Cuz Ive Had The Time of My Life....

And I owe it all to Him....

Hola a Todos!

Well this is it. The last email that you will all be getting from me! I hope you have enjoyed reading my experiences as much as I have enjoyed sharing them and living them. 

It was a crazy last week but it all paid off to see Gerald all dressed in white. He told me that when he entered the water he felt like he had been brought to stand before God and he felt pure and utter peace knowing that he was clean and worthy to be there. He said coming out of the water was like tasting a small piece of heaven. That for me... is some thing I shall carry in my heart always. 

On Sunday Gerald was confirmed and he also recieved the Aaronic preisthood and was ordained to the office of presbitero.... after church one of the members was showing him and another newly ordained presbitero how to prepare, bless, and clean up after the Sacrament. He will bless the sacrament in two weeks and though I will not be there I know that in a years time I will be recieving an email from him letting me know that he is going to serve a mission of tiempo completo. The branch is very excited about him and he spreads rays of animo and entuiasmo wherever he goes.

We also had the joy of seeing Maris interest go up. She hasthe desire to learn, wants to be baptized but needs to get married. The problem also exist that her boyfriend needs to get a divorce first so my companion will have her hands full. I feel privileged to have met her in such a miraculous way and I left my info so I hope to be hearing about great things later. 

To end this email... it was really just a week of tears... Gerald showed up at the last minute and asked my companion and I to sing one more time for him the hymn that we had sang at his baptism. He cried, Hna. Rios, my old companion, and the member that was there cried also. Everyone except for me. I dont know... I just feel this profound peace... I feel like I gave it my all and God is happy with what I have done. When I first came to Panama I felt like I was returning to a place that I had been before and now I understand why.

I feel grateful for this time that I have had to serve my Savior. I have come to know many people in Panama. I am grateful that God trusted me enough to feed his sheep here in this beautiful country. While I watched the Gospel change their lives... they changed me. And when I looked into the eyes of those who thirsted for the truth I saw the love of my Savior. I saw a Man of Sorrows, acquinted with grief... who has asked us to go unto all nations.. baptizing in the name of the Father and the son... I love my Savior so much. I am grateful for this time that I have had to consecrate to him. I ache for it again but know that this is not the end. The best is yet to come...

I love you all so much! Thank you for all your love prayers and support throughout this experience. It was the hardest experience of my life but also the greatest. I am ready for whatever God has planned for me. I hope to see and talk with you all very soon.

If you wish to respond to this email send it to the following... haleywilson123@hotmail.com

All My Love, 

Hna. Wilson

We Are Seeing White

Hola A Todos!

So a lot of things happened this week so I best just jump right in!

We had a rather interesting week. On Wednesday Satan really did not want us to work. My companions shoulder is so bad that she is under orders to not carry any kind of bag for three weeks. I have been carrying one backpack for the both of us all week. I weighed it, It was between 15 and 20 pounds yesterday. 

Anyway, as I was saying on Wednesday Satan did not want us to work. I fell twice that day and it was excrutiatingly painful. But I have always been kind of hard headed and told my companion that we were not going home because we had scheduled to work with Gerald and another youth that day. Anyway, when we were leaving lunch we walked right up on a family and talked to them. They are married, were attending the Adventist church but stopped and accepted for us to come and teach them. We will go back on Wednesday and hopefully they will accept to be baptized. I fell again that night on the way home but it was not that big a deal because we were just walking ot the house. 

Our zone leaders this week invited us to put five new fechas. I am happy to report that we were able to do it. My goal has always been to leave my areas better than I found them and I plan to continue working hard this week so that Hna. Hanson and her new companion are kept nice and busy.

One of the really special moments of the week was when we went and visited Rueben Saldaño for the second time. He was a contact from the week before and when we were planning the night before I felt deep in my soul that he would accept the baptisimal date. All day on Wenesday I felt it and that was one of the reasons I did not want to go home early. We he did accept the fecha and he always promised us to come to church this coming week. We shall see how he progresses. The good news is he is married and he pays a lot of attention when we teach. his wife not so much. But maybe he is the pioneer of his family.

We also had a conference this week. It was really trunky because I saw a lot of missionaries that I am going home with and that was basically all we talked about. We also did like a scripture chase with Preach My Gospel... I won twice right off the bat and so then my mission president said I had to let other people win... 

Also on Thursday when we were working.. we had gone out early to work and we were trying to contact. It was going horribly. So we decided to stop and pray and we asked heavenly Father to guide and the next house that we contacted after the prayer was a family... a dad a mom and two daughters... the parents are not married but they recieved us and even gave us soup and some thing to drink. They seem interested. Their names are Miguel and Mari... just keep them in your prayers that they will accept more of the message that we will share with them.

Now to update you all about Gerald...

Gerald is as golden as ever.. yesterday he showed up to church in a white shirt, tie... basically he looked like a missionary without his name tag. He also has been reading the Book of Mormon.. he started on Sunday and I believe by now he is halfway through Alma. He plans to finish it before he gets baptized. He also promised us that he is going to every thing in his power to serve a mission. He should get his mission call next October if all goes the way we want it too. That will be a happy day. I will share that wiht you when it happens. He is getting baptized on Saturday at 5. Then the plan is that for my last day here... Sunday... we are going to work with him as a baptized and confirmed member of the church. I could think of no better way to end my mission then working with him.

I feel so blessed. So deeply blessed by the Lord. Some times I dont know weather the tears that come are tears of sadness because I am leaving.. or joy because of all the miracles I have seen and all the blessings I have recieved. When I came to Panama... as the plane touched down on the run way... I felt like I had been here before... like I was coming home... truly... a part of my heart will be staying here. 

That is all for this week. as my mission comes to a close I just hope to make all of you and Heavenly Father proud. 

Lots of Love, 
Hna. Wilson

Fotos

​Gerald and I... he came to church looking like a missionary :)

Gerald my companion and I!

​I do not know what kind of animal this is... but I got to pet it!

​​Eating ice cream with Gerald!
​

And God Said Let There Be A Baptism

Hola A Todos!

So this email is going to be basically all about Gerald. he is more than golden and I feel privileged to witness his conversion. 

This week it rained every day. Every single day. Like no members wanted to work with us but there was one person who did. You guessed it. Gerald worked with us every day almost... Wednesday through Saturday. And we kept apologizing about him getting wet and he just said.. no importa... necesitamos predicar! He wants to be a missionary! He tells everyone. He also tells everyone that he is getting baptized on the 27th. I have never seen the Gospel change someone so much. 

When we had the family home evening with him on Monday we taught the Resturation and when we finished the lesson we asked him if he had any thoughts and he said... just that its true.. and the world needs to know it... and i am so happy to be here with you guys... because I want to be baptized. I want to follow my Savior...  

then on Tuesday he went to a family home evening wiht us and on the way he told us... do you guys know what I did today? And so we asked him what and he said... I burned every thing bad that I had... bad music... bad movies... every thing... I had always wanted to do it but never had the courage and now I do... and  then in the family home evening when we talked to him more in depth about the Book of Mormon and gave him the formal inviation to read the book of Mormon while we were reading the introduction we aske dhim if he wanted ot say any thing and he told us how happy he was that he had repented and changed his life and how badly he wanted everyone to read the book of Mormon. 

Then on Wednesday we went to work with him we were walking in the street... we had been rejected by numerous peoploe and he asked if we could stop and have a prayer.. He asked... not me, not my companion.. the investigator asked to pray and offered it. He asked that we could find someone that would let us in and that God could forgive us for any thing we might have done to keep us from being able to listen to the Spirit. So then we went and contacted a house. A lady named Frances, who lives by herself, let us in. We taught her about Joseph Smith and she accpeted to be bapitze don the 11th of October... unforutnately she suddenly took off to Santiago so we will not see her for a week but it was amazing to see Geralds faith.. and how God answered his prayer.

