My Testimony Grew So Much

This week we weren't really able to work in our area a lot because my companion was really sick.  I took the time to read Jesus the Christ and to really study the New Testament and it was amazing.  I loved reading the stories of Christ and seeing how merciful He was, so full of love.  My testimony grew so much that He really is my Savior and Redeemer and that He loves me so much! 

On Saturday we did an activity with the ward where we went to a park and passed out cake and folletos and got a ton of references.  It was awesome, to see the members so excited to talk to people and to help us.  We're definitely going to do it again!

Sorry this email is so short, but I don’t have a lot of time.  This week we should be able to work more and I know the Lord has a lot of miracles prepared for us! 

Love you all so much!

Hermana Willes

Sister Power...

Huge Miracles

First off, some very big thank yous are in order! Amber, thank you so much for the letter! It was so sweet and it made my day! Marianne and Keith, thank you for both of the letters!  And Mamoo and Boppy, thank you so much for the packages! You guys are the best! Love you all and thank you so much for all the support you give me!

This week was super crazy, but full of miracles.  The Family Ortiz are doing so well! We had an incredible experience with them.  We went on Monday and showed them the a video of the restoration.  The spirit was so strong! We then both just bore our testimonies and closed the noche de hogar (FHE).  Then Hermano Saul, with tears in his eyes, said  "I too know that it is true.  Right now I feel the spirit so strongly, and while I may not be perfect, I will never deny that it is true." Turns out he had actually given a book of mormon to his niece that day and explained the restoration to her that day.  So the video helped remind him even more of his testimony.  I can't even explain the difference in him.  He was glowing!  After the lesson he told us how we could work with our ward better and he was so animated telling us.  He literally was a different person.  I know that he will be an incredible leader in the church someday. He has already taught us so much.

We also had another huge miracle yesterday.  We couldn't leave during the day because of elections, (Their mission president had all the missionaries stay inside during elections because apparently it can get kind of crazy) so we left the house at six to proselyte.   Hermana Romero and her hijita  (greenie) have been staying with us for a couple of days (that has been so fun to  see her again!).   So we split off last night in order to teach more citas (appointments).  We went to the house of a converso reciente that has been going for a while and it turns out her parents have moved into our area.  Her mom is a member, but her dad isn't yet.  The elders in their old area were preparing him for baptism and so he's going to be baptized next Saturday! It was incredible, the spirit was so strong and, more importantly, the humility of these people! 

This week was super crazy, but great.  I love the mission and I love my Savior. I'm so grateful to be down here serving! 

I hope you all have a great week!

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes and companion 

Hermana Lainez

 a shot of Lundy's "wall" in their apartment

 With a member of their ward

 Hermana Willes with Hermana Romero 

(One of the hermanas Lundy trained 

who is now training) and greenie Hermana Osoro

The Lord is truly guiding us in His work.

This week was so good! We had consejo de lideres (leaders conference) and then conference! So much spiritual revelation in one week.  It was really incredible to see how so many of the things we talked about in consejo were addressed in conference.  The Lord is truly guiding us in His work.

The familia Ortiz is doing so great.  Hermana Fani is sharing the gospel with her sister and was so excited to have us help her sister come to understand more of the gospel.  She doesn't live in our area, but I know that she will get baptized.  We have a noche de hogar  (home evening) with them tonight and I'm so excited!

This week we were able to find a lot of new investigators and have really been working on talking to everyone we see. We also have plans this week to do acitivies with the ward to help us find more people to teach!

Conference was so good, we were able to hear all four sessions in english (such a huge blessing) and it was especially wonderful to hear the two talks in Spanish!

I know that the Savior lives and died for us.  He is truly our Redeemer and He can not only heal us, but make us better than we were to begin with.  He is always extending His arm of mercy to us and all we have to do is have faith and take it! He loves us so much.  I can't even begin to express my gratitude for the love He shows me each and everyday.

I hope you all have a great week! Love you all!

Hermana Willes

 Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes and her companion Hermana Lainez with 

Hermana Fani and her daughter (members)

 Hermana Willes, Hermana Lainez with the two hermanas 

they  live with and Hermans Fani (member)

Hermana Willes on cambios 

This week I've learned the power of prayer

The Familia Ortiz came to church on Sunday! It was amazing! We hadn't been able to stop by during the week and I was thinking about them all during consejo de barrio (ward council) and during the beginning of the sacrament. Then I looked behind me and there they were! It was such a miracle.  Hermana Fani (the mom) told me that she woke up and decided she was going to go to church, even if Saul  (the Dad) wasn't.   She ironed his clothes and got all ready and he ended up going too! The ward just welcomed them back with open arms.  We are meeting with them on Wednesday and we are also going to start working with the familia de Saul, all of whom are menos activos.  Saul's sister, Pamela, is a return missionary and so is her husband.  We've already met once with her and she is really great.  I really just have so much love for this family, it's crazy.  

