New Years week

Yes my friends!

     I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas full of joy and happiness and love......... AND food.  Don't forget food.  So Christmas was definitely different here in Uganda, but it's also a Christmas that I will never forget.  We visited some recent converts and shared with them the story of Jesus Christ's birth in the book of Luke.  We even sang Christmas carols and we just loved reaching out to those who were alone.  Because no one should be alone on Christmas.  Later, we had like 3 dinner appointments all within 5 hours.  And I just want to add, I ate everything and it didn't come out the way it came in.  Super proud of myself.  But the spirit of Christmas was so strong through out the day.  It's not about the things that you get or the feast you have at the end.  It's about remembering the Savior and the gift He is to the world.  

      So we have been teaching this one sabo named Danson who's good friends with some of our recent converts.  He gained such a strong testimony and He truly loves the gospel.  We committed him to be baptized and yesterday was his day!   Such a strong soul we are so happy to be apart of his big day.  Even, a couple days before, one of his teeth got super irritated and infected.  And we thought Oh no!!!  But it was all good, he toughed it out.  What a beast.  

     Something that I found to be really funny is that when we meet new people and they ask where we are from, I tell them California and every one of them say, "Ohhhh yes I know about California."  Apparently, kids that go to school have California as part of there curriculum.  Even they tell me things that I never really new about Cali.  Nutz.  

    But anyways, now that the New year is coming up, it's time to reflect on the things that you have learned in 2014 and make goals for 2015.  Like for me, I'm making a goal of learning how to cook.  Because I'm getting sick of oatmeal.  But there are other goals that you cannot physically see that can change not only you, but the people around you.  Maybe one of those goals is to meet someone new every day.  Or maybe it's giving a compliment to every person you talk to.  No matter what, make the best of 2015 because it's gunna go like that.   I hope you all have a good and remember that the Lord is always bearing you up and preparing you for something greater. 

Love,

Elder Wilson

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, is what we need to always focus on.  Not only on Christmas, but throughout the whole year.  He is the gift that our Heavenly Father has given all of us.  It is through Him that we can find true and lasting eternal happiness in this life and in the life to come.  Never forget the importance of giving and gratitude.  Christ, sacrificed His life for every one of us.  Take the time this Christmas to find the things that you are grateful for and what you can give to others.  Spend time with your families and show them how much you cherish them.  I want you all to know that I know that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the light.  He is the Savior of the world and He lives.  I know that His birth marked the start of the gift of eternal life given to us by our Heavenly Father and I want you all to remember the true importance of Christmas.  I love you all!  Have a great Christmas and enjoy the time you have with your loved ones.

Merry Christmas,

Elder Wilson

Testimony on change

Yes, my friends!

     So, start of another transfer with my new companion Elder Wightman.  So far so good. So since Elder Wightman is new to the area, I have had to show him around and lead the area, which I find pretty stressful.  There's so much work when you are a missionary.  And when you don't have as much experience as the other missionaries, I always wonder how much I've improved as a servant of the Lord.  

      This week I don't have that much to talk about.  But, I just want to share my testimony about change.  As a missionary, I continually have to change certain attributes or teaching tactics to help others draw closer to Christ.  And, sometimes, change is just super hard.  When someone makes a routine, it is always hard to leave that confidence that you have.  But when change comes, it can either strengthen us or bring us down.  It all depends on how we view it.  I know that after my time on my mission, home will never be the same.  But I know that if I know it's to bring me higher, then it will.  Our purpose in life is to change, to be better, to improve, to be the people that our Heavenly Father wants us to be.  My Father in Heaven has blessed me more than I deserve, and I wish more than anything that I could go back to when I first received those blessings throughout my life.  But change is what keeps us on that path to eternal life, as long as we know what to do when those changes come.  As we enter into the Christmas season, I want everyone to remember the Savior and how because of him, we are able to repent and change our lives for the better.  I love you all, have a great week, and know that I love you and your Father in Heaven loves you.

Elder Wilson

Starting another transfer

Yes my friends,

       I hope everyone is having a good week getting more into the christmas spirit!  I just finished my 4th transfer and now I'm starting another one with a new companion in the same area Kajjansi.  I will be working with Elder Whiteman and I'm super excited about the things we will accomplish for the next 6 weeks.  I'm so grateful to be serving the Lord and have the experiences that I've had.  

      On sunday, one of our investigators Bashir got baptized and he was super excited.  He's been reading the Book of Mormon so much and he loves to learn more about the scriptures.  We teach him and a couple of his friends at his house and so he is the first of many baptisms we hope to bring forth.  Starting this new transfer, we are looking at a lot of solid people in our teaching pool.  I'm super stoked for the work right now.

      Something that I've been learning from my mission is the importance in involving the spirit into my missionary work.  Overall, the difference between a hardworking missionary and a mediocre missionary is whether he/she seeks for the spirit to guide and lead us.  When we focus on putting our will aligned with the Lord's, we can expect many blessings to result.  One of our recent converts, who has been busy with work most sundays, came this past sunday to church and we have been praying to know that no matter what, he needs the gospel in his life.  This past sunday, he bore his testimony to everyone and I truly felt the spirit.  We talked to him later and he said he felt a difference when he came to church compared to when he just worked.  If we continue to involve the spirit in helping him progress, he will be able to be fully converted to the gospel.  

      I'm loving being a missionary because there is literally no other work in the world than this.  I love you all have a good week and know that the Lord is watching over you.

Love,

Elder Wilson

A warm new month

What's up everyone,

     I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving and I hope that there were no unnecessary deaths on Black Friday, or as we like to call it here in Africa,..... Friday (New girl reference) ((But really Black Friday is not a thing here))  There is so much work to do in such a short amount of time.  I'm already about 6 months into my mission and I need to take advantage of the time that I have because it's going by fast.  The mission is a special time of your life where you have the opportunity to bless the lives of others for eternity.  That's why it's important to not waste it. 

      This past week has been full of sweat, blood, and tears...... but man, soooo much sweat.  We've been trying to find more people to teach and the Lord has blessed us slowly slowly.  We have been asking for referrals like crazy and we have gotten good feedback coming from both investigators and recent converts.

     On Sunday, Cyrus who we have been teaching was baptized!  Such a great baptismal service and the spirit was very strong there.  She is apart of a recent convert family of ours that has been away because she was in boarding school.  She truly gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to see it grow within her.  Even on this coming Sunday, we are looking at 2 more baptisms.  Josephine is a referral from missionaries from Entebbe and she is the most prepared and powerful person to receive the gospel.  She learns super quickly and she knows the gospel is true.  Bashir is someone we ran into at the middle of last transfer who has been taught by the missionaries before.  He is super crazy and funny, and he truly wants to be baptized so we are excited for him this Sunday.

