Here is a little fun video of the Elders goofing around in the evening.  Collin is Santa.

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NEWS FLASH 12/30/13

I got flippin transfered so tell everybody not to send me anything to my flat in slough.  I got pats package today so no worries there.  LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

The Elder Wilson

So, typical Collin.  He leaves us hanging not knowing where he has been transferred to and probably won't know for a week till next P-Day

December 30, 2013

Hey Family!

I hope you all had a wonderful of Christmas as I did and are getting ready for a great New Year! Apparently the year on our mission when you aren't home at all is called your Dark Year.  Kinda of a sad term so I changed it to my Light Year! Can't wait to dedicate a whole year to serving the Lord.  It will be great! It was amazing to be able to skype home with my family and see all their beautiful faces even though they made fun of my fat one:)  This last week was pretty slow since it was Christmas, but was still a lot of fun.  Saturday the Jehovah Witness were on the Highstreet in my area and I thought I would talk to them since I don't know much about them because all I do is talk to muslims haha.  It was very interesting and informative and good to see people trying to help others find the right path, but it was sad to see how not having the Holy Ghost as a companion and prophets and apostles to help the people know what the scriptures truly say.  With talking to muslims and now JW's I have studied the true character of God a lot more and because of it I have come to know my Heavenly Father so much more and his plan for us.  For my spiritual thought I want to talk about who are Heavenly Father is and what he has planned for us.

Joseph Smith said that "until a man knows the true character of God he cannot have faith."  he has also said that "in order for us to know God we must know ourselves, and in order for us to know ourselves we must know God." 

So who is God then?  God is the Father of our Spirits.  We our his children.  He has a body of flesh and bone that is glorified and perfected.  He hears and answers our prayers and wants to help us because he loves us so much.  He finds joy when we make correct decisions and weeps when we choose to disobey him.  He wants all of us to return to live with him again and have all that he has.  It is amazing and glorious to know that we have a Heavenly Father that loves us so much that he wants us to have everything that he has.  A lot of people think that God is this all powerful being that hates the human race and wants to punish or they think that he is loving, but has nobody and is some kind of spirit.  This is wrong and will lead us to nowhere.  How can we know that God has a body of flesh and bone then that is glorfied and perfected?  Well because we have a prophet that he has called to tells of the true character of God.  We also have scripture as well.  And Christ himeself said "I only do the things which I have seen my Father do." What does that mean then?  It means that God was once like us and was man.  In the King Follet discourse Joseph Smith gives he states that "If the vail was rent today... and we were to see God.. we would see a man just as ourselves standing in all his glory." It brings such comfort to my heart to know who God is and that he has a plan for me.  Now God has also said that no unclean thing can enter into the Kingdon of God.  So how can we imperfect beings make it back to live with him? Well with all his infintire love for us Heavenly Father has given us his only Begotten Son, who is, Jesus Christ.  Mosiah 3:17 tells us that

"There is no other name or way nor means, whereby salvation unto the children of men, only in and through the name Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."

Because of Christ we will all be resurrected.  Because of Christ we all have the chance to live with our families and Heavenly Father again.  We just have to do as the Savior asks us to "Come unto Him" and to "Follow him." I know that Christ lives and that as we allow him to take us by the  hand we will find more happiness in this life and in the life to come.

I hope you all know how much you Heavenly Father loves you.  Just think about how much our parents love us or we love our children and we are imperfect.  Our Father in Heaven is perfect and loves you and I with a perfect love.  He knows you and I better then we know ourselves and knows what we need.  I am so grateful that he has once again showed his love to us by answering a humble boys prayer in a grove of trees in the year 1820 allowing the fulness of the gospel to be restored to the earth and allowing us to know who Heavenly Father is and what his plan is for us.  I bear you my testimony that He lives and that Jesus Christ is his son and that there is no other way, but through Christ our Saviour and Redeemer that we can be saved.  For has Nephi of old tells us "It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

LOVE YA'LL TO SHREDZZ!!

