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!