Starting Transfer 4

Dear friends & fam,

       Today is the start of my 4th transfer and I am staying in Kajjansi with my dear companion Elder de Lisle.  Fer sure I'm super stoked to stay in this area.  There are so many more blessings that need to be received.  We had a great transfer with so many miracles happening.  We are grateful for the opportunity that we have to serve for another transfer together and we have some pretty big plans.  We love the people and we are trying to find people that are prepared and are waiting to receive the message of the Restoration.  One thing that I noticed about our companionship is how much we talk about food.  It's gotten to the point where it's no longer a joke.  We try to top each other on who has eaten better food and all is does is make my stomach grumble.

       So since I'm on the other side of the world, we finally watched General Conference yesterday.  It took a long time to get here but it was totally worth it.  We receive so much guidance from the Prophet and Apostles that can help anyone in any aspect of their lives.  I encourage everyone to review the talks that were given and continue to seek personal revelation from God.  

       We are teaching many different people and we are still trying to get them to stick to their baptismal dates.  Man, I didn't believe people when they said a mission is hard work.  We are continually trying to bring others closer to Christ and making sure that they know that God is speaking to them through their prayers.  Agency is a very important part of missionary work, because that is what determines the preparedness of God's children.  When we find that people don't accept the message that we have, we look at that as a downfall, when really, the opportunity to choose is a gift from God.  

     Something that I have learned that is one of the most important attributes in missionary work and in all other aspects of life, is patience.  With patience, we yield to the will of the Father.  There will always be opposition in all things.  It's how we react to that opposition that determines who we are.  As a young missionary in the field, I have learned that patience is something that is required to become a successful servant of God.  There are times when I feel like I don't know how to do anything or I do everything wrong.  Trying to be the best you can be is not easy.  But it requires faith and trust that through the Lord's own time, we can receive blessings that can help us reach that end goal.  

      I love the mission, I learn new things everyday and I'm grateful to serve the Lord in this part of the world, where I feel like I am being strengthened and uplifted by people who don't know me.  But there are points in life where you know that you knew each other before the world was.  As children of God, it's our duty to help each other to stay on the path that leads us the eternal joy and happiness.  

      I also realize that I have been lacking in stories, it's just that everything has gotten to the point where everything seems normal to me.  So, I'll try to be more reckless to make some stories happen.  Here's something!...... I learned how to make matooke.  it's like unripened banana mush.  That's all I got this week.  I'll try to pick it up some more.  

     Everyone have a fantastic week and continue to be the best that you can be.  Remember, if you can dream it, you can do it.... inspiring words from Blades of Glory. 

Elder Wilson

Pics:  Found the perfect pillowcase, now I can sleep to his face every night

          

This baby's name is Holy Beyonce, let that sink in

Hastening the Work

Hello everyone!

     This week has been quite a blessed week.  But MAN did I get sunburned.  I was going for the dark tan approach but my skin decided to take the bright red route.  Which is cool,... I can manage.  But when my face started peeling, people started to become gravely concerned because they don't understand the meaning of sunburn.  

    I'm going to be brief this week because I don't have that much time. But here it goes.

Peter and Linet got baptized on Sunday!!! They were so excited and it was noticeable how much happier they are becoming in their lives.  It's taken us a couple of months to prepare them, but they have taken the time to know the truthfulness of the gospel.  Samuel was another brother that we have been teaching who was also baptized but by his roommate who got baptized in July and received the Aaronic Priesthood.  Such an amazing thing to see people progress in the gospel and have the opportunity to bless the lives of others.  

     If you didn't believe that this would be small, BOOM gotcha.  Everyone have a fantastic week and know that your Father in Heaven loves you and remember that I love you as well.

Elder Wilson

Oct. 6, 2014 The Blessings of Missionary Work

Hello everyone!

       Sorry I didn't send out an email last week.  This has been a humbling week for me.  I have learned that trials come no matter what.  It's how we react to those challenges that makes us who we are.  My area Kajjansi is a super powerful area.  My companion and I know how important this area is to the Lord because He has been blessing us with so much success when we provide the hard work.  There are so many experiences that are shaping me to be the disciple of Christ that I am working to be.  

