Monday, October 31, 2016

My New Hermana

BUENAS! :)

I picked up my lovely daughter this week! Her name is Hermana Amado and she is from Oklahoma! She was raised in Mexico, which means she speaks perfect spanish (yay!) and she is just killing it here in Jinotega. She has such a special light and is a fabulous missionary.

The meeting in managua where we picked up our newbies ended late so when we got to the bus station things were NUTS. One of my zone leaders, Elder Diaz, is training a new elder from the States, and the poor thing was so lost. The funnies thing was that during all the madness, the guys actually put one of the new Elder's suitcases in the wrong bus!! And the bus was pulling out!! So the poor elder looks and me and goes, "Um, hermana, they just put my suitcase in that bus and I dont think we are going in the bus." The look on his face was PRICELESS. I went running after the bus and Elder Diaz goes, "Hermana Willy, where are you going?" (in spanish) And so im like trying to explain as I run..haha but I saved the elders suitcase! After wards we were all laughing so hard. The bus station is always crazy but even though the new elder was a little shaken up I was like, "Well Elder, theres your first story to write your family. You almost lost your suitcase on the first day." hehe

So this week we have started to work with Xochils brother and his family. They came to church yesterday and i LOVE THEM so much! Also an hermana named Digna and her daughter Junieth. Pray for them that they will continue to progress.

I LOVE this work. SO MUCH.

Until next week!

--

Hermana Willes


My new companion, Hermana Amado

Having fun!

With our lunch cita

Seeing Hermana Walborn!





Monday, October 24, 2016

A Wedding and a Baptism

This week was FULL OF MIRACLES.

We had a multi zone in Esteli and before the meeting the APs sent out a text telling us that President was going to randomly choose someone to give a 10 minute talk so everyone had to prepare. I was like oh he wont choose me..well...HE DID! haha he was like ok now we are going to hear Hermana Willes..oops. But i think it went ok :) 

Also, after we got back from the multi zone we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off on Friday trying to get everything ready for Xochil & Harvin's wedding and baptism on Saturday. On Tuesday they told us that they wanted to get baptized! I cried I was so happy. We thought we had a lawyer to marry them, but when we called him on Friday he fell through..so we were running around all of Jinotega trying to get a laywer one day before. Also, in all of the madness I accidentally left our keys to the house inside the house..oops. (first picture: harvin saving us and opening our door when we were locked out) Luckily God is a God of miracles so we were able to find a lawyer, order the cake, and everything for Saturday.

Saturday was a day of pure BLISS. hehe. I had my first wedding in the mission and afterwards Xochil & Harvin got baptized! I let Xochil borrow one of my dresses and she looked amazing! They were both SO happy. We had the wedding in the house of the lawyer and the reception in the church. We had a Proclamation to the World in a picture frame and we printed a picture of them too so they could remember how important the family is and how important THEIR family is :) For their baptism we went to Matagalpa and had a Tarde Blanca with all the missionaries in Jinotega and Matagalpa. There were so many people and it was so beautiful to see all these beautiful people make their first convenant with God!

This week I have just been so happy because I know that Xochil & Harvin are truly chosen people. And my cute comp, Hermana Alfaro, was able to see their baptism. We got news of changes and I will actually be training again. My comp went to Puerto Cabezas! I will pick up my daughter (greenie) tomorrow in Managua. I am SHOCKED that I am training again. If I train one more time I will be tied with my mom in how many kids we have. :) hehe only i did it in a year and a half! :) just kidding mom.

God is Good!  Love you all!

--

Hermana Willes



Getting back into our apartment

The Wedding

I love them!

So happy for this family

Baptism Night

In White



Monday, October 17, 2016

How to Fish

Buenas!!

