Monday, July 25, 2016

TE CARIDAD

first things first, the shoutouts...
1) RILEY, my best friend since diapers (literally). i havent forgotten you. i love you with all my heart. and so does He. <3
2) BRAD DAVIS, who i have also known since potty training days.. YOURE HOME! felicidades!! enjoy la playa and thanks for emailing me. :)

random things..
so i almost followed in bryces footsteps in getting hit by a car in the mission, but it wasnt an old lady it was a man in a semi.
theres lots of people that hate gringos here.
canned whipped cream doesnt exist here.
i ate cow liver and rooster innards/intestines this week. i wouldnt reccomend it.
my bishop served here in the first days, and had 50-60 baptisms every MONTH.... it was awesome hearing his stories and experiences. he also knew the two white missionaries that were killed in la paz.
before halloween existed here, it was called todos santos. the people put food and drink for the dead, (in case the dead were thirsty or hungry) people came to "pray", and they made and ate bread in the shape of the people.

funny moments
"this brownie is from the..... joven" waiter at Friday´s
"so how long is it going to take for your first kiss?" h wilson "idk.. maybe until the airplane" -hna dying
"hna bender read in the matrimonio manual that love and charity are different things, and that charity is a higher level of love that never ends (etc). entonces.. i dont love you. I CHARITY YOU." hna ipanaque
"theres three things a missionary knows when he gets to the mission- nothing, nothing, and nothing." hno jorge
"spicy is SUPER spicy, a little spicy is super spicy, and not spicy is spicy for hno israel" - la prima *i eat the spicy empanada* "hna, are you okay?" el primo "yeah, im fine. its not spicy." hna wilson (i guess my tastes have changed in the mission haha)
"does your boyfriend play futbol as well?" bishop "uh, ex boyfriend. and no, futbol americano." hna "oh, so he must be big. with muscles. right?" bishop "uh, yes bishop." hna avergonzada

bendiciones
my comp and i were the only companionship that sat together at the zone meeting. im grateful for the bond we have.
when all of our citas and miembros fell through, i felt that we should visit hna tania (MA). we called, she was home, we went to her house, almost died by dogs, she saved us. we showed the mormon message "recuperado" (no idea what it is in english but look it up, its AWESOME) and talked about repentance and the atonement and she cried and shared that she has been wanting to talk to the bishop and return to church but didnt think shed be able to truly change but now she has hope and was just filled with the love of her Savior.. it was incredible, and THAT ladies and gentlemen, is why im here, to help people change their lives and feel His love...
hna custode wrote her companionship inventory bc she wasnt able to express herself out loud but reading how she felt about me.... man. she loves me more than i thought (and i always knew she did). i had no idea she saw so much in me.
hna mebetabel (I) called us and told us she got back from her vacation and wants us to come and visit her. WHAT. jamás has an investigator done that. shes an escogido. :)
the zone leaders blessed the house and during the prayer asked that it could be a place of peace... what i need
i feel a LOT better with the house clean. its incredible the difference it makes.
the hermanas capacitadoras gave us a talk by presidente uchtdorf, "puedes hacerlo ahora" (also dont know what it would be in english, but look it up, its awesome. pretty sure its from the priesthood session of the general conf abril 2016). its what i needed to hear. <3
we contacted a woman in the street and found out she was about to wash her clothes so we offered to help and she let us in. while we were washing we got to the topic of the plan of salvation (what else is there to talk about, really now?) and then we got to the topic of repentance. i just taught and testified and it didnt count as a lesson but that doesnt matter, i did it bc its what im called here to do and i felt good doing it and i know that even though she "doesnt have time to recieve us" that i planted a seed in her heart.
our service project saturday failed, no one came and the woman refused to let us help because it was "man work" (que es eso...puedo hacerlo..) but anyways, we were walking by and i saw beatriz (I) and Dominga (mom of Neisa, I )and they were pulling weeds and i offered to help and she laughed and said "yeah, come help me!" and i went and she was surprised, and i asked what she wanted me to do, and she laughed and said "with those pretty hands? what do you expect to do? its okay, you sit down and well keep working" but my daddy rasied me different than that and i squatted right on down with her and started working. mud entered every crevice of my fingers and somehow on my face (her hijita) but it didnt matter. she sat back and watched me work and i kept working. then they were cutting down a tree with a machete, and i offered to help bc she was wheezing a little.. she laughed again, and i insisted, and she said "bueno.", and handed me the rusted machete.. and off i went whacking.. and a minute later, it was time for timberrrr.. they were pushing on the tree to get it down but couldnt do it (my comp, and the two ladies) and i went over and shoved and timberrrr, it fell. at the end of it all, there was a glimer of respect in her eyes for the gringita that knows how to work and she let us stay and teach her daughter. poco a poco.
i (presté? how do you say that in english..) my jacket to hna custode because she didnt have one. it was freezing in the morning without a jacket but hna custode put her arm around me to warm me up. her actions definitely speak louder than her words.
we had a NDH with the bishop last night, and we were the third set of hnas to ever enter his home (the others being YEARS atrás). progreso. :)
i was able to really relate to my estudio personal in mateo 26. i know that i WILL b able to fulfill with what the Lord wants of me, even if i have to do it alone like the Savior had to do His mission. but i know that im never alone, all i have to do is kneel and ask where He is, what He wants, and His strength.