On Thursday when we went to teach him he told us that the night before he had been praying and asking God if he was fogiven for all the bad things he had done in his life. He said that he had never felt such an intense heat and he knew that God loved him.. and that he was going on the right path. He also told us that just a few days before we had met him hed had a dream. 

He said in his dream he was walking from one part of our area to another. He was surrounded by light and up ahead he could see two girls... and some thing told him that they were preaching. Then he said that Christ was beside him and told him that if her wanted to progress and recieve all the blessings that God had prepared for him that he needed to turn on the light... or in other words.. make God a bigger part of his life. Then he was told that two girl would bring this light to him and that he should never ever turn away from it. That if he accepted... God had great things planned for him.... that was his dream... then two days after that... we knocked on his door. 

Saturday we had a Hawiian activity.. it was pretty neat. Of course Gerald came and he ended up break dancing in front of everyone which was a big hit. Our biggest challenge with him is getting him to feel included with the members. He is very mature for a 17 year old and already wants to serve a mission. There is not really anyone else at the moment that is preparing to serve a mission int he branch but I feel like his conversion is deep enough that no matter what happens he will be strong member of the Church.

Today we are going to buy Gerald a white shirt and black pants... he does not have any and he really wants to look nice when he comes to church. Anyway, on Sunday we gave him the challenge to read the whole book of Mormon before his baptism... that was after he had showe dup to church thirty minutes early.. I am pretty sure he was one of the first people there. Anyway, I called him last night to remind him about today and he told me that he was reading the book of Mormon.. that he had started that afternoon and had beern reading almost all evening. i asked him where he was and he told me page 40. He told me how much he loved it and how glad he was that he was changing his life. That he knew it was all true. When we got off the phone I looked up to see how far he had read.. in one afternoon he had read 16 chapters! 

I told my companion that I feel so blessed. I feel like this is the stamp of approval that God has decided to put on my mission. I feel like I came here to Panama to find him.. and these past 17 months I have only been looking for him... its a strange feelings.. but I feel so blessed to have a front row seat to this miracle.. and to see God change Geralds life. It has strengthened my tesitmony of the truthfulness of this Gospel.. of the love our Savior has for us... and the power of the Book of Mormon to bring people unto Christ. 

Apart from Gerald there was also a less active who came to church that has not come for a really long time. We hope she keeps coming. All the members were really happy to see her and she told us she was happy to be a there. 

That was pretty much my week.. while we found a few other positive people they all pale in comparison to Gerald. He is more than golden. he already things he is a member. He just needs to get baptized and I cannot wait for that day. i think I will cry with joy. I feel liek he might too. I love this work so much and I love my Heavenly Father... this work really is His.

I love you all so much! I will talk to you next week!

Love, 

Hna. Wilson

And this is how we shower.. out of a bucket... 

​
​A gross beetle thing.. I putt my hand there to show how big it was!

Clay In His Hands

Hola a Todos!

I hope this email finds you all well! The titles is based on a song that I have been listening to lately that talks about how we are clay in the Saviors hands and he molds us to make us into beatufiul things that we could never imagine!

This week for us was a roller coaster. I learned a new word... piojo... if you dont know what that means it is lice. Yep.. you guessed it... my companion and I found out that we had lice. When we called the mission nurses to see exactly what we needed to do the firs tthing the lady told me was that I needed to cut my hair... which sent me into tears. I have grown out my hair my whole mission. I was devastated at the thought of having to cut it three weeks berfore I go home.

Anyway.. we ended up not having to cut it but Thursday we had to wash EVERYTHING and I mean every thing.... We did maybe 10 to 12 loads of laundry.,.. it was completely by hand... it was in one of those machines that you have to fill with water that washes it then you rinse it by hand and put it in a spinner thing that helps to dry it... in total it took about 4 hours... then we had to wash our hair and brush it out with a special comb to get all the lice out... it was a long day.

Apart from that I lost my agenda... thankfully when we went back looking for it I found it but for a space of about 30 minutes I was going crazy! I have had a planner since before my mission... I live by them... and in the mission. My agenda is my life. Not to mention it was a gift from a former companion... they decorated it for me to celebrate my last change. I shall send you all a picture momentarily.

It was also a week of service projects. I learned how to peel oranges with a knife so it all comes off in one big peel. I was pretty proud of that. We spent a lot of time cleaning houses. We also got to see pictures from a familys trip to Italy.. which made me rethink where I would like to visit some day. They even went to Marsielle... which is the setting of the Count of Monte Cristo.. which is one of the best stories ever! 

But the biggest story of the week is a guy named Gerald Miranda. He is so amazing! We decided to break into a part of our area that we had not been in yet. Well we were walking and my companion found a key a on the ground and we decided to contact the house that we were in front of to see if it was theres. Anyway... we met a lady named Diosalina Miranda... Geralds mom.. and she told us how elders had come before and taught her... but she is not married. Then she told us about her 17 year old son who lives with her mother and wants to learn English. She gave us the address and we immediately went looking for him. Well we found them. We talked for a little while.. got to know him and invited him to English class. But from there did not think much of it. 

Well he called us like four times to know where he had to meet us for English on Saturday. We did not answer because we  were cleaning out an apartment of some members but he told us he would meet us there and every thing to go to the class. After the class he asked us if he could walk the opposite direction from his house to see where the church was so we were walking with him and I was walking in front with him and my companion was walking behind with some other investigators and he was telling me about his belief in God and all this stuff. Then all of the sudden he says... Hermana I have never been baptized and I said... would you like to be? And he told me that he would. I invited him to read the Book of Mormon... which I gave him in that moment and pray. Then invited him to prepare to be baptized on the 27th and he accepted.  

So we showed him where the church was then the next morning called him at 830 to see if he was coming and he informed us that he was already in the church waiting for us to get there. Which is very unusual for Panama. We got there and during the meeting he got up and bore his testimony! He just said some thing like... I am so happy to be here. This is the first time that i have come. I hope you all accept me. I love my Savior. And then he sat down. My companion and I were just kind of in shock. Then we introduced him to a member and we are doing a family home evening with him tonight in ther home to teach him about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.. formally. 

After the meetings he was telling me how he wante dot go out and work with us. He told us he could go every day. I said... well we work with OTHER members.. like I had forgotten that he is not baptized... and we agreed to work with him on Wednesday and Friday. I seriously believe though that he is golden. Please remember him in your prayers! That every thing works out great! He talks about how he wants to be a missionary like us. I am just praying tha tit happens. 

Gerald was basically the highlight of our week but we also got a goal from our zone leaders to find 60 new investigators by this coming Sunday.. we have 26 so we are on the right road... anyway.. thats basiclaly all I got for you guys right now... pictures to come! 

Love, 

Hna. Wilson

Como Un Niño Pequeño

Hola a Todos!

So I think God gives us experiences to humble us. To mold us make us submissive like litle children. Like it says in Mosiah 3:19 that we must put off the natural man and become as a little child.. submissive.. meek.. humbly... easily entreated... and honestly thats what I think Heavenly Fathers goal with me is this change... I guess I should just all tell you about what happened this week so you understand. 

Monday night we went with the twins and we went with their teacher from YW. It was a super spiritual lesson and the twins agreed to get baptized this weekend. We were elated! We went and celebrated with milkshakes. The next day we went and bought every thing for the baptism.. stuff to do programs and we were going to decorate glass bottles and put the baptisimal water in it after they got baptized. Some thing that they could have forever. So bought those and decorated them and put a scripture about baptism on them. We had all the talks lined up... and my companion and I were practicing a musical number to sing at their baptism. Then on Wednesday... they were not ther efor our scheduled appoitment. So at 730 we went by and taught them the last lesson. We had finished and asked them when they could do the interview. One of them went to ask their mother and she came out and said that they could not get baptized this weekend because the mom said no. It took all my will power not to break down in tears in front of them. When we got out of the lesson my companion and I walked home in silence and both cried. 

