April 21

the sweets activity:

Motocarro: The primary means of transportation in the village. My companion and I can get to any part of the village for just $1, and they give us a little extra money each month because our area is huge.

The Catholic procession from Holy Week: sorry it isn't very good I was laying in bed when I took it

This week was a very good week. It was holy week, which is actually a pretty big affair here. First off, no one is working and no one has school. They have a lot of processions and have a tradition of making sweets from fruits. For example, they grab a mango, bland it, dump in a ton of sugar, and cook it all together with a couple other things. Its super delicious. The branch did an activity where each organization made one or two sweets and then there was a contest to see which was the best. Relief Society won. They made my companion and I be judges, along with the sister missionaries in the branch. It was fine until they gave us the sweet made from beans. I didn´t like it very much but oh well.

As far as the investigators go, we really need your prayers for Karina Coba. Ever since her interview she doesn't want to talk to us, she doubts her testimony, and she started saying stuff like we dont need a church because we can worship God in our hearts, etc. She has/had a testimony at one point, but we are really focusing on the Book of Mormon to help her. Once she has a testimony she won't have a problem getting baptized.

We are progressing a lot with the Varela family. V sounds like B in Spanish, actually its the same letter. Barela family. The problem is that they want to make great friends with us instead of keeping thier commitments. The problem is that they really like me, I think probably because I'm white and talk with a slight accent and whatnot. But I don't know what I can do to help them understand what we do as missionaries, since we have explained it to them very clearly. We are also focusing a lot on the Book of Mormon.

What have you all learned from Preach my Gospel in your studies this week? In my studies I focused a ton on the Book of Mormon. Elder Waddel talked a lot about how the Book of Mormon in the key in helping the investigators get faith for repentance, so we are applying what he said and it is going well. Also thanks for praying for me on the piano, it turned out very well.

Elder Wilson

April 14

Well this week was a great week for the missionary work. We were able to see 11 investigators in sacrament meeting, most of which were from a family that is really interested. They had a family member die recently and we taught them the plan of salvation and they loved it. We are going to help them understand why they need to get baptized to be an eternal family tonight and set a baptismal date.

We need for you all to pray for Karina, an investigator that was supposed to get baptized this Saturday. The problem is that she had her inverview with a zone leader and the had to say some stuff that made her feel really unconfortable, and now she knows that she will have to do it again with the mission president. So we are doing everything possible to help her get excited about it again and we hope that she agrees to do the other interview.

I also need your prayers since this week Elder Waddel from the first quorum of the 70 is coming to town and I have to play the piano again. The problem is that they asked me to play a special number that I have never played before, and there is no way to practice here since there is no piano. I have to accompany the zone in singing army of helaman, so luckily it isnt too hard but I really need the Lords help to play it at the level it should be for a 70. I get nervous when I play piano in from of them, like with Elder Uceda.

Well we are seeing some great changes in the branch as far as missionary work goes. In the last 2 years 130 people were baptized here, and the attendance at sacrament meeting went up like 6, so there is a HUGE problem with the retention. But we have been meeting with the branch president and we are changing up how they do ward council here and it should get a lot better. Because in some ways a missionary feels like he is fighing a losing battle when he knows that the branch does little to help the members stay active. But its great because the members have a lot of desire now to help and they are willing to change some thins up to make a difference. It was great to see yesterday that they called Jeimi Bolivar as a branch missionary and she is super excited about it. I think it will really help her to stay active.

How are the wedding plans coming along? And how is Brooke´s pregnancy? I´m glad that you all had a great, relaxing spring break. to answer your questions Dad my clothes are fine but my shoes wont last too much longer, especially since here in Baranoa I am walking over hot sand all day. Im sending in my shirts to get made smaller this week.  My weight is good, I keep getting skinnier every week. My companion and I get along very well, and he's awesome because he helps me stay obedient and diligent always.

Well I love you all and I pray for you every day.

Elder Wilson

march 24

 A service activity we did with an investigator. His name is freddy. Hes the man in the picture, the two women are members already

 me of the young men after a service project we did. The branch president is the one on my right with the gray shirt, even though he looks super young

 us in the middle of painting

 A house here in Baranoa. I like it because it demonstrates how much of a farm village this is

Letter,

Well this week was awesome. We were finally able to see some of our hard work paying off. First off, Jaime Bolivar is getting baptized this saturday. We are a little sad that for now the rest of the family isnt ready, but she certainly is. She reads the Book of Mormon almost every day and has a strong testimony. She is also friends will all the youth in the branch. I feel so blessed to participate in her baptism.

