---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Haley Wilson <haley.wilson@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Gain A Testimony of Every Word
To: "Marla Beck (Mom)" <marlajbeck123@gmail.com>, "Don Wilson (Dad)" <donwilson18@live.com>, "Christel Wilson (Grandma)" <christelew@aol.com>, Cameron Wilson <cameronwilson99@gmail.com>
Dear Family and Friends, First, I cannot retunr on this key board so
its going to be weirdly formatted. Just a few housekeeping items
before I jump in and tell you a little about a lot of things that have
happened this week. We can now email anyone we want and we have an
hour to do so. So exciting! Also mom, I am really wanting some more
pictures of the fmaily and stuff. Espeically pictures from when we
were younger that would be great. We use them in lessons with
investigators some times when we talk about our families. Its a great
way to really connect with the investigators. Also, I had to buy a new
suitcase. The big one that I brought ripped laong the linging of the
zipper and I pondered long and hard about sewing it but it ripped in
just the right spot that it would have never held. So when we went to
Walmart last week I bought a smaller one. Heres to crossing our
fingers that I can fit every thing when I fly down to Panama in three
weeks. Also, mom and Megan. Everyone here says you are both beautiful.
Just thought you would like to know! Recently we watched a devotional
by Elder Holland that talked about some really aweomse things. Holland
is always awesome but this time he talked a lot about the love God has
for us and how as missionaries we are, aside from the prophet, the
most prayed for people in the world. He said that we do not have a
right to defile the name we were on our chest. It is an honor to be a
respresentative of Jesus Christ. We got some new roomates. Both are
nortes and headed to Nicarauga. They are sweet girls and last night we
spent twenty minutes before bed showing each other pictures of our
familes. A lot of them have love interests that they left behind or
are currently serving missions as well. I am happy to be unattached
and able to comepletely focus on the work. Even though they do not say
it I can tell it distracts them some times.Thank you to everyone he
wrote me letters! I got three last week and have already replied to
one. i will reply to the other two tomorrow. Expect them in about two
weeks. Also if you have the time to look up Moroni 8,3 you should do
it. Hermano Chavez wrote it on the board for us and it is officially
one of my favorite scriptures. Speaking of Hermano Chavez he gave
Hermana Worth and I feedback on our teaching the other day. He said
the only thing we need to work on is being persistant with our
investigators. He told us that we ask very powerful questions and we
can tell that we plan very carefully before every lesson. That has
definitely been a struggle. I am a very careful planner and Hermana
Worth just likes to go out and completely let the Spirit guide her. We
are trying really hard to find a blanace and this week it hss been
frustrating for me but I am trying really hard to stay humble and
remember that my way is not the only way to plan a lesson nor is it
necessarily the right way. Okay so on to our investigators. It has
been a great week for Brian and Adrian. First Brian. When I left you
guys last he was saying he was not sure if baptism was the right thing
for him. Hermana Worth and I made a hand out of scriptures for him
that we asked to read so he could have his own spiritual experience
with the Book of Mormon. When we met with him next we asked him which
one was his favorite and we read 2 Nephi 4, 20 to 22 with him. He told
us that when he read it he felt peace. We bore testimony that was the
Holy Ghost. We asked if he had recieved an answer about baptism and he
said he was not sure. We asked him if he believed that he felt the
Holy Ghost when he read the Book of Mormon. Yes. Do you believe the
Holy Ghost testifies of truth. Yes. So do you think the Book of Mormon
is true... yes. So if the Book of Mormon says that we need to be
baptized by someone holding the authority of God do you think we
should it... yes. At that moment there were tears in his eyes as I
leaned for and said, in Spanish, Brian, will you follow the example of
Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the authority of God.
Yes.Hermana Worth and I wanted to cry but instead we laughed. And
Brian laughed at us. It was a wonderful feeling. We bore testimony of
all the blessings he would get from his decision. We taught him about
obedience and all i wanted to do was hug him but obvious that is not
allowed so I settled for a good firm handshake. Now we have to get him
ready for baptism. We also committed Adrian to baptism. He has been
hard to teach because he has a really short attention span but we
taught him about the Plan of Salvation, in Spanish. I was so nervous
all day about teaching it because its a lesson you get nervous about
in English and now I had to learn all the Spanish words and phrases to
teach it in Spanish. I had a little break down that day, Saturday I
think, because I was stressing about being able to teach Adrian and we
were trying to plan two others lessons and I looked at Hermana Worth
and said I wanted to go sit on the stairs for a minutes. I cried for a
good ten minutes. I knew I could do it but it just felt so
overwhelming. Hermana Worth was very kind and we had a pray together
and then she encouraged me to pray. When I got myself together enough
to go with the class to teach a lesson in Spanish to some Latino
elders Hermano Chavez came up to and said that he wished that he could
hug me and help me feel better. I am very grateful for teachers that
care so much about us. Speaking of which. Hermano Solano also gave us
teaching feedback and he asked if we wanted the good or the bad first.
