Six More Weeks in the Promise Land!

well.....we got changes....

I AM STILL IN OCOTAL! :) Ocotal has pretty much become my home now! I cant really imagine leaving this place so its a good thing I've got six more weeks in the promised land :)

This week was so fun. We have started working with a recent convert of the Elders. Her name is Tamara and she is 13! She left with us like every day this week for the entire day! She loves sharing her testimony and loves our investigators. We have started having her teach parts of the lesson. On Friday we were in a lesson and we had her share the first vision and then afterwards she just went right into teaching it how we usually do and tears came to my eyes it was so special. She is just so full of the spirit. I love taking her to lessons because the investigators can see how much she loves the gospel :) I love seeing how the gospel changes lives, even the lives of the jovenes.

We are working with this guy named Adan, and he ROCKS. He LOVES reading the Book of Mormon. He has already quit drinking coffee and is working on quitting smoking. He started with 6 and now only smokes half a cigarette every day so we are SO proud of him. :) Tamara loves visiting him to make sure he is completing his goals and gives him stickers when he does! Please keep him in his prayers. He went to all three hours of church yesterday and is preparing for baptism!

Also...WE GOT A PIANO IN OCOTAL THIS WEEK!!!! I am pretty close to the the mission nurse and her husband, Elder Bell and Hermana Bell. So when we went to a meeting in Manauga on Tuesday, Elder Bell asked if we wanted a piano. I was like um YES so they came down on Saturday and gave us a keyboard to use in the church. All I could think was of my moms voice saying..you better practice because one day someone will need you to play on your mission! Well....turns out I am the only missionary that knows how to play other than my companion. Moms just always know I guess... :) I played in sacrament meeting yesterday and it felt so good to touch piano keys again!

I have been trying my best every day to set goals to do the lords work better. I read a quote this week that said, 'God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are, and with His help, where you are willing to go.' Something I have learned on the mission is that desire is where everything starts. If we have the desire to change and to be better, we will be able to do it because we will receive the help of our Heavenly Father. :) I love that the message of the gospel is that we can change, because how boring would life be if we just stayed the same. 

Love you all!

-- 

Hermana Willes

My cute companion, Tamara and me.
The three musketeers!

Found a black and white filter on my camera...
It's a long bus ride!!

Divisions in Estelli...
I don't like the big cities as much as my little village:)

Another Miracle

WE HAD ANOTHER MIRACLE. We always have miracles in the mission, but this week the Lord sent me straight to my knees in gratitude.

We started the week off with three possibilities to be baptized. On Wednesday, Magaly, fell. We pushed her fecha back for this week, so we were left with two. On Thursday morning we received a message from our District Leader, asking for someone we could baptize. In his words, Do you have a miracle you can baptize this week? The thought came to my mind that maybe we could find an investigator that had already gone to church that would be ready for baptism. I turned to my companion and I told her, I know that God does miracles if missionaries have the faith. I think we can find someone today in a contact that has been to church but for some reason wasn’t baptized, but they will be ready to be baptized on Saturday. She was like...WILLY YOU ARE CRAZY! But I reminded her that if we have the faith..The Lord always does his part. So we said a comp prayer asking the Lord to put someone in our path...

Fast forward to that afternoon. We are walking out of an appointment and this guy starts talking to us! We invite him to church and he tells us that he has been to church about a year ago. He went about 5 times but never got baptized..so naturally we invited him to get baptized. ....HE SAID YES! On Friday, we reviewed the lessons and on Saturday he got baptized!! His name is Carlos and he is SO pilas. Yesterday in church before it started he was sitting and reading in the Book of Mormon :) He was just glowing he was so happy! I am still in shock that this miracle happened...especially because our other possibilities fell. But we still were able to have a baptism! :) The Lord is blessing us like crazy right now..I just love being a missionary so much!!

This week we have changes..but i think that I might actually stay in Ocotal. Ocotal Forever....

-- 

Hermana Willes

Carlos' Baptism

We climbed a mountain for Elder Hirshi's last P-day

At the top with my cute companion

Darling little girl of one of the members
I love the kids...

Loving God

I hope you are all doing just wonderfully because things are just great here in the chosen land of ocotal. :)

I dont have a lot of time so this week I am just going to share a quote from Elder Bednar..He said, Many of the lessons we are to learn in mortality can be received only through the things we experience and sometimes suffer. And God expects and trusts us to face temporary mortal adversity with his help so we can learn what we need to learn and ultimately become what we are to become in eternity.

