Hola mi familia y mi amigas
It seems like every week thereis issues with my keyboard.This week the spacebar does not want to work so I amsorry for the poorly spaced email. I have a lot to say in the hour that I have so lets get to it.
Okay so this week has been great. Mom I got your package on the 25th and all the candy is gone already. Do not worry. I shareditwith my companion. The Kit Kat felt like heaven. Also mom a good talk by Elder Uchtdorf is one called The Infinite Power of Hope. He also gave one on truth that I think Dave would enjoy. If you send pictures I might be able to print them out in the field but no promises. Also, no more packages after today. They will not get here before I leave so if you want to send some thing send it Panama to the mission home. Also mom, could you shrink down a copy of my patriarchal blessing. The one that I brought is worn out down the middle and it makes it really hard to read. You should be able to ghet a copy fromLDS. org. Use my record number on one of my old recommends. Gracias!
Entonces, lets talk about the title of this email. Every week we go to CRE Which is like the TRC for Guatemala. Its where people come and volunteer to be investigators or less active members for the missionaries. Well On Tuwesday we were at CRE teaching a Lation elderwhen all of the sudden the lady came over and said that he had to go because he deportes (when we work out) so he left and Hermana Worth and I were sitting there wondering what in the world happened and what was going to happen now. Entonces we were sitting there and the lady came over with a guy and said we would teach him. You could tell by looking at him that he was not a member. Hermana Worth and I just looked at each other, incredibly nervous wonderingwhat to do. He said his name was Jorge and we asked him what he knew. He said nothing. So we started with the Book of Mormon.Well Hermana Worth started with the Book of Mormon. When shegets nervous she rambles and when I get nervous I close up and try to think really hard about what to say. Entonces, we taught him about fe en Jesuscristo, arrepentimiento, and then we got to baptism. At this point I had lost what Hermana Worth saying and then I felt the prompting to commit Jorge to baptism. It terrified me. Why would I commit him to baptism. He did not even know what that meant. But the Spirit kept pressing me to do it so finally when Hermana Worth ended her testimony I leaned forward , look at Jorge and asked him if he wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ. He said yes. Feeling a little more confident I extended the commitment and after a fewmoments he said yes. I was ecstatic! We asked him if we could get his address so that othermissionaries could come and teach him.That was when he became nervous. We pressed him, assuring him that he could send them away if he decided he did not want them, Hermana Worth handed him a paper and pen to write itdown. He gave us a city and an area in that city but no matter how much we pressed him he would not give us a street or house number. Basically it was not a good enough referral. He said he had to go and so we ended our lesson with a prayer. I felt really good, even though he hadgiven an address that would not really help I know that we planted a see and while Hermana Worth was frustrated about the fake address we did our best to comfort one another. I am sure there will be many more times just like that one. I was just glad that I followed that prompting because I knowI would have regretted it later. Hopefully some day Jorge will take thediscussions and want to know more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Okay so this week has been great. Mom I got your package on the 25th and all the candy is gone already. Do not worry. I shareditwith my companion. The Kit Kat felt like heaven. Also mom a good talk by Elder Uchtdorf is one called The Infinite Power of Hope. He also gave one on truth that I think Dave would enjoy. If you send pictures I might be able to print them out in the field but no promises. Also, no more packages after today. They will not get here before I leave so if you want to send some thing send it Panama to the mission home. Also mom, could you shrink down a copy of my patriarchal blessing. The one that I brought is worn out down the middle and it makes it really hard to read. You should be able to ghet a copy fromLDS. org. Use my record number on one of my old recommends. Gracias!