miracles & highlights
1. we were shown a video of Elder Henry B Eyring, talking about how he has never felt the spirit so strongly in guiding his decisions than when he assigns us to missions. he told us to BE CAREFUL if we ever doubt t. i felt so much power in his words and i know with all my heart that this and every assignment i recieve in the mission comes directly from Him.
2. i felt and i KNOW that hno Narciso is going to be baptized. i was able to picture him in white. he is finally accepting the invitations to pray and ask if he needs to be baptized. he has known the missionaries since his 17 años. i think that the missionaries in the past have heard his situation, think its an "easy baptism", go and try and put a fecha with him, and when he says no, they get discouraged and stop visitng him. over and over and over again. but im getting to know him, getting to know his doubts, and praying with all my heart to be giveen the words of the Spirit. i feel that he is one of those people i was sent here to find .
3. i gave hna custode a stuffed giraffe and a chocolate bar for her 10 month mark. as we were laying in bed, after our prayers, about to sleep, she said "gracias", and told me she loved me. its the first time shes said those words in all of our time together and id be willing to bet in all of her 10 months here in the mission. it was such a tender moment and i was so proud of her for expressing herself and i told her i loved her too. she let out a big gasp of air and i knew she was smiling. shes a sweetheart.
4. we showed a video to hno narciso, about a man who was destined to give flour to another man so he could make bread for his family (forgot his name, i think its joseph). the man who prayed felt the distinct impression that he needed to ask for this man, his name was given to him.. after the video i testifed to narciso that the Lord KNOWS him, and as i did, the spirit testified to ME that the Lord knows ME as well, by name.. it was an incredibly special moment for me and brought me mucha paz.

i hope youre all doing well, and it sounds like the majority of you are. i love you!
hermana wilson
ps, if youre wanting to pray for one of my investigators... pray for Narciso. :)
2 N 9:52
2 nefi 10:9
3 n 12:3

ps.. these pictures are especially for YOU riley, this is what brocoli looks like growing. :)

--
Hermana Wilson

These pictures are especially for YOU riley,
this is what broccoli looks like growing. :)


Monday, July 11, 2016

7.11.16

Randomcitos!! (hows that for spanglish stormii? Haha)

I saw the first topknot in over a year today. Why do those exist?
Hermana custode has family from Italy and shes probably going to go live there after the mission (family problems) and so I have a place to stay as well and perhaps I will have a free ticket as well. :)))) dreams DO come true. <3
speaking of hna custode.. shes going to ask permission to change her placa to say "hermana ñauñay", her moms last name instead of her dads last name (custode). so... have fun saying that one, momma. :) haha
Theres lots of old railroad tracks in (part of) our area, I like to follow them . :)
The only places in CBBA with air conditioning are the movie theatre and the MORMON TEMPLO (ganamos)
When 9/11 struck, they showed it on all of the televisions here. 2 bolivians died.
the people here dont respect the bolivian flag like they do with the US flag in US
Evo has a sign/salute…
Its only been 5 years since Boliva (CBBA por lo menos) has had religious freedom. It used to be required for people to be baptized and confirm catholic, everywhere. Our mission leader told us about how he had to do it too. Theres lots of schools and high schools that are taught by nuns here.
We have zone conference Friday! Im super excited but itll be sad to hear my trainor´s last testimony (hna ipanaqué). Elder Ortega, hna jonovich, and elder robbins are also going to be giving their goodbyes. Its crazy to think that the next zone conference itll be me…. So weird…

