Service, Baptisms and Pokemon!

Goodmorning for the last time from the promised land!

This week we had a lot to do! 

Last monday was district activity, the elders made a creamy chicken brasilian dish and i was seriously empressed! The first time in my mission that the ELDERS have cooked in the activty, normally they give the sisters that job haha. But.......

Tuesday at district meeting the elders had the asignment to bring the snack, they really went all out making a peach cobbler... but they put 1/4 cup of salt instead of 1/4 spoon of salt! haha, poor guys are Americans and read 1/4 C and thought it meant cup, but no.. it means cuchara (spoon) haha.

But they didnt let us down, they bought us cookies instead. Nice try Elders!

Other funny thing that happened this week: We contacted the Elders house! haha About 6 weeks ago before the previous elders were transfered they gave us a reference of a man called Juan. We have gone at least twice a week all transfer trying to find this man, but whenever we went there was no one home. This week we went and this time the door was answered! By the elders.... yes, the previous elders pulled a prank on us! It was quite funny haha. Obviously "Juan" was never home because when we are working the Elders are also working haha. It just so happened that they were doing weekly planning that day and were home. It was like:

 "ummmm hello Sisters.... is everything okay? Can we help you?"

"Ummmm we are looking for Juan?" hahaha

Well this new app Pokemon Go arrived here about 2 weeks ago and there is an increase of youth in the street and an increase in cell phone robbings since everyone has their phones in plain view these days haha.

Somehow our chapel is a PokeStop, I dont know what that means, but I do know that there are colections of youth outside the chapel. 

The Buenos Aires Temple is a PokeGym... so temple assistance has also increased haha.

Perhaps this is a new iniciative to draw people to church? haha

Wednesday was a pretty normal day, our little investigators had their baptsm interview and afterward we all pitched in to paint the sets for the youth activity this week.

Thursday we were painting the base coat on the walls in the house of a lovely lady Dora who has just one leg. And taugh english class.

Friday we made apple pies and  we sewed costumes for the young womens Porta Rica dance this coming thursday 

and Saturday! the most beautiful thing was the baptisms of Valentino Ripamonti and Agustin Prudente! They are so special, i feel honored that i got to finish my mission with the baptisms of two kids so pure. They were overjoyed and even got up and bore their testamonies, we hadnt even thought to ask them to do it coz theyre just kids, but they came and said: "Hermanas! We have been practising our testamonies and we want to bare say them in our baptism!". Hearing 8 year old Agustin  say so eloquently: "I have taken a great step! I am happy. I know that the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is the only true church." and to hear Valentino say: "I am ready to follow jesus christ and keep his comandments. This is the true church and where I want to be." was so powerful and left almost everyone there all teared up! Including their mum who is not a member and their big brother Gino who was baptised 2 months ago. 

We sung with the kids "When I am baptised" from the primary hymn book :

 I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain

And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.

I want to be the best I can and live with God again.

I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away,

And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day.

I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.

I want to be the best I can and live with God again.

I Love you all! 

Hermana Wilson

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" 1Timothy 4:7

Well, the time has arrived, Thursday 11th of August I completed 18 months here in the mission and next monday at this time I will be in my final devotional here, just a few hours short of heading to Buenos Aires International for my 14 hour long flight home to Auckland! It is a bitersweet feeling to be at this point.

I cannot express what my mission has meant to me, what these people mean to me, what this church means to me.

I came here hoping to be a tool in the hands of The Lord to build up His kingdom here on earth, but it is I who has been built up. This service has taught me to be diligent, patient, humble and more than anything else to love all people.

I have been through the refining fires and I feel stronger, more confident and more tha ever sure that I am on the right path, that the best decision I ever made was to be baptised into this Church. 

It was not a coincidence that  I was sent here to Argentina Buenos Aires South to serve. This mission is, was always, and will always be my mission. These are my people, my family, I didnt meet them, i was reunited with them, and they will always hold a special place in my heart. 

I hope that my service has helped in some way, that Argentina is just a little bit better because I gave my heart, might , mind and strength to these 18 months. 