Entonces, lets talk about the title of this email. Every week we go to CRE Which is like the TRC for Guatemala. Its where people come and volunteer to be investigators or less active members for the missionaries. Well On Tuwesday we were at CRE teaching a Lation elderwhen all of the sudden the lady came over and said that he had to go because he deportes (when we work out) so he left and Hermana Worth and I were sitting there wondering what in the world happened and what was going to happen now. Entonces we were sitting there and the lady came over with a guy and said we would teach him. You could tell by looking at him that he was not a member. Hermana Worth and I just looked at each other, incredibly nervous wonderingwhat to do. He said his name was Jorge and we asked him what he knew. He said nothing. So we started with the Book of Mormon.Well Hermana Worth started with the Book of Mormon. When shegets nervous she rambles and when I get nervous I close up and try to think really hard about what to say. Entonces, we taught him about fe en Jesuscristo, arrepentimiento, and then we got to baptism. At this point I had lost what Hermana Worth saying and then I felt the prompting to commit Jorge to baptism. It terrified me. Why would I commit him to baptism. He did not even know what that meant. But the Spirit kept pressing me to do it so finally when Hermana Worth ended her testimony I leaned forward , look at Jorge and asked him if he wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ. He said yes. Feeling a little more confident I extended the commitment and after a fewmoments he said yes. I was ecstatic! We asked him if we could get his address so that othermissionaries could come and teach him.That was when he became nervous. We pressed him, assuring him that he could send them away if he decided he did not want them, Hermana Worth handed him a paper and pen to write itdown. He gave us a city and an area in that city but no matter how much we pressed him he would not give us a street or house number. Basically it was not a good enough referral. He said he had to go and so we ended our lesson with a prayer. I felt really good, even though he hadgiven an address that would not really help I know that we planted a see and while Hermana Worth was frustrated about the fake address we did our best to comfort one another. I am sure there will be many more times just like that one. I was just glad that I followed that prompting because I knowI would have regretted it later. Hopefully some day Jorge will take thediscussions and want to know more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Another exciting thing that happened this weekend was having Elder James R. Martino speak to us. He is a 70 and he came to talk to us about being powerful missionaries in the field. He said we should never be afraid to open our mouths because God will fill them in the very moment that we need it. I want to be that kind of missionary. I know it will be hard but worth it and I labor with my Savior in His vineyard down in Panama.
Spanish is going well. I feel like I am contributing more and more to all the lessons. It has gotten to the point where Hermana Worth teaches about half and I teach about half. Granted miy Spanish is not perfect by any means but my teacher and Hermana Worth tell me all the time that they cannot believe how fast I am learning the language. I am now focusing on speaking in a way that invites the Spirit. The otherday Hermano Chavez was having us recite the First Vision and when it got to me I decided I was going to try and say it like I was teaching.I look at Hermano Chavez and pictured Brian and said it. As I began to describe what Joseph Smith saw I felt in my heart that I was saying was true. That heavenly Father and Jesus Christ did in reality appear to and speak to Joseph Smith. I could see in Hermano Chavezs eyes that the words I was saying were being confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost. I was perhaps one of the most intensely spiritual moments I have had here at el CCM.
Some thing not so good. Hermana Worth and I had our toughest lesson this week.We were teaching Brian the PLan of Salvation. We were so flustered during it that we forgot to use one scripture and only kind of bore our testimonies at the end. It was horrible andboth of us felt like crying afterwards. We talked to Hermano Chavez about it and he told us what we already knew. He encouraged us by saying that we were the best companionship inthe district with Spanish and with teaching.He said we needed to try and be better every day. So we decided to review what we had taught him about the Plan of Salvation. His only hang up is ordinances for the dead. He just does not understand why they are necessary or even if we need them. Hermana Worth rambled to answer the question and I sat there quietly thinking. Suddenly the thought came into my head to draw on what he already has and not to shove knowledge down his throat.So when Hermana Worth stopped talking I looked at Brian and said. Brian Do you believe the Bible to be the Word of God. Yes. BRian do youbelieve the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Yes. Do you believe that God loves all of His children. Yes, I do. Entonces Brian. We have learned from the Bible and from the Book of Mormon that this is the only way that all His children can have the opportunity to return to Him. The only way. And if you have a testimony of these books. Andif youpray to know,you will know also that God has given us this as a blessing His children. Brian will you pray about this.
At this point there were tears in his eyes as he looked down at this scriptures than back up at me and said yes, he would. I am not sure what happened, or what Hermana Worth said but she ended the lesson and we shook Brians hand and went inside. As soon as we got in there Hermana Worth hugged me telling me she could not believe it. I felt like I had not done any thing. I had never felt like an instrument of the Spirit but I knew in my heart that in that moment the Spirit has used me to tell Brian those things. It has been the m ost spiritual lesson of my time here at the CCM. I know that God will help me, if I am faithful to have more experiences like that. I pray every day for more of those experiences. I want to be a tool in the Lords hands to bring others unto Him. I want it with all my heart.
