Learning and the Spirit

What a week filled with learning and the spirit.  I love serving out here in this wonderful country with these different humble people.  There's a lot of reliance on the Lord and a lot of growth spiritually.  Even though our numbers were not the best this week, we had a lot of experiences that tested our faith and our diligence.  I've come to really appreciate the Atonement that was made for us to overcome our weakness to help us return to live with our Heavenly Father.  Because of transfers, we had to make sure each district was settled in with new missionaries and now we are starting the work hard this transfer.  

    On Sunday, Rachel Nakandi was baptized, she's like the African grandma that I never had, but her love for the gospel and the Savior is a light to the people around her. Her english may not be the best, but she loves the path that she has taken to follow the Savior.  

    Not much else to report on, but just know that the work of God is like a stone cut out without hands rolling forth throughout the earth.  Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, and His church and the blessings and authority are restored to the Earth.  Have a fun-filled week!

Elder Wilson

New transfer and staying in Mukono

The transfer is over and the new transfer has just begun.  So I'll be staying in Mukono with my companion Elder Njoko, basically the whole district is the same and we are all super unified so we are super stoked.  Being in Mukono has strengthened me so much and I've learned so much in this short amount of time of serving here.  Now I get to continue learning and I'm loving it each day.   This past sunday we had a couple of baptisms and the spirit was so strong there.  So many investigators have come to witness and there was an influencing spirit that was found.  It sparked a lot of interest in those who are interested in the church so it is a great start to this next transfer.  So I don't have that much time to write but something interesting that happened was that a guy tried to sell me weed, and he really wanted me to have it.  Never thought something like that would happen, but that's a mission.  Have a great week!  Be blessed!

Elder Wilson

Fasting

Sorry I'm not being consistent with my weekly emailing.  Sometimes there's just not enough time in the day.  But a lot has been happening and the work pushes forward.

   We've seen a lot of hardships, but we are also seeing a lot of blessings.  Lately, so many more people have been attending church, whether it be investigators, Less actives, recent converts, or just random people on the street, we are blessed to have so many people have the desire to feel the spirit. I'm grateful for how the spirit works within people to motivate them to act more then themselves.  I goes to show that when the spirit is felt, lives are changed. 

    So Ntambi richard was supposed to be baptized two weeks ago, but then he got chicken pox.  We gave him a blessing and he recovered very quickly just in time for his baptism, but then the church building is getting renovated and the baptism room was all taped up and just messy with wet paint.  So, richard will be baptized this upcoming sunday.  Even though his baptism is pushed back,  he's still excited and ready to make a covenant with God.  There's also sister rachel, she loves coming to church and she's staying very far, but she always makes time to come to church.  Her english may not be the best, but she is working hard to fully understand and feel the spirit.  

     Not a lot this week, but I'm just grateful for fasting.  Fasting is the way that god see's our desires seriously.  He puts our requests into serious consideration.  and I'm grateful for it, because it helps me to recognize how the Lord works through His spirit.  There's a sense of confidence and desire that grows continually in this work and I love the guidance that the holy spirit brings.  I hope you all have a great week and remember who you are and what you stand for!

Elder Wilson

Just washed the car

I Love Missionary Work

Sorry there was no letter last week.  We had very little time so I apologize for the wait.  

    Another great week has passed.  A lot to learn from and a lot of miracles.  This week I was able to focus a lot about patience through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  We've had plenty of finding opportunities and a lot of spritually strengthening lessons.  There is no doubt that I've been working hard to make sure that the zone is achieving our goals, but I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to serve others out of love and not for reasons other than that.  

     Some people that we have met, we have tracted into a couple named Aaron and Rose.  At first, we weren't sure that they would progress at all towards baptism.  But it was such a great miracle to see them both come to church.  And the best part was that they absolutely loved it.  Such a great thing.  The only issue is that they are not yet legally married, so we are working on helping them to get that legalized so they can continue towards baptism.  

    Ntambi Richard is another who's getting baptized even this sunday.  He's been coming to church every sunday and he even introduced us to his mother.  We got started teaching her, and would you look at that.... she came to church.  Just powerful.  I'm really excited to help this family receive the blessings of eternal life.  

     So, there are perks to driving a truck and then there are issues with driving a truck.  A couple of days ago we got a flat tire, but lucky for me, my parents taught me well on how to change a flat.  Considering that no one else knew.  I know, that wasn't the craziest story you would hear from Africa, but it's something.  

