Monday. July 4. 2016-Week 99

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!!! God Bless America!!!!!!!!

So I just wanted to start off by answering your questions. This is the last time I am going to write you guys because this is my last week here in Paita. I am going to be here until Sunday and Monday I head to the mission house for the finishing up the mission stuff and to go and visit my old areas. 

So honestly I have been thinking a lot in these last few days. About the mission and life and everything that has happened in these last 2 years. I have been thinking about my family and friends and also all of the amazing people that I have been able to teach here in Peru. I have been thinking about how hard I have worked and all the miracles that I have seen. I have been thinking about how much everything has changed and it all just amazes me. I don't know where the time has gone but I am finishing my 2 years as an official representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I still remember when I got my calling and all the fear and excitement that I felt. Now I am feeling a different kind of fear and excitement. Just to be honest with you guys, I am super nervous to be going home. Like I am crazy nervous because everything is going to be so different and I am so used to mission life but I know that everything is going to turn out just how it should because that is what the Lord has promised. Ahhhh its honestly just going to be so weird to see everyone..........but before going home and seeing you I just want every one of you to know something. Today I was talking with some of the other missionaries that are getting ready to finish their missions here in a few months. They were talking and asking about all my experiences and advice that I had for them but in the end they asked me a question that really made me think. They asked, Elder Wilson, what is the most important thing that you have learned while here on your mission? I honestly didn't know what to say exactly because that is a huge question but after thinking for a while I was able to respond and I only want to share with all of you what I shared with them in those moments. There is a scripture that has changed my mission. It is in John 13:34-35 and it says, 

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. While I was sitting there on the beach with those Elders this scripture came to my mind. I told them that the Lord, Jesus Christ, has called me to be a disciple and as a disciple of Him there are many things that I must do. I must preach the gospel to everyone possible, I must serve, I must keep the commandments and I must repent constantly but there is a key to all of that. What is preach and teach and serve if we don't love the people that we are teaching and serving. How can we ever have success in this glorious work if we don't love every single person. If we don't love the people that reject us and spit upon us, the people that throw water at us and talk terribly to us. I told them, like I am telling you know, that if we truly desire to be disciples of the only perfect, sinless person to ever walk the earth we must forget ourselves, our pains, our weaknesses and our doubts and we must love with all of our mind, spirit and heart. I can say without a doubt in my mind that this is the most important lesson that I have learned. If we serve with a heart and spirit full of love and if we serve with all our strength every single day the Lord will use us to work miracles in the lives of the people that most need us. I have served these last 2 years because I love God and because I entered the work with that mentality the Lord has helped me to love these amazing people of Peru. I love them with all my heart and it is going to be the hardest thing that I have ever done to leave them here but I know that the Lord will bless them because they are strong and they have changed their lives and other amazing missionaries will keep helping them. I want every single one of you to know that I know with all my heart that this church that I represent is the true church. I don't have a single doubt in my mind about that. I know that Joseph Smith is the prophet that God called to restore His gospel here in the Earth and I know that if any of you have doubts about that the only thing that you need to do is pray with a humble heart to God asking and He will reveal the truth unto you. I know and I testify with all my heart and soul that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that anyone who reads it with the desire to know it will gain a testimony of its truth. More than anything else I know that my Lord, Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, suffered, bleed and died to pay for my sins and all of our sins. We are not perfect, we make mistakes but the Lord has promised every single one of us that through our ability to try, to just try to the best of our ability to follow Him and be better that He will forgive us and that even our worst sins will be forgotten. I know that He loves us because I have felt His love so many times in my life and my mission and if any one of you feel that He doesn't love you, doesn't hear you or has forgotten about you, you are mistaken. He is always there, even in our hardest and darkest moments He is there so just look for Him. These last 2 years have changed my life. I am not the same person that I was before because I have accepted the calling that the Lord has given me. Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life. (3 Nephi 5:13). I love you all and I thank you so much for all the support that you have given me in these last 2 years. It hasn't been easy but with your help it has been much easier. The church is TRUE, God lives.......I know it. I pray that God may bless every one of you and I will see you soon!!!

Much Love

Elder Wilson

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

 

Monday. June 20. 2016-Week 97

Service project!!

The translators.

The crew.

Team Paita!!

Where we played.