We told him wanted the bad so we had the good to look forward to. He
said we should be more direct in our commitments. Never say, puede
leera, or puede orara, basically never say, can you read, or, can you
pray. Always say, will you read. So he told us that and we were
waiting for him to say some thing good. He paused for awhile and then
he said, thats the thing, there isnt any thing good. We both sat there
stunned. There had to be some thing good about what we had done in our
teaching that week. Hermana Worth looked like she was going to cry and
I was ready to get up and leave. The Spirit had been so strong in all
our lessons we had to be doing some thirng right. Then he laughed and
said he was kidding and it was time to be serious. We said we could
not believe him after that when he told us that the puede thing was
the only thing we needed to work on. He said scriptures were great and
our questions were powerful. He loved the wooden puzzle we used as a
visual. Speaking of which, mom if you have the chance could you see if
you could get one in Spanish for me. I know its a lot to ask but it
would be handy to have. No worries if you cant. Its like a wooden
circle and the pieces fit into it. Anyway Hermano Solano told Hermana
Worth that he liked her accent. She has studied Spanish for three
years and spent four months in Costa Rica so she is really good and
some times really carries the lessons. Then he turned to me. I had
been so discouraged that day and he looked at me and said. Hermana,
your Spanish is amazing. I cannot believe how much you contribute to
the lessons and how well you speak. You need to be an example to the
rest of class and speak Spanish with your companion all the time. I
feel God has truly blessed me with the Gift of tongues and I am so
grateful for it. I know that with His help i can only get better. Okay
so here is some thing not so great. Our new work out time is in the
evening at 730 which is really nice because its not hot outside. Well
this past Saturday we were playing volleyball with a super flat ball
and an elder, my zone leader to be more specific, spike it right into
my face. I was worried it broke my nose and it like knocked on the
ground. I felt so sick but I got back up and finished the last five
minutes of the game. As were walking off the court though I go so
dizzy. like I had to sit down and the MTC Presidents wife looked at me
and said I might have a concussions. I was so scared! All I could
think was that I did not want to forget my Spanish. They looked at me
again and said I was okay but that I needed to go right up to bed. I
got a blessing and all I remember from it is that Elder Holyoak told
me i would be okay. Sunday was hard because I felt like someone had
punched me in the face and just felt sick all day. Hermana Worth and i
did teach our Sunday School lesson in Spanish though and it went
really well. Sacrament meeting was interesting because there was this
huge bee like the size of a half dollar flying around us. We kept
trying to duck to get get away from it but we were in the milddle of
the meeting so we really could not get up and move. The branch
president kept looking over at us and we felt bad because we are sure
he could not see the bee so it probablly just looked like we were
being disruptive. Another good thing that happened this week was when
we went and read the Book of Mormon up on the temple grounds. I was
walking within eyesight of my companion who was reading when a lady
approached me and we talked in Spanish, completely in Spanish for like
ten minutes. She told me about her niece that is in Panama and showed
me pictures and I was able to ask her where she was from and about her
family. It is really hard to understand people here though. They speak
so fast! Hermano Solano says they speak faster in Guatemala than any
where else in Central America so hopefully I will be able to
understand people a little better in Panama. Okay back to some
spiritual things. Hermano Solano talked with us about Mateo 14 which
is when Pedro walks on the water. He told us that we may feel like we
are drowning in the language or in the expectations others have for us
or that we have for oursevles but if we cry out as Pedro did, ayudame
Senor. Christ will immediately reach out his hand and help us. I read
a great quote in my personal study this morning that said. Learn the
Gospel so well and teach it so effectively that people will want to
forsake the worldly for the heavenly. That is my goal as a missionary.