Love,
Elder Wilson

December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas Family! 

What a wonderful time of year it is to be able to remember our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  I hope you all have felt of his love throughout this whole year as well during this special season.  Remember that one way our Loving Heavenly Father shows our love for us is through our families. Yes the gifts are fun and exciting, but 20 years from now all you are going to remember is how amazing the turkey (Maybe that's just me since I'm fat) was and all the good family memories.  

Well this week was a great one and a really hard one at the same time! I was able to go to the temple on Tuesday with my zone and another one.  It was amazing!  There were so many missionaries and the Spirit was so strong the whole time.  In my opinion the greatest gift God gave us after his Son and families are the temples.  They bring so much comfort and joy to the heart.  Always strive to make the temple an important part of your week.  Even if you only have time to pull into the parking lot and sit on the grounds for 5 minutes do it!  The Lord will bless you as make and effort to remember and keep the convents that you have made with him.  The rest of the week was just straight up work and the only reward being a deeper conversion.  It is hard to not see success, but its during these times that we grow the most.  I am excited to skype home and see my gorgeous family.  It will be a tender mercy much needed.  Also I am just flippin excited for the amazing feast I am about to enjoy in a few days.  I love the Slough ward! 

Well the spiritual thought I have for this week is short.   

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

I choose to serve the Lord and to obey his commandments.  I invite everyone to come and partake of his love.  I love everyone and welcome all who wish to share the wonderful happiness and joy his gospel brings.  I know that Christ lives and that through him we all may be saved.  He is the light and life of the world.  I pray that we will humble ourselves and allow his atonement to take full affect in our life and in the life to come.  In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a very Merry Christmas! LOVE YA'LL TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

The London Temple

Looks like he is putting weight on!

Here is a little from the letter he wrote me

(He will call Christmas Eve to let us know what time we can Skype on Christmas Day)

Hey pops! 

Thank you for setting that up and the members home I will be at has skype on the computer.  I will probably be calling between 1 and 2.  and will probably just call your cell phone so mom doesn't cry:)  The temple was so amazing and much needed.  The grounds at the temple are gorgeous and there were so many missionaries! We had to bring in about 5 extra chairs to fit everyone in the endowment room.  I love President Millar.  He is such a cool guy.  Cool side note his mission president was Bruce R. Mcconkie.  And President Millar is a lot like him haha. Also the senior couple in our ward Elder Boone was once the MTC mission president at Provo.  And I get rides from them all the time so that is very humbling.  Investigator wise we are really slow, but just means more hard work.  I will probably be getting transferred in february most likely.  But transfers are next week so there is always a chance.  I don't want to talk about to much so we can have fun on Wednesday.  Also will I be skyping home and seeing everybody? 

So glad to hear you are doing well from you surgery!  Missionary blessings are the best.  I honestly believe that I meant to be on a mission right now so that you and mom have more blessings and support in the hard times right now.  Don't worry about not telling me about radiation.  I know why you did it and am grateful for it.  Just don't do it again:)  My conversion is deeper then you think and the only way I'm going home is either in a coffin or with honor.  I love you so much and talk to ya tomorrow:) LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ

Love,

Elder Wilson

December 16, 2013

Merry Christmas! 

Well there isn't that much to report on this week.  All our investigators we were suppose to meet this week flogged us and are being bums trying to get all the Christmas stuff done.  It's all good though because we had an amazing Ward Christmas Party! So many nonmembers showed up and the food was so good.  I talked to loads of people and one girl we talked to who is a baby sitter is really interested.  She wants to come to church and asked so many good questions.  The only bad thing is she lives in London. But she wants to come to our ward so that is cool.  Hopefully we can teach her hear and then baptize her.  Nice thing is she is in our mission so we could still see her.  I swear that every time I say the work is picking up in Slough to you guys the next week is one of the hardest slowest weeks.  It is really frustrating and makes me just want to sit in our flatt and be a bum.  I know that the only thing that will change Slough is hard work.  I know that we will be blessed so much and soon! Just have to remember that we can't change our circumstances, but we can change ourselves. 