Funny moments
1“wow my placa is dirty.. a ver… can you read ´la iglesia de ..´?” yo
“no” h custode
“pucha.” Yo
“but… tampoco, i cant read hermana Wilson. I need my glasses.” H custode
2 when presidente and hermana hansen were visiting viazon, the people went up to hna hansen (they had a trip planned in 2 weeks for the temple) "hna hansen......will you make us cookies???". shes country-famous. :)
3 "check out her pants" yo
"hey, might as well take advantage while you stilll can" h custode
"as in before she [etneres the temple]?" yo
"exactly" hna custode
4 "i always told my grandma i only wanted a little bit (of food).. and she always gave me a MONTON" h custode
5 "this is way too much energy for me... i was always the type of guy that said óh theres a party going on over there? yeah better if we just stay home" e robbins
6 "were going to go to the stake camp 2 times each year now!" pres castro de estaca alamos
(screaming from the MMJJ and HHJJ)
"freak... if someone told me i had to go to scout camp two times each year, id be so mad.." e robbins
7 "are the members goign on visits with you?" hno jorge de estaca
"no.. once in a while" zona QC
"ah, si.... once in a mes" hno jorge (sounds better in spanish, sorry)

blessings

hna cicotte sent me about 3 separate emails last week. I LOVE YOU. <3
a member left to go on visits with us for the first time since ive been here! whoo!
even though i was alone in the mission home while hna custode had her interview with presidente hansen, i didnt feel scared or uncomfortable. theres such a special spirit in the mission home. its the only place besides the temple im okay alone.
looking at old fotos of missionaries who have already gone home in the mission home... theres been so many that have truly had a lasting and forever impact on me and im grateful for their examples (i wont say names but you know who you are. <3)
when we were leaving the mission home pres hansen shook my hand and all of a sudden got this super concerned look on his face "hna wilson i should have asked, are you doing okay? do YOU need anything?" it caught me off guard and i told him no kind of embarassed. but i felt his love for me and so that was a nice moment.
papito was in my temple session and offered the prayer. :) it was super special having him there and his prayers are always so sincere and humble. i didnt get to say hi to him but he gave me a nod and a smile and i returned the smile and that was enough,.
hno marcelo made me a placa that says misión bolivia CBBA and a scripture on the back! its so pretty! and its free! :)) probably goign to be my favorite recuerdo from the mission.
h custode, if she hears or sees i need anything she IMMEDIATELY gives it to me, etc. shes super aware of me and is quick to help. its way she expresses her love.
im getting better and redirecting the topic when it gets off topic in lessons
hna lopardo sent me a package from tupisa (with toddy hee hee) and in her note said i changed her world, thanking me.. it was super special and humbling to read. I LOVE YOU HNA LOPARDO!
we talked about the expiacion in the zone meeting and looked up scriptures and formed inspired questions to go along with it, and the spirit was super special and strong. president is inviting us to teach more about the atonement, what it really is, and help the people feel that same spirit to progress towards baptism and be true converts. i think thats what vinto needs.
president castro me saludó  with a smile and even though he didnt say anything i know he forgives us and was asking an apology.
hna neisa made us bread with cheese in the middle and DANG it was good, even when in the morning it was infested with ants.. i hate ants.. thank you for the fact were changing houses, again..
hno marcelo came to our correlacion and is such a great leader and example of happiness and being positive. im super grateful i have this opportunity to work with him. :)
i made a suggestion in consejo de barrio and the bishop and other leaders looked at me and said "wow. that was definitely the spirit talking. thank you hermana." and i know they respected and accepted it, something that isnt always there.
my prayer was answered in a way i wasnt expecting to earn the confidence of the bishop&/ward.. he called us sunday morning and asked us to give talks. we did, and hopefully their hearts were touched.
when alvincito spilled the orange juice all over the table and kitchen i just jumped from my seat and helped neisa clean and then hna custode and i did the dishes and we just kind of didnt give her the option to stay upset, and she was happy again. service works, friends.