Spanish is going well. I feel like I am contributing more and more to all the lessons. It has gotten to the point where Hermana Worth teaches about half and I teach about half. Granted miy Spanish is not perfect by any means but my teacher and Hermana Worth tell me all the time that they cannot believe how fast I am learning the language. I am now focusing on speaking in a way that invites the Spirit. The otherday Hermano Chavez was having us recite the First Vision and when it got to me I decided I was going to try and say it like I was teaching.I look at Hermano Chavez and pictured Brian and said it. As I began to describe what Joseph Smith saw I felt in my heart that I was saying was true. That heavenly Father and Jesus Christ did in reality appear to and speak to Joseph Smith. I could see in Hermano Chavezs eyes that the words I was saying were being confirmed by the power of the Holy Ghost. I was perhaps one of the most intensely spiritual moments I have had here at el CCM.
Some thing not so good. Hermana Worth and I had our toughest lesson this week.We were teaching Brian the PLan of Salvation. We were so flustered during it that we forgot to use one scripture and only kind of bore our testimonies at the end. It was horrible andboth of us felt like crying afterwards. We talked to Hermano Chavez about it and he told us what we already knew. He encouraged us by saying that we were the best companionship inthe district with Spanish and with teaching.He said we needed to try and be better every day. So we decided to review what we had taught him about the Plan of Salvation. His only hang up is ordinances for the dead. He just does not understand why they are necessary or even if we need them. Hermana Worth rambled to answer the question and I sat there quietly thinking. Suddenly the thought came into my head to draw on what he already has and not to shove knowledge down his throat.So when Hermana Worth stopped talking I looked at Brian and said. Brian Do you believe the Bible to be the Word of God. Yes. BRian do youbelieve the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Yes. Do you believe that God loves all of His children. Yes, I do. Entonces Brian. We have learned from the Bible and from the Book of Mormon that this is the only way that all His children can have the opportunity to return to Him. The only way. And if you have a testimony of these books. Andif youpray to know,you will know also that God has given us this as a blessing His children. Brian will you pray about this.
At this point there were tears in his eyes as he looked down at this scriptures than back up at me and said yes, he would. I am not sure what happened, or what Hermana Worth said but she ended the lesson and we shook Brians hand and went inside. As soon as we got in there Hermana Worth hugged me telling me she could not believe it. I felt like I had not done any thing. I had never felt like an instrument of the Spirit but I knew in my heart that in that moment the Spirit has used me to tell Brian those things. It has been the m ost spiritual lesson of my time here at the CCM. I know that God will help me, if I am faithful to have more experiences like that. I pray every day for more of those experiences. I want to be a tool in the Lords hands to bring others unto Him. I want it with all my heart.
I know that no witness comes until after the trial of your faith (Eter 12:6). It has been a scriptures that I have thought about a lot this week as we have taught our investigators about the iomportance of praying for answers. Alma telss us that if we even have the desire to believe we should let that desire work in us. Faith is not have a perfect knowledge but to hope for things are not seen that are true. So many people are afraid to read The Book of Mormon not because of finding out that its not true but because they worry that they will find out that it is. The Book of Mormon has the power to change the life of the reader more than any other bnook I have ever read. i see it as I commit my investigators to read it. I see it as I read it and I see as my teachers testify and teaching from it.
We focused on the power of the Book of Mormon with Adrian this week. He does not like to read and when we assign him verses to read we never know if he will read them or not We bore testimony about the power of prayer and scripture study and the necessity of the revelation.We told him that he hasto read The Book of Mormon because our entire message, the entire reason we are our here, hingeson the truthfulness of that book. If it is not true we might as well leave the CCM and go swim at the beach. But it is true. Our investigators need to know it and wee need to know it. That testimony needs to burn in our souls. We gave Adrian a handout of scriptures from The Book of Mormon, like we did with Brian, so that he can have a spiritual experience with the Book of Mormon. We will teach him tomorrow. I will let you all know how it goes. After the lessonon prayer and scriptures Hermano Solano came up to me and said what a good job I had done. I had told a story which requires a lot of past tense and apparently I had used it correctly. I had also sharedmy experience with finding out that theBook of Mormon is true and he told how important that was to share our personal experiences with our investigators.
