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)

There is so much power in the Book of Mormon!

Ok, so this week was awesome! Hermana Cladera had a conference on Monday so I was on an intercambio with two other hermanas, one of whom was in my first zone.  Super fun!

 

On Tuesday, Hermana Cladera and I decided that we were going to start visiting menos activos and recent converts that are in our carpeta de area but who we don't know.  We started by asking the family that we live with if they knew of any menos activios that live in our area that haven't come in forever.  She gave us the name of one woman, Eustagica Quispe, and a few others.  So, we get to the house of Hermana Eustagtica and when we knocked at the gate her daughter answered, who is also a menos acitivo.  She was like "come on in!" She went and got her mom, who came out with one of those things on her mouth that keep germs from spreading (I can't remember what they are called).  Euastagica told us that she has tuberculousis and then she told us how she had been baptized by elders about five years ago but had stopped going pretty soon after.  Then, she told us that while she had been in the hospital (for her tuberculousis) she had remember how the elders had taught her to pray and she had prayed and that we were an answer to her prayers! I felt the spirit so strongly that the Lord wanted us to find her, that she was one of His lost sheep that was ready to come back.  She and her daughter are the only members, but her family is awesome! We're going to have a noche de hogar (FHE)  con her family and I just know that they are ready to hear the gospel.  She's reading the Book of Mormon and told us that it is a real miracle that we started visiting her.

Then on Thursday, which was a holiday, most everyone wasn't in their houses.  So we went to the house of an old investigator and a young woman answered.  She told us the investigator wasn't there and then asked us, in a really small voice, where she could buy a bible.  Hermana Cladera asked her why she felt the need to have a bible and she started crying and said "porque desafios" (because of challenges).  We were like, hey, lets talk and we talked with her about her how her husband has left her.  We taught her, Daniella, about prayer and how Heavenly Father truly does listen to our prayers.  She told us she wanted to pray but felt like she had made too many mistakes to do so.  I bore my testimony to her that there is never a point when we can't pray, that our Heavenly Father is waiting eagerly to hear our prayers, all we have to do is get on our knees and pray.  Then, we gave her a Book of Mormon and closed the lesson with a prayer on our knees.  Both of these experiences were such miracles for us and I know that they were an answer to our prayers.  I know that the Lord has prepared people for us to teach, we just have to have patience and He will guide us to them.

  

I'm so grateful to be a missionary.  I know with all my heart that the church is true and the Book of Mormon is the truest book on earth. There is so much power in the Book of Mormon. When investigators tell us about their problems, nine times out of ten I can't offer them golden advice.  But, I can testify of the Book of Mormon and promise them that if they read it, they will find the solutions and they will see the power of God work in their lives.  

I hope you all have the best week! Happy Mother's day! 

Hermana Willes

This week was a little rough!

Well, this week was a little rough! Almost all our investigators fell through and we're going to have to start from scratch this week! But, that's ok because I know that we can find new people to teach!

We did have one really awesome experience.  On viernes we fasted to find new people to teach and we honestly had a miracle! We were walking in the street and this taxi stopped next to us and this man said "Hermanas, what happened? you never came to my house!" I just figured it was some creepy man saying things to us like usual and I kept walking.  But my companion stopped because she recognized him! He was with is family in car and we had contacted them a few weeks ago and then went to their house to follow up but they hadn't been there! When we told him that he was like "ok, come tomorrow at four!" We were going to go to their house yesterday and so we called them and they answered and said "Hermanas, we're so sorry we went out shopping and we aren't home! But we'll call you this week when we have time!" So we're praying something will happen with their family! 

This email is super short, but this week I hit four months! So crazy! Time is flying by! This cambio is almost over! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve, because I'm truly coming to know my Savior.  I am beginning to understand his infinite love for us and I know He is always there for us, to carry our burdens with us and to change us, to make us better.  I'm so grateful to be one of His servants and to be able to stand as a witness of Him.  

Love,

Hermana Willes

I've officially had my first baptism!

Well I’ve officially had my first baptism! It was a little stressful, but it happened! Daniel is a seventeen year old boy who has been coming to the church for about five years, but never was baptized.  His best friend, who is the only member in his family, gave us the reference and we taught him.  His friend assisted at all the charlas and it was sooo nice, because his friend was there to encourage him and support him.  Members make all the difference!  His friend, Johan, baptized him.   It was a little stressful because we probably should’ve filled the font a little higher and so he had to do it three times.  But, the last time he went completely under! He’s great and I love teaching him, because I always feel the spirit so strongly.

Our family de oro isn’t de oro.  They keep saying they are going to go to church, but then don’t go to church.  But, we’re working with them and we’re hoping that when we give them a new baptismal date they will be able to keep it.