Mi Familia

Holy Cow!!! Lots of news for me today hahaha. Speaking in church (Ohh ya and you should ask Bishop Hansen what my theme is going to be), seeing the family, playing LAX!!!! Well I just figure that even though all of that stuff sounds crazy to me right now the Lord will help me out. If I could serve 2 years in Mission Peru Piura I am pretty sure that I can do anything haha;)

Today was a sweet P Day!! We started up the second round of Copa Piura Vida!! Its the huge soccer tournament that we play in the mission and honestly some of the best times here in the mission. Our Paita squad is solid!! We won our first game and lost the second but next week were going to play another one and if we win it we've still got a chance to win it all!! Sometimes I just like being competitive just a little bit haha. 

This week I got the chance to be part of a super cool service project. A group of doctors from the states came here to Paita the other day to check the eyes of the people here and give away glasses. Honestly here in my mission one of the biggest problems that I have seen is that everyone is blind!! Not very many people read just because they can't see!! I don't know what it is that's destroying their eyes but yes it is a huge problem. These people were a huge answer to many prayers for the people of Paita. So my part in all of this was translator. These people that came didn't know any Spanish so we got to work with them as translators and it was super cool. I learned a lot from them and just loved serving all of these people and seeing how happy they were to be able to see again. In the end people started getting crazy because there weren't any glasses left and they sort of had to put me to work as a body guard escorting people out and blocking up the door haha gotta do what you've gotta do right?

Hermana Rosio couldn't get baptized this week. It was really hard to hear after all the work that we've put in with her but she just didn't feel ready. She wants a little more time to just get herself ready. She is still scared and nervous and we think that a little bit more time will be what she needs. So please just keep her in your prayers. She is fine and still going to church and all that good stuff but just needs to feel a little bit more sure. Mom how did you end up feeling ready to get baptized?

This week our investigator Luis is going to get baptized!! He is a heaven sent person that has helped me learn so much in this last part of my mission. He is 20 years old and trying to get his life in order. Like most kids this age he was walking around in stuff that he shouldn't have been for a long time and was a little lost. We found him and as soon as we started teaching him he just took off. He reads his Book of Mormon every single day (he's already in the middle of second Nephi and understands everything!!), he doesn't ever miss church, he goes to all the activities and he has made many friends in the church. With all of that said there is something even better that he has done. He has decided that there in nothing more important in his life that completing with what God expects of him. He has dropped all of his problems and is enjoying the blessings that the Lord promises us. As the Lord has said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" ( Matthew 6:33). Also had a super cool experience with him at church this Sunday. 3 kids from our ward just got their mission calls and Luis was asking me all about them. He then told me that he wanted to serve a mission when he was 23 because he wanted to help his family out for a few more years before going because they are super poor. He asked me what I thought about it. I didn't know exactly what to say so I just felt that I needed to tell him to listen to the speaker, so I did. The man that was speaking was the second counselor of the stake and he was talking about mission work and his mission. Right when I said that to Luis he started talking about how he didn't want to leave on the mission and how his family had been really bad off but that when he went and just dedicated himself to serving the Lord his family has been blessed in ways that he had never imagined. Luis just looked at me and said Elder Wilson now I understand. He is amazing. Please keep Luis Arevalo in your prayers this week!! 

So that's all for right now. I love you guys and I thank you for all the support that you give me. Talk soon!!

Much Love 

Elder Wilson

Monday. June 13. 2016-Week 96

Mi Familia!

The Wilson Family summer has begun and it looks like all of you are off to a good start. Here in Peru were in the middle of winter haha but here in Paita at night time it is actually cold. Like cold enough that I want to go out in a sweater cold!! I haven't felt cold for the last 2 years so it's actually been pretty nice. 

Today we went to a beach that was supposed to be 15 minutes away, well it was like 55 minutes away so I don't have very much time today to write!!

This week we have a baptism!!!! The first time in who knows how long that missionaries are going to baptize in this area so we are pretty excited. Hermana Rosio Chapilliquen is going to be baptized this Saturday and she is very excited. This week we were thinking of what we could do to help her to just feel totally sure of what she was doing and when we were thinking a scripture came to our mind. 

"Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."