miracles and highlights
1the stake MMJJ/HHJJ camp was this week! we went as missionaries to recieve them coming home because there were 21 investigators who went on the 3 day trip (8 from vinto!!!!) and guess who i saw?! HNA ARLETE, my investigator from la floresta! hna custode has the picture but pucha. i ran to her and didnt let go of her for at least 3 minutes, shes one of my favorites and i was so happy to see shes still participating. :)
2 all of wednesday. we went to the temple and i think i learned more this trip than any other time ive gone to the temple. it was incredible and i had experiences ill never forget. i also had the most stressful taxi ride of my LIFE getting there. he got to our house 40 minutes late, drove incredibly slow, didnt know how to get there, and we had to backtrack. i dont think ive prayed so hard in a long time, maybe all my life that wed get there on time.. and guess what? we arrived 6:14 am (we had to be there by 6:15, session at 6:30).i felt like heavenly father was probably laughing at me.. "esta niña.. tranquila.. vas a llegar". that, and inside the temple as well, and other experiences from that day, showed to me that He never is far from us. even if we feel alone.. He is always there and He will always bless us with His mercy and love. i felt so much love from above, and i didn´t even realize i needed it, but i did and it was such a tender mercy. i also realized that the celestial kingdom (or salon celestial while still here on earth) is the ultimate goal and it really doesnt matter what happens along the way to get there. the peace we will have there, and the joy we will have in the presence of God the Father and the Son , will be incredible and we will literally forget all of the trials and pains and sicknesses beforehand. it was special waiting for and being there with hna custode, and i hope to have each and every one of my companions, converts, family members, etc there with me. THAT will be heaven, will my loved ones in the presence of un AMOROSO Padre Celestial...
3i had a literal "predicar en el camimo" moment yesterday. we were walking from church to the pension and we ran across the first part of blanco galindo and were waiting in the middle divider gap when a woman and her hijito and ice cream cart ran and joined us in the gap. there between passing semi trucks she asked if i was from a church and i explained who i was and why i was here in bolivia. finally we were able to cross and we continued talking with her but in a more private and peaceful setting and she shared with us that her husband passed and she often finds herself without hope or desires to continue on, she so sad and struggles providing for her 4 kids. i felt the power of the Spirit testify to her through me that she WILL see her husband again and there is hope to be together as a family forever gracias to our Savior Jesus Christ. when we left her she had a glow in her eye and a smile on her face. its incredible that He can put us right where He wants us and if we choose to open our mouths and share this message, miracles happen and lives are changed. i dont think i or any other missionary will ever regret opening my mouth and sharing this message to one of His children.
4 during the sacrament, i realized that THIS is the highlight and the miracle of every week. how often do i mention highlights and miracles that have happened in my week, but how many times do i mention the sacrament? i think i and everyone, sometimes we forget how truly special it is to take the pan and agua each week. pondering my Savior, i felt once again the power and love of His eternal sacrifice and un gratitud imenso for Him. i promise that anyone who takes the time to truly ponder and reflect during the sacrament Jesus Christ and is Atonement will have a powerful confiermation of the Spirit and feel His love.

i know this is the true Church. i know He lives. He is the message of hope i carry in my heart every day.

te cuidas,
HERMANA Wilson.

juan 21:17
juan 7:17
DyC 18:10-16

--
Hermana Wilson



 i love to see the temple...

day or night, no importa

I LOVE HERMANA CUSTODE. :)


zona quillacollo! :) (thank you hna hansen for helping us not be attacked in a foto with demasiado elderes)
back row: elder van skyhawk (yes thats his real last name) , e fernandez (brazil), e wilstead (everywhere), e riquette (colombia), e crosby (utah), e robbins (also utah), e risco (peru), pres hansen (CA)
front row: e mondaque (santa cruz bolivia), e cortez (ecuador, LD) e tovar (lima) h custode (ecuador) hna wilson (CA) e coloma (chile) e cortez (peru) hna hansen (CA)


hna custode and the zone leaders (e robbins y e risco) and.... e mondaque

 e riquette! "la compañera" de mi compañera haha

we love you hna cicotte!! :)

the only hermanas in three whole zones... HERMANAS; PUT YOUR PAPERS IN!

