August 18, 2014

Hello family! 

Well really nothing to exciting happened this week.  Did a lot of knocking and street contacting.  Did go on the mainland twice this week which was awesome.  So that meant riding the hovercraft twice which is always fun.  Had exchange with the zone leaders.  I was suppose to go to South Hampton and live the zone leader life with a car but the night before they called saying they felt they needed to switch it so I stayed on the island!  It sucked but oh well still lots of fun.  Zone leaders are just a whole other missionary.  They work pretty hard.  Don't worry though I kept up just fine and showed them whats up;) The Sisters had a baptism which was awesome and a relief! There investigator has gone through a lot to be baptized.  He was a self referral and so golden.  He struggle with Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity so Elder Belnap and I gave him a blessing three weeks before his baptism.  Since then he has been extremely sick, dislocated his knee so he had to wear a huge full leg cast, fell and hurt his hip, his mom crashed into a wall and at the baptism the fire alarm went off right before we started!  But he still got baptized and on the first dunk! I was had to be in the water to help the guy performing it to get him out of the water since the investigator was a big guy and was only standing on one leg.  So was a great experience!  So glad to see him get baptized.  He is already talking about getting ready to serve a mission in a year! So cool! Other then that nothing to awesome happened this week.  Had some great news that two people I found and taught will be baptized this week and the following so I am just to excited and happy for them! The Gospel is so amazing and can truly change lives!  I LOVE IT!  

Have a great week and LOVE YA'LL TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,
Elder Wilson

August 11, 2014

Howdy everyone! 

Well not to much happen this week really.  Been doing a lot of finding still and still not having that much success.  It was a hard week since it was Cowes week which is the biggest Yacht race in the world.  You think that would be awesome for contacting but everyone is just drunk and could careless about God.  It was fun to see all the Yachts and people going crazy.  I also got to go on a vision quest.  My companion was really into mediation before he came out and so he has his little in-cents (don't know how to spell) box so he had my lie down and close my eyes.  Turned the lights of and played some relaxing music.  He then guided me through my vision quest to find my spiritual animal and right when I was about to see it I fell asleep.  It was pretty funny how he describe it to me when I fell asleep.  He said that he noticed I started snoring so he started telling me to do things and I didn't move so he just turned the lights on said ELDER WILSON!  I woke up peacefully and he was all sad and confused cause he didn't know what to do with me haha.  It was pretty great.  

We went knocking in a place called Ventnor which is so amazing and the southern part of the Island.  We knocked a door with a guy that had met with missionaries a long time ago.  He was blind in one eye which was pretty cool. A side not really quick.  My Companion after talking to this guy said he wanted to be blind in one eye so he could wear an eye patch and then tell me people that with his good eye he sees them and then lifting the eye patch say and with this one I see into your soul.  It was so funny.  He 

also tells less actives that he wants to get shot so he knows how it feels.  He such a crazy guy! Anyway back to the story.  The guy we talked to wasn't all that interested but we had a good lesson.  Later that night before going in we got a call from an unknown number.  It was the guy!  He told us that he felt the Spirit move while speaking to us and wanted to meet with us.  We committed him to church for the next day and he showed up.  We will be meeting with him again this week and it was just a great tender mercy and blessing the Lord gave us!  So grateful for it.  Sunday night we also had a fireside with Stake Patriarch and it was so deep and so amazing!  I will share what he told us how to study our Patriarchal Blessings.

He said all of them are made up of three things.  Some may be more then others or they might be equal.  

1. Gifts/Talents

2. Instructions/Directions

3. Resulting Blessings

We then have to study it and find out what Gifts we have that go with a specific instruction and then what the blessings are from them.  They can be easy to find and not so easy.  For example you might have the gift and instructions right by each other but the blessing far away.  So we then have to find it.  He also said that the blessings might not always bless us but bless others.  It really opened my Patriarchal Blessing to me and is a lot more fun to read and study!  I hope you will all enjoy studying yours more and that this may help you out a little and was somewhat clear haha.  

Well that was my week in a nutshell.  I love all of you so much and hope you have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

P.s Pictures are from the sunrise on our way to zone conference two weeks ago 

August 4, 2014

Hello family! 

Well it is August.  Feels like any other month just hot.  Feels like a normal week but in a few days  I will go over the hump and then my mission begins to end I slowly die. I remember when I came out how all I wanted to be was just 1 year out and now all I want is to have another two years ahead of me.  Of course I can't wait to see my family but nothing beats missionary life.  Hope the year goes by a little slow in a good way:) 

