real life ROUS and conference coming up

Carpincha. This is a legit ROUS that they have in Uruguay. Its pretty much like a 150 pound hampster. They sometimes have them as pets, and they eat them a lot. Its one of the most awesome animals that I have ever seen.

This week was a really good week for me. We had a conference for leaders tuesday that lasted for almost the whole day, and it reallywent well. I felt lots of guidence from the spirit about things to apply to my District and area. President´s conferences are always the best.

It is finally starting to get a little bit cold in the mornings, but that is really nice. 

This sunday was really special day for me because almost all of the converts I have had here in areoparque were at church, passing the sacrament, sharing their testimonies, and just being active members. I think that it was my last sunday here in Areoparque. I feel like i will have to leave this area next week, but we will see!

Also I feel really really excited to be able to see conference this weekend that comes. 

Sorry I dont have much time to write today, but thanks for all your support! And sorry if you havent got mail from me lately, but the mail has not come for 6 weeks now, so I havnt been able to send or receive letters lately.

Keep on praying!! Elder Wilson. 

letter home

Los bautismos de Guilermo, marcelo, y Manuel (Y matias en el medio)

this picture i took from my companions camera. It is from the CCM, where he knew Elder Rodrigues (my first oro). Seeing this picture made me laugh so hard! Double oro power! My first Oro who didnt last long, and my second oro who took his spot.

This week we had the baptisms of Guillermo, Marcelo, and Manuel!!! They are three awesome young men, and future missionaries I am sure. Guillermo and Marcelo are brothers (guillermo is the one next to me whois 13 years old, and marcelo is the one next to Elder Whiting who is 15 years old). We found them through our power-house recent convert Biatrice. They are both way mature for their age, and are both really spiritual. They live with their Grandma because their mom died a couple years ago. Manuel (the shortest one by marcelo who is 12 years old) is also a reference from a member, and is super awesome in the waythat he keeps all the commitments we leave him to the dot. the other young man in white is Matias, a 18 year old priest, who was baptized awhile ago,but went inactive,but now we are helping him get out and serve a mission. The bapismal service was realy nice, a lot of members, and also after the baptism, each one of them gave their testimony, and really it was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had on the mission. 

I love this area so much, and hope I never leave, but I am a little worried that in a few weeks here when changes come I will be changed to another area.But I know that I will love all the areas I serve in as long as I serve with all my heart.

Prey for the investigators! 

Elder Wilson

rainstorms and creative baptisms

Last monday we got stuck out in a huge rainstorm. We thought the world was going to end. But we got completely soaked thorugh in just one minuit outside, and it looked like we just had jumped out of a swimming pool. (dont worry, my face doesnt always look like this, but i didnt know that the camera was going to take the picture) PS, the awesome tie was given to me by an investigatorr called Nibia who will get baptized soon... if she lives long enough. She is in the hospital with cancer and might not make it out!.

Just a picture of the typical Areoparque layout. 

Us and Alvero with his mom. 

First things first, Alvero got baptized! He is an awesome 13 year old boy that is the son of a Less active member. We found him because the members. The baptism was really crazy. We turned the water on like 5 hours before the service, which is what we always do. But when we got there there was only like a foot and a half of water to baptize him in. So when he got baptized, we said the prayer, then he laid down full-out on the floor of the font, then my companion (who did the baptism) just pushed all his floating clothes and body parts down under the water at one time. haha but the baptism happened and was perfectly valid :) Not even a shortage of water can stop the work of got from progressing. 

Well, thats all ive got time for. Thanks for all your prayers! I love the mission and pray for my investigators and district. 

Elder Wilson

tarantulas and one of the happiest moments yet

one of the hand sized taranchulas that like to spend the night with us in our house

Cristina dressed in white. Baptized by Matías (Im still going strong on my comitment to never get my white pants wet)

First things first, Cristina Gonzales se bautizó! She got baptized! after 6 months of investigating she finally overcame the opposition and made it into the water. I am so excited for her. But let me tell you what happened with her. Yesterday we went early to the church and filled the font up... with a lot of faith, planning to do the baptism after the meetings. Then, we waited. First hour of church, no cristina. Second hour of church, no cristina, lots of prayer. Sacrament meeting, no cristina. So we were a little sad, but still with hope. Then about half an hour after after church we were helping a legless investigator get into a taxi, and around the corner along came cristina to get baptized! That was one of the happiest moments of my life when I saw her round that corner at a jog in order to get baptized. She is by far one of he most awesome conversion storyies I have ever had, overcoming so much opposition. She is going to be the most awesome member that there is. 

Also, my companion is really starting to take control of the language. I've been giving him a bit of the silent treatment in lessons so that he has to talk more, and he has really gained a lot in confidence. He is the best companion that there is.

Also, im getting pretty thin, I think that the sun steams out all of the extra weight that there is. 

I am love Areoparque so much, and we are working so hard to get a ton of baptisms here in order to complete with our missionary purpose and bring people to christ. The members here are so awesome, and I love being able to see my converts here go to the temple and really change their lives, that is the best part of the mission. 

