January 26, 2015

Well this week just flew by and I barely remember anything and this keyboard is rubbish so will probably be short and filled with mistakes. 

Well basically never see Sam anymore cause he is always gone and doesn't have a phone and Richard and Manolito at the beginning of the week seemed to just being going downhill, but while I was away on exchange Elder Thompson worked is magic and got Manolito progressing again. I am so grateful he is my companion. He just knows how to be patient and love people so well.  Manolito also came to church for the first time and he loved it! He has been reading the Book of Mormon and plans to stop smoking on Feb 1 and will hopefully make his date for Feb 14.  Keep him in your prayers! He is such a nice guy and has had a rough life, but so epic! 

Had a teach with Karen and her son was there so we invited him to sit in. Had a decent lesson.  The member we bought with us got home two years ago and was a zone leader and just is pure boss at teaching. I learn from him so it was great.  Karen's son Shaun wants to meet with us as well when we come over so that was epic! They are trying to both quit smoking by clearing all the toxic-ans out of their body by doing this juice diet. When we went it over it was there first day so they were a little on edge and the granddaughter was being distracting as well so not the greatest teach, but still good.  

We got my first referral from Headquarters in so long! Her name is Esther which was epic.  Anyway Elder Gull and I went to see her on exchange since she lives out in the middle of nowhere and he has an investigator out there so it was the best of both worlds.  Well we stop by and this girl in her young twenties opens the doors and goes "Are you the Elders?"  I say yeah and she sorta freaks out and well she is from Spain and has this thick accent and she just started talking super fast and I just sat there smiling haha. She had just moved to England and back home she was lived with Mormon's who brought the Elders around and she liked talking with them.  So they sent the information to us. And she kept asking me if we had talked to them and I said no. And then asked her if her name was Esther and she freaked again and was hitting me and saying you talked to my friends. It was really funny.  So we will be seeing her this week and hopefully all goes well! Elder Gull gave me crap after saying oh shes your future wife cause she like to work out and I just told him to shut it. I didn't even think about the fact she was young and worked out I was just happy to have a an awesome new investigator and now he has ruined it. Just kidding I will be fine... :)

Well thats all I got for you today folks. I got done reading this book called The Power of Everyday Missionaries. The What  and How of Sharing the Gospel. By Clayton M. Christensen.  It is AMAZING! I strongly encourage everyone to read it cause it will change our out look on member missionary work completely.  Mom, Dad, I'm specifically talking to you:) Last week I talked about how the biggest thing President Benson pushed was the Book of Mormon. I was pondering what President Monson has stressed over the last few years and the thing that pops into my mind is MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK. I know every time you are told to share the gospel it is preaching to the choir.  But I promise you that you will blessed, your family will be blessed, and your life will be so much better if you share the gospel.  One quick story in the book that I loved was about one of his friends that found sharing the gospel awkward, hard, uncomfortable and he hated being rejected. So he decided that he would pray that the first person he would invite would say no. Well that prayer was answered so he was successful. So he prayed that the next three people he would invite would say no and the first person he asked said yes.  You see we succeed when we invite not when they accept. Chapter two of first Nephi teaches us this. Nephi learned for himself that what his dad the prophet said was true.  He then shared it with Sam who believed and then with Laman and Lemuel who didn't believe him. The Lord tells him though that he is blessed because of his faith and diligence and then he receives and amazing blessing from the Lord. So we see all Heavenly Father asks is that we live our lives in way that we can always be worthy to have his Spirit and to INVITE others to come unto Christ.  If you want to sustain our prophet President Thomas S. Monson then I suggest you get this book and study it and become the member missionary that YOUR loving Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ want you to become.  

