February is OUTTA HERE!

By this time next week it will be March! I can't believe that this month is already over. February treated me very well! ;)

So Paris and Jenna got baptized!! It was a very good baptismal service. They weren't lying when they said that there was going to be a lot of people at their baptism. There was probably about 70 plus people! We set up around 60 chair thinking oh man that will be plenty. NOPE. We had to keep setting up chairs, and people were standing in the back. Crazy. But yeah they were really excited to get baptized. Man I'm almost out of time!! I'm really sorry. I'll try and write more next week to make up for this!! But yeah. that was the main thing that happened this week. Heather, their mom is on date for the 9th of march!

I'll write next week for this week and for next week!! haha. (30 seconds left before it logs me off!)
I love you :)
Elder Wilson.

 

UPDATE:

My bad about last week! I just wasn't keeping track of the time very well. But now looking back (and I was afraid of this, haha) I can't remember it! And I didn't write in my journal either those few days so I can't type what I wrote. So you're just going to have to deal with that short one! haha. ;)

OH! I do remember one thing though. We talked in Sacrament meeting, and Elder Dean and I were assigned to talk for 15 minutes. But the first speaker took about 25, plus a song in the middle, and so it left Elder Dean and I a total of about 10 minutes to talk. He took five, and I took the last five. So I had to cut down on my talk a ton, and I was just praying that it would make sense and still have the Spirit to be there. I decided I'd talk about a minute on things I had prepared, and then read a story that I had heard a while ago but Elder Dean reminded me of it. That brought the Spirit in so strongly it was awesome!! I'll attach it.

Seminary Donuts:
There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending Seminary in Utah. In Utah, Seminary classes are held as part of the school curriculum.

Brother Christianson taught Seminary at this particular school. He had an open door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide his rules.

Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into bro. Christianson's Seminary class.

Steve was told that he couldn't be late, so he would come in just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over.

One day bro. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?" Steve's answer was "Yeah, I do." Then bro. Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I do about 200 every night." "200? That's pretty good, Steve," bro. Christianson said, "Do you think you could do 300?" Steve replied, "I don't know… I've never done 300 at a time." "Do you think you could?" Again asked bro. Christianson. "Well, I can try." Said Steve. "Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it." Bro Christianson said. Steve said, "Well… I think I can… yeah, I can do it." Bro. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in front of the room. When class started, bro. Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren't the normal kind of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty exited— it was Friday, the last class of the day and they were going to get an extra early start on the weekend.

Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a donut?" Cynthia said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk. Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?" Joe said, "Yes." Bro. Christianson asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.

And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till bro. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was the captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When bro. Christianson asked, "Scott, do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?" Bro. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then." Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?" Steve started to do ten push-ups.
Scott said, "HAY! I said I didn't want one!" Bro. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on
Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration
coming out around his brow.

Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Jenny said, "No." Then bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Jenny can have a donut she doesn't want?" Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely.

Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When bro. Christianson realized this, he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked bro. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they are your push-ups. You can do them any way that you want." And bro. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Bro. Christianson said, "You do realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him." Steve said, "Yes, let him come in." Bro. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason do you want a donut?" "Yes." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those seated on the heaters.

Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda and asked, "Linda, do you want a donut?" Linda, too choked up to talk, just shook her head, no. Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda. Then bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Bro. Christianson, can I help him?" Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, "Into Thy hands I commend My Spirit." With the understanding that He had done everything that was require of Him, He collapsed on the cross and died. Even those who didn’t want to accept His gift.

Isn't that an amazing story?? I love it!
Love, Elder Wilson

 

Jenna and Paris got baptized!!

Elder Dean!

So transfers happened, and I got Elder Aveiro as you remember from my last email. And I also remember telling you that I would talk more about him. BUT he got emergency transfered out the next day.