The next few days were really hard because we had to tell everyone that the baptism was actually not going to happen. I imagined it is somewhat similar to how it would feel to be left at the altar on your wedding day. Then on Sunday we went back and visited them. We watched the hour long Joseph Smith movie with them and invited them to prepare for the 20th of September... they said they would ask their mother. And then we shared our testimonies about the truthfulness of the Gospel. It has been a long time since the Spirit has moved me to tears... well not a long time but it has been a while since I have cried in front of the investigators because of the spirit. Anyway... I think they could see how much we loved them... and they wanted to get baptized before I leave.. it just all depends on the mom. 

We got rejected a lot this week... I think we are just getting to know all the Evangelicals in Volcan... who let us in but when we try to put a teaching appoitment to come back they dont want anything. One lady even said... I can accept every thing... except Joseph Smith.. and then she started ranting about how we should not esteem one man above another... and really she just wante dto argue so we left.

We got a new ward mission leader. He is young... like the same age and me. Has never serve a mission and is terrified of his new calling. But we are all confident that he will rise to the ocassion. 

You guys all know that I wrote poetry so here is a poem that I wrote this week. My companion gets migraines when she is heavily stressed and this week was a really stressful one so on Thursday we ended up staying in the house and while she slept I wrote a poem. I wanted to share it with all of you. 

My Uncarried Cross

My tired shoulders ache

My back so very sore

By the time that we

Walk through the blessed door

Some times I feel so weak

That I do nothing right

Why did the Lord call me

To fight a soldiers fight

To my knees I slowly fall

Next to my well made bed

The tears they stain my cheeks

As I gently bow my head

The cross, I say to Him

Is just too hard for me

I dont want it anymore

Oh Father, cant thou see?

I cannot do the things

That thou thinks I can

How could all this pain

Be part of thy great plan?

That is all I say

Before I fall asleep

And I dream a dream

To profound and deep

I am in a garden

In the midst of night

Somethings heavy in the air

The moon, she hides her light

Not too far away

I see a man upon the ground

I do my very best

Not to make a sound

Father, He whispers softly

Its just too hard for me

I can hear the quiver

Of a voice in agony

I do not want to drink

The cup in front of me

The pain it is too much

Please, Im begging thee

I tightly close my eyes

And hide my face in shame

For the words that left my lips

Had been the very same

Then the scene does change

Surrounded by a throng

There are shouts for death

The smell of blood is strong

Then I see The Man

From the night before

He had begged for less

But God had asked for more

I break through the crowd

As He falls beneath the cross

He bows His head below

The taunts the crowd does toss

Please I beg a man

Please just let me in

The cross He does carry

He carries for my sin

But then the scene is changed

For a second time

And we are on a hill

Three crosses in a line

I walk to the center

Where my Lord is hung

Guilt it fills my heart

I know that for me, its done

Father please forgive them

The humble cry does come

Please accept the offering

Of Thy Only Son

Then my Lord does die

Hanging on the cross

The earth trembles in he grief

At Her Creators loss

Suddenly the sun is bright

As it stings my face

And I know that I am in

His final resting place

Then I see my Lord

Standing, dressed in white

And the sobs escape

The tears I cannot fight

He stands in mighty power

And the marks are plain to see

I kneel before the One

Who suffered just for me

Your cross, He softly says

On your shoulders will never rest

So long as you are worhty

Of the name across your chest

And often it is hard

It also was for me

But you are not alone

With you Ill always be

And if the weight seems heavy

All you have to do

I remember that my cross

I carried just for you

So go and feed my sheep

And when you feel the pain

Know that you can never lose

More than you will gain

Go forward strong and brave

Never looking back

And I wilol make the difference

For all that you do lack

And when you have done

All youre called to do

Know that here I will be waiting

With open arms for you

We have a couple of positive people that we are working with. The challenge as always is getting them to come to church. Just pray for us this week that we can find more people to church who have the desire to accept the Gospel and come to church.

The time is drawing to a close but my testimony only strengthens  about this Gospel and the truthfulness of this church. I love my Savior and I love all of you. Until next week.

Love, 

Hna. Wilson

Because Tomorrows Another Day

Hola A Todos!

So first I have to aplogize if this email is not as upbeat and some of the last ones. I was thinking about this song recently... as it rained cats and dogs and we tried to find people who wanted to listen to us which were few.. there was a horrible flood up in the moutains by where we live... I will send pictures... but thirty houses were destroyed and 12 people were killed. In no way were we affected but we have investigators whose family members were affected. It reminds us that God is in control and that we never know when it is going to be our time to go. But whats so wonderful is that God has a plan for everyone. And all that He wants for us is so much better than what we want for ourselves.

Also the baptisms of the tiwns might be post poned until further notice. We went and saw them on Saturday and they told us that doent feel prepared to get baptized and that they want more time. Then one of them told a member yesterday at church that they want to wait until December! We are going to go see them this evening to see what we can do and really just listen and figure out while they suddenly changed their minds. I will have to let you all know how that goes next week. Hopefully it will accompanied with pictures of a baptism.

It was also a hard week because no one really wanted any thing. On Saturday night we were walking down the street.. in a neighborhood that we had visited numerous times and the doors just started slamming.... one after another... parents called their kids inside and every thing. My companion and I laughed about it but it was also sad. All I said to my companion was.. well its a good thing we werent going to knock on them anyway.

Carolina Alvares and Celideth Lescano our progressing nicely. They have not come to church so we are not exactly sure when we are going to see their baptisms but we are trying our best to see that we help them gain testimonies so that they will want to come to church.

Here is an interesting story from the week. So on Tuesday, I was sitting on the bus and a lady sat next to me. We started talking and she opened up to me and told that about a year ago her grandson had died suddenly and unexpectly. She told me that he had been scared to death and so I inquired further and she told me that he had been going to the super market with his mom and a dog had gotten out and said dog was known to bite. Well when the little boy saw it he fainted on the spot and they took him to hospital. When they got him there he was already dead. A vessel in his brain had ruptured because of the intense that he had experienced. We talked about the plan of Salvation and I testified to her that she would see her grandson again. That she could be with him again. Unfotunately I was only able to give her a pamphlet before she had to get off but I like to think that maybe some day she will remember that conversation and want to learn more.

We also almost got attacked by a cow.. who did not want to let us cross the road. And a dog almost bit my companion. Thankfully it did not.

From there its pretty much the same old. We are always finding some new people here and there to teach... the challenge is keeping them and getting them to church. I just tell myself that I need to keep going strong. I want to be able to look back without any regrets..  so as the song goes.

Because tomorrows another day... I am not afraid.... so bring on the rain...

Until next week. I love you all so much!

Hna. Wilson

Walking on Sunshine

Hola a Todos!

First of all I want to thank everyone for the birhtday wishes. It was a good birthday even though I did not eat any cake everyone gave me a bunch of chocolate. I asked for Reeses and people delivered which was super nice and I enjoyed them. Also for my birthday we found and taught an 18 year old girl named Celideth. She accepted a fecha and is super positive. We are hoping she will get baptized on the 13th of September.

Its also transfer week this week. President Carmack told me that I will be staying here in Volcan which means I will be ending my mission here. Its amazing how fast the time is gone. I just hoping to see lots of fruits. I will just have to see what God has in store for me. The only thing we do not know is weather I will be getting a new companion or not. We should know tonight.. next week I will let you guys know!

We went to the temple this week. I also got to see Hna. Chavez. All of you know that she is my best friend. I love her like my own sister. It was a great gift from heavenly Father that it worked out that I can see her.

Being at the temple was also an edifying and strengthening experience. We were able to spend all of Friday there and it was just really rejuvenating.

The good news here in Volcan is that we are for sure going to have two baptisms on the 30th of August so mark the date on your calandar. Alison and Alejandra are going to get baptized and even if they are the last baptisms I see as a missionary I have loved teaching them and thank Heavenly Father that He is allowing me the privilege of seeing them enter the waters of baptism. Pictures to come.

Yesterday I guy named Sergio randomly camed to church. We had contacted him on Thursday but I had not thought much of it. Its hard to find him at home because he works all day every day but we are going to try and teach him after church on Sundays. He will progress slowly but we are hoping that he will progress.