Also we had to push Bryans baptisimal date back because he has not gone to church and taken the sacrament three times. We are hoping that our lesson that we gave to him an hour ago will help him understand and gain a testimony of the importance of going to church.
We focused on the power of the Book of Mormon with Adrian this week. He does not like to read and when we assign him verses to read we never know if he will read them or not We bore testimony about the power of prayer and scripture study and the necessity of the revelation.We told him that he hasto read The Book of Mormon because our entire message, the entire reason we are our here, hingeson the truthfulness of that book. If it is not true we might as well leave the CCM and go swim at the beach. But it is true. Our investigators need to know it and wee need to know it. That testimony needs to burn in our souls. We gave Adrian a handout of scriptures from The Book of Mormon, like we did with Brian, so that he can have a spiritual experience with the Book of Mormon. We will teach him tomorrow. I will let you all know how it goes. After the lessonon prayer and scriptures Hermano Solano came up to me and said what a good job I had done. I had told a story which requires a lot of past tense and apparently I had used it correctly. I had also sharedmy experience with finding out that theBook of Mormon is true and he told how important that was to share our personal experiences with our investigators.
Also we had to push Bryans baptisimal date back because he has not gone to church and taken the sacrament three times. We are hoping that our lesson that we gave to him an hour ago will help him understand and gain a testimony of the importance of going to church.
We watched a devotional by Elder Holland about how the biggest convert on our missions should be ourselves. I hope that is the case for me.
I only have a few minutes left so I wiant to just bear my testimony with you guys. I love this work so much. I have been working really hard to give my whole heart and soul to God. I have honestly struggled this week with a lot of things but I can my Lord andSavior JesusChrist supporting me through it all. I know that God lives. That thisis His work that we are doing in the dispensation of the fullness of times. This is the final stand of His people again Babylon. It is nowour time to turn and fight the enemy. We canot yield to the restistance of the world but we must go forward boldly remembering that now unhallowed hand can stop this work. Hermano Solano told us that we must give all our hearts toGod. Every thing we have, or we will not be able to do His work. I know that this is true. We cannot encourage others to change if we do not first change ourselves. I know with all my heart that this is His work.That the Book of Mormon willl change your life if youwil feast upon and drink in the words and testimonies of Christ that are found there. We learn from it that the words of Christ will tell us all things that we should do. It is my testimony of this book and my Savior, who through Joseph Smith restored His Gospel, that has brought me out here. It is the reason that I can look at my investigators and say that I know these things are true. Thereis power and joy and pece in this Gospel and we must continue with steadfastness, reading and praying. I can promise that if we will do these things we shall stand before God at the last day and we will see him as He is for we will be like hHim.
I love you all. I am so grateful for all you support. Keep sending the dearelders, I love them. Until next week. I am praying for you and think about you every day. There is no where else in the world I would rather bee. The Church is true. I declare that with all that I am.
All My Love and More
Hermana Wilson
I only have a few minutes left so I wiant to just bear my testimony with you guys. I love this work so much. I have been working really hard to give my whole heart and soul to God. I have honestly struggled this week with a lot of things but I can my Lord andSavior JesusChrist supporting me through it all. I know that God lives. That thisis His work that we are doing in the dispensation of the fullness of times. This is the final stand of His people again Babylon. It is nowour time to turn and fight the enemy. We canot yield to the restistance of the world but we must go forward boldly remembering that now unhallowed hand can stop this work. Hermano Solano told us that we must give all our hearts toGod. Every thing we have, or we will not be able to do His work. I know that this is true. We cannot encourage others to change if we do not first change ourselves. I know with all my heart that this is His work.That the Book of Mormon willl change your life if youwil feast upon and drink in the words and testimonies of Christ that are found there. We learn from it that the words of Christ will tell us all things that we should do. It is my testimony of this book and my Savior, who through Joseph Smith restored His Gospel, that has brought me out here. It is the reason that I can look at my investigators and say that I know these things are true. Thereis power and joy and pece in this Gospel and we must continue with steadfastness, reading and praying. I can promise that if we will do these things we shall stand before God at the last day and we will see him as He is for we will be like hHim.
I love you all. I am so grateful for all you support. Keep sending the dearelders, I love them. Until next week. I am praying for you and think about you every day. There is no where else in the world I would rather bee. The Church is true. I declare that with all that I am.
All My Love and More
Hermana Wilson
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