November 27, 2017

I Have Some Aires Here

Hey Y'all!

Well what a week its been! So hard to believe that we are already on the last week of the transfer. These past 6 weeks have been the greatest weeks of my mission. They have been filled with lots of laughs and great times. Last Saturday night we found out that I will be getting transferred. I don't know how to feel about it, I have really grown to love this area and all the people that live here. I feel like I have truly found who I am as a missionary here in this area and have found who my Heavenly Father wants me to become. I'm going to miss serving with Elder Burgener. Its been nice serving with someone who feels like family. I have loved having a companion that I can be 100% my self with. There was no holding back this transfer and that's both good and bad when you have two baseball players together haha. I'm excited for him to train though. I know he will do a great job. Hes a stud. Im looking forward to kickin it with him after the mish! But all that being said I'm excited for the opportunity that I have to serve as a Zone Leader in the mission. It will be a good experience and I'm sure I will grow a lot from it. I have a firm testimony that Christ will call on us in our weakness to make us stronger and to form us into who we need to be!

How was every one's Thanksgiving?! Ours was super bomb! we got fed everyday this past week and then on Thanksgiving we had two meals haha, Hopefully I don't get fat... good thing I have my older brother to get me back into shape when I get home right? It was a great holiday though. I loved the time that I had to reflect back on the things that I have been blessed with and how grateful I am for all of those blessings. I hate that I have to have a holiday come around to remind me of how blessed I am.. In reality we should always be rejoicing in the things that we have been blessed with. It amazes me how much God loves his children! Other than that though not a lot of crazy things have happened over the past couple of weeks haha. We picked up a road kill raccoon and stuffed it and named it Chansie so I guess that's pretty exciting haha. never thought id do that on my mission! I'm becoming a real redneck now ;)

I am so grateful for all y'all and all that you have done for me both before and while I've been on my mission. its surreal to me how fast the mission is going. Its only going to get faster and faster. I look forward to being reunited with you all again one day. Have a great week!!!!!

Elder Wilson

The Fole Family

Chicken Selfie

This isn't the finished product but its close to the end of Chansie ;)

The Caldwells

Chansie wanted in the family Pic

November 20, 2017

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hey Y'all, 

Hey swear these weeks just go faster and faster. It blows my mind! this past week was alright. Ive been going through a lot mentally but I know that my heavenly father will strengthen me as I look to him in my hard times. Hes the man.

We didn't have very many people at church yesterday due to the fact that its the holiday week so it will be hard to meet with people all week but hey that's what we signed up for right? haha I love the holidays as a missionary. easily the best time of the year to be in the service of our God. Hard to believe that this is my last Thanksgiving as a missionary. Its unreal. This is the last full week of the transfer which is unreal cause I swear I just picked up Elder Burgener a week ago and now I might be leaving him. Last week when we talked to President Lindhardt he hinted me that I might be leaving cause I might be needed somewhere else. I pray that I get at least one more transfer with Elder Burgener. I have had such a great time with him. He truly has blessed my mission. I love it when your companion feels more like a brother than a missionary companion.

We found out this week that one of our investigators Monty Hanks wants to be baptized! He said he knows this is the path that he needs to take and that he knows that Christ has led us to him time and time again so that he could find true happiness. However he will be moving to Lousianna until April so he has a while until he will be back... ): hes a great guy and I wish I could be here for his baptism. But every ones baptism is my baptism, and mine is everyone else's We all glory in Christ when one comes to the fold of Christ :) 

Today we had a district PDay which was a lot of fun, we played Volley ball and Chair soccer... I was decent at volleyball but had the agility of a hammock trying to play chair soccer haha. It was good!

This past week we had a mission tour up in Roanoke and we got to hear from Elder Foster of the Seventy and from his wife, Sister Foster as well. It was a great meeting and really showed me how inspired each of the men are that have been called to lead this church. He Told us how we shouldn't feel like we are not living up to our potential or that we aren't "good enough" which really touched my heart because my whole mission I have felt that way, but as long as we are striving to be better and "Struggle uphill" then we cant truly come who we want to become. Don't be afraid of change. Remember that there is no growth in a comfort zone and there is no comfort in a growth zone. Learn to stretch you capabilities and don't be afraid of the potential you have. Heavenly Father knows how to lets the best of of us. its up to you if you want to let him or not.

I love you guys and hope you have a great thanksgiving, I'm grateful for each and everyone of you. Thanks for all you do to help me feel loved and cared for. You have no idea how much each and everyone of you mean to me. I'm also extremely grateful for this gospel, and for all the knowledge and comfort that it brings to us while we are here walking on earth and experiencing mortality. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!!!

Elder Wilson

1. Elder Drennen and I 

2. The man the myth the hometown hero, Monty Hanks :)

November 11, 2017

Hey Y'all!

Well this past week was a bitter sweet one, saying good bye to Elder Manu was a lot harder than I thought it was, I swear saying good bye to people on your mission only gets harder the further a long you go. the thought of not being able to see some of these amazing people is just such a hard thing to wrap my mind around. but it all comes with the calling right? 