I have been thinking a lot about how to really consecrate myself in the work and to really become who Heavenly Father wants me to become. But a lot of the time i ask myself HOW? I know that the Atonement can change us but..HOW? And last night I was reading the scripture in Moroni about becoming perfect through Christ..and in that scripture it first says that we need to love God with our heart, might, mind, and strength. I realized that it all starts with loving God. When we love God, we want to do what he wants us to do. We will do anything for Him. And that is when we start to change. When we stop doing the things that put us farther away from God, and when we start doing more the things that help us get closer to him. And just like that..we start to change. :) Each day here in the mission I am trying to be better. I have heard that when we are getting closer to Christ, we see our weaknesses a lot easier. Well, I can testify that that is true. I am so far from the person I want to become, so thank the heavens i still have a lot more time as a missionary!

I know that this gospel is true. Without a doubt. I know that Jesus Christ will talk to each of us individually one day.. face to face. 

-- 

Hermana Willes

Nicaragua...

The little kids are the cutest!

Love my companion!

This Work is a Privilege

This week was so crazy...

First of all we had a multizone with President Poncio and it was so great. They talked about how the Savior would leave the house every day if he was a missionary alongside us..or how He left the house during his ministry. It really made me think about how I leave the house each day! I love doing this work and it is such a privilege :)

Also...my poor companion got a parasite. She was pretty much throwing up everything that she was eating and we knew something was wrong..so we went to the Nica doctor and it turns out she has a parasite! My poor comp..but she is loaded with meds now and is doing awesome! haha keep her in your prayers that her little friend dies soon! 

ROSA GOT BAPTIZED! Woohoo! It was a miracle :) She was so happy! And she looked beautiful.

We almost got killed by a cow this week. We were teaching one of my recent converts Melva outside of her house when her neighbor starts screaming THERE IS A COW! And we turn around like what? And then this cow just starts barreling towards us..AH! Literally the horns almost skewered us. I have never been scared of a cow but in that moment..haha we all ran into the house and then died of laughter. Oh the things that happen in Nicaragua :)

On Monday we did an FHE where we were making a poster with our handprints for ´somos las manos de cristo´but it accidentaly turned into a paint fight..my comp and I were showering at 10 at night..SO COLD. but so fun :) still pulling paint out of my hair. I love my cute family!

Well I hope things are going GREEAT! My cuz got home and spoke so shout out to Kinsey! I love you girl! I am so proud of you and know that you were an incredible missionary.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

--

Hermana Willes

Washing clothes...
I guess I have embraced the third world life!

Rosa's Baptism

Me and my cute companion!

FHE with Ernesto and his family

Then there's the rain....

Miracle on Miracle

This week was so GREAT!

First off..I met our new President! President Poncio is AMAZING. He is all smiles and wants to get to know all of the missionaries. I pretty much didnt know what I was doing in consejo but it sure was pretty fun! And I learned a lot about how we really are called to be leaders to help others, because we are a team here in the mission :) 

Ok..so miracle time..because we had to go to consejo on Friday we were not able to pass by for our possibility this week, Holman. I was so stressed because that is when Satan just goes crazy snakes and takes advantage of anyone preparing for baptism. He also doesnt have a phone so we could call him..but on Saturday we were supposed to meet him at 1:30 to head to the pool for the baptism and...HE WASNT HOME. I had been praying all morning for him to be there..and he wasnt. But I turned to my hija and was like, We are not leaving. I know that we will have a baptism..so we sat and waiting. We prayed. We waiting. And finally..his brother (who is always drunk) comes out to talk to us and he goes, Holman is waiting for you guys just three blocks down! Go get him! And I was like...I dont know if I believe this guy..(he is always drunk haha) but we were like...ok lets go! And....HE WAS WAITING! Turns out he had to work longer than he thought and his sister lived closer so he showered and got ready there and then was waiting for us. We picked him up and then we headed to the pool and he got baptized! WOOHOO! My cute hija has already her first baptism! We are also planning on baptizing Holmans sister, Rosa, this week! Yay! :)

Happy Fourth of July to everyone! We went and got hamburgers to celebrate..that is why there is a picture of me eating a hamburger. Also I saw my Wally Bear! I am so blessed to have my best friend with me in the mission. :) The picture with the Elders is the original Ocotal crew..(only Elder Hirschi and I are still in Ocotal). The two elders and Hermana Ashcraft die this change...so sad.