This week I have really been focusing in my district about the importance of the book of mormon, it really is the key to a lasting conversion in the mission. I love being able to study each day from its pages and learn how to live my life. 

Pray for my investigators! 

Elder Wilson

the bad news and the good news

This week was one of my favorite that I have ever had in the mission. Me and elder whiting are working super hard to complete with our purpose as missionaries, and we are really seeing the blessings of that. For example, this sunday there were 75 people in attendence at sacrament meeting, and 15 of those were investigators, which was such an amazing feeling. Also, the Lord is blessing us by giving us a ton of awesome investigators through the members to baptize. I love the mission. 

But it was also a little sad this weekend, because we have an investigator named Blanca who has been withus for about 3 monthes now,and she was going to get baptized on saturday, and on friday she had her invetview and everything, but on the day of the baptism her abusive spouse didnt let her get baptized. It is sad to see, but we will keep working with her and him untill he can soften his really hard heart. OH, Also, remember Cristina Gonzales? Who we have been with for like 5 months now. She will get baptized this sunday! So keep the prayers up for these people! 

I am still loving Areoparque, and am excited to be here for another 6 weeks. It still is super hot during the day, but it is starting to get a little bit fresco at night. Last night I slept with a sheet on for the first time in 3 months. Usually I just sleep on top of the bed.

Bad news: washing machine is broken, so were back to doing the laundry by hand :(

Good news: the mission means everyting to me. 

Elder Wilson

weekly letter

Whew! I feel great. This morning I went running for the first time in 9 monthes, and I was suprised because I didnt have a heart attack! So thats good news. It was actually a pretty cool experience because it was doing a sort of Monsoon storm. A TON of lightning and it was raining buckets. We got completely soaked through. And also the lovely dogs that followed us trying to eat a little bit of our heels kept us motivated to keep the pace up. It felt good, and we set the goal to run three times a week. 

Last night they announced the changes (transfers) and I was really scared that I was going to leave Areoparque, but my prayrs were answered and I get to stay at least one change more!!! Im super excited to be able to stay because there is so many miricles that are passing here in the area, and we have lots of great people to baptize. Also, it will be a cool experience to spend 6 monthes (1/4 if the mission) in one area, to really get to know the people, members, non-members... I mean I've literally knocked EVERY SINGLE HOUSE in the area like 2 times. I love it. 

My ORO Elder Whiting is doing good. I love him so much. But he is still really struggling with the language, so keep on praying for him when you can. We work good and hard together though. 

I am excited because some relly cool Elders that I was district leader of back in the MTC are coming to my district now, so it will be fun to be district leader with them for the second time!

The most important thing is that we are really focusing on baptism. baptism.` baptism. My purpose for being here in the mission is to baptize. I love working on that and seeing the way that the lord blesses us so that we can be able to reach the goal. For example, all the time that I have been here we have been working super hard on geting the members to really take over the missionary work here in Areoparque.. I mean the missionary work really belongs to the members and not the misisoaries. And this week we really saw some awesome fruits of our labors. The members practically handed over to us 4 awesome people to teach and baptize, and all of them already have baptismal dates (which we always try to put in the first lessons). so thats really good. I thing that sometimes its easy for the missionaries to feel like they are working against the members, but really its impossible to do the misionarry work with out them. so, all you members who read this letter!! DO IT: baptize your friends and family if you love them. 

Oh and also the new presidants of the misson have been anounced. Presidant Armstrong of the USA. who comes the 1st of July. 

I love the misson! I hope it never ends. 

Dont stop writing me! :)

Elder Wilson

commitments vs. commandments

a picture of those giant famine-crickets that love to spend time with us in the house.

A picture I took from the bus. The Uruguayan coast and a little resort-island offshore. The people get a little offended when we tell them that we cant go to the beach... they take it a little personally.

A picture that we took after a zone conference. There are a lot of really good missionaries in my zone and district. The zone that am in has the Mission offices, the assistants, and everything. A few areas in my zone are pretty urban, going into Montevideo. 

This week we saw a ton of awesome miracles. We have been prayrfully been going through the Area Book (the binder that has all the old teaching records of everyone) looking for people to get baptized. And it has been really awesome to be able to see the Lord guide us towards the people who are ready to recieve the baptism invitation and a baptismal date. The lord literally kind of takes the people who are ready and throughs them into our pathway. 

Also, we have been working super hard in order to meet our daily, weekly,and monthly goals that we have set and commited to. I have learded that when you set a goal before the Lord, It becomes a commandment. For example, when the people of ammon set their own goal to never take up arms again, and commited it before the Lord, they were more willing to die than to break the goal that they had set. So, really, when me and my companion commit before the lord that we will find 2 new investigators today, it becomes a commandment before the lord. And since the lord always provides the way so that we can complete the commandments, he will provide the miricles. We will find 2 news today when p-day ends... so that system will really help us out throughout the duration of my mission and my whole life. 

Well, I am really loving the mission. I cant believe that time is flying by so fast, just a couple days ago I was saying how i cant beleive that i am already 1/4 done, but new im 1/3 done!! ahh. I still feel like my companion, just arriving. 

Well, gotta go baptize!

Pray for the investigators in AeroParque!

Chau.

Elder Wilson