Thank you all for your support and love durring these last 18 months.

 The Lord promised me:  "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." and in many ocations, although far away, you have been those angels baring me up. 

I dont know if i could have done this without that knowledge.

I Love you and I cant wait to see your faces!

For the Last time as: 

Hermana Wilson

 "Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost

 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me."

1 Month to go.......

Hey all!!

Not much to report this week. I survived my infection, im all done with the antibiotics and although im still coughing I can breathe well. Today i even did exersize for the first time in 2 weeks! Felt great! 

Today we are in Lomas de Zamora shopping! I am buying a few things to take home and my companion is buying a few things that she needs. 

Suday I was asked to teach the Young Womens class and I loved it! I love being with the youth,theyre so great and i love seeing faithful young people. 

Our recent convert Gino brought his 8 year old brother Agustin (who is to be baptised in 2 weeks!) and 4 year old sister Guadalupe to church on sunday, poor little Guada felt totally asleep on my arm in sacrement meeting haha, but they both enjoyed the primary class!

Im short on time today, but ive attached a photo of me making waffles with the Petito family yesterday! It was great fun and really delish! I want a waffle machine!

See you all in 1 month!

Hermana Wilson

Daughter number 2 on the way! Hehe

This week has been AMAZING! One of the best of my whole mission.

Let me start off my explaining the caption haha, I am about to be a Mum for the second time, aka, i am going to be training a new missionary who arrives tomorrow from the Misisonary Training Center. I dont know where she is from yet.

Hermana Rodriguez, my first daughter has just completed 1 year in the mission, i am literally recieving my 2nd daughter exactly one year after the first. It is going to be hard to beat the relationship that Hermana Rodriguez and I have because we are super close, but i know I am going to have a great 6 weeks together, because yes.... as of today I officially have 6 weeks left of my mission! Today is also my 17th birthday month here in Argentina!

I am with the amazing Hermana Shepard until we recieve our daughters tomorrow.

I had to go into the hospital on Thursday for a lump on my wrist which after a few tests turns out to be a ganglion cyst, nothing serious at all. We got to stay with Hermana Rodriguez and her companion and obviously Rodri and I spent a good many hours catching up! She is not at all happy to be recieving a sister, poor jealous big sister haha.

Other things that happened this week:

1. Kid was being naughty in sacrement and the mum goes to take him out and he screams: "Bishop! Help me! Help me!" haha

2. Our district leader made up his own little crazy aerobics dance and we did that in district meeting to some EFY music, was really funny!

3. We ate ice cream as a district to say goodbye to each other, all in scarfs and hats and gloves because it was reall cold haha.

4. Its sweet week here in Argentina! "Candy for a kiss", i got a few candies from people and obviously i gave the famales a kiss ON THE CHEEK, dont bew getting too scandalized anyone.

5. saw a halarious marquee set up on the side of the road which had written above: Marquee of Miracles! haha, its where you go to buy blessings from God! Amazing right? If i had known that blessings could be bought i would have stayed home working instead of coming on the mission, shame i found that one out 6 weeks before the end! :P haha

6. My Dog Torti is on vacation, the block all pitched in to get her spayed and the neighbour is taking care of her until she recovers from her operation.

7: The BEST day of my mission happened..... I got a call on Wednesday from Hermana Rodriguez saying that on saturday we would be companions again for the day since president had giving us special permission to go to Selene´s baptism in Lanus! Missionaries here NEVER recieve permission to go to baptisms in previous areas, but since Selene had that traumatic experience of being burnt before her baptism last year President Calquin thought it would be a great surprise for her if we went. So my daughter and i left our companions working in Adrogue and returned to Lanus for the first time in nearly a year and I cannot even explain what an amazing experience it was! I saw all my converts from there and gave the talk on baptism and we both sung a childrens hymn. There were a lot of tears! Selene cried when she saw us as did Lorena and Agustina, we cried hugging members and converts and great friends. I cannot explain the emense joy i felt seeing how well all the people are there, people that i really poured my soul into helping while i was there!