Anyway thats basically all I have for you guys and I am out of time. Just know that I love you all so much. I pray for you often. Thank you all for supporting me in all my efforts here in Panama. I know that this is the work of the Lord and that He is at the head.

Love,
Hna. Wilson

A Parrot, Patrick, y La Panederia

Hola a Todos!

So I was wracking my brain for the title of this email so there you are.. this week we rescued a parrot from a tree... yesterday we commited Patrick Worthington to be baptized.. I dont know if you remember him from last week... he is a really neat guy and we accepted the fecha you could see in his face the desire to read the Book of Mormon that we left with him. The only problem is we cannot see him during the week because he is studying to be a doctor in DAvid which is two hours away... so he can only be around on Sundays we are going to keep in contact with him by phone and do all we can to get him to come to church on Sunday...

what else happened this week that was exciting... Panederia in English is Bakery and we contacted a guy at the bakery this week... who liked my companion... a lot... and it was really uncomfortable because he tried asking for our number which we did not give him and offered to take us on a tour of Volcan but we said no.. then he said he was going to come to church just for Hna. Hanson.. he didnt come.. my companion was happy.

Our golden girls, Alison and Alejandra are still golden... they are reading and coming to church.. and also want to get baptized on the beach... haha... we will see how that goes... we would like them to get baptized her in Volcan but if they want to get baptized on the bach we are going to make their wishes come true...

We also have tons of people reading the book of Mormon.. if you could include Carolina Alvares in your prayers.. and Felicita Montezuma.... along with Patrick Worthington... Lesbia Sanchez... and Lina Villegas.. they are all fechas that are reading and need extra prayers to keep progressing... we have tons of other investigators right now but they are the ones we are focusing on right now!

This is the last week before transfers... hopefully when I am writing you all next week we will know some thing.. we are also going to the temple this week which I am super excited about... I have not been since January so I am ready to go!

Last P day a guy called asking for a teaching appoitment.. which was neat because that never happens so we are going to try and hunt them out this week..

This is a short email but I am already running out of time! I love you all so much and will try to write a longer email next week! Also I will let you know about transfers even though I believe I will be ending my mission here in Volcan. Only the Lord knows.

Just know that I know that this work is the Lords work.... that He leads it and guides it and we are merely instruments in His hands. I cant belive another birthday is already on the horizon... it feels like just yesterday that I turned 21 not last year. Anyway... eat some cake for me and pray that we find more people who want to be baptized and come ot church... that is the best birthday present you guys cane give me!

Love you all

Hna. Wilson

fotos del servicio

pictures from the serice project... and other things.. Enjoy!
​

​we had to ride up to the service project in the back of a catlle car!

​We had to carry wood haha

Fear Thou Not... I Am With Thee...

Hola a Todos!

I hope everyone is absolutely great this week.... I hope this email finds you all well.... I cant believe it is already August... where did the year go.. I honestly dont know... but things are good here... if you guys could all remember my companion and her family in your prayers... she lost her grandpa this week and so is having a hard time... just pray for her that she will be okay. 

This is going to be a rather short email because i am already running out of time but I just wanted to share wiht you guys a couple of neat things that happened this week.

We found a lot of positive people this week... on the flip side we also met a lot of people that treated us like if they talked to us for more than five seconds it would bring the 10 plagues of Egypt upon their homes and their famlies... but you know what... I have just learned that everyone has their agency and if they want to accept the gospel its there.. and if not.. well God is going to give them chance after chance after chance... until the end.

Some of the positive people that we found included a guy named Patrick Worthington... which is a very British name.... because his family... well his dads side are from the states and he has family in the states that are members. He practiced talking to us with English and he was really open to the things that we shared with him... we are going to go back this week and invite him to be baptized after we share an extensive version of the Restuation with him so that he feels that spirit and what we are teaching is true.

We also had a really neat experience with a lady named Lesbia... please save the jokes... we know what it looks like... but we had a really awesome lesson with her... we watched part of a movie called together forever and she cried because her mother is sick and might not make it. We testified that it was possible for her to be with her family forever and that it was possible through Jesus Chrsit. WE told her that the first step she should take fi that was desire of her heart was to be baptized by someone who has the authority... she accpeted and we are working with her to be baptized on the 6th os September....

We had a lot of other similar experiences but like I said this was going to be a rather short email because I am already running out of time.... I love you all so much and will have to tell you all these wonderful stories another time. I know the Gospel is true. I know this is Gods work and no unhallowed hand can stop it from progressing.

Until next week! Love you all!

Hna. Wilson

For Such Is The Kingdom of God

Hola A Todos!

I hope everyone has been great! I am just great this Monday morning... my ears are better.. magically on Thursday I could hear again.. it was a hellelujah moment for me... and I have not fallen recently which puts me in a pretty good mood.

So I have been reflecting a lot lately... there are times when I just dont want to go home and it almost brings me to tears to think that there will come a day when I am not going to be wearing my name tag..  despite those depressing thoughts I am trying to enjoy every moment and talk to everyone! We had another great week this week. We taught tons of lessons and found a bunch of new investigators... the hard part is getting them to come to the church but our golden girls are still golden. Alejandra and Alison came to church BY THEMSELVES this week... and the leaders of the young women told us that they act like they members.... the way they answer questions and participate. Alejandra read five chapters from the Book of Mormon in two days and Alison read two... it just feels so great to have people progressing and when we went and visited the mom told us that Elders had come before but that we were different and I just know its because all this time God has been preparing them and I am just praying that they get baptized with us but if not I know that they will get baptized very very soon.

It was also neat to have a little boy that we are teaching in sacrament meeting. He is seven. So he doesnt quiet make the cut to get baptized but its okay because he loved Church. LOVED it. When we asked him what his favorite part was he told us that he loved it when we sang and prayed. It was just super super cute and we are hoping that he will get his family excited. It reminds me of all the times that Christ talked about how we are to become like little children if we want to enter the kingdom of God. For such is the kingdom of God....

Also this week, we almost got attacked by a dog. It was like a big St. Bernard type dog and it was chained up but it got so rabid when we came by that it brokes it chain and started to run after us.... but there is one small detail... I cant run!  The dirt roads and bummed ankle make it difficult... all I could do was throw rocks and hope that it scared the dog off. The member that was with us... along with one of our golden girls.. they decided to come show us that part of our area because they know people.... went running off which only called the dogs attention more... my poor companion was frozen in place and the other girl was helping me throw rocks... thankfully... just before it got close enough to bite us the owner called it and it went home.. but it has been along time since my adrenaline has been pumping like that... its definitely a story for my children!

Another funny story was when we ate lunch sitting in front of a bar. Two missionaries sitting in front of a bar.. it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke... anyway... it happened because on Thursday we were going to go work with a less active youth... our efforts to try and help get active again right... she was going to come do visits with us and we were hoping that it would help her remember the testimony that she has obviously forgotten or buried somewhere in her soul... but when we got there she told us she couldn't because she had to watch her brothers and sisters or some thing like that... my companion was so mad... I have never seen her so mad as we walked away... so we sat down... on a bench.. in front of a bar and ate the lunch that we had packed for ourselves and for her... and then... not five minutes later.. we saw a guy walked and my companion told me it was the boyfriend of Martiza (the less aactive). Anyway we watch him walk to her house and she comes out and my companion says some thing like... lets go.. how embaressing that we are still here.. and I said... I am not embarrassed... its embarrassing for her because now we know why she didnt want to work with us today....

So it was a pretty great week... my companion was sick on Tuesday so we lost that day of work but as far as number of lessons taught we killed it... over 7'0 lessons and four investigators in church. Its neat.. I can feel the area changing and there are just so many good things happening. This week we had 15 people at our English class and word is spreading that we are teaching an English class so we are hoping to see more and more very week... I will take some good pictures this week and get them sen tout to you guys!

