Green Bananas

Hey fam!!!!

So first of all i would just like to thank you all for your prayers. Like i mentioned before it has been a bit hard for us to get people to come to church. This last sunday we had 7!!!!!!!! It was awesome. Me and Elder Fernelius were all smiles for just the longest time, and best of all they all LOVED it and felt the spirit so strong!!!  The lords time is the best time.

SHOUT OUT!!!

There is a new Elder who has been called to serve the Lord and represent him. This new Elder is not only my best friend but who is also my brother. Talimetao (Tyler) Osa Peniata has received his call to the Pueblo Mexico Mission. Not only is he speaking the most beautiful language in the world but he is also going to one of my favorite countries. Elder Peniata will be amazing serving there. His love, compassion, friendliness, fun, devoted personality, and strong spirit and testimony will not only shape a wonderful missionary but also a even more wonderful man/brother/friend. May God bless you and lead you always T. You got the boys your fam and most importantly the Lord behind you always.

So this last week has been a fun one it got cold and rainy then humid and sunny so the normal for here. Im adapting more to the heat so that is nice. I´m starting to like more and more the tropic weather. weird huh? Copa America finished with Uruguay destroying Paraguay 3-0 sad but it was a much calmer night and we were able to work. During the game we ate our lunch because it is near impossible to work.

So ive been reading the last conference talks and two that i read this last week really came to my attention. One was by Elder Christopherson which is about how the Lord chastens us and cuts us down only to help us grow taller, and it had a great connection with the talk of C. Scott Grow (LOVE the name) about the atonement. For me really ive been able to see how both of these talks applied in my life. I become more and more grateful everyday that i moved to Chicago. Yes, im still MN by blood and soul and always will be, but for me that was the biggest moment when the Lord ¨cut¨ me down. During that time i was sad, grumpy, annoyed, frustrated, homesick, stubborn, and multiple other things. I was like that for a year. When i was at EFY before my senior year with all of the guys i remembered about who i really was personality wise and stuff and how heavenly father had a plan for me moving. There i decided to change. I got rid of those negative feelings and moved forward. I became a better person. I learned things about myself and what God has in plan for me from my experiences in Chicago. I connect so many situations here to things that occurred to me in Chicago. Its insane how much better God knows us than we do ourselves. What i love the most is how his son Jesus Christ invites us to be healed. To lay our negative and sad feelings on him to let him heal us. There is a scripture in 3 nefi i dont remember where that the Lord says ¨let me heal you¨. How many times do we take that invitation for granted? How many times do we look to ourselves for healing? Through Christ that weight is lifted from our shoulders. as they say in guarani Opa, done, finished. Does not exist. Through him all is possible and we can be clean.

My best wishes and Love go to you all

Elder Parker Wilson

P.S. Will give the details on the transfers next monday. .

Photos:
1. Have you ever eaten deep fried green bananas?
2. Tree of Life3. Cool sky/tree/pic
4. Common Chicken Coop
5. Just an awesome picture

It's Raining It's Pouring

Elder parker's letter cam on time I just got carried away in the hassles of the week and forgot to post. Regrets. Remember to write him


Hey everyone!!!!

So this sunday we were hoping to get all of our investigators to church so that we could have 4 baptisms this saturday but sadly due to the rain only one came. But still huge blessing and we are planning a baptism for this saturday for a grandaughter of members who is Monce. We just have to get the permission from her mom and its all good to go!!! Actually we already have her permission we just need her to sign the paper. 

So i dont know if last week i talked about Gustavo. Gustavo is a kid who dropped out of school and now just works like crazy. He lives with his uncle and aunt. His mom and brothers who are all members live in Argentina with whom he doesnt really talk to anymore. Anyway he is amazing gave up smoking and drinking. He had a baptismal date for sat but unfortunately he got pulled to work out in the campo for two weeks. We talked to him and were very direct and said ¨Gustavo, do you really want to be baptized?¨ His response was the best one i have ever heard. I dont only know that its the true church of god on the earth and what I'm supposed to do in my head, but i feel it deep in my heart that i have found the true gospel of Jesus Christ.¨ Yes!!!  how amazing. He is committed to be baptized in two weeks. 

