New Missionaries and their trainers plus Pres and Sis Callan

Thanks to Hermana Sargent for sending this picture home to her mom, who sent it to Whitney's mom.

Can you find Hermana Plummer?  On the left with a purple top, with her trainer Hermana Lozano.  

This picture must be at the mission home just after getting to there.

I see Johnny Holmgren too with a big happy smile!

Yea for technology!

Dec 30, 2010 She is in Paraguay!!!

hola, my goodness. the past few days have been crazy. well, last time i talked was in argentina, and a lot has happened since then. Well i guess so. Here is a little run down of th past few days. got to asuncion at around 5 pm on tuesdayprs and sis callan were there so meet us where we came through immigrations and i am sure you saw the picture of us when we arrived. i am sure I look just beautiful. awesome. we went to the mission office and had orientation stuff. well we had dinner and then pres callan interviewed all of us and they gave us a run down on all the rules and such. then the sisters stayed at the mission home and the elders stayed in some beds at the offic. I finally got to take a shower the next morning. Longest time without a shower in my life (so far). the next morning we went and signed some legal documents and then went back to finally meet our companions. Then the adventure began. as you probably saw from the picture my companion is a native spanish speaker. like i told you when I first got my call. i already knew I would. she is hermana lozano from el salvador. she is so sweet and I can tell she is a geat missionary and is so patient with me. it is hard to communicate. she talks really fast. she said that the people in paraguay talk slow compared to in el salvador. i said how is that possible? they talk so fast. anyways, we have been assigned to coronel oviedo. this is the only area they send sisters into the campo, or the country. all other sisters are in the asuncion except me and my companion. so we had a 3 1/2 hr bus ride in what they call the colectivos. and then we arrived at our place. apparently it is the nicest apartment in the mission. but i think I sweat more when I walk in than when we are outside. i was wiping sweat off my forehead during study this morning. anyways, here in oviedo, people mostly speak guarani. the members have to come to the lessons to translate. ya. I am freaking out. i tried so hard to keep it in last night, but when we got back, I totally had a breakdown after our oracion. hermana lozano is very kind and loving though and keeps telling me I can do it. i have to be patient. she feels the same way with guarani, but i don´t know either language. so i will be learning guarani and spanish at the same time. i was kind of feeling like it is impossible, but I am comforted a little when i pray and when i remind myself, that heavenly father sent me to this area for a reason. although I have no idea what anyone is saying. i can´t even really make out the words, i know the spirit will help me. i almost cry thinking about it, but i pray for the faith and the strength, and the ability to learn for the sake of these wonderful people of paraguay. the rama was having a navidad y nuevo año celebration last night so we went to a few of the member´s houses and did some contacting and then set up the capilla (church) for it and then the members started showing up. but we didn´t get to eat becaus by the time the food arrived, we had to get back to our apartment since we have to be back by 9pm. so the only meal i ate yesterday was breakfast at like 6. but i wasnt even hungry. the members are so kind. they try and talk to me, but they talk way to fast for me to understand hardly anything. I know it will come though. but I now understand what people mean that the mission is so hard. but i know it will all be worth it. tonight we are going to teach a family. the father is a member but his wife and children are not. i am way excited to meet them. I pray that we can teach with the spirit. we are going to talk about the birth of christ. although i probably wont say much, I am so excited to finally get to teach and be in a real lesson outside of the mtc. this is the real thing now, and when you cant undrstand what is going on, it makes it harder to remember everything you have learned.
anyways, there is is. my new reality. there is going to be a bit of a culture shock. yes, the people are very poor. when you go into their house, there isn´t much there at all really. everything is concrete and the furniture is sparce, but they are so happy. it just goes to show that money or earthly possissions don´t buy happiness; it comes from the gospel and families. i can´t wait to be able to share this gospel with these people, but I have to be patient. so don´t worry, anything is possible with the help of the holy ghost through obedience and faith. the trick is keeping away the doubts, because faith and fear cannot exist together. well, i think that is all for now. we have p day again on monday, so I will write then, and it will be my usual p day. i love and miss you so much! and hope all is well there. oh and i will sent some pictures next week of oviedo.
love,
whitney

Layover in Buenos Aires

Dec 28,  2010

Buenos Aires airport - she sees a Spanish guy with a tennis bag. Of course she talks to him!!! Turns out he is a tennis coach from Mallorca, Spain, her favorite Nadal's hometown. Her first "Real" Spanish conversation and is about tennis and being a missionary - two of her favorite things. Hermana Plummer you rock!!!!!  She arrived in Paraguay about 1 1/2 hrs ago.  I'm sure she is in the loving care of Pres and Sis Callan.  Be the best you can be and jump in feet first.  Let the work begin.  Love you!!!!!