      Being in Africa, all the things I eat are pretty normal but there are a few weird things that I have grown to love.  There's a fruit here called Fene or called Jackfruit that is the size of two bowling balls sitting together.  The Branch building that we serve at has a two trees that grow them all the time and man, is it good.  but wow is it weird looking.  But I was eating some one day and I'm pretty convinced that I am allergic to it because the inside of my mouth started to get itchy and my tongue started to swell a little bit. but it's not to the point of death so I might still eat it a couple more times in the future.  Also, This month is the season of insenene, which is like locusts, or grasshoppers.  I tried some myself and I have to say....... it's pretty dang good.  Everyone here eats it and they will fry that stuff up like nothing.  My companion doesn't really like it so I always eat his portions, and I ain't even mad.  Some members of the branch have seen me eat insenene and they saw that I baptized one of our investigators on Sunday, so they would call me John the Baptist, because that is what he ate in the wilderness.  No doubt, no doubt.

      I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord, especially in this part of the world.  There are so many experiences that I am having that will strengthen my faith and testimony, while I help strengthen the faith and testimonies of others.  I truly can't imagine serving my mission anywhere else except in Uganda and i'm loving every moment of it.  Have a good week everyone and remember that the Savior suffered so we don't have to.

Love,

Elder Wilson

Pics:  Cyrus' baptism!

          Family portrait (my trainer and my trainer's trainer) (try to imagine us wearing black turtle necks and blue jeans)

11/24/2014 - Another week, another shilling

Hey everyone!!

    A lot has been going and I am grateful for all the blessings that the Lord has given me in helping move his work forward.  Something I have really learned throughout the past couple of weeks is how I need to continually rely on the Lord.  Not only on my mission, but throughout my life.  What can be considered is how we've been able to overcome challenges that we have been faced with in our lives, and what gifts and blessings our Heavenly Father has given us to endure through those trials.  When I look at all of the trials and challenges in my life, I realize that God had a role in each one of them.  There have been many times where I did not put my faith and trust in the Lord to help me to overcome.  But what I have learned is that our Father in Heaven gives us opportunities to be better, whether we ask for them or not.  As a missionary, we rely on God so much in His work, but when we put all of our heart, might and mind into our purpose, we see the blessings and the fruits of our labors.  Always look for those opportunities that God has given us to be better, to enlighten our minds, and enlarge our souls.

     So this past week, we didn't have power for 5 days.  Turns out some jerk stole a whole transformer and that means I had to use the stove to make my oatmeal instead of the microwave,.... life can be tough sometimes.  But for real though, it was all good.  One night we were trying to go to sleep but we heard a lot of noise coming from the other elders bedroom.  Turns out there was a rat in there that they had to battle to enjoy a good nights rest.  Anyways, This past week I've been a little sick and past missionaries weren't kidding when they said that being sick on mission sucks, because it does let me tell you. 

     Saturday and Sunday was Stake Conference and we watched a broadcast from Elder Bednar and President Uchtdorf.  Their talks were specifically addressed to the people of the stake and current issues that the country is facing, but I learned so much from what they had to say.  I am truly grateful that the Lord has blessed us with living guidance so we can live accordingly to God's will in these Latter days. 

      Have a good week everyone, I love you all, I promise I will write more next time.  Enjoy your thanksgiving!  Truly reflect on the blessings that you have been given from God and from others and show your gratitude through loving others, it will bless your life as well as the life of others.  EAT SOME TURKEY!!

Love,

Elder Wilson

Africa is quite the experience.

Hello yall,

     Africa is quite the experience.  The people are cultural, the food is exotic, and the mosquitos can't take a hint.  I'm starting to get accustomed to the lifestyle here and I'm truly understanding why I was sent to this part of the Lord's vineyard.  My companion and I are working harder than ever to strengthen and edify our area, and we find that the Lord blesses us in ways that we do not expect.  

       One of the biggest challenges we have is getting people to church.  We have no problem finding people to teach, it's just that keeping the commitment of attending church is something that a lot of people find trouble with.  Whether its work, being busy, or even the rain (probably the most common excuse here, because people here hate the rain), it takes extra effort getting people to church.  We have been working hard to encourage people about the spirit that they will feel when the go to church, and that they will receive answers to their prayers.  We are always reminded that agency is a big part of missionary work.  As missionaries, all we can do is invite people to repent and come unto Christ.  We are diligently searching to find those who will choose to accept the gospel and live it.  

      So this month, we had the first counselor of the Area Presidency and his wife, Elder Ellis and Sister Ellis, come visit the Uganda Kampala mission, and we had the opportunity to hear him speak at our zone conference.  We were indeed spiritually uplifted and we finished that conference determined to work harder than we had been before.  Something that he talked about was in one of Russel M. Nelsons talks about how he received revelation for how to fix a heart during surgery when there was no one in the world that knew how to fix it.  Elder Ellis would keep telling us, "God knows heart surgery!"  He went on to explain that if God knew how to fix a heart the way nobody knew how, wouldn't He know how to hasten missionary work, wouldn't He know how to get people to come to church, wouldn't He know how to help our investigators feel the spirit.  God knows everything, and as His missionaries, it's our duty to seek for His guidance and seek for that revelation to help push the work forward.  

      On a more humorous note, the people here in Kajjansi and around Kampala, speak a language called Luganda.  We are trying to pick up on the language but since our mission is english speaking, there is no motivation to be fluent.  So when we work with the locals in the work, whenever they converse with each other in Luganda, we know that they don't want us to hear.  So, what my companion and I do is speak Pig Latin to each other,..... works like a charm.  They have no idea.  

      I love being a missionary and I'm continually learning more about myself every single day.  I'm continually strengthening my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I'm working hard to share that testimony with as many people as I can.  There are so many people that are waiting to hear the gospel and I have the opportunity to be the messenger.  

      I love you all.  Have a good week and know that with God, anything is possible.

Elder Wilson

some pics of the view, and my place of residence.

Starting Transfer 4

Dear friends & fam,

       Today is the start of my 4th transfer and I am staying in Kajjansi with my dear companion Elder de Lisle.  Fer sure I'm super stoked to stay in this area.  There are so many more blessings that need to be received.  We had a great transfer with so many miracles happening.  We are grateful for the opportunity that we have to serve for another transfer together and we have some pretty big plans.  We love the people and we are trying to find people that are prepared and are waiting to receive the message of the Restoration.  One thing that I noticed about our companionship is how much we talk about food.  It's gotten to the point where it's no longer a joke.  We try to top each other on who has eaten better food and all is does is make my stomach grumble.