We were also able to see a lot of people attend church this week for the first time. We have really been working with some of these people for a while so I was so happy to see them there. One of these people is named Freddy Herrera. He lives with his wife and granddaughter, who are both very strong in the church. He is a great guy but he doesnt have much faith. But he said that he would come to church to try and feel the blessings this week and see if there is a difference. He has a very empirical mind which impedes his conversion a little. Please pray that he will soften his heart. So what helped in getting all these people to church? We brought a different member to each investigator and the member invited them to church and offered to pass by Sunday morning. I think that is a key part of the work of salvation that maybe I didn't understand before, but will make a big difference with the people.

We were also able to see Orlando Guerrero at church. It wasnt his first time since he listened to the sister missionaries who we replaced. He has a lot of things he needs to get over to be able to get baptized, but he has a strong desire. He just keeps saying that he knows he will be able to change a little at a time, and that impedes him since he made that his goal. He needed to make the goal stop everything bad right now so that in reality he can progress a little at a time. What can we do to help him understand that?

My companions birthday was yesterday. It was a little stressful for him I think. The lunch fell through and we had to go to Barranquilla all day to help a ward in our stake. I guess every sunday all the missionaried in the stake will go to one ward and do a rescue its called. The awesome part is that within a couple months we will be going to Ciudadela. I really miss that ward and the people, so it will be great to see some of them again. 

Also i am already very ecxited for general conference. I hope that you all are getting ready to hear the words of the living prophet and learn the will of God. I know that listening to him will allow us the divine protection that we all need in this life.

Love,

Elder Wilson

March 17

 they cut my hair and then gave me a crazy hairstyle

 family night with the familia Bolivar

 my companion

sponsoring the Book of Mormon in the Colombian jungle

Well this week had a lot of highs and lows, as usual in any week. The familia Bolivar that was progressing so well is slowing down a little bit. The problem is that they had been listening to the missionaries for a while before we got here but they still hadnt learned any commandments. So when we started to teach them, they didnt expect that the missionaries would make people change and they are resisting it a little. Mostly with the Word of Wisdom. They drink a lot of coffee. But they committed to changing so I think that with a little more work they will get over it.

I had a great experience this week with working with the members. We had a zone conference with the mission president and they talked a lot about how to work with the members to get the investigators to attend church. So this week we made the members invite the investigators themselves, and then committ themselves to pass by their houses Sundaymorning to bring them. So it worked out well but some investigators slept in or had gone out before the members got there, stuff like that. So that was the low of the week, that the members did a great job but the investigators didnt come. I think that we had everything all set up to help them and the investigators just used their agency to not come. So my companion and I are already planning what to tell them to help them see the importance of keeping their committments (James 1:22). I know they will come next week. But we did have 3 there yesterday.

I think I am gaining weight here in Baranoa. Its a huge area that we have but we are just working in a small part of it. Plus I always used to leave the house and play basketball in the mornings for exercize, but here they have robbed all the hoops from the basketball standards. We found this great court about a mile away from our house, we jogged there and played basketball once on Saturday, but then this morning we went again and the rims were gone. I dont get why people steal basketball hoops hahaha. So now were trying to figure out what to do for exercize. At that hour of the morning I need something fun to help motivate me to wake up and burn fat. Also we have a very well proportioned lunch and dinner contract with the relief society president.

Well I hope you all are doing great, I have been praying a lot for you. Thanks for all the ideas you gave me for group activities, although maybe someone can help me understand a little better how 4 in a couch works. It sounds like fun but I dont know how to play it.

I try to take a lot of pictures but for security I never feel very good about leaving the house with my camera, so sorry if sometimes I dont have many pictures. I love you all!

Elder Wilson

march 10

Well this week was really great. It was awesome to go out again after Carnaval. I got so very bored in the house listening to music. I wanted to write this week about some of the investigators we have here. We have this great family, the Bolivar family. They are the 2 parents and 3 kids, but one of the kids is a 14 year old teenager and doesnt listen to us. The parents Aida and Justidiano are great. They gather the whole family together every night to read the Book of Mormon as a family and pray together. They really want to get baptized. They have a date for the 22nd of this month but they didnt come to church the last 2 weeks, the first time because it was Carnaval and the second time because it was Election day and they had to go vote. So I hope they can be ready for the 22nd but if not we just wait a little more and it works out alright.

There was also this lady named Maria Sanchez. We have had a huge difficulty with her, which is that we are replacing the sister missionaries here in this area. Maria doesnt seem to understand that and she doesnt trust us at all. The first day we went with the branch president and she kapt saying no no, the sisters are coming here this afternoon, we have an appointment. And now she says no no I never have time. She progressed when the sister missionaries were here so we are probably going to send the sisters that are in the other area in the branch.