Anyway thats all for now! I love you all so much and now that this work is Gods work!

Until next week!

Hna. Wilson

I Believe There Are Angels Among Us...

sent down to us from somewhere up above...

Hola Todos!

So this week was a great great week. We taught over 60 lessons and contacted over 150 people... we dropped 5 people with baptisimal dates but picked up 4 and 3 of them came to church. Please if you could remember Alejandra, Alison, Lina and Daniel in your prayers that would be great... they are the investigators we have right now that we are preparing for baptisms at the end of August... they are young so we put the date out a little further and we may move it if we feel we can but we are giving them a little time to really decide for themselves if this is a choice they want to make.

So I will kind of give you a little play by play with what time I have left to talk. We only had a member work with us on Thursday Friday and Saturday.. but it was okay because we had a lot of miracles.

For example, on Tuesday I told my companion I just reallyl wanted to meet someone who was oging to give us a lot of references and the next house we contacted we met two little girls that told us that wanted to show us where their friends lived... for three hours they showed us where their family members and their friends lived so we got tons of references that day which was realy really an answer to a prayer.

Then on Saturday, we prayed that we would be able to find investigators that would come to church on Sunday... and in the last teaching appoitment of the day we found three girls who accepted baptisimal dates and two of them came to church yesterday. Sunday morning we were just begging that God would provide one more person with a baptisimal date to be in church.. just one more... and halfway through Sacrament meeting a guy walked in and sat down and everyone could tell he wasnt a member.. when we talked to him after we found out that a member had met him on a bus and invited him to church and so he had come and he stayed for all three meetings! When we talked to him afterwards he accepted a baptisimal date. His name is Daniel Chavez. Her is 21 and he told us he is looking for the true church. Lets hope that he knows that he comes to know that he has found it.

Apart from that we spent a lot of time talking to different people. I think one of the saddest experiences this week that we had was when we talked to two women that were int hes treet and when we started talking about how the families can be together foever she started to cry. She later told us that her son had been murdered when he came home from work a few weeks ago... by the lover of her daughter in law.... we tried to talk to her about the plan of Salvation and when we sang her... Families Can Be Together Forever... she stopped crying and thanked us... but did not accept another teaching appoitment.. I only hope that some day the missionaries find her and she rmeember that it is only through the Gospel that families can be togehter forever..

We also met a lady this week that told us she did not want us to come back because she said her pastor would not let her participate in her church and I wanted to look at her and say... so you are going to throw away the truth because you are afraid of men... but I didnt.. it was just really sad and we had a lot of experiences like that this week... its so sad that the people just cant understand that what we bring is the truth... a message that will give them true happiness and peace... maybe some day...

Anyway, thats alll I have got for you guys... this week was jam packed wiht experiences but I just dont have time ot share them all. I hope all is well with each and everyone of you. I love you all so much and thinkof you often. I want you guys to know that I know that this church is true... that God loves us and that is why He has give us this Gospel. Keep on keepin on!

All My Love,
Hna. Wilson

God Just Wanted A Good Laugh

Hola Todos!

I think God just really likes to laugh because my companion... who has been here in Voclan for six months already.... stayed yet another transfer and I was the one who has been transferred to the other side of Volcan.. it was not so much a change one place to another... more a change from living upstairs to living downstairs... my companions name is Hna. Hanson... she is from Arizona... what makes me laugh is that she lived in Bothell when she was younger. just after I left.... and she was in the same ward that I was in and knows all those same people... it really is a small small world.

It has been a good first week together... we had a lot of success and foudna  lot of people... its interesting.... working with a north american companion.. I feel like in some ways I am finding my English speaking self again... but at the same time I become a little worried that I am going to lose my Spanish so I still try to talk with Hna. Rios and her companion as much as humanly possible... and I guess being a Spanish speaking country still will help me keep it up.

Anyway, a couple neats experiences that we had this week include finding Ruben, Juan Carlos and Sepha. They are a family and when we contacted them... they were a reference of a street contact... we shared the First Vision with them. The sprit was so strong and they accepted to be baptized on the 2nd of August but we might have to change the date because they did not come to church yesterday.. if you could remember them in your prayers that would be great. Also Raiza... pronounced like Rice... with an A... she also is on schedule to be baptized but she did not come to church yersterday.. anyway it was a neat experience and it was o ur first day working together.

I also felt a profound sense of gratitude when Sacrament meeting ended and my companion went immediately to ask members when they could work with us this week... it was like.. I dont have to do every thing... or I dont have to be the one that pulls the weight alone.. it was just a deep sense of thanks for my comnpanion... I think its going to be a good change.... 

We also had a neat experience and a neat lessons with the power of members in a lesson... we were walking and I saw this guy doing flips.. which reminded me of Jordan so I asked him if I could take a video of him flipping and so he let us in. Then we started talking to his mom and at the end she said she was Catholic and didnt want us to come back but then we asked the member that was with us to share his testimony about how he come to know that the Church is true.

When he finished and we asked her again if we could come back and teach her she said yes... so we are going to see her tomorrow and we are just hoping that she feels the spirit and wants to keep learning about the Restoried Gospel... 

Anyway, this is going to be kind of a short email because we are going to visit an archaelogical site as a zone and I am out of time to write... but I want yu guys to know how much I love you. that I know that this church is true... that it is Christs Church and he leads this work. I love my Savior and I would not trade my mission and my experiences for any thing in the world... until next week!

All My Love, 

Hna. Wilson

Forever Strong

Hola A Todos! 

First of alll, Happy 4th of July.... even though it really didnt feel like Independence Day here in Panama... it makes me laugh how fats the time goes and how we just really dont feel it passing here in Panama... aside from the fact that it is already July of 2014... thats crazy.... I really dont know where the year has gone and as I picked up my second to last agenda that I will use for my mission it struck me that a lot of things are going to be coming to end very soon and often it makes me sad... so I am trying to enjoy what time I have left.... 

Anyway, now tos hare with you the adventures of the week. We had a good week working with members... most of the members understand now that when we approach them after church to talk to them it means that we would like them to go out and work with us this week... this week is  a little special because its transfer week so we have a few members scheduled to work with us but not many.... because my companion might be leaving which means exchanges and all that stuff but we will see what happens... 

This week we had a lot of experiences.... from meeting a Buddist woman who tried to argue with us about weather we are going to be reincarnated or not.. to a woman named Grace who recently lost her two year old baby and wants to learn more about the Plan of Salvation.... among all that excited I twisted my ankle twice, scraped up my knees really bad the first time and used that as excuse to contact a lday that wants to listen to us but doesnt want to marry the guy that she lives with we will see what happens with that. But she gave a really strong disinfecting cream that stung like crazy but helped me clean up the scrapes and gashes in my hands and knees from fallling....

Tuesday my companion was sick with a really bad sinus infection and a high fever so we stayed in the house and talked about a lot of things.... we also studied a lot which is nice... I am trying to mark every page of Preach My Gospel before I go home... I think I am at the halfway point.... 

We met a lot of people this week that told us they did not want any thing because they go to other churches... .thats always frustrating but we found a lot of people this week including yesterday when I fell for the second time and we decided to keep working and we went and visited a single dad named Damian with a member.... when we wanted to watch a video of the Restoration my companion said that we should just explain it and watch it another time... so we did and when we invited him to be baptized he accepted.... if all goes well he will get baptized on the 2nd of August... the challenge is getting him to come to church...

Anyway that was a our week I will shoot you all a quick email when we know about transfers.... I love you all so much and know that this is the work of the Lord... 

Love, 

Hna. Wilson

Looking For Those Who Dont Exist...

Hola A Todos!

I hope this email finds you all well and happy. We had a better week this week because health wise we are doing okay. Except that yesterday my companion was hit with a sinus infection which is stil really bad today.. we are going to go hunting for some thing for her to take after we finish talking with you guys....