So this is the last full week of this transfer. Ya WHAT??? I feel like ive just got here. But its ok time flies by. The area that we live in i have really come to love. The area is not as huge as my old one but the people are really nice. That is a common thing with all of the Paraguayan people. They are so friendly and awesome!!!! Yesterday Paraguay beat Brazil in the Copa America. So now they are in the semi´s a future note for any future missionaries in countries where soccer is a religion. During the soccer game go to investigators who dont have tvs and make official visits because literally the streets are dead. Its crazy as soon as the game is over the streets are full of people till the end of the night.

Well im sorry but this is gonna be another short and sweet. I can promise a long one with photos the next week. 

The church is so true. Ive been reading ¨Our Heritage¨ and its just helped me realize more and more how amazing this gospel is and how the restoration is one of the most amazing things to ever happen on this earth.

My love and prayers go to you all

Elder Wilson

Doin How We Do

Hope all is going well with you all. This last week has absolutely just flown by. We still have not moved just waiting for the office to call us to tell us what we gotta do. This last week we had interviews in Asunción with President Callan. Really a great and awesome guy. We are so blessed to have him as our president here in the Paraguay, Asunción mission. We are getting all prepared for the visit from our area authority who is Elder Arnold. The main focus has been becoming more organized and being more time officiant. What perfect stuff for me huh? In all honesty i think evan would probably be the best at all of that down here. While there we got to get some new blankets and a heater for our new house which is really nice and after we all went out for lunch with the district. (there are 8 elders in mine) We went to the super fancy place to eat pizza down here which is of course PIZZA HUT!!!!! k what i dont get is how pizza hut in the US is terrible and the buffet that we got to eat was amazing!!! they put corn on most of their pizzas here kinda weird but its not too bad.

So this weeks email is gonna be more of an informative of ¨Paraguay along with how the work is going. First informative:

so what we normally eat here for everyday meal varies but is the same. In our house me and my companion normally would cook biscuits which alot of the time we bring to members or investigators and they LOVE them. and every morning i cook an egg with a ton of tomatoes onions and peppers and then some toast. when me and my companion cook we normally cook rice or noodles with some Alfredo sauce for the noodles or just veggies for the rice. at our lunch appointments the norms consist of noodles/rice always with a tomato sauce, meat, onions, garlic, then bread, tortillas which are not like mexican tortillas they deep fry them with cheese inside and stuff really yummy. at every meal with members we eat a veggie called madioca. it is a rook here that is similar to the potato but not really. some people say its in the US but i don't recognize it at all. some elders hate it and others love it. me i love it. its a filler and its really healthy so double score!! k so you know how the Lord always brings miracles to our lives. well I LOVE RICE!!!! i know you all thought those words would never come out of my mouth/fingers but i do. normally i can eat it just plain but if its got something else i chow it down. nuts how the mission changes ya.

the weather here is fun. the thing that i think they get for natural disasters are just big floods. when it rains in pours. like as if its hail but its rain. i cant describe it ill try to do a short video and send it but it turns all of the streets into rivers which makes walking an adventure.

politics here is very interesting its corrupt and most people know it but nothing really changes. the president is a catholic bishop i think and nobody really likes him.

my lang is getting a lot better. i have 5 vocab words everyday that are normally weird but fun words that you dont use all the time. im actually speaking more guarani here. its not much at all but i can say a few things. the most common way of speaking guarani is called ¨jopara¨ which is a mixture of spanish and guarani.

and yes my farmers tan is better everyday yay.

k so this last week the best things that have happened have been with a couple alcibes and ramona. alcibes has progressed a ton and hes getting ready for his baptism sadly because it rained last sunday and not even most of the members come to church when it rains he didnt come. but we are helping him and ramona to get married. they have a little boy junior who is 2 and we just gotta help them along but they are progressing amazingly well.

we are also teaching a kid named gustavo who is 16 works all the time and doesnt go to school anymore. he lives with his aunt and his gma because his mom is working in argentina. he has been progressing like a mad man its amazing. he has a baptismal date for the 23rd and he knows the gospel is true and this is the true church of god here on the earth. what is even more amazing is that he used to smoke a bunch. now done. now we have to work on not drinking. when we were teaching one of his friends was with us who is a heavy smoker and was drinking vodka during the lesson. he offered some to gustavo and he said no. HOW AMAZING IS THE LORD!!! he has helped gustavo stop smoking and now in the process to stop drinking. amazing!!!!!