To teach with power and be worthy to have the Holy Ghost in my
lessons. The other really spiritual thing that happened this week was
when Hermano Chavez talked to us about the Book of Mormon. He told us
that we need to have a testimony of every verse. There is not a page
in the Book of Mormon that does not testify of Chrsit or the love of
God. He gave us ten minutes to go read up in our rooms and pray about
it. When I read and prayed I knew that I already knew it but I felt a
renewed desire to devour all that was in front of me. I know that it
is the word of God. That Satan tries so hard to tell us that it is
not. That God no longer speaks to us but I know with every fiber of my
being that he does. Just like it says in Moroni 10,6 every good thing
is of Christ. If you have not read the Book of Mormon in a while renew
your efforts to read a little bit every day. It invites us to read it,
ponder upon it, and then ask God if it is true (Moroni 10, 4 and 5) I
know that if we do this God will give us an answer and we will know by
that same Spirit that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. That Joseph
Smith was a prophet and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints if the Gods kingdom once again restored upon the earth in
preparation for the second coming of the Messiah. I am witnessing
every day the power The Book of Mormon has to change lieves. Above
all, I am witnessing how it has and is changing my life. Because of
the Book of Mormon I know that my Savior lives. That He loves us. That
He died for us. He is the only name given under heaven whereby men can
be saved. I know that God has a plan for us. It is a plan of mercy and
a plan of happiness. The joy that is found in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ is eternal and complete and it is the only way that we can have
lasting peace in this life. I invite all of you to feast upon the
words of God. Find out if it is not sweet and good. I promise that if
you drink deeply from these living waters you will never thirst
again.A few last things. Mom please send this email to Grandma. I was
not able to change her email address. Also Grandma, please let me
know what going on. I love it. It will not distract me. Mom I am so
glad to hear every thing is going well. I will put Megan on the prayer
roll in the temple here tomorrow when I go. My Pday is currently
Wednesday but it sounds like they are going to let us email on
Tuesdays around 10 o clock my times so thats just fo ryour
information. I love you all so much. I know that this Church is true
and that this work is the work of the Lord. For whatever reason I have
been prepared to take the Gospel to the people of Panama. I know that
it is only through Him that i can suceed. Remember what it says in 2
Nephi 31,20... Now behold you must press forward with a steadfastness
in Christ, having a love of God and a love of men... it is now time
for the people of God to stand, turn and fight for what is just and
true. It is not a battle for the faint of heart. God is sounding his
trumpet and he is calling for those who carry the shield of faith and
the sword of truth. I pray that God is with all of you. Know that I
think and pray for each of you. Continue to write and send your love.
I look forward to it all the time. Fear not what man can do for God
will see you through and when he comes again we shall see Him as He is
for we will be like Him. I love you all. Thank you for your support
and your paryers. I will talk to you all next week. May God keep you
until then. All My Love, Hermana Wilson Please forward this to
everyone mom. It wont let me send it to anyone else. Especially Bishop
Fulmer
From: Haley Wilson <haley.wilson@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Gain A Testimony of Every Word
To: "Marla Beck (Mom)" <marlajbeck123@gmail.com>, "Don Wilson (Dad)" <donwilson18@live.com>, "Christel Wilson (Grandma)" <christelew@aol.com>, Cameron Wilson <cameronwilson99@gmail.com>
Dear Family and Friends, First, I cannot retunr on this key board so
its going to be weirdly formatted. Just a few housekeeping items
before I jump in and tell you a little about a lot of things that have
happened this week. We can now email anyone we want and we have an
hour to do so. So exciting! Also mom, I am really wanting some more
pictures of the fmaily and stuff. Espeically pictures from when we
were younger that would be great. We use them in lessons with
investigators some times when we talk about our families. Its a great
way to really connect with the investigators. Also, I had to buy a new
suitcase. The big one that I brought ripped laong the linging of the
zipper and I pondered long and hard about sewing it but it ripped in
just the right spot that it would have never held. So when we went to
Walmart last week I bought a smaller one. Heres to crossing our
fingers that I can fit every thing when I fly down to Panama in three
weeks. Also, mom and Megan. Everyone here says you are both beautiful.
