February 9, 2015
Well this week was crazy and weird. We get a call from
President Tuesday morning right before we are about to leave and he is like we
are going to white wash your area and move the zone leaders in since they live
in the middle of nowhere and need to be more central and there area is not
productive. I was like oh well that sounds about right. Every time I get
an area going I just get shipped off to one that has nothing and then have to
slave away for the next 3 to 4 months and then do it all over again.
Heavenly Father loves doing that to me. I really wasn't all that bothered
though. I'm pretty used to moving. Elder Thompson though was devastated since
he wanted to die here. (When a missionary goes home it is refer to as dying).
He was the one talking to President Millar and I was in the back just trying to
keep him from complaining and just being a man about it. I could barely get an
okay out of him after President would say something haha. Elder Gull and
I will miss each other and always whine about me leaving him. Will miss a
few of the members I got close with, but I'm excited for another
adventure. Hopefully back to the Isle of Wight!
The sad news is that Manolito didn't get baptized... He
wasn't able to quit smoking in time so we had to cancel it. The real sucky part
is that he blames me for everything. We were suppose to meet with him,
but one of the his flat mates text us saying he had to cancel so I asked him to
ask Manolito if he hadn't smoke this week. Well he had so I told him to just
let him know we would have to postpone the baptism and that we would come over
the next day to talk about it. I even had Elder Thompson read over it to
make sure it was nice cause sometimes I can be a little blunt and Elder
Thompson is so loving haha. Well anyway He got really mad so we decided
to just pop by that night and try and smooth things over to love and encourage
him. Well he opened the door and said you sent that text that was not
from Elder Thompson. You don't understand what you did to me. I asked if we
could come in and share a scripture. I shared 1 Nephi 3:7 and talked about how
the Lord will provide a way from him to keep his commandments and that baptism
was not a matter of if, but when. Well he still wasn't happy with me and
just looked at me and said everybody understands me, but you. You don't realize
what you have done to me. I just said that it was both Elder Thompson and I
that made the decision and that we did it because we love him and want him to
be fully prepared and ready. He just said no, stared at me for a bit, then
turned to Elder Thompson and said I love you to bits and you are now my
guide. Well to say the least I just told him I loved him and that I was
always there for him. He gave me a hug when we left so that was good. Man
I don't know what it is about me, but people just take everything I say so
hard. Oh well Jesus Christ was hated by many and many took his words to be hard
so I guess I'm doing something right. Oh and don't worry Elder Thompson spoke
to he just isn't very bold and basically just said that he loved Mano and is
there for him. So I just took all the beating which I'm good with cause
it would have killed Elder Thompson if he had said anything mean to him. He even
felt bad for me and I was just like oh well. Once again I am just a heathen.
We spent most of the rest of the week preparing the area for
the zone leaders and just trying to prepare everyone as much as possible. Had
nice treat the last two days though. One of our less actives was
devastated when I told her that I was leaving. She doesn't do that with anyone
else though. So made me happy to know she loved me:) Plus one of the members
(Taylor's) Just loved us to death gave us a cool present. They lived in
Jerusalem for 15 years and she gave us a book mark that had a picture of Christ
tomb that came from the exact spot! It was so cool! She said don't tell anyone
cause I don't hand these out for fun. I just love her and her husband so much.
She would only invite us over for dinner and not the other Elders. We would
always just talk about the Old and New Testament and all the history she
learned about while living there and then plus the deep doctrine my favorite:)
I was surprised at home many members were really sad that I was leaving. I
didn't realize I had made that much of an impact in just 3 months. They were
probably the saddest ward to see me leave that I've been in. That was
basically my week and it was crazy weird one as I said before!
Well I don't remember if I have ever shared this, but if I
have oh well. Something cool that I love studying is being born again. A
cool insight that I learned when I was about 9 months out is in John 3:3-5.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when
he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God.
In verse 3 you'll notice that it says "See the Kingdom
of God" and in verse 5 it says "Inherit the Kingdom of God."
So what does that mean? It means that? It means that we have to have a
change of heart or be "born again" in order to realize that the
Kingdom of God is on the earth again. Once we receive this witness which comes
from the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:3-5) we then will want to be baptized and
receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost so we can enter God's kingdom. One
might ask well do you have to receive that before you are baptized? The
answered would be no, but it would be ideal if everyone had that born again
experience before baptism. But like myself a lot of people receive it
after baptism. The Scriptures are loaded with examples of people having
this born again experience. Paul had it on his way to Damascus and after
having it was baptized (Acts 9:18), The three thousand people Peter taught and
baptized who were all pricked in their hearts and asked what should they do
now?(Acts 2: 37-38,41) The Book of Mormon is loaded with people who had their
born again experiences. The people of of King Benjamin (Mosiah 4-5), Alma the
Older (Mosiah 23:9; 18:7-18), Alma the Younger (Alma 36), and of course the
Sons of Mosiah and their mission among the Lamanites (Alma 17-26).
I would exhort all of you to search deep and truly see if
you have been born of God? Alma 5 gives you all the questions you should ask
yourself to see if you have been born of God. Now do not expect to have
experiences like all the people in the scriptures. Theirs were so amazing that
they were written down for scripture. For most of us being Born Again will come
over time. But it first starts with having faith in Christ and desiring to have
a burning testimony that the Book of Mormon is true which will lead one to know
that Joseph Smith is a Prophet, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints is the only true and living church on the face of the
earth. We then over time will be changed and as Alma the Younger
taught,
26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do
this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. (Mosiah 27:26)
I testify that all of us can become born again and be
able to enjoy all the blessings that Heavenly Father has and wants to offer
us. I have felt his love for me and though my journey of being born again
has been rough and is still continuing I know that one day I will be able to be
like Jesus Christ and rest with him in His Father's kingdom. There is no
greater blessing then that of Eternal Life! I love this work and I love my
Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I know that it is only through him that I can
be changed and to become who he wants me to be. "Yea, I know that I
am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself,
but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea,
behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will
praise his name forever" (Alma 26:12).
Hope you all have a great week and love you to
shredzz!!
Love,
Elder Wilson
The amazing Braganza family. They have a son serving in
India right now and there other son is only 17 too haha. And then Edward
who was baptized over a year ago and is just so epic! He plans to go leave on a
mission soon!
This ladies name is Pauline.
Elder Allen and I found her my second transfer on the Isle of Wight. She had
dropped us before I left, but they picked her back up the week I left haha. She
got baptized this Sunday though and I even got to talk to her yesterday on the
phone! SO EPIC!