 el cristo y el templo, taken from the front step of the mission home.

i feel like i look like luke in this picture.
hna hansen makes the BEST cookies in all of bolivia. :)

hnito alvin (hijo de neisa/cristian, LM) and i, NOW ACCEPTING BEANIE DONATIONS...
 hace frio...

i love CBBA grafiti

 papaya for h custode and banana for h wilson... no explanation needed.

hna neisa has the best mugs (this picture is for you madison. i love you!!!)

i love my compieeeeeee! (bumpy blurry trufi selfies, provecho)


making PB cookies, servicio, hna neisa


  crossfit in Bolivia

 i found our missionary car






Monday, July 4, 2016

Angry birds

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS TO THE USA!
&happy end-of-bloqueos!!

&&CONGRATULATIONS (is that how you spell it? what is english) TO MINDY! YOU ARE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BRIDE AND PERSON AND (not-so) SECRETLY EVERYONES FAVORITE! i love you and wish you the very very best. :) your smile was so beautiful and pure! felicidades! provecho!

random things..
someone told me i should be an actress. i guess ive accomplished my goal of being more expressive but ive never liked the theatre and would feel way too weird with millions of people watching me in a movie (althout it seems like millions read this blog.. tuché)
were going to be getting snow pretty soon on the mountains. WHOO! tunari here i comeee
quillacollo has some intense bloqueos. drowning gas, fires, rocks, slingshots... i wont go into too many details but im grateful that theyre finally over and we can this week finally go the temple. <333
i want to cut my hair but its the finding that is holding me back.. if i walk into a random haircut place i will have NO hair left, because blonde hair here is $$$
in parties they dance in 2 lines facing each other. different, but fun. (dont worry im still on my no dance streak)
all the world knows when i have a fever, i guess i cant hide that well
my hands are more liken bloody reptile skin theyre so dry BUT i found Dove lotion and its like a miracle
there is a LOT of adventista in the area where we live. (best ways of explaining the sabbath is Sunday not SaturdaY?)
there are at least 5, 6 people we are teaching with MY NAME. its so weird teaching them and hearing my name everyday. my companion just gives me a little smile because she knows my name too and its hard not to giggle sometimes. theres also a man that has the name WILSON. so that doesnt help either. its like im teaching myself?

funny things..
 "testifico de las palabras de mi compañera" -elder riquette, in his practice with hna custode in the district meeting. one chance in all the mission he can say that ahah
"is it good?" yo "its acceptable" hna custode (10 BS pizza in our area. GANAMOS.)
"oh no!" hna custode "whats wrong?" yo "theres a pigeon" hna custode "and..?" yo "and almost ALWAYS im the victim" hna custode
"you really have a $ tie?" yo "yes. QUE ME ROBAN!" elder robbins, LZ