I hope everyone is doing GREAT because this week just flew by but was so amazing! We are working so hard with Harvin & Xochilt, the couple we found about 3 weeks ago. They are INCREDIBLE. Every night they are waiting for us and they both read in the Books of Mormon, sing the hymns, and the lessons are so full of the spirit. They are so accepting of everything we teach them and I feel at home when I am with them. They were so excited about church on Sunday and when they came it was so special! They got there a little late because they had to walk from their house (really far) with their baby Justin (cutest baby ever) and so a couple minutes into the meeting my companion and I received the impression to go outside and wait for them. As we walked out they were entering the gate to the church! Afterwards, Xochilt called us angels because she was scared to walk in alone. They stayed for all 3 hours and said they are excited to come this week too. They are SO special! This week we have focused a lot on marriage and how that would help them as a family. We just finished a great lesson with them. We read the Proclamation with them and Harvin was so excited about the church. They are so special :)

It has been raining like CRAZY SNAKES here in Jinotega. The mud on the mountains is crazy. We have changes this week but I’m pretty sure I will be staying. Yay! hahaha i want to stay in this great area. :)

Yesterday in sacrament meeting an hermana shared that the best way to help someone isn’t by giving them a fish, but teaching them how to fish. As soon as she said it I thought of my Dad! My dad ALWAYS uses that phrase: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, feed him for a lifetime :) It is so true. I am trying to teach my investigators how to fish by having them feel the spirit in our lessons so that when we aren’t with them they can study the scriptures and eat some spiritual fish on their own! I know that if i am working with the spirit i am a sucessful missionary!

I love you all so much!! 

CUIDENSE!

-- 

Hermana Willes

Xochilit, Harvin and Baby Justin

The Book of Mormon in her hand!!

The mud on my legs...
what happens everyday :/

Monday, October 10, 2016

It's Raining!!!

Buenas!

This week FLEW by. I still cant believe that this change is almost over. Like…WHAT?

So this week we had interviews with President Poncio! He is so amazing. When he asked me when I finished my mission I said, oh President. NEVER! hehe. He laughed at that. But he gave me some really good advice that I am going to put into practice! He is an inspired man.

So this week we have just been slipping and sliding down the mountain because it is raining sooooo hard every day. My shoes are all soaked and smell horrible :) Love it. We have started working with a couple named Xochilt and Harvin and they rock. Their baby is really sick right now so keep them in your prayers! They are so cool.

I also got the new Liahona this month YAY and loved reading it. President Monson said, When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right. I LOVE that quote because we should never doubt what the Prophets say or the scriptures or the Spirit, because if we follow them we will never be led astray. Also Harold B. Lee said, If we are not reading the scriptures daily, our testimonies are growing thinner. That sentence really makes you want to read the scriptures doesn’t it? haha. I love the scriptures and the difference they have made in my life!

LOVE YOU ALL!

--

Hermana Willes

Pictures of our Area...






Mom Note:  Looking at these pictures, the words of President Russell M. Nelson’s most recent conference talk come to my mind…. “My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives."  

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

General Conference Rocks!

Hola!

Sorry I am writing late.  Yesterday the power was out in all of Jinotega so we couldnt write! Woops! But here we are.

This week was so great! General Conference rocks :) I loved hearing all of the messages of the apostles and general authorities of the church. They truly are so led by the Spirit. 

On Saturday we watched conference in our church with the tablet of a member..haha. We went to go pick up one of our investigators on Saturday morning and it was so funny. She lives (of course) in the middle of the mountain and so usually we have to get to her house through this little path but on Saturday there were these dogs there..dogs that bite. So we just stood in the backyard (?) of another house and we were like we will just wait for you here hermana! And she was like Oh i cant go..but come over here so we can chat. We were like NOOOO she isn’t going to come? We were so sad. But the neighbors showed us the other path so we could get to her house and when we got there she whispers and goes, Dont worry I told you guys i would go and so I will go. I just don’t want them to know I am leaving the house because they might rob me! hahahah we were like..oh...ok! So she made us go lie to the neighbors saying that she wasnt going to go with us. TOO FUNNY….

Anyways, something that I loved from Conference was Elder Redlunds talk. He was talking about how the Spirit teaches us gospel truths and that is how we gain our testimonies. But sometimes we forget the experiences we have had, and He just said, DONT FORGET. Please. Dont forget. The emotion behind his words was just so touching! I know that it is so easy for us to forget. But when we do the little things that fuel the flames of our testimonies, we will never forget.

I hit one year in the mission this week. One year of doing the best thing possible here on this earth. Inviting others to come unto Christ through faith, repentance and baptism. I know that the Savior has walked with me every step in the last year. I am excited for the next 6 months to see what the Lord has in store for me!

-- 

Hermana Willes


Candlelight Dinner because
the power was out!

Hermanas at General Conference in Matagalpa

Enjoying lunch between sessions