Well this week wasn't really all that spectacular.  We are slowly building are teaching pool so lots of finding and talking to people.  But we are slowly seeing some success.  We had zone conference this week which was amazing as always!  We had to wake up at 4am so we could catch the 5:15am bus to catch the 5:47am ferry to catch the 6:15am train to get to Staines at 9:30am :) Along the way we got confused with the trains back tracked a little but got there on time! We then were spiritually fed and it was great.  We then got back to our flatt at 8pm and had an hour to contact.  We met a great lady who didn't even want to talk to us but we just got to know her and at the end she was asking for a Book of Mormon and wanting to meet with us.  She said I know God had us meet here tonight! It was such an amazing blessing especially since we weren't planning on going out that night since we were so hungry and tired, but since it was the only hour we had to go do some work for that day we decided to work instead of eat.  Amazing how much the Lord will bless you when you sacrifice.  I love the verse in Praise to the Man that says " Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of Heaven." I have a firm testimony that it truly does bring more blessings then we can imagine or comprehend.  Rest of the week nothing to crazy or exciting happen.  We just have to keep on keeping on:)  We did see a red squirrel which was amazing!  They are so cute and red and crazy.  Well I hope you are all doing awesome and I LOVE YOU TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

July 28, 2014

Heyo Family! 

Well this week has been pretty great.  We have YSA Family Home Evening on Monday which was loads of fun. Made me excited to be a YSA when I get home.  We have worked pretty hard this week and its been a lot of fun hot work. We taught a couple that were formers and they were super solid.  They really want to learn more and read the Book of Mormon.  So pray for them!  It is always amazing to me how the Lord knows when people will be prepared to accept the gospel.  I love the quote that says we see ourselves in yesterday and today and Heavenly Fathers sees us in forever.  So amazing to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us and that as long as we keep the commandments and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit we can't be led astray.  The rest of the week was great.  Had a baptism on Saturday and it went well.  I had to conduct it which was my first time conducting anything but it was a lot of fun! The Isle of Wight is beautiful and just a crazy farming/jungle paradise.  It is still very hot but oh well.  I'm getting along with my companion really well.  He is a stud and so dang funny.  He also likes to work out and can run so dang fast.  He is really getting my fat bum into shape! I was also able to ride the Hovercraft for the first time which was pretty cool.  Just looks like a big boat with fans on the back but it flies over the water pretty fast.  Well my family I hope you are all doing so well and know that I pray for you and love you so much! Here is a scripture to help us remember that God really does love us and knows what is best for us! 

"Be still, and know that I am God."- Psalm 46:10

LOVE YA'LL TO SHREDZZ!!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Just a beach we were contacting by.  Hopefully its a good picture could really tell because of the sun

The island is suppose to be really haunted so they give haunted tours and this lady is literally right next to the flat.  I can lean out the window and look to the left to see here haha

Lady that got baptized on saturday. Pam!

Dad's Sidenote

As of tomorrow Collin there is a possibility that Collin will be home in one year.  This is based off transfer dates and sending missionaries home a week before Visa's expire.  Hard to believe his mission is half over.  He is turning into a spiritual giant!!  We are so proud of him!

July 21, 2014

Hello Family! 

Well I am now an islander which is just the coolest thing ever.  Isle of Wight is pretty dang epic.  We live in the middle but cover all over the Island.  It is about 70 miles all the way around and 26 miles across so a pretty big island. But there are only like five major towns so big area but not a lot of people.  The nice thing is that it is summer and a lot of festivals are going on so the islands population just doubles which is epic. In a town called Cowes they have what they call Cowes Week which is when they have one of the biggest yacht races in the world. So that is pretty cool.  Our flatt is pretty small but for the first time on my mission I don't have bunk bed! So that is just great! The island is super hot and humid.  I sleep, I sweat. I walk, I sweat. I eat, I sweat. I shower, I sweat. I talk to people, I sweat.  Life is just great! Going to lose a ton of weight! The craziest thing though is that by the time I will probably get moved I will be out almost 18 months!  That is just the weirdest thought ever! Anyway the ward is pretty great.  The island is like no other ward I've been apart of.  It has about 100 people and they are all so relaxed and basically all family.  It feels like Clarkston:) My companion is a great guy! He has been on the Island for 6 months and will be here with me for another month and half:) He is about a month and half younger than me mission age wise.  And I bet you all guessed it, yes he is from Sandy, Utah. Making him my fifth Utah companion. Guess I need to learn something from Utahans or the Lord just wants me to have a lot of good friends when I go home:) They had a baptism last Sunday with a 23 year old model named Harriet. She is really great and I felt privileged to be apart of her confirmation.  We also will be having a baptism of another lady named Pam.  She is older and Reminds me of my GG:) She is hilarious and so dang great!  I also have Sisters in my ward for the first time ever which is really weird but great as well.  They just bring so much Spirit with them! I'm excited to serve her and it will be a lot of fun! The Island is just completely different then any other place and I love it! 

I love all of you and hope you all have a great week! LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Trip to the island by hovercraft 

Not sure if the road melted or the person doing the striping drank to much. 

This is the town street Collin lives on.  They just had a parade.