Obviously what we are trying to do as missionaries is help all people to sanctify and purify their heart by yielding them up unto Christ but in this moment it just hit us hard that we needed to invite her to fast with us. So we talked to her and planned it all out but she told us that she wanted to fast by herself. We said ok but passed by later that day to see how it had gone. She told us that she wanted to tell us what she was fasting for and she told us that she was fasting for her husband so that he too could accept the gospel in his life. She knows it's true and now she wants all her family to receive the same blessings!! She wanted an answer and she worked and sacrificed for it and for all that she did the Lord blessed her. 

If there is anything that we need in our lives (work, school, family, etc.) we can trust that the Lord wants to give it to us. He doesn't want us to walk without a light because He is our great light but he needs us to do our part. It's all in our confidence and trust in Him. That doesn't mean to have that confidence and trust in ourselves or our own abilities but it means that we need to turn our heart and soul over to him through ever single one of our daily actions.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."   Col 3:17

It just makes me so happy to think that the Lord desires so much for us in this life. He wants us to become everything that He is and more and all we have to do it trust in Him more than in any other thing on this earth. 

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Just trust in Him and do His will and He will never let you down. Even in your hardest times, even when your mind and heart are full of questions just trust in Him and trust that He will guide you in your path. 

So that's all for now. Sorry for the short one. I love you guys!! See you soon!!

Much Love 

Elder Wilson

Monday. June 6. 2016-Week 95

The green sweater vest is back!!

With Elder Mooring.

Lunch with the Rasmussens!!

The zone!!

Mi Familia

Hey guys!! This one is going to be super short because we just got back from a long day in Piura. We took off early this morning to go to Catacaos to check out the market and buy some stuff to bring home and it ended up being quite the adventure because we found President and Hermana Rasmussen there!! We talked with them forever and then they took us out to lunch. It was honestly super good to see them and catch up on everything but ya now I am running a little late. 

Crazy to think that you guys are already in summer break!! 2 years ago during this time I was getting ready to go on the mission and now it's almost time to come home. Crazy how time flies!! But I hope you guys can enjoy it and make the most of every second.

This week for us was another solid week!! We are seriously preparing ourselves for some serious success right before I take off. We have an amazing group of people that are investigating the church and really getting ready to take the last step to be baptized (or get married and then baptized) and we have just been trying to think of ideas that we could do to help them feel the confidence to just do it. So we prayed and talked with President Rasmussen and came up with the idea that we needed to help them to see how far they have come and that they truly are prepared to do it. So we ready Mosiah 18 with each and every one of them and the miracles were huge!! For example we are teaching a young kid (well he's 20) and he has been reading the BOM every day, going to church every Sunday, going to all of the activities in the church and praying every day to get his answer but he just didn't feel too sure about anything. He told us that he was scared about what was going to happen in his life after his baptism. So we read Mosiah 18 with him (it's when Alma is teaching all the people about what Abinadi had said in front of King Noah) and he got it. In this chapter it basically gives the requirements to be baptized and as we were reading we would just ask him do you feel this way? or have you done this? and in the end do you feel prepared to be baptized? and he said yes. He told us that after all he had done he just didn't realize how far he had come. So he is going to be baptized in 2 weeks  (his name is Luis Arevalo Please pray for him!!!!). It was also a huge lesson for me. Sometimes when we are working and training or studying or really anything we are doing we can lose track of what has happened and become discouraged. Sometimes after doing so much we feel like we haven't accomplished anything but my invitation to all of us is to just pause, take a step back and look at the big picture. I can promise you that if you just turn around and look you will see just how far you have come along this long path of the life and will be able to continue forward with even more strength 

than before. 

As for what brother Wiggins said I am right there with him. JUST GO ON YOUR MISSIONS!!!!! THERE IS NO BETTER THING THAT A YOUNG MAN OR WOMAN COULD DO IN HIS OR HER LIFE THAN JUST LOSING YOURSELF IN THE SERVICE OF OUR LORD AND GOD. IT IS WHAT HE EXPECTS OF US AND AS BROTHER WIGGINS SAID THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING FOR US. 

So that's all for today because I need to go and buy food for the week haha!! I love you guys and hope all is well. Keep me and the people that we are teaching in your prayers. You're always in mine. Talk soon. 

Elder Wilson

Monday. May 30. 2016-Week 94

Beach selfie.

With Elder Mooring.

Elder Culaca.

