I know that I am suppose to be teaching them, but they are really teaching me

JOSUE CHOQUE WAS BAPTIZED!  and his son Luis Angel!  Seriously, the greatest day of my entire life.  When Josue came up out of that water, I can't even describe the feelings that I felt.  He is just so great! Their whole family is amazing. The bishop gave them a picture of the temple on Saturday night and by Sunday afternoon they had framed it and put it up in their room to remind them that's their next goal.  Josue and Luis are preparing to recieve the priesthood this Sunday.  I just love them so much, it's nuts.  We had a cita with them yesterday after church and we showed up and they were reading their scriptures as a couple.  We taught Josue's brother on Saturday and when we gave him a Book of Mormon, Josue said "brother, this book deals with problems we have.  Any question or problem you have, you can read the Book of Mormon and find your answer.  All the answers are in there."  And on Sunday, their family bought a subscription to the Liahona.  I just can't even explain my feelings for them.  

The people here are amazing.  I know I'm supposed to be teaching them, but they are really just teaching me.  They have so much faith and they love the Lord.  They don't always understand everything, but to them it doesn't matter because they have the faith to carry them through.  I just love them and it's a privilege to serve them.  I love them with my whole heart.  

I hope you all have the best week!

Love,

Hermana Willes

On Saturday, Miguel Angel was baptized!

This week was great! We had an a amazing miracle. The son of Rolando, the dad who didn’t want to get baptized, really wanted to get baptized.  He’s 11 and is so great.  We knew he was ready and so we had the goal to have him be baptized this past Saturday.  But, in order to do so, his dad had to sign a permision slip allowing him to be baptized, because he’s under age.  We met with his dad and his dad told us he had his permission, but he refused to sign the paper.  We tried explaining in everyway we could think of, we even tried getting him to pray with us to ask Heavenly Father to help him understand why he needed to sign the paper but he refused to pray.  He just wouldn`t.  This was Thursday afternoon.  So, Hermana Feddock and I left the house just completely destroyed.  We went back to the house to eat something for dinner really fast and we decided to kneel down and ask Heavenly Father to please give us a miracle, so that Miguel Angel could get baptized.  We did that and then we prayed the entire way over to their house.  Miguel Angel was home this time and we asked him if he had talked to his dad, and he told us no.  I told him that his dad needed to sign the paper so that he could get baptized.  He said "ok" went inside his house and about two minutes later came back out and said “He said he’ll sign it.  Where’s the paper?" Hermana Feddock, his sister, and I could not believe it!  We gave him the paper and he came back out with the signature!!!!!! I still can’t even believe it.  So, on Saturday, Miguel Angel was baptized.  He’s just the sweetest thing.  Everytime he prays, he asks Heavenly Father that he can wake up on time on Sundays to take the sacrament because his family was struggling with getting to church on time to take the sacrament.  I know that this experience will help soften Rolando’s (his dad) heart and poco a poco he will come unto Christ.

Josue Choque is getting baptized this week! He’s just de oro! Yesterday we taught them about tithing and when we put the compromiso about paying tithing after he was baptized, he said "well of course hermanas.  I’m going to be baptized, which means I’ll have promised to keep the commandments.  So, of course I’m going to pay."  He`s just wonderful.  

Lidia should also be getting baptized this week.  She still has some doubts, but we’re going to work really hard with her and I have faith that it will all work out!

I love this gospel, I have honestly never been so happy in my whole life.  As hard as it is sometimes, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  In such a short time I have come to love these people so much, not just the investigators, but the members too.  The Church is true and Christ lives.  

Hurrah for Israel! Have a great week.  I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes and her 
companion Hermana Feddock

 Hermana Willes, Miguel Angel and 

Hermana Feddock at Miguel's baptism

I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish!

Hermana Romero and I had an emergency transfer and now I’m training a gringa, Hermana Feddock! She’s super great, we’re having a blast!