We got to talk to Whitney on Monday Dec 27, from the SLC airport for about an hour and 15 min.  We were able to really catch up on her life as a missionary.  I loved hearing her voice.  We also got a quick call from her layover in Dallas.  The time in Dallas she spent calling her siblings and talking to her nieces and nephew.  We even got a call from Buenos Aires before her flight left for Asuncion.  Whitney was so upbeat and happy.  I couldn't help but be happy for her.  Goodbye my darling Whitney.   See you on Skype on Mother's Day!!!!  Praying for you always.  Love you....

Dec 21, 2010
Mom and Dad
I can't even tell you how awesome it is to be here in the MTC during this Christmas season.  I loved that "10 Reasons why Christmas is different this year."  So true.  I have never felt more love for my Savior and from my Savior as I do now.  This time to really study the scriptures and learn of Christ is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.  I don't have my selfish cares of the world distracting me.  Before coming I was all worried about everything being different when I get back and everyone forgetting about me.  But when I got here and dove in, I don't even remember.  It doesn't matter.  What I am doing right now is all that matters.  I know Heavenly Father has blessed me in this way.  I don't remember what my life was like before.  I feel like Heavenly Father put a block on my previous life.  So I don't get distracted.  What a blessing.  I have learned so much .  I just want you both to know how thankful I am to have your support and for your testimonies starting mine off.  I am so incredibly blessed to have you both and I love you so much.  I know this church holds the keys to the Priesthood just as Christ gave his apostles.  I know Joseph Smith restored the full, true gospel of Jesus Christ on this earth again.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Book of Mormon are the words of real men who gave their lives to write it for us.  There is no way it is not true.  No way.  I know Jesus Christ came to this world to save us all from death, to give the world a chance.  The thought of how much Heavenly Father loves us, that he let His only begotten son suffer and die for us brings tears to my eyes.  Serving this mission is my feeble attempt  to do my part in bringing the children of God back to Him.  I love you.
Love,
Hermana Plummer

Dec 21, 2010

12-21-10

so I just sent my email from last week since it didn't go. i was so mad. I guess you get 2 emails then this week. this past week has been great! i can't believe I am leaving in 6 days. I have loved it here, but honestly, I cannot wait to get out. I need a change of pace. mom, thank you so much for everything you have sent. my companions are so grateful and send their love. everything was so perfect. I opened the package last night before reading the dear elder, so I was like, this is way great, but how come I didn'g get a travel kit. haha. thank so much. you went to overboard. I can just see dad shaking his head. we love you so much though. I will have to send a few things back withmy coat and stuff. sad news though. so ummm, I left my black skirt for the sister missionary mall hanging in the laundry room. I had hung it up to dry. I left it there and I realized it that night. So we went back first thing right after personal study the next morning. no where to be found. not in any of the lost and founds. not anywhere. We have been going everywhere we can think of multiple times, but it is no where. i serioiusly think that someone put it in the lost and found bin in the laundry room and someone else thought that bin was to take from. i suppose there is someone around here wearing my skirt with my initials on the tag. but they probably need it more than i do. but  acutally, i really need it. i feel so bad asking for this request since you just sent me so much, but my other black skirt is so incredibly long. I call it my nun skirt. and no they dont do hemming. they only fix stuff. they won't hem here. we are going to look one more time today, but if I dont' find it, can you please call the missionary mall and have them send a size medium in the skirt I had in grey, black, and brown with the pleat in the front? I am so sorry, but I really need that skirt. I wear it almost every day.

also, i tried to write down answers to your questions mom

I have played the piano a few times. i still dont like playing in public, but i guess I am getting used to it

tights are great that you send me. nice and warm

yes I love having grandma's watch. I do think about her sometimes. I love having something I wear everyday remind me of her.

the cake was SOOO good. thanks so much. we loved it

yes I remember ms scarlett's. i can't believe you still had that receipts. how long do you keep those things? I still remember, and that has always been a favorite dress of mine

and I am so glad you got to go the the tabernacle choir concert. so fun. we watched it here on sunday during the spoken word. or at least something similar.

