Signing off Oct 30, 2018

This is Elder Wilson, reporting a 2 year stretch of dang good, back breaking work. I feel very good about what I've done and looking back, Inever stopped working. I'm proud to wear Jesus' name on my shirt this last week and on my heart for the rest of my life. I love him with all my heart.

"that when he shall appear we shall be like him" a bit from Moroni 7:48. My favorite phrase in the Book of Mormon. I did all that i did to be more like him. I thank my Great God for giving me this amazing Gospel, and the blessing above all others, to know His Son Jesus Christ and serve Him. 

This is Elder Wilson, signing off.

T-minus 15 days 10-23-18

Well

What can I say

I go home in 2 weeks and a day

Our baptisms all fell lol so I won't be baptizing anyone before I go home

We are just taking the week relax. No need to kill myself like I have my whole mission. I have this wierd craving to read the Book of Mormon. Just finished it in a month and I started it again, I think I'll finish before I go home. Thought I'd show everyone up and read it 3 times before December. ha. 

This week we went on companion exchanges with Aculco and Xochimilco. Aculco was new for me, but I liked it. We knocked on this one lady's door, and she asked who we were and then locked the door on us, so we walked over by the window and she ran inside and shut the window too haha, I love it because it's like we were gonna rob her idk. Then we taught a guy named Miguel, and he said his religion was Yoga.... aight, that's cool, no biggie, we explained being baptized by immersion with the Priesthood and receiving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. 

I looked him in the eyes and said "Miguel, did your Yoga instructor baptize you by immersion?"

Miguel, straight faced: "Yes."

Me, confused at why yoga instructors are baptizing by immersion, asked "And did you receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands after your baptism?" }

Miguel: "absolutely."

Brothers and sisters we are in the wrong church, the true one is yoga hahahahahah no wait dont get me wrong I know this is the truth but dang that guy was so funny

We went to Xochimilco, and we were talking to this kid in the street and some 14 year old girl in her house ran up to the window and make heart signs and kissy faces at me. So we knocked on her door and they said they had heard the missionaries years ago and wanted to learn more. Flirt to convert. 

No pictures, sorry guys! It's cause I hate carrying around a camera, a phone in the pocket is so much easier than a big camera in a small bag. Plus I look dumb taking it out and taking pictures with it. You'll see enough pictures of me when I get home haha. 

Just enjoying life out here, trying to eat a bunch of mexican stuff before I go home. I got a tortilla maker so swing by my house when I get home to eat some authentic CDMX food

I saw a cool quote on a huge wall in Mexico City the other day. It read: "What satisfies the soul..... is the truth." Also, Snickers can satisfy but only those two things okay? Snickers and the truth, which means visiting someone, teaching them the Gospel and then giving them a Snickers is the key to eternal life. -Thought by Elder Wilson. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week, I'll be in the USA in 15 days baby!! WOoo! See you next week losers

Howdy 10-16-18

I'm not from Texas but if I wrote in Spanish with a Chilango accent, 92% of you wouldn't understand me. But it's okay. Hoy les traigo a la venta por viente viente pesos para refrescar a esa garganta.

This week was todo tranquilo. Just missionary work. A member told us about her cousin who has cancer, we went to visit her to find out that her husband was an investigator in the USA. Well, not really because he only spoke Spanish and went to an Englishspeaking ward. So the missionaries could never communicate with him and even thought he understood absolutely nothing, he went to church every week for months. That in of itself is a very important lesson for each of us. Go to church. They are very cool. Chosen people. Julietta is doing amazing and I am super pumped for her because she is awesome. Emiliano came to church with us, and so did Thalia and Marlon, I'm aware none of you know them but oh if only you knew how Marlon is you'd fall on your feet and worship me like they worship Catholic Saints here because I got Marlon to church haha. Brenda is great, she will be baptized on Nov 3, the saturday before I go home :'), and I think Julietta will be too. 

We had zone conference this week, my last one 😊. It was really good, we talked about unity (I'll need that for when I get home and get married), teaching simply (I'll need that to teach my family when I get married), teaching doctrine (to raise my family), and focusing on the things that matter most (my family). Fun time because there was a nacho bar and I was in heavennnn. Sister Casillas said that the best quality from Jesus is that he loves us, without judging us. I liked that part. True love is loving without judging. 

Not much time today, but it's cool, I'm running out of things to say anyway. Remember that Christ loves you unconditionally. Remember that Elder Wilson is the coolest missionary in Mexico. Have a fantastic week. 

Please enjoy me being an idiot with cool mexican things I impulse bought. 

