I Love This Place so Much!

Madi had her baby yesterday!  A little girl! We haven’t seen her yet, but we were pretty excited for her!

Yesterday was such a good day! Saturday night I prayed that someone would just feel the desire to go to church and go.  On Sunday, an investigator, Nelli, just showed up with her three kids! We had stopped visiting her about a month ago and for some reason she just decided to go to church, even though she had never gone before! Also, Hermana Aracely Cornejo, who has gone to church for three years but never stayed the full three hours, stayed the full three hours! Tonight we are having a noche de hogar with them and with the bishop! Also, Magdalena went to church and loved it! And a couple who are both menos activos just showed up at church as well, because they decided they want to come back.  I’m so grateful Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers!

Hermana Emilce is doing so well.  The other day we went and read the Book of Mormon with her and it was amazing because she understood everything! The first time we taught her she told us how hard it is for her to understand and we had to explain a lot.  But, as she has worked so hard to come back, the spirit has really worked within her and now she understands everything! It was so incredible to see.  I know that when we draw closer unto Christ, He draws closer unto us and gives us His spirit in abundance.

This week was good, time is going way to fast.  I love this place so much, I’m still in denial about going home, I know that my Savior lives and loves me.  I’ve come to know Him and love Him so much and I’m so grateful for this time I have to be His representative.  

I hope you all have the very best week. 

Love you tons!

Hermana Willes

It Was a Really Good Sunday!

This week was really good, like always! Time is absolutely flying!  Hermano Fernando received a calling! He’s the secretary in the Sunday School Presidency! And Hermana Emilce gave her first class yesterday in the Relief Society! It was a really good Sunday!

Both Madi and Magdalena are doing really well, the ward is really helping us with them so much!

Sorry this is so short, the internet took forever to load! But I know that my Savior lives and loves me and I’m just so happy to be a missionary! 

I hope you all have the best week!

Hermana Willes

WE ARE GETTING SO CLOSE!!!!

Time is Literally Flying!

This week has been crazy.  For starters, I gave my last testimony in my last zone conference!  I’m still in denial about it.

We also had a baptism! Antonela Rejas! Her Mom is active and her Dad is less active.  Her Dad is so great and I think it really helped him, he looked so happy! The spirit was really strong! I always love baptisms.  Antonela is so sweet and was so happy to be baptized.

The daughter of Hermana Emilce, a menos activo, was baptized as well.  Hermana Emilce was so happy. I know it’s going to help her so much to stay active in the church! Also, yesterday she received a calling, teacher in the sociedad de socorro! I just love her so much.

Madi is doing really well. She went to church yesterday with Hermano Carlos.  She has lots of questions, but they are good questions and she is really interested.  We think this week she is going to have her baby, which would be so awesome! She’s ready to give birth!!

We also found a great new family, Oracio and Givovanna.  They went to the baptism on Saturday, before we had even taught them a lesson, and really liked it! They are a young couple with a baby and are golden! 

We also started teaching Hermano Fernando’s younger sister, Magdalena.  She’s super great and is preparing to get baptized on the fourth of July!

We’re seeing so many miracles I can’t really keep up, but I’m so grateful! Time is literally flying! I love Bolivia so much and I love my Savior.  I am so grateful for the privilege I have to be His missionary! 

I hope you all have the best week!

Hermana Willes

Pictures of the baptisms...

CONGRATS SARAH!!!

CONGRATS SARAH!!!!!!!!!!  (Lundy’s sister Sarah received her mission call this week to the Nicaragua Managua North Mission) That’s pretty much all I can think right now! I’m so excited for you! haha, the mission is so great, you are going to love it so much.  There is nothing better! I cannot wait to speak Spanish with you!

This week was good.  We went to Santa Cruz on Wednesday again for our leadership meeting.   I just love that city so much! It’s always good go back!

We are visiting a menos activo who is changing so much, Hermana Emilce.  She’s going through some really hard things, but yesterday the ward was really able to help her and it was so nice to see! She is so great.  Tonight we are going to have a noche de hogar with her and the bishop and Madi y Carlos!

We also contacted the wife of a menos activo in the street the other day.  It was so awesome! We left the house a little earlier and she was the first person we found in the street! I love when that happens!

We finally were able to meet with the Familia Mendieta! I just love them so much, they are so prepared! Hermano Patricio is traveling this week again, but we are going to give him mensajes mormons so he can watch them while he is away!