I got my travel plans last thursday!!!

here is the plan:

12-27-10 monday American Airlines SLC to DF leave @ 12:35 pm, arrive in Dallas @ 4:10 p

hang out in dallas for a while

DF to EZE leave @ 7:35 pm, arrive in buenos aires @ 9:00 am

hang out for a while

EZE to AS (Asuncion) leave @ 2:35 pm, arrive in asuncion @ 4:25 pm!!!!!

oh and do you think you can check and see if the phone card can call from international? because the cards they sell in the book store here you can call from the states to international, but they don't work to call from outside the states into the states. I will take a closer look at mine. thanks for the card too though. it will be great. and thanks for the sd card. mine was only 1GB and I think I will take more pictures than that. so muchas gracias.

I report to the travel office here at 8am on monday. i dont' know exaclty what time we will be getting to the gate and stuff, but i imagine I will have time to call. just be home that morning. if for some reason I dont call in slc, I wil for sure call in dallas. so plan ahead. and please send me phone numbers of the family so I can call them too. well I got to go. sorry if I left anything out, just ask me when I call you!!!! I can't wait. love you so much. I am so blessed.

love,

hermana plummer

Dec 14, 2010 that was 1 week late

Dec 14, 2010

hola familia, i am so glad you got my pictures of my christmas tree and of the mtc. just a little piece of my everyday life here in the mtc. i can't wait to get to paraguay and send you pictures from there! yesterday we officially had 2 weeks left. i can't believe how fast the time has gone by. i feel like i have been here forever, but at the same time it has gone by way fast. weird. Thanks mom for the packages. Ahh We loved them so much. Please tell the ward thank you for the sweet messages of encouragement. That made my day, and i loved it so much. i didn't get the package slip in time to get the package yesterday, but it is here, so I will go get it after I send my email. thank you so much for sending it. i can't tell you how much I appreciate and love everything you send. aspecially since once I get to paraguay, the amount of letters will significantly decline since it takes so long. thanks for the lil excerpts from the blogs too. i had our elders read them too. There is also a teacher here at the MTC that works in the TRC right now that is from paraguay. two of our elders made an appointment with him since they heard he is from paraguay, to talk and stuff. they said they couldn't understand a word. haha. apparently they have some weird accent in paraguay and a lot of the people mix in guarani. this will be fun. but then I will come home with a sweet accent, so it is all good. You never told me brittney's friend is going to california. so awesome. no reason to be worried. she will be an awesome missionary. i can tell. and tell Brittney to have fun in london. that is so fun! i knew a girl from my freshman ward that went and loved it!

This week has been good. We prepared to teach the plan of salvation including the word of wisdom to a man who was recently divorced, had recently lost his brother, and was turning to alcohol. i learned a lot about the doctrine behind the word of wisdom this week (read "Things as they really are" by elder bednar). Makes you really understand how important our bodies are, and how important it is to keep them in a condition condusive to feeling the Spirit. it strengthened my testimony of why God has given us the word of wisdom. he wasn't finding comfort in alcohol, but when he read the book of mormon. Real peace. what a blessing to have these bodies to learn and grow in ways that we never could have without them. ahh. just read it. i love it. On sundays we like to go print out talks form the general authorities and such. another talk mom that you have to read is "come what may and love it" and "hope and anchor of the sould" just type them into lds.org. don't remember who they are by right now. changed my life. Those men are truly inspired for our day.

no I didn't get any other christmas decor from my companions' family. just my beautiful  christmas tree. they both hear from their boyfriend's a good bit, but their families not quite as much. both of their parents are divorced. Hermanan Lavaka's dad isn't a part of her life sadly. my heart goes out to the both of them. Many times growing up hermana gonzales went to church by herself. her mom is not active and her dad just joined the church a year ago! hermana lavaka's mom and brother are good members, but her dad left when she was young. sometimes when i have ever thought my life was hard, i think how strong others have been in the face of much more adversity than me. they are so strong and amazing in standing up for what they know is right, and I respect them so much. I am so grateful for you both, mom and dad, for sticking together and always being an example for me. i think I have taken advantage of having you both as such constants. I love you so much.

