Servic Project

Hey everyone,
    Another week gone by and a lot of work happening.  I've been really busy, but we've been seeing a lot of good things coming about in the Uganda Kampala Mission.  On Tuesday last week, we went on exchanges with Elders in Mutungo.  It was super hot, and I forgot my hat/sunscreen.  So got a bit scorched, but it was a successful day, we taught a lot of people and found some people who were interested.  When we were walking to get to an appointment, there was just a random guy that asked if we could talk to him for like 10 minutes.  He said that he wanted to know about the church, and he's been trying to find the best info about what we believe.  We taught him the restoration, and he wanted to meet with us again.  The Lord is preparing the people, we just have to find them.  He is leading us to them or he will lead them to us. 
     On Thursday, we had 2 missionaries leaving to go home from the missions.  One of them, was a former companion of mine, Elder Njoko.  I spent 3 transfers with him as zone leaders in Mukono. To see him go was hard, because I've learned so much from him.  And our friendship had grown tremendously through the work.  I'm going to miss him, but I know that just like Alma and the Sons of Mosiah, we will reunite at some future point and find each other still brethren in the Lord. 
     On Saturday, we went for a big service project with the mission president and his wife, all the senior couples, and the workers in the office.  We traveled to Jinja to a certain village, to do some work for the children there.  In the Jinja area, there are these bugs called Jiggers, small worms that can enter through the skin from the ground.  We went to a school with about 200 kids that had Jiggers in their feet.  Some local doctors would remove the worms and leave some large wounds in their feet.  It basically looks like small craters at the bottom of their feet.  Super nasty looking and looked pretty painful.  My job was that after they removed the jiggers, I had to apply Hydrogen Peroxide and antiseptic to their feet.  This stuff stung, but most of the kids were super tough, wouldn't even wince.  If I was in their feet, I would not be reacting as tough as them.  But we went through a lot of kids.  Just a great service project that just made me feel good to serve others.  We are going to be doing another one in two weeks time, so we are excited for that. 
     All in all, the work is moving forward.  We are preparing for transfers this upcoming week.  We have a mission leaders council in two days.  We are pretty busy.  I've been working on being more humble and patient when it comes to some of the responsibilities that I've been given.  I've got a great companion, Elder Ruell, that's teaching me so much about these attributes and is helping me to be a better missionary and person, i'm grateful for him.  I'm also grateful for the Spirit, the comfort and peace that it brings to me.  It's something that I always want with me.  And even though it's not easy to do so, we have to try.  Because if we don't we'll just pull ourselves farther and farther away from our Heavenly Father.  I love you all.  Seek the Spirit.  God Speed.

Elder Wilson

2 extra weeks for transfers

So, I haven't been able to type a letter the past two weeks because our P-days have been hosed.  Last Monday, we were even in Rwanda, which was super fun and exciting.  But anyway, these past couple of weeks have been great.
    We have just finished up interviews at the mission home, and they have been really great.  Throughout interviews, we've had the missionaries watch the missionary broadcast that was put together in January, and I'm pretty sure that I've watched that thing like 11 times.  It's gotten to the point where I can quote the missionary department in their talks and training.  But now it's all over and I must say, that broadcast was truly inspired of God.  I've been seeing the missionaries changing their teaching and finding methods.  A lot of improvement is taking place and we are starting to see good things happen because of that broadcast. 
     Also, I said we went to Rwanda.  Super great.  We went for interviews for the missionaries there, but the branches in Rwanda were putting together a branch conference for all three branches.  Super great turnout and the meeting was held at a hotel conference room.  I've only been away from Rwanda for 2 months but it was like coming home.  I was so happy to see so many friends and members that I truly love.  The Lord is truly blessing the church there, because the foundation of the church there is growing stronger and stronger.  Even though I was there for one transfer, I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to serve there.  It truly was God's will that I go there. 
    So now we are finished with interviews and now we are getting into preparing for transfers.  It's actually super weird because this transfer is an 8 week transfer because of the MTC change for english speakers.  So right now it's week 6 and we haven't even started transfers.  So, we'll be a bit busy, the next couple of weeks. 
    This past weekend was quite a testimony booster for me.  There's just such great power in fasting and prayer.  I have committed myself to improving in every aspect of my life and I allowed the Lord to assist me in doing so.  My testimony has grown a lot just from simple pondering, I've felt the Spirit more abundantly.  I know that Christ lives.  and He has restored His church through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and he did Not lie about it.  We are reading the Book of Mormon as a mission for 90 days, and I'm focusing my study on obedience to the commandments of God.  I've been able to understand more and more about the way the Lord works through His commandments.  I love this gospel, it's the only way to true and lasting happiness.  Think about what you can do to improve this week, find ways to be more happy and increase in your faith.  The Lord will help you if you feel like you can't do it.  Have a great week!

