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! 

December 29, 2014

Well only a few more days until my black year or as I call it miracle year is over.  Hard to believe 2014 went by so fast! So many miracles and amazing things happened! Christmas week was pretty great. Hard for missionary work cause nobody was on the streets and everyone seemed to hate us a little bit extra. But like Paul I glory in tribulation. Christmas Eve we had a great dinner with an amazing family called the Hooper's. All the missionaries in the ward went over and while we waited for dinner just talked about all our deep doctrine haha. Love members that can talk doctrine. It's so fun! We then had Elder Gull and Elder Bradford sleep over at our flat. We then had breakfast at our Ward mission leaders home Christmas morning. Hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls! Super amazing! And then the second best part of the day we watched FROZEN! It was super great. Lived up to all its hype. The funniest part was when Elsa lets her hair down Elder Gull and I where singing LET IT DOWN, LET IT DOWN! IT was so funny! Yes I know the two manly men in the district like a girly movie.  Haha it was great though. We then went from the Martin Jr. to the Martin Sr. Had a great big Christmas dinner. It was a lot of fun and really good food. We then went out and contacted for a bit. Talked to some pretty weird, but cool people. Then ended the night at the greatest family the Braganzas. Got to Skye home which was great. My brothers are huge, My dad looked like Santa, and my mom looks like she is twenty.  Its funny cause every time an Elder sees a picture of her they ask if she is my girlfriend. I then say no she is my mom and they just get this funny surprised look on there face and then get really red and walk away. To funny! The rest of the week we just did a whole lot of finding with now success and froze are butts off. So cold right now! Its alright just making me into a little more of a man;)  Yeah so that's my week in a nutshell.  The work is rough right now, but the Lord chastens those whom he loves so I'm happy! 

Something cool I learned while reading in the Bible today comes from Hebrews 2:11

 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren

How cool is that? We become one with Christ as we  are sanctified.  I don't it just clicked in my brain while reading it cause Christ is always praying we become one with him and the Father and this scripture just put a new perspective on it.  

Hope you all have a great a New Years Eve and New Year! LOVE YA'LL TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Hazards of Missionary work

His District

Nativity Scene

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Collin told us he is getting a new companion tomorrow.  It will be his 10th companion while serving.

December 22, 2014

Well this week was just all over the place again. Seems like every time we finally have time to go finding something pops up and we don't have anytime anymore. It sucks because its been like this for the last month and so now just the thought of going on the streets for two hours to find some people is like torture. But its okay we all must have the trial of our faith! We have been doing the 12 days of Christmas for three different families. We just make a different type of cookie each day and take it over. The Ward Mission Leaders wife makes the cookies actually because she is that awesome and then we scramble around to deliver them. It has actually been a lot harder then we thought, but oh well its been fun! 

I few highlights of this week. We were able to visit lots of members this week and share "He Is the Gift" Video with them. So amazing and I just love the video so much. My favorite thing about it is how it is just so fast and crazy in the beginning and then it just slows down. I think that is the message we need to take in.  Yes Christmas is fun and there are a lot of exciting things going on. But we need to just take the time to slow down and think about what really matters and ponder on the First Gift of Christmas being Jesus Christ.  That's probably my favorite thing about being a missionary at this time of year.  It honestly does not feel like Christmas at all, but I have learned more about Jesus Christ at this time of year then I ever have before. He truly is the greatest gift ever given. Now its just our job to share it! 

I had an exchange as well this week with an Elder Bradford. And boy oh boy is he the definition of true greeny. If I had half the enthusiasm he has at the beginning of my mission I would be AP.  He is a good missionary though, just needs to figure out how to be effective and efficient. As well which is the hardest thing to do just stop and listen to those who have more experience. I only share this because he is exactly like me when I was a greeny.  Just try to do everything at once and nothing gets done. The biggest thing I've learned as a missionary is to just do what the Lord asks of you and then think of others as you do it.  So often I see missionaries try and add rules and do crazy things to the mission rules to try and be 110% obedient and be such an amazing missionary.  And often they are just more tired and get the same amount of work done and are usually depressed because they are doing more then Heavenly Father expects, but feel they are terrible.  As the good Old Testament teaches us, "It is better to be obedient then to sacrifice."  Yes if we desire we can wake up at 6 instead of 6:30 so we can study a little bit extra, but Heavenly Father only expects me to wake up at 6:30.  Yes I can go crazy in the streets and chase people and try to talk to every single person I see. But Heavenly Father only expects me to talk to as many people as I can. I'm not making excuses to be lazy, but I feel as missionaries and members we put all this extra burden on ourselves by making these little rules. When we are told to Magnify our callings and membership all it means is to be obedient and to do all you can. Not become like the law of Moses and have a check list on everything.  As we will just simply be 100% obedient (not 110 or 99) and serve others as we do so Heavenly Father will make up for the areas we lack and we will see so many miracles! 