My spiritual thought for the week is the enabling power of the Atonement.  We are all very familiar with the healing power of the Atonement, but not so much about the enabling.  Elder Bednar gives a fantastic talk about it, if you wish to hear more about it.  A lot of us think that the Atonement is just meant to heal us from our sins and sorrows.  Even though that is important and amazing the enabling power of the Atonement is what changes us.  If you read in the Book of Mormon when the people are struggling like when the people of Alma are in captivity they never ever pray for their circumstances to change.  They pray for the strength to endure there bondage and to have burdens made light.  Because of their faith the Lord made their burdens light.  He didn't take them away, but made them light.  The people of Alma then went about cheerfully doing there work and gave thanks.  Another example is Nephi when coming back from Jersulem with Ishmaels family and his brothers tie him up.  He does not ask God to change his circumstances or to chasten his brothers, but he asks that according to his faith the Lord will give him the strength to burst his bands.  Nephi understood that he was weak, but that through the enabling power of the Atonement could call upon God to recieve strength to change himself not his circumstances.  I hope we will allow the enabling power of the Atonement to cleanse of our sins, but then to also let it change us.  I hope and pray that we will all be the ones to act instead of being acted upon.  

I love you all to shredzz and have a fantastic week! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

December 9, 2013

Hello Family!

Well this week was amazing or should I say Sunday was amazing! The other Elders had two investigators at church and we had our one.  One of Maidenheads investigators I found while on exchange the other day and she is golden! She is so awesome and I am so jealous or was jealous until later in church:)  A lady just walked into church halfway through and at the end she loved it and said her  family wants to come and she wants to be taught! She has a husband and two teenage kids boy and girl.  So two future missionaries:)  I haven't talked to her to much but we are trying to meet with the family today and set up a baptismal date for this month.  After church we had a meeting with a guy who was suppose to come to church but got called into work.  The teach went well and he accepted to be baptized!" There is a bit of a language barrier, but he will probably be baptized next month so I'm super excited for that! GOD IS A GOD OF MIRACLES!!  Remember that miracles don't stop because God doesn't want to show them, they stop because we lack faith.  This message will be short and that is what my spiritual thought is on.

A lot of us think we can't see miracles because we are unworthy or Heavenly Father loves us less or something.  WRONG!! If we go forward with faith and are obedient to the things the Lord commands us and do all we can to do his will we will see more miracles then ever.  I want to challenge all that read this to go to the temple or some sacred place and kneel down and pray and ask Heavenly Father to give you the strength to do his will and then promise him that you will do everything the way he wants it for that week.  As you do this you will see more blessing and miracles then before.  Remember that during this Christmas season the only way to truly get the meaning out of Christmas we must drop the last three letters.  I love you all and have a great week!!!

Love

Elder Wilson

Merry Christmas from Elder Wilson and Stewart! 

December 2, 2013

Hola Familia!

Well I thought I would type this up first before any other long letters since from what my Dad tells me you all want to know whats going on with me apparently;) Well I have been fantastic the last two weeks! I forget to mention that three weeks ago we had stake conference and they released the Stake President so that what cool to see that, but it also meant a member from the Seventy came and also and Area Seventy.  Elder Walker was the Seventy and Elder Herbertson was the Area Seventy which is cool because he use to be the bishop of my ward, long before I ever came here but still pretty cool.  We were able to go to the adult session and priesthood leader session which was amazing.  Elder Walker said that one of things President Monson worries about the most is how members give talks in sacrament meetings.  He says that the way the General Authorities give their talks in Conference is not the way a talk should be given in sacrament meeting.  They do that in Conference because what they say has to be translatted so they have to send in their talks early. But outside of Conference they only make outlines for the talks they will give around the world.  President Monson also said he does not want to go to a sacrament meeting and hear what Elder Packer or Holland said (Funny because they were in front of him so he could point at them). He wants to hear how that principle or doctrine has blessed and helped that person in ther life.  The Holy Ghost will affect people more when things come from the heart.  That means prepare a talk, but only an outline so when you get up to talk you can allow the Spirit to guide you through your talk and to say the things that need to be said. 