This week was really good, we had a miracle with one of our investigators.  He received a blessing to help him overcome the word of wisdom and he’s super excited to baptized in a few weeks! 

The fila Choque is progressing really well, they are just golden!

 

Lidia’s fecha is this week, but we don’t know if she will be ready! So pray for her!

Sorry this is so short, but I love you all and I’m loving it down here! The Church is true and so is the  Book of Mormon! I finished it in Spanish today and as I prayed to know it was true I just felt the spirit testify to me so strongly that it is! I just love the Book of Mormon! Have the best week!

Love,

Hermana Willes

I'm just so happy to be a missionary!

Well this week was great.  The Familia Choque is just progressing sooo well! They went to church on Sunday and were early--and the members don't even do that!  They are reading the Book of Mormon and praying and I just love them with all my heart.  Hermana Estaquia said something really cute to us the other day.  She was telling us how she and Josue, her husband, read the Book of Mormon together and prayed.  Then she said "after we prayed, I felt something, something peaceful, right here (as she touched her heart), and it was something different."  Hermana Romero and I were just exploding with joy. 

 

Yesterday we started teaching a new investigator, Leonardo.  He's sooo great.  Literally everything just screamed "prepared".  He told us how he doesn't think the Bible is complete, because sometimes it's confusing and it doesn't explain everything.  Also,  he knows that God has laws and if we follow the laws, then we will be blessed but if we don't then we won`t.  It was nuts.  He committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray and we have a cita with him and his wife on Thursday!

We had a lot of miracles this week, but also one really sad experience. We have a family that we have been working with, the mom and the daughter are members and the dad and the son are investigators.  The sons, who are ten and fifteen, are super great.  They're reading their Book of Mormon and are preparing to be baptized on the fourteenth.  Their dad told us last night that he doesn't want to fead the Book of Mormon and that he doesn't want to be baptized.  It was super sad.  We're going to keep working with their family and we're praying really hard that his heart will soften and that he will change.  I know that his heart can be softened, we just need to follow the spirit and he'll show us what to do.  

As hard as that experience was, the week was still so great.  We had so many miracles and I'm just so happy to be a missionary.  I know the Savior lives, that He loves us, and that He died for us.  His atonement is real and people really can change.  

I hope everyone has the greatest week!

Love,  

Hermana Willes

Bolivia is my Holy Ground

First off, shout out to my cousin Andrew for getting his mission call! GHANA! that's so sweet! You're going to love it. Missions are the greatest things ever!

We had zone conference this week and President Willard said something that I loved.  He told us that we can be Doctrine and Covenants for our investigators, if we follow the spirit and teach to their needs.  I definitely want to be the that kind of missionary.  

This week was super great. Josue Choque accepted a fecha! We went on lunes and I was so nervous, because I just love them so much.  So, we started talking and then I was like "Hermano, do you remember what you told us?" and he said "Yeah, Hermana, I remember everything."  So then we put the fecha and he accepted!  And his son did too! It was so great! And it was super sweet, because we said "Hermano, you need to prepare for your fecha" and He said "Hermanas, tell me what I need to do!" He's so great!  On Thursday, we were teaching them about the Book of Mormon and he said "Hermanas, I know that the promise in the introduction is true.  I read the Book of Mormon years ago and I found all my answers.  I know it's true."  I can't even explain how much I love them! 

