April 24, 2017

Snack Packs and WOOHOO

Hows it going Muchachies?!

Things here in good ole' Vinton are chugging along! this past week went by super fast and we had a lot of fun so hey I can complain right?! the past few days it has rained non stop which has made it hard to get out and work but we are doing all we can to find and talk to people! We have a lot of people that we look forward to contacting this week and hope that we can pick them up as investigators. So pray that all goes well on that part :)

Last Tuesday we had the chance to go on exchanges to with the Zone leaders and that was a wonderful time! We talked to a girl named Asia and invited her to learn and she excepted and when she met with the Elders later that week they were able to pick up her and all of her siblings as investigators! it was awesome! I learned so much and left feeling so motivated to get out and work and find those that are ready to hear the message! Tuesday was also Elder Basteen's birthday so we went to Texas Roadhouse and made him sit on the saddle so that we could give him a big Texas Roadhouse YEEEHAAAW!! haha It was really fun and made for a lot of good laughs :)

This past week we have been planning for a Meet the Mormons movie night that we are going to have at our church and it has been fun using it as a street contacting tool. Its funny to see peoples reaction when we tell them that they can come and learn about our church by watching a free movie, They get all excited when they find out that they don't have to pay... Buncha free loaders ;)

Yesterday when we were at church the Bishop pulled us into his office and informed us that we are now going to be teaching two 9 year old girls all of the lessons so that they can be baptized, we went and met the parents and they were all really excited when we talked about baptism, Its super cool to see the miracles that come from being obedient and diligent!

Well other than that not too much happened this past week but Id say it was still a pretty solid week :)

For my spiritual thought this week I just wanna say that I know that this church is true and that as we do all that we can to keep our faith strong and follow Christ that we will see countless amounts of blessings through out our lives. I know some of you aren't members and I know that you don't want anything to do with the Mormon faith, But I can tell you that this gospel offers so much more than you will ever find in any other church. It fills the holes in your life that you never knew were there. I just want to invite all of you to just see what its all about and see if its for you. All you have to do is ask for your self if its true. Simple as that. I love you all and hope that you all have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Wilson

Exchanges with the ZL's

The wonderful green!

April 17, 2017

Happy Easter!

Hey Y'all!!

Well this past week was a good one! we were able to have the Baptism for Abbie and man was it awesome! definitely one of my favorite moments as a missionary so far. I feel so grateful to have been apart of that sacred moment in their relationship.

So the first half of the week was pretty rough not going to lie, I was sick and the mission nurse made me stay inside for the first few days of the week which made the days go by really slow and boring but once I was able to get some medication I was able to get out and work with little baseeny boy!

So since not much happened this past week this letter is gonna be pretty short.. I know it sucks and Ill be better next time but hey at least you get to read something from your favorite Elder today right? ;)

Oh ya on a funny note I found out yesterday that my whole apartment complex has a big crush on me. I'm known as the "Hot Mormon" so now I have to keep my eyes out for all the crazy cougars on the street, I don't know whats in the water out here but hey they're all drinking it..

SO for my spiritual message today I just wanted to talk about the importance of this Easter season. I know I am a day late but you're never too late for Jesus right? Remember that its because of the Son of God that we can experience life beyond the grave, Its because of the Son of God that we can have a shoulder to cry on when we are going through our hard times. Its because of the Son of God that we can live with those we love again for eternity. I want you all to take a step back and look at how not only the atonement, But how Jesus Christ has blessed your life this week. As you do I promise you will feel the love Christ has for you more through out your week. I love you all and hope you have a great week! stay sweet :)

Elder Wilson

Abbie's Baptism!  :)

We got Easter Baskets too!

The GREEN is back!

April 10, 2017

GOD IS GOOD

Hey y'all!

Well this past week was a pretty good one! We had to push back the baptism one week though because one of the speakers that Abbie wants to talk at her baptism wasn't going to be in town until this weekend so we had to push it back a week which works out for us because we need to teach her a few more principles before she will be 100% ready. and because we pushed back a week we were able to attend the Zone leaders baptism in Roanoke so that she could see what hers will be like, and after wards they took us out to eat at Mission BBQ.. So I wasn't complaining :)

This past week we picked up a new investigator named Barbara! She is super awesome and super prepared to hear the gospel, She was a referral from one of the members in our ward. She was telling us how she has been looking for a church that feels like "home" and is willing to put the Book of Mormon to the test to see if it is really true. The spirit was so strong during the lesson, it was truly amazing!