Just thought you would like to know! Recently we watched a devotional
by Elder Holland that talked about some really aweomse things. Holland
is always awesome but this time he talked a lot about the love God has
for us and how as missionaries we are, aside from the prophet, the
most prayed for people in the world. He said that we do not have a
right to defile the name we were on our chest. It is an honor to be a
respresentative of Jesus Christ. We got some new roomates. Both are
nortes and headed to Nicarauga. They are sweet girls and last night we
spent twenty minutes before bed showing each other pictures of our
familes. A lot of them have love interests that they left behind or
are currently serving missions as well. I am happy to be unattached
and able to comepletely focus on the work. Even though they do not say
it I can tell it distracts them some times.Thank you to everyone he
wrote me letters! I got three last week and have already replied to
one. i will reply to the other two tomorrow. Expect them in about two
weeks. Also if you have the time to look up Moroni 8,3 you should do
it. Hermano Chavez wrote it on the board for us and it is officially
one of my favorite scriptures. Speaking of Hermano Chavez he gave
Hermana Worth and I feedback on our teaching the other day. He said
the only thing we need to work on is being persistant with our
investigators. He told us that we ask very powerful questions and we
can tell that we plan very carefully before every lesson. That has
definitely been a struggle. I am a very careful planner and Hermana
Worth just likes to go out and completely let the Spirit guide her. We
are trying really hard to find a blanace and this week it hss been
frustrating for me but I am trying really hard to stay humble and
remember that my way is not the only way to plan a lesson nor is it
necessarily the right way. Okay so on to our investigators. It has
been a great week for Brian and Adrian. First Brian. When I left you
guys last he was saying he was not sure if baptism was the right thing
for him. Hermana Worth and I made a hand out of scriptures for him
that we asked to read so he could have his own spiritual experience
with the Book of Mormon. When we met with him next we asked him which
one was his favorite and we read 2 Nephi 4, 20 to 22 with him. He told
us that when he read it he felt peace. We bore testimony that was the
Holy Ghost. We asked if he had recieved an answer about baptism and he
said he was not sure. We asked him if he believed that he felt the
Holy Ghost when he read the Book of Mormon. Yes. Do you believe the
Holy Ghost testifies of truth. Yes. So do you think the Book of Mormon
is true... yes. So if the Book of Mormon says that we need to be
baptized by someone holding the authority of God do you think we
should it... yes. At that moment there were tears in his eyes as I
leaned for and said, in Spanish, Brian, will you follow the example of
Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the authority of God.
Yes.Hermana Worth and I wanted to cry but instead we laughed. And
Brian laughed at us. It was a wonderful feeling. We bore testimony of
all the blessings he would get from his decision. We taught him about
obedience and all i wanted to do was hug him but obvious that is not
allowed so I settled for a good firm handshake. Now we have to get him
ready for baptism. We also committed Adrian to baptism. He has been
hard to teach because he has a really short attention span but we
taught him about the Plan of Salvation, in Spanish. I was so nervous
all day about teaching it because its a lesson you get nervous about
in English and now I had to learn all the Spanish words and phrases to
teach it in Spanish. I had a little break down that day, Saturday I
think, because I was stressing about being able to teach Adrian and we
were trying to plan two others lessons and I looked at Hermana Worth
and said I wanted to go sit on the stairs for a minutes. I cried for a
good ten minutes. I knew I could do it but it just felt so
overwhelming. Hermana Worth was very kind and we had a pray together
and then she encouraged me to pray. When I got myself together enough
to go with the class to teach a lesson in Spanish to some Latino
elders Hermano Chavez came up to and said that he wished that he could
hug me and help me feel better. I am very grateful for teachers that
care so much about us. Speaking of which. Hermano Solano also gave us
teaching feedback and he asked if we wanted the good or the bad first.
We told him wanted the bad so we had the good to look forward to. He
said we should be more direct in our commitments. Never say, puede
leera, or puede orara, basically never say, can you read, or, can you
pray. Always say, will you read. So he told us that and we were
waiting for him to say some thing good. He paused for awhile and then
he said, thats the thing, there isnt any thing good. We both sat there
stunned. There had to be some thing good about what we had done in our
teaching that week. Hermana Worth looked like she was going to cry and
I was ready to get up and leave. The Spirit had been so strong in all
our lessons we had to be doing some thirng right. Then he laughed and
said he was kidding and it was time to be serious. We said we could
not believe him after that when he told us that the puede thing was
the only thing we needed to work on. He said scriptures were great and
our questions were powerful. He loved the wooden puzzle we used as a
visual. Speaking of which, mom if you have the chance could you see if
you could get one in Spanish for me. I know its a lot to ask but it
would be handy to have. No worries if you cant. Its like a wooden
circle and the pieces fit into it. Anyway Hermano Solano told Hermana
Worth that he liked her accent. She has studied Spanish for three
years and spent four months in Costa Rica so she is really good and
some times really carries the lessons. Then he turned to me. I had
been so discouraged that day and he looked at me and said. Hermana,
your Spanish is amazing. I cannot believe how much you contribute to
the lessons and how well you speak. You need to be an example to the
rest of class and speak Spanish with your companion all the time. I
feel God has truly blessed me with the Gift of tongues and I am so
grateful for it. I know that with His help i can only get better. Okay