 

The biggest miracle we had this week was with an investigator named Lidia.  She's had all the lessons for about two years and her husband is a menos activo.  When I was with Hermana Cladera I only taught her once and she told us she would never be baptized.  So we were like ok, we'll work with your husband because he can be rescued.  So, we had a lesson with them two weeks ago and put the compromiso to go to church and they both said they would go.  And two Sundays ago she came to church, but her husband didn't.  So on Tuesday we went to their house with this awesome member, Hermana Lousia, and only Lidia was there.  We thought "ok, she did go to church so maybe something is changing."  We started talking to her and she told us about her brother who had died.  We taught her the Plan of Salvation and the spirit was so strong.  Hermana Romero asked her to be baptized and at first she was like "no se, no se" and then I asked her if she had ever prayed to know if the church is true.  She said yes, but she didn't feel anything special.  I then explained to her that the spirit doesn't always talk to us through our feelings, it's different for everyone.  We gave some examples and then I felt like I should tell her that just because she hadn't felt something, doesn't mean the Lord wasn't listening to her prayers, that He loves her and maybe her answer is that we are here, teaching her.  AND THEN SHE SAID SHE WOULD GET BAPTIZED.  It was literally the best thing! She is going to be baptized on the fourteenth, and she's reading her Book of Mormon and MARKING it, and she's going to church.  She's golden, but she wasn't golden before.  It's just so amazing to see how the Lord can change people, when we follow the spirit and teach with the spirit. 

 

We had a lot of other miracles this week, the spirit has been so strong in our lessons.  I'm so grateful for the spirit because he honestly puts words into my mouth and I could not teach without him.  I love being a missionary, seriously everyday I'm just so grateful to be here.  In zone conference, one of the elders that is going home bore his testimony and he said something that I really loved.  He said "we talk of Jerusalem and the Sacred Grove as holy ground.  Well, Bolivia is my holy ground, because it's here I've come to know my Savior.  And I don't ever want it to end." That is exactly how I feel.  I don't want to be anywhere else!  

I love you all and I hope you have the best week!

Love, 

Hermana Willes

Holy Hannah this week was soooo good!

Holy Hannah this week was soooo good! We had so many spiritual experiences, I don't even know where to start.

First, on Tuesday, we had a cita with Estaquia and her husband.  When we got there it was kinda weird because they had friends over and so after we were pretty sure we might have been in some planned meeting of another congregation. But during the lesson, her husband said that he knew the church was true.  So after we left we were like, ok we'll see what happens.  On Thursday, we went and we had planned to teach lesson one.  But as we were sitting there, I just keep thinking "I need to ask him why he never got baptized with his wife.  I have to know why and leccion uno is not gonna do that for me!"  So when in doubt, always talk about Christ right? So I asked him how he felt about Christ.  Then I shared Marcos 9, which talks about a father, whose son is sick, and Christ asks him if he has faith that his son can be healed.  The father says "yes, help thou my unbelief."  After I shared that, I asked him if he had faith in Christ and he just unloaded.  He told us he knew the church was true, he just never got baptized because he was scared that he couldn't change and that after he got baptized he would fall away.  He told us that he understands that baptism is important and that he is going to get baptized someday.  When he said that I was like "ahora es el momento!"  (now is the moment!)  He committed to be baptized, but he is going to give his answer for sure tonight.  He also comitted to read and pray everyday and on Sunday he told us he is going to go to church next Sunday.  He couldn't yesterday because he had to work.  He's so great and I was so grateful for the spirit, because he really put the words in our mouths and opened the heart of Josue.

  

The menos activo that we found in the street, Carlos, is de oro! (golden) We had a lesson with him and his wife, who isn't a member, but is going to be in just a short time.  The first time we taught her, we taught her how to pray and she was like "wait, I need to write this down so I can know it for sure!" We showed her where it was in the phamplet, but she wanted it in her own words.  Super sweet.  Then we had another lesson with them on Saturday and wow, the spirit was so strong!  We taught them lesson uno and then I bore my testimony to her and I felt impressed to tell her that many times the Lord answers our prayers through other people and that when we found them on the street it was because the Lord had heard her prayers and loved her so much and wants her to have the truth in her life.  She started bawling and we asked her to get baptized and she said yes! We then prayed with them on our knees to know if the church was true, because her husband asked us how we could know if there are so many churches.  After we prayed Carlos told us that he knew the church was true and he was going to come back! It was sooooo great! They came to church on Sunday all by themselves, we didn't have to recoger (get) them or anything! And they met with the bishop and we are going to have a noche de hogar  (FHE) with them on Wednesday, with their hermanadores.  I just love them sooooo much!

