April 28, 2014

Hello Family and friends! 

Well this week sure has been crazy! I got into the new area Tuesday afternoon and met Elder Bognar.  He is a pretty great guy! We seem to get a long pretty well.  The area itself is very big and has lots of people to talk to in the streets which is a huge blessing since no one walked around in Hedge End haha.  We also live with some members which is really cool. There called the Craggs and they have a son that lives with them named Ben who 23 and super cool.  He will probably be serving a mission soon.  He takes us shopping and makes food and deserts with us which is a whole lots of fun. The place in the home that is ours is rather small but it has a super nice couch and recliner so that makes up for it during lunch hour haha.  The nicest thing is that the chapel is only a 5 minute walk away which is just amazing compared to how far the other chapels were in my last two areas.  It is the second biggest building in Europe.  The chapel inside is huge.  Felt weird being in a normal size chapel after nine months of not being in one.  We also live like 15 minutes away from the temple and get to go there on P-days sometimes which is so great! 

Now time for the greatest news. We have this super cool investigator that they found just before I got to the area.  The only thing they had taught him was the first lesson and part of the second.  And the first day I got there we ran into him in the street and he told us he wants to be baptized as soon as possible.  So the next day we went over and he picked the baptismal date! He chose May 3(My Birthday)!  It is so sweet since it will be my first baptism as well.  So we started seeing him everyday and he is so prepared! He loves everything we teach him and is always telling us that when you are baptized you do away with old life and start new.  He even is waiting to get baptized first before going to get his wife from Iran.  Oh yeah his name is Kiyomars (Qmars) and he is from Iran.  He doesn't speak the greatest English but enough to understand.  He is always so happy as well.  He is even sharing the gospel with others and is always telling us he can't wait till he knows more and speaks better English so he tell everyone.  HE IS AMAZING!  I will make sure to have pictures for next week as well:)  

We also have another investigator name Sonya from Portugal.  She should be getting baptized in about two to three weeks.  She really likes the gospel and has a good attitude about it.  Just got to get her to stop smoking first haha.  We find new people to teach everyday and the area is just amazing! 

Well I hope ya'll are doing amazing and striving everyday to grow closer and become more like our Saviour Jesus Christ.  I know that as we will do the simple things like daily pray and scripture study along with family home evening that we will be able to face the storms that Satan throws at us with more strength and courage.  I love you all and hope you have a great week! LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

April 21, 2014

Hey Family! 

Well do you guys want to know where I'm going?  My new companions name is Elder Bognar and he is from Hungry.  So will be my first companion outside of North America! That is pretty sweet! My new area is Crawley in the Crawley Zone!  To pumped to go there.  One of the Elders in my district served there and says it is a great area! Have a huge ward and big building.  I will also have 8 Elders in the ward.  The Zone Leaders, and four digital zone missionaries.  Going to be one big party!  It is kinda funny how my first ward had 4 missionaries, and then this ward had 6 and my next one has 8.  Hopefully the next doesn't have 10 cause that will just be a big ole mess! It is hard to believe that I am leaving Hedge End.  I am super excited to go to a new area and see more of England, but I have learned and grown so much here in Hedge End.  I have had amazing investigators and the ward has been so great.  I remember one I arrived at the MTC and one of the teachers said I cried more and harder when I left my mission then when I left home.  I never understood how that could be possible, but I sorta have an idea now.  You learn to love and serve these people everyday and they become your family and then 4 months later you have to leave them and may never see some of them again.  It is very heart wrenching and it sucks, but the good thing is you can always visit and the Spirit World will be a good place to catch up as well:)  I would have to say that the biggest lesson I learned while serving here is to just be yourself and love the people and serve them.  To any future missionaries out there you don't have to just be a strict no slack missionary when you go on your mission.  Yes you represent the Lord and should always act like you do, but remember you represent the Lord! Love everyone and help them to feel through you the love the Saviour has for them.  Sure am going to miss this place and can't wait to come visit it again.  

As for my week nothing to great happened.  Just took a lot of time cleaning the flat and having people come visit to see if they wanted to buy it.  Pretty annoying, but hey what are you going to do.  I was so glad to be able to spend my last week in Hedge End on Easter week.  What a wonderful experience it was to be able to be a missionary during this time of the year.  You really come to know who the Saviour is and what he did for us.  I love the video the church put on call "Because of Him."  If you haven't seen it go and watch it! It is so amazing! Missions are so amazing and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Hard to believe I have almost been out for a year.  Doesn't seem like that long since two missionaries in my ward are going home this week, but even that makes it seem like I have hardly anytime left to serve.  The days go by slow at some points, but the months go by so dang fast.  One kid is from Riverton will be entering the Field tomorrow so that will be cool to see him! And in 6 weeks my friend Brady will be entering the Field so hopefully I get to train him! That would be such an amazing experience! Missionary life is just the best! 

