4-24-17

This week, not much happened, but somehow, a lot happened. 

I had companion exchanges twice this week, with Elder Emrich and Elder Zazueta. It was a great time and I learned a ton from them! They are both awesome guys and they made the week fly by. I had my first spiritual contact, and in Iztacalco, I was walking with Zazueta and I felt the urge to turn around and talk to a family we passed. They immediately accepted our message and I think they will be baptized! Now i just need to have that happen to me in my own area!!! haha!

We also had our Zone Conference this week, and it was such an uplifting experience! President Mecham said that theres more to missionary work than just walking, and I loved that! I feel like Im starting to really get the hang of the language and of the work, and now I can really focus on it. 

This week I robbed 902 pesos from Hna. Dulces store, breaking the missionary record of all time! Its a game she has with all of the missionaries that visit her. I win. 

The email is titled round 2 because we went back to the hospital this week. I have a double inner ear infection, and I have to take a horse pill every 4 hours for a month. I guess I will learn how to swallow pills? I hope. 

Spiritual thought:

"God has not given us the power of fear, but of love.... There is no fear in Gods love." -Ucchtdorf.

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live through him.... that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." -1 John 4 and 5

I invite all of you to read 1 John 4, to understand the love of God in our lives and how perfect it is, and how we can come to be perfect like him, through love. 

Have a good week filled with love! 

Photos:

1- My mission family! My trainer, the trainee of my comp, and the trainee of the trainee of my comp! haha! (p.s. my tie tho)

April 18, 2017

Happy Easter everyone! What an amazing time for us, as we remember the Lord Jesus Christ who rose from the dead to give us life! I hope you had a great Easter with some fun Easter eggs. Here in Mexico, everyone just watches bible videos, which are complete apostasy, march down the street with wooden crosses, reenact the crucifixion of Jesus, get drunk, and go to a random church on Sunday morning. Good times. I hope your Easter had some more.... fulfilling activities. 

I have 17 weeks in the mission field, plus 6 from the CCM, so that makes it 23. or 24. Im not sure. But looking back, its a good amount of time, eh? This week I achieve 5 months since leaving my beautiful home and family and Utah to serve the Lord. 

This week was slow, because unfortunately, nothing happened. We didnt have many appointments, we have lost a few investigators, and our less actives arent doing anything so we struggled to fill up our days with work this week. However, we have a lot of promise for the coming week of work so I have high hopes that the flow will really turn around and hit a positive motion. 

This week I had companion exchanges with Elder Beach from Salt Lake City on Friday. It was such a blessing to talk in English in the streets, and make a new friend. We had an amazing day of work, in fact, it was the best day of work Ive ever had in the mission field! I dont know if it was the English or if it was good lessons that day, but I loved it. 

I also taught my first lesson with my eyes closed. Hermana Rocio was, and still is sick this week, and when we came to visit her she had on her pajamas, but apparently it is really embarrassing for her to be seen in PJs, so we closed our eyes and taught an entire lesson! This isnt really important, its just that this week was boring. 

This week the BYU-Idaho Symphonic Orchestra came to our stake center and played! I got to go because I brought 2 investigators, so Rosales and I enjoyed the music. It was actually super fun cause all the Mexicans went nuts when they played a bunch of popular Mexican songs. And it was amazing cause I havent seen that many white people since I left the CCM. Not that Latinos are bad, but it was a good reminder that white people still exist. 

But thats pretty much it for this week. Short and sweet is my email, but long and hard was this week. Also, I have forgotten how to speak in English, so im not sure if that made sense. 

Other cool things:

1. A friend bought me a fruit cup

2. Yeah thats it sorry

April 11, 2017

 Heres a story for yall:

Thursday morning, Elder Emrich was admitted to the hospital in Independencia (a 2 hour trip) for vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. He and his companion conveniently forgot their insurance cards at their house, so Rosales and I made the long trip to the hospital to drop of the cards. When we got there, I traded places with Elder Sanchez (Emrichs comp) to give him a break from sitting in the hospital all day with nothing to do. Thursday night I slept in the hospital. Friday morning I woke up, and in the next room was my companion, Elder Rosales, who was also admitted to the hospital at midnight for the same thing. Elder Emrich was released, and I stayed in the Hospital with Rosales Friday night. He was checked out Saturday afternoon. In total, I spent 2 full days in the hospital and I wasnt even sick. I read so much. Being confined to a hospital room sucks as a missionary cause you cant do anything. Saturday night, I got sick with the same thing, but I didnt want to go back to the hospital, so I just practically died in my bed for 2 days and eventually got over it. Out of 8 companionships in my Zone, 4 companionships went to the hospital. It was a bad week for the missionaries in Mexico. 

So we havent worked since Thursday, which is hard because every day is a precious day to work and give service, and you lose so much ground when you dont work. However, the Lord gives us blessings when we most need them, like finding new people to teach, more baptismal dates, and we had 54 people in our Sacrament meeting. We are surely but slowly helping the ward, even if it isnt by much. 