This week I also got to go on an exchange with Elder Estes which was a lot of fun, we did a lot of door knocking and really focused on ways that we could invite the spirit unto the hearts of these people and it was really cool and probably the most fun I've had door knocking in a while. There was one door that we prayed with a lady who told us no and she ended up telling us to come back after the prayer so that was pretty exciting. So cool to see how the spirit can change the hearts of the people!

So, something funny that happened this week would have to be getting hit on by our gay neighbor.. I'm now known by all of our neighbors as "Bubble Butt" haha its a little weird but hey I cant help it that's what happens when you play baseball your whole life right? ;) haha people definitely know how to keep me on my toes out here!!

So for my spiritual thought this week I wanna share a story about the atonement of Jesus Christ.

There was once a bridge that spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river parallels with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing the train to cross it.  A switch man sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switch man was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance. Then he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position, it would cause the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with MANY people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river, where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man’s strength. Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, “Run! Run!” But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time.. The man almost left his lever to snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time if he saved his son. Either many people on the train or his own son – must die. He took but a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the on rushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died. Now, if you comprehend the emotions that went through this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of Our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life.

I know this was a long story but remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know us and they know what we go through, TURN TO THEM IN YOUR TIME OF NEED. I can promise that as you do your life will be better than it ever has. I love you all and hope you all have a great week!

Elder Wilson

April 3rd, 2017

Baptism Blessings

Hey Y'all :)

well well well what a week it has been. I just wanted to start this weekly letter with a little poem that I just made up on the spot...

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Missions are the coolest

we have a baptism this week!!!

Ok I know that poem didn't rhyme.. like at all.. BUT that's besides the point. What the main ordeal here is, WE HAVE A BAPTISM THIS SATURDAY!!

So Ill tell you guys the story about it right now.. So we got a call from one of the guys in the ward named Mack. So Mack has a non member wife who has been meeting on and off with missionaries for the past 3 years and has never really committed to anything so she never really went anywhere and they live out in the boonies of our area so its hard to just drop in on them, that and Mack is in the army so its hard to set times to meet with them so when Mack called and invited us over I was pumped to say the least. So we went over and they fed us dinner and I came to find out that they are the COOLEST people ever. Mack and I are a lot a like and connect in many different ways which is pretty cool. so we sat down and started teaching them the plan of salvation and at the end of the lesson I had the impression to ask her about baptism and when I invited her to be baptized she said yes and even picked her own date! So ya, Abbie will be baptized this Saturday!! We have two more appointments with them this week to make sure she is ready! and to top it all off they are going to feed us squirrel tonight! so ya, I thought you guys would like that story :) its so cool to see blessings that come from being diligent! :)

So things with Elder Basteen has been going good! We have been enjoying our time together so far and are getting closer and closer each and every day. He is progressing in so many ways and is really gaining a love for the work which of course is awesome :) This week we had an exchange with the Elders in Vinton 2 area and the first thing he said to me was "I missed you man" haha those kids... they'll know how to tear at your heart strings :')

So for my spiritual thought this week I wanna talk about how important it is to follow the spirit in our lives! this week we had the wonderful opportunity to have not only General Conference but a Zone Conference as well and it was crazy to see how both of the meetings main messages were on the spirit and how we can rely on it! One of the talks in particular that stood out to me the most was Elder Rasbands talk. I loved how he mentioned that the first promptings we receive from the spirit come straight from the doors of heaven. How true this statement is! I want to challenge all of you this week to really pay attention to the spirit and what it prompts you to do this week and as you do so I promise you will have the blessings of heaven poor out upon you, I know this is God's church and I'm so grateful for every single one of you. have a good week and try and enjoy that crazy Utah weather :) LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder Wilson

(Your Guys favorite Elder)

P.S. send Piiiiicccccsss :)

A couple of the Elders I came out with!

Pic with Elder Blank! I went to school with this guy!

Me and my boy at the Roanoke star!

Our Bomb District!

Me and Elder Crouch found some Gosner milk <3 (I had just woken up don't judge)