September 29, 2014

Well what a crazy week. I cannot remember a single thing a I did.  It was a pretty relaxed week. Nothing that crazy happened.  Monday was pretty exciting because we decided to have YSA Family Home Evening every Monday which is pretty fun.  We had a nice spiritual thought.  Elder Allen and I read some minds and then blew their minds.  It was pretty funny actually cause Elder Allen was trying to read my mind but I knew how it worked so I basically just messed with his mind and he couldn't read it so he didn't know what to do.  So when he tried it on someone at FHE he messed up somewhere and didn't read their minds so basically he doesn't know how to read minds anymore because of me haha.  After that we played human battleship which is pretty fun but dangerous.  My model recent convert went crazy and destroyed everyone haha. We played with some big balls and you have a barrier and lay down so when balls get thrown over and you can't move it can be quite dangerous.

Tuesday we met with my favorite Less Active.  He is this old guy that knows so much that he basically went less active because he feels unworthy. But we have some intense spiritual conversations which are great. Don't worry I keep it simple to get the Spirit back into his life. We then went to the furthest point west on the island you can go and called Freshwater.  We saw our investigator and she committed to be baptized!  So flippin awesome! She has 4 sons who can be baptized so that is great as well.  

Wednesday the young men fed us and while doing they almost burnt the chapel down.  They were suppose to come into our flat while we were gone and make us food so when we came back they would eat with us in our flat.   It was still a lot of fun! While they cooked for us we taught another investigator and she committed to be baptized as well! So two dates which is exciting! Lots of good work going on here! 

Thursday the only exciting thing we did was service for two members who are not so well off. They are the kindest people but their flatt is the worse.   I  think it helped them and they love us so it was awesome! 

Saturday we had service digging a trench for a member to pour concrete next week. So we dug and my girly hands got torn up again and hurt really bad so that is fun. Shaking hands is just the worst.  We then had a chili cook off for a ward activity. So good and so smelly! Our ward mission leader brought an axe so we went ham on this old tree during the activity it was pretty fun.  Just a solid day! 

Sunday we had a zone fast and it was so hard.  Both Elder Allen and I felt so sick after but it was good. One of the members bore testimony how the missionaries challenged them to do something and even though he had been challenged it before it was different this time and that he really felt the Spirit. He said it was amazing and that he was really going to try and achieve it. MIRACLES IN ENGLAND!! The Ward is starting to catch the Spirit of missionary work and it is so awesome.  The Ward is growing closer and us and the Sisters are teaching a lot of people and have two baptismal dates each. Just great things are happening.  Can't wait to see what will happen this week! 

Quick spiritual thought. 

It is General Conference this week! How lucky are we to be able to hear our Prophet and Apostles speak to us.  Don't be that person that believes in a modern day prophet but doesn't know what he has said.  Take notes and apply what you learn into your life. You will be blessed for following the prophet. Remember the wards of the Primary song "Follow the Prophet"

Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,

Follow the prophet; don't go astray.

Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,

Follow the prophet; he knows the way.

I know that these words are true! We have so much to rejoice about and I hope we all will strengthen our own testimonies by sharing the wonderful news that God has called another prophet.  

Hope you all have a great week and LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

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Dad's Note

This past Thursday my wife and I had an opportunity to meet one of the Ladies that Collin baptised.  Her name was Pam and her husband is Paul.  They are so nice and was great to meet someone from Collin's mission.  We spent about three hours at Temple Square with them and showed them all around.  It was fun to hear stories about Collin and and she kept calling him a pest but in a good way.  Collin told us she was alot like my Mom and in fact she was.  I can understand how they created a close bond.   

September 22, 2014

HELLO EVERYONE! 

Its been awhile, yeah its been awhile.  

Sorry I am such a slacker and haven't written a  legit family letter in forever.  It has been a crazy few weeks on Isle of Wight!  Well not really actually.  Just the same old same old.  You wake up at 6:30 feel like you got hit by a truck sometimes a train try to work out and not sit on the couch.  Then take a nice shower, iron your shirt, get dressed and looked fabulous and then get yourself a bowl of Crunchy Nut (English cereal).  Then have the greatest hour of the day, PERSONAL STUDY.  Then the worst hour of the day, comp study.  No just kidding comp study is fun to discuss deep dodgy doctrine I mean to plan what you will teach investigators:) You then go and work your little missionary bum off till 9:30 and then plan for half hour to sit down and watch a document film on the Joseph Smith papers.  But I guess you guys would like to hear what I do between 10 and 9 huh? 

Well this last week was epic.  We had YSA FHE on Monday after P-day which is the best.  We played chair football (Soccer for you Americans) which was so fun.  Just going mad trying to get other people out by hitting their chair with the football. Didn't realize we were going to play it so I was wearing my proselyting clothes and shoes and just destroyed my English shoes.  So 2 pair of shoes shot and dead.  No luck with shoes.  

