weekly letter

So first things first, this week we had the baptisms of Mikiela (8) and Magela (13) gutieres. They are friends of Biatrice that got baptized. Well, their mom Lilian Gutierres was an inactive member who through these two baptisms is now activated. They are super awesome, they make the 12 kilometer journey to the church and back every week with their mom and biatrice. in the boiling hot like last week, and in the pouring rain like yesterday.

Also, we are making some real progress with the members of the ward. When I first got in this area, the missionarys had averedged only like 4 lessons with member for week, but now we have 16plus lesons with the members. I really love the members here. We are really seeing the fruits of our labors with the members too. we are having lots of really good baptisms for the ward, and the ward is really getting more and more animated.... im pretty sure that animated isnt a word in spanish...

So, last night I got woken up by a famine (?) sized cricket that decided to sing a nice song right next to me on my pillow! that really freaked me out, i mean it was about the size of my leg, and really scary looking and loud. We also have pineapple sized toads that sneak into our house at night that we have to kick out every morning, oh,and we always find dead turanchulas in the house, but I ve still never seen a liveone. 

Well, i would love to send you nice pictures of all this, but there is not a computer in our area that has the picture-uploading feature, so sorry about that. 

Well gotta go! pray for me. Bye!

Elder Wilson

letter home

So, this week was a really good week for us. First of all and most important, Biatrice Domingues got baptized! She is awesome. SHe was investigating the church for a really long time a while back, but had problems with the whole marriage thing, so stopped getting baptized. But this time when we found her, she was super awesome. She is a woman of 65years. She left her husband of 40 years in order to live the law of Chastity and be able to get baptized (not that we consider ourselves family-breakers, but that was her choice). And also she lives 6Kilometers away from the church, but every single sunday walks the 12 kilometers to be able to attend church and take the sacrament. She is one of the most awesome converts I have had in the mission, and now is super excited to share the gospel with the whole world. So more of her friends coming I am sure.

 

Being District Leader is really fun. Last week I did my first baptismal interview, and it went really good. I interviewed a lady a little bit simmilar to Biatrice. In the interview it was really awesome to feel the spirit of ... well i dont really know what to call it... judgement? insight? Discernment? I dunno, but it was really cool. Also it is fun to teach the District meetings. I taught my first district meeting on how missionaries should work with the members, especially the ward leaders and bishop. It was good.

 

We really are progressing the work here in aeroparque in the sence of unity between the leaders of the ward and the missionaries. I really love the members that live here, and I hope I never have to leave.

 

My ORO elder whiting is doing good, he is progressing a lot in his abbility to teach and just be a missionary, But poor guy still has a hard time with his confidance in spanish. But he speaks better than he thinks he does.

 

Pday over, gotta go.

 

I love everyone. Bye!

 

Elder Wilson.

Missionary Tan Lines and District Leader

So this week has been really good for us as a companionship. My ORO Elder Whiting is really starting to progress. Poor guy has a hard time with the language, but he is really pushing through it, and starting to understand what the people are saying. And he is teaching better and better in spanish every day. 

So, next week we will baptize Biatrice Dominguez, a 65 year old woman that we found through a member reference. She is really an awesome person and has such great faith. To get to church she has to walk a total of 9 Kilometers round trip, which is hard for a poor old lady, especially when it is hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk (well I assume that its hot enough, they dont have sidewalks in my area so ive never been able to try). But she troops through it and gets ontime to church.

Also, remember that Cristina Lady that I was teaching? well your prayers worked, and she is progressing towards a baptismal date in late January or early Febuary. 

Sorry, I havent been able to send pictures home recently because there arnt computers that can upload them to send, so sorry about that. Im developing a really really steady missionary tanline on my neck and arms, so that makes me really proud. 

Oh, also, I was called by President DaSilva as a District Leader! Im really nerveous. Im going to have to really focus and work hard to be a good trainer and a good district leader at the same time, but also really excited to be able to lead my District, and really look for the guidance of the Spirit. The lord will qualify me for the work. So pray for me to do good at that. I think that the thing I am most excited for as district leader is to be able to do the baptismal Interviews for the people who are going to be baptized. Ive always kind of wanted to do a baptismal interview. So, more news on that to come Im sure. 

well, thats about all for this week. Repent and have a good winter!

Elder Wilson

And a Happy New Year

... and a happy new year. 

New years here is about how it is like in the USA... except for boiling hot. And they take the partying to an extreme! Soo many fireworks. One new years tradition that I found out yesterday is the "lets soak the mormons" tratition. yesterday almost everyone that we passed by was throwing water on us! it actually felt pretty good cus its super hot here, but we did get soaking wet :) but we let them have their fun. 

This week has been good for us, although honestly I a little bit glad that the holiday season is over here. All of the holiday traditions really kind of distract the members and investigators from whats important. But the people are happy this time of year, so that is good. 

So, remember that investigator that I had that was about to get baptized about a couple months ago but ended out having some dudas? Well we have been working really hard with here recently to get her progressing again, and tonight we are going to have a charla with her and the goal is to put a baptismal fecha with her. So at 7:30 (I think thats 2:30 your time) my time everyone needs to do a big prayer so that she can let the spirit work through her and accept! Also, her son that has always rejected to listen to us is going to start listening too. 

My ORO elder Whiting is progressing really good. He only had 3 weeks in the MTC, and usually its a 9 week program, so he really struggles with the language and the comprehension. But he has a good attitude about it and really he speaks better than he thinks. its all about the confidence. 

But we did get robbed at gunpoint again this week, so that was a shocking experience for him... I was pretty scared too though. But the lord really does take care of his missionaries. 

On saturday we walked 21689 steps. Thats normal. My companion has a little step counter. 

Well, we are working so hard down here, and I hope that everyone is working hard up at home too.

I love everyone so much!

Elder Wilson

Go BYU football!