Bolivia Time

We Believe

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Feb 20, 2010

2-17-2010 E-MAIL

Its gonna be a interseting week.

Hey everybody, so ya sorry Im writing late, the 14th 15th and 16th we were stuck in our house during Carnival. Carnival is basically a nation wide water fight. Kinda cool but the people start playing a little rough so we dont work for those days. But it was kinda nice being able to relax a little bit. I cooked the mashed potatoes that you sent me, thank you very much. So we've had pretty intersting week. The rain has been giving us a lot of problems. On Saturday a girl named Siliva was baptized, but she didnt come to church on Sunday cuz of the rain. Right now we have two people that haven't been confirmed, so today we need to find them and make sure they understand how important the confirmation is. We got burned by the assitstants over all this, and I know I shouldn't make excuses... but come on! I cant control the weather. We've had a ton of rain here, one day I forgot my poncho in my pensions house, not a good thing. We had the baptismal interview with Silvia too, so we had to book it through the rain and lightening, it was scary but funny too. But it doesnt really flood here, the first day I was here in Montero it flooded but after that, nothing. Last week I did divisions with my buddy Elder Thompson, that was a great time. Him, my comp and another Elder in our zone are going home tommorow, and last night they told us that Im not gettiing another comp for a week. Whats going to happen is Elder Castillo (who Elder Thompson was training) is going to be my comp for a week. So I'm going to be the lone zone leader for a while. we'll see how that goes. We had an interesting experience this week: We saw this little old lady hitting this guy with a whip thing (they make little whips out of rope to beat their kids, its lovely), and we just assumed that the kid had disobeyed his mom. But later that night he showed up at a members house, so we started talking to him. The lady was his mother in law, and she didnt want him to come visit his new born baby. We ended up haveing a really good visit with him and sent the missionaries to his house in Santa Cruz.
EE-It doesnt really ''flood'', but some streets are tough to get through.But its alright now cuz Elder Thompson is going to leave me his boots when he leaves, thats going to help a ton.
Crystal- whats going on at your work?
Mom- I imagine the heavy flooding is in a place called Beni. Its more towards the north of Bolivia.Tell Vince and Cyd hi. Are they dating anyone? That's good the Olsens are in our ward, hows Parker doing? I think I got all your packages, thanks a lot. I can't think of anything I really need right now.
Valynn- They dont really celebrate St. Valentines here, instead they have Carnival. Tell Jamen and Tyler good job.
Dad- ya. Im need to work on being a better leader.

Ok, well wish me luck, thank you so much for your prayers and your support. I'll let you know who my new comp is once I know.

Love, Elder Wilson

Feb 16, 2010

2-8-2010 E-MAIL

two is good, three, way better

Hey everybody…well, we had another crazy week. Two people were baptized this week, Juan Carlos and Alejandra... which normally is good, but not when three were supposed to be baptized and only ONE person was confirmed the next day. Another investigator Celso didnt show up Saturday morning for his baptism and told us yesterday he still has doubts. And Juan Carlos had a family emergency and couldnt come to church yesterday for his confrimation. But its all good, theyll be baptisms and confirmations galor(is this a word)this week. We also had our zone leader conference on Tuesday, always a good time... if your zone is doing well. And ours is... well doing better, so we didnt get burned too much. I love listening to President Maynes. Everyone always talks about how missionaries are like the 2000 Stripling Warriors, so that makes each Mission President a Helaman. We all have such a love for President Maynes, and he has an even greater love for us, even though we are a bit special. We also watched part of the video for the youth, A Brand New Year, really awesome. I always learn a lot about how I can be a better leader after these conferences. And I need to step it up, cuz my comp goes home in a week... so Im in charge. We saw something crazy this week, Elder Curo, our District Leader, came for an interview. After the interview we all walked to the main avenue so they could go back home. He said goodbye, and as he turned around a motorcycle was comeing, he turned right into the path of the motorcycle, and it was going to hit him right in thigh, all that was going to my mind is ´´well,hes going home´´. Idk how it worked but some how he was able to spin back around and the bike went speeding by. We are really protected out here. We are going to work really hard this week, cuz next week we are going to be shut up in our house for 3 days during Carnival. And plus this is my comps last chance to be a missionary. And with conferences and traveling we didnt get much work done this week, and are not showing a very good example, so we need to fix that too this week.I got my two B Day packages this week. The photos of Washington were a nice touch.