July 14, 2014

Well I am moving to my new area this Wednesday! That will make for 4 areas and 7 companions in my first year.  That is a lot more then I expected haha:) The area I will be going to is called the Isle of Wight. Just of the coast of Portsmouth so I will be moving back to my old zone which pretty cool.  My new comps names is Elder Belnap and from what I hear he is a hilarious guy so the Lord has once again blessed me with another great companion! I sure will miss Crawley though.  Going to miss the Cragg family with who I stay with.  Their oldest son Ben is the greatest and will miss him a ton! This week was pretty fun.  We did some more service for a guy we met on the street six weeks ago. He had us clear this big area of vines with massive thorns and all I had was gloves with holes in them and a scythe haha. Then we hand to cut big ole branches off that had some massive thorns that were just solid wood. Elder Gunnell took a few and made a crown just like the one they put on the Saviours head.  Really put into perspective what must have felt like to have that pressed into your head.  I had a few fall on mine from them falling and it didn't feel all that good. That amazing part though is the guy we did service for only wanted us to help him six weeks ago but he came to church and new some members and said next time he will bring his whole family and won't have appointments so he can stay the whole time! So amazing! The Lord is definitely blessing the people here in Crawley.  It was funny cause when he came to church he recognized one of the members and the member recognized him and shouted his name and gave him a big ole hug! It was the greatest! I just love this gospel and all that it does for us.  Saturday we went to the temple with an investigator and it helped her so much.  She really felt the Spirit and made the comment I don't know how anyone could not accept this and know its true.  The temple is such a blessing and how grateful I am for it and all the blessings and love that pours from it.  How wonderful it is to have a Heavenly Father that loves us so much and pours out so many blessings!  THE CHURCH IS TRUE! Well that's it for most of my week.  Hope you all are doing well and LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,
Elder Wilson

Arms after removing thorny bushes

The Thorny Bushes

This is one of the family members that Collin lives with

London Temple with an investigator

Dad's Note

Collin gave me a task to study D&C 8 and 9 which is about asking the Lord and receiving answers but it also talks about why we may fail and this is fear.  Here is a little something he wrote to me that I would like to share.  

Glad you studied D&C!  I love those chapters as well since it is always a nice rebuke:)  I love how you just lays out how to receive personal revelation.  It is amazing how much he loves us and truly wants to talk to us.  Fear is definitely a killer of faith.  The two scriptures I love that help me to remember that there no need to fear are D&C 6:36 and Timothy 1:7. The Lord gives us every opportunity to succeed we just have to be willing to put the effort in.  We must also remember that doubt and fear lead to despair and Moroni 10:22 lets us know that despair comes from inequity so if we want to rid or selves of fear and walk uprightly before God we need to always repent and let Virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly! Thanks for sharing all that with me.  It was something I needed to hear. I think the greatest blessing of serving am mission are the ones that go to your family.  Elder Nielson gave a talk to the new mission presidents and told them "Why do missionaries serve missions?" It is to bless their great great grandchildren with blessing of being sealed in the temple for eternity. Everything we do in the church is to point to the temple." I thought that was pretty amazing that I am here not for myself but for my future family.  The Lord is so mindful of us and all our needs! My heart swells with so much gratitude as I remember and see all the blessings he gives me in my life! Thanks for all you do dad and I LOVE YA TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Here is a little info as to where he is getting transferred to:

Collin said they have huge festivals i the summer and the population goes from 100,000 to 250,000 during the summer.

Climate

Being one of the most southerly parts of the UK, the Isle of Wight has a milder sub-climate than most other areas, which makes it a popular holiday destination, particularly the resorts in the south east of the island. It also has a longer growing season than most other areas in the UK. The mean temperature is 13 degrees Celsius averaged over the whole year, and is 18 degrees in July and August. The microclimate of places such as Lower Ventnor is influenced by their sheltered position under the cliffs. The Isle of Wight is also sunnier than most parts of the UK and Western Europe, with 1800–2100 hours of sunshine a year, more than areas of northern Spain.

Modern history

During the Second World War the island was frequently bombed. With its proximity to France the island also had a number of observation stations and transmitters, and was the starting-point for one of the earlier Operation Pluto pipelines to feed fuel to the Normandy landings.

The Needles battery was used as the site for testing and development of the Black Arrow and Black Knight space rockets, subsequently launched from Woomera, Australia.

The Isle of Wight Festival was a very large rock festival that took place near Afton Down, West Wight in 1970, following two smaller concerts in 1968 and 1969. The 1970 show was notable both for being one of the last public performances by Jimi Hendrix and for the number of attendees reaching, by many estimates, 600,000. The festival was revived in 2002 in a different format and is now an annual event.

July 7, 2014

Elder Wilson is doing great but didn't have a lot of time to write a family letter but did send pictures.   Transfers are coming up this week and he is hoping that he and his companion will not get transferred.  They are working hard and enjoy the area they are in.   They do have a baptism scheduled for August 9th and hope all will go well with that.   It is hard to believe that he has been out for 11 months now!  Next year at his time we will be counting down the hours till he is home.

Crawley District!  Elder Gunnell and I are doing the First Presidency Pose:)

I think he is looking to teach Robin Hood

He said he was preaching to the squirrels!!

Learning to make Cinnamon Rolls

"I would walk 500 miles"

Finally figured out why his feet got wet when it rains.

Time to get them resoled!