My companion is awesome. He is super obedient and loves to work hard. I love not having to fight with my companions anymore to be obedient and diligent. I actually have learned a lot from him, even though he has only been here for 5 months!

We are finding a lot of new investigators too, each with a lot of promise. We work a lot with less active members, but the progress is much more slow there. But oh well, patience has always been one of the Lords requirements for success in missionary work.

A great experience I had this week was that we had a lesson completely directed by the Spirit. It was a contact and we were just barely starting to talk, and I felt strongly impressed to talk about family difficulties that can be overcome by the gospel. She told us that her uncle just died and that the whole family was just doing terribly. We were able to teach the plan of salvation and the spirit was strong. I love this work and each night I think God with my whole heart for the great privilege I have to participate in it. I am so blessed to be able to see how people can completely change their lives when they live the gospel.

I love you all and pray for you.

Elder Wilson

new area, new companion, and carnaval!

 young man from Ciudadela and I. He's going to his mission in April

 wild iguana. These things are all over here and they are huge. But this was the first time I saw one while I had my camera

 Kids in a carnaval parade. We live in the second floor of a house right next to the parade route.

 My new companion and I

 Some kids from the branch in traditional carnaval masks

The relief society presidency from Ciudadela. I was sad to go but I crashed a meeting to say goodbye. It was hard because they started to cry

Well after all they transfered me this week, but once again it wasnt very far. I{m in a little village called baranoa thats outside of Barranquilla. Im actually in the same stake as I was in while in Ciudadela. Its funny because the mission covers 5 departments, which are like states. I{ve been in 3 areas but I still havent left the department called Atlantico. There isnt a ward here but there is a pretty good size branch. This week for example 62 people came to church, and they say that that is low for carnaval. Usually more people come I guess.

Mu companion is a peruvian named Elder Gabriel. Hes great since he is like me in that we both like to be exactly obedient. I guess the Lord decided I deserved a break from always having to fight with my companion about obeying. He is very well studied. The interesting thing is that we aer opening the area, since there were sister missionaries here before. So my companion and I are having to learn the area and get lost a lot. He only has been in the mission for 4 months so we are learning a lot together.

The city here also has carnaval, so we have been locked up for 2 days and we have 2 days to go. We took advantage of that to deep, deep clean the house. It was horribly gross when we got here, like hair everywhere since there were sister missionaries, lady hygiene products everywhere, trash all over the floor, it was bad. But now it looks good.

The branch here has some very grave problems. For example, in 2012, 52 people were baptized. But the sacrament meeting attendance stayed the same. The branch president is awesome. He is 22 years old and is a return missionary. He is in charge of the branch here and a group in another village. a group is like a branch that is too small to be a branch. he has spant a lot of hours with us already to help us get to know the area and the people. So we are going to meet with him to see what we can do. Here they have baptized so many people but hardly anyone stays strong. My companion and I have really felt that we need to focus much more of our time on the members less actives and leaders of the branch, instead of just baptizing a lot. I wrote a long letter about it to the mission president to see what he says. I just dont see the point in baptizing so many people if they all leave the church in a month. I feel like we need to strengthen the branch and then baptize the whole town. 

Well thats all for now.

Love,

Elder Wilson

Feb 24

well not a lot happened this week for me to be able to write about. My companion got sick and we had to spend 2 days in the house. It´s kind of funny because after 2 days I already went crazy but this week is Carnaval and then I will have to spend 4 days without leaving for anything at all. Actually I don´t know when will be Pday next week to write again.

Transfers are also this week so maybe I´ll avoid the entire Carnaval situation. I really think that my companion or I will leave because of some things that the President of the mission told me. I really admire my companion for a lot of things even though we haven´t had the best transfer. I have definitely learned a lot from him. 

I learned an important lesson this week. I was thinking about how sometimes there is so much pressure in the mission to do everything so well that sometimes we as missionaries forget that all of us are doing our best and that we are all disciples of jesus  Christ. We often lose pacience with our companion, the mission leaders, those we lead, etc. But I realized the importance of just helping everyone along. Every one is here from their own free will, so I can´t demand things from the other missionaries. I can´t even really get frustrated when my companion is always mad at me or anything because I also have my own issues to work on. So I liked that realization that has helped me.

Well since we had 12 baptisms this week as a district we earned a district Pday and a MOVIE!!!!!! Literally there is nothing better in the mission than watching a movie. We are going to watch Despicable Me 2. I loved the first one. I won´t be taking pictures of anything this week since there has been a lot of robbing here for carnaval and I don´t like to bring my camera anywhere, so sorry. I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder Wilson