Have a great week and love ya'll to shredzz!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Just some funny posters they had all over town on the bus stops haha

January 19, 2015

Well this week was just amazing! We had three big miracles.  The first one was on Tuesday night. We went over to teach Sam, but because of his short term memory loss he forgot we were coming over, but my amazing companion asked one of his house mates if he wanted to talk. I was a little bit hesitant to go in at first because this guy never stopped talking and was crazy, but I just went in anyway. We sat down and started talking to Richard and his other house mate Manolito was sitting there working on a paper.  We asked if he wanted to sit in, but he said no I have to finish this paper for tomorrow. He left, but then came back in like 30 seconds later and said I will sit in for half hour. He listened to us for about 15 minutes and then all of sudden cut me off and said can we meet twice a week to do this more regularly? We were like yeah sure that would be awesome we will talk about it at the end.  We were then explaining things and answering questions and expounding the scriptures and he just was eating it all up. He then told us how he has been searching for a long time for happiness to fill the hole in his heart. We testified to him that this was his answer.  He is also going through chemo at the moment and is very sick. We weren't able to meet with him the rest of the week because he was so sick, but we are planning on teaching about the priesthood tonight! 

Our second miracle came the next day. We arrived a little early to an appointment we had with a less active and I was like hey there are some doors we haven't knocked yet up the street so we went up there. We said a prayer that we would find someone who is prepared and would become a new investigator with the 15 minutes we had to knock.  Well the first door we knocked was the miracle! This lady had met with missionaries many years ago and the Jehovah Witness's and just didn't really get what she was looking for and decided she felt God more in her garden then anywhere else and that's where she has been since. Well she since gone through cancer and just finished chemo and her kids are all grown up and one of them is always pestering her on her faith. We said we will find the answers and come back and teach her on Sunday. She said that would be great. Then the amazing miracle of yesterday! We get to the teach with a recent co

nvert named Edward who is 20 and a boss. We start answering her questions about the dinosaurs her son imposed on her.  After we settled that she just blurted out what is the deal with baptisms for the dead? So I started explaining God's plan and why it was important to do baptisms for the dead. The whole time I was trying to think of scripture, but nothing was coming so I just bore a small testimony and then my main man Edward says in 1 Corinthians 15:29 we can learn about baptism for the dead. She read it out loud and said "Oh I never notice that." All of a sudden the most peaceful and wonderful Spirit filled the room. We started showing her other scriptures from 1 Peter 3 and 4 about Christ preaching to the spirits in prison. and Also out of the Book of Mormon in Alma.  She just stared at us and you could tell the Spirit had touched her heart. She then opened up to us how she had lost two very close friends and how she worried for her son who didn't believe in God who was actually hiding from us upstairs.  She then looked at us and said I don't know whats different this time, but I want to know if it's true. Then Elder Thompson my favorite innocent little boy said that is the Spirit testifying to you that what we say is true. The Spirit just filled the room so thick that you could cut it with a knife.  I'm so grateful to have the companion I have and the amazing members to come out and bear the wonderful testimonies that bring the Spirit so strongly.  Such an amazing experience.  

Those were basically the highlights of my week. Had a fun exchange with a kid from Kearns in my district and got to get all muddy again with football. The old people were yelling at us for ruining the fields, but the church leaders so don't worry about it haha.  I guess before I end I just want to mention President Ezra Taft Benson. We are studying his words and his life this year in Priesthood and Relief Society. Wow was he an amazing man of God! The only thing he cared about was doing the will of the Lord. And one thing that has stuck out to me was his love for the Book of Mormon. I encourage all of you to read his life story and the two chapters about the Book of Mormon. And then most importantly to read the Book of Mormon! You will feel a power and love from God you have never felt before as you feast from it daily. To those of you that aren't members I exhort you to read it. I promise and testify to you that it comes from God. That every single page speaks and testifies of Christ and his great sacrifice and resurrection for all of us.  In the words of Nephi "If you believe in Christ then you will believe in these words."  I know the Book of Mormon is true and I have seen the change it has wrought in me and the lives of others as they have read it everyday. Just read it! 

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

Love,

Elder Wilson

Elder Graham and I and more mud!  