       So since I'm on the other side of the world, we finally watched General Conference yesterday.  It took a long time to get here but it was totally worth it.  We receive so much guidance from the Prophet and Apostles that can help anyone in any aspect of their lives.  I encourage everyone to review the talks that were given and continue to seek personal revelation from God.  

       We are teaching many different people and we are still trying to get them to stick to their baptismal dates.  Man, I didn't believe people when they said a mission is hard work.  We are continually trying to bring others closer to Christ and making sure that they know that God is speaking to them through their prayers.  Agency is a very important part of missionary work, because that is what determines the preparedness of God's children.  When we find that people don't accept the message that we have, we look at that as a downfall, when really, the opportunity to choose is a gift from God.  

     Something that I have learned that is one of the most important attributes in missionary work and in all other aspects of life, is patience.  With patience, we yield to the will of the Father.  There will always be opposition in all things.  It's how we react to that opposition that determines who we are.  As a young missionary in the field, I have learned that patience is something that is required to become a successful servant of God.  There are times when I feel like I don't know how to do anything or I do everything wrong.  Trying to be the best you can be is not easy.  But it requires faith and trust that through the Lord's own time, we can receive blessings that can help us reach that end goal.  

      I love the mission, I learn new things everyday and I'm grateful to serve the Lord in this part of the world, where I feel like I am being strengthened and uplifted by people who don't know me.  But there are points in life where you know that you knew each other before the world was.  As children of God, it's our duty to help each other to stay on the path that leads us the eternal joy and happiness.  

      I also realize that I have been lacking in stories, it's just that everything has gotten to the point where everything seems normal to me.  So, I'll try to be more reckless to make some stories happen.  Here's something!...... I learned how to make matooke.  it's like unripened banana mush.  That's all I got this week.  I'll try to pick it up some more.  

     Everyone have a fantastic week and continue to be the best that you can be.  Remember, if you can dream it, you can do it.... inspiring words from Blades of Glory. 

Elder Wilson

Pics:  Found the perfect pillowcase, now I can sleep to his face every night

          

This baby's name is Holy Beyonce, let that sink in

Hastening the Work

Hello everyone!

     This week has been quite a blessed week.  But MAN did I get sunburned.  I was going for the dark tan approach but my skin decided to take the bright red route.  Which is cool,... I can manage.  But when my face started peeling, people started to become gravely concerned because they don't understand the meaning of sunburn.  

    I'm going to be brief this week because I don't have that much time. But here it goes.

Peter and Linet got baptized on Sunday!!! They were so excited and it was noticeable how much happier they are becoming in their lives.  It's taken us a couple of months to prepare them, but they have taken the time to know the truthfulness of the gospel.  Samuel was another brother that we have been teaching who was also baptized but by his roommate who got baptized in July and received the Aaronic Priesthood.  Such an amazing thing to see people progress in the gospel and have the opportunity to bless the lives of others.  

     If you didn't believe that this would be small, BOOM gotcha.  Everyone have a fantastic week and know that your Father in Heaven loves you and remember that I love you as well.

Elder Wilson

Oct. 6, 2014 The Blessings of Missionary Work

Hello everyone!

       Sorry I didn't send out an email last week.  This has been a humbling week for me.  I have learned that trials come no matter what.  It's how we react to those challenges that makes us who we are.  My area Kajjansi is a super powerful area.  My companion and I know how important this area is to the Lord because He has been blessing us with so much success when we provide the hard work.  There are so many experiences that are shaping me to be the disciple of Christ that I am working to be.  

       Peter and Linet are a couple that we have been working with for a little more than a month now.  They have a sure testimony of the gospel, and they have the greatest desire to be baptized.  They hail from Kenya but they have been living in Uganda for quite some time.  Part of the process for them to be baptized to be legally married before then.  They happily agreed and they were married in Kampala to each other on Friday.  It was such a beautiful service and the spirit was completely strong.  Seeing them make these decisions in their lives that help them to find the path that will lead them to eternal life is truly a blessing that i am happy to be apart of.  Peter told us that his Aunt had died in Kenya and he had to make a trip to be there.  So we told him that we could postpone his service until next sunday.  He happily agreed so we are super excited for this sunday.  Something funny that happened with him that I thought was completely hilarious was when we were going over baptismal interview questions with him.  We always ask the one being interviewed if they have committed a serious crime before and he gave probably the best answer I've ever heard.  "Uhhhhh....... not yet."  I was trying so hard not to laugh.  Love that guy, can't say enough nice things about him.  

       There has been some interesting experiences that have been happening that I would like to share.  One of them was on the way to Kabowa with my district for a Zone Development Meeting.  It was raining super hard and we were trying to get there on time.  The taxi picked us up and we were paying him while in the car.  We got to the destination but the conductor wouldn't let  us out of the car.  It costs 1000 shillings to get there and he was charging us 2000.  He totally ripped Elder Mamani and we didn't want to pay him because he was ripping us off.  The worst part,..... the conductor was speaking Luganda and none of us could speak it.  The experience was super fast but a lot that I could remember was a lot of screaming and yelling and pushing and frustration.  Taxis are FAKE banange.

      Another time, I was teaching a lesson with Elder de Lisle and there was a kid crying outside of the door, which was opened.  This other kid making mocking crying noises to the other kid and it was super annoying.  Elder de Lisle lost it and yelled at the kid to stop but he wouldn't so he chased the kid and he was jumping over a dip in the ground and pretty much ate it (He would kill me if he knew I was emailing this... shhhh).  Probably the funniest thing was when he was on the ground, he pointed to the kid with the scariest mean face I've seen and the kid started to cry and run away.  So proud of that guy.  Showing that we don't mess around.  

       As a zone, we are continually trying to be better at missionary work.  We always help each other trying to find ways to teach more simply.  For instance, our Mission President teaches us KISS:  Keep It Simple Stupid.  Great advice, hurts my feelings every time.  But being a new missionary, it's very difficult to take everything you know about the gospel and condense it so a child could understand.  But as I continue to teach simply I start to understand was must be going through the investigators head.  It is such a blessing to be able to teach people about how they can achieve eternal life.