We’re teaching this one couple who are sooooo great.  After the first time we taught them Hermana Cladera and I were pretty sure they thought we were from the Catholic church or Evanglists.  So, yesterday when we taught them we tried to emphasize the differences.  It was so awesome because I extended the compromiso to pray and ask God if Jose Smith is really a profeta of God and if the Book of Mormon is true.  And the dad, (Luciano) said "of course! Anything that is the word of Christ I will do!” They're great.

One super funny thing.  So, on my ipod I have the BYU Vocal Point hymns collection.  And Hermana Cladera loves loves Nearer My God to Thee.  So when we are walking en las calles she always has me teach her the words.  And she has knows the words in English to a Child’s Prayer.  We probably look a little nuts, singing English hymns, but I love it!

Down here the actual day of Easter isn’t that big.  What is big is Friday, because the Catholics don’t eat any meat for the whole week and on Friday they eat fish.  I sent mom a picture, but we got to our cook’s house and she was just frying fish for us to eat.  I was like "what, we really are just going to eat it while the eyeball is staring at me and I have to pick bones out? Alright!"  I don’t ever want to eat fish after my mission, but it could’ve been worse! I’m adjusting a lot better to the food.  I just grit my teeth and eat it and it’s getting easier.  It doesn’t make me sick, just tastes weird.

The mission is great and I’m so grateful to be serving down here.  Last night we had a lesson with a member who is the only member in her family and is submitting her papers.  We read doctrina y convenios cuatro with her and it served as such a reminder to me as to what a great cause I’m engaged in! Missions are the best and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else! Love you all!

Hermana Willes

Hermana Willes, Hermana Cladera, Daniel, Johan and a ward member

Hermana Willes and her "fish"

We have a baptism this week, my first!

Last week, after I wrote Sarah that I had Dengue my companion was like "Hermana Willes, she’s going to tell your mom and then your mom is going to be so worried about you! Have Hermana Willard tell her everything is alright!” haha :) So, sorry about that! I had Dengue, but down here it is like the common cold.  Mostly, it just makes you super tired and your whole body hurts.  So, I basically didn’t have my brain at all when I wrote last week! But, I rested and am feeling a whole lot better, so no worries!

First off, thanks to everyone who has sent me packages! Wendy, Marianne, Mamoo, and Tami! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mom, when I got the package with the candles and the cereal (thank you, thank you, thank you for everything in that package, it was absolutely wonderful) my companion was like "Hermana Willes, I want your mom.  Your mom es tan buena!"  I especially loved it because I had Dengue!  Every week lately my zone leaders have packages for me and today my zone leader said "Hermana Willes, the pouch really is just the pouch of Hermana Willes!" So thank you so much to everyone, it really does mean so much to me!

This week was awesome!  We had a zone conference, with our zone and my old zone, so I got to see everyone! It was awesome! We talked about repentance and President Willard asked me to bear my testimony! During the conference, we talked about the importance of learning English for the latinos, so I bore my testimony in Spanish and then a latino elder bore his testimony in English! It served as such a reminder that the most important language is the language of the spirit.  My companion and I have been practicing English in the calles (streets), and it’s actually been really fun.  She was teasing me, though, because I would just start speaking in Spanish without realizing it and she would say "In English, in English!" And then I would say something in English, but then switch back into Spanish.  Especially when I talk about the gospel, it`s hard to speak in English because everything I teach about the gospel is in Spanish.  I'm so grateful to be serving down here and see the Lord work His miracle with the gift of tongues everyday!

We also had a conference just for the Hermanas on Friday and it was awesome! I got to see Hermana Adams, which is always a plus! In the conference, Hermana Willard talked about her mission and then told us that if we wake up everyday with the idea that today is going to be the best day, there is very little that can make us unhappy.  She is so awesome and so is President Willard!

My companion and I are working super hard right now.  We have eleven people with a baptismal date.  I love love love my companion because we both just want to work with all we have! We have this one family that is del oro (golden)! They have a son that is about eleven and he is incredible.  Everytime we teach them he has questions and he always asks us to come back the next day.  He’s awesome!

We have a baptism this week, my first! I’m so stoked! His name is Daniel and he’s 16.  The other day we were teaching him and the spirit was so strong.  He’s been going to the capital (church) for five years, but hasn’t been baptized.  He knows it’s true, but he lacks confidence that he knows it’s true.  The other night we taught him and we, along with a member, and all bore our testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Restoration.  The spirit was so strong and I can’t wait for Saturday!

This area is great, the work is really progressing and I just love being a missionary! The church is true and the book of mormon really has the power of God.  I’m starting Alma in Spanish and my testimony has been strenghtened so much, because I feel the same spirit when I read it in Spanish that I do when I read it in English! It really is the work of God, no matter what language!

 

Love you all! Hurrah for Israel!

Hermana Willes