Monday. December 21. 2015-Week 71

Mi Amigo

Ward Christmas party

Elder Soto's last day with Kevin, Yolanda, and their family

Hey guys!!

Really not gonna write anything because we are going to talk on Thursday but I just wanted to talk about the details for our call. I was thinking that we would be talking some time in the morning like we did last Christmas like at 10am or 11am or something like that. I dont know if that would work for you guys and Im still not totally sure if it will work for me but as of right now that looks just about the best option for me. So let me know what you guys think. And on thursday when I get on Ill just shot you a quick email to say that Im on. I love you guys!! Feliz Navidad!!!

Much Love

Elder Wilson

 

Monday. December 14. 2015-Week 70

With the whole family!

Yolanda and Kevin.

Kevin, Yolanda and all the others that were baptized.

Elder Wilson & Elder Soto.

The Rasmussen's, Elder Soto and I with all the new converts and missionaries.

Elder Gandarillas!!!! ‏

Mi Familia!!!

Well guys this week was insane for me. Lots of things have changed but the biggest one is my companion. Elder Soto is going home now so I am with my new companion Elder Gandarillas!! He is from Bolivia (I love Bolivians!!! I was with a Bolivian, Elder Antonio, last Christmas too!!) and he really is one of my good friends here in the mission. I still don't know him a ton but he is just one of those great guys who loves the work and wants to be great friends in our companionship and heck ya I am just pumped to be getting to work with him. So ya like always just pray for us both so that we can have a ton of success working here in our area!!

Mom you made a great move sending me those workout videos!! I have been working out my entire mission and all has been going well but those workout videos are kicking my freaking butt!! I always made fun of workout videos and those dorky trainers that do all the moves with like 5 other people and weird stuff like that but after a few days of it my legs hurt so bad that I couldn't even sit down right hahahaha!! Who would have known that the only thing you need to stay in shape on the mission is a video trainer hahaha!! But you guys should see it haha I get up early so I can get a bunch of workout stuff done and all the other people that live here just get up and sit around watching and laughing at me while I am doing it hahahaha seriously everyone in the mission is now making fun of me for my sweet workout videos!!

I am like 99% sure that I never want to have a job that makes me have to sit on a computer for a long time. This week we had to do transfers here in the mission. It was my first time doing it and very sadly it won't be my last time doing it haha. We were on the computers for like almost 10 hours just setting up all the plans and making sure that everything was worked out and organized and ya in those moments I decided that I am just not a computer kind of guy haha well my patriarchal blessing did say that I would find a lot of answers on my mission and I think this was just another one that I found. But don't worry all of the transfers turned out great. 

This week was also a beautiful week for a very special reason. Kevin and Yolanda were baptised this Saturday along with like 25 other people!! We had a big Noche Blanca in our stake or White Christmas and all of the missionaries in our stake brought people to baptise and we did a big presentación for them and had special musical numbers and just a ton of awesome stuff. Kevin and Yolanda might have been the most prepared people that I have baptised in my whole mission. They seriously told me that you could take everything from them, every single thing in their lives and that they would never stop going to church and believing in this gospel. Kevin also told me that for all that has happened and for our examples that he is more than 100% sure that he will be serving a mission!! When they said that to me it seriously brought tears to my eyes. They are just so pure and perfect now and I know that they will be tested and tried but they will never lose their faith because they have seen so many miracles in their lives. Elder Soto baptised Yolanda and I got to baptise Kevin. Also if Kevin serves a mission right when he can he will be serving at exactly the same time as Tate would be. That would be pretty cool if they met each other in the CCM someday!! The other awesome thing that happened with their baptism is that Raul and Evaline, the other 2 kids of Yolanda, went to the baptism!! Raul has already been listening to us a little but this was the first time for Evaline and they loved it!! They told us that they want to start listening to more lessons and they promised us that they are going to start coming to church!! When the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ enters into a home or into a family everything changes. Hermana Yolanda told us that her son Raul was a drug addict and a gang member and that his life was just lost but the light of the gospel touched his heart and now he wants to feel even more of that!! I love the gospel and I love that family so much!!

