Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Studying the Book of Mormon

It's crazy to think it's Thanksgiving this week.   hmmm sooo for my package, could you send me another usb drive, just like the same deal. cause.... someone stole mine. Could you send lots more conference music, and Mormon messages. It good to invite the missionaries over to eat, we don't even have a pension (person who makes meals) right now. but I only have to put up 2 more weeks. ahaha 

Wow Sawyer sounds so big right now I can't wait to see him next Christmas, and you guys!! Next week we are having a dinner with President Harbertson and I'm going to have 1 year in the mission.  I'm gonna burn a shirt Wednesday night. The work is going very good in Patibamba, We try to have a member or 2 with us everyday, when we visit people, and it is really working, my district is really working hard. We're focusing on finding people, and teaching them, like lots of people. In the first 3 weeks of this change we've taught 64 lessons to investigators. We taught the family of a convert Alvaro, he is getting ready to go on the a mission, so his family is more interested. We are going to talk with them during the week,  they're a very nice family.  

We also have another investigator Barclay with a baptismal date for December 26 , we found him, he prayed that day and felt he received an answer and said he would get baptized he believes in the Church. We are very excited for him and Jensen. They're probably going to get baptized after I leave, But I'll know I put in my part to help. 

Well I decided to discuss the Book of Mormon in District Meeting today.  All last week I  was studying and preparing. I've come to have a greater appreciation for the Book of Mormon, and I've read it  and studied it every day since December, and I know that it is true, and that was reinforced to me this week when I studied and testified to the people I taught.     

I'm doing good here in Patibamba. I am going to work till the end, of the change. I was reading the Liahona, and I read an article from a stateside missionary, who was in her sector for 4 months and really wanted a change and I laughed for a long time cause I'm in my 5th transfer (about 7 months), 4 months is nothing.  I'm kind of going crazy here though.  My companion says I talk in my sleep now, in English and Spanish, I was teaching someone the other night ahaha!!   I know my sector super good, like every little street that exists.  

Have a good Thanksgiving and send me pictures of all the food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Love,

Elder Wilde

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Parable of the Sower

Yes we have a baptism coming up  for December 5th for Jensen, he's very animated. He came to Church Sunday and he told everyone about his date, he was very happy at the church.  He is progressing very well.  

We had another part member family come to Church. They really liked my talk I gave about the Parable of the Sower, and I applied it to the Branch.  Everyone at Church is like " hey you've been here a while right" they joke saying I'm going to buy land and live here now!!! haha  The dad is not a member and his wife is less active but is  coming back .  We went and taught them after Church, we taught the restoration but emphasized apostasy so that he understood, the need for a restoration, it was very good. We read Moroni 10:4-5  he said he'll pray and that if he  feels an answer he will be baptized, a lot of progress, with him in weeks, they are not married so they'll have to do that also, but the wife will help alot with that.

Wow everything at home sounds pretty  fun.  We're having a Mission Night Saturday, I'll send pictures next week.

                                  It was raining in the valley next door so I took a cool picture

It's good to give service; we always look for chances to do that.  I gave a talk about the Sower in Matthew 13, it's one of my favorite parables, because Jesus explains it right after!!!!  He usually didn't do that, I spoke to the Branch, about the 4 types of seeds, and how we should be seed #4, that fell in good earth and gave fruit. It's very interesting.  I would recommend, and also the talk by Elder Oaks from April 2015.  It was a hit with the folks here. like 20 minutes almost. 

I was meeting with my converts and they told me about the (Paris) attack it sounded crazy, I hope they take appropriate actions to counteract  it in the future.  Very sad stuff

In the mission I've become an amateur electrician. haha,  For the electric showers, I'm going to install a new one in the room today I'll send a picture of the install, I use the wire splicing and other stuff I learned working at the Porters, and stuff  I've  picked here, like using lots of Teflon to replace broken seals!!!

I hope everything is fine, I'm good here even though last week I started to hit a wall in Patibamba (too much time) but I got over that. 

Love,


Elder Wilde

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

All good here in Patibamba

Here in Patibamba we don't have a pension (meals included with room) anymore soooo we eat in restaurants or have Top Ramen in the room now.... its kinda fun!!!   