blessings
hna brady called me last pday in the morning and we talked and let me just say that woman continues to be such ablessing in my life.
SISTER LUGO sent me a letter in the mail and i got it already, withihn 2 weeks no más!! THANK YOU for your letter sister lugo i loved it. :) ( i dont have your email to anwer your questions, but YES, girls camp definitely helped me and helped me become more of who i am today. send me an email por favor and i can respond more?) letters are GOLD.
we finally got the Liahonas from general conference! super excited to rwead it
i officialy have no fear to invite people in the first lesson to be baptised. and ive been lucky enough that the past however many first lessons ive had, they have ALL said yes to the invitation to be baptised. :) faith is real, friends.
we talked in the district meeting (and practiced) about putting fechas for baptism. i feel like thats one of the main reasons im here in vinto, to invite these people to be baptised and just really focus on helping them get there. the future is bright, friends.
our zone meeting #2 was not as awkward as the first. progress.
at 5:30 the sun hits the South mountain in our area and it literally looks like gold. its beautiful and reminds me of my momma (your favorite time of day is even more golden in bolivia)
wednesday night i expressed and let out my stress to hermana custode about the area and a couple of other things, and it just felt so good to let it all out and talk with her. she listened to me and told me she had felt someof the same feelings too, and man. she is just a sweetheart and im super grateful shes my companion.
hna natalia mamani told us at the end of the lesson the truth, that she is a member (we knew that, and were just waiting for her to tell us). she told us she doesnt know almost anything about the church or LDM or anything, and she  is grateful were teaching her and helping her learn because she feels the spirit.
we contacted a reference (ive never had so many references, were in the double digits) and asked her if shed like to learn more and she said shed LOVE to.. oh if all of the people could be like hna emebatel...
theres a man whos wife is a temple worker and he even has a home teaching assignment in the church but isnt a member. hes an eternal investigator but we found his true doubts and im super excited to help him and am praying that i can be the missioanary to answer so many prayers for so many years and he can be baptized. one of his fears is that after hes baptized, he will sin again.. im so excited to help him understand the Atonement and feel its power.. VAMOS. :)
a pastor of another church let me use his bathroom. i was dying without a bathroom in the middle of nowhere (vinto) and bless his heart for not hating the mormon missionaries.
preidente sent the LZ to come to the house to see if we were alive (our phone went unregistered randomly and we couldnt call and say we were home). super grateful to have leaders that love and sepreocupen for our well being.
i was sad because i thought i wasnt going to be able to fast this week due to some minor health issues (im fine mom) BUT the spirit whispered gently to me that id be okay and so i did fast and i recieved an answer to the prayers ive been praying all week long. <3
the clouds are EXTRAORDINARY here. theyre huge and are outlined in gold sometimes and a little tender mercy every day.
yesterday at church hna and hno ancalle (my first pensionista!) came to visit vinto and i almost jumped on her i was so excited to see her. she is literally an angel and i love her so much. hno ancalle teared up seeing us. :)

highlights and baby miracles
when the pastor let us use his bathroom, he left us there with the woman washing her clothes and he went back to work. she lives there in one cuarto and the other cuarto was the church, with a separate cuartito for the bathroom. i used the bathroom and then my comp entered. i sat there and started talking to the woman washing her clothes. she was so kind. i just kind of focused on how i felt there and realized that the spirit was there. i have no idea what the church is called, but i know that that woman and the pastor are good people and trying there best to follow Christs example. i have no doubt that the Church of Jesus Christ (de los Santos de los ultimos dias, sorry i cant remember english) is the true and restored church, but it was peaceful being there in the yard of the other church and feeling a sort of bond with that woman. i said a tiny prayer in my heart for her that she and her family could one day be led into the doors of the church of Jesus Christ and we left on good terms with smiles.

yesterday we went searching for a reference. it took us 2 hours (like i said, vinto is GRANDOTE). i was so determined to find this man, and i was praying super hard. the sun was going down but i asked God to bless us with a little more sunlight so we could find him (we were in the mountain and there arent lights up there, so if the sun went away.. problems come, me entiende?). the reference said the "yellow hosue" but when we got to thio Mokgo, almost all of the houses were yellow-rust color and so that didnt help. the trufi man that turned into a taxi took us to the top of the sector and we got out, said a prayer, and went down the mountain one by one walking with speed and power and faith.. in the end we found the house. he wasnt home and the old woman through the doorcrack only spoke quechua (freaking torre de babel) but we found his neighbor teresa and its a possibility that we were really only supposed to find HER. but we did. she has a beautiful little family and i felt the Spirit strongly contacting her. walking way from the house i was just so happy. we had a day full of citas and even a NDH with the bishop and every single one canceled on us BUT that didnt matter because i knew that we fulfilled what the Lord wanted of us. i looked up to the sky and offered a little prayer and the clouds were amazing and a STRONG pink. i just felt a rush of love from my Heavenly Father and all of my stresses were just gone in that beautiful moment. it doesnt matter how big the area is or how low the numbers are or any of the other things, what matters is that i can recognize the Lord guiding me in His work and that i am being a useful tool in His loving and wise hands.

i truly love my Lord, my God, and the mercy He is constantly showing me as i take one step at a time in His work. Vinto is His vineyard that He has intrusted me and I trust in Him to help me have fruit.

have a great week. be safe. (family, especially you por favor.)
>> te amo.

--
Hermana Wilson
ether 12:4