Choose to be happy

What a blessed time to be in Rwanda for the work of the Lord.  We've been seeing a lot of success and our numbers have been going up.  The branch is super excited to get involved in helping the Kigali 2 branch to grow.  And being a missionary here is great, but lately, I've caught a nasty cold, which has been quite the stumbling block for me, but the work moves on.  The church is very new so a lot of people get interested.  There's a lot to be done here in Rwanda and I'm prepared to do whatever the Lord would have me do. 
      On Sunday, we had a baptism for Miracle, and it was just super great.  She was supposed to be baptized last Sunday with her other two siblings, but she had a school conference she had to go to.  Everyone was very supportive and we just love seeing how this branch is growing.  The goal for this recent convert family is to get them in the temple sealed next year.  Their faith is so strong and it's families like theirs that helps the church to be strong in this part of the world. 
     On another note, we got a referral from one of the members of a woman who really wants to get baptized and she loves the church so much.  We met with her to schedule out her baptism and she talked about how she was getting a lot of negative responses from her family and work mates.  With tears in her eyes, she would tell us how she would stand up for her faith.  She told us that she knew that the church was true and it's testimonies like these that open my eyes to the bigger picture, of how real the gospel is, and how there will always have to be persecution because it is true.  The Book of Mormon talks about how there is opposition in all things.  If everyone flocked to the truth and there was no opposition to the truth, there would be no point in this probationary state that we are in.  There has to be opposition, with out it, we can't be like our Heavenly Father. 
     Something that I've been trying to do more of on mission and in life is to just be happy, to enjoy life, and just to be more positive in every single thing.  Probably my favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon reads in 2 Nephi 5:27 "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."  Such a small scripture but it has so much depth and meaning behind it.  Happiness is a choice.  And when we live after that manner, good happens in all aspects.  No one said that life would be easy, but when we choose to be happy, we live after the manner of godliness.  I love the scriptures and I love the true gospel of Jesus Christ.  It's not only change the lives of others but it has changed my life exceedingly.  I know who I am, and I know my eternal goals.  And when we focus our whole lives in achieving these eternal goals, that's when we can easily live after the manner of happiness.  I love you all, the church is true, and remember who you are and what you stand for.

Love,
Elder Wilson

Miracle's Baptism
Chef Boyardee up in here
New friend Carlos