Things I Learn as a Missionary

This week was kind of crazy but an amazing one nonetheless. This week our baptism possibility fell through! He is 13 years old and named Jose. I love him with all of my heart and know that one day he will be baptized, I have no doubt!

Because Jose is only 13, we had to get a signature from his mom, who is always working. Every day this week we prayed and prayed to get the signature. And each day the mom wouldnt give it to us. This caused a lot of confusion for Jose because his parents didn’t think he was ready, and kind of attacked him when we weren’t there. But by some miracle, Friday night, by the Lords hand, we got the signature. Afterwards though, I didn’t feel as happy as I thought I would. I kind of felt like Galinda in Wicked when she sings about how she should be happy but it feels different. I couldn’t put my finger on why until Saturday morning when we had comp study. I knew that the will of the Lord was that Jose needed to wait a little bit. When we passed by Jose on Saturday He told us that he didnt want to be baptized, and immediately Wally and I felt peace. Funny how that works huh?

I know that God loves each and every one of us. I know that Heavenly Father was listening to our prayers, and followed through with them because Heavenly Father really does help his missionaries. But I also know that The Family is of God, and God’s plan is to have loving relationships in families, and He doesnt want the gospel to tear that apart. The gospel blesses families. :)

Every day I am blessed to see miracles and learn new things as a missionary. Deciding to serve a mission was by far the best decision that I've made! 

Have a great week!

-- 

Hermana Willes

I Love Ocotal!

President Comes to Ocotal!

So this week.... BAYARDO GOT BAPTIZED!!! So a little about Bayardo... He is 62 years old and is sick right now with chikungunya. He was in the hospital for a long time in Managua but then he came back to Ocotal. One day, little Hermana Wally and I were walking down a road that we walk down every day, and felt that we should contact this house! Bayardo came to the gate and let us in and we met his wife and his children (who didn’t want to listen) and we started talking to him right away about baptism! Within 5 minutes of talking with him, we had invited him to be baptized, and he accepted! We came back the next day and Hermana Wally had a cold so she couldn´t talk a lot, and I lead my first ever lesson in Spanish. At the end of the lesson I asked if he still wanted to be baptized and he said yes! I will always remember that feeling of pure joy. Ever since that day he has just grown so fast and is so incredibly smart! At his baptism, he asked us if he could share is testimony and he told us that he couldn’t believe he was going to die (when he was sick before) before finding what it was that God wanted him to do. He then continued to say that he just waited and then we came with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He referred to us as angels and said he was so excited to be baptized not only by water but also by FIRE!! (the Holy Ghost!) We feel so blessed to have taught a prepared son of God who will be soon recieving the priesthood! He also loves the hymn Teach Me to Walk in the Light! haha One day we sang that hymn and at the end he goes, We will walk in the Light together. :) I am so grateful for Bayardo and how precious he is. He is just like another little grandpa! When he changed for his baptism He couldn´t button up his shirt because of his chikungunya and I had to do it for him..not really sure if that is allowed but it seemed harmless to me! Hehe.

President Collado our mission President came to Ocotal this week. He just said how proud he was of the missionaries over here. We are just so happy to have the opportunity to serve in an area where there are prepared people on every corner! This morning my companion said to me, I don´t think anyone is as happy to be a missionary as you are. And I think I have to agree...just because being a missionary is the BEST. I wouldnt trade anything for the memories I am making and the experiences I am having. How beautiful is it that we have the gospel?

-- 

Hermana Willes

Bayard's baptism

Grocery Shopping in Nicaragua!

Hermana Walborn, not feeling so well :(

Look what we found at the market

Dino nuggets time!

All Nicaraguans Go to Heaven

WOHOO!!

We had another baptism this week..Nicaraguans are just all going to heaven! :)  It was a miracle too because we didn't talk to her this week until Thursday..but the Lord helped us so much. Nahomi is only 13 and she is adorable. Her mom died a couple years ago and she was so excited about the plan of salvation. And she walks all the way to church every week and the walk is about 30 minutes! 

Church was SO great yesterday! We brought so many to church. We were literally running before the 2 o’clock meeting to get taxis for everyone. Most of the people we teach live in Sandino which is a ten minute taxi ride to church so all the menos activos won’t come really unless you help them get there..oh the nicas :)

Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am so excited for this year because every day I will be doing the exact same thing--representing Jesus Christ and helping others grow closer to Him. I am so blessed :) Nicaragua is just the best. I am so excited for what this new year will bring!

So the other day we were filling out the paper work for Nahomi (the adorable girl we baptized) and there is this little malnurished little boy (i think 3) and he is leaning on my legs, just being cute, and I feel this hot liquid running down my leg. Well, turns out he just really had to go and the mom must have forgotten the cloth that morning! hahaha it was so funny.

I hit my three month mark on the 30th! How crazy! I love it here SO much and am so happy I still have a lot more time here on the mission ;)

-- 

Hermana Willes

Nahomi's Baptism

Packages!!