We got in a fight, and it ended up with him calling President and telling him that I was beating him up. He was getting on my nerves though!!

haha just kidding. There were two Elders who had to go home for surgery and so there were a few holes that needed to be filled in. Elder Aveiro went back to Spanish speaking to fill in the hole that came up, and then Elder Dean from the district about 10 blocks down the road came up to be companions with me. And then another Elder went up to fill in his hole, and another to fill his hole, and so on. It was a mess! hahaha. BUT I'm excited for this transfer because Elder Dean is wayy awesome. We are into literally ALL the same things. Cars, music, personality, everything. So it's going to be good. He also went to BYU-I-Do with me the same track! I saw his truck every once in a while, and he saw me in my morph suit at some of the dances. We were even in the same English class we found out!! I sat two rows back from him. I'll attach a picture that proves we're the same. ;)

Matt got baptized!! It was a really great service, and President Moffat came to watch it. There were a lot of people that came to it which is always good for the person getting baptized. There were a lot of people from Veronica (his wife)'s work that came with their families even! He was super happy that it happened. Satan was really working hard on him to get him not to go through with it. To the point where his car wouldn't start the morning of and he was about to be late so we arranged a ride for him and his family! Then it worked after the baptism without him doing anything to it, and then the same thing for church the next day when he was supposed to get confirmed and get the gift of the Holy Ghost. But then it again started working afterwards. Since then, no problems at all. Crazy! Anyways at his baptism, there was a little crowd of the little kids that were wanting to see it happen. After he came up out of the water Valerie his daughter threw up her hands in the air and said "Daddy, you did it!!! You got baptized!!! :D" And then she said "Hip hip hooray!!" It was so cute. And so sincere! The whole room was in laughter, including the bishop who was doing the baptizing and Matt. :)

We had a huge meeting with the Mission President, the Stake President, all the bishops, all the missionary-related callings in the wards, and the Area Authority over this part of Utah. Crazy! We talked about how the new mission is going, what is working and what is not, and how to improve it. It went really well! I could tell Elder Aveiro was nervous though. (This was when he was my companion still- transfers were wednesday and then the switch happened friday morning) But it's okay since this was his first time in the area and he was speaking English instead of Spanish.

The post girls, Jenna and Paris, are getting baptized this Saturday! (Lucky Elder Dean, walking into 3 baptisms hahaha) They're super excited and they have had their "interview" already and they are good to go. The parents are saying that there will be a lot of people coming so that's exciting! I'll let you know how it goes in the next email.

District meeting was thursday, and President told all the district leaders to do the meeting on "Find when you teach, teach when you find" and "talk with everyone". I've already done about 2 district meetings on those topics, but hey if he says to do it then I'm going to because it's inspired! The Zone Leaders came to it and afterwards I asked them what I could improve on and they couldn't think of anything! Elder Reed said it was the best one he's been to. yeahhh buddayyy!

My bike tire was getting really bald and it finally exploded this week. But don't worry I got it fixed! There was green flat attack (slime) everywhere though it was kinda nasty. But I went to the bike shop to get it fixed along with my brakes which also were horrible and my chain that was rusted completely. So that was good. :)

This week was awesome! Sorry if this email was too long, haha. ;)

Love ya!
Elder Wilson

Oh P.S. we went to the Sharps for dinner last night which was awesome. They had some really good roast and caught up on some things. And took some pictures!

 Elder Judkins got transfered. :(

When you see this, you know that you're going to find missionaries close by. 

Elder Aveiro, even though he was only my comp for a day and a half!

The new district! From left to right: Elder Silva, Elder Harrell, Sister Harrell, Elder Dean, Elder Chesbrough, Me, Elder Reed (in the front kneeling-ish), Elder Aveiro, Elder Moore, Sister Moore, Elder Ross, Sister Guerrero, Sister Crockett (she's back!!), Elder Quesne, Sister Cordoba, Sister Norman. Say that ten times fast!

 Only a missionary would get this excited about getting new ties. I definitely do not have 48 ties now.

Matt getting baptized by the bishop!

Elder Dean and I standing with the Olsen family and the bishop!

Well I know where I'm not gonna park anymore...

 Elder Dean and I!!

Transfers!

Tomorrow is transfers!! But don't worry, I'm staying here. ;) As a district leader still! Elder Judkins is going to Murray and he's going to be a senior companion to someone he was in the MTC with. So that's pretty cool. I'm gonna miss him, we got along really well. But hey it's not what I want it's what the Lord wants right?? So my new companion will be Elder Aveiro. Remember him from tville? He was the one that was companions with Elder Harvey when they were getting sick all the time. I forget where he's from, but he has a british accent it sounds like. Anyways I'll update you on him next week.