Hey super glad to hear that you guys are getting so into the spirit of Christmas!! I am loving it here in Peru. We are listening to the music and putting up lights and all of that good stuff but more than anything just trying to remember to keep Christ in Christmas. I know you guys are doing a great job of it so just keep sharing the true meaning of Christmas with everyone around you!!

Ok well I've got to go. I love you guys so much and I'm always praying for you. Just never stop praying for me and all the people in my area because they need you guys so much!! Have a great week!!

Much Love 

Elder Wilson

Wednesday. December 9. 2015-Week 69

Elder Wilson and Elder Soto

 

My guys.

Ping pong action!

President Rasmussen telling us his story.

Tired Elder Soto.

 

Mi Familia

Well I guess you could still say that we are still homeless haha. I am seriously going to go crazy living here in this mission house!! There are like 45 billion people that come running through those doors every single day and all of them want to lay in my bed or eat my food or destroy something haha but I love them all so it's ok. But now I think I am a little less excited to live in dorm rooms after the mission haha!!

These last like 10 days have been as crazy as it gets for us. We'll start with the best news. Kevin and Yolanda are going to get baptised this Saturday!! They are so excited to do it and have passed their interviews and are all good to go. We are so happy and grateful for them but please pray lots for them as they continue preparing to take this next step in their lives. Also Gloria and Pia have a baptism date for next month and they want to be baptised in the river!!!! Still haven't had the chance to do that haha but please pray lots for them too because they are super prepared to do it. 

Also like you guys saw on Facebook Elder Goody came to the mission for a conference. He is one of the most inspired men that I have ever met in my entire life. He seriously knew exactly what we needed to hear and he taught us with power. Some of the key things that I liked.....1. He talked about our preordination and the importance of our calling to be here. He said that we have been born in the last days and that is because the Lord has such a high level of confidence in every single one of us. He explained all about our calling to bring in the lost tribes of Israel and then he burnt us a little and told us that we all need to be doing a better job of it haha it was seriously so great!! 2. The other thing that I really liked was when he told us the story of his conversion. He was a convert to the church when he was like 18 and his story is seriously so cool. He explained how much he loves his missionaries and how they changed his life. I don't know you just had to be there to feel his spirit during that part but he ended by saying that there are thousands of missionaries in the world but for our converts there are only 2. During his time here he just gave us tons of great ideas about how to be a more successful mission and how to baptise more and now we all feel more excited and ready to work. It's crazy how the Lord knows exactly what we need and when we need it. 

This week we also had a big Christmas party in the house of President Rasmussen. We played games and slayed some serious ping pong and lots of other great stuff but my favorite part was a devotional that President Rasmussen put on for us. We sang and watched some videos and read scriptures but then president told us a story that really just sort of put it all in perspective for us. He said:

One day I was sitting around reading a newspaper when out of no where my little daughter came up and said to me Daddy I am the only little girl in this whole neighborhood that doesn't have a bike, can we buy one for me? Without really thinking I said ok and then went on reading the paper. My daughter is a persistent one so the next thing I knew she was pulling the newspaper out of my face and saying How and When can I get my bike? Seeing her determination I gave her a plan of action. I said ok if you really want this bike you can start saving up all of your money from chores and work and other things so that you can do it. After that I went back to my paper. In a matter of minutes I heard a CLINK coming from her room and asked her what was going on she proudly came out and showed me that she had cut the top off of a jar and was already saving up a few coins. So after a good time of doing it she came and told me that she was ready to buy her bike. She took her jar and we went to the store to buy her bike. As soon as we entered she had already found the perfect bike. It looked like they had been put together in the pre earth life because they were so perfect for each other haha. So after looking at it and sitting on it and smiling from ear to ear for a long time her smile began to fade and tears began to swell in her eyes. I asked her what had happened and she explained to me Daddy now I will never be able to have my bike....it costs 100 dollars. I asked her how much she had saved up and she told me only 62 cents. I thought about all of the hard work that she had done and decided that maybe we could make a new plan. I looked at her and said give me all the money that you have and a hug and a kiss and I will help you to buy your bike. Her frown turned into a smile and she quickly gave me what I had asked for and then together we went and bought her bike. 

