This blog is kept by Elder Asher Wilson's family. It will include his general emails and various pictures. It will be updated each week after each new email is received. We hope you enjoy it!

Monday, June 27, 2016

Monday. June 27. 2015-Week 98





Before Luis Arevalo's  baptism.

Practicing.



Mi Familia

The soccer tournament ended today and lets just say we're not the champions haha. Well we went in fighting like crazy fools and pulled off another win and then a loss.......I was sad haha. But it was honestly a ton of fun and I scored some serious goals!! Tater watch out dude because I am going to take you to school on that soccer field!! 

So the first good news of the day. Luis Arevalo got baptized this Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!! After months of hard work and dedication we were finally able to help Luis to take the steps to gain his testimony and to make the most important decision of his life. Before his baptism he was super nervous like crazy nervous but when the reunion started there was just a calmness that came over him. When the time to baptism him came he just looked up at me and said Elder Wilson, I'm ready. Let me just tell you all something. There is nothing better that hearing that from someone. He didn't just say that he was ready to be baptized but he said that he was ready to read his scriptures every day, pray to God in every moment, keep the commandments that he has given us, go to church every Sunday, and to just serve the Lord in every thought, action and deed. Those 2 words, I'm Ready, are not easy to say because it means a life full of sacrifice but they are exactly what we need to say and feel to be able to receive the blessings of God in our lives. So he was baptized and he came up out of the water fist pumping and crying and just full of the spirit. He told us that he didn't think that he would get emotional but the feeling of being totally clean is something that surprised him so much. It was an amazing day and we are so proud of him. 

We had a crazy experience this week with an investigator accepting a day to be baptized but I want to share with you guys the quote that did it all for us. 

This is from a talk called The First Great Commandment by Elder Jeffery R. Holland. It is honestly one of my favorite talks ever. He is talking about what the apostles did after the death of Christ. We all know that they grew to become powerful teachers of the truth but many times we forget that right after Jesus died all of his apostles went back to doing exactly what they were doing before their time as apostles. They went fishing. One day the Lord went and visited them and talked directly to Peter. He asked Peter 1 question 3 times. Peter do you love me? He responded yes the 3 times but this quote by Elder Holland is his interpretation of what Christ said to Peter after his 3rd response.

To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”

Many times on our path to life eternal we forget. We have seen miracles, we have been guided by the spirit, we know of the truth and the power of the true and restored church but many times we just go back to doing exactly what we were doing before. Back to work and school and sports and friends. Back to what we were before we had our conversion. Let us not lose our faith or our purpose in this great search!! The Lord expects more of us. So I just want to invite all of you to do something. Take a step back, take a break from the world and just think, Am I right back on the same "beach" that I was on before? Or have I moved on to become the person that the Lord needs me to be? Let me just say that there is no reason to wait to become this person. Take the chance, make the sacrifice and serve the Lord with all of you mind, might, heart and strength. You will never regret it. 

Ok I'm not going to write too much today because next week I'll send out my testimony and my feelings about the mission. I love you guys so much and I thank you for the two years of help and support. I hope you have a great week. Keep me in your prayers!! Your always in mine!!

Much Love 

Elder Wilson
 

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