Sorry about the little rant. Just passionate about it.  On Sunday we go to help the primaries Nativity Play by being Shepherds. I Just love little kids! They are so funny and so cute. At the end of the Nativity they had each kid say something that they would say to Jesus if he were right there. Almost all of them said Thank you or I love you. So touching to see how much faith kids really have. The best one said was by the ward mission leaders daughter and she said "Happy  Birthday."  So funny! 

Well that's my week in a nutshell. The work is slow, but just have to keep doing our best. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas remember to always look to the Savior! LOVE YA ALL TO SHREDZZ!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Elder Wilson

Just one of the investigators Elder Gull is teaching and his girlfriend. She is a member and he is getting baptized soon. They are so awesome and gave all the missionaries presents. I got a gun that shoots darts so now I just shoot Elder Mackay all the time during studies:)

December 15, 2014

This week was just crazy and full of so many activities!  We went to the temple which was a blast! The coach ride there and back was so flippin funny.  Elder Gull, Elder Goldsmith, and Elder Olsen, and I all sat in the back and just talked about hunting, sponge bob, deep doctrine, and played this game where you have to try and touch the other persons beard without them licking you.  Lets just say that after 14 hours on a coach it got intense.  On the way back from the temple we also got Elder Gull this little wooden duck at a gas station and surprised him with it on the bus. He named it Carl after the llamas with hats YouTube video.  So dang funny! Just a good ole blast.  Of course the temple was the highlight of the whole trip.  It felt so good to finally be able to be in the temple! The spirit was so strong and I got a nice surprise with seeing my favorite companion Elder Green and going through with him.  It was amazing!  Elder Green and I just reverted back to are old selves from back in the Hedge End days and were laughing the whole time.  After the temple we had a very good Christmas dinner.  We sang carols and everyone got the chance to hit these little chimes to get the tunes of the carols. Pretty funny and spiritual. We then sang a few hymns and the Spirit was so strong and then President Millar bore his testimony. This will be his and Sister Millars last Christmas as mission president so it was very emotional and spiritual.  I will never forget it and am so sad I won't be there next year:( 

Friday we had the Ward Christmas party which we helped set up the last two weeks. The ward mission leaders wife Judith set it all up and did an amazing job! She is so awesome! Tons of people came and it was really good as well.  The next morning we had football and it was so crazy! The field just turned into straight mud. So it became a came of rugby football and ice skating combo.  We got so muddy! And at the end we did a massive victory slide on are stomachs in the mud.  So funny and so cold.  

Sunday was really good.  We had two less actives come to church which was amazing.  We wiped out are whole teaching pool and only have less actives at the moment. The work in Plymouth is very rough and most of our time is spent trying to form a good relationship with the ward and to build their trust. Very difficult.  But we got to listen to the Christmas devotional and it was really good.  The story of the little boy that Elder Christofferson told was amazing. I just love how amazing we human beings can be.  Always amazes me the things we are willing to do for each other. Always is a reassurance that there really is a God and that he loves all his children no matter what.  Oh yeah just to brag a little bit. My mom is the greatest mom ever and does the 12 days of Christmas for me and my companion. It started on Saturday and my companion says every morning "Your mom is a legend." So dang funny and makes me so proud to have the mom and dad that I do.  Especially since the old man looks like Santa for not shaving in so long.  Love my parents! 

I hope you all have had a great week and will have an even better one this week.  Remember what this time of year is all about and may God bless you! LOVE YOU ALL TO SHREDZZ!! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Hanging out in the backseat

Buss Ride to the Christmas Party

The London Temple

Collin and his companion from Scotland

Collin and his Favorite companion Elder Green

Ok now a nice pic

War Paint

after a football(soccer)/rugby game

Ward Christmas Party

The Wood Duck

Temple Selfies

December 8, 2015

Well nothing really happened this week.  Just did a whole lot of finding with no success and went and visited are less actives we are working with.  The less active work in Plymouth is always keeping us busy but we have nothing when it comes to investigators.  You would think that the hearts of the English would soften up at Christmas time, but no they just get harder. So frustrating.  Nice thing is we have are Mission Christmas party so we basically get two days off  because of traveling since we are like 5 hours away from the mission home plus we get to go to into the temple!! To pumped for that.  You people in Utah have no idea what it's like to not have a temple 5 minutes away and can go whenever you want.  Use them! They are such a blessing and so amazing.  We also have our ward Christmas party this week so that will be good! 

Basketball and Football (soccer) went will this week.  More and more nonmembers are starting to come out.  Its funny how the two sports I suck at and don't really like are basically the only two sports England plays besides rugby and missionaries aren't allowed to play cause we get worked up to fast haha.  But my skills are getting better and I can almost dribble a football pretty well.  Nothing beats American football or baseball though. Its fun to play American football in England because the English basically can't do anything with there hands.  Its like ok I'm going to throw this at you and all you have to do is catch it. Nope that is just to hard so it makes all the fat Americans in the mission look like they play for the NFL.  Good times.  