       To all of you that are reading this email.  I just want to finish with what I know to be true.  And It's this.......  nothing else matters, nothing.  Not homes, not cars, not sports, not money, nothing in this world matters except for the gospel.  I've seen it with my own lives.  Families and individuals that discover and live the gospel find a joy, a happiness that can't be achieved with cars, or homes, or money.  Believe me, people here have absolutely nothing.  In my opinion, the richest people I know are the ones that don't have money, but have the gospel.  I want you all to know that I know Jesus is the Christ.  I know from the bottom of my heart that He is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the World, but most importantly.  I know that He loves me.  Having the opportunity to help them feel God's love for them is indescribable.  You will have trials in your life.  Believe me, I know.  I have had a rough week myself.  When it comes down to the problems that I face, I remember that nothing else matters.  Except for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice to the world.  All we need is faith, faith and the knowledge that faith is the foundation for everything good in this world. 

    I love you all.  Have a fantastic week and love every moment.

With Love,

Elder Wilson

Supa Powerful

Jebale ko Buzungu,

    Man, first week of the transfer and we are getting a lot done.  Elder de Lisle and I are together this transfer and we are taking on Kajjansi by storm.  We also added two more elders to the area because of how fruitful Kajjansi is becoming.  Elder Grilliot and Elder Mamani are splitting the area with us.  It's really nice to be able to focus more on a certain section of the area instead of the whole area.  And they are super ready to go to work.  

     Ever since I got here, the church has been constructing a new chapel for the Kajjansi Branch that sits right next to the main road.  It's already gotten a lot of hype.  Last week at sacrament meeting, it was announced that the branch would be moving there on October 5 but we received word that the furniture was shipped somewhere else accidentally, so we are going to have to wait which I am super bummed about because I might not be here when it opens.  But alas, it will be a super powerful tool for missionary work, especially when people can drive past it and just be smitten with its awesomeness.  

     We have had a large amount of baptisms last transfer and now we are looking for more people to teach.  We are super excited though because our teaching pool is already pretty big as it is.  But man, it is amazing to see the branch work incredibly hard to help us with referrals. 

      This week is a short one, so I just want to say that there is no greater work than this.  But I'm not just saying that because it's the Lord's work.  I'm saying that because the Lord's work that we do can change cities, countries, even entire continents.  And this work will never cease to progress because the message that we work to bring to people is more true than anything in this world.  I know that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can change attitudes, hearts, and lives.  Heavenly Father loves us more than we have loved anything in our entire lives and many people don't understand that.  I testify that there is no greater truth than the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I love you all and have a good week!!

Elder Wilson

Next transfer in Kajjansi - Week 15

Hello Everyone!

     My companion and I just finished a super powerful transfer.  And now, I am staying in Kajjansi for another 6 weeks and I'm still with my companion Elder de Lisle.  I'm very excited to stay in this area because it is an exciting time for missionary work here.  We have been seeing a lot of success and Kajjansi is flourishing so much.  For a while, there has been construction for a new chapel closer to the main Entebbe Road and on October 5th the Kajjansi Branch will shift to the new building.  We are very excited for this because it will spark interest to the people and we will be able to teach even more people.  So, you could say that I am very excited for this upcoming transfer.
  On Sunday, we had a 4 baptisms of a family.  And before that, the parents got hitched the Friday before at the stake center in Kololo.  That was an incredible experience to be apart of and I know that they will continue to strengthen their love for each other as they continue to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They live close to Lake Victoria so they're a ways away but they have the strongest desire to be baptized.  They don't even speak english, so we always bring a member who speaks Luganda to help us teach them.  My love for this family has grown tremendously over the amount of time of teaching them.  I truly see more joy and happiness within their family the more they know about the gospel.  

    So my companion and I switched living spaces with some sisters in the district and the house is HUGE.  and it turns out that they shifted us there because they are adding Elders, so we will all live there.  It's going to be mental!  

     Now that I've been in Uganda for a month and a half, I'm starting to get used to the culture here.  Now it's super weird to see a white person walking around.  It actually even makes me feel uncomfortable.  Being missionaries, we always have to hike around to move and there are a lot of hills in Kajjansi.  And it's blazing hot and humid.  But there is always someone who says "Elder Wilson, you are sweating."  Then I think, "no duh, this is Africa."  By the way, I'm getting super tan, and my tan lines are becoming more visible.  Man, being white in Africa can be hard sometimes.  

      I love this work and there is so much to be done.  My testimony of Jesus Christ continues to strengthen everyday and I find so much joy in sharing that testimony with others.  I'm super excited for this upcoming transfer and I can't wait to work my butt off.

God Speed,

Elder Wilson

So many blessings!

Hello all!

    So many blessings have been found in the work of the Lord.  Elder de Lisle and I have been working hard to bring souls unto Christ and we have been finding success.  Kajjansi is a very fruitful area and there are many people who are willing to hear our message.  

    This past weekend, we had a wonderful baptismal service of a family of 7!  Bosco, Moreen, Sight, Prossy, Sherine, Arnold and Rachel have been receiving the missionary lessons and were baptized on Sunday after church!  We are so grateful for this wonderful family that we were able to teach and bring into the gospel.  Arnold was baptized on Saturday because he was planning on leaving for boarding school so he couldn't be there the next Sunday to be confirmed.  It was a wonderful service and the spirit was so strong.  The branch is so strong in this missionary work and it is a blessing to help strengthen their area.  I'm very excited to continue to help them progress in the gospel.  

      This upcoming weekend, we are having a marriage ceremony in Kololo for Laurent and Narulega.  They don't speak any english so we have always had to bring a member to translate from Luganda.  This past week, we even came to their garden and helped them dig.  (My Dad should be super proud of me considering he was a farmer growing up).  They really want to be baptized so of course we are going to do strenuous work to show them that we really care about them.  Can't wait for them to get married on Friday and then baptized on Sunday!  Super exciting.

        We also have been meeting with a young Sudanese man named James Bol.  He's met with the missionaries before, but he had to move back to South Sudan and lost contact with him.  He really wants to be baptized and he is probably the most prepared guy ever.  We taught him the Word of Wisdom and told him that he couldn't take certain drinks and substances in order to be baptized.  He said he had a question and said "I have never taken any of these things and I never will.  All i take is water."  We said "That's not really a question,...... but the answer is yes."  Can't wait to see this guy progress towards baptism.  

      I'm loving this work and I love helping the Lord bring more of his sheep into the fold.  This is my last week of the transfer so I really hope that I stay in Kajjansi.  I know that there is no greater work than this on the Earth and I know that Christ lives.  Have a wonderful week everyone!  Bera Bulungi!

