a storm, a drawing, and a new email address

*** attention all those who write me! urumontemission@gmail.com is an email of the mission where you can write me and they print it off. So, if you dont want to write the oldschool way, you can email me... but remember that a hand written letter is always the  best.

 

 

My desk. This is where I spend a few hours each day. Its really puney, but its a nice desk. Those post it notes are quots from the scriptures and the prophets that are really good.

 

A picture that I drew this one pday when I didnt have anything else to do.

 

So, this week has been a really good week for us. Even though most of our investigators are having a hard time progressing, we kept on working hard, knowing that if we do our part, the Lord would do his. And, like every time, the Lord pulled through and sent us 2 new investigators to chruch on sunday who just showed up on their own. :)

 

It has been really good to be able to see the progress of Edison, who got baptized a month ago, and is now more active that anyone else in the ward. He really is a one in a misson type of convert. Yesterday we went out to work with him and just pretty much let him bear his testimony and let the Spirit touch the hearts of the people. It helped me remember just how unimportant our words are if we do not say them with our hearts... that remindes me of an awesome Mormon message that is of the talk by Elder Holland about playing within the lines. Everyone should watch it.

 

Oh, also, this week on wednesday there was a super strong storm that blew through here and pretty much tore up the whole country. President told us all to stay in the house for the day to be safe, but then the next day when we went out all of the roofs were gone or broken, and a ton of trees had fallen down and everything. It was a cool experience to see all of that, and to spend a ton of time doing service to help the people rebuild.

 

This week I have been thinking a lot about the counels of Alma to his son Coriantón, when he counsels him to allow his sins to sorrow him enough to repent of them, and not to try to cover them up or excuse them. It is really easy to excuse a sin in the mind, so I will be working harder to feel Godly sorrow for my problems, even if they are not big things, and change them.

 

Anyways, I am happy and healthy. Thanks for everything. 

 

Elder Wilson 

sleeping in church buildings, or, how to improvise a baptism

the baptism. Juana is the first on the left. 

This week was one of the craziest weeks of my mission! Ill do my best to try and explain some of the things that happened. So, we had stake conference this weekend, and for missonaries that is kind of bad news just because its complicated to get all of the investigators and recent converts to the stake center, because here in Uruguay almost nobody has a way of transport more than a car. After the stake conference we had planned a service bautismal with the stake leaders, so we were really excited for that. But the stress was that saturday night and untill midday on sunday the public watersystem was going to be shut off for repares. that was a really stressful problem because that means that you cant fill the baptismal font! So we had to think and prey a lot to figure out what we could do to be able to get this baptismal service to work. In the end we decided (with permission of the mission and stake presidint) to stay the night in the chruch to be able to fill the font up so that it would be full of hot water before the time that theyshut the water off. So, for the first time in my life I spent the night in the chruch. It was a really weird experience.Then the next morning we spent the time filling big pots with water, boiling it, and throwing it into the font to try to keep it warm. In the end, it all turned out nice, and 6 people got baptized in a great servicio bautismal that was presided by the Stake President and everything. It was a great progress in our relationship with the local leaders here. 

The person that got baptized from our ward was Juana, an older lady who had been investigating before, but stopped because her family decided to go against our church. Most of her family are of the Macumba religion, a weird devil worshiping religion. But it was great to see the change in heart of her family, who now support her in everything, and a few of them are even listening to the misionary lessons. I guess its true that where there is light, there is not darkness. 

The Stake conference was broadcasted from Salt Lake to Uruguay and Paraguay. It was presided by Pte. Monson, with Elder Anderson and Elder Gonzales of the 70 (who is Uruguayo). It really was an awesome stake conference, and I think that we got a bit of a sneak peak into General conference in a couple weeks. 

Anyways, I am doing really good and am happy. The change calls came last night and I will be staying here in this area with my companion, as expected. I love working here with him,its lots of fun. 

Thanks for all of your prayers! Pray for us to be able to find those who are kept from the truth only because they know not where to find it. 

Elder Wilson

spring is here and Covey is getting thin

So this has been an awesome week. I am really content with what we are
seeing in the zone and area. All the hard work that we have been doing
with the Stake leaders and bishops is really peying off. We have been
meeting with all them about once a week to work out some problems, and
everything is working out good.