I also went on exchange with Elder Gull this week.  Man this guy is so epic! He lives in Salem, Utah and is the biggest redneck just like me.    He also has epic hunting stories.  It's funny though to see this big redneck so loved struck.  He has like a proper girlfriend of 4 years and the stories of him dating her you would think he was Mr.Romantic. So dang funny.  He and I just spent all day talking about our hunting stories and the kind of guns and things we will buy when we go home.  Yes, we also did missionary work and committed one of their Investigators to be baptized! Its was a good and much needed exchange.  Elder Gull is going to turn me into a proper hunter when I get home. He even wants to start a business with me when we are home.  To awesome! 

Well that's all I got. Before I leave something that I got out of my study today that I never noticed before was out of 3 Nephi 21.  Did you know that America has two destinies.  If they don't repent the Lord will destroy them and if they repent they will help build the New Jerusalem. My mind was just blown that I never realized that's what it was saying till now. Go read the chapter it is so intense! 

Anyway I love you all and have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Wilson 

Just what Elder Gull and I do on exchange at night.  May the force be with you

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We found out today Collin comes home July 22nd!!!!

December 1, 2014

Hello Everyone!

As usual I never remember what I did during the week and some how still end up writing long emails?  Honestly this week was just full of tons of traveling and seeing people and traveling some more.  I went home teaching with a really cool guy from our ward.  He is just so strong in the gospel and knows his doctrine so well.  He is just a whole other animal.  The thing that I do like about England is that its a lot harder to be lukewarm in the gospel.  Most the people are either super solid or just don't go to church or could careless.  But it is frustrating cause more and more people are going to the latter of the two.  Anyway home teaching was great and I can't wait to do it when I get home! I remember always complaining when I would have to go do an hour of fast offerings and home teaching once a month.  I thought it was so hard haha.  Those of you that haven't served missions enjoy just doing fast offerings and home teaching because when you go out to serve for two years you have a whole lot of knocking and teaching ahead of you.  

We had quite a few dinner appointments this week which is unusual for the area I guess.  But my favorite one was last night because for the first time in my entire mission a family had made their own family mission plan because they are just that awesome! I just wanted to cry and kiss them.  So epic! Also had a good time talking about pranks the husband pulled on his mission when he was in a 4 man flat. One of them involved rapping suramwarp (I can't spell) around the toilet and then watching some go in and then yell because they got pee all over their feet haha! Another great meal was that we got Thanksgiving dinner from the ward this year! They just had a huge feast so tons of non members came and had a proper thanksgiving dinner. My favorite part were the candy yams and all the American missionaries were fighting over it.  So good, but still not as good as my moms;) 

We have what we call a seminar every Friday.  Just where members, nonmembers, and less actives can come listen to the basics doctrines of the church and learn more and feel the Spirit.  We had to teach it this week and did it on the Family.  It was a ton of fun and the Spirit was so strong.  I had to make the PowerPoint and the first picture I used was one of my Grandma's wedding from earlier this year and it had basically my whole family on my moms side besides about 10 people. I talked about how my Grandma lost her husband and both her parents in the same year and had kids from 10 years old to 6 months old to  raise by herself.  I said she decided to allow God to help her instead of turn against him and because of that decision I was sealed to all those amazing people in the picture.  The greatest part was the Spirit was so strong and everyone was all teary eyed and it was just an epic way to start of the seminar.  Families are just so amazing and I'm so grateful to be able to have the knowledge that I can live with them forever.  And just as a side not to brag I used sports photos of my brothers in the PowerPoint so I could brag about how huge and good they are.  Every time I said little brother everyone laughed at me.  

I don't know if you all know, but the church is doing a big Christmas Initiative called "He is the Gift." They came out with a video similar to "Because of Him" and it is so powerful and will really help with remembering what Christmas is all about.  Something my companion had said the other day that I thought was really cool and never had really thought about was how to get the Christmas Spirit.  And that is to just give of yourself to others.  Isn't that so true?  Isn't that what Charity is? We all know that charity is the pure love of Christ. When I thought about this is put Christmas into perspective for me so much.  We all talk about the Spirit of Christmas and love it so much at this time of the year.  Yet if you just drop the last syllable you get the Spirit of Christ. We all want to have the Spirit in our lives more and all we need to do is give the best gift to our Heavenly Father that we can.  And that is our Ourselves.  I hope you all strive to do more for others then to expect things done for yourself.  Something I will never forget is what my Bishop told me in an interview one time.  He was talking to me about how when he got home from his mission he wasn't as happy as he used to be.  Not that anything was wrong with life he just found that he wasn't as happy as when he was on his mission.  He came to realize that it was because while on his mission he thought of others more then himself and now that he was home he was thinking more of himself more.  I can agree with this.  I have never been happier then when I get to share with someone for  the first time that that they have a Heavenly Father that loves them so much that they are his son and daughter.  And then to just watch the light go on in their eyes and to see them change and catch the fire of the gospel.  I've never been happier when I just reach out to someone by listening to them and giving a helping hand.  To end I would like to just quote President Packer. Its not an exact quote but close enough so bare with me. Hope it makes sense.

"We must share the gospel with everyone all the time, and on occasion use words to do it"

I love you all and have a great week! 

Love,

Elder Wilson

My companion Elder Mackay and the Thanksgiving dinner!