'I said I would do it' Oct 9,2018

I said we would have more success this week

We did

Many many people came to watch general conference with us this week, which makes me oh so happy because a few of them will in fact be able to be baptized before I leave. Julietta is a great story, months ago she found two Elders in the street and invitedthem over for an english class homework she needed help on. They taught a few times and became friends, but lost contact and didn't go back. When I arrived here I saw the teaching record of her family and wanted to go visit them. The first time we swung by, she was asleep. I thought "Ah, crap.", but decided to put an appointment anyway. We came back, and she is AMAZING! She is SO prepared. We taught her on Wednesday for the first time and came to church to watch conference... in English. She saw the baptismal font afterwards and told me she feels "una paz inmensa" every time she is with us. Yesterday we had another appointment and told us that while our good friend Gabriel was sharing his testimony, she felt like crying and she loves it when we come over. And she's only 16! At 16 the only thing that could make me cry was seeing Kraft mac & cheese ready on the stove when I would get home after work. She is super good! We also have Arnulfo, Sol, Sandra, Yarel, Emiliano, Brenda, and a few others that are really excited to be meeting with us. They are all doing so well. Elder Uhlig and I are working hard so that I don't end up dead and not working in a few weeks. 

We currently work in a place called "Mesa de Los Hornos", a famous colony for once being filled with ovens, it is now not oven, but drug labs that occupy this peaceful and beautiful section of town. Everyone is scared to death to go there with us. Gabriel's face last night when we ran away from him in the middle of the dark was priceless! Anyway, people say it's dangerous and poor and scary, but lo and behold, a 600,000 dollar Rolls Royce Phantom slows creeps down the dirty streets of Los Hornos, buys some tacos, and vanishes. Trust me, that car over here is worth more than everyone's life in my whole area, a staggering 13 million pesos. And if you can buy a soda for 10 pesos, imagine 13 millions of them. So that was cool

Gabriel is a beloved friend of ours and he goes on a lot of visits with us. This week he said something important. "(your name here) without God, stops being (your name here)". It is cool to see how recent converts can teach even 23 month old missionaries. 

Conference was great, an important theme or phrase from conference was that The Gospel of Jesus Christ leads to Eternal Life. I'm serious, there were like 7 different talks that mentioned that. If you want to get back to God, follow the 4 first principles and ordinances of the Gospel. That is EXACTLY what we have been teaching our investigators and it just makes sense for everyone. But I'm not gonna blab about conference cause you all should have seen it too.... I hope. 

Well, I hope you all have had a great week, I sure did. Annnddd I'm coming home in less than a month, I'll be sending 3 more of these bad boys action packed super funny 5 star critic rated emails before I'm sitting on my couch with nothing to do but eat pizza. No pictures, sorry. Bye! 

Solid week 10-2-18

Last week was pretty good if I do say so myself.

We baptized Norma, Laura, Kiara, Luna, Daniel, Lupe, and Polett!!!!!! 

It was awesome! We weren't sure if they'd all be baptized, and on Thursday they confirmed, so we ran around getting interviews and baptismal clothes, and it all came together on Saturday. President and Sister Casillas joined us, and we had a great time!! 

Then no one came to church besides Brenda but its okay because I am 100% confident that we will baptize again in October. I mean, it's my last month, I've gotta go out with a bang, right?? The cool thing about Brenda is that I taught her a special something (that im not sharing with anyone so that no one steals my thunder 😉) and she stepped foot in a church on Sunday for the first time in 6 years. wow. God is a God of miracles! I'm pretty sure Brenda will be baptized, and so will a girl named Yarel, and her brother Emiliano. 

Our zone is huge! In Ermita we were 10 missionaries, Zone leaders included, and now we are 22 in the Zone Contreras! It is pretty cool, you feel a lot more animo when there are a bunch of us together! 

We had a great missionary leadership council yesterday, and Sister Casillas gave a great talk about Alma 26, focused on the very first verses of the chapter. Good stuff! We also beat our mission record for baptisms in a month so we were all pumped for that too. 

I'm back in a hilly place, and after being in Iztacalco, where it's as flat as a surfboard, I'm getting wrecked haha. But on the bright side my calves will be huge when i get home. 

A 93 year old lady walked up a freaking mountain without losing her breath and then gave bones to a 2 year old kid. can you say cool grandma? haha

That's all for this week, I've just been geeking out over bullet bikes cause they are everywhere over here :) Have a great week!!! 

Remember Lot's wife. 

Pics

1. me and Elder Te

2. me and my best bud Ogwen!! haha 

Hidalgo 9-25-18

 180825 MMCMS con David A Bednar.tif

This week marks my last transfer cycle in the mission! My closest mission friends went home this tranfser, and I'm next! It's crazy to think that I am about done here! I love Mexico though, and I always will.

I am in Hidalgo, which is the Contreras stake, Delegacion Tlalpan. I love it here so much. I am with Elder Uhlig now, who was also trained by my trainer Elder Rosales, so it looks like my brother will be ending my mission with me. We are super pumped to be here and I am NOT dead, I am gonna keep working out here until the end haha. 

Well what can I say? I don't even remember the weeks, or what we do, at all. We contacted and visited our beloved investigators, but I had to say goodbye to it all and come over to Hidalgo. 

Um... I wish I could say fun things and tell you stories about the week but I think we just visited people and that's about it. 

I also forgot to bring my camera cord so that means no pictures this week sorry lol but here is the official picture of our mission with Elder Bednar but I'm pretty sure they photoshopped my face? I think. 