On a rock tower and majestically looking to sea.......haha. ‏

Mi Familia

Well guys today is officially the first day of my last transfer in the mission. It is a super weird feeling and I don't really know what to think about it besides that I am going to work my dang butt off for this last month and a half!! In the words of Elder Culaca Vamos a destruir el mundo!!!! We're going to destroy the world!!!!! 

Glad to hear that all went well in your trip and with Grammy y Papa. It sure will be good to see them again. Tater excellent job on the soccer field. Keep it up bro and don't let the Nationals beat you!! Also Perry good luck on your soccer try outs. I know you are going to do great!! 

Last night was a super sad one for me but also awesome. We were in a lesson and our phone just kept ringing and ringing but obliviously I didn't answer it because we were teaching a family. When we left I called the number back, because it was an unknown number, and Elder Gandarillas answered!! Elder Gandarillas finishes his mission tomorrow and I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to see him before he was off to Bolivia but he had called me to say that he was in Paita trying to find me haha!! So we met up and I got to say good bye to that fool. Honestly that was a hard one. Elder Gandarillas is seriously my best friend in the mission and who knows the next time that I'll be able to see him because he lives in freaking Bolivia!! So honestly that was a huge blessing for me to be able to see him off. He also told me that all is going great with Kevin, Yolanda and Raul and the Familia Llacas!!

In this last week we have been tearing it up in our area!! We have been finding a ton of new people to teach but it has been hard getting people to make the choice to get baptized. I don't know what it is but they just haven't been understanding the importance here and its' been sort of hard. So this last week thinking with Elder Culaca we decided that it was time to just focus in on the people that we are teaching and really finding out what they need. When Elder Godoy came and talked to us he taught us an awesome way to do it with the baptismal interview questions so that's what we did. We did it with 3 people up to this point and all 3 of them have committed to baptismal dates. After all we had been teaching them and trying to do for them all they needed was someone to answer the small questions that they had about the church and a few commandments. It just made me think. I have been studying this for the last 2 years of my life but now I can really testify as did Alma in Alma 31 verse 35. The souls of these people are precious to God and it is our responsibility to help them return to His presence. If we do it right and really look to help and love the people and not just shove information down their throats the Lord will give us the part of His spirit that we need to convert. So ya that's how we've been doing it this week and it looks like were going to be  going out guns blazing in this last transfer. 

Also this Sunday we had a huge show-up at church!! Usually we have less than 100 people there but this week 124 people went!! We are getting there and all of the members are super excited and helping us a ton in the work. 

So as for something about the gospel. This week I have been reading and studying the story of Abraham in Genesis and I came across something that I really liked. In Genesis chapter 18 it is talking about when the 3 holy men go to Abraham and tell him that his wife Sara would give birth to Isaac. Well during this time Sara was about 100 years old so she didn't believe it. So she went in the tent and started to laugh because she thought that they were crazy (verse 12) but in the next verse is the teaching that I really liked. Verse 14 says, "Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." That question got to me. Sara was 100 years old basically and it was impossible for her to have a son but there is nothing too hard for the Lord!! If there is anything that we can realize in this life is that nothing is too hard for the Lord and that through our faith and our obedience to his laws and commandments all things are possible. Not only did Sara give birth but she gave birth to a son who would be a huge part in completing the promise that Christ made with Abraham. Nothing is too hard for the Lord and if we look to Him in all things he will direct us and guide us back to our Heavenly home. He will not allow us to fall because He loves us. 

Ok that's all for now. I love you guys. Time is short but still lots of work to do so please pray for Luis Arevalo, Rosio Chapilliquen, Hermana Vanessa and her family and the family Collazos and for Elder Culaca and I. You guys are the best and I love you a ton. Hope you have a great week!! 

Much Love

Elder Wilson

Monday. May 23. 2016-Week 93

Back with Elder Gandarillas!!!!

All of us were in the same room in the CCM and we are still going strong!! Elder Volcanes, Elder Clawson, Elder Mooring and Elder Spencer.

Sister Rasmussen was a little teary eyed haha.

The boys and the Rasmussens.

Reunited!!

Elder Culaca!! I freaking love this guy!!

They call us the triangle of truth.......(E Mooring and E Spencer)!!!

The zone with the Rasmussen's and some doctor from Australia.

I know you guys aren't going to like this but I'm not going to write today because I have a ton of pictures to send and it takes forever!! If you have questions shoot me them while I'm on. I'll give you descriptions of the pictures. Love you!!

Elder Wilson