New Year's Eve kiss

Pday Soccer

Lice.  There are no words

The cyber where we email
 

This companionship :)

I Broke My Record!

I hope everyone had a FABULOUS Christmas because I sure did! I was actually a little sick here on Christmas day...but don't you worry it didn't stop us from having a baptism! :) We had a baptism the week before too! Nicaragua is just the promised land!

So the title of my email is "I broke my record" because this week I broke one of my records I have held near and dear to my heart. In college I would always brag to my roommates about how I haven't thrown up since the 6th grade..well.........i threw up on Christmas! Or the day before...Here Christmas is the 24th :) It was actually really funny because my comp was taking pictures with some girls in our barrio and I was like uh oh...and just let out my tamale from lunch on the side of the road. Yay Christmas! But God is so good because the next day I felt well enough to skype my family. And isn't my family just so beautiful? It felt really weird to be on this side of the computer. But I loved it!

So funny moment of the week!!!!... We went to our recent convert´s house, Melvin and we were teaching him and his daughter who got baptized a week ago, and during the lesson (that we were teaching outside) their drunk neighbor comes to the little gate and starts walking through. Melvin quickly starts wagging his finger at this drunk guy and is like "NO!"... but then the drunk guy was like, "hang on.. i have to do something." and walked right on through the gate and through our lesson and into the outdoor shower... and started showering. BAHAHAHA we all started dying since this poor man was so drunk. The funniest part was that after we started the lesson up again we heard a bang from the shower and we all look over and the CURTAIN HAD FALLEN!!! We all died laughing as for a brief moment saw this man showering!!! HAHAHAHAHA! Nicaragua is the best.

I LOVE being a missionary so much and I'm so blessed. Thanks to everyone who has written me letters. I got them all before Christmas. THANK YOU!

Until next week!

-- 

Hermana Willes

Melvin and his daughter

Liliana was baptized on Christmas

At our recent convert's house, Celeste.
This is their traditional clothes for dances.

Headed to the branch Christmas party...
and bringing a table from home! :)

Christmas!

Photos from the Christmas Mission Conference

Hermana Willy and Hermana Wally
Love this companionship!!

Hermana Willes with President and Sister Collado

Having some fun!!

Jimmy's Baptism

This week we had another baptism!! WOHOO! I am so blessed. Our investigator Jimmy from New York was baptized and I was just so happy for him. He was supposed to be baptized this coming week but we had a meeting this week where we watched Meet the Mormons (I felt so lazy watching a movie) and afterwards He said, So what if I want to get baptized this Saturday? And Wally and I were SO happy but he didn’t actually decide until Saturday at 4. We threw together a baptism in an hour! Yay for Nicaragua! :) And the best part was afterwards Jimmy asked us how to become a missionary!!! Sadly, he is too old, but we were both so happy he asked :). There is no better feeling to know that you have really been an instrument in the hands of Christ. I have dreamed of this my entire life and now I will be able to have someone in the States that I can watch grow in the gospel. Such a tender mercy from the Lord.

We have a latina in the house now, Hermana Marquez, and she is the cutest. She is so patient with my spanish and I love her so much. Today we talked for over and hour and I was like WOW that was all in Spanish! haha slowly but surely.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas! I won’t be emailing next week because i get to SKYPE and bawl my eyes out when I see my beautiful family! Woohoo! I am so excited. Also, my cousin William comes home this week so YAY congrats Willes fam! Go have a party! I am so proud of you Will and the example you have been. You have fought a good fight and I can only imagine how proud everyone is of you. Have a great first Christmas home!

--
Hermana Willes

Baptism of Jimmy Cruz

Beautiful Nicaragua

Out doing Missionary work!

Subway in Managua!  President Collado is the bomb!

Just a little personal study!

I Can't Believe My First Transfer is Over

Another great week has happened here in Nicaragua! We found out changes last night and looks like I have another 8 weeks in Ocotal with my sweet Hermana Wally! I am so excited and over the moon about it. :)

This week we had another baptism so I can officially say that I’ve had a baptized every week my first transfer! So crazy. It truly was a miracle. We were at her house Thursday and we asked what day she wanted to get baptized (we have been pushing it back for a couple weeks now) and she said, Well how about this Satuday? And we said Of course! :) It was such a blessing.

This week we went to Esteli for a multizone meeting and it was so inspirational. President Collado talked about the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes and compared it to how we only have a little to offer the Lord, but if we have faith and trust in Him, He will turn that into miracles. I have already seen that on my mission so many times.

I LOVE being a missionary so much and can't believe my first transfer is over. So crazy! Yesterday I realized how much I love my investigators when I cried on the side of the road because one wouldn't come to church. My heart was broken. I love how I can see these people through the eyes of the Lord and I want to help them with all my heart. The gospel is such an amazing gift from God and it makes me so happy!

Love you all!

-- 

Hermana Willes

Another baptism in the Lagos Family

Woohoo!  Hermana Walborn and I are staying together!

We helped the familia Lagos do their wash this week.
This is what my wrist looked like after!

Hermana Willes listening intently at zone conference