This week flew by

Buenas!

This week was SO great! It flew by so fast.

Interviews in Chinandega were quite the adventure with just me, President, and the APs! It was really fun to get to know all the missionaries and travel with President. He kept teasing me the whole time about not having a companion..hehe. So luckily on Thursday when we went to Leon I was with Hermana Poncio, Yoselyn (The Poncios Daughter), and Hermana Poncios mom! When We finished checking the area books and the agendas and then went to see the sights of Leon! It was soooo beautiful there. There are a million cathedrals..talk about Catholics! I have so much respect for the missionaries there. But it is GORGEOUS! It was so fun! 

When I got back to the area we were so happy because we were blessed this week to see a miracle baptism! Last sunday a young man came to church that we had never seen before, but we went to his house after church and it turns out that he has been going to church for years, he is enrolled in seminary, and has seen baptisms! But he had never been baptized! His parents live in an area called Puerto Cabezas..the farthest area in our mission! So we called his parents and they gave us permission to baptize him. He was baptized yesterday and ALL the young men came to show their support! It was so beautiful. Today he was beaming in church and his older sister came too! We are so grateful because we have been struggling a lot in our area but the Lord just gave us this little miracle. The Lord is in the details of our lives!

This week Elder Rasband is coming to visit the mission! Woohoo! I am so excited. We will be having a meeting the with south mission and I am so excited to hear about what he will be speaking about! 

I dont think I will ever be able to put into words how much I love the mission and being a missionary. It just isnt possible! I am so amazing at how fast time is flying..whenever I think about it I get emotional! I LOVE this work. I know that the Savior suffered, died, and now lives. I know that the marks in His Hands and Feet are evidence of His love. He will never leave us alone, and He will always lift us up to higher ground. I am grateful for someone who will never give up on me, no matter how many mistakes I make. I am humbled to be able to wear his name on my chest every day as I fall in love with his children here in Nicargua! 

Cuidanse mucho y les quiero!

-- 

Hermana Willes

Miracle Baptism!!

Best Day!!

Leon with Hermana Poncio and her Mom

More with Hermana Poncio

with Yocelyn

Working with the Hermanas in Chinendega

I got to visit Mairon and Maritza

Working Hard

Hey Everyone!

This will be short but this week was really good. Things are going great here and we are working hard in the area.

We had consejo with all the leaders this week and so many things are changing in the mission! Now we only have 4 indicadors to send to the church so we dont have to count lessons or anything like that..so different! We are trying to work more with the spirit to be led to the people that are ready for the gospel!

This week I am headed to Chinandega this week with President!! Yay! I am excited. He will be interviewing the missionaries and I will be checking agendas..haha so fun! Also Hermana Poncios mom is coming today so i will get to meet her!

I will take lots of pictures and send a better email next week!

Love you!!

-- 

Hermana Willes

Sister Training Leaders

Found this little scorpion in our apartment :/

Having fun with Yocelyn

I Love this Work

Bueno...

This week flew by!! I was able to work with a lot of different hermanas this week and it was so fun getting to know them. My companion also had to accompany president to Puerto Cabezas so his daughter, Yocelyn, worked and slept with us! It was so fun getting to know her better! She is so cute and will be such a great missionary! 

This week I studied a lot about the Atonement and Jesus Christ. In one of the meetings that we had this week Hermana Poncio said that she loved how Jesus Christ never once said, "Do what I say!" He just said, "Come, Follow Me." The Savior really is such an example to all of us in the way that He teaches, the way that He loves, and the way that He is. I am so greatful for the atonement and for our Savior Jesus Christ!

I love this work and I love this gospel!

--

Hermana Willes

Me and cute Jocelyn

Mairon and Maritza Got Married & Baptized!

This week was GREAT!

Mairon and Maritza got MARRIED & BAPTIZED!!! WOOHOO!!! :) They are the cutest, most pilas couple ever. The week was full of meetings and we were running all over town and could barely work in our area..and then we were fully blessed this weekend with the help of members and seeing a family enter the waters of baptism. They were so excited! So many people came to the wedding on Friday night and Mairon and Maritza both looked so great!  On Saturday, at the baptism they were both grinning ear to ear. They have already started talking about the temple :) I love them so much. People like them make all the hard days and moments of no success totally worth it. Moments like this weekend make me never want to stop being a missionary!!