On Tuesday we were able to see an investigator that Elder Belnap and I found that had a baptismal date. Because of some sad things that happened we weren't able to see her for awhile, but we saw her on Tuesday! A Scottish member named Brother Macgregor came who is so funny.  He bore a powerful testimony about his conversion and you could tell it really helped her.  It was just an epic teach and she even came to church for the first time yesterday! It was awesome.  We then saw Harriet a recent convert.  She is doing a lot better and makes us little goods which is very nice.  Makes my day! 

Wednesday was District Meeting.  I gave a wonderful 20 minute discourse on how to use the Book of Mormon effectively.  I would say it was up there with some discourse by my boi Jo Smith.  Just kidding.  But District meeting is always a blast when there are only you and your companion and the sisters haha! We then did service for a non member painting his fence!  It was tons of fun and had a barbecue.  They are from Hungry so remind me of my late companion Elder Bognar who goes home in November! SO CRAZY! 

Thursday through Saturday did a lot of finding and was a pretty long days.  Nothing to exiting to talk about. Sunday was an epic day!  Had investigator come to church and Sacrament was just really uplifting.  Then had to teach Gospel Principles and Elders Quorum so that was intense.  It went really well though.  I was able to talk a little bit with Bishops wife after church and get to know her better.  She is such an awesome lady!  Her conversion story is epic.  Really feel like I have a good relationship with her now.  We then had a really fun day with the second counselor in the Bishopric.  He is so funny.  Kept saying that we didn't go to the moon and that the Nazi are on the dark side of it and then start talking about all the crazy spiders coming to England. Good thing we aren't in England;) 

Well that was my week in a nut shell. Missionary work is hard work and you feel it every morning, but there is nothing that makes you happier and more excited. I can truly say that this has been the happiest I have ever been.  Good thing I still have 24 more months left (sorry mom forgot to tell you).  I guess just before I end I would like to help you receive personal revelation for yourselves.  

Revelation is probably the hardest thing to understand.  Is it my own thoughts or the Holy Ghost speaking.  Those that don't have to have huge experiences to be told what to do are more in tuned with the Holy Ghost.  Remember that the Holy Ghost is a small whisper.  It speaks through our thoughts and feelings.  If it invites you to come unto Christ and do good it is the Holy Ghost.  A cool thing I learned about why the Holy Ghost is more powerful then seeing angels is because... Angels minister under the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood and the Holy Ghost ministers under the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.  Pretty powerful.  Well the following questions will help you to receive personal revelation.  After reading each question pause for a minute and listen to the first feelings and thoughts that come to your mind and heart.  Write them down and then go on to the next question. 

1. What do I need to do to draw closer to the Living Christ?

2. What do I need to do to be a better member/companion of my family/ companionship?

3. What do I need to do to magnify my membership and calling? 

4. What do I need to do to magnify my stewardship? (example: A missionaries stewardship is his area. A father stewardship is his family, work, and home.) 

Congrats you have just listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and received personal revelation.  Now be doers of the word and not hearers only.  

Hope you all have a great week and LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

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Just a little side note from Collin in my email he sent me.

"There is a facebook or twitter page (not sure which one) thats called "Spotted on the Isle of Wight". They take photos of weird random people. Well we got on it last week! Members showed it to us.  It was a picture of us talking to Jehovah Witness (my favorite) at their little stand. We had gotten one of their bibles so we can make scripture chains to destroy them. And the caption the person put under the photo said "Who is going to win. Mormons vs. JWs."  Members showed us and it was pretty funny! "

Here is the link

https://www.facebook.com/242666999252253/photos/pb.242666999252253.-2207520000.1411409838./291838984335054/?type=3&theater

Collin is the Missionary on the right.  Looking at this facebook page about the area he is serving makes me realize why it is such a hard place to serve!

Sept. 15, 2014

Here is a little clip from Collins's letter home today.

Hey Daddio! 

Well mission life is going well.  We keep finding solid people and then getting dropped cause their life is to busy.  But the good news is we picked up are baptismal date person that fell from of the face of the earth so hopefully we can set another date this week for her.      Sounds like Robbie and Gunnar are killing it as always.  Sucks I won't get to see them play again possibly.  Its fun hearing about their success though.  Sounds like you had a great leadership meeting.  We have to account Thursday and Sundays about our week and numbers.  And it use to always be about the numbers which I hated cause they never asked about the people you were working with.  But now they have changed it up so its all about the people and I love it so much.  If you want people to home teach better make it personal and show that you loved them.  That's why Elder Smith and Elder La Mazza were my favorite district leaders.  They loved and served me so much and never cared about the numbers. Only about the people I worked with and how my companion and I could do better.  Makes you want to work so much harder and be better! BYU's helmets are pretty sick!  9/11 over here is just another day.  I don't watch TV so I don't know how that is but its pretty normal day. NO one says anything.  I forget as well.  