Well I don't know about you guys but that story is very special for me because it is very personal for us. We are the little girl and we all have a dream or a goal to recieve our eternal life with our Father in Heaven. We all have a plan to do it but what we will all eventually learn is that our efforts are not enough. That is why we have a Savior. That is why He lived, suffered and died so that He can take our best efforts, our faith and our love and pay for the rest so that we can acheive our goal and return to His presence. I love Him and I hope that we all can have His spirit in our hearts this holiday season.

Thats all for now. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!! Also I go my package so thanks for all of that stuff!! Talk soon!!

Much love

Elder Wilson

Monday. November 30. 2015-Week 68

Elder Soto and Elder Edwards, our new roommate.

My group.....Elder Mooring, Elder Clawson and Elder Valverde ‏

Thanksgiving!!!!!

Mi Familia!!

Well what a happy Thanksgiving it was here in Peru!! It was more than a miracle to go to president´s house and eat a huge plate of turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing and pumpkin pie whoooo pure awesomeness!! It almost felt like home until I went outside to eat and it was like 105 degrees out!! But it really was a cool thing because it was the first Thanksgiving for all of the latin missionaries here.

Sounds like you guys had a pretty good holiday too. A little different having Thanksgiving in Vegas but hey you gotta do what you gotta do. Super happy to hear about how good all of those games went for Tate and that he's back to 100%!! I was praying for the kid and it looks like all of the therapy and stuff payed off. Good job Tater.

Just a side note. This week we went to visit a family and when we entered into their house they were full on watching Survivor!! It was the first time I had seen that in a long time haha!! Obviously we didn't watch it with them but it just made me think about you always watching your Survivor at home haha!!

So this week was just full on crazy. Just as you were commenting on my awesome apartment we got kicked out by the member that was renting it to us!! So his daughter is coming home to live with them and they didn't have a place for her so they decided that the best choice would be to kick the 2 poor missionaries out to the street and say sorry haha. So for like 2 whole days we had to search for houses and move all of our junk out. We are still in the process of finding a new house so for right now we are living in the mission office with 2 other Elders. The office is also pretty nice but it is an interesting place to live because there are always like 500 missionaries passing through to do something and they always want to touch all of your stuff and wow it's just sort of driving me a little mad haha so we are just hoping to find a new house soon. Well at least I am because Elder Soto just has 2 weeks left and then he is going home so he doesn't really care where we live for his last days haha. 

Kevin and Yolanda are still progressing right along. They go to church and read by themselves and they also are doing family home evenings and sharing the gospel with even more of their friends!! They seriously never fail to amaze me with their faith and love of the Lord. We also had a pretty cool experience this week with a new investigator. We found his family knocking doors so we went in and started teaching. He came in when we were like half way done and started listening and asking us questions. He seemed really interested so when we were done we invited him to come to church with us. That is not an easy thing here in Peru because all of the people live day to day. So if you don't work one day you and your family won't have food to eat. So we promised him that if he went to church the Lord would provide for him and his family and a few other blessings and he told us that he would think about going and that we should call him. Well Sunday comes rolling around so we call him and he said I'm ready lets go to church! He went the whole 3 hours and participated a ton!! He told us that he loved it and wanted to learn more and that he knew the Lord was blessing his family. The Lord is preparing people for us here and I love it!! It takes faith and patience but if we have a desire to share the gospel with others he will gives us the means to do it. Just look for them because they are waiting!! 

Last thing for you guys. I don't know if you've heard about the Christmas thing the church is doing called A Savior is Born but it is awesome!! We are already having success in the mission using it so I just want to do a personal invitation to you all to take the initiative and show or teach someone about the true meaning of Christmas using these videos!! I know you guys will do an awesome job and just always be looking for opportunities to do it!! 

That's all for now. I love you guys and I'll be thinking about you a ton in this Christmas season. Hope you all have an amazing week!! Always praying for ya. 

Much Love 

Elder Wilson