Monday, November 30, 2015

One More Week, One More Baptism!

"This week was so great..yesterday I was leading the music in relief society and one of my first converts in the family that was baptized was just grinning up at me and I was like like wow I am a missionary and I am so full of happiness right now. It was accurate too because we were singing tengo gozo in mi alma hoy! (There is Sunshine in My Soul Today) That song is so much better in spanish. This sister (Karina) is seriously the best. Mom, you would love her. She is so funny because she knows when I understand and when I'm just pretending to understand :) She has two little boys and they are so cute. The kids here are so cute!!!"       --part of her email to me (Lisa)--just love it!!

Five people baptized in three weeks! Woohoo! I love Central America :) I really have been so blessed. This week Jose was baptized, the son of Ada (the lady that was baptized last week). This week was so GREAT!!!

Highlights:

Thanksgiving dinner of rice and beans! Sooooo yummy.

Being chased by a drunk man! Yay! Thank goodness for hills so we could run down the other side and He couldn't find us. Definitely impressed with his speed though :) But don't worry mom, I can take any drunk man out because their perception is sooo off.

Teaching Jimmy! Our investigator Jimmy is from NYC and he is visiting his family in Nicaragua. He is amazing. We get to teach in English which is crazy (so fun but also so hard because we need to keep it simple). We taught him to pray this week and in every prayer he says, ¨Help me to know if this is true because I just wanna do what you want me to do and I don´t wanna do anything you don´t want me to do´¨. How precious is that?

We are teaching these super cute girls Juanita and Mariella and we left them with a Book of Mormon the first night we met them (SUPER rare) and when we showed up the next day Juanita was like, I have a question! Turns out she read all of the testimonies and introductions and she asked us what the Urim and Thummim was! haha She is soo pilas. Love her!

Well this week we have changes because President doesn't want anyone in the MTC for Christmas so pray I stay with Hermana Walborn!! I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!! Love you all!

--
Hermana Willes

Pictures.......

Hermana Willes, Hermana Walborn and Jose...


Part of our area...


Where we meet for Sacrament Meeting...


My favorite people ever! Karina (holding the baby) and her Mom Candida.  this family is tempe bound...


Thanksgiving Dinner...


I love this cute little boy named Harold...


Making chocolate chip cookies latin style--without an oven...


Our cute landlord.  She calls us babydoll...


The first Christmas package arrives...


Thank you Mamoo and Boppy...


Monday, November 23, 2015

Baptism Round Two

This week was so great here in Ocotal! We baptized another hermana named Ada and she is so precious. I have been so lucky to have baptisms my first two weeks. The people here are so amazing and so prepared!

This week some crazy things happened..

1. We were in a drug bust. On Tuesday when we drove to Managua and the police pulled our bus over and we were stopped for like an hour and they arrested this guy. Yay!

2. We were in a car accident. A bike ran into our taxi in Managua. Oops! (No nicas were harmed) (or gringas:)

3. I officially look my worst but receive the most attention I've ever gotten. 

4. SO MANY MIRACLES! We found two people that speak english this week that took us back to their families to teach. Crazy! The both are very cool and one of them actually learned English in Taiwan where my cousin, William, is serving his mission.

I love teaching-- even though it is simple with my spanish-- and focusing on the needs our investigators. The Lord has blessed me so much with a desire to work. Being a missionary is the BEST. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! This week I will be grateful for rice, rice and more rice :)

-- 

Hermana Willes


Hermana Walborn, Hermana Willes and Ada...


Monday, November 16, 2015

I Made It!

Mom Note:  We were so excited to get Sarah’s first email from Nicaragua!  Sarah knew one sister in the Nicaragua Managua North Mission—a friend from the BYU dorms that Sarah said was topnotch.  Of course our family prayed that she would get an awesome trainer and in the back of our minds Steve and I thought, “wouldn’t it be awesome if her friend Nancy ended up her trainer??"  But we just thought there was no way—that would be way too much to hope for!  But, the Lord and his tender mercies!  We were excited to find out today in her emails that Nancy is indeed her trainer!  We are so grateful for this tender mercy!  


I am now in the great place of NICARAGUA and I love it so much! My first area is in Ocotal and I LOVE it. It isn't too hot and the people are amazing. My trainer is the one and only Hermana Walborn, who was actually in my relief society presidency at BYU. Such a blessing. She is amazing! It was so good to see her and she has already taught me so much. I live with her and one other companionship right now (all americans) and they are all incredible missionaries. Ocotal is about a 4 hour bus ride from Managua and they opened the area just two transfers ago. Our house is so cute. We only have running water about every other day and it is simple but I love it.  We have church in a little tiny house and it is so great. The food here is AMAZING. Who knew rice could be so good?

ALSO, I HAD FOUR BAPTISMS THIS WEEK! The Lagos family was baptized on Saturday and it was amazing. They were baptized in this little river (the Elders had to dam it so it would be deep enough) and it was such an incredible experience. It was a couple and their two daughters, and I love them so much! I tell them I love them all the time and they just laugh and hug me. (they love me because they get to make fun of how i can't speak spanish) I love them so much!

I've been waiting to be a missionary for so long that this week has been so surreal. I am already in love with the people and want to share the gospel with everyone. Even though I can't communicate I start up conversations anyways :) It's funny because we always will start our lessons with a prayer and my companion has them choose and they always choose me. Always :)

Well, I am safe and alive and loving every minute of being a missionary! I know that the Lord called me here specifically and I love it!  I feel like I’ve found another home.The simple life is the best life.

-- 

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes and Hermana Walborn outside the little house they live in...



The Lagos family that was baptized on Saturday.  Hey are seriously so cute...


Where the Lagos family was baptized...



Friday, November 6, 2015

I Leave Monday Morning for Nicaragua!

Another week has come and gone here at the MTC and believe it or not it is my last :) I leave Monday morning for the great country of Nicaragua and I am stoked about it. I have loved every second of the MTC and it will be so hard to leave all of the amazing missionaries I have met here, but I am so ready to get to where the Lord needs me! 

Last week we had fast and testimony meeting and I was able to bear my testimony in Spanish! It was simple, but it was true :) We also went to the temple for the last time today and I wept like a little baby. I have been so blessed to live in a place with multiple temples and leaving them feels like leaving a best friend. I have found so much comfort and joy in temples..so now I just get to tell all of the lovely Nicaraguans about them and hopefully one day they will be blessed with one too :)

The days are so repetitive with class here that I don't even know that happened this week. All I know is that I've been waiting for Monday since I was a little girl and I'm in shock that I am finally gonna get out there and preach the good word! I think my favorite thing that I've learned here at the MTC is that the purpose of missionaries is Invite and Help others to Come Unto Christ. I mean what more could you want to do all day?

Monday morning I get to call my family and I am so excited! My companion, Hermana Speas, said the greatest thing this morning as we started packing. She said, "Your family is like the source of water for the earth." That pretty much sums up what will be happening Monday morning when I talk to my family! So many tears, but definitely good tears!

I hope you all have a great week! Love you all and I'll catch you on the flip side!

--

Hermana Willes


Leaving the temple this morning was so hard--I knew it was the last time for a long time...


The MTC is such an awesome place. I'm going to cry leaving all the Hermanas and Elders here...


My great companion...


In the classroom...


Nothing like a bundt cake delivered to the MTC...


These signs were posted everywhere in the residence halls today.  Haha!  Literally everywhere...