well i got to go, but i love you all so much. i can't believe how blessed I am to be able to do this and to devote everything to telling people the happiest message they could ever hear. this message of hope. i won't ever get this chance ever again, and I can't believe I am here. next time you hear from me will be my last email in the MTC before I head out to paraguay since I leave on a monday. But i will get to talk to you soon.

love,

hermana plummer

Merry Christmas Hermana Plummer

Merry Christmas Whitney.  We love and miss you more than you'll ever know.  We hope you enjoy your Christmas tree as much as we loved making it for you. You were our Thanksgiving craft.  Hudson, Harper, Leilani and Raelyn all put decorations on the tree all by themselves.  We wanted you to have a little bit of home for Christmas.  We know you are doing the Lord's work and are all very proud of you.  Every time I see Raelyn (in the picture) she says Whitney on mission about Jesus.  I miss her.  Who else misses Auntie Whitney?  My Grammy and Lani.  Who else?  Boppa, Mommy, Daddy, Hudson and Harper.  Raelyn and I were listening to the Motab Christmas CD while making a gingerbread house.  Raelyn says that is Whitney's music.  She recognized the choir from Whitney's blog that she always wants to see and hear.  Whitney, thanks for being an example to your nieces and nephews and to all of your family and friends.
We can't wait to talk to you Dec 27 from the airport.  Then on to the wonderful people of Paraguay who are waiting for you.
Love you,
Mom, Dad, Brian, Amy, Raelyn, Chris, Keri, Nicole, Justin, Hudson, Harper, David, Lindsay, Leilani, Miles and Mike

Dec 12, 2010

No Email today due to computer error. But we get  2 emails next week.  Therefore I posted some pictures of the day we took her to the MTC, Oct 27, 2010.  Good bye our darling Whitney.  Our promise to each other "We can do this!"  We are doing this.

                                                                           Goodbye..

Dad and his little girl.                                        

Families can be together forever!

I miss her already!!!!

Our last goodbyes.  Until we meet again April 2012

Whitney, your luggage is bigger than you and weighs more than you too.

hola, I get to write once again. I swear it seems though that it was just yesterday that i wrote you, but when I think about it, a lot has happened since last tuesday. I am still just diong the same thing. haha. learnin spanish and learnin the gospel. Although i am way excited that as of tday we have 20 days left here, I have loved it here in the MTC. The things that I have learned are invalueable, and I will never forget these memories here in the MTC. It will be so nice to get out of the cold soon! it is not fun walking around in the cold in a skirt, but at least it is only for a while. i tell the elders they are lucky they get to wear pants and they tell me I am lucky that i don't have to wear the same thing everyday. but i feel like I do. don't have too many winter clothes considering I packed for paraguay, not utah.
Thank you so much for my CHRISTMAS TREE. i almost cried. it is the sweetest, cutest christmas tree in the whole world! i love it so much, and felt so at home hanging it up in my window (I will send a picture of it all hung up). Thanks for remembering me and sending me a piece of home. You have no idea how much it meant to me.
As always I love getting the letters and hearing about life back at home. thanks mom and dad! it helps so much to be able to have a letter to read when I get back to my room at night after a long day. it lifts my spirits a lot of the time, and I always look forward to hearing about everything. sounds like things have kept busy enough. hope the christmas party was fun with Raelyn and Leilani!
Dad, that is way cool Justin's relative was part of the Mormon Battalion. When I went to SanDiego to visit my friend kate, we went to some exibit thing in old town put on the by the church. I learned a bunch about it that i never knew. They were pretty incredible what they had to go through. I am excited for you to be able to give a lesson on gifts of the spirit. what a blessing they are. I can testify that the gift of tongues it real. i see it everyday when other missionaries and i are able to speak spanish as we teach. somehow, after only 6 weeks, we are able to speak just enough so as to provide the right environment for our investigators to feel the spirit. Whether they are members of the church or not here in the trc where we practice (sometimes they are not members), the spirit is what does the real teaching.
Thank you also mom for sending that talk and the part from that elder's blog. it was cool to read the blog. all of us read it. my companions love you by the way. they think you are the cutest mom ever with all you packages and letters. They say thank you for kindly including them in your christmas package. that was so sweet. we have the stockings on our window sill. i have the best family. also, hermana lavaka is in need of socks. kind of like the ones i got at target that are a regular sock material but the ones that don't show. if you could please send some, that would be great. she wears a size 10. 7 pairs would be great. if you don't remember what they are, just write and ask for more details. she says she will give me some money, she jsut needs them and doesn't have a way to get them. thanks mom! just when you have time.
this week was really rough, it was eithere wed and thurs or thurs and fri. But I was for some reason having a really hard time and everything was just going wrong. my companioship wasnt getting along. i felt defeated with spanish, and i just was not happy. kind of had a breakdown. but when I read your letter that you heard me calling your name, it brought tears to my eyes. heavenly father knows me, and answers my prayers. I needed help, and needed encouragement, and I was praying my heart out for heavenly father to lift me up. i love you. and I am so blessed with parents who are a righteous example.
love
hermana plummer