Valynn- My comp is a really good missionary. But we arent very close, Im not really sure why. But we dont have any problems either.
Mom- Way to go with serving people. I think what you described is a sleeper hold. Im glad to hear Cyd will be home this summer. What are Vince and Beau going to be doing? Tell Brett congratulations. I wont be driving while Im here, so i dont need the papers.
Kim- Dont worry about sending me things. Im really trying to end well,trying to lose myself in the work. Its changed me a lot, Ive been able to step up and face a lot of my fears.
Crystal-I dont know if Ill be living in Utah, but probably in Idaho.
Grandma- Thanks for the news Grandma
EE-Yes it is really really really green here, the only place in the states that looks anything like this is Florida.
KK-where I live there arent any pythons... but there are places in the mission with them.

OK guys, thanks a ton for you emails and for your prayers. Take care

Love, Elder Wilson

Feb 2, 2010

2-1-2010 E-MAIL

Subject: Nos vemos enero

Hey everybody,We had a pretty good week, my birthday was pretty quiet, we baked some cookies at my pensions house. Yesterday one of our investigators Ana Karen was confirmed, my comp had to baptize her 3 times on Saturday cuz she flipped out each time she went under the water. Tommorow we have zone leader conference again. I havent heard anything from the office so I dont think I have to give the class. The month of Janurary was way better than December for our Zone, we finished with 8 convirts. In December it was just 3, so I think President Maynes is happy with all of us. We have a lot of people progressing right now. We are in charge of a little branch an hour outside of the city, and we just found out there are 4 youth out there that have been attending for months and want to be baptized. February should be a pretty great month. We need to help out that branch and the other ward we are in charge of. They both have a lot of problems. I bought a Book of Mormon in Portugues, I try to read it every now and then,it is prety much the same as spanish when you read it. It'd be cool to learn a bit, but I think I'll study it more after the mish. I barely have time to study Spanish let alone another language.So I sent a package about a month ago with some letters... did that ever show up? I sent a other one yesterday too. So yesterday a couselor from the Stake Presidency came in and lit us up cuz no one in our ward is supporting a regional encampent that Pres Nash (the Area President) set up. He talked about how the parents need to make the sacrifice to support this and that their children would recieve blessing from it. Mom, Dad, thank you for making the sacrifice, I was very blessed for going to all those activities.
KK-I miss snow... I miss nieces and nephews haha.
Elise-Ya the bugs are actually 100 times worse here, I have to wear bug spray litteraly 24/7.
Crystal haha, my buddy elder Thompson completes 2 years in like 20 days...And he still doesn't know what day he's going home. But my last transfer should end the 28 of June. I should be going home around then.
G-Ma- Thanks for the jokes and the news... when is the Super Bowl?
Valynn-My branch is pretty great, it looks like a ward, but not everyone is on board with tithing yet. But ya they help out a ton, they help with making the convirts and investigators feel at home.
Mom- The package hasn't arrived yet, probably this week. Do I need to do something with the license extension paper? If not you should just keep it.I dont need it and theres a risk of it being lost or stolen. Im glad Juan was able to write you guys, hes awesome, he helps us out a ton. Well everybody, Elder Cockram just told me we have 20 weeks left, thats nuts. I'm really trying to up my work ethic so I can end well.Talk to you guys next week.

