gran busqueda

hey family 

i hope all is going well with all of you;  things are going great over here! we are doing something new this week.  right now we are on the gran busqueda!!!! which means the great search. i actually enjoy it. it is a main thing to help us open up our mouths more and talk to more people. a fun thing that happened was while we were walking home  we ran into a man and said hi and started sharing with him. he ended up being a member who served his mission here in paraguay about 15 years ago. we started talking and i randomly asked him "Hey, did you meet or know an Elder Christensen when you were on  your mission?" his eyes opened up and said Yes! i told him that Oliver is my cousin and we started talking about the great O. the guy was Elder Suarez. Oliver got to know him when he was an assistant. Oliver would call themselves "padre e hijo" just shows how you can find so many small world connections on the other end of the globe. (tell O about that experience please)

this last week the cold has come in. this morning i could see my breath, at night i sleep with two blankets, and i walk around with a coat all day. my guess is that most of you want to know how cold it is. well its normally in the 50s and 60s . i know kinda sad i have lost my minnesotan skin. its ok though the Lord humbles us in multiple ways hahaha. 

this last week we met a man named Bartolo. he is a construction worker who lives in a very humble home by the river. he is wonderful a great guy and we have shared with him 2 times. it was great because the first lesson that we had he asked us where our church was, if he could go this sunday, and if we could come and walk with him. can you say miracle of awesomeness!!!!! that was something honestly we needed to boost us up and the Lord blessed us. he came with us this sunday and it was amazing he really liked it and we are going to visit him on tues. 

I've been thinking alot about the interview that i had with president callan. whenever i have had an interview with him i write down notes on the main things that we talk about. it is really interesting how i was able to learn more about them and ponder them all through this last few weeks. i know that those interviews are just sources of revelation. everything that we have talked about i have been studying and have seen about me. its so amazing the progress that one has on the mission. in the next couple of weeks one of my closest friends here on the mission Elder Rios of Jujui Argentina is finishing his mission. when i look at the time that has passed and how i was the first time that i met him and how i am now the change has been so crazy and really amazing and such a blessing. I got to do divisions with him and it was great. we flow perfectly together when we teach and we are best of friends and it was just a great exchange.

last, but definitely not least, i want to say how grateful i am for Mom and Dad. they are celebrating their anniversary (sc)!! i am so grateful for you guys and your wonderful examples of an eternal marriage. thank you so much for raising me in this gospel it is changing my life everyday. i am so grateful for your love and patience. when we are here we see the situations that we put our parents in. we have a young priest who is fixed on going on a mission and is amazing and he has been asked to go to parties that are mehhh and his mom has said no to it. i told him how my mom told me that her main goal was to get me on a mission that she was willing to do anything to help me get on my mission. well I'm here today in beautiful paraguay (rhymed) and i love it the mission changes you and it helps you look through a different light and is just amazing you cant describe it.

i love the gospel, i love most of all my Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ my Savior and Redeemer. i love you all and am so grateful for you!

love

elder wilson

Winter on its way

Hey everyone!!

I hope all is going well!!! i was so happy to get the news about ev's graduation what an awesome, incredible, and amazing event. so thankful for all of you and all that you have done to help evan progress! Especially for brig. wow brig you have done so much to help ev. i felt the same love and care when i was at byu and was having my troubles with classes and such. so grateful for that wonderful example that you are.

truly every week on our mission is a good week. a thing that i have learned and apply more each day has been always having that faith and hope to push forward during hard times. this last week we did have some bumps on the road when it came to finding new people and other things, but you gotta just put that to the side and remember "hey! your representing Jesus Christ and His church, what a blessing!!! The gospel is true! what a joy!" This helps me remember a couple times from this last week. 


when winter comes to paraguay so does the rain. this last week it started raining a lot. most of the street turn into rivers and we gotta cross em and keep on walking. we left a lesson and were right on the street where the water was a solid foot plus deep and it was a river with a current. we had planned to go searching for new people for a part of the day and it was raining non stop. no matter what you  wear you are wet and kinda cold. shoes are just soaked and pants are the same. during that time being honest we didnt find anyone new. we talked to alot of people, but sadly no one let us in. a feeling came over me though. i was just happy! walking in the freezing rain all wet, and people not willing to listen i was still super happy. why? because this is the Lord's work and this is His true gospel on the earth.

