Surprise!

Hola Familia y mi Amigos

 

Surprise! We get to email tonight instead of tomorrow because we{re going into the city and will not have time. They told us like five minutes ago so I am sorry if this scattered and not really together. As always I want to say a few things before I jump into my email. First, mom I got your dear elder letter so it took like a week to get with me. It seems like the way to send mail. Second, if you are going to send me packages you can send them here to the CCM but you have put Hermana Haley Wilson as the name, not Sister Haley Wilson. It makes it easier to get here and every thing.

 

Alright things that have happened since I last wrote. First, I forgot to include this in my last email but the first Sunday I was here apparently some elders did some stuff to invite some bad spirits into the CCM. The MTC President met first with the elders and then with the sisters to cast them out of the CCM. It was a big deal. An elder could not stop shaking because he could not fight them off. He was given a blessing and was okay after that. Anyway while the CCM president was talking to us he told us this story about this dream that he had had when he first came to the CCM. He said in his dream he couold see hosts of Lamenites in the street trying to get into the CCM and then he saw Nephite soldiers at the windows of the CCM protecting it. He said that we are protected by angels at the CCM and that the only way for bad spirits to harm us here is if we invite them in. He gave a powerful prayer calling for protection from both sides of the veil and things have been fine every since.

 

Okay so next thing. We have a new teacher. His name is Hermano Chavez. He teaches us at night to help us with the language. He has been closely observing our teaching of Brian and he gave us feedback this past Friday (I think..). He told us that the secret to missionary work is love. When you have the pure love of Christ for your investigators that can see and feel it and feel the Spirit. He said he could really tell that we loved Brian and that was what was goin gto make us better missionaries and help to bring people to Christ which is what we are here to do.

 

Another exciting thing. I taught my first lesson completely in Spanish. We went over to this building called the CRE, which is basically the TRC of the Guatemala MTC where volunteers come to be taught by the missionaries. Hermana Worth and I taught a 13 year old girl names Ameda. She was so cute! We taught her about the four principles and I was able to say a little bit about each one and bear my testimony in Spanish. It was a major confidence booster. We also got a new investigator named Adrian Sanchez. He is 19 and is not in school but is interested in learning more about the Church. Hw is really hard to teach because if we just talk to him for too long he starts to get fidgety and distracted by stuff going on around us. However, our day teacher, Hermano Solano told me that he was really impressed with how I am progressing in speaking the language. He keeps asking me if I am sure I never studied Spanish in school before I came to the CCM. It really makes me feel better about all the mistakes that I make when I am speaking.

 

So the other day a bunch of little kids came through the CCM. They had name tags on that said, future missionary and we felt like celebrities. We stood in the hallway and shook their hands and said hello. Then they sang to us and gave us these little pencils with the Letters HEJ which is Choose the Right in Spanish. It was super cute and is definitely one of the highlights of being here at the CCM I told these three girls that I liked their dresses but they just came me a weird look so I wonder if I said it correctly.

 

Okay, so here is what is going on with Brian. First let me say that I have never felt such pure and unconditional love for someone as I do for him. All I want for him is to have the peace and joy of the Gospel that I have. To come to understand the eternal joys that being a member of the Church brings. When we taught him about eternal families he teared up as he told us about his father who had died six years ago. We showed him pictures of our families and talked about how we were all sealed together because of the blessings of the temple. It was obvious he was feeling the Spirit and that he loved the doctrine that we taught him. This last time that we taught him we tried out best to do it completely it Spanish. When we were walking about the companionship that taught before us said that Brian was thirst so I grabbed him a little paper cup of water. Well I guess he did not see me try to hand it to him because when he shook my hand he squeezed the cup and spilled water all over both of us! I was so embaressed but we were all able to laugh it off and it really helped everyone relax before we started teaching. We then proceeded to share our favorite scriptures. I shared Isaiah 41,10 and as I struggled to bear my testimony in Spanish about how this scripture changed my life it was like we were all hit with a tangle cloud of the Spirit. All of the sudden it was just Brian and I and I was telling him that this scripture had changed my life and how dear to my heart it was. Even though I struggled with the words I knew that he was feeling that Spirit and that he understood that what I said was true. It is the most spiritual experience I have had up to this point in my life. Hermana Worth that commited him to baptism and he told us that he was not ready. We asked him about it and he said he said he was afraid that after he got baptized he would fall away. We bore our testimonies of the Atonement and how even if all we can do is pray and read our scriptures some times that is enough. No one is perfect and we cannot let our fear of failure doing what God wants us to do. This time I asked him and after a long pause he said he would if he recieved an answer that the Book of Mormon was true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I hope with all my heart that he recieves his answer. Only time will tell though. We left him with the commitment to read Moroni 10 with the promise found in verse 4 and 5. I will let you know what happenes when we teach him this Wednesday.

 

Sunday was good day. It was kind of stressful because we went to Sacrmaent not knowing who would have to get up and speak. We all had to write talks in Spanish and listen intently to see if our name was called. I was nervou sbut thankfully did not have to give up. I do not feel ready to give a talk in Spanish. Also on Sunday we watched the Testaments in English. If you guys have not watched it in a while I strongly recommend it. I have such a testimony that Christ cam ehere to the Americas. Heavenly Father loves all His children and that is the mssage I am taking with me to Panama.

We also had a devotional by Elder Bednar about doctrines, principles, and applications. It really made me reevvaluate how I plan for lessons and give my lessons. My favorite things was when he talked about how as missionaries we are to guide our investigators to the doctinre and they need to find the application. We tried that with Adrian today. He seemed more talkative today which was wonderful and I am hoping that the portion of the Book of Mormon that we assigned him to read will touch his heart.

Well I do not have much else to share. The Latinas love that I studied Hebrew and they keep havin gme write things for them in Hebrew its fun. One more thing. On Sunday we had exchanges and I was companions with Hermana Dawson who I ran into at Beehive clothing the day I went through the temple. She is super sweet and I am so glad to be serving in Panama with her. Still holding out for some mail. I think we only get it about once a week.

I am so grateful to be here at the CCM. The days are long but i feel like I grow and learn so much every day. I love this Gospel. I love the people I am teaching and have yet to teach. I cannot wait to get out there and share this wondeful message of peace and joy with the people of Panama. I am grateful for all your payers. Know that I think of you often. I love my Savior so much. I have learned to rely on Him with every I have these past two weeks. Mom, I may get to call you on Mothers Day. There are rumors. I will keep you posted. I know this Church is true. With all my heart I can testify of that. It has blessed and changed my life and I hope to be an instrument in the Lords hands to change the lives of others these next 18 months. I hope all is well. I love you all so much!

 

Hermana Wilson

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.