Kampala Stake Conference

Dear people,
    January is nearly almost over, and speed of time through this transfer makes me want to cry.  But nonetheless, the work is pushing forward and there's a lot that is getting accomplished.  Last week I was not able to send an email due to an 8 hour drive from northern Uganda back to the city.  But while we were up their we had a wonderful experience doing zone conferences with the missionaries in Lira and Gulu.  On the way we crossed the Nile River and talk about tons of Baboons on the sides of the roads.  We love working with these missionaries in the north because they have such great talent to teach the gospel and they teach with power and authority.  They are doing such a great job with their branches and we are seeing a lot of good things happening.
      Yesterday was the Kampala Stake Conference and we were able to hear from Elder Mukasi from the Area Seventy.  He talked about how important it is for members to get involved more in the gospel and setting an example for our friends and families in our communities.  It was a great meeting and the spirit was very strong there.  I was also very happy to be there because I got to meet up with members from previous branches that I served in.  There's something about seeing people that you have developed strong friendships with in the past and seeing them continue to be faithful in the gospel that brings a lot of joy to the soul.  I can really relate this to Alma reuniting with the Sons of Mosiah, and the joy that he felt because he saw that they were still his brethren in the Lord. 
      This past week we have been working with President Chatfield on transfers.  The meetings that we've been having for transfer planning has been so spiritual because we discuss and focus our attention on others.  Asking the Lord what needs to be done to help these missionaries brings so much peace because I start to feel and see the spirit working in our mission president.  Such a cool experience. 
     Anyways, the work is great.  I'm living up as much as I can with the time that I have.  I'm just super grateful for the Atonement of Christ and the Restoration of divine truths and priesthood authority.  I thank my Heavenly Father each and every day for the opportunity to serve Him in this part of the world.  I love the Book of Mormon and the direction that it gives me in my life, and I love sharing that with other people.  Be strong and Stay the course

Elder Wilson

pics:  Brother Emmanuel just got called to serve in Ghana Cape Coast
         Tallest boys in the mission

Green Mamba

Another week gone by, and nothin but zone conferences, paperwork, and reports.  The part about paperwork and reports are a little boring, but the zone conferences we've been having have been super powerful.  The whole theme is unity and teaching simply in our lessons.  We provided some good training that we feel will really help the missionaries to improve in having the spirit more abundantly in everything that they do.  So we still got a couple more to do, so we are looking forward to those. 
     Something else that was super powerful happened on Sunday, we visited the Seeta branch for sacrament meeting, and an old member from my first area came for the meeting.  Brother Richard was pretty less active when I came to Kajjansi in 2014 and he was not consistent in his church attendance.  After talking with him, he said that he has the Melchizedek Priesthood, he is a high councilman for the stake, he went with his family to the temple in JoBurg in December and his son is on a mission serving in South Africa.  He gave a great talk on missionary work and I was overwhelmed with gratitude towards my Heavenly Father about how the church provides opportunities for people to change, and become better.  One of the reasons why I love the gospel.
     Something interesting that happened recently is that we were in our apartment, and all of a sudden I heard my companion say, "Is that a snake????"  So we found a green mamba just hangin out in our hall way.  We heard that it was poisonous so we took some precautions and just squished it's head with a shoe.  In the words of Hot Rod, "well THAT didn't work", had to beat it like 7 times.  We missionaries live life on the edge.
       Nothing else much to report, all is well here and another week is coming to get ready for transfers.  I love you all, stay the course.

Elder Wilson

Reunited with my old zone
Companions (Elder Ruell)
the Green Mamba 

Praying for others

Dear friends and fam,
     It's been a long but good week.  For one thing, I'm back in Uganda, in the mother country of the mission.  It felt super weird because my mind was so set in Rwanda, and now that I'm back, it just doesn't feel real.  But I'm enjoying my time here.  The past week was a little stressful because I've been trying to get my passport from Rwanda immigration but they said at the last minute that I needed to apply for an exit visa, and so I had to cancel a flight and wait a couple of days, and then they pushed it back a couple days later, so I had to cancel another flight.  So I finally made it just a few days ago.  And we went straight to work.  This week we have to do zone conferences every day this week.  And on the weekend we are going to be traveling to the north of the country.  So I'm pretty stoked for this upcoming week.  So far, nothing to crazy has happened except today as we were driving we saw a completely naked man just walking casually down the sidewalk.......... that's #2 on mission and hopefully the last.
       Something that I've been able to find great importance in is the duty and responsibility we have to pray for others.  Many a times, we always focus on what we need personally in our lives and we ask for things that always pertain to us.  But whenever I think about my life and see the lives of others here on mission, I find myself to be truly blessed of the Lord.  And many a times, the Lord wants us to be like him and put others first before ourselves.  The least that we can do is pray that blessings will fall upon the heads of the people around us.  I love the gospel and I know it's true.  I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  Keep strong, and stay the course.

Love,
Elder Wilson