January 12, 2015

Well this week was a very much needed week! It started out pretty slow, but turned out to be really amazing! So since it is the beginning of a new transfer the first district meeting we always get our new goals for the zone and mission to focus on. Well this transfer they decided that its going to be the rebuking and refiners fire transfer. So basically we have someone to call on a regular basis to see how there day went and rebuke them if they were wasters in anyway. It's so uplifting... Its like hey I improved this week! Then you get asked well did you get this many member presents. No. Then you get rebuked on how much of a waster you are. It doesn't really bug me because I think its pretty funny and have to hold my tongue from laughing.  It's like those moments when your parents are yelling at you and you just want to laugh. Anyway that's the only bad part of the whole plan for this transfer. They decided that one way to help strengthen us in our finding is to pray specifically for what we want. They said not to ask, but to demand. So now instead of saying ask and you shall receive, I say "demand and you shall receive, kick in the door and it shall be opened unto you, GPS and you shall find."  Yes I know I am a cheeky little monkey, but that is why everyone loves me:)  The zone leaders can't help, but just smile at me haha.  I'm such a sinner.   

Anyway the specific prayers have been amazing.  For example on Friday we prayed before we left that in the 2 hours of street contacting that we had, that we would find to males between the ages of 20-30 that would want a return appointment and become new investigators! Well guess what we got three return appointments and one came to church yesterday and has a baptismal date now! Such a miracle! His name is Sam and is 21 and is pretty prepared. He went to prison for stabbing someone and found God in prison and doesn't drink anymore and lives separate from his partner and has started going to a different church every week 4 months ago. He as a few mental issues, but he said that after being in prison he just wanted to be forgiven by Christ and to be a good person.  So sweet! He said at church to a member that he would be coming to this church from now on.  And during the teach on Saturday we were telling him about priesthood authority and he was like so I need to go to your church and be baptized there then? My jaw just dropped to the ground and I have been praising God since.  He has a few things to work on, but I know he can make it for his baptism.  Anyway that is the miracle of the week.

I forgot to mention that last week our ward got a new bishopric and they will be fantastic! Unfortunately our boss ward mission leader become second counselor so we don't to be with him and his family as much.   But he will be great to help the ward with missionary work with is new calling and we still eat at their place once a week cause his wife loves the missionaries.  Last week in church it was amazing to see the mantle of bishop be switched and over to a new person and to see it just fit so well was amazing. The Spirit bore such powerful witness that these were the right men at this time. Such an amazing and uplifting experience. Plus the Stake President gave me a shout out at the pulpit haha. Last transfer there was another Elder Wilson in our ward so the District Leader called him #Arizona and I was #Utah. So President Martin in his talk was like we now only have one Elder Wilson.. #Utah and then pointed at me and I just gave him the thumbs up and everyone laughed. I'm still now as #Utah it is so great. Elder Gull and I are hoping our mission president will call me by it.  

Well I hope you all have a wonderful week and LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Just a place we doing contacting called "The Hoe" and me holding an exact replica of Obi-Wan's light-saber from the third Star Wars. It cost the member £265 which is nearly $400!! Super Sweet

The Hoe

War memorial for all those lost in the Navy during WW I and II

Just Chillin

January 5, 2015

Well this week I learned one major thing about myself and I learned this from my new companion.

I'M A FLIPPIN HEATHEN 

Holy cow this kid is the most childlike and innocent person I have ever met in my entire life.  Every time he tells me a story I just think wow I need to go and repent for awhile now.  He is great and I already love him to shredzz, but man I feel like a dad walking around with him.  Its so crazy. At least I now know what Christ means when he says be like a little child.  So this year my goal is to try and not kick myself into hell or as my District leader and I always say be thrust into hell.  But anyway my comp's name is Elder Thompson and he is from my group. First kid I get to serve with from my group. He is from Moroni, Utah.  He was the first missionary I met when I walked into the airport and all I remember is him being so happy and saying, "Hey I'm Elder Thompson I didn't know we could bring our families into the airport so I'm just wandering around." And I thought to myself oh dear he is so happy and excited to be on a mission and I'm just being a big ole cry baby.  Funny how things have changed.  Definitely going to be a crazy transfer and start to a new year.