God Speed

Elder Wilson

Life in Kajjansi District - Week 13

Jebale ko,

    Super good week this week, a lot has been happening.  I'm starting to get the hang of how pasty I am.  And i'm truly grateful for the many wonderful experiences I am having.  

     First announcement:  Our good friend Raju James was baptized!  Super solid guy.  Our biggest concern with him was that he has been super busy working with the Census that is going on over here.  We had the baptismal service on Saturday night and he was a little late because of work.  But nonetheless, he made it!  It was a great baptism.  Turns out there wasn't anyone that was available to conduct the service, so I whipped out my conducting skills and put them to work (jk I'm horrible at conducting a meeting).  Anyway, he was confirmed on Sunday and the Branch welcomed him so well.  Everyone is super excited for him to be the new member.  

      Incredible stuff has been happening.  We have been teaching this fisherman Laurent that lives far away but he comes to church every sunday.  We have traveled to teach him and he really wants to get baptized.  The wife however did not want to be taught.  Over time, we have been visiting them and with the help of the branch mission leader, we were got her to have an interest!  And not only that, she came to church on Sunday!!  We were so happy to see her there.  The thing is though, they are not married, and that's hard if you want to be baptized.  So we set a date for them to get married next week by the church and they accepted!! So many miracles with them.  We strongly believe that she got interested because we offered to dig in her garden for her.  She just laughed and laughed.  Apparently, muzungus can't dig.  

     Another family we have been working with has strengthened their testimonies so much in the past week.  Peter and Lynette are super wanting to get baptized.  Lynette has been coming to church every single sunday.  Peter has been accepting of our teaching but we just need him to go to church.  And he did on Sunday!!  He absolutely loved it.  The thing is with Uganda is that marriage is expensive.  So people usually don't get married and they just live together.  So we extended an invitation for them to get married and they accepted!  They are getting married in October!! Super exciting.  

     Highlight of the week:  We went to teach Peter and Laurent and the whole village was throwing rocks at a tree.  Mugala, our Branch Mission Leader pointed out that there was a huge venomous snake in the tree.  The people just kept throwing rocks at it and even Mugala joined in, we just watched from the side because it looked like they knew what they were doing.  Then one guy, SUper interesting fellow, takes a stick and destroys it's head.  We asked him if he eats snakes and he looked at us disgusted like and he went on for 20 min about how we will die if the snake bites us and if we eat it.  He then offered to sell it to us for 5000 shillings.  I told him we only have 500 and he said Ahhh no snake for you.  We said ok and walked away and then he yelled "You have for free!"  Nutz.  

     Anyway,  People... have a good week.  Keep being awesome and know that Uganda is in good hands.... jk I still don't know what I'm doing.  But serving the Lord is what I love.

Bera Boolongi

Elder Wilson

Week 12 - KAJJANSI

Jebale Banange,

     Super powerful week my companion and I had.  The Lord has been blessing us with strong numbers and a lot of people to teach.  Just yesterday, we had about 16 investigators attend church and they are scheduled for baptism within the next couple of weeks.  We are loving the people that we are teaching and we are seeing them grow tremendously.  The missionary work in our area is stronger than ever.  

     Elder de Lisle and I are getting a lot of support from the branch because some time in the fall, the new church building will be finished with construction and if we have enough members in the branch, we will be able to create two branches.  Super powerful.  I've been eating a lot of the local food, and as I ate, I could distinctly remember the last time I had a burger.  The food here will take some getting used to, but the experiences need to keep coming.  

     The family that we are teaching has a friend that denied our baptism invitation at first and seemed very disinterested in the church.  Turns out her father is a pastor at a local church.  To our amazement, she came to church and absolutely loved it.  We asked her if she will come again and she gave us a definite yes.  The Lord is softening the hearts of His children and it's such a blessing to witness.  I just love how humble the people are here.  Many of the referrals that we get and the people we find have no problem investigating the church.  And teaching them about the restored gospel is such a blessing.  

      Ok Highlight of the Week:  We were teaching an old lady and two of her grandkids out in the open one day about the Restoration of the gospel.  While we were teaching, a super drunk women started mumbling and treating us poorly saying "ehh... mormons" about 5 times.  We know a little bit of Luganda so we would throw her off guard with the little language we know.  She left and we kept teaching, and then a man joined in on the lesson and sat down, halfway through the lesson, he said he had a question.  Our translator told us that he says that he talked with God and the angel Gabriel and they told him that he is going to be ruler of the world, but they also told him that a man from Namibia will find him and shoot him in the head with an arrow.  He then concluded by asking us if we would join forces with him to defeat the "One Eyed god."  While this was happening, that drunk lady came back and yelled at us saying "Look I have a Bible too!"  This was all happening at once, and we were already late for our next appointment. Craziest lesson so far.  Still unsure about whether to join forces with him or not.

     So many miracles are happening, but they don't come in the ways you expect.  In missionary work, miracles are small but later you see that they are effective.  The scriptures read "By small and simple things, are great things come to pass."  I find this to be so true, and this is where faith takes it's part.  Without faith, people just think miracles are coincidences, but all good things come from God.  As you go about your daily life, reflect on the small miracles that God gives to you, and realize that they are truly miracles.  

     I love you all and have a blessed week and love life in the moment.  I'm continually praying for you and I hope you all find joy in your lives.

Over and Out,

Elder Wilson

Elliot in Kajjansi - week 2 in Uganda

Hey everyone!

     So I was hoping that I would get used to Africa already, but everyday, there is something new that I have never really seen before.  I'm super grateful for the opportunity to be here and to serve on the other side of the world.  But anyway, my past week has been pretty great.

     This past week, Elder de Lisle and I have been finding so many people to teach and we are getting new investigators like crazy, but when we have time to kill we just quote the office and laugh till we can't remember anymore references.  There's a Sabo, Peter who is so ready to be baptized and his wife Lynette as well.  Lynette has been going to church every sunday, but Peter has been having a hard time trying to get out of work on Sunday.  They are finding so much joy in learning about the gospel and I can't wait for them to be baptized.  

     A Sabo James who lives in Entebbe has been coming to church and he is very interested.  We have been teaching him the lessons and he tells us of the joy he feels when he learns and he wants to keep learning.  We just have to make sure he keeps coming to church so he can get baptized at the end of the month.  

      David is a great investigator of the church who was referred to us by recent converts to the church.  He loves the lessons that we have and he understands most of what we teach him.  A problem we have is that he lives pretty far, so we have to meet him only once a week, twice if we are lucky.  I have high hopes for this crazy awesome guy.  