  

Nov 30, 2010

hola, thanksgiving in the mtc was so amazing! thanks mom for my thanksgiving dinner. my companions and I loved it. muchas gracias. Although the letters with all the fun stuff you were doing made me a little home sick missing out. i still loved hearing about it. i could picture it all in my head, and i felt comforted even though I wasn't there. here we had a morning devotinal in which elder holland and his wife spoke. It was much more informal than he would usually do. his whole family was there and his grandchildren sang a primary song for us all. he said he wanted his family to be our family that day. He is so amazing, and I could listen to him all day long. we maybe not all day, but it was one of those meetings in which you walk out a different person. i have never felt more thankful in my life. it is the greatest blessing I could receive to be able to be here on a mission carrying some of the load of sharing this gospel with the world. i am realizing more and more each day that although by serving this mission I am trying to repay my heavenly father for was he has given me, but I will never be able to even come close to giving as much as he gave to me. I have lived my whole life knowing there is a God that loves and knows me by name. I have lived my whole life knowing my family will last for eternity, i have lived my whole life with food on the table and a roof over my head. none of these blessings and so much more have ever been challenged, and i feel so underserving, but He has blessed me anyways. I am eternally indebted to my Father in Heaven and to my Savior for giving me eternal life and eternal happiness. And i am so thankful for my savior's sacrifice and suffering for me, so that he may succor me when I am in need. (Alma 7: 11-14). I could not serve this mission without the help of my Savior. I would be a wreck. But he is here right beside me everystep of the way, and I know it. thank you mom and dad for raising me with love, for teaching me what it right and giving me the tools to find my way through life. I love you so much and wish I could tell you this in person right now, but this will have to do for a while. On that note. i won't get to call on christmas if you didnt already know. but I will be inthe airport like 2 days later in which I can call then.
I cant' believe how much snow y'all got up there. they closed down byu and told a lot of the workers at the mtc not to come because of this crazy big storm that was supposed to hit, and then nothing happened. it did finally snow and stick, but nothing too bad. i thought that was funny. all this panic for nothing. They have all the walkways throught he mtc covered, so we don't have to walk through snow or anything. but we aren't allowed to touch it. i thought it was funny that pres smith said that over the pulpit. but i guess I am here with 2000 19 yr old guys. not always the most mature. but they definitely step it up as missionaries. it is quite incredible.
Thank you for your prayers with spanish. yesterday wasn't as bad as i though it would be. i can't believe i can talk in spanish for basically an hour straight after only 4 1/2 weeks. i have to remind myself how much I have learned when I get impatient. It went great. Spanish is hard, but everyday when I see tags you can't even read, I thank God for Spanish.
I have to go, but i love you all so much. I miss you, but I learn a new reason every day why i am here. i am so blessed with a wonderful family.
Love, always
Hermana Plummer