On Tuesday, we decided to knock some doors, tract a little, live the missionary life. We rang the doorbell at a house, and a lady answered. We started a conversation about the Gospel. The Lady politely declined, and she went back inside, so we decided to ring the second doorbell, and no one answered, so we left. A few minutes later, a man approached us, and began yelling at us because "its a form of assault to knock on doors in this Zone!" He then took photos of us and told us he would report us to the authorities. What a mission experience! For the first time, I actually felt like a missionary! 

Spanish is now becoming difficult for me because I have begun to really understand every thing they say. The word "ya" in Spanish for the people of MX means "now", "soon", and "already". Im not sure how they distinguish which term they are using, but hey use that word more than any other word in the dictionary, and Im always lost because I cant figure out which time frame they are using. Who knew Spanish would only get harder? haha!

This week, not a ton happened since we have been I have been at the Hospital and confined to my bed. But I hope that this coming week we will have full health and will be able to continue the Lords work! 

Other things:

1. I saw a young boy walking his pet Rooster the other day

2. A guy on the Metro fell on broken glass for money, blood was everywhere

3. I bought a new flower tie, its really pretty

Spiritual thought:

"Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise wouldnt do" -Russell M. Nelson

"The Lord will direct our paths, but in order to do that, we need to walk" -L. Whitney Clayton

And my favorite scripture of all time, 2 Corinthians 5:7: "For we walk by faith, not by sight".

Let us show our faith, and do things we otherwise wouldnt do, like walking forward, because in the end, we walk by faith, and not by sight, and that is how the Lord guides us. Without faith, we are nothing. 

4-2-2017

My personal email from Elder Wilson, oh so sweet! He might not have felt successful as a missionary, but he succeeded, (with bonus points) as a son! ;)

Im so grateful for Grandpa. I was worried sick about Toby getting to the Priesthood session and to know that Gpa took him, makes me cry. Im crying right now like an idiot. Tell Gpa thank you a million times for me!!! (and its nuts that Toby is already as tall as Gpa, in only 4 months!!) 

I loved General Conference. I got to watch it in English and it was so great. Every talk was amazing. I started yelling "Thats my home, thats my home!" when Monson announced Saratoga but no one cared. Im so excited and I hope they finish it soon so that I can go when I get home!!! I know it will be a few years tho. 

I had a good week, we had zero success though. After a week of teaching endlessly and handing out a hundred Conference cards, making plans, arranging transportation and doing everything we could to get people to go to Conference, only 2 less actives came, in the entire ward, which was super disappointing. but whatever. 

As for beatuy and the beast, ive heard its amazing. as for puppies, im scared of dogs here. and as for fishing, im glad toby is finally going haha. ive been regretting not taking him more before my misison. 

I love being your son. 

I noticed in conference they mentioned John 4:19 twice and John 3:16 6 times. It was a great conference! Thanks for being an amazing mom, and for teaching me these things before I heard them in conference. 

Uchtdorf said "Always share the Gospel. And if necessary, use words." Youre the best at doing this mom. I love you!!!!! 

His group email: 

First off, they are building a Temple in Saratoga Springs! It will be right next to where I attended High School, and Im so excited to finally have a Temple 3 minutes from my house!! It was so cool to hear the Prophet Monson announce the Temple, because it shows the Prophet and the Lord care about every city, even little ol Saratoga Springs. 

This week our success was nothing. All of our baptismal dates fell through, we had no one attend conference, and well, it was really hard knowing we had so much work put in to this week with nothing to show for it. But im really glad that the Lord doesnt care about numbers, only about effort. Remember that. 

This week was especially sad because my good friend and missionary brother, Elder Tyler Hernbroth went home on Friday due to serious medical issues that can only be treated in the US. Please keep him in your prayers!! 

This week on Tuesday, your very own Elder Wilson went to the Stake Center to be in an official church video!! I was filmed with Elder Rosales as we "taught" investigators using IPads (that we arent authorized to use in this mission haha). It was a cool experience to know I will be in a real church video. They told me it will be a Mormon Message for the area of Mexico! But please, before you ask, I dont do autographs. Thanks for your understanding

General Conference was amazing this time, with tons of inspired messages, quotes, and topics that I know were exactly what were needed for us in this day and age. The focus was on how much love God has for us, how much love we should have for others, and relying on the sacred atonement of our savior Jesus Christ. A quote I really liked from Uchtdorf in Priesthood is: "What is the most important calling in the Church? The one you have right now." I am so glad we have the modern day revelation on the earth again, and that our beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson is still up and kicking. 

Other cool or different things:

1. I saw a Ferrari the other day

2. D & C 130:20-21

3. I had hamburgers for lunch today

4. I accidentally stole a pack of cigarrettes from a member who owns a small convenience store. I promise I will give it back. It was supposed to be a joke. 

There are no photos today because I never take pictures! Check back again next week to see if I remember to take a few this week. 

Spiritual Thought:

Gary B. Sabin: "Maybe we need to let go of the world to hang on to eternity."

Have a good week!!!

Since he didn't post a pic, here's an oldie, but goodie :)