Elder Wilson

Lock down!

Aloha,
   So just an update on this past week, been SUPER busy.  I had a good birthday on Monday, and my district made a cake for me.  Good way to top off my first day of being 21.  The very next morning, we left for our interviews tour.  We traveled up to Jinja on Tuesday, Iganga on Wed, Mbale on Thursday, Lira on Friday, Gulu on Saturday, and back to Lira on Sunday.  Just crashing with other missionaries in their apartments and working with them was quite the fun.  The best part about that is how we get a feel for what all of the areas are like in the mission.  Plus the way we interact and teach missionaries, and how even they teach us some new things, just super great.  Then on Sunday we came back to Kampala.  During the interviews, missionaries got to watch the worldwide missionary broadcast that was put together in Jan.  It was the first time in the history of the Church that something like that was put together for full time missionaries.  We got to hear from Elder Bednar, Elder Anderson, Elder Oaks, President Clayton, Bishop Waddell, and Sister Oscarson.  It was a powerful broadcast, filled with different insights on the fundamentals of Preach My Gospel.  So far, I've watched that thing probably 6 times, and I learn something new every time.  It's definitely something that can really help the missionaries if they are to apply those teachings into their areas. 
     So this next week is the presidential elections in Uganda.  On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we are on lock down throughout Uganda.  No missionaries can leave their apartments, because we don't want to risk anything.  The people here are crazy about elections, so to take extra precautions, we   want to keep the missionaries away from any possibilities of some shenanigans going on.  So we are going to be quite bored. 
    Nothing else to really update you on.  But I've been reflecting on my personal knowledge of the Savior.  How important it is to come to know Him and not just know about Him.  It takes a commitment to change your own life, and sticking to that commitment, to be able to achieve that knowledge of Him.  The Restoration of the gospel is true, and because of it, we know more about the Savior than any other organization, scholar, or church.  Never take for granted the knowledge you have of the Savior, and strive to know Him even more.  I know He lives, He has restored His church by calling Joseph Smith to be His prophet.  I know that He died, and atoned for us, and is now a resurrected and glorified being.  Stay the course and focus on the little things that bring us closer to Him

Elder Wilson

It's my birthday!

Dear people,
     The week of transfers is finally over!  On Tuesday night this past week, we went to Entebbe Airport to pick up the new missionaries.  Such a great group of young guys ready to serve the Lord.  What amazes me the most is the unity they have with each one of them.  They are a great group and we can just tell that they are going to do some amazing things out in the field.  Wednesday morning we held the New Missionary Training Orientation at the Mission home.  It was great to hear their testimonies and their excitement to do the work.  It's really interesting to be apart of the beginning of these new missionaries experiences.  It makes me to think back on when I first came on mission and was in their exact same position.  To be honest, it gets me a little sentimental, but It amazes me to see the transformation that I went through over the past 20 months.  After the orientation, we took them to the Ntinda flat and transfers commenced.  All the zone leaders in the country come, dropping off and picking up missionaries.  It was a pretty hectic day, and even I had to take a van full of missionaries and drive almost 4 hours to take them to their areas.  Busy, but the work is done for the week.  Then thursday evening, we held the farewell dinner for the departing missionaries going home.  They bore powerful testimonies of the restored gospel that really moves others to become more diligent and excited about the Lord's work.  Those missionaries will be missed.
     Even the past couple of days, we went to a zone development meeting in Jinja and went on exchanges with the missionaries there.  It's really great to get out and work, because sitting in an office is not what I think of when I hear "thrust in your sickle with your might."  We had a lot of fun working with the missionaries in Jinja and Walukuba. 
    Now this next week we go on tour with President and Sister Chatfield.  Each day this next week, we have interviews with all the missionaries and we will also be watching the worldwide missionary broadcast.  Super excited for that, and I'm pretty sure that I will be watching that like 10 times.
     I'm so grateful for the restored gospel.  I've never been happier in my life than when I have been on mission.  I'm so grateful for my spiritual development that has helped me become a more mature and better individual than when I left.  I know for myself that the work is true, and that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to have true and lasting happiness in this life, and in the life to come.  I hope you all have a great week, and spend a prayer just thanking Father in Heaven for all that you have.

Elder Wilson

PS.  Woot woot!  It's my birthday, big 21.  Go do something fun for me today.

 

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