There´s a photo attached with Selene just after she came out of the water, im gonna try to send more but my camera is being a little lame connecting to this computer.

Love you all!

P.S

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY YANKEES!!

The 4th of july is my sisters birthday, shes 23 now, old huh? ;)

Shout out to Britt for her birthday and for graduating as a qualified kindergarten teacher! 

Photos Marta´s baptism

Photos Marta´s baptism

True Miracles!

Hey All!!

This week has been stormy and very wet, but no floods this year!

This week I met the new President and Hermana Calquin form Chile. Theyre fntastic! It was ahalarious meeting, got really trunky as they told us how the met and President Calquin acted out his huge challenge of wining his wifes heart haha. They then started giving marriage adice which was halarious since we are a bunch of missionaries that cant even date haha. 

President Calquin told us that when he had his interview to be mission president he didnt feel prepared and the apostle said: "President, do you love your wife? If you do, then you are preapred." I things thats the truth because all the leaders in the church seem to have such love and care for their wives!

This week i really go to see the fruits of my laybors, in many different ways. 

I got a call this week from the Elders in Lanus, my area this time last year, saying: "Hermana, there´s someone who would like to talk to you here", then a womens voice said really emotionally, "Hermana Wilson! Its Lorena Vaca!" 

My eyes instantly filled with tears. This lovely women was baptised a year ago, i taught her all the lessons and a few weeks later her daughter was baptised as well. I was very close to them and then they both went inactive just as i left that area because of some great trials they had. I left that area with a heavy heart wondering if there was anything i could have done better, and the last i heard about them over 6 months ago was that they were both still inactive. 

Lorena told me on the phone that she has just recieved her patriarachal blessing, she has a calling at church and this coming saturday we are going to meet with her in the temple! Agustina is also a active and happy 17 year old! 

That was enough to fill my soul with joy, but then i was told that Celeste is about to get her mission call. In Lanus we worked constantly with this 18 year old girl, the only member in her family who was going through a lot of trails. We prayed and fasted for her, we consoled her, we told her off for not being true to the Lord, we spoke to her on the phone when she called late at night. We managed to get her well and active for about a month and a half and then the trials became too much and she became completely inactive. It broke my heart and once again i wondered if i was somehow failing her. To hear that she will soon be in the mission was overjoying!

But thats not all! I was then told that Selene is to be baptised this coming saturday! Selene is the 11 year old niece of Lorena Vaca, we taught her a lot and she is so spiritual and so special, but a week before her baptism a pot of boiling oil fell on her legs and she couldnt be baptised. Now 10 months later and fully recovered, Selene is about to be baptised and the Elders are teaching her family! 

But thats not all!!!.....

This Saturday Marta Gonzalez form here in Ciudad Evita was also baptised! We have been teaching her all my time here and have seen how the gospel has healed her broken heart after the death of her 2 sons. It was a beautiful service and i do not doubt that there were angels in the water with her. We were very concerned about how to baptised her being that she is 70 and quite big, we had the elders in white just in case help was needed. But it went so prefectly that it seemed angels lifted her form the water. I was praying with all my heart that it would be okay and my prayer was answered. Martas family ws there too! It was stressfull because the hot water was really slow and so we hd to fill the baptism font with buckets of hot water! Hence why my hair is kinda wet in the photos, it was also boring with rain and really humid!

But thats not all the miracles!

The Elders from Monte Grande called and told me that saturday afternoon Liber Alonso was baptised. Liber is a 23 year old that I taught in my previous area. He was a miracle find! We were passing by a house and i felt very strongly that we needed to knock on the door and ask them if they knew the person that we were looking for because we couldnt find the hosue. In the end the older man that answered didnt know, but said he´s ask his son, his son didnt know either, but was very interested in our message and we began to teach him. He was just baptised!

This week has shown me that no effort is waisted, that no act of kindness, no good word spoken is ever in vain. Sometimes we cant see the fruits of our laybours, but theyre there. I am so, so grateful to have been able to recieve these great news this week and know that God worked through me for the salvation of the human soul!

I love you all!

Hermana Wilson