I just have a couple of things that I wanted to share with you guys that happened this week. Yesterday we had interviews with President Carmack and he told me that Hna. Rios and I will probably stay together for another transfers which means I will definitely be ending my mission here in Volcan... it was nice to talk to him and he said that nothing is sure but he felt like he was not going to be splitting us up. We are good friends and we are working well together so thats okay...

We had our fair share of people that we met this week.. we contacted a house with a woman sitting on her porch and as we introduced ourselves she looked at us and said some thing like... no thanks bye.. and we just said bye and left.. it makes me laugh when the people act like that... they dont even give us a chance to say any thing and they just reject us because... I honestly dont know why...

On the flip side we found a lady named Yerenis.... she lives with her boyfriend and her two boys but she is super interested... we found her on Tuesday and went back and visited her on Friday and both times she listened and paid attention.. but just like almost everyone here in Panama she is not married which makes our lives a little difficult and impossible to invite her to be baptized until we have figured out if she is willing to get married.. it not... there is not much we can do for her. But we left her a Book of Mormon... we have been trying to make it the focal point of our teaching.... we have been trying to give them away in the first visit... because if people gain testimonies of the book of Mormon.. they get baptized... its basically that simple...

We also had an interesting experience this week when we were coming back from a family home evening.. it was about 8 at night and my companion and I were walking... we went to take the normal route home but we just felt really strongly that we shouldnt... and we just kept getting the same impression as we came up on every street and we made like this big loopt o get back to the house. So a walk that normally takes 20 minutes took us over an hour because we took a really long way home... we learned later that about the time that we would hav epassed by that area... a girl was assaulted and robbed... so we give thanks to the spirit for keeping an eye out for us....

We spend a considerable time this week looking for people that we just could not find... we contacted in a grocery store which was a new experience for my companion but we found a couple that has been marrie dfor five years... its always a plus when they are married... we are going to go visit them on Friday... wish us luck in finding their house...

I also had the interesting experience yesterday of teaching Primary in Spanish and English because there are two kids visiting from Texas that dont speak any Spanish and we wanted them to have an enjoyable time in Primary.. it was very interesting but I liked it.... I always love when I can use my Spanish for more than just teaching investigators and less actives.... it makes me feel like God has a bigger purpose for me learning Spanish than just my mission.

Anyway, know that i love you all so very much. Know that I think about you often and that I know that this work is the work of the Lord and that it goes on boldly, nobly and independently... next week I will let you guys know about transfers but I know that it all happens according to the will of the Lord.

All My Love,

Hna. Wilson

The Sun Will Come Out... Tomorrow!

Hola Todos!

This week was very very interesting... and very very long... I think the best way to explain it is to just give you guys a play by play. A cold virus has overtaken the people of Volcan, members and missionaries alike and so we were only able to work with members one day this week which was Wednesday.

On Tuesday I woke up with a sore throat and a fever and we went to our district meeting contacted poeople in the bus on the way down. When we came back we went to lunch and the member that was going to work with us called and said that she could not. We decided, as it started to rain, that it was better that we went to the house so that I did not get soaked and get more sick.... but at about 4 o clock I felt guilty and we went out.. in the pouring rain... to go visit our investigators.. only to find them not home... and we were soaked to the bone.... so we walked rather dejectedly to the familiy home evening we had planned with members.... 

Wednesday was a good day.... we went out and worked with a member by the name of Hna. Guerrero... she is awesome... she served a mission in the Dominican Republic almost twenty years ago and she still remembers a lot... she shared the first vision with an investigator and testified without us having to cue her which was great... she also suggested that we focus on helping our investigators gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon from the first visit.. or in other words.. we leave Books of Mormon... and we have started doing that and I like it.... its neat because we can really see if the people are going to progress or not...

On Thursday it was almost as bad as Tuesday... it rained like crazy... we got soaked and I was still sick... and the wo members that were going to work with us were also sick but that day we decided to work regardless and it was basically the same old story... no one was home and to top it off my companion wanted to buy a bottle of water and there was no place that was selling water. We ended going home at 730 instead of the planned 830 because it was pouring down rain and all the teaching appoitments had already fallen through.

On Friday I woke up worse and we went to do a service project. My companion also felt horrible and when it decided to rain this time we decided to stay in. On Saturday we got up super early in the morning to go to David for a Multi Zone Conference and while we were there I got a blessing from President Carmack. So on Sunday I woke up fit as a fiddle... finally.. thanks to the blessing... I can testify to that...

Sunday was also our day of miracles... the biggest miracle that we had was when we met an inactive named Jerry... he had left the church when he started doing things with his girlfriend that he should not... he told us that he had been ashamed and embaressed and that he just did not feel like he should go back to church. But the members in the city really supported him and his testimony is still super strong... he looked us in the eyes and told us that he knows the church is true... and that he wants to change and come back so we talked to him about coming to church this coming week and that we are going to come buy and pick him and his girlfriend up... we have high hopes for them... but we just have to help them get married first...

Anyway that was our week... and even though it was a hard long week we saw lots of little miracles and I can testify that the arm of the Lord is still extended here in Panama... I love you all so much and will talk to you next week!

All My love, 

Hna. Wilson

Always Worth the Wait...

Hola a Todos!

Alright so this was a really really great week and also a really packed one. I have never felt so exhausted but in a good way. My companion nd I always both fighting off colds and sore throats from getting rained on every day but we are happy to be working so hard. We taught 48 lessons this week and half of them were with members so that we really awesome. We finally had an investigator in church.... sadly it was not someone we are teaching but rather a youth who has come ot church before and he asked us if we could teach him. The sad thing is he left before we could write down his address and phone number but we are going to go hunting for him later this afternooon.

While it was on the best weeks I also had one of the saddest experiences of my mission. We went and visited a sister named Lina.... she was the sister that told us we only had one ooportunity to share a message with her to decide if she wanted to continue studying with us. So we watched the video: Together Forever and when it ended she started crying. She told us that years ago she had lost her husband. to cancer... the father of her daughter and that it had been so hard. She told us that she wanted to belive that it was true. My compnion shared how six years ago she had lost her dad and as she started to cry I also started to cry. The member that was with us also shared her testimony about how we will be with our loved ones again. And cveryone cried as we invited her to let us come back and let the Gospel change her life and her family for the better. But in the end she told us that she did not want us to come back because before she had been studying with the Jehovahs witnesses and every once in a while she went to activities and things like that. I lfet her my Book of Mormon and told her that we would always be passing to see how she ws doing and if ther ewas any thing we could do. I wanted so badly for her to change her mind and tell us that we could keep teaching her but we just shared our testimonies and left. We walked in silence with the member... no one said any thing.... but we have to believe that some day.. she will come ot know the truth.

On the flip side of the coin we found a family this week. The Chavez Family. it was neat because we had been walking for over an hour contacting and we had not found anyone. We were freezing and wet from the rain and honestly my companion and I both just wanted to go home. Our ward mission leader was with us and we were all commenting about how there were no houses... and the houses that we could see all had their doors closed and the lights off.. which meant that no one was home... we kept walking and we saw a guy come out and start playing with a fuse box so we went over and talked to him. He let us come and he called his family... his wife and three kids... the fourth was sleeping... and we talked to them about baptism and they accepted to be baptized the 19ths of July. The have a car which makes transportation easy and they seemed super positive. We are unable to go back and visit them until a week from tomorrow because they work and we have a zone training this Saturday which is the only day they could meet with us this week. But we are going to keep in touch with them and if you guys coud remember them in your prayers that would be wonderful.

I also heard this week that Aura got baptized. I dont know if you guys remember. She was one of my investigators when I was in Puerto Armuellas. I wanted to cry when I heard because I had only felt like I left the area worse than I found it and to know that somemone that I had taught got baptized.... it just helped me to remember that nothing that we do is in vain... 

We also met a Columbian guy yesterday that claims he is a nomad and never stays for more than one place more than a month... I felt that we should give him a book of Mormon and he accpeted like a starving man would accept free bread.... we gave him the phone numbers of missionaries in every part of Panama so that he could stay in touch... I know that he is going to get baptized and God only wanted us to give him this small part of the Gospel... I think he is one of the people that I will not see until after my work here is done but I know he is going to get baptized.. you could see it in his eyes.. that he was ready for the gospel.