       Peter and Linet are a couple that we have been working with for a little more than a month now.  They have a sure testimony of the gospel, and they have the greatest desire to be baptized.  They hail from Kenya but they have been living in Uganda for quite some time.  Part of the process for them to be baptized to be legally married before then.  They happily agreed and they were married in Kampala to each other on Friday.  It was such a beautiful service and the spirit was completely strong.  Seeing them make these decisions in their lives that help them to find the path that will lead them to eternal life is truly a blessing that i am happy to be apart of.  Peter told us that his Aunt had died in Kenya and he had to make a trip to be there.  So we told him that we could postpone his service until next sunday.  He happily agreed so we are super excited for this sunday.  Something funny that happened with him that I thought was completely hilarious was when we were going over baptismal interview questions with him.  We always ask the one being interviewed if they have committed a serious crime before and he gave probably the best answer I've ever heard.  "Uhhhhh....... not yet."  I was trying so hard not to laugh.  Love that guy, can't say enough nice things about him.  

       There has been some interesting experiences that have been happening that I would like to share.  One of them was on the way to Kabowa with my district for a Zone Development Meeting.  It was raining super hard and we were trying to get there on time.  The taxi picked us up and we were paying him while in the car.  We got to the destination but the conductor wouldn't let  us out of the car.  It costs 1000 shillings to get there and he was charging us 2000.  He totally ripped Elder Mamani and we didn't want to pay him because he was ripping us off.  The worst part,..... the conductor was speaking Luganda and none of us could speak it.  The experience was super fast but a lot that I could remember was a lot of screaming and yelling and pushing and frustration.  Taxis are FAKE banange.

      Another time, I was teaching a lesson with Elder de Lisle and there was a kid crying outside of the door, which was opened.  This other kid making mocking crying noises to the other kid and it was super annoying.  Elder de Lisle lost it and yelled at the kid to stop but he wouldn't so he chased the kid and he was jumping over a dip in the ground and pretty much ate it (He would kill me if he knew I was emailing this... shhhh).  Probably the funniest thing was when he was on the ground, he pointed to the kid with the scariest mean face I've seen and the kid started to cry and run away.  So proud of that guy.  Showing that we don't mess around.  

       As a zone, we are continually trying to be better at missionary work.  We always help each other trying to find ways to teach more simply.  For instance, our Mission President teaches us KISS:  Keep It Simple Stupid.  Great advice, hurts my feelings every time.  But being a new missionary, it's very difficult to take everything you know about the gospel and condense it so a child could understand.  But as I continue to teach simply I start to understand was must be going through the investigators head.  It is such a blessing to be able to teach people about how they can achieve eternal life.

       To all of you that are reading this email.  I just want to finish with what I know to be true.  And It's this.......  nothing else matters, nothing.  Not homes, not cars, not sports, not money, nothing in this world matters except for the gospel.  I've seen it with my own lives.  Families and individuals that discover and live the gospel find a joy, a happiness that can't be achieved with cars, or homes, or money.  Believe me, people here have absolutely nothing.  In my opinion, the richest people I know are the ones that don't have money, but have the gospel.  I want you all to know that I know Jesus is the Christ.  I know from the bottom of my heart that He is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the World, but most importantly.  I know that He loves me.  Having the opportunity to help them feel God's love for them is indescribable.  You will have trials in your life.  Believe me, I know.  I have had a rough week myself.  When it comes down to the problems that I face, I remember that nothing else matters.  Except for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice to the world.  All we need is faith, faith and the knowledge that faith is the foundation for everything good in this world. 

    I love you all.  Have a fantastic week and love every moment.

With Love,

Elder Wilson

Supa Powerful

Jebale ko Buzungu,

    Man, first week of the transfer and we are getting a lot done.  Elder de Lisle and I are together this transfer and we are taking on Kajjansi by storm.  We also added two more elders to the area because of how fruitful Kajjansi is becoming.  Elder Grilliot and Elder Mamani are splitting the area with us.  It's really nice to be able to focus more on a certain section of the area instead of the whole area.  And they are super ready to go to work.  