Look here is the good part, only 5 or 6 more emails from me and then you'll never have to read one of these pointless updates again haha. I'm so sorry that I don't put anything exciting in here. I love you all, I hope you have a great week! 

1 Nephi 16:30-31, 1 Nephi 7:7, 1 Nephi 8:3. The mountains were the closest places to God. Go to the Temple/Church! Nephi wasn't dumb, he put those scriptures in there for a reason, and might I add, in every consecutive chapter! I really like Nephi and I hope you guys can do some personal study and learn from these scriptures! 

I always feel the need to have Pic.... Since I didn't get any pics this week, a fun memory, BYU men's volleyball ☺️

Just another week 9-18-18

Well, it was just another week. A lot of contacting, some of them were funny, a lot of them just stared at me cause Im so white. One girl was staring at me, so I contacted her. We went back to her house a few days later and when her little sister opened the door she said "oooooooo hes handsome!" and ran upstairs screaming to her sister. Fun times. But really it was just a ton of contacting. We also found a lady who was baptized 9 years ago, then left her house, lived in Ensenada, Colima, and Australia, and came back to the exact same house a month ago. And we just happened to find her! Cool stuff, the Lord is awesome.

Elder Anderson thought a member named Caleb in our ward was named Calep. How do you even mess that up, I mean, its a name in english hahahaha.

 

Elder Te got some wierd sickness and we had to go to the hospital at like 5PM. we were there until 2AM, we just hung out with President Casillas until all the tests came back. I am SO tired. President Casillas is SO cool. 

Juan was going to get baptized this week but we pushed it back to help him out some more. Sandy is great, Diana, Valeria, and Paola are happy, but Wendy still doesnt believe in God dang it. Zulema is still trying to get divorced. But we are still working with tons of people and we are happy so thats the important part! Elder Te and I are still getting along great! 

On Tuesday night, we visited a less active member named Erik. He has two kids who arent baptized. Well, they arent kids, they are old now but they want to listen to us. It started to rain when we left so he ran upstairs saying "Hold on, Ill grab a few jean jackets!" We thought he just messed up and meant rain jackets. Nope! Elder Te and I are the new official jean jacket models for American Eagle. pics in the next weeks email. 

The weeks are flying by, I only have 50 days until I am home🛫 and next week marks my last tranfser cycle. Wow. Ladies, I will be available in 51 days lolol 😂

Heres a quote from Sacrament meeting this week: "The Temple is a small piece of heaven. Without a doubt, all of us want to go to heaven. But whats funny is that not all of us want to go to the Temple." 

Make Temple attendance a priority in your life to show God just how much you want to be heaven. I love you all and wish that you have a great week!

Juanita 9-11-18

This week was cool because we got to be with Juanita in her baptismal service! We taught her everything in less than a week, and she remembered all of it! Impressive. She was a fun miracle because I had taught her forever ago but never could see her because she was always with her family in another city. Then randomly one morning she called me and told me she knew the curch was true and wanted to get baptized asap. Her son got to baptize and confirm her and she looked so happy. Her dream is to be able to do her family history work and be sealed to her husband for all time and eternity in the Mexico City temple 😊 the pic of the two little girls are her granddaughters, Jimena and Camila :)

Juan is really excited for his baptism as well, which will be on the 22nd. Then Valeria and Paola will be baptized on the 29th, and Sandy in October. We are hoping that Wendy accepts the Gospel and joins her sisters in baptism, and Diana can't get baptized till she is married to her husband, which is un rollo y pues ni modo hay que esperarle. 

Carmina is doing a lot better now, she is happy. Kike can't get bapitzed till his parents go to church, and Brandon is sad because his mom wont let him. So yeah thats pretty sad :/ 

President Casillas and his family went to a meeting with us in Ermita and then went on a few visits with us. Fun time!

I'm trying to think of fun experiences but I always forget them and end up not putting them in my eamil and im sure you all think that I'm a boring missionary by now. This week at 2AM i woke up to the worst song ive ever heard in my life. it was so bad. it made my ears bleed. the neighbors just decided to cart out a ginormous speaker and put it on the sidewalk and play crappy music. im honestly just having a great time with Elder Anderson and Elder Ogden, who share my area with me and Elder Te. ooo i got to meet Sergio from my ward back home! that was awesome! and it also made me realize that my english sucks. bad. 

I'm not dead, just working. the days fly by, maybe thats why i never have anything to say because i dont remember the week haha

Helaman 7:16

"Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to aeverlasting misery and endless wo?"

We were listening to a talk by Jeffrey R Holland about the law of Chastity(Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments). And this scripture combined with his talk was amazing for me this week. Elder Holland talked about why we should wait until marraige, and talked about how Satan throws everything he has at us because he is jealous of our bodies, and that's what he wants. A body. so why are we giving into the temptations of him who is seeking to take away from us our greatest gift? The world is more polluted than ever, I can see it every single day I walk down the streets of Mexico City. but we know better than to give way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away our souls.