so here is some thing not so great. Our new work out time is in the
evening at 730 which is really nice because its not hot outside. Well
this past Saturday we were playing volleyball with a super flat ball
and an elder, my zone leader to be more specific, spike it right into
my face. I was worried it broke my nose and it like knocked on the
ground. I felt so sick but I got back up and finished the last five
minutes of the game. As were walking off the court though I go so
dizzy. like I had to sit down and the MTC Presidents wife looked at me
and said I might have a concussions. I was so scared! All I could
think was that I did not want to forget my Spanish. They looked at me
again and said I was okay but that I needed to go right up to bed. I
got a blessing and all I remember from it is that Elder Holyoak told
me i would be okay. Sunday was hard because I felt like someone had
punched me in the face and just felt sick all day. Hermana Worth and i
did teach our Sunday School lesson in Spanish though and it went
really well. Sacrament meeting was interesting because there was this
huge bee like the size of a half dollar flying around us. We kept
trying to duck to get get away from it but we were in the milddle of
the meeting so we really could not get up and move. The branch
president kept looking over at us and we felt bad because we are sure
he could not see the bee so it probablly just looked like we were
being disruptive. Another good thing that happened this week was when
we went and read the Book of Mormon up on the temple grounds. I was
walking within eyesight of my companion who was reading when a lady
approached me and we talked in Spanish, completely in Spanish for like
ten minutes. She told me about her niece that is in Panama and showed
me pictures and I was able to ask her where she was from and about her
family. It is really hard to understand people here though. They speak
so fast! Hermano Solano says they speak faster in Guatemala than any
where else in Central America so hopefully I will be able to
understand people a little better in Panama. Okay back to some
spiritual things. Hermano Solano talked with us about Mateo 14 which
is when Pedro walks on the water. He told us that we may feel like we
are drowning in the language or in the expectations others have for us
or that we have for oursevles but if we cry out as Pedro did, ayudame
Senor. Christ will immediately reach out his hand and help us. I read
a great quote in my personal study this morning that said. Learn the
Gospel so well and teach it so effectively that people will want to
forsake the worldly for the heavenly. That is my goal as a missionary.
To teach with power and be worthy to have the Holy Ghost in my
lessons. The other really spiritual thing that happened this week was
when Hermano Chavez talked to us about the Book of Mormon. He told us
that we need to have a testimony of every verse. There is not a page
in the Book of Mormon that does not testify of Chrsit or the love of
God. He gave us ten minutes to go read up in our rooms and pray about
it. When I read and prayed I knew that I already knew it but I felt a
renewed desire to devour all that was in front of me. I know that it
is the word of God. That Satan tries so hard to tell us that it is
not. That God no longer speaks to us but I know with every fiber of my
being that he does. Just like it says in Moroni 10,6 every good thing
is of Christ. If you have not read the Book of Mormon in a while renew
your efforts to read a little bit every day. It invites us to read it,
ponder upon it, and then ask God if it is true (Moroni 10, 4 and 5) I
know that if we do this God will give us an answer and we will know by
that same Spirit that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. That Joseph
Smith was a prophet and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints if the Gods kingdom once again restored upon the earth in
preparation for the second coming of the Messiah. I am witnessing
every day the power The Book of Mormon has to change lieves. Above
all, I am witnessing how it has and is changing my life. Because of
the Book of Mormon I know that my Savior lives. That He loves us. That
He died for us. He is the only name given under heaven whereby men can
be saved. I know that God has a plan for us. It is a plan of mercy and
a plan of happiness. The joy that is found in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ is eternal and complete and it is the only way that we can have
lasting peace in this life. I invite all of you to feast upon the
words of God. Find out if it is not sweet and good. I promise that if
you drink deeply from these living waters you will never thirst
again.A few last things. Mom please send this email to Grandma. I was
not able to change her email address. Also Grandma, please let me
know what going on. I love it. It will not distract me. Mom I am so
glad to hear every thing is going well. I will put Megan on the prayer
roll in the temple here tomorrow when I go. My Pday is currently
Wednesday but it sounds like they are going to let us email on
Tuesdays around 10 o clock my times so thats just fo ryour
information. I love you all so much. I know that this Church is true
and that this work is the work of the Lord. For whatever reason I have
been prepared to take the Gospel to the people of Panama. I know that
it is only through Him that i can suceed. Remember what it says in 2
Nephi 31,20... Now behold you must press forward with a steadfastness
in Christ, having a love of God and a love of men... it is now time
for the people of God to stand, turn and fight for what is just and
true. It is not a battle for the faint of heart. God is sounding his
trumpet and he is calling for those who carry the shield of faith and
the sword of truth. I pray that God is with all of you. Know that I
think and pray for each of you. Continue to write and send your love.
I look forward to it all the time. Fear not what man can do for God
will see you through and when he comes again we shall see Him as He is
for we will be like Him. I love you all. Thank you for your support
and your paryers. I will talk to you all next week. May God keep you
until then. All My Love, Hermana Wilson Please forward this to
everyone mom. It wont let me send it to anyone else. Especially Bishop
Fulmer
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