We also have another family, the mom is a member and the daughter is preparing to go on a mission.  Her dad has been an investigator for a while and we were thinking about dropping them, because he didn't seem to be progressing.  But on Saturday, we had an amazing lesson with them, where the spirit was soooo strong.  His sons aren't members either and when I asked his son to be baptized (he's ten) he was like "I don't know..." and his dad cut in and was like "they need to prepare, they need to do their part.  But I'm going to prepare and I'm going to be baptized. I'm going to do my part" It was awesome! And yesterday, he came to church, stayed for all three hours, and wore a white shirt and dress pants! It's amazing to see the changes the gospel works in the lives of people as they come unto Christ!

We had a lot of other wonderful experiences this week too, but those were my favorites.  I'm so grateful for the spirit, because he's the real teacher and I'm just instrument! 

Have a great week!

Hermana Willes

We had a super great week, full of miracles!

Skyping with Hermana Willes on Mothers Day.  

The picture wasn't great--about ultrasound quality--but we'll take it!!

It was so good to see your faces yesterday! Mother's Day is the best!

So I'm training! Super crazy.  My companion, Hermana Romero, is from Colombia and she is just the cutest thing in the whole wide world.  I'm learning so much from her and I love her sooo much! 

We had a super great week, full of miracles.  On Tuesday, we called Daniella to make sure we could visit her.  She told us "yes" and so we went to her house.  I asked her how her prayers are going, and she said "Hermanas, I just had a really cool experience.  I was praying to Heavenly Father this morning and then after I ended my prayer you guys called me! It was an answer to my prayers!" It was sooooo awesome.  We committed her to baptism, the 31 of this month.  She went to church on Sunday and she said she really liked it, so we'll see! She's incredible.

We also had a lesson with our new menos activo, Eustagcia.  The Bishop went and visited her on Sunday and she was super happy about that.  It was hilarious, because we had a lesson with her and her daughter and son and her niece and nephew.  When the lesson finished she was like, "Hermanas, I can't go to church but they are all going to go to church on Sunday.  And I want you to start teaching my husband and my sister-in-law!"  We were like of course! And on Sunday when we went to recologer them, she told us she woke them all up super early so they wouldn't be late and that they aren't ever going to miss another Sunday! I love them so much, I know the Lord has prepared them for us!

We also had another really cool miracle.  We have the goal to talk to every couple that we see and every family.  So we were walking in the street on Friday and we saw this couple and contacted them.  We went up and before we could really introduce ourselves the man said "I know who you are! You're mormons! I'm a member of your church!" Turns out he's a menos activo that was baptized in Argentina and has been less active for a long time, but he wants to come back. He looked at me and said "I have everything, a hymn book, a Book of Mormon, everything.  I don't know why I don't go to church. I keep thinking I need to go back.  But, why did you stop and talk to me? I always see missionaries from the church and from other churches, but they never stop and talk to me.  Why did you talk to me?"  I looked at him and told him it was because Heavenly Father loves him and wants him to come back.  It was incredible.  We have a visit with him tomorrow. I'm so excited!

I love being a missionary.  It's the greatest thing I've ever done.  I love the spirit I feel all the time.  The Church is true and the Lord loves us all so much.  More than we can even imagine.  I can testify of that with all my heart.  Have the best week!

Hermana Willes

Crossing the street after the rain...

 What the rain does to the streets...

Hermana Willes and Hermana Cladera 

Hermana Willes, Hermana Cladera, and their district

Hermana Willes, Hermana Zapata (from Chicago), 

Hermana Zapata's companion, and Hermana Cladera.

 The woman sitting down is their cook and to her right is her husband.

 Hermana Willes and her new companion, Hermana Romero (from Columbia)