     Ever since I got here, the church has been constructing a new chapel for the Kajjansi Branch that sits right next to the main road.  It's already gotten a lot of hype.  Last week at sacrament meeting, it was announced that the branch would be moving there on October 5 but we received word that the furniture was shipped somewhere else accidentally, so we are going to have to wait which I am super bummed about because I might not be here when it opens.  But alas, it will be a super powerful tool for missionary work, especially when people can drive past it and just be smitten with its awesomeness.  

     We have had a large amount of baptisms last transfer and now we are looking for more people to teach.  We are super excited though because our teaching pool is already pretty big as it is.  But man, it is amazing to see the branch work incredibly hard to help us with referrals. 

      This week is a short one, so I just want to say that there is no greater work than this.  But I'm not just saying that because it's the Lord's work.  I'm saying that because the Lord's work that we do can change cities, countries, even entire continents.  And this work will never cease to progress because the message that we work to bring to people is more true than anything in this world.  I know that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can change attitudes, hearts, and lives.  Heavenly Father loves us more than we have loved anything in our entire lives and many people don't understand that.  I testify that there is no greater truth than the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I love you all and have a good week!!

Elder Wilson

Next transfer in Kajjansi - Week 15

Hello Everyone!

     My companion and I just finished a super powerful transfer.  And now, I am staying in Kajjansi for another 6 weeks and I'm still with my companion Elder de Lisle.  I'm very excited to stay in this area because it is an exciting time for missionary work here.  We have been seeing a lot of success and Kajjansi is flourishing so much.  For a while, there has been construction for a new chapel closer to the main Entebbe Road and on October 5th the Kajjansi Branch will shift to the new building.  We are very excited for this because it will spark interest to the people and we will be able to teach even more people.  So, you could say that I am very excited for this upcoming transfer.
  On Sunday, we had a 4 baptisms of a family.  And before that, the parents got hitched the Friday before at the stake center in Kololo.  That was an incredible experience to be apart of and I know that they will continue to strengthen their love for each other as they continue to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They live close to Lake Victoria so they're a ways away but they have the strongest desire to be baptized.  They don't even speak english, so we always bring a member who speaks Luganda to help us teach them.  My love for this family has grown tremendously over the amount of time of teaching them.  I truly see more joy and happiness within their family the more they know about the gospel.  

    So my companion and I switched living spaces with some sisters in the district and the house is HUGE.  and it turns out that they shifted us there because they are adding Elders, so we will all live there.  It's going to be mental!  

     Now that I've been in Uganda for a month and a half, I'm starting to get used to the culture here.  Now it's super weird to see a white person walking around.  It actually even makes me feel uncomfortable.  Being missionaries, we always have to hike around to move and there are a lot of hills in Kajjansi.  And it's blazing hot and humid.  But there is always someone who says "Elder Wilson, you are sweating."  Then I think, "no duh, this is Africa."  By the way, I'm getting super tan, and my tan lines are becoming more visible.  Man, being white in Africa can be hard sometimes.  

      I love this work and there is so much to be done.  My testimony of Jesus Christ continues to strengthen everyday and I find so much joy in sharing that testimony with others.  I'm super excited for this upcoming transfer and I can't wait to work my butt off.

God Speed,

Elder Wilson

So many blessings!

Hello all!

    So many blessings have been found in the work of the Lord.  Elder de Lisle and I have been working hard to bring souls unto Christ and we have been finding success.  Kajjansi is a very fruitful area and there are many people who are willing to hear our message.  

    This past weekend, we had a wonderful baptismal service of a family of 7!  Bosco, Moreen, Sight, Prossy, Sherine, Arnold and Rachel have been receiving the missionary lessons and were baptized on Sunday after church!  We are so grateful for this wonderful family that we were able to teach and bring into the gospel.  Arnold was baptized on Saturday because he was planning on leaving for boarding school so he couldn't be there the next Sunday to be confirmed.  It was a wonderful service and the spirit was so strong.  The branch is so strong in this missionary work and it is a blessing to help strengthen their area.  I'm very excited to continue to help them progress in the gospel.  