this last week i have also been thinking a lot about trials and how we face them. it brings me to remember the talk by Pres. Eyring who said "give me that trial! give me that mountain!" If we are truely willing to grow and better ourselves trails are a wonderful blessing. I have been praying and reading the scriptures to figure out what i must do and what i must change to help myself endure to the end pushing through trials is a big thing. you gotta take em and just say ok what am i gonna do now, learn and better the situation or sit on the side and moap. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can push through. With Him by our side anything is possible.

i'm so grateful for all of you and pray for you daily! . love you all!!!!!

Elder WIlson

Wonderful Week

Hey fam!!!!

well short on time today sorry but i´ll give y'all a scoop on the week

SULMI GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a great service the spirit was there and it was so strong. It is incredible the change that she has had in her life. I personally believe there were two major things that helped her. One is that she literally just dived into the Book of Mormon and is walking proof that if someone wants to know the church is true the only way is through The Book of Mormon. Also because every visit was with members and she just got welcomed and is loved in the ward with that combo she was able to flower (funny way of saying it i don't know how else to) its like in alma 32 how when you plant that seed and that is good and nourish it, IT WILL GROW!

Also this week we had interviews with Pres. Callan. I know that he is a man called of God. I truly treasure those 7-15 minutes that i get to have with him every 3 months to talk 1 on 1. We talked mainly about two things becoming a consecrated missionary and pushing through adversity. Its so wonderful because those have been my main thoughts and focuses the last week or so. Just what  can i do to be better, and how to better deal when things don't go to plan or we find opposition? Its all an interesting thing. It helped me be more and more excited to be a part of this work. Honestly i find myself just sitting there thinking or as we are walking pondering and just being like, "wow, I'm a missionary of Jesus Christ and it is so amazing!" I sit there and think about the change that has come about me and have been talking about it in my letters with friends on the mission from college and how these are those two years where God sculpts you. Even though tough times will come and things will get hard as a missionary you just gotta remember: The gospel and the church are true! That God lives and He loves us! Jesus is the Christ! How great is our calling to sacrifice ourselves for His work and glory! I love it.

Sorry short mail this week but i love you all and pray for you daily. Know that i know that this is Gods true church on the earth. That Joseph Smith saw the Father and Jesus Christ and that he was a tool in their hands to restore the fullness of the gospel. I have no doubt in my heart of this. The Book of Mormon is true and with it we have the plenitude of the gospel. I love my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and I love Our Father in Heaven who sent me here to grow. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve.

My love and prayers

Elder Wilson

Beautiful Sajonia

Hey everyone!!!!

Well as you can see by the title I'm still here in Sajonia with Elder Horton. We didn't get any changes so we are gonna keep on working hard serving the Lord. Sajonia will be the place where Ive stayed the longest in my mission!!!! The rest of the district and the ZL of our zone had changes. In our district new are Elder Rodeback (MN! Champlin Park) Elder Sevy (not sure where he is from) and Elder Izurieta (Argentina). All here and ready to work which is awesome!!!!

This last week was Easter week which here is known as Semana Santa which means Holy week. It is very common that people don't work spend a lot of time at home with their families. Which means that most of the people go out into the "interior" to go visit extended relatives so most people from Asunción go out to other areas. Still though the Lord blessed us with miracles.

