Week of Growth

HEY FAMILY!!!

hey guess what im 21! wooo hoooo!!!! fun stuff! (its his birthday today)

this week i was able to receive three different presents from 3 different people for the last three days. 

Saturday.
we woke up at 4am to get to the stake center to get in line to listen to an apostle of the Lord. Elder David A. Bednar came to visit us and to give us council. The biggest thing that he taught us was that he didn't teach us anything. He always said "el Espíritu Santo es el maestro" the Holy Ghost is the teacher. by getting there super early because it was to begin at 830 and we got there at 530 we were able to get the best seats. the second row right in front. now i can say that he doesn't look as young as he used to but he still has it. both missions were there together. about 400 at one time. i was also able to see my last three companions there which was really fun. first we listened to sister bednar. she talked about us being the good boys and girls and being the great missionaries that our mothers say we are. she also said a wonderful quote on how to live our lives for the gospel. being 100% consecrated to the work and to following the Lord. just a great short talk.

we then listened to Elder Bednar. he didn't have any notes. just his scriptures and told us how that day we were not to write anything down we were to write down the impressions of the spirit. it was a question and answer. for the first part he asked questions and we answered then we asked questions and he answered.

The Holy Ghost is the teacher:
               - we need to be obedient to be worthy to have the spirit
               - Listen. Observe. Discern. Act
               - If you feel the spirit then you are worthy of it
               - If you feel impressed to do something just do it. don t worry if its the spirit or not. some times you will have no idea for a long time maybe even years just do it anyways
               - Being consecrated is the way of being a worthy conduit (spell check i have no idea)

How to Teach
               - Don't play guess whats in my head, ask them a question to let the spirit work with them
               - DONT TREAT PEOPLE AS OBJECTS YOU MUST TREAT THEM AS AGENTS OR THEY WONT BUILD THERE OWN TESTIMONY
               - we need to have eyes to see and ears to hear

Faith
               - how through teaching the right way we are able to help other people grow in there faith
               - by helping them exercise their faith by looking for their own answers they can obtain there own testimonies

i had the opportunity to answer a question on what i learned from the talk. honestly i dont remember much of what was said what i do recall though was the feeling that i had. i had been looking for a strong feeling a big impression to have a stronger testimony and as I answered my question and later on listened to Pres. Arnold of the 70 i realize what my testimony is like. I have rarely had a huge spiritual experience. I honestly cannot tell you an experience where i had a huge fiery burn in my heart that the Book of Mormon is true. if i did i would be lying. I know it is true because through time i have obtain tiny pieces of the puzzle. line upon line and precept upon precept. that is my testimony. it has taken 21 years but i got it 100% down now. what a blessing it is.

How elder bednar just talked was amazing. you saw the spirit within him and you felt it. he is converted and i want to be as converted as he is. one of my favorite quotes was "do you guys think that someone would join the church because of what a 19 year old kids say to them? you have got to be kidding me! there is no way! are you kidding me! people are only converted because of the spirit"

Sunday 

we were able to listen to Elder Arnold and i just want to take what he has taught me and build upon it. i am changing my life and am starting a new one. great talk!!!!

Monday

gifts from other elders and one from pres. agazzani. I'm going to Coronel Oviedo! leaving asuncion!!!! sad but true. going to the boonies yaaaaaaaa!!!!!


love you all and thanks for all that you do!!!!


elder wilson

HAPPAY HAPPAY HALLOWEEEEN!!!!!!

HAPPAY HAPPAY HALLOWEEEEN!!!!!!

Hey fam! Well first of all happy halloween (día de las brujas) to you all!!! Here in Paraguay Halloween isn’t super popular. Ya people know about it and walking down the streets at the big stores they have halloween material stuff but  all and all not really. Most people here think its satanic and soooo that kinda eliminates a big bunch of it. We aren’t really doing anything  for halloween but its all good.

This last week was a good week I turned 20, so yay me. Got to get a special ñoki lunch which was nice (also traditional to eat ñoki on the 29th) and later on went to the Elders quorum presidents house and ate some yummy cake cake cake cake. Got a nice call from Hna Callan saying happy bday which was nice and my companion let me choose one of his ties so I got a nice new one. Good bday though glad to celebrate it here in good ol Paraguay!!!!

So a little bit more about the area. The limits are really kinda funky but its nice. We are in the most dangerous zone of Paraguay the worst neighborhood we walk through almost everyday. Normally not at night but from history there hasn’t been a  ton of problems. Its a very busy area on the main freeway so there’s alot of traffic in and out. Walking is a bit more fun, all empedrado so the shoes are going strong. No dirt roads which is a bit sad but oh well. It’s also very hilly so we walk up and down and up and down nice work out for the legs, bomb! A big one here also that I find to be kind of unique is Rastafarianism. Religion off of Bob Marley the sum for the people around here is smoke weed and read the bible so there are a good handful of hippies and stuff like that. They are really nice though they always enjoy offering to the missionaries but we decline. We are starting to go into summer, which is nice. Got super humid and then had a couple of storms and it was super cold this morning (69 f) I know I’m a pansy but I’m starting to say things like ¨wow its only around 94 that’s nice¨.  I know you would all say WHAT??? Elder Parker Wilson is enjoying and accustom to heat? crazy crazy stuff but things happen.

The best part of this week though was yesterday. There is a guy named Sebastian;  the rest of his family were baptized members  about 8 months ago but he never really wanted to ever get baptized. He normally goes to church when he’s not working. Has read the BoM but was not so sure about it and just didn’t really want to get baptized. Yesterday we went with a member to go visit them and we didn’t talk for a good 40 min because the member was talking. IT WAS AWESOME!!!! He told him his conversion story and it was the exact same thing and the blessings that he has received from being a member of the church and being able to have a family for the eternity. Sebastian was touched and the spirit was so strong. Just wow. He said that he’s going on a business trip for a couple of weeks but he is sí o sí getting baptized in Dec! When he commits to something he does it and this was just an amazing miracle!!!!

I love this gospel and it is so true. This is the Lord's work and I am so honored to be apart of it and to represent my family, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and most important our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for you all and send my hopes, love and prayers all to you!!!

Elder Wilson

Photos:

3. Some cool graffiti in our area. The one on the far right is for Rastafarianism that is really popular in my area

2. LOCO PARA LA ¨O¨ my team here in Paraguay

1. BIRTHDAY CAKE!!! LOOK MAMA IM SOOOOOOOOO SKINNAAAAAAY!!!!!