This week we had zone conference and Elder Teixeira from the Seventy and his wife spoke to us.  It was so amazing and he made us a promise and a challenge so that was pretty amazing.  You can't tell during conference because of the apostles, but members of the Seventy have such an amazing spirit and power about them its so cool.  Sister Teixeira also spoke and she talked about over coming fear.  She said the 4 things that lead to fear are 1. Lack of Knowledge 2. Lack of Prepration 3. Lack of Faith and 4. Lack of Love.  These are all so true and I hope you can take what I have told you and strip yourself of pride and fear and become the disciple that Christ needs you to be. 

The rest of the week was a lot of hard work.  We had a lot of cancelations and just people not wanting to talk to us.  Last week we had a guy walk into church and so we have been teaching him a lot.  He doesn't want to be baptized because it is not the in thing to do haha.  He has a few mental problems, but he is the best! He loves church and meeting with us so we know its going to happen.  His mom wants to meet us so that is exciting as well.  Elder Stewart is the funniest guy and so humble.  He can remember all the lines from movies and funny comedians.  The best is when he quotes stuff from church movies that are really cheesy.  We also quote kid history a lot haha.  We didn't have a Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving, but did get fed so that was great.  We did get our Thanksgiving dinner though last night which was so amazing.  They don't have pumpkin pie here, but the member made some from scratch and it was amazing! It was a fun and hard week at the same time as it always seems to be.

Time for the spiritual thought.  I just want to talk about praying and scripture study just a little.  These are probably the hardest thing for us to do. I know that it was for me and thought I was going to struggle with it on my mission.  WRONG! If I don't get personal study in I want to cry because I love it so much and it helps me with my day so much.  And as far as praying, if I'm not on my knees I have prayers going through my mind and heart constantly.  I want to sorta of aim this towards the youth, but its good for the adults as well to remind them how important prayer is. 

Because of ONE prayer from a teenage boy I am now serving a mission in England.  Because of One prayer from a teenage boy priesthood authority was restored to the earth and has given me the chance to give my dad a blessing of comfort and healing.  Becasue of ONE prayer by a teenage boy families can be sealed together forever in Holy Temples all around the world.  And let us not forget that because of ONE prayer given by our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ we can all be saved and return to live with our Heavenly Father again.  Never under estimate the power of one prayer no matter what age you are.  We have to remember though that prayers are answered in the Lords time not ours.  Heavenly Father knows exactly when we need something and sometimes he is testing our faith to see how much we really desire something.  Also most prayers are answered through other people.  So pay attention in church, seminary, to parents, and to chilrden because they may hold the answer to your prayer.  One of my favorite sayings is "If we want to talk to our Heavenly Fathere we pray and if we want to hear from him we read our scriptures.  So read your scriptures! John Bytheway said its interesting "when youth go to EFY or on missions how they say that was the best week or two years of my life.  So you mean being surrounded by people with same desires as you, reading you scriptures every day, praying everyday, and serving others makes you happy?  Living the gospel makes you happy?" I hope we can all realize how important prayer and daily study is.  Personal study everyday in the morning will help the Spirit to be with us more and will soften our hearts and give us courage to follow the promptings it gives us and to help us be the answer to others prayers.  Harold B. Lee said, "I don't worry about the youth that pray two times a day."  I think that applies to adults as well.  I promise you that as you strive to pray morning and night and study the scriptures everyday your life and the lives of others will be enriched and blessed.  You will find the Spirit to be with you more abunduntly, you will have the strength to overcome your temptations and weaknesses, and you will be moer willing to share the gospel.  By doing the simple things we will draw closer to our Saviour Jesus Christ and he will draw near to us. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Have a great week and LOVE YOU TO SHREDZZ!!!

Love,
Elder Wilson