Nov 23, 2010

hola again. i seriously can't believe that i am emailing again already. a whole month has gone by as of tomorrow and I am almost half way there! well, at least through the MTC. i am so jealous of the missionaries who are here for only 3 weeks and get to go the the peru mtc. it would break things up a bit. honestly though, the MTC isn't that bad. the thought of how much i have to learn overpowers the drag of sitting in a classroom all day. oh and let me know if i am saying the same things in all my emails. you know me. I follow after mom. i can't remember what I have said, and nothing different really ever happens. just the same thing every day. This week is Thanksgiving though! i can't believe it. we don't have classes and such on thursday since they dont' want to make people work, so we have service projects and stuff all day. it should be great. Our service job each week is one of my favorite times, but mostly because I can be in my jeans. Thanks mom so much for the package of clothes and stuff. It was so perfect and just what I needed. I will probably just send my coat back to you when I leave. I don't want it to get ruined in Paraguay. So many sisters here have all these nice clothes and stuff, but personally, I don't want to ruin all my clothes. It is a bit different in Paraguay. But then I see sisters who are going to Thailand. I would freak out. When Spanish gets hard, I am just grateful I can read my tag. Spanish is coming very slowly. I have to be patient and remember that I am not going to know spanish tomorrow. i get discouraged realizing how much I have to learn. I have been here 4 weeks and still feel like i don't know anything. but I actually have learned so much. At first I thought it would be impossible to get the name of our church down. such a tongue twister. and so long in spanish. la iglesia de jesucristo de los santos de lost ultimas dias. try saying that fast. k well it was hard for me. but now i am already preparing to teach in spanish for the first time in a week. Pray for me please! haha. i know heavenly father is helping me so much. He really blesses his missionaries. i am getting really good at praying in spanish since I pray like a billion times a day. Let's see. what happened this week? i played the prelude music for church on sunday. with much persuasion i agreed to prepare to play next week for the meeting. I hate playing in public. you remember how bad my recitals were. my foot would shake so much that I couldn't even press the petal. Sacrament meeting is interesting. everything is in spanish of course. it is just my zone in our branch. used to be 6 of us girls, but one hermana just left yesterday for ogden. not there is 5 and the other hermanas leave next wednesday. the would have left yesterday too, but they have visitors center training a week extra. they are going to the mesa arizona temple visitors center. anyways, we all have to prepare a talk every sunday (in spanish) because the branch president calls on anyone he wants on the spot. So you find out you are giving your talk when you give it. It is kind of scary. I haven't given one yet. but it is really good because we will all have talks already written when we go out into the mission field. sundays are the best here. at 7pm we have a fireside which is always great, and then they show movies. like last week we watched the testaments. I cried. and this week we watched the joseph smith movie. it is easy to get distracted from out purpose as missionaries, but the mtc is good training ground to get my mind trained since they constantly have ways to keep reminding me. I have to always remember this 18 months (now 17) is not my time. This is the Lord's time, and i do not intend on wasting this opportunity. such a blessing to have the opportunity to dedicate everything. no other time in my life will i be able to in such a way as this. but I have already decided that when I go on a mission with my husband, it will be in the middle east because by then it will be open. just you wait. well, my time is almost up. remember I love you so much. thank you so much for the love and support. i know this is the one and only true gospel and that this is the Lord's work. i can't believe I get to be doing this. i love it. love and miss you so much.
love,
hermana Plummer

Nov 16, 2010

hola family, p day again finally. although I like sundays much better than p days here because they aren't stressful. Pdays everyone is furiously writing and it flies by way too fast. Plus, i am practically in my missionary clothes all day anyways. oh well. I love being able to write and have some sort of connection with home. This week has been hectic. Like every week I guess. The days are long, but I swear i just wrote an email yesterday. i have loved hearing about everything going on from mom, and my pictures from raelyn, hudson, and harper. it makes my day when I get a letter. the packages are great mom. I love you so much. My companions think you are so cute with your scripture notes and poems. I just smile and am reminded how much I love you. i am so glad you had a fun anniversary going to your favorite restaurant. oh how I long for food of the outside world. The food here is...okay. not bad not way good. they do well considering how many they have to fee constantly all day. there are about 2100 or so missionaries here but they have had up to 2800 at one time before. i can't even imagine! it would be so crowded!! it is good though. Oh and mom, remember it is Lavaka, not kavaka. we tease her sometimes because la vaka is cow in spanish. haha. oh and before I forget, will you send me addresses?!! i would really like katy giles' also. i was so spaced apparently before I came. I didn't come with practically any addresses.
Well, last tuesday elder Bednar came to speak at our devotional. 4 apostles in a row. fun stuff. his words of wisdom seriously changed my mission and how I think, teach, plan, study, everything. i wish I could go into more detail, but he is so incredible and will always have a place in my heart. i have to learn that as a missionary, I am not the one doing the teaching, the doctrine, the principles, the scriptures, and more importantly the holy ghost are doing the teaching. i am just a mouthpiece. i am humbled more even when I think i have been sufficiently humbled. obviously i haven't learned my lesson. i love it here though. Knowing how much I have to learn gets me over the fact that i am in class all day every day. i know I need this. Boy I wish I hadn't slept in seminary. i knew in the back of my mind back then that i should have been paying attention, but I was just so tired. Now I am way more tired, but somehow stay awake. I guess I am too stressed to think of falling asleep. thank goodness hermana lavaka keeps me sane and making sure i don't stress out too much.
I guess though that I am getting the hang of things. sleep, study, eat, study, eat, study, eat, study, sleep. Somewhere in there is soem gym time. i have never wanted to work out more in my life. yes, mom, the early morning runs have ceased. Not falling asleep very easily with all the snoring going on in the room and then waking up way early, was not working well. but I still run during gym time during they day. it has been an answer to my prayers to be able to run. i run about 2 miles or so every day and my knee hasn't hurt at all. Also, abotu half of the sisters in my room have been sick. two of them slept for three days straight, and I have been so blessed to stay well. heavenly Father knows that i would freak out if I got behind because I was sick.
I guess I am just continuing to do the same thing every day. haha. there is so much to learn before I head out to paraguay. I love and miss every one so much, and hope everyone is doing well!!
Love,
whitney
  