Alright... so I guess the church is planning a question and answer thing with David Archuleta to motivate the youth to go on a mission. Its Tuesday the 24th at 530 Utah time.. you guys should watch it.. I do not think we will be able to but I wanted to let you guys know about it so you could watch.

Anyway thats all for now. I love you all so much and I love this work. I know that it is the work of the Lord and that it goes forward bodly, nobly and independently...

Con Amor, 

Hna. Wilson

Good Numbers, Good Work!

Hola Todos!

Today was a super good week. My comanion and I almost accomplished the standard o excellence of th misión and along with the ther sisters of Volcán we had some of the best numbers in our zone. We found 17 new people to teachand among thm are three famllies...one of which needs t get married.... things areood... the only hard thing is that no one... and I mean no one... wants to come to church or ge baptized... I think in part its because other religions have such a strong influence... esecially the Jehovas Witnesses and Adventistas (I cant remember the English name!)

Anyway as far as specific miracles are concerned we met a family,Lina and Alejando... they need to get married and at the momento are afraid to because they are afraid that their marriage will just fall apart from what other eople have said so they feel its just better not to make the commitment. She also did not want us to come back but.. not remembering all that I said... we asked for another appoitment... just one more chance to show them that the Gospel will elp their family.. not ruin it. Our chancewill come in the evening on Thursday so if you can pray for us and them that all will go well.

We also taught lesson witha guy namd Mario and a fried that was horibly confued... no his name was no Luigi.... my companion affectionately called him Satan because he would say the strangest, mst negatives things as we taught... like... only bad people to church and... here are better peope out o the church then it...and we cut t lesson short because Mario and I started to laugh... I just couldnt help it... it was so absurd! anyway Mario and his family are on our list of peopl to visit this week and we just pray that his friend is not there...

The last interesting experience of the week was when we went up into the mountains and found ourselves teaching an Adventista couple... we were talking to them for almost three hours... because he had questions about eery ting... and not in an argumentative kind of way... but in a... this is what I know and I want understand what you guys believe so maybe I can kpt to accept kind of way... its hard because he knows a lot about the Bible ad he pulls out scripture after scripture and we did our be to follow the spirit and we we were so exhauted afterwards that we both slept in the bus on the way home.

Anyway... we had a lot moreexperiences but I dont have a lot more time and I want to send you guys some pctures so I am going to wrap this up but know that  love you all and that I have such strong love and teimoy of this work. Its true and God is leading it!

Con Amor,

Hna. Wilson

​Hna. Rios and I! (My companion now!)

​Hna. De Leon and I.. I am grateful for all she taught me!

Surprise!

Hola A Todos!

I hope everyone is doing great.... I just wanted to let you guys know that this was a little bit of a surprising week. So my mission president decided to close my area in David and sent me back up to Volcan. I dont know if you guys remember when I was here for a week about two months ago to see if the cold would help my ankle. Well President and the Lord, in all their infiinite mercy... sent me here... the Celestial Kingdom of the mission.... with Hna. Rios... who was the sister I worked with before... when we found out and communicated we both almost cried from happiness... so we are together and we are working hard... 

We found a lot of new people to teach but I am not sure who is going to progress and who we are going to end up having to drop... in total we found 20 new people and three of them accepted baptisimal dates. One of them was a door contact named Maria... when we contacted her she said that she wanted to have God in her life more and that she was looking for spiritual things in her life.... she did not come to church.. that is like the biggest problem I think in any mission is getting the investigators to come to church.

We also went up into the mountains on Saturday and as we were walking we saw a young couple walking in the street.... named Omar and Walkidia... we started talking to them and we ended up talking for a good twenty minutes.. when we gave the pamphlet of the Restuaration to Omar y looked it over and asked when we were going to give him a Book of Mormon. It was a surprise and so I pulled mine out and said I would be willing to leave mine with him and when we come back next week we would bring him a different copy. He said that was fine and said some thing like... all my life I have believe the my religion is true... but I feel like I need to read this book...  we are hoping and praying that he does read it.. and that the spirit touches his heart.. we will see... 

I also followed the prompting of the spirit this week to do some thing that I have not done in a long time... and that was get up in a bus and talk about the church. I have not done that since the beginning of my mission but when we were headed to our district meeting on Thursday... which is forty minutes away by bus... I felt the really strong impression that I should do it and I was so frustrated because I didnt want to... the bus was going so so so slow... that the should have been a fory minutes bus ride turned into a 90 minute bus ride and I felt it was only because God wanted me to contact these people... so I finally gave in... got up an spoke for like two minutes about the Restauration and sat down... it was not any thing spectacular.. and no jumped out of their seat saying they wanted to be baptized... but I felt good knowing that I had followed a prompting...

There is an American family here.. the Young Family... that feeds un Sundays... they dont speak Spanish so when I am in their home I feel like I am back in teh states already... we were talking about how we should not drink the water and I admitted that since March I had been having a lot of stomach problems... they asked me what my symptoms were and every thing and I told thema nd they basically todl me that I have a parasite... so today I am going to go buy the medication to treat it.... here you can get it over the counter... and I am hoping it helps me feel better because this week I was super sick from Monday until Thursday.... and I also cant drink milk... it makes me sick.... so yeah.. thats whats happening health wise with me....

To end we are working on marrying a couple. They want to get married and baptized... their names are Orjelio and Aidy.... they are expecting their second baby this week and we are hoping to get the paperwork started the following week... it will be the first couple that I have helped to marry in my mission so I am hoping that every thing goes wel... please pray for them... that the process goes quickly...

I love you all so much.. I know that this church is true and that this is Gods work... may you always do what is right and remember that God loves you!

Love,

Hna. Wilson

Men Are That They Might Have Joy

Hola A Todos!

I was kind of waiting to write this to see if I could let you know what was happening with transfers but we still do not know so we will just have to wait and be patient.. but the moment I know i  will let you guys know... transfers are being done a little diferently now and we are just waiting for President Carmack to tell us.

As for the week while we did not work that much because of my companions knee we did have a couple of miracles that I wanted to share with you.

first we recieved a phone call that a member had found a place for one of our investigators to live. She lives with her señor but she cant get baptized because he doesnt wnat to get married and all she wants to do is get baptized. So we recieved a call Tuesday nightr that if she wanted, someone had found a place fo rher to live. We are looking for an opporutnity to talk with our investigator about the possiblity o moving there. If she does she will be able to get baptized which is what she wants more than any thing.

One of our recent converets also introduced us to her friend Lea... who is defintely going to get baptized this coming transfers.. she just has to recognize that she wants to because she already knows that its all true.. and she needs to come to church... but I have high hopes for her. Please pray for her. She is reading the book of Mormon and every thing.. I trhink she is just afraid to take the step...

We had a huge family home evening... going away party for my companion on Friday with some less activesw... it was one of the biggest family home evenings I have had my whole mission and there were tons of non members.... we are hoping that a coule of new investigators wil come out of it but if nothing else we planted the seeds...

On Friday we went and visited an older lady that just got out of the hospital... while we were there she told us that she wanted to go lay down so we helped her to her room. It was sad because she is so old and frail and as we helped her she stopped and started crying saying she felt like she was going to fall. We tried our best to reassure her that she was not going to fal...that we had a firm hold on her an d that she jujst had to keep walking. We finally got her to bed and sang her hymn to help calm her down and she fell asleep while we sang. But as we left tha thouse it got me to thinking.. how often are we walking through life... and God is leading us and suddenly we let the fear over take us and we dont want to keep going because we are afraid we are going to fall. We need to remember to trust our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ... .because He will never let us fall...we  just have to trust and be believing....

I had a lot of time to study this week and I finished readint he Jesus The Christ and have gone back to my goal of finishing the Bible before I come.... we wil see how that goes...