Well had a fun P-day waiting for the new comps to come in so I just chilled with favorite zone leader and district leader and my favorite little Korean. We did some shopping (said like the guys in whitechicks).  The next day Elder Thompson and I had two miracles on New Years Eve.  They weren't huge but the biggest tender mercies for me.  I stopped this one girl crossing the street and saw she had a Marilyn Monroe hand bag so we talked about her for awhile and how she likes retro fashion. And they we started talking about Christ and all that good stuff. Well her ride suddenly showed up and she had to go so we just quickly gave her a card with our number on it and walked away all sad. Well then like 2 minutes later we got a text from her! She is just curious, but oh how wonderful it felt to finally have someone listen to us.  Then later  that day in the exact same spot I saw this younger girl carrying bags and I always ask people if I can help carry their bags and England's typical pride they say no. Well my companion was a bit ahead of me and so I was like eh what the heck I'll ask her if she needs help. So I did and she just stared at my name badge then look at me and said sure and gave me all her bags.  Inside I'm just thinking "There is a God!" "I then thought to myself I've never gotten this far. What do I do now?"  No I wasn't that bad. Her and I just started talking like we were good ole friends. It threw Elder Thompson for a loop since he didn't know if she was a member or not haha.  Well she wasn't interested in the end, but it just felt good to receive a little tender mercy.  Was very much needed.  We then went to our Ward mission leaders home for new years eve and partied it up with him and his wife and kids.  Love that family! 

Like a good missionary I went to bed on at 10:30, but was awoken to some chavs swearing, crying and screaming outside our windows so I just watched and listen for a bit. Because its not every day you get some chav drama. Well I then realized my companion wasn't in his bed and I was like oh dear. So I go into the front room and there he is just puking his guts out for the last hour. Apparently he had tried to wake me up, but I just kept sleeping.  So I stayed up with him and made him laugh and took care of him. Good times haha.  So we spent the whole day in the flat new years day and after all the cleaning reorganizing I just sat there and wanted to die. I don't know how I use to just sit at home and do nothing. It sucks just doing nothing. You always say as a missionary when I get home I'm just going to do nothing for a day and when you get the time to do it on a mission it is the worse thing ever. Thank you Heavenly Father for helping me see the errors of my ways.  The weather has decided to go from nice to freezing cold and raining all the time. Which makes it great for street contacting. Utah cold is nothing compared to the cold here. Just goes strait through you. The members say Utah wind goes around you and England winds goes through you. It is so true.  

Well this week I have been trying to figure out what I can do better for this transfer so we can actually have a teaching pool. Last 4 weeks we have not found a single new investigator so I have been struggling. And I was reading a talk the other day from Elder Jorge Klebingat. And received the answers to my prayers. It comes into different quotes.

"Try and force a smile, gaze heavenward, and say, "I understand, Lord I know what this is. A time to prove myself, isn't it? Then partner with Him to endure well to the end. Spirit Confidence increases when you accept that often trials and tribulations are allowed to come into your because of what you are doing RIGHT."

"No matter what your current status, the very moment you voluntarily choose honest, joyful, daily repentance by striving to simply do and be your very best, the Savior's Atonement envelops and follows you, as it were, wherever you go."

I honesty feel this is the time Heavenly Father has tested me the most on my mission. I love how all we have to do is just smile and gaze upwards.  It's just that simple. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love and are aware of every single one of us.  All they ask is that we do our best. When we are pushed down to just get up dust ourselves off gaze upward and just smile.  I know that Christ lives. I have felt the enabling power of His Atonement throughout my mission. I know that Joseph Smith truly is a prophet of God, and that President Thomas S. Monson is his Prophet on our earth today.  I know that this is His Work and that nothing will bring more happiness then serving Him.  Let us begin this new year with a little more determination then yesterday to rise up to our true potential as sons and daughters of God and share the glad tidings of great joy with the World.  In the name Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love ya'll to shredzz!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Pictures are of the biggest and best hot dog I have seen in England. It's a half a yard haha. And just got to represent those giants!