Nov 9, 2010

hola, before i forget, will you send these emails out to the family? i don't have time to write everyone's name in. i think it would be best for you to send me dear elders or written letters bc i don't have enough time to write if I have to read emails. i love hearing about everything though. I hope this yellow fever card works for travel. if that is what it says though. I will go into the immunization office and talk to them about it to make sure. thanks for the package. my companions ate all the candy. I love getting the dear elders so much. I will misss gettting them so often once i leave. i can't believe it has already by almost 2 weeks. the days are long, but the weeks go by way fast. Oh and before i forget, say hi to marilyn and gary for me. I am so happy you go to see them for a bit. Tell emily she is in trouble for not writing me and telling me she got her call. but also that i am way excited for her. Brando was in a different mission, but that is so cool. We will be neigbors. I did see Elder smith today actually for the first time. he seems to  be doing well. We got to go to the temple again. every week. We did sealings today. It was way cool. It really strengthened my testimony of the plan of salvation, which it good, because we will be practicing teaching that lesson this week. After the 4th week we teach in spanish. yikes. i will send you a letter with some of what i have learned. Dad said he wanted me to send some spanish phrases. anyways, this week was good. i am getting more used to the schedule and am sleeping better. but half the time i hear snoring in the room before i finish my prayers. it takes me a while in spanish. surprisingly, since i can't say much. I am trying to think of what to say. i guess there is a lot, it just isn't coming to me at the moment. sheri Dew spoke at our sunday fireside. she is amazing. I loved it so much. I swear, if they didn't have firesides and devotionals to give us encouragement, the MTC would be so much harder. they really help out so much. last tuesday elder ballard came. it was the 3rd apostle in a row. we are special here at the mtc. i feel my testimony growing stronger every day. When we have to go out around the mtc practicing contacting in spanish, somehow I am able to say enough to get my point across. don't know much spanish yet, but i will get there. the gift of tongues is truly a blessing for missionaries. when people say that the mormons somehow have soem amazing teaching method as the reason missionaries can learn languages so fast, it isn't true. the teachers only teach a little bit, and we have to study on our own. it is very self directed learning. the secret is the gift of tongues. and I can testify of that truth. i have two teachers though, who teach some spanish but spend most of the time teaching us how to teach. they focus on having us teach people and not lessons. focusing on the investigator's needs. preach my gospel is an inspired book, and teaches perfectly how to connect with people. my teachers are different, but each push me in a different way to be better and inspire me. i am amazed at their wisdom as college students. and i am reinspired every day to do better, be more obedient, sacrifice more, and pray every more fervently to my heavenly father for strength and direction. no one would be able to handle what missionaries do without the help of the Lord. I want you all to know how much i love you and miss you. It is hard being away, but i am constantly reminded why I am here and feel this is where i am supposed to be. You are all always in my prayers.
much love,
whitney