Anyways, I love love love Bolivia and my Savior! I just want the time to go as slow as possible, so I can enjoy every minute! There is nothing better than being a missionary! 

I hope you all have the best week!

Hermana Willes

I Know that the Gospel is the Plan of Happiness

This week was cambios and I stayed in Senac with Hermana Rivera! I’m so happy. I love her and this ward so much! 

We are seeing so many miracles with the menos activos thanks to the ward.  They are going out and visiting them and it’s been incredible to watch. I feel like we are seeing so much progress en cuanto de la retencion  (sorry I don’t remember how to phrase that in English).

Yesterday in church we had a really big miracle.  About half way through the sacrament in walked a menos activo, Carlos, and his pregnant wife Madi, who isn’t a member.  With Hermana Duckardt we had found them once and tried to visit them but we could never find them since.  But they just came to church and stayed for the three hours and we are going to visit them this week.  It was such a tender mercy.  Hermano Carlos told us that Madi had been the one who wanted to go to church and that she is really interested in the gospel.  They're really great!

We haven’t been able to meet with the Fila Mendieta this week, but on Tuesday we have a cita and I’m just praying it all works out! I just love them so much!

Fernando is doing soooo well.  He’s going to institute and working with the bishop and is so active that he almost doesn’t have time for us! He’s always doing stuff with the ward and it always seems he has been a member for longer than a month! We are working with him on sharing the gospel with his family as well.

I’m so grateful to be a missionary here in Bolivia and to represent my Savior.  I know my Savior lives and I know that this is His work.  I know the church is true and that the gospel is the plan of happiness, because it has brought me so much happiness! I love you all!  Congrats to my cousin Sammi on getting married! 

Have the best week!

Hermana Willes

I Know My Savior Lives and Loves Me

Well, the sad news first.  Andrea didn't get baptized.  She told ust that she feels like she needs to be confirmed first in the Catholic church and then see how she feels.  It was really sad, but I know that we taught her everything and that we did our part.  I know that someday she will get baptized, because she is just so great.  And she told us she wants to keep going to church and everything, so it's only a matter of time!

We are also working with a menos activo, Emilce, who is doing really well. For the past two weeks she has gone to church for the three hours and yesterday she even brought all three of her kids--two of who are menos activo and another one who isn't a member! It was incredible! She's really great and is determined to return to the gospel!

The Familia Mendieta is doing well.  Hermano Patricio, the husband, gets back this week so we will be able to teach them together.  Hermana Macarena couldn't go to church yesterday beause she traveled, but when we taught her the restoration she just loved it.  She was so attentive the whole time.  I just feel the spirit so strongly when I enter their home.  I can feel how prepared they are to receive the gospel! 

We are also working with another menus activo, Hermano Luis.  It has been amazing to see the change in him.   He goes to church in his suit and stays for the three hours and reads the Book of Mormon and just looks different in his face.  I have come to love him and his family so much.  It has taught me so much about the atonement and the power it has to truly change us.

I know my Savior lives and loves me.  I love Him so much and am so grateful to be his missionary, teaching His gospel.  The power of the atonment is real and if we just come unto Him we can be free of all our burdens. 

I love you all and hope you have a good week!

Hermana Willes

I Know That Christ Lives

Mother's Day Skype

Hermana Willes Sharing her testimony in Spanish

This week was kind of tough, but I know that this next week is going to be awesome!

Andrea postponed her baptism to this week.  Her family is really catholic and they have been putting some pressure on her.  But yesterday at church she told us that she is going to decide for herself.  The ward has been soooo helpful! Some of her friends gave her a priesthood blessing and they have all made sure to share their testimonies with her.  Tonight we are going to have a noche de hogar with her and the bishop’s family.  I know it will really help! She is just so wonderful, we have been praying so hard for her and I know that it will all work out this week!

We also started teaching a family that is so wonderful! They are a young married couple, with one son and anther one on the way.  We felt the spirit so strongly, they are such a special family.  The brother of the Dad, Patricio, is a member of the church and lives here in Tarija.  Patricio works in a small town outside of tarija for two weeks and then comes home for two weeks, so we are going to send the missionaries there to teach him so that they can progress at the same time!

I love my ward so much, the members are all so great!  I’m so grateful to be here in Senac as a missionary! I know the church is true and I know that Christ lives! 

I hope you all have the best week!

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes and Andrea

 Hermana Willes, Hermana Rivera and 

members of the Senac Ward

 Hermanas serving in Tarija