I am enjoying my time in my area 100%. My companion is awesome and we
have the same vision (proverbs 29:18) and are working like crazy. This
might be one of the moments in my mission that I have worked hardest,
and the level of spirituality and miricles has gone up. "if a
missionary wants to get the spirit, he must work his head off" Elder
scott. Ive learned over these last 15 monthes that that is true.

We are teaching this investigador Eloisa who came looking for us
because one of her old friends who is way inactive said to her "if you
want help, go to the mormons. its the only way", so she came, and will
get baptized on sunday.

we have doubled the number of lessons with members too, and that has
guiven us a lot of trust from the ward, and helps our investigadors
progress.

one scripture that I have used a lot this week is in philipians 3:13
(i think its called philipians in english.... but maybe filosans or
something...) where paul teaches us about how to move along with the
vision set in goals.

I wanted to send pictures, but my computer wont let me... sorry. But
im really thin just so ya know..

Also, FINALLY SPRING IS HERE!!! thats exciting.

I love you all, and pray for you... when I remember to. its sometimes
hard to pray for all of the things that you should. especially when
its 12000 miles away. but sometimes I remember that there are people
outside of the mission who I should pray for.

Elder wilson

Alma 26:12.

Keep the mail coming!

974 - The 3 empanadas that won the ward activity contest that we did.

970 - in the front passage way we put up tables with a lot of folletos and books and everything about the church.

967 - A picture of me and my companion in front of the baptismal font with Edison. He is the best, most converted convert I have ever had in the misison.

 

This was a really good week. on wednesday we had a really good multi-zone conference with Elder Viñas, who is a member of the quorum of the 70. It was a really great experience to be instructed by someone who understands the chruch so perfectly and the gospel. To see him was an example of how I would like my life to be... not that I have ambitions to become a 70 member or anything, but just to guive up your whole life to service. Also, he did a couple interviews with a few missionaries, and I got interviewed by him. That was a really awesome experience. he commited me in the name of the Lord and by command of Pte. Monson to keep going styrong in the mission, get married ASAP after the mission, then at an early age retire and devote my whole life to service in the lord. It really was a really spiritual experience... It always seems to be the mission presidents and other general authorities that always are talking about the importance of marriage and family and everything haha. They are always trying guive us the challange to keep our minds in the mission too :) Its a bit ironic sometimes. So I just do my best to not be trunky. D&C 4:5-6 "...con la mira puesta unicamente en la gloria de Dios lo califican para la obra."

 

Also, we had a really good activity in the ward on Friday. Since the ward is pretty sleepy, and nothing ever happens, we decided to plann a ward activity every 2 weeks. The first time only about 10 people came, then 15 trhen 20, and at this last one, 60 people came! It was a big sucess, and I think it is helping to strengthen our trust relationship with them, and inspiring them to participate in the missionary work. For example, last sunday, 2 investigadors just showed up with the members without us even begging them for references.

 

Also, Edison got confirmed. He is honestly the best convert that you could ever ask for. It makes me so happy to see him and his change in life and everything. He encourages me to keep on being a better missonary.

 

To all those who have sent mail recently (last 2 ish mnothes) there still is an international mail boycot here, so it probly hasnt come. But keep on sending it anyways! Missonaries love their mail :)

 

Anyways, thanks  for everything.

 

Elder Wilson

with the oficinistas

Edison! he is the darker one by my companion elder looney.

This was an awesome week for me! We had a super miracle baptism. His name is Edison Alza... let me explain, In Las Piedras, my last area, I had his teaching record, because he was investigating there for about 6 monthes. He had recieved all of the lessons and had gone to the chruch and everything. It said in the comment box: "he is for sure a future bishop". So we pulled out his record and did everything possible to find him, but we never did, he had moved, so we put his record away and I forgot all about him, and changed areas to here. Then, on wednesday we were coming home at night, we were almost late and had done all of our contacts for the day, but we saw this man standing outside of his door lookng at us, so we just talked to him... well and it turns out that he is that same person that I had searched out a couple monthes ago in las piedras. 

It was one of the most spiritual baptisms I have ever had. He is honestly a "future bishop". He came up out of the water and did fist pump of joy. then bore his testimony super strongly. Then went straight to the stake choir practice. He is such an example to me of the way that the Lord really does prepare people to recieve the gospel.