      Lately I've been studying and focusing on the importance of following the spirit.  Last night, we had a lesson with a family and one of the girls is having a hard time getting a testimony.  She was commenting on her thoughts about the way she viewed living apostles and a living prophet.  In this lesson, I knew it was pulling the spirit away from the others, but the spirit directed me to Alma 32 where alma teaches about how in order to increase our faith, we need to nourish it.  Even for me I can testify that no one can have a firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ if we don't fill our lives with the scriptures, diligent prayer, and consistent sunday worship.  But I know that through the Savior, we can have the opportunity to have that seed of faith grow into a redwood.  I love missionary work.  It's a part of me that will never go away, and I wish that you have a great week filled with small miracles that bless your lives.  

Elder Wilson

Mukono with Elder Njoko

On to another transfer in the UKM.  I'm staying in Mukono and my new companion is Elder Njoko from South Africa.  Currently, my biggest work right now is to get the district settled because everyone in the district is new to the area except for me.  So, I've been up and down and busy busy.  But I'm super excited for this new transfer. 

   Here in the Mukono zone, things are starting to pick up.  This last sunday we were able to have 11 investigators at church at sacrament meeting.  What a blessing.  Especially with the whole 3 hours being super spiritual and uplifting.  We've been able to find new people to teach and we are also helping the other missionaries in the district as they get to know the area.  Just recently there was a wedding for the second counselor of the bishopric in the ward and it was quite the event.  We were able to do some contacting with people and finding even more people to teach.

    I don't really have that much to say, but I'm grateful for the trials and the afflictions that I'm going through.  They are shaping me to become a better missionary and individual.  No matter what, I know my place in this great work and there's nothing more important in the world than what I'm doing now.  I hope you all have a fantastic week and never forget who you are.

Elder Wilson

Just bein missionaries

Friends at the bakery

Seek the spirit pose (feat Elder Ogolla)

Still in Mukono

Another week and another transfer has passed on.  I'm still in Mukono and my new companion is Elder Njoko from South Africa.  Literally everyone in my district is leaving except for me, so this should be an interesting transfer.  The fourth of July has passed and considering I'm the only American in my district, there was no celebrating except for the singing the national anthem at the top of my lungs throughout the apartment.  Because of me, all of Mukono knows that it's American independence day.  

     All is well and Philip got baptized!  He's such a powerful guy who has such a strong testimony.  He told us that he was the first to hear about the church about 4 or 5 years ago and his sisters joined the church but he didn't.  He was always reluctant about the Book of Mormon, but ever since we have asked him to read, he changed completely.  Such an awesome guy, and hopefully we will be able to make it to the mom who is not a member.

     Not a lot this week, but I just love to serve and I love to be a missionary.  I'm helping others come unto Christ and in the process, I'm sanctifying myself. 

Elder Wilson

Philips baptism

Going patriotic with my 100 dollar bill tie with my zone

Stake Conference

Sorry about last week,  our time was cut short and time was not on my side.

    Many great things are happening and the work continues to push forward.  What a blessing it is to serve the Lord, because the trials, afflictions, challenges that come in this service, mold our character, magnify our potential, and unleashes the dormant spirit.  Missionary work is simply that... Work.  But there's an eternal light that this work brings to the world.  As an individual missionary who's just like any other missionary, my whole purpose is to help the Lord to convert others to His gospel, as well as myself.  This last week we had a mission leaders council with the mission president in discussing what needs to be done to achieve our goals and to organize ourselves to be the best missionary force that we can be.  As questions rolled on about specific things that we need to do with our investigators, President Chatfield told us that there is no point in asking him because we won't learn anything.  He told us that the Lord is ready and available to bless us with answers and guide us in what we should do.  That is something that has stuck with me, is that whenever we are stuck or confused, the Lord is just waiting for us to ask what we should do.

        Just recently we had a stake conference and it was just super great because I was able to see all of my friends and some of my recent converts there.  The inspiring talks brought a strengthened spirit to the members of the stake.  We could feel and understand the importance of working together and unifying ourselves to hasten the work even more.  

       We have a guy that's getting baptized on the 5th of July!  His name is Philip and he is just a powerful guy, he even came to stake conference with his sister.  When we taught him about the Book of Mormon, he said he felt something stirring inside of him that told him that the book was good.  On another visit he told us that he knows the book of mormon is true because he even felt the power as he read.  What a wonderful blessing from God to have phillip be truly receptive to the Holy Ghost.

       We had a funny experience where we contacted a guy and we were invited to teach him in his home.  We taught him about the Restoration of the gospel, and at the end of the lesson, he said,"my niece does something like you do, but she went to Ghana with a group called the Mormons."  Well, we decided to let him think about the message first before we broke the news to him.  

     Anyway, I love the work and I love the Lord.  The experiences that I have will develop me into a true and faithful follower of Jesus Christ.  I know this is the true gospel and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the Earth.

Over and Out,

Elder Wilson