My week was pretty good.  we are working with the members a lot more which has been a lot of fun.  Getting to know everyone better is the best.  Only sad part is one of the recent converts is struggling a little bit right now.  So praying a lot for her!  It has been really hot lately so that sorta nice during the day but sucks at night trying to sleep.  By the way it made me laugh when I read monkey boy this morning haha.  Good times! Well Dad I love you and hope you can find sometime for yourself!  LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

This is the letter to his Mom

Well you got the hello.  Dumb computer... dumb user.   I think its interesting how we can always notice when the Spirit leaves, but struggle to reconize it when it comes.  Yesterday I had a really cool experience with learning to recognize the Spirit.  I fast every Sunday and on Saturday I had read a cool talk about softening your heart.  In it President Mckay is quoted and says how he starts each day off. 

1. Arise early

2. Shower 

3. Put on clean close 

4. Subdue myself to the Lord

5. Wait for inspiration to come from the Lord

So I decided that since it was Sunday and I would be fasting and can't workout I would try it.  So as soon as the alarm went off I got strait up got into the shower and put on some fresh clothes.  I waited till Elder Allen got in the shower so it could be quiet and said a vocal prayer.  I then received some inspiration and carried on the rest of the day.  It was amazing how much happier and good I felt the whole day.  Plus all the energy I had.  I desired to do things and work effectively.   The greatest part was that a member came up to me in church and asked why I was so happy and I said I have no idea I just am.  But it was an answer to a prayer cause everyone of my companions tells me to look happy when talking to people.  I feel like I am and I think I am but I am not.  So I was always trying to be better but could never get it but then bam! Say a prayer with real intent and meaning and the Spirit made me look happy.  It was such a great feeling! 

I just share that because I feel that it could help with your day to day tasks.  I don't think you have a problem being happy but you might struggle with other things and the Spirit is what helps us to overcome them! Don't worry I still will love you even if you love me less;) I can't imagine one of my kids leaving the church but its comforting to know that Prophets like Lehi and Alma the older had  rebellious kids. Look at what they did.  They continue to let them make their choices, but always shared their testimony with them and prayed for them constantly.  I like the examples as well because we have an example where Alma the younger is humbled because of his fathers prayers and then you have the example of Laman and Lemuel who just fall away anyway.  Know that as along as you do what the Lord says that he will take care of you and your family. Some may be lost but know that they have their agency and your duty is to just love them.  You are the best!  

'm glad Robbie is an eagle scout and the next step is mission! Goal is 3 sons Eagle scout, RM, Temple Marriage and you will be successful;) 

Well mom thanks for everything and I love you so much.  I hope you have a great week and always remember you are a beautiful daughter of God!! Love ya to shredzzz

Love,

Elder Wilson

Sept. 2, 2014

I am late getting this updated and have not posted for a couple of weeks since Collin has only been writing personal letters the last couple of week due to Bank Holidays and lack of access to computers.  They go to a public library to use computers to write home.   I am adding some pictures sent to us by a parent of one of the Sister missionaries he was serving with on the Isle of Wright.  The picture of the baptism is the gentleman Collin had the opportunity to help baptised in a previous blog.  The other person in the pictures who is not a missionary is the ward mission leader in the ward that Collin serves in.

Collin now has a new companion and he is from California.  They seem to be getting along great and seem to be having good fortune in finding investigators 

We have been in contact with a lady that Collin had the opportunity to teach in one of his areas and got great news that she was baptized on August 23rd.   She is an amazing lady with an amazing story of faith. Another member that Collin had the opportunity to teach on the Isle of Wight and was baptized is coming to the US this month and we will have a chance to meet her and possibly go to the temple with her.We are excited for that!  Here is what he said in his email

"We are starting to find people to teach and they seem pretty solid. Only this week will be able to tell!  Also my convert I had on the Isle of Wight Pam. She will be going to Americas with her husband and part of their tour will be in Salt Lake.  She wants to go to the temple with Elder Belnap's mom and my mom:)"

 

It is hard to believe Collin will be home in just 11 months.  He has grown so much and can't wait to see how much more he will grow spiritually in the next 11 months!

They were trying to find the Hidden City on the Isle of Wight.  They went to the wrong location and called this their Hidden City which is some random shack as he called it.

Collin is leaning over a cliff and the wind is blowing so hard it is holding him up

Missionary Selfies!