      Lorent and Willie are two amazing people that we teach that also live far away, but they come to church like it's nobodys business.  Teaching them takes some time because we always have to have some translate for us because all they speak is Luganda.  But no problem whatsoever.  Lorent's wife doesn't like the church but we are hoping to help her to understand that the gospel will help her to find joy in life.  And I'm so glad that Lorent is stepping up and being an example to her.  

     Just recently yesterday, we found a family!  When we were at church, this man showed up out of the blue not knowing anyone or anything about the church.  We talked with him and his name is Bosco and he is interested in the church.  We scheduled to teach him later that day and he brought his sister to the lesson.  We invited them to be baptized and they accepted!  Then Bosco wanted to show us where is mother lives and when we showed up, his wife and kids were there.  And get this... yep, we taught them and they asked us to come teach them again on Tuesday!!  Such a fruitful week it has been.  

      The Kajjansi Branch is incredibly supportive of the missionary work.  In the Branch, there are several young men who are heading out on their missions soon who are actively helping us with lessons and giving us referrals.  We feel incredibly blessed and we find a lot of success with their help.  The Stake is trying super hard to set goals to have 16 convert baptisms within 10 months so that another stake can be made and hopefully in the future, a temple in Uganda!  I feel so incredibly blessed to be apart of this exciting time.  On Saturday, we had a Mormon Helping Hands service project at a primary school near the church building.  It was amazing to see so many people willing to help strengthen others and serve.

       I'm trying to think of some weird things that have happened and I can only think of a few.  Today, we were waiting for a ride and this crazy woman was asking for my companion's coke that he was drinking and it was super funny because after he said "Nada Niabo this is mine" she just pulled it out of his hands.  Lets' just say that my companion is a lady killer.  

     I am growing in ways that I would have never imagined.  For instance, my facial hair is growing faster than I expected..... Alright alright, guys enough with the jokes.  But seriously, I am at a point in my life where I am learning to mature and learn about my purpose on this mission.  My testimony is being strengthened by all of the miracles that I have witnessed and all of the joy that I feel when I teach others.  I know that this is the true gospel.  before I never really knew what that meant until i came on a mission.  I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to feed his sheep.  I love that I get to teach people that this everlasting gospel has been restored.  And I love teaching these people because they are so humble and loving of God and Jesus Christ.  

    Have a good week everyone.  Love who you are and find your purpose.  Know that I love you and your Heavenly Father loves you

God Speed

Elder Wilson

Ps. Pictures will come soon.  Computers are sketchy here

Week - 9 UGANDA!!!!

Jebalay Buzungus!

    That's right, that was an African language, so that could mean only one thing... Yes I am in UGANDA!!  Finally, am I right?  Anways I made it here on Aug 6 and I am so excited to serve here on the equator on the other side of the world.  But first I want to talk about my last week in Taylorsville, Utah. 

     Our family got baptized!!  We were so happy to be apart of their conversion into the gospel, and it took a lot of work.  I love them all so much and it was really hard to leave them.  The baptismal service was beautiful and the spirit was so thick, that you could cut it with a butter knife.  I feel so blessed that the Lord put me in their path, because even though I helped them find the gospel, they helped me discover the pure joy of missionary work.  

       I made it to the Entebbe Airport in Uganda on the Tuesday night and I left Salt Lake on Monday morning, so you can imagine all of the blood clots I had.   I had two layovers in Dallas and in London.  It was super crazy because apparently there's this flesh eating bacteria that is taking over the west part of Africa and they pulled like 247 missionaries out of there.  In London, I ran into a bunch of Elders who said they were getting evacuated out of Liberia.  And it turns out that a good chunk of them are getting sent to Salt Lake City Central mission where I waited for my visa.  I thought it was pretty weird considering that they were leaving and I was just jumping in to the action.  But then I landed Tuesday night and met the Mission President and his wife.  Such great people, their spirit makes me want to cry the waters of baptism.  My first assignment is to be in Kajjansi, which is close to Kampala and my companion is Elder De Lisle.  He's white too, so he's keeping me somewhat sane.  But seriously, people told me that there will be a huge culture shock and I was like "Oh please do you know who I am?  I'm the tall white guy, they will LOVE me".......... nope.  People will shout at us and little kids will call us muzungus and it gets really annoying (means white people btw).  But people are so accepting of the gospel here and they are always open to hearing our message.  I love the branch that I am with and they are trying so hard to help us with missionary work because the church here is trying to get enough members to make 2 stakes because right now there is only the 1 Kampala stake.  

     I miss you all so much, keep being amazing in everything you do!!  Don't forget how cool you are.  and how much the Lord loves you!!

Elder Wilson

Week - 8 Traveling to Uganda!

Elliot was unable to write as he was flying to Uganda on August 4th.

Week - 7 in Bennion West (SLC)

Hey everyone,

     This week has been quite the week.  My companion and I are working hard and having fun along the way.  As missionaries, we try to make the world a better place by bringing others closer to Christ.  I find so much joy in seeing the change that people go through.  But the only way to witness these changes is when we put our faith in God.  When we submit ourselves to his work and trust that everything will fall into place.  And when we do this, we will not only witness our investigator's joy, but we can witness our own joy in this work.  If I could suggest a scripture to help you to understand my experiences, it would be Alma 29:9.  

      Some exciting news!  The Aspeitia family are getting baptized this Saturday!  We've been working with them for a month, and they are so excited for this time in their lives.  We've been trying really hard to get them more involved in the ward and we invited them to the Ward BBQ and they came!!  I can tell that they are feeling more and more comfortable as they progress.   It's amazing what the gospel can do to help improve the attitude of life.  They are such an incredible family and I can't wait for them to have that experience together.  

       Being a missionary in Salt Lake is so crazy, but so rewarding.  After long days of biking in the hot sun or in the wet rain, the happiness I feel at the end of the day is something that I've never really felt before my mission.  I love being a missionary, and I'm incredibly joyful that I get to represent Jesus Christ at this day and age.  Have a good week everyone!

Elder Wilson

Pictures:

1.Getting a feel for my new bike

2.The coolest people around

Week 6 - Taylorsville, Utah

 Ok so being a missionary here is quite the experience.  We go through a lot of different circumstances that help us to grow and be better missionaries so we can bring people closer to Christ.  As I'm studying the scriptures, I'm understanding my purpose more and more each day.  

      Anyways, we had an investigator named Bronson that got baptized on Tuesday!  It took a lot of effort from the family and the mission to get this baptism going because the family had very limited scheduling.  Nevertheless, it happened with the permission from the Seventy.  It was such a great baptism and the spirit was so strong.  This is my first baptism in the field, so it's getting me excited to find more people to help.  