This transfer will only be 5 weeks long instead of the 6 week usual because of the MTC going to 2 weeks instead of 3 weeks! So hey if it doesn't go well, at least it's a week shorter right?? ;) Elder Weier is going home sadly. My dad is dying!! (he trained me, so he's my 'dad') He was made an AP this upcoming transfer so we'll see how that goes haha. He isn't a huge fan of it.

The baptism Saturday went really really well! The Spirit was really strong there and Veronica is really sensitive to feeling the Spirit so she was crying when we were even taking the pictures before the baptism! (I'll attach some pictures don't worry!) But yeah. Veronica went first, and she said everything was in slow motion, like it was surreal she said. Which is pretty awesome. Valerie was next, and because she has Autism she was a little apprehensive about going into the water at first but then I was able to coax her into it. We had practiced her getting baptized beforehand so it wasn't too hard once she was in the water but she was still afraid to go all the way under. We had practiced her bending forward instead of falling backwards because that way it would be less scary for her. :) But she eventually did it! :) And then the rest of the program went really well too. They asked me to do the talk on baptism which was really special for me. They're an awesome family!! Matthew is getting baptized this saturday! :) He's a really really good guy and a good dad. 

The confirmations the next sunday went really well as well. Elder Judkins was asked to do them and he was pretty nervous haha. But he did fine, and the Spirit was pretty strongly felt which is always good. I did a baptismal interview for one of the Spanish Sisters' investigators. His name was Ary and he is a great guy. He has a newly married wife and a newborn baby! He seemed pretty solid, but had some questions on a few things. I was able to resolve them though which made him feel a lot better.

Friday we went to temple square! We went with the Olsen family. That was really really awesome! :) We rode the trax which is always fun, haha. Then when we got there we met up with the sister missionaries who were going to give us the tour of temple square. They took us to a few places like the model of the salt lake temple so that they could see all the different rooms in the temple, then to the statue of Christ which was really awesome!! Then we watched a video about the Plan of Salvation with an emphasis on families and their importance in the plan. They all really liked it! I love this family haha. I'm glad I don't have to leave them yet!

That's about it for this week, sorry it was such a long email this week! Hopefully you didn't just skim it though ;)

Love

Elder Wilson

Work, work, work!

This week has been filled with a ton of things happening. For one, the Olsens got interviewed for baptism which was awesome. The mom and dad (Matt and Veronica) got interviewed and passed with flying colors. They are so awesome! They're really excited to get baptized this upcoming Saturday. We're going to temple square this Friday at 7:30 with them! It's going to be cool seeing them at the temple.

It's awesome to see that I'm still able to be in contact with Lloyd and Elmer! They both contacted me recently and updated me on their social lives haha. It's so awesome to think that I was able to be a part of such a monumental part of their lives and how well they're doing still!

Elder Judkins and I are getting along well, but we're pretty sure that with transfers coming up on the 13th one of us will leave. We've both been here for a while. He's been here for three straight transfers and I have been here for 2 straight ones along with when I was here in August. So we're making predictions but as far as we know now, we have no idea. haha. Any guesses??

District meeting went very well this week. I I told everyone in advance to bring their area books, and so since I have to send the district texts also to President Moffat, he of course was wanting to come to see what I would be doing in it. haha. But it was good having him, he helped us out a lot. (Some companionships got chastised for not having very good ones, but hey it's all for the best right? Plus to be fair I gave them plenty of warning!! ;) )

We went to see Alma. I don't know if I told you about her or not, but Alma was a referral from the Spanish sister missionaries and they told us that Alma had accepted baptism for the 23rd of February. So we of course were thankful and excited, but when we went over there she didn't know she was "on date". She thought that CHURCH was on the 23rd, not her baptism. So we were kind of disappointed but oh well. And since then we've been trying to go back to get to know her and invite her for real this time, but she has been ignoring us and not answering the door. So it doesn't seem too promising there.

Heather Post came to church on Sunday!! She is really excited for her and her daughters to be baptized. She is also excited to learn more about the stop-smoking program. So we're going over there tomorrow (Wednesday) to do both of those. So I'll let you know how that goes.

The last part of this week was pretty hard, but I know that the Lord only puts things in my path to either test me or make me stronger or both. So as long as I have that perspective I know I'll be okay. I hope everyone back home is doing well!

Love, Elder Wilson

This is what happens when we're waiting for our ride to pick us up.