Love Elder Wilson

1-25-2010 E-MAIL

Subject: ´´Just be perfect´´...oh man

Hey everybody. Well I had a pretty good week. We had Zone Conference last week. My buddy Elder Meridith, who is doing what I was doing in Villamontes, was there too so I got to see him again. And I saw my buddy Elder Smith for the first time since we came to Bolivia. Whenever we get together we start to realize how close we are to ending and going home... just one hand left (5 months...5fingers). Me and my comp gave a class, I was really nervous, so I just said a prayer and it went really well. Plus we followed Pres Maynes so I was all pumped and inspired. We also had interviews this week. Pres Maynes talked to me about I need to be a leader, not a boss. He talked about showing an example for the zone.´´Just be perfect Elder´´ is what he said. Basically I just need to be more dedicated. Something I have found that really helps is setting personal goals at night when I pray and asking for help in achieving them. This week me and comp are going to do our 140 contacts... I have never done them all in my misson, so thats what I'm going to be praying for each night. We were hit pretty hard this week with vacations. 6 of our investigators traveled to Cochabamba. But we still have one girl who will be baptized this week. I also had my first experience of being kicked out of a house this week. I started talking about the Restoration and sometihng told me I should wait to say ´´Joseph Smith´´. I finished the first vision and the guy asked me what the prophets name was ´´se llama José Smith´´... ´´enough! Get out now!´´.We tried to reason with him and explain that if he had doubts he could just pray but he flipped out. So we just left. It didnt depress me, more amazed me how prideful he was. We are teaching an older couple, the Torrez family. They didnt go to church last week and we asked them what happened. The dad said ´´what's the name of your church?...oh...we went to ´´Padre de Sufrir´´ They went to some crazy evangelical church down the street from the Stake Center. They said everyone was screaming and they got scared and left.

Ok b4 I forget, Mom, Dad... you guys have Facebook?
Chris-Thanks for the tips on listening
Kim-I really do feel older... this morning I was studying and I stood up...but then didnt move. My comp asked me what I was doing ´´úmmmm...I dont remember´´My area is way wetter and muddier than Villamontes.
KK-I'll be baking those cookies you guys sent me a while ago. I can picture that being funny haha.
EE-I'm looking forward to meeting Liam too. I still cant believe you have akid.
G-Ma Wow, the Saints vs the Colts. Now I know to ask the people here ´´who won? The blue or the black?
Mom- the mission covers all my medical cept for vision and dental
Valynn- This B-Day has already been better. Some people showed up at six am to sing me happy B day. I dont miss Villamontes too much. Haha, my buddy Elder Blackburn(I wanna know how his family got that name) replaced me downthere... GOOD LUCK MAN!Being zone leader is just more time consuming. We have to do inspections and have meeting with stake leaders. The heat here is not as bad, but its humid.
Crystal-Today I'll be making cookies... and then I'll be washing clothes.

Ok so my area is the east part of the town. Theres an avenue (avenida)called Pampa. It runs north south, but then turns off towards the east. I live like 200 yards south of where the avenue bends. My area is all country.I need more baby wipes! Well guys, thanks for the photos and the B-Day songs. This mission is going by fast. See you before we know it.

Love Elder Wilson

MISSION HOME ADDRESS

Elder Michael David Wilson
Mision Peru Lima Este
Calle Los Agrologos 368
Urbinizacion Las Acacias de Monterrico
La Molina, Lima 12, Peru

POUCH ADDRESS

Only a single sheet of paper folded and taped can be sent via this address.

Elder Michael D. Wilson
Peru Lima East Mission
P.O. Box 30150
SLC, UT 84130-0150

ELDER MICHAEL WILSON

MISSION: Bolivia Santa Cruz ENTERED MTC ON: June 25, 2008 RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2010

COUNTDOWN

FAVORITE SCRIPTURE

2nd Nephi 15: 26-30
26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them.

27 None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken;

28 Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.

29 They shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none shall deliver.

30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof

Mike receiving his call!

Mike receiving his call!