Anyway, thats al I have for you guys today.... I love you all so much and will tlak to you next week...

Con Amor,

Hna. Wilson

I Believe In Miracles

Hola Todos!

This has been an interesting week because my companions knee has been worse... to the point that this week we are going to rest every other day and work in between.... so basically Tuesday Thursday and Saturday are going to be working day and WEdnesday Friday and Sunday are going to be resting days... we will see what happens... but I am already almost done with Jesus The Christ and plan to read the other books in the MIssion Library this week.... I plan to learn a lot. 

My poor companion has been really frustrated but its okay... we are still seeing tons of miracles. For example, on Tuesday a ten year old girl told the other missionaries in our branch that she wants to get baptized so we went and visited her and her family yesterday and and will talk with them tomorrow about what date would be better for her baptism.

We also talked with a twelve year old girl a week ago who told us that she wants to get baptized but has been really hard to find her at home. So we are hoping that one of these days this week will be able to find her.

Samuel has kind of gone off the radar... we have called him a lot but he always says that he is working and cannot meet with us so we wil see what happens with him this week.. prayers that we can meet with him... he has only needs one more lesson and the baptisimal interview so we will pray a lot and see what happens.

This was short agai.... sorry... you guys might be interested to know that I went to my first funeral this week. A less active sister died this week that my companion and I were visiting.. she had a condition in which her lungs were expanding and her heart was shrinking... I guess it was very painful and so I am sure it was a relief for her.... the service was beautiful.. the two leaders who spoke at the funeral both emphasized that death is not the end.. but the beginning of our progression... and we understand and find peace in the Plan that God has revealed to us.

Its moments like these in which I just love the Gospel so much. I know thats its true and I love being a missionary. Until next week!

Love, 

Hna. Wilson

Just A Big Miracle

Hola Todos!

So this email is going to be short! Sorry! It just that this week we really focused on teaching Jiame and getting him ready for his baptism so there was not much else that happened aprt from yesterday when we got caught in a torrential downpour and even with an umbrella we got soaked. I hope my new tennis shoes can hold out for the next five months. I think with prayers  they will be okay

I already sent the picture but this weekend was the baptism of Jiame. It was such a beautiful service. The president of the branch cried because it is one of his good friends and he never imagined that he would find his way into the church. Jiame always told us that the last thing he would be in his life was Mormon and it just makes everyone laugh. He is super excited to learn about the temple. The branch will be going in July and we are going to help him prepare to go with his family even though they cant do more then baptisms. 

As for Samuel. We could not get ahold of him this week for hi work and so we moved the date for his baptism to the 24th and will hopefully be able to get in touch with him this week. He only needs one more lesson and the baptisimal interview so we are fighting for those last two things with him.

That was pretty much our week. This week all over Central America is what you would call Family week... and every night we have to be in the hcurch because there are going to be activities for the family... and they are supposed to bring their non member friends... we are praying that it actually happens and we will be picking up a lot of new investigators this week. 

I love you all so mch and I know this is such a short email so I just wanted ot end it with my testimony that I love my Savior so much. He is my Best Friend and I know that He is always there for each and every one of us. If you for some reason have felt Him far away, look for the things you can do to feel Him near. Often times when we feel God is not there... its not because He-s left... its because we are not looking for Him. 

Anwyay, I know this church is true. I know that this is God works and I feel privilege to be an instrument in His hands as imperfect and faulted as I am. I love you all so much. Until next week. 

Hna. Wilson

Like Bread From Heaven

Hola Todos!

I dont know where everyone is this morning but thats okay... I hope this email finds you all well and happy. It had been an interesting week because yesterday were the elections here in Panama and so yesterday we had to be in the house at 2 which meant that we really didnt do any thing apart from do our weekly planning and made posters for the church where we can put pictures of the weekly English class and group night.

Apart from that this week was really weird.... not wierd but it rained every day and because it rained every day all of the members that were going to work with us suddenly couldnt and so our hopes of having a lot of lessons with members kind of went out the window pretty early on in the week.

Yet just as God sustained the children of Israel with mana from heaven in the moment that we needed it most God gave us a miracle that we had never imagined.

First came when Samuel... a guy who is good friends with a member and has been coming to church for two months now.... accepted to be baptized this Saturday. It was a big miracle because up to this point he had always put excuses as to why he could not get baptized or said that he wanted more time and when we talked to him on Tuesday he said that he wanted to be baptized.

The other miracle is some thing  that I think I will remember the rest of my life. On Sunday we had scheduled to do a family home evening the home an inactive member that wsa doing every thing she could to come back to church. Her husband, is not a member. On Wednesday night we recieved a phone call from our branch president saying that her husband and said that he wanted to be baptized. WE told him that we were planning to have a family hom eevening with them the following evening and our branch president said he would be there.

So on Thursday night we showed up and as we introduced ourselves Jiame (hi-me) told us that he was happy that he had made the choice to be baptized in the church. He said for a long time he had been looking for the truth in places that he was never going to find it. The family cried as they expressed their joy that Jiame was finally going to be baptized... after seven years of prayers and trials and efforts... Jiame was going to be united with his familiy.... 

The following day we met with Jiame and his wife one on one to teach him the Restoration because he has none of the lessons and he accepted to be baptized this Saturday so we are going to be teaching him like crazy this week so he can be ready... 

Anyway... it was one of the fastest lessons I have ever taught in my whole mission because he had read and basically explained to us what we needed to teach and so at the end of the lesson I asked him what had motivated him to decide to take this decision to be baptized... 

So he told us that for seven years he had been attending different churches... he fought with his family often about doctrine and things like that... almost crying he said he was the reason that his family did not go to the temple after a year of being baptized... he said that when he quit going to church he still fought against the Mormons as he put it. He thought up questions and looked for scriptures in the Bible to show that we were wrong. He said once he got in an open argument with one of the leaders of the church who had come to their home to do a family home evening with his wife and family. 

Then one day he decided to go to an institute class with his wife... as a gift for Valentines Day... he went and said he really felt nothing... and then he decided to go one Sunday to church with his wife... and he was was struck by the invitation to read the Book of Mormon... and all this time he said he was praying to know what to do... for some kind of direction in his life... a dreamm some thing that would help him to know what to do... 

Then he told us that almost two weeks ago he had a dream. He said in his dream he saw a couple walking through a small city.... and they were trying to get somewhere but he did not know where they were trying to get to.. The couple came up on a park and there stood an old lady. The man asked the old woman where they should go while the wife insisted that they should take a certain way that was narrower and looked more dangerous than all the other ways they could take. The husband compalined that they could take a bus another way... or a car another... but the wife insisted that they take this narrow way... 

So they did....

And they walked the way and there ferocious animals and obastacles the whole way,... and the whole way the husband complained... saying that she could not possibly know that this was the right way. Then they reached a hill.. where the path ended and the wife started to go up the hill.. saying she was sure that it was that way... and the husband complained.. saying that he was going to ask a man that was working at the bottom of the hill... and when the husband turned to ask  Jiame said he heard his own voice saying... Stop compalining... stop trying to keep your wife and taking the path... she knows the way... follow her.. your wife knows the way...

He said with that he woke up... and it struck him so hard that he got down on his knees and began to pray... and as he prayed her heard his own voice in his dream saying.... she knows the way... sheknows the way... and he knew... that his wife knew the way... that she had always known the way... 

He told us that he had always said he would never be Mormon because of doctrinal issues that he just could not accept.... but God had changed his heart... God had worked a mighty change in him. He said he knew that God needed him in His church and that he was ready to do whatever it took to be baptized and to help in the Lords kingdom...

So like mana from heaven Jiame and Samuel are going to get baptized this week. Pray for them please... that they can understand what we taeach and that we can find time to teach them so that they can take that step this weekend. 

I love this work so much. It is such a blessing to witness on a daily basis how God has the power to change hearts and lives. I love you all so very very much and I hope that you are well and happy. 

All My Love, 

Hna. Wilson