There was yet another emergency cambio and now my companion is Hermana Lainez, one of the latinas I lived with in Trompillo! She only has two months left of her mission, so it looks like I'm gonna be the one who kills her.  She's really great and we're having a lot of fun together.  This week was kinda crazy--we had to do a bunch of intercambios with sick hermanas and work in two areas, so we didn't have that much time to work in our area, but this week should be normal and there should be more time to just work and find the familias I know the Lord has prepared for us.  Something that we have noticed is that there are a ton of menos activos that the Lord is putting in our way.  Familias that are ready to go back and just need that extra push.  I'm really grateful for all the families the Lord has put in our path and for being in this ward! The mission is great and the church is true!  This week I've learned how powerful prayer is.  I know that Heavenly Father really does listen to our prayers and that often just the simple act of kneeling and talking to Him has the power to change our very nature.  I'm so grateful for prayer! 

I hope you have the very best week!

Hermana Willes

The hard weeks just make the good ones even better

My week could be summed up by two experiences: the first being when one investigator told us she likes the church because we do sports.  And, the other when we went to contact a woman and her son told us "she says I'm home alone".  Hahaha gotta love the mission.

It was just one of those weeks when it felt like no matter how hard we tried and no matter what we did, no pasa nada.  But it's ok, because all that means is that Heavenly Father has some really great miracles in store for us!

We had cambios and now I'm with Hna Choque from La Paz! She's really sweet and we're both really excited to work together in Guracal! 

Right now we are working with a menos activo family that has taught me more than any one else on my whole mission, the familia Ortiz.  The father is a return missionary and he was the ward mission leader when he just decided to go inactive.  They just barely started recieiving us, which is such a miracle.  It's really interesting, because with his head he knows everything.  And he knows that too.  He's told us multiple times how he knows all the lessons, he just doesn't feel it with his heart.  And he knows his heart is hard right now, but he's sure it will soften someday.  It's really sad because his wife really wants to go back, but she's a convert and he makes her feel like she doesn't know enough.  But, I just love them so much and I know that I'm here to teach them.  I know they will go back, we just have to work really hard with them and pray for them.

As hard as this week was, things are great! I love being a missionary and the hard weeks just make the good ones even better! I know the Savior lives and loves us.  I've learned so much about how much Heavenly Father loves us. I hope you all have a good week! 

Love you!

Hermana Willes

My mission has changed and blessed my life so much!

This week was so crazy! Hermana Furness had to rest because she had some problems with her feet and so we did a bunch of intercambios with Hermana Feddock and Hermana Bauldridge! It was super great because I got to go back to the villa! It was so good to see everyone and be able to say goodbye!

We also had leadership training, which was amazing.  Seriously.  The spirit was incredible.  We talked a lot about family history.  I always knew family history was important before my mission, but now I understand how important it is.  It is just as important as sharing the gospel with people that are living.  There are so many people waiting for their ordinances and we literally have their salvation in our hands.  President Willard got up and testified to us that if we use family history in our lessons and teach it to everyone we can, we will have miracles.  I know that is true!

Tell Kinsey congrats! She'll love Chile.  Spanish is so beautiful! If she has any questions tell her to email me! 

My mission has changed and blessed my life so much.    I can feel His atonement changing me everyday and I can't even put into words how it feels.  There is so much I didn't understand that now I do.  But the most important thing I have learned is that He lives.  He truly does live and it is only through His atonement that we can do anything.  How grateful I am for the atonement and for my Savior!   I am so grateful for the gospel and this opportunity I have to be a missionary. The mission is great!   Everyday is a blessing.  I hope you all have a great week! 

Love you all!

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes and Hermana Furness

in their apartment

En la calle...

Hermana Willes and Hermana Furness

in front of the church building

Hermana Willes and Hermana Furness 

with ward members

Elizabeth got baptized on Saturday!

Well, Elizabeth got baptized on Saturday! It was a beautiful service and she`s so full of light.  I love her, she's just so great! 

We also taught Leticia and she just bore her testimony of The Book of Mormon to us.  It was incredible.  I know the Lord put her in our path because she is so ready to hear the gospel and accept it.

This mission is the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the best thing I've ever done. I can't even put into words how incredible it is and how grateful I am.  I'm so grateful for the gospel and the plan of salvation! The church is true and Christ lives! 

Have the very best week!

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes, Elizabeth, 

and Hermana Furness

With Elizabeth and her family