      This upcoming weekend, we are having a marriage ceremony in Kololo for Laurent and Narulega.  They don't speak any english so we have always had to bring a member to translate from Luganda.  This past week, we even came to their garden and helped them dig.  (My Dad should be super proud of me considering he was a farmer growing up).  They really want to be baptized so of course we are going to do strenuous work to show them that we really care about them.  Can't wait for them to get married on Friday and then baptized on Sunday!  Super exciting.

        We also have been meeting with a young Sudanese man named James Bol.  He's met with the missionaries before, but he had to move back to South Sudan and lost contact with him.  He really wants to be baptized and he is probably the most prepared guy ever.  We taught him the Word of Wisdom and told him that he couldn't take certain drinks and substances in order to be baptized.  He said he had a question and said "I have never taken any of these things and I never will.  All i take is water."  We said "That's not really a question,...... but the answer is yes."  Can't wait to see this guy progress towards baptism.  

      I'm loving this work and I love helping the Lord bring more of his sheep into the fold.  This is my last week of the transfer so I really hope that I stay in Kajjansi.  I know that there is no greater work than this on the Earth and I know that Christ lives.  Have a wonderful week everyone!  Bera Bulungi!

God Speed

Elder Wilson

Life in Kajjansi District - Week 13

Jebale ko,

    Super good week this week, a lot has been happening.  I'm starting to get the hang of how pasty I am.  And i'm truly grateful for the many wonderful experiences I am having.  

     First announcement:  Our good friend Raju James was baptized!  Super solid guy.  Our biggest concern with him was that he has been super busy working with the Census that is going on over here.  We had the baptismal service on Saturday night and he was a little late because of work.  But nonetheless, he made it!  It was a great baptism.  Turns out there wasn't anyone that was available to conduct the service, so I whipped out my conducting skills and put them to work (jk I'm horrible at conducting a meeting).  Anyway, he was confirmed on Sunday and the Branch welcomed him so well.  Everyone is super excited for him to be the new member.  

      Incredible stuff has been happening.  We have been teaching this fisherman Laurent that lives far away but he comes to church every sunday.  We have traveled to teach him and he really wants to get baptized.  The wife however did not want to be taught.  Over time, we have been visiting them and with the help of the branch mission leader, we were got her to have an interest!  And not only that, she came to church on Sunday!!  We were so happy to see her there.  The thing is though, they are not married, and that's hard if you want to be baptized.  So we set a date for them to get married next week by the church and they accepted!! So many miracles with them.  We strongly believe that she got interested because we offered to dig in her garden for her.  She just laughed and laughed.  Apparently, muzungus can't dig.  

     Another family we have been working with has strengthened their testimonies so much in the past week.  Peter and Lynette are super wanting to get baptized.  Lynette has been coming to church every single sunday.  Peter has been accepting of our teaching but we just need him to go to church.  And he did on Sunday!!  He absolutely loved it.  The thing is with Uganda is that marriage is expensive.  So people usually don't get married and they just live together.  So we extended an invitation for them to get married and they accepted!  They are getting married in October!! Super exciting.  

     Highlight of the week:  We went to teach Peter and Laurent and the whole village was throwing rocks at a tree.  Mugala, our Branch Mission Leader pointed out that there was a huge venomous snake in the tree.  The people just kept throwing rocks at it and even Mugala joined in, we just watched from the side because it looked like they knew what they were doing.  Then one guy, SUper interesting fellow, takes a stick and destroys it's head.  We asked him if he eats snakes and he looked at us disgusted like and he went on for 20 min about how we will die if the snake bites us and if we eat it.  He then offered to sell it to us for 5000 shillings.  I told him we only have 500 and he said Ahhh no snake for you.  We said ok and walked away and then he yelled "You have for free!"  Nutz.  

     Anyway,  People... have a good week.  Keep being awesome and know that Uganda is in good hands.... jk I still don't know what I'm doing.  But serving the Lord is what I love.

Bera Boolongi

Elder Wilson