       The family we are working with right now is our biggest priority and their baptism is planned for the 2nd of August.  We are having trouble finding time to teach them because the neighbors are probably the worst people ever.  They even confronted my companion and I, swore at us and threatened to fight with us.  Their reasoning?  They have none; they are just bad people.  But nothing is stopping us from helping this family get baptized.  We even got the mom to stop smoking and all is looking good for these next 2 weeks.

       When in the mission field, you have to enjoy the little things as well as the big things.  We were out looking for people to teach and these 4 guys were playing volleyball at the park.  We had some pretty intense games and we made some new friends.  We shared a little bit about our message and we are hoping to teach them again in the future.  Another day, my companion and I found these guys playing street ball.  We asked if we could join and they agreed.  We destroyed them with our mad skills.  In the middle of us destroying them, one guy accidentally elbowed my companion in the eye and BAM.  Black eye.  But we beat them anyway.  

     So much work in so little time.  But I love it and I'm learning to love it everyday.  Regardless of the crap we get from people, I am learning that I have to stand strong for what I believe, because there will be people trying to tear you down.  I love the Lord, and his gospel.  Have a good week everyone, and don't do anything I wouldn't do ;)

Over and out,

Elder Wilson

Pictures:

Bronson's Baptism!

I finally found Sesame Street

 

Week - 5 Still in Taylorsville, Utah

Hello Friends/Family,

      The heat here is kicking my butt.  My companion said that he thinks I brought Uganda with me.  "Silly Elder, we have showers here, nothing to worry about."  Being on bikes and constantly trying to find more and more people to teach is such a workout.  But I love it.  I'm growing everyday from the experiences that I am going through.  I never thought that there would be so many people in Salt Lake that still need to hear the gospel, but they are out there.

     One family that we are teaching is the Aspeitia family and they are such a blessing even if they don't think they are.  This past week, their door got kicked in, so we helped fix it up.  We are trying to get the mother to quit smoking and she wants to as well.  We were pretty bummed when we couldn't wake them up to go to church, but we talked to them and they still want to learn more and be baptized on the 2nd of august.  The kids are so fun to be around and all I want is for that family to come closer to Christ. 

       Silly stories, but my companion traded in his mountain bike for a BMX bike.  It turns out that he has been riding bikes all his life and he said it's a great way to talk to people, because nobody expects a missionary to do tricks on a BMX bike. and he was right.  We've had so many more people to talk to!  Also, my companion and I were biking around one day, and to our astonishment, we found a small bag of drugs just laying in the street.  I won't say what it is, but it looks a little bit like sugar.  Anyways, we dumped it in the river because someone could easily pick that up and we really don't want that.  Also, now i can officially say that I ripped my pants.  One day we were playing soccer with some investigators of ours and the ball got kicked into a tree which was right above where the fence was.  I gladly volunteered to get it... Wost mistake ever.  I thought I could just simply sit down on the fence to grab it, and as I was trying to get down, *rip*.  I didn't realize that the fence had sharp posts on top.  I feel accomplished mixed with a little bit of embarrassment mixed with a little I don't care.  But that's the life of being a missionary.   

    Even though I've grown up knowing the gospel, I'm still learning how to teach it simply, because that is the hardest part in my opinion.  I'm learning so much from my companion and I plan on taking these teachings with me to Africa.  As far as my visa is concerned, I'm not sure when it will be available, but my temporary mission president has told me that they will notify him when it is.  I'm just dying to go to Africa, but If i stay for one more transfer, it wouldn't be upset because there is a lot of work to be done here.  I love this gospel and I love learning how to share it with others.  I hope you all have a good week.  And always be the best that you can be, because I believe in you and your Heavenly Father believes in you.

Elder Wilson

Week 4 - SLC Central Mission

So much to be done here in such a small area!  But all is well.  i hope everyone had an awesome fourth of july weekend!  I know I did, because I spent my fourth, tracting, sweating, and trying to sleep with fireworks going off all night.  I'm learning so much though.  The weather has been nuts though.  It's about 100 degrees everyday.  But I feel like it's good prep for Africa.  ATTENTION:  I think I discovered something amazing after a full day of work...  Oreos with nutella.  Try it and your'e welcome. 

My companinon and I have been incredibly busy and it pays off with the Lord.  We have seven people scheduled for baptism and on sunday, we brought 15 investigators to church.  The Lord answers our prayers when we keep asking for families of 6 everyday.  Unfortunately, one family we had on date recently, had a unstable mother, who kicked us off of her property.  All is well though, the Lord works in his own due time.  Everyday, I'm continually strengthening my love for the Savior and the people in this area.  I'm starting to truly understand the importance of this work.  Father in Heaven is giving us so many opportunities to share his gospel, and I believe we are taking advantage of those opportunities. 

This letter is a little short this week, but know that the church is true and the work is real!  Read D&C 6 and try to figure out what sacred gift you have been given.

 

Elder Wilson

  Ps. on the photos:  Selfies for dayz

Week 3 Bennion Heights/Murray Utah

What's up everyone!

      So everything is going smooth right now!  I am currently in my temporary assignment in Murray Utah and I have basically had no time to think whatsoever.  I left the MTC on June 25 and took the train over to my mission and met with President and Sister Moffat of the Salt Lake City Central mission.  My new companion is Elder Goins from Tampa Florida, and he is quite the mission trainer.  Since I am here waiting for my visa, I was told not to buy a bicycle because I won't be here for long.  So they gave me a loner bike, which did not work at all. My first two days were just too much on my mind, basically everything just went whoosh past my head because I just thought it was so strange to finally be in the mission field, in Utah even.  On my third day, oh man, my companion and I got the stomach flu and I was struggling on the bike.  I had to go to the bathroom probably 15 times that day.  And I couldn't ride 20 feet without my bike having to break in some way.  Man, THAT was a long day.  After that, things started to get better.  Since my area and the mission here is very small as a whole, we've been teaching a lot of people, that we see nearly everyday.  Elder Goins and I are working hard to encourage them for baptism. 

     One of our families is a fun family.  What a rambunctious group.  Literally everytime I enter that home, it feels like I'm in a tornado.  We try to teach them in their home, but the kids won't stop screaming and it's hard for the spirit to be there.  It’s a challenge and we are trying our hardest to teach them so they can be baptized.  We took three of the kids to church on Sunday and it felt like baby sitting twelve kids and trying to keep them quiet.