ANYWAYS..I LOVE the mission and I LOVE Ocotal. We are seeing miracles every day. I love the scripture in Ether that says, For if there be no faith among the children of men, God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, He showed not himself until after their faith. I know that when We have the faith, The Lord is willing to provide the miracle. We just need to have the faith! :)

Everyone go swimming and eat good food today! hehe. :)

-- 

Hermana Willes

Holman's Baptism

A huge cheeseburger for the 4th!

Meeting President and Sister Poncho

The original Ocotal district reunited!

Loved seeing Wally!!

Two Chelas

Hola Holaaaa! :)

Well....IM TRAINING A CHELA! :) Her name is Hermana Gould and she is from California!! Woohoo! My hija is the cutest. She is full of energy and has a heart of gold. She fits in perfectly here in the greatest place ever :) She has already experienced no running water, no electricity, a donkey walking through a lesson, a little girl abusing a cat during a lesson, all the cat calls, and tracting in the rain! Love it.

The first day on the bus a guy started talking to her in english (so she understood) and afterwards she was like...totally thought that was the gift of tongues. HAHA. I love it :)

I also broke out in some random rash this week so everyone has been telling me I have chikyngunya..so yesterday I told people, look if I can go to church with chukingunya you can come too! :) hehe. 

We are working with a lot of different people right now but we are still working with a woman named Melva and we finally put a fecha with her! I love her so much and the gospel is definitely changing her life. I love SO much seeing how the gospel changes lives.

We explored a little bit today and hiked! We found a guy with a machete that was like, hey i know where there is some good fruit so come with me! haha so naturally we followed and we ate some fruit with him and his machete :) also...I AM WEARING PANTS! Love it. I love wearing pants. It rocks :)

President Collado leaves tomorrow and I will be headed to leadership council on Friday with the new President, President Poncio. I am super excited to meet President Poncio but also so sad that President Collado is leaving. But I know that President Poncio has been called of God!

A quote that I found this week that I loved says, "How does one get humble? To me, one must constantly be reminded of his dependence. On whom dependent? On the Lord. How remind oneself? By real, costant, worshipful, grateful prayer." (Spencer W. Kimball) 

The mission has really humbled me. I will complete 9 months this week on the 30th..defenitely cried this week during a comp study just thinking about how fast my mission is going. The mission has changed me life! I am so grateful to represent the Savior every day and learn to become a little bit more like him.

Sorry this email is kind of crazy!  Love you all!

-- 

Hermana Willes

9 months

Pants!!

Did someone say Machete?

It's how we get the fruit!

Hermana Willes and Hermana Gould

Beautiful Nicaragua!

Love it!

Love my companion!

I am still in Ocotal!

Well...

we had changes.

I AM STILL IN OCOTAL! :) Can you believe it? Ocotal is the promised land. and....

I AM TRAINING AGAIN! :) hehe. Now I know the Lord knows best but..the poor girl that I will be training..she doesn’t know that her mom is a crazy chela! I am going to Manauga tomorrow to pick her up..woohoo!

I have also been called to be a Sister Training Leader! I can’t even believe it..I am so excited but so nervous at the same time. President Collado leaves this week and next week the new President will be taking over. One reason that I am excited to be a training leader is because I get to go to consejo next week and get to know the new president.  

Something that I read this week from conference said, The ability to serve does not come from being outgoing or things like that, but from a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. I might not be the most outgoing missionary, the most organized missionary, or the missionary that I want to be, but I am 100 percent dedicated to following my Savior and trying to become like him every day. :)

This week was so fun with Hermana Perez! I sent her off today. I loved working with someone that gave something a little different to the work. Ernesto is planning on getting the Priesthood this week! Woohoo! 

I hope that everyone is doing well. And while a lot of my friends are finishing the mission...I am so happy that I still have more 9 months left. My decision to serve a mission has changed my life forever.. :)

--

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes and Hermana Perez

Saying Good-bye to the Collados

With Hermana Marquez
and her companion, also Hermana Perez

Sweet Hermana Perez (#2)