Letter #21 from Australia

December 13, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

          The Christmas season is upon us and it is such a wonderful time of the year! Elder Solomon and I had a pretty eventful week! I started to get sick last Monday with some kind of flu that has been going around. I didn't feel better on Tuesday or on Wednesday, but we kept working and visiting people. On Thursday though, I woke up and was feeling a lot worse so we decided to stay in the flat that day. It was really boring and frustrating because we weren't able to do much other than sit in the flat all day and study or sleep! I am feeling a lot better though now and am on some medication so we will see how that works.

          We have gotten a lot of work done though this week, well on the days that we weren't traveling to meetings and stuck in the flat. We were able to finally meet up with Max and Laurence and re-set their baptismal dates. Laurence is now set for the 9th of January and Max was set for the 19th of this month, but he didn't come to church yesterday, so we will have to re-set his date again. We finally were able to find out why Laurence kept pushing his date back further and further. It is because he teaches at the Cathedral in town every Sunday morning. He told us that once he gets baptized he becomes a member of our church and he will have to leave his congregation and stop teaching them. He told us that he doesn't want to just leave them without a teacher but that he will be getting a replacement at the end of this year. We have set his date for the 9th because transfers are on the 12th and I will most likely be leaving, so he would like me to baptize him before I leave. 

          We have had amazing miracles happen this week and on Sunday Seth, the young man that we are teaching, came to church after sacrament meeting because he promised us he would come. We were finally able to teach him a lesson and taught him about the Plan of Salvation. When we were done teaching, he told us that if baptism would allow him to have the chance to live with Heavenly Father again, he would like to be baptized!!! It was such a surprise especially because we have asked him a couple times if he would like to be baptized, and every time he has said that he doesn't see himself getting baptized anytime soon. It was such a great miracle and a great way to start a new week!!! 

         I would just like to end this weeks update with a message to Shaelyn and Colten, my sister and future brother-in-law, who will be getting married this week on Friday!! I am so happy for them and their decision to not only get married, but to do it in the right place, the temple. I love you both so much and I am grateful for your example and the love and support that you show me! Enjoy your day and know that I will be celebrating with you, half way around the world!!! 

          Have a great week all of you and enjoy this time of the year that we have to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Love, 

Elder Wheeler

Shaelyn and Colten were married on Dec. 18, 2015

Elder Wheeler and his companion.  (In paper form in order to
attend the wedding.  The Elder in the blue tie was made from a
picture Bryce took at the zoo when he put his name tag and tie
on a kangaroo. Amazing that it sat for the clipping of the tie
onto its fur and placing the tie around its neck.)