this truly is a great and marvelous work. it is so amazing to see people take the gospel and put it into their lives. it has not only blessed my life but its blessing all of those we teach. this last week my testimony or the restoration grew tremendously (spell check). one of the promises that a i believe Elder Samuelson gave this last general conference is that if you testify your testimony will grow. when i was talking about the first vision i felt a feeling that i cannot describe but it was amazing. i KNOW that joseph smith is a prophet of god and he with the help of the lord restored the gospel of jesus christ on the earth again. this truly is his work and his glory.

my best wishes and love go to you all.

Elder Wilson


Pictures
1. So you ask, what is the purpose for these big rocks?
2. To be broken into smaller sharper rocks to make these roads.
3. Which eventually does this to your shoes after 4 months or so.
4. Ostrich (spell check) Abistrus (spanish)
5. I dont know if I've sent this before but its a drawing of my last district. guess which one is me.

Its A Cold Cold Day in July (3 green and speckled frogs)

Hey all!!!!

So things are going fantastic in the new area!!! Right now we are in the process of finding a house because a new rule in the mission and maybe its for all missions not sure about that, is that there cant be two companionships in one pension. So we have found two options and the office is looking at them. Another positive thing that came from moving from Minnesota to Illinois I learned how to go house hunting with mom and now check it out i can do it!!!! Ya so hopefully we will be moving in the next week or so.

So this week has been a good productive week. We had 3 people come to church who all have baptismal dates and we have a couple that have a date for the end of the month who we are working really hard with. It is Alcibes and Ramona. A young couple with a kid who are learning so fast and are truly amazing. Alcibes is already past half way done with the Book of Mormon!!!! The great thing is that these last two weeks we have found close to 40 new people to teach. The tough part is being able to visit them all but I know that the Lord will help us find a way to find those who are ready to hear his gospel.

Honestly I love the Paraguayan people. They are all so amazing, tranquilo, humble, open, and friendly. We have found so many people that we can sit down an chat with for a little while and the great thingis most of what we talk about can be pulled into sharing the gospel. A thing that hit us kinda hard though when it comes to teaching is the cold and the American Cup. (Soccer tournament of south/central America) When Paraguay plays everyone literally everyone is inside watching the game or at a bar watching the game. It kinda reminds me of some sundays in the US where everyone is inside watching their favorite team.

So this last week we were able to get the Liahona that has all of the General Conference talks. Even though i got so much from listening to conference i realized that i also missed a bunch also. I am so grateful that the church not only records the talks so that we can listen to them time and time again, plus we can read them!!!!! I have been reading 1-2 a day during my personal study time. My favorite so far has been President Eyrings talk on giving service. We have the great blessing of having so many service opportunities everyday. From helping a lady bring her groceries home, digging a pit for a septic tank, to even putting a new roof on a chicken coop (which was awesome). Service is all around us and there are so many opportunities to take to help our fellow brother and sister. A part of President Eyrings talk talked about how parents should give their children opportunities to serve. I am so grateful for mom and dad for not only their examples of service but also helping me and everyone else in our family learn how to serve. There are some missionaries that the want to serve is not that great and im so grateful for my parents for giving me those opportunities.

I am so grateful for this gospel and the blessings that it brings. Everyday my testimony grows from all of the wornderful spiritual experiences. Joseph Smith restored the only true and living church on the earth today. Our father in heaven and Jesus Christ appeared to him. The Book of Mormon IS another testament of Jesus Christ. Through Christ all is possible. He suffered for our transgressions, through his eternal sacrifice we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again.

My prayers and love go out to all of you and may God bless you all,

Elder Wilson

Pics

1. Book of Mormon in Spanish and Guarani
2. Me taking down some Mate Dulce (Milk, Sugar, and Vanilla liquid, and the Yerba is shredded coconut) YUM!
3. LARA!!!! the land ladies dog she is tons of fun.
4. The four Elders of San Antonio
5. My last area. (The family of the branch president. The dad is halarious, the mom aswell and always would give us an empanada yum)