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.