Yesterday in Sacrament meeting I gave a talk about the Savior's atonement and repentance. I shared the famous story that my Dad tells about when I thought his job at Nestle consisted of mixing chocolate, and they all thought it was pretty funny. I shared about how sometimes we don't understand the "work" of our Heavenly Father. His work really is to help us become like Him..and repentance is essential in that plan. The Plan of Happiness can't function without repentance. I have learned on my mission to repent every single day, because when I do, the Lord helps me be better. I have such a long way to go to become like Him, but I am forever grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The plan of our Heavenly Father is perfect. So perfect that it brings me to tears sometimes! After my talk a cute sister in the ward came up and told me, "You spoke so beautifully. I turned to my husband and said, that's a reflection of the things her parents taught her!" I was like AMEN! Haha Birthday shout out to my Dad, the man who has taught me so much. He really does teach and love like the Savior. I have looked up to him my whole life. Thanks for being such a great example and a worthy priesthood holder. Mom you got a good one! (I'd give a shout out to my mom too but I will wait until her birthday to make it more special:))

I love this work. I love this gospel! 

-- 

Hermana Willes

The Wedding

Baptism of Mairon and Maritza
Such a beautiful day!

A New Change is Starting

Buenas!

This week FLEW by and I can't believe that a new change is starting. I am so excited to grow closer to my Savior and keep serving here in Nicaragua :) 

This week Mayron and Maritza scheduled their wedding and their baptism!! We are over the moon excited! :)

We also had the multizone in Matagalpa this week and it was so powerful. I felt the Spirit so strong. I have really tried to recognize more spiritual experiences that I have so that I can see the little tender mercies more. I read this quote that says, "Repetitive daily contact with Christ is like sandpaper to the soul that eventually smooths and polishes a celestial character." I know that I have so many weaknesses as a missionary but little by little He helps me. 

This week we have so many meetings and the baptism! It will be such a great week!

I know that The Savior lives and that being a missionary is the best decision I have ever made!

Love you all!

-- 

Hermana Willes

I love my companion!

Meylin's Baptism

This week FLEW BY!

Seriously the time is flying I cant even believe that this change is flying by so fast!! This week we went to Chinandega to do a multi zone conference there! It was so fun to drive up with the Poncios! The meeting was so powerful. They are showing this video that is so awesome..it makes me cry every time that I see it. I love it! We ate pupusas after the multi zone and had a great time laughing together. I love getting to see a different side of President!

This week we baptized a girl named Meylin. Her mom got baptized about a month ago! She was so excited to get baptized and the service was beautiful. She was beaming..grinning ear to ear the whole time! And today when she came to church she was basically skipping. Her joy was contagious! Also we are working with this couple named Myron and Maritza that are AWESEOME! They saw Meylin's baptism and we are working hard with them so they can be baptized next week!

Well this week I think we might me going to Ocotal!! Yay!! I am so excited to see all of my family there! I will make sure to take lots of pictures!!

Love you all!

—

Hermana Willes

Meylin's Baptism

Me and my comp with Hermana Poncio

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

I'm actually writing on an english keyboard so I can't spell that right..oops.

Wow! I hope everyone had a great christmas and new years! Christmas here was so fun. We had dinner at the Bell's house (the mission nurse) and they fed us ham and potatoes. I felt like I was back in the states :) We finished the night by singing Christmas carols and it reminded me of Christmases as home!

Last Week I was also able to go visit Chinandega for the first time to help out some sisters! It was so fun to see a new area. We had lots of fun contacting and looking for new people. I love getting to know more sisters in the mission! 

New Years was pretty mellow for the most part because we still had to be home by 9:30 :) I was so tired that the fireworks didn't even wake me up at midnight! 

Things are going really great here in the greatest mission in the world. I am in shock that the year 2016 went by so fast. I can't believe that it is 2017! This year I have eaten my weight in rice, walked so many miles in one pair of shoes that I call my "golden shoes", and have given out so many pass along cards with the church's website on it. I have testified of the Son of God every day and seen so many miracles! My one full year as a missionary is over and I am so grateful for all the experiences that the Lord gave me this year. I really have felt the enabling power of the Atonement in my life this year and have grown closer to my Savior. I love Him with all the energy of my soul. I will forever be grateful for my decision to serve a mission! 2016 really did change my life. 

Cuidanse mucho!

--

Hermana Willes

Christmas with President and Hermana Poncio

Christmas dinner at the Bell's apartment

Divisions in Chinendega

Happy New Year!!