Sulmi is going to be getting baptized on weds!!! she is so prepared its amazing how the Lord changes lives. Her baptismal date was for saturday and we switched it to weds for different reasons. i asked her "sulmi, do you believe that this church is the only true church of God on earth?" her answer was perfect. "elder, isn't that the reason I'm going to be baptized?" the perfect answering a question with a question. this sunday too her brother-in-law and sister went to visit family so she came all by herself to church which was awesome! I believe i have already talked to you all about Quintin. He is the man that we followed his kid to find his house and we have been teaching him the last couple of weeks. He went to conference last week and this was his first week going to church. because of the hour change he came to church an hour early and he loved it all. his kids went to primary and they loved it. it was so incredible!!! while we were teaching him this last week the thought came to my mind of how at times we don't recognize how some people just take the gospel and feel the Lord's presence in their lives. Quintin is someone who has been prepared to receive the true gospel of Jesus Christ and his progress has been incredible. the best thing is that he had 2 or 3 friends at church that we didn't even know he knew. he loved the experience and is so excited to keep on learning. he has a baptismal date for the 21st of this month.

As mentioned before this last week has been Easter Week. what a blessing it is to be apart of the Lords work during this time. To be able to share how he has conquered spiritual and physical death. He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for all of us that we may use his atoning sacrifice to be clean of our sins. In the last months I've been continually studying and trying to understand more and more of the atonement. really it is just so amazing. Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, laid down His life for us. I don't remember where the scripture is in the bible i know it is in Matthew that says "no man hath greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends" i hope i quoted it right. I am so grateful that Christ laid down His life for me. That He loves me so much to suffer for my sins, my weaknesses, my trials, for everything, that i may grow and that i may better myself so that i can live with my Father in Heaven and Him again.

I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and all that He has done for me. I am so grateful to be able to carry His name and His true church on my heart to represent Him here in Sajonia. Through reading the The Bible and The Book of Mormon we can truly to come to know more of who He is, and what He has done for us.

Thank you for all that you do. love you all so much in my thoughts and prayers constantly.

Love,

Elder Wilson

General conference

Hey fam

This last weekend we all had the amazing opportunity to listen to God's representatives here on earth. They are all so amazing! A theme that me and my companion took out of all of conference was the focus on families. In every single talk the speaker either focused on family, family relations, ways to build families, or how their topic helped fortify families. It is so true that our most important calling on this earth is to help our families and children on the path to exaltation. With the guidance of the Lord and his servants there is no need to fear to have a family in this world. Another theme that we got was how it is all just so simple. Follow the prophet and you will be blessed. Like what it says in DyC whether by my voice or by the voice of my servants it is the same. I have no doubt that saturday and sunday in all five of those sessions we were listening to what our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ wanted us to hear.

My favorite talks had to have been of course the prophet, Elder Bednar, Elder Holland, Uncle Larry (loved your talk Larry), Elder Perry, Pres. Uchtdorf, and all of them were just amazingly good. You could see so much that so many of them were focusing on faith, hope, and charity. Especially when you listen to Elder Holland and Elder Uchtdorfs talks. One thing that i really did find interesting was what Elder Holland said, "There is always time to repent, but you better hurry. Its getting late." We are in the last days. It just shows more and more how much we need to cling to the gospel, hold fast to the iron rod, and do what we have to do. I have always enjoyed the measurement that the leaders of the church have to help us out; always be worthy to hold a temple recommend. What i love so much about conference is first off, i actually get it and know the importance of it. (haven't taken a nap once, go me) and second how it just gives us such a huge boost to get better and to grow. now i cant wait till we get the Liahona with the talks so i can mark it all up!!!!

We had 4 huge miracles at conference, Sulmi, Enzo, Quitin, and Maria all came and they all felt the spirit. Sulmi is a huge miracles she is getting baptized on saturday. Quintin is just wow and he came all by himself and loved it so much. It is truly what he needs at this moment. The Lord is blessing us so much here in Sajonia I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! working hard and having fun. with elder horton we are very much enjoying ourselves.

well changes are on weds. should i stay or should i go. i don't know. what i do know though is that i will serve with all of my might to help Gods children know His gospel and His love. that is my calling and that is what i will do.

love you all so much. my prayers go to you daily and i'm so thankful for all of your prayers.

Elder Wilson

Pics:
1. Us helping out Enzo wash his clothes so that he could go to church
2. A view from the top of our house
3. A view from the chapel in Centro, Asunción