My companion is a computer guy from Lima, he's a pretty funny guy. He made money for his mission by playing video games!!!He was also in my sector in Puerto Maldonado and baptized that family I found!!! It's been real nice to talk about all the people we know and how me and my mission dad made the foundation for some good branch growth.  When I left it had 80-90 attendance now it has 130!!!!!!!!  I'm excited for that, Puerto really wants to be a Stake soon.

This week we are gonna work hard on finding new investigators and President Harbertson told us the best way is through less actives. I'm going to apply that in my District meeting tonight and we are going to have crazy success here.  the whole mission is going through a cleaning process. They told us in the Zone meeting that if we want success we have to be clean first to have the Spirit then we will see miracles. I'm going to start a new self analysis and see where I can improve. they're really focusing on this. When Elder Uceda came he called the mission to repentance but I guess we still haven't learned...    I'm gonna do my part for the least.

I went to Cusco and I had a blast!!!!! I went with Elder Jensen, we went to the plaza and found the 12 angle stone!!!  Our trip was pretty much just taking bad selfies haha.  The training was good and I got back to Patibamba with Elder Enriquez Thursday afternoon.  My companion finishes his mission in may, but hopefully I'll be in Cusco by then!!!!



 We've got a good amount of investigators, but the problem is getting them to church, they never come, I call and go to their houses but manan kanchu suerte!!! These couple weeks, in my District I'm going to focus on asking references, contacts, and new investigators, so we can have more baptisms before the year ends!!!  We've got a steep mission goal but I know we can get it .

 For P-day we are going to this Mirador (vista point)  and It'll be my 6th time there, cause I've been here so long and everyone else is new to the Zone, but its fine 

All good here in Patibamba.

Love,


Elder Wilde

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Dia de los Muertos


So I got my transfer, I'M STAYING IN PATIBAMBA FOR MY 5TH TRANSFER (another 6 weeks) !!!!!!!!! yeah,  but I'm going up as District Leader (leader of a small group of young missionaries) this change.  It's a new responsibility but i'll do my best to fulfill my new job.   I get to go to Cuzco for training, it's going to be a nice little vacation to Cusco-topia. and I have a cell phone now.

My companion Elder Largent left Saturday, and I've been in a trio with the Zone Leaders. It's pretty fun and they are both from Utah.  I went on divisions Tuesday and I got ice cream with Elder Jensen. 




It's very likely with the plans I have i'll have some success this change. I'm with the Zone Leaders in a trio and we had a Family Home Evening and we shared the video about the currant bush and Hugh B. Brown. I then shared dad's business story, about how he was growing so good then about 8 years ago God 'cut you down' (blessed dad with difficult and humbling situations and circumstances) so that he would be what he wants him to be.  The less active dad really liked it, and the rest of the people. (Note from Dad:  I am glad Michael has the wisdom and maturity to recognize the value of those circumstances and how things that seem bad at the time can actually be good.)

My new companion is Elder Enriquez. He is from Lima, I met him in Puerto Maldonado he was in La Joya on the other side of town, but after I left he got a transfer to my branch!!!! So it'll be good to hear from him about my old sector.

                                                       Elder Largent leaving for home

Halloween sounded fun, I was pretty surprised that they celebrate Halloween here. I got candy so I'm fine. haha.  Yes the children went trick or treating to the stores, in costumes, but Sunday November 1st is the Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and all the branches had pretty low attendance because everyone went to the cemetery. We had 56 people Sunday in Patibamba.

The investigator we lost contact with was a guy named Barclay. We're gonna search out Ader this week though.  We have a new investigator that has a baptismal date set for November 28th. He's a very good guy and wants to learn more and have a better life. And were gonna help him do just that.   
We fasted 4 times. and now Patibamba is opening up a lot, with a new emphasis from the Mission about 6 week planning the work is going to progress a lot here.

Yesterday we went to a house, a person opened the door and I saw he was very hammered, and he then spoke in English and said ' Sorry, i"m soooo drunk' then shut the door. we laughed so hard about that.  I'll send some pictures from Cuzco next week.

                                                     That was our last dinner with mamicha



Love,

Elder Wilde