Also this week has been really good for the zone. This zone has had lots of problems with the missionaies and Local Leaders, so me and my companion have been working really hard to fix all of these relationships. We had a few meetings with President Armstrong and the stake president about it, and it has been a really good experienceto be able to see a lot of the point of view of leaders. I feel like one of my specialties as a missionary and mission leader are working with ward and stake leaders, so I am gettig lots of chances to put that talent into practice. There are some really hard hearts that we are having to help soften.. luckily the spirit is present, because nobodies heart is going to soften without it. And in the mission I have seen even the most rock solid hearts get softened. 

This is the best zone in the mission. I love workin in montevideo, its a LOT different in culture from the interior, where I have passed lots of time as a missonary. ha, here they throw rocks and break the windows during the sacrament meeting. but I love the spirit of the members here. The leaders are awesome. 

This week we are going to have a conference with Elder Viñas of the 70. Im excited. 

I love you all!

Elder Wilson

Elder Wilson's new area

... sewing on bottons. ..

Andres and Roxana. the family that is about to get married and baptized. From Las Piedras. It was hard to say goodbye to theim after such a long time of teaching them and helping them to progress. 

A picture of Larry and Pacha.. 2 cimarrons (an awesome breed of dogs that doesnt exist in the US), they are only 2 monthes old and are already huge. Cimarrons have a coat color like a tiger-chocolate ice-cream sunday mix. I put the name pacha, which is the incan language. 

Here I am in Belloni Maroñas!. it is different than any area that I have had before. Its urban Montevideo, and the ghetto side. I love it a ton, there are soooo many people that live in the area, so there is no problem in finding investigators. It is a pretty dangerous area, so president has always put the bigger elders here so that we can fend for ourselves. But its nice, because the people respect us... we are freinds with everyone, and if someone tries to mess with us, there are always other robbers homeless people on our side that stop the bad ones from doing anything. I honestly dont even feel unsafe in any way. 

the ward is the most established that I have served in in my whole misson. Tere was an attendence of about 85 people last sunday, so I am excited to be able to work with all of the members here. we live in a house of 4, so thats fun too... but it also means that you have to be sure not to get distracted by the other missionaries. the zone has no sister missionaries.

I am really greatful for the power of personal revelation. coming to this new zone, me and my companion have felt a lot of interesting impressions about how we should work in the zone. I know that if this type of revelation did not exist, nobody would ever get converted. It is the Holy Ghost that converts and teaches the people... luckily because that means that I dont have to worry about being inadicuate in my skills. As I learn more and more about the way to teach a lesson without having to teach, I have learned to become a more powerful misionary. The best lessons are the ones that you hardly talk at all. 

well, anyways, I am dong great and loving the mission (which is passing by SUPER quick). Thanks for all you prayres and support. 

Elder Wilson

PS, there is a mail stop in Uruguay, they are all on a boycott, so nothing is entering here. So I promise that I will respond letters as soon as I get them. 

a transfer

I am changing areas! After 4 and a half months here in Las Piedras I have to leave... I am going to Maroñas. Its a zone in the northern part of Montevideo. Its a pretty dangerous part of the mission.. but it cant be worse than Areoparque, my last area. I am really excited because my companion Elder Looney I knew in BYU and the MTC and I was his zone leader for 2 changes, so I already know  him pretty well. he is a really good missionary. 

Also I feel really sad to be leaving the zone and area. I feel like I worked hard, and saw the fruits. The lord wanted to send me off well because this sunday all of my converts were in the sacrament meeting, and one of them recieved the Milquesedic priesthood. I have really loved this ward so much, and feel content leaving it well established for the Elder that comes to take my place. I know that in a couple weeks I will be able to look at the list of poeple that got baptized in the mission and see the names of the families that I have been teaching and helping to get married and baptized. 

Also, this week we went in to montevideo to have the Zone leader conference with the president. It was really good, and I have a testimoiny even stronger that president armstrong and his family have been called to guide this misson. Whereas the focus in the misson with Pre. DaSilva was to increase the number of converts in the mission, the focus of Pte Armstrong is to help these converts get into the temple. I love the scripture in John 16 (I think... ) when Jesus commisions his apostles to convert and to help that that ´fruit´does not perish. My favorite thing about the mission is seeing my converts progress in the church and become super mormon. 

Anyways... thank you all for your prayres and everything. 

elder wilson.