      On Sunday, a miracle happened.  There is a hispanic woman, Chastity, who lives near us that lives with her kids and is trying to find peace in their lives.  My companion has told me that the missionaries have taught her family before, but Chastity always sends them away.  But on Sunday, we were bold with her, telling her that we wanted to teach her kids whether she wanted to be taught or not, and her heart was softened and she said she wants a restart in her life and wants to get baptized.  God works miracles.  She's a single mother with a lot of challenges and Heavenly Father knows her heart.  We already taught them once, and the whole family of 7 is scheduled to be baptized on the 26th of July! 

      I definitely feel like I am growing out here in the mission field and in ways that I never would have expected.  For one thing, my leg muscles are growing (slowly) from all of the biking that I've been doing.  I did not expect to bike at all on my mission and now my companion always has to wait for me cuz I can't bike up a hill without sweating out my shirt and tie. I'm also learning that the gospel is the same everywhere and as missionaries, it's our job to share that gospel to help families and individuals find peace and understanding.  I hope everyone has a good week!  My temporary mailing address is:

Elder Wilson

5565 S 3570 W

Talyorsville Utah, 84129

I love you all!! and keep being the best that you can be!  I promise I'll get more pictures next time!

Week 2 MTC - June 21, 2014

Hello all!!

    So many great and wonderful experiences have been happening at the MTC.  I have been teaching like crazy and I have felt the spirit work through me so often.  So this is basically my last pday and it's only my second one, but I am so excited to get out into the mission field.  There has also been a little change in my mission plans.  My visa to Uganda has not come yet, so I will be serving a temporary assignment in the Utah Salt Lake City Central mission starting on Wednesday June 25.  Even though I'm a little bummed that I'm not heading to Africa yet, I'm excited to serve the people of Salt Lake for a short period of time.  I strongly believe that Heavenly Father is sending me there because someone really needs to hear the gospel message.  I don't know how long this assignment will be but when I find out I will let you know.  

     My companion (Elder Watts) and I are taking on the MTC by storm with our lessons for our investigators.  We have this one investigator named Carlos and we have been teaching him for several days, and we finally committed him to baptism!  I feel like I'm learning so much through teaching which will help me tremendously in the mission field.  We also have another investigator named Luke who's on the BYU rugby team that is trying to learn more about our church.  We have been doing so well trying to show him how much joy and happiness our Heavenly Father blesses us with when we follow His gospel.  I really can't wait to start in Salt Lake and then Uganda to share the word of God.  

       This weekend at the MTC is a special time because all the new mission presidents are coming together to meet with the first presidency.  I'm not really sure if I'm getting a new mission president in Uganda, but it would be so great if He was actually here.  Anyway, I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be at the Provo MTC.  I keep thinking of ways to improve myself as a missionary, but then I realize that that will take time and with the Lords help, I will be able to accomplish anything.  Love you all, you are in my prayers!

Week 1 - June 14, 2014

Habari!!! (Hello in Swahili)  

     Elder Wilson here and I am living the missionary dream over here at the Provo MTC.  So it turns out that my P days are on Saturdays but I only have two P days for the time that I am here.  Getting in to the MTC was a crazy transition and I can't believe how strong the spirit is here.  I am in the 43rd Branch and my companion (Elder Watts) and I are zone leaders.  But seriously, we are literally here for another 10 days and then we ship out to the mission field.  So it's a short assignment, but what a great way to serve the Lord.  I never believed that there would be so many missionaries here but It's just mind blowing.  We had a giant group of newly arrived missionaries meet together on Wednesday, and it turns out that 48% of the missionaries are sister missionaries, which is Awesome!  Getting used to missionary life is not easy, but it truly blesses my life how we pray 50 times a day or how we are literally with a companion all the time.  But I can feel the Lords work here and I am constantly working harder to be the best missionary that my Heavenly Father wants me to be.

       As soon as we got here, they started getting us to practice teaching and man, I never thought teaching would be so hard.  Us as missionaries know so much about the gospel, but in order for an investigator to get it, we have to condense it and make it simple, which is harder than it sounds.  My companion and I have this investigator who we teach named Carlos, we are trying so hard to get him to commit to praying with us there and he's just so hesitant, it kills me sometime.  Elder Watts and I are slowing getting better every day and we can feel the Lord continually helping us to do so.  

       So far, I have seen at least 10 familiar faces around the MTC Campus and it brings me so much joy to see friends taking 2 years to do the Lord's work.  When I got around to first meeting my district, I was pretty late and I felt really awkward at first.  there are 3 other elders and 4 other sisters.  It turns out that everyone in my district is going to Scottsdale Arizona for their missions and I'm the only one going anywhere else.  So you could only imagine how a little out of place I felt.  But there were several situations where our district was involved in introducing ourselves and where we are going, people would be like, "Oh YOU'RE the one going to Uganda," and I am literally the only one on this MTC campus that is going to Uganda.  It's pretty cool at first but then I think about that 28 hour flight by myself with 3 layovers and then it doesn't sound that great.  

         So I leave the MTC on June 23 which is literally like 9 days and i am so excited to start my work in Uganda.  Even though I'm the only one going to my mission here at the Provo MTC, I can't wait to help the people of East Africa come closer to Christ and their Heavenly Father.  It's only been 4 days so there's really not too much to write about, but I hope you enjoy!  Peace Out girl scout.

Yours truly,

Elder Wilson

I am exactly one week from beginning my 2 year journey in the Pearl of Africa.  Time is short, but is there a way to make it shorter.  This post is merely a jump start to documenting my expedition.  The reason why I need a jump start?  To soothe the stress of what to expect from this experience.  This experience of pursuit for the happiness of hopeful strangers that wait to hear the truth.

If you were to ask me one month ago how I felt about going on a mission, I would tell you that the excitement of embarking on this adventure covered every inch of my body.  Now... reality is creeping up my excitement filled body.  My mind races through the thought, "This is happening, and you don't know what to expect."  Looking back on the period of time between receiving my mission call and actually leaving for that mission, I think of myself as "all talk."  I have been given this great opportunity to go halfway around the world to share the very root of my joy in this life with an exotic people that I have never met before.  1 week away from beginning this opportunity, and now it's even harder to believe.

Essentially, I am stepping out of a cushy comfort zone.  I have been in this state ever since I was born, and I was never at any risk of leaving this zone growing up.  The culture shock will be brutal and my faith in myself will be tested, but how glorious will the day come when I am in the mission field, and I know of a surety that this is where I'm supposed to be.  That day will surely come, and I will step into a new zone that I call "marvelous."

Elder Wilson