Monday. March 14. 2016-Week 83

Bring on the rain!!

From President Rasmussen: "We had a heartwarming experience today making the delivery of much needed neonatal equipment to the Tambogrande Public Health Center." #piuravida

Mi Familia

Hey guys just writing to say that I'm not dead haha. Sometimes we just have crazy days here around the office and not a whole lot of time to write and today was one of those days. So I'll give you all a quick update on what happened this week but I really do not have a whole lot of time to do it. 

First things first.........HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHER!!!!!! One year older and wiser too haha but really mom I'm super glad that you had a great birthday rockin out at some sweet Toby Mac concert!! Sort of sad that you didn't have all the family there to celebrate with ya though but just know that you were in my thoughts all day long. I just hope that you know how much I love ya mom. I honestly couldn't ever ask for anything better in my life than such an amazing mother like you. YOU mom have helped me in more ways than you will ever understand and have really played a key role in helping me to become the man that I am today. Thank you for always being honest and loving and true and loyal and helpful and wise and all of the many other characteristics that describe you. So to say it with little words you are the best mom and I hope you had an amazing day like you deserved. Love ya mother. 

The rain has stopped but the sun has come out even stronger than before. We played soccer this morning and holy crap I got sun burnt so dang bad!!!

Well this week was so freaking crazy!! We seriously didn't even have a single second to rest (not that I'm asking for or want any time to rest just saying we went hard!!). To start off the week we had to welcome the new missionaries to the mission. It is always such a cool experience to be there at the airport to see all of the new missionaries coming off of their plane and walking their first steps here in Peru. Many times they look scared or worried or tired but this group that came this week was just full of awesome missionaries!! So we spent all day Tuesday with them giving them the whole welcome speech and some special training, then training the missionaries that are now the trainers of these new ones that showed up, and then putting them together in their new companionships and giving another training session. Ya its a long process but it is always awesome to see the energy of the new ones coming in!! Later this week, on Thursday, we had our Mission Leadership Council. Elder Gandarillas and I were in charge of teaching over 2 hours of the council so for that we spent a lot of time planning during the week so that we could be ready. Our theme was how to help investigators go to church. That is easily the biggest problem here in the mission. We have so many great people that read the BOM and want to learn more but they just have the hardest time getting themselves to church. So in our training Elder Gandarillas and I talked about 3 things. What we need to do, what the investigators need to do and what the members need to do so that we can have more people at church. It all turned out super great and it ended up being a super efficient meeting. Just want to share one part of what we taught the leaders with you guys. It's the part when we talked about what WE need to do. 

We as missionaries live lives that are 100% dedicated to serving the Lord. We leave every day dressed in our church clothes and we go about teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ. Even though we spend all of our time devoted to the work of the Lord we know that the Sabbath still needs to be something special for us. Our question to all of them was, What are we doing as missionaries to make the Sabbath day different from all of the rest of our days? We cannot treat Sunday just like any other day of the week because it is not just any normal day. It is the day that the Lord has set apart for us to rest from our labors and pay our devotions unto the most high. It is a covenant that the Lord has made with our ancestors that is still applicable today and it must be applied if we wish to receive the blessings that the Lord has for us. 

So now I want to ask you guys the same question. What are you doing at home to make the Sabbath day different from all the other days of the week? Are you preparing yourself to take the sacrament? Are you avoiding doing things like homework or watching TV or listening to worldly music? Studying all of this just made me think a ton about how I have treated the Sabbath in the past and that I was some sort of dumb kid before because I didn't realize all of the blessings available. Well it's never too late to make the change, especially because it is only for one day a week.  

Well like I said really not much time to write all of the details but that's what I've got for now. Also please pray for the Familia Llacsa. They are getting married this Friday!!!!!! Heck ya!!!!!! I'm going to be the best man for the second time in my mission!!!!!! They are awesome but they do need your prayers. And keep praying for Juan!! Hey I love you guys!! You're in my prayers!!!

#Hallelujah

Much Love

Elder Wilson