For the spiritual thought I would just like to end on the Theme of Because of Him.

Because of Him we can all be forgiven.  Because of Him we will be resurrected.  Because of Him we will be with our loved ones again.  Because of Him we can have peace in the life and eternal life in the life to come.  Because of Him we are able to change and become more like Him.  Because of Him there is no end.  

He is the Light and Life of the world.  He is the Bread of Life. He invites all to come unto and to take his yoke upon him for it light and easy.  I hope this Easter we were all able to feel of the love that he has for us.  I know that He lives and that Because of Him I can return to live Him and our Loving Heavenly Father.  In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love ya'll to shredzz!!! 

Here is the link to the video Because of Him

http://easter.mormon.org/?

Forever Faithful,

Elder Wilson

April 14, 2014

Hello Family!

Well found out this week that they are closing down Hedge End due to the fact that 17 missionaries are going home and only 6 are coming in.  We have a really small area so it is has to go.  I am excited to go to a new area but it does suck having to leave such a great ward and a good area.  Of course we would start finding really cool people but just how it goes.  Yesterday we were waiting for a member to go on a teach with us and this girl walks by and we say hi and  then her dog kept sniffing us.  She then asks us what church belong to.  So we get all excited and start talking and testifying to her like good missionaries do.  She got really interested and wanted a copy of the Book of Momon and wanted to meet with us again soon.  She even texted us that night.  So that was super sweet and amazing to see how God puts people in to your path.  We then went and taught this lady for the first time.  Her daughter was going crazy the whole time but she is 6 so what do you expect.  She read from the Book of Momon for us though which was really cool.  The lady is still interested and says she will come to church so just another miracle! Heavenly Father really knows how to bless us.

Had a baptism with an 8 year old I have been teaching since I got here.  Had to give a talk about when I got baptized so that was fun.  That family sure is crazy but going to miss them a whole bunch.  Rest of the week was pretty normal with England rejecting us and having to give it everything we've got! Sure do love being a missionary and doing missionary things haha.  Probably the craziest thing to happen to me this week was trying to ride a rip stick in a suit.  Doesn't work! Haha Elder Fuller fell pretty hard and hyper extended his elbow so I had to tell him how to take care of it.  He then asked me last night if I had faith.  I said yes then he said good heal me.  So I gave him a blessing.  I didn't think I was going to get prompted to heal him but at the end of the blessing it came so I said the words and well now he is healed.  Pretty crazy and definitely strengthened my faith! Mission life is just the best! I hope you all have a fantastic week and don't ever forget who you are! We are all Sons and Daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and he wants to bless our lives.  We just have to let him.  I LOVE YOU ALL TO SHREDZZ!!

FOREVER FAITHFUL,

Elder Wilson

Views from his window

Old JO.  He passes by his friend every day!

March 7th, 2014

Hello Again family!

Hope you all enjoyed conference as much as I did.  Priesthood session had to be my favorite! Also all the talks on sports were awesome.  This week has been pretty relaxed I guess you could say.  Nothing to exciting happened.  Jess came to two of the conference sessions and even took notes! Was a little long for her but we all go through it haha.  She is doing so well and will hopefully be getting baptized soon! Just have to get the partner out of the house.  At the beginning of this week I was really struggling with getter along with my companion, but finally just told him what was bugging me and we talked it through and we are good now! Still struggle a times but being able to talk about it and see it through his perspective really helped me to understand and to get over my prideful self.  Things are going well now and we both are on a high from conference! Heavenly Father definitely knows how to humble you and then lift you up high!

I wanted to talk about just a couple of the main themes I got from conference.  First one being to have our foundation built upon Christ so that when the whirlwinds come the will not prevail.  WE need to have a firm foundation and if we don't continue to strengthen it by daily scripture reading, prayer, and family home evening.  WE will fall.  The other one that really stuck out to me was that being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not easy no is it suppose to be! Like Elder Bednar said "IT IS THE LOAD THAT GIVES US THE SPIRITUAL TRACTION TO GET THROUGH LIFE."  The hymn Praise to the Man tells us that "SACRIFICE BRINGS FORTH THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN."  Brigham Young said " ONLY A RELIGION THAT REQUIRES YOU TO SACRIFICE EVERYTHING CAN PRODUCE ENOUGH FAITH TO GAIN SALVATION."  

So yes being a member of THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS can have it challenges.  Well guess what Jesus Christ was rejected and spit at and hit and mocked and even killed.  But he suffered through it and out of love for us and everyone else.  Rejoice in tribulation as the Apostle Paul says.  When things are hard that is when we grow the most.  I know these things to be true and I love living and being apart of this gospel everyday! In the Name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Have a great week and love ya to shredzz!!

Forever Faithful,

Elder Wilson

ZONE CONFERENCE PICTURES