Not much happened this past week unfortunately, Just one of those weeks where we tried to meet with a bunch of people but like hardly anyone was home. We were however able to meet with the Parsons a couple of times and they are doing awesome. We are going to be watching the Prophet of The Restoration with them tomorrow so that should be really good. Joyce has a lot of Questions that we are trying to help her with but its just going to take time. I think they should be ready to be Baptized by the end of the year! 

Me and Elder Burgener are doing pretty good, hes recently gotten me into Pokemon so I have been playing that with him every night non stop and not gonna lie I'm not all that bad at it haha so Bradley family you better be ready to battle by the time I get home ;) haha You learn more than just the gospel on your mission guys!!

For my spiritual thought I feel prompted to tell you all that may be struggling or feel like you cant walk one more step that Not only do I love you, but God, our loving Heavenly Father, LOVES YOU. And he is aware of you and what you are going through right now, this very second. He knows your mind, he knows your heart, and he is there to help.  Remember that the Saviors atonement is infinite and eternal and that there is no crack too deep or room too dark that the atonement cant fill with light. this past week I have been reading in Alma and I'm currently just finished reading chapter 26 which is Ammon talking about how grateful he is for all that God had done for him while he was away from his family teaching the Lamanites the gospel, and two versus that stick out to me are versus 36-37 they read:

36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

Its really easy for us to focus on the negative things in life, but I want to challenge you all to remember that good that you already have. within there lies happiness and eternal joy. Life can beat you up, I pray that you will all remember to turn to him with trust, a broken heart, and a contrite spirit. I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!!!

Elder Wilson

Below are some pics of us at the Carolina border and the tree we burned haha :)

November 6, 2017

Single Digits

Hey Y'all!

I can't believe that its already time for me to write another weekly email. Feels like I was just writing all y'all last week. Time really does fly when you have companions that you get along with so well. But ya things here are going great. We just got word from President Lindhardt like 10 minutes ago that Elder Manu's Visa finally went through. though I am super excited for him to go to his designated mission, I'm sad to be losing some one that I have grown so close to these past three weeks. He is a great missionary and will do great things in Australia. I'm gonna miss his laugh and our late night talks. It felt like I was serving with my younger brother. God always seems to take people I love and put them as far away from me as he can ha, I'm just grateful for the chance that I have had to serve with him and be apart of his life. I look forward to seeing him again in 2019!! 

Things here like I said are going pretty good. the Parsons are really starting to progress, they weren't able to make it to church this past week and the whole ward missed them haha it was cool to see. Now that Elder Manu will be leaving I will be staying here for another transfer for sure, which means i'll probably kill Elder Burgener off so i'll be here for two more transfers which keeps me in this area for a total of 6 transfers haha, pretty wild but I like it! It means ill get to see not only the parsons baptized along with many others we are working with. So I'm  pretty excited for what the future holds!

Crazy to think that I will be home in only 9 months, I've been looking back on my mission this past week and all the things that I have experienced and all of the people I have met and I cant help but feel grateful for the times that I have been blessed with, I'm so excited for these last nine months and all the memories that I have yet to make. I love this work and I love this mission. I'm so grateful to have a loving Heavenly Father that knows and cares about me. He does the same for you. You just have to take the time to look to Him. I promise you wont regret it! I love you all and I hope that you have a great week. Remember to read the Book of Mormon. the Word of God will tell you all things that you should do!

Elder Wilson

FALL COLORS

October 30, 2017

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Hey Y'all!

Well this past week has been crazy as all get out to say the least! We have been going and going non stop. Though its super tiring, Its also super rewarding because when its time to the hay, as soon as I put my head down I zonk out! so that has been pretty nice!

So between driving, and sitting in meetings we haven't had much time to meet everyone yet unfortunately. It seemed like every time we had free time to go out and meet people in Wytheville, something always had to pop up and we were having to drive to a meeting or clear across the county. Its been good though and have lots of time to get to know Elder Burgener and Elder Manu, They are amazing companions!

A cool story from this last week; We hare teaching a couple by the last name of Parsons in the Wytheville area, and they are AWESOME!! This past week we taught them about the Plan of Salvation, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we were teaching them, Brother Parsons just kept bringing up the scripture in 2 Nephi 31: 5 which talks about how the Lamb of God was baptized, and if he being holy needed to be baptized then that gives us a greater reason to be baptized! Then Sister Parsons told us that they have been reading and praying and really considering being baptized into the church but they want to make sure that this is 100% what they want to do with their lives, and that if they do join, they want to be all in. and they want to do it for them selves. so that was wonderful! We have a lot of great people that we are working with right now and I'm super excited for what the future holds for these two ares. Just pray that I will be able to get all of it done and not let anyone fall through the cracks!

Sunday I got to speak in church about why we do missionary work. I feel like I was able to do a good job and deliver a powerful message to the Fortchiswell ward. Preparing the talk was great for me because it helped remind me why I chose to serve a mission. God works in mysterious ways and knows what each and everyone one of us need, and that's a fact!

Today we tried to go turtle fishing again with Brother Vannatter, But it was too cold so we didn't catch anything unfortunately. But he did cook us some Turtle and Squirrel which was really good! I got to eat Squirrel heart, brain, kidney, and liver! wasn't a huge fan of the brain and liver, but the heard and kidney was pretty bomb!

Well I love all y'all so very much and hope you have a great week, feel free to write me an email every once in a while. Its always good to hear from all y'all!

Elder Wilson