Then I realized we were in California and that 1) they
don't really have tornados here and 2) they have earthquakes all the
time. Then it clicked haha. And if I didn't have Elder Nicholas (only
him, because Elder Grisham slept right through it!) and everybody else
that woke up and felt it, I would have thought I just dreamed it, it
was so weird of an experience. But now I can say I've been in a legit
California Earthquake!
Anyways, that's enough about the earthquake. This week has been great.
It's been different being in a trio, but it's been good. In some ways
it gives me a little bit less stress because I can focus more by a
little bit on the district and it just gives me the feeling that I've
got a bit of wiggle room that helps me not be stressed so much. We
weren't able to see as many people as we would have liked, but that's
ok, as you know by now, that just happens sometimes :).
Part of the reason we didn't teach as much was because something
happened with Francisco, we don't really know exactly what, and we
weren't able to have a lesson with him. We didn't even see him until
Friday, when we went by and he wasn't doing too hot. He hadn't really
been sleeping the past few days and wasn't eating much either. So we
didn't stay long because he wasn't really feeling well, but we did
give him a blessing. After the blessing he seemed to be a little
better, just a little more calm, and although he wasn't feeling well
enough for us to go by the next day he was able to come to Sacrament
Meeting with Elizabeth and the rest of his family! Obviously he wasn't
able to make his baptismal date of the 23rd of August, but he still
has strong desires to follow this Gospel and to be baptized, so I'm
not worried about it, I know he is in the Lord's hands.
I just wanted to end with a quick thought that goes along with the
earthquake. In Priesthood we talked about and discussed Elder
Anderson's talk from last conference about Spiritual Whirlwinds. I
thought a lot about how all of us, members or not, have these
"spiritual whirlwinds", temptations, trials, difficulties, etc., in
our life. Having the Gospel doesn't prevent them. What the Gospel does
do for us is help us to be prepared, and be strong through those
trials and afflictions. I thought about how with the recent
earthquake, I was so disconcerted and confused at first. I had no idea
what to do, and so I was a little freaked out for a time. I thought
about how if I'd been prepared a bit more, like if I'd know what an
earthquake felt like, and what to do, I might have been a little
worried, but I'd have at least not thought it was a tornado at first!
It's the same in our spiritual lives, if we are prepared, it doesn't
make things necessarily less difficult, or less scary and
heart-wrenching, but the Gospel lets us know what to do, and what's
going on, and gives us comfort in the hard times, so that we can grow
and progress in times of trial instead of digressing and giving in at
those times.
I love y'all and I am so grateful for the love and support I receive
as I take this time to serve The Lord with my all. Have a wonderful
week!
-Elder Whitaker