First Email from MTC

hola! I finally get to email you! my p days are on tuesdays, so expect emails on tuesdays. i can also only write letters today too. anyways, thanks for the dear elders. it just makes my day to get a letter, and i love it so much. just hearing about everything that is going on back home makes me feel connected somehow. thanks also for sending me taylor's note and uncle john's email. they were so sweet. i would love for you to send me taylor's adddress. could you get that? also, my debit card doesn't expire until july 2012 or something, so I am good with that. also, thanks so much for sending the deferment email and getting that done. one thing. in order to get into paraguay, i need some official card with special stamps or something proving i have yellow fever immunization. they did not give that to me and what we have will not work. please look into that and call them. the people here were really surprised that I wasn't given one. lame. when I went to the immunization place, a sis knapp had taken my name out so she would remember to talk to me. she was at stake conference and wanted tell me that she enjoyed my talk and that if i ever needed anything to come see her and she would hook me up. so unexpected. very sweet though. I just love having someone know me when i feel like i don't know anyone. i did see elder larsen and hermana russel who were in my mission prep class a few times. it was nice seeing a familiar face. and and you will never guess who i saw here and keep seeing. elder david noren. he is going to the ukraine. i was walking in the hall and saw him! i was like, no way! small world. also, i arrived here to have a letter from mrs wallace. so sweet. she had some great advice and meant alot. expecially it being such a long day that day. to have a letter was so great. anyways, the past few days have been the most humbling 6 days of my life. so much to do and think about I hardly have time to miss home. yes, I did have some tears the first night. sitll can't sleep very well yet, but I am jsut trying to do my very best and dive into the work. that is what i am here for after all. it will take some getting used to. we wake up at 5:45 every mornign and go running so that during gym time we can get some things done. and the rest of the day is spent studying and in classes. we have two awesome teachers that switch off. I already can only pray in spanish. it makes it kind of hard to say what I want to say, but I know that heavenly father knows what is in my heart even though I can't express it in spanish. yet. I have two companions, a trio. hermana kavaka and hermana gonzales. they are so great. we clicked right away. hermana kavaka is tongan but from reno nevada. she is so fun. hermana gonzales is half mexican and from so cal, but her dad never taught her spanish. so we all are kind of in the same boat. and they both have boyfriends back home who plan to wait for them. also, that elder holmgren is in my district. so i see him everyday. there are us 3 hermanas and 2 elder companionships in my district. we are slowly getting to know the guys, but i have been so blessed to have the companions that I do. we get along so well and they both have such a pure desire to share the gospel. it is a bit tricky teaching with a trio, but we will figure it out with practice. everyone in my district is going to the same mission at the same time except for one elder who is going to oklahoma spanish speaking. he kind wishes he was going with us to paraguay. I have already learned so much. I wish I had time to say it. i only have 30 minutes to email, and it is so much pressure to get everything out. haha.
well, ya this is going to be a tough experience, but i am learnign to rely on the Lord and let him mold me into the best missionary i can be. I have never felt so reliant on Him, and have been so humbled. during relief society, the woman who spoke said that "I choose to let adversity bring me closer to God." Even though I feel overwhelmed abotu my capacity, I know I can do it and that the difficulty will only bring me closer to God. He isn't going to take away our trials, but he will strengthen us to overcome them . I jsut try to keep in mind my purpose and why i am here. it is easy to lose track and get discouraged with everything going on.
We got to go to the temple today, and that was so great. just what I needed to get a boost for the coming week. I will need it. remember you are always in my prayers. I love and miss you so much. time is going to fly by. also, please keep hermana lavaka in your prayers. she is really struggling with spanish and could use some prayers. sorry everything was so sporadic, I tried to fit everything in. can't wait to hear more about the outside world!!
Love,
Whitney

Hermana Whitney Plummer

On Aug 11, 2010, in a BYU apartment full of friends and family, Whitney read the words "you have been called to labor in the Paraguay - Asuncion Mission."  The surprise, hooting, hollering, shaking, fears, tears of joy and excitement filled the room.  Then the peace and calm filled the room.  Whitney Elizabeth Plummer has chosen to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 18 months.  During Whitney's mission she will be known as Hermana Plummer.  Hermana Plummer will report to the Mission Training Center in Provo, UT on Oct. 27, 2010.  While in the MTC she will learn how to be a missionary and learn Spanish.  She will depart for Asuncion Paraguay on Dec 27, 2010.  Our family will be updating her website with emails and pictures.  May the Lord bless you and keep you our darling, precious Whitney.