January 28, 2013

Dear family

Thanks you all so much for the happy birthday wishing:) it makes me

feel so good to hear from all ya'll:) You guys rock!!!! Sounds like good

ol SJ is becoming an iceberg. I love the snow:) I probably won't see it

for a while though:) haha but thats just fine with me.

This past week was WORK WORK AND MORE WORK!!! haha Elder Dredge and I

are changing the area up and dropping a ton of people that are not

progressing. Because of this we had to find some willing people.

Naturally we tried resorting back to the ward to receive references

but we don't have that many people meaning... CONTACTING!!!! I don't

believe I have done so much contacting and beating on doors in my

life. I counted it up between elder Dredge's planner and mine, we have

the numbers of 113 people. How many of those are in our area? Around

the ball park of 54. How many were families and wanted to hear from

our message? Well not to many to say the least:) something like 3 or 4

people. haha a lot of work for 4 people, but it was so worth it. The

Lord has truly blessed us with finding these people. This week we are

going to be doing quite a bit more, but hopefully more teaching than

anything. fingers crossed:)

So as much as I don't like people to celebrate my birthday a few people

regrettably remembered... At the end of church outside we were talking

to a few members trying to get people to walk with us this week when

all of the sudden a couple of people starting to sing happy birthday..

pretty soon most everyone in the area started singing, even passer

bys. haha I love Angolans:) they are so nice. I am just happy not a

whole lot more happened:) Tonight we have a family night with the

people that started the singing. I hope the end of my torment is

over... haha

Edson is rocking fyi!! He is just sucking everything in like a

sponge!!! Hopefully this week we will be able to start talking to the

rest of his family too.  From last week he already read 7 chapters in

the Book of Mormon!!! I am so excited for him! It is so cool to see

the changes happening within his life. He is just more happy to put

it frankly.

Well anyways I love you all so much!!! I hope you all have a great week!!!

Elder Wilhelm

January 21, 2013

Dear family,

Hey whats haggin back home!? Thanks for all the letters this week:)
They really helped a lot. It sounds like everything back home is just
going crazy!! Mom and Dad you guys are just exploding in your callings.
It is so cool. First you just had to get ride of the two brats living
with ya:)

Wow what a week! It was just a little bit different to say the least
with a new missionary with me. ha ha It has been awesome though. Elder
Dredge is probably one of the most exited people about the work that I
have seen! His enthusiasm is contagious as we talk about our area. I
am very excited to work with him further. He is from Morgan, Utah, if
anyone knows where that is. It's really funny, I was just thinking about
it the other day, but every single one of my companions have been from
Utah. haha oh well:)

So this week we got a ton of work done. Elder Dredge is speaking 10
times better than I was when I got here. He still is having
difficulties speaking and understanding but every time I hear his
testimony I can feel what he knows is true. I have also been having
to speak a lot because of this. ha It has been pretty interesting
teaching. Its really funny to see him get used to teaching because I
was exactly the same. We will be going in the lesson and when it is
his turn to speak he kind of looks and asks "whats next?" haha
It is a lot of fun teaching with him though.

During this past week we have been finding people right and left.
Yesterday we had a lesson with somebody that was a reference from a
member. We talked about the restoration and he loved it!!! His name is
Edson. After the lesson was almost over he asked me If baptism was
necessary to enter into the kingdom of God. The spirit was so strong
and he understood everything perfectly. Elder Dredge invited him to
baptism and he accepted it!! Edson was way excited! We have had quite
a few similar experiences like that during this week. Its been
awesome.

Well I love you all and Thanks for all that you do for me! Have a great week:)

Elder Wilhelm

January 14, 2013

Dear family,

Hey everybody!!! whats up my peeps:) Thanks everybody so much for you
letters! I always love hearing from all of you.

So for Elder Wilhelm there is quite a bit of news...TRANSFERS!!!!
Sadly Elder Eckman and I will not be working together anymore,
but I have a new boy!!! He weighs about 175lb 30z and is about 5ft 9in tall. 
Well thats what his picture looks like. His name is Elder..
Elder Dredge. So this next transfer I will be training.. a little
nervous because I have never even been a senior companion. but it
will be a great learning experience. We all thought that I would go,
but the Lord had other thoughts in mind for me. I will be staying in
my area for the 5th transfer now.

This week was an awesome week. We met quite a few really prepared
people. Not just a ton of stuff happened though. This past week though
we had a dry run for one of our baptismal candidates. His name is Alex.
I think I have talked about him before, but he is about 16 years old
and one of the most prepared people I have been teaching. I met him
during my first week in the area and he kind of fell away for awhile.
until this past November. He has been one of the most accepting
people I have ever met. I am so happy that I get to stay to see him
get baptized.  He is such a cool kid.

Well not a whole lot more happened.  I hope you all have a good week
and I love you all:)

Elder Wilhelm

p.s. Thanks so much mom for sending me those story's and genealogy
stuff.  It is so cool:) love you!!

January 7, 2013

Hey there fam!!!!

WHAT WHAT KAREN YOU LOOK SO PRETTY!!!! I am so excited for you! have
a ton of fun up there in the burg:) Thank you all for you emails;:) I
love hearing about your families!

So This past week was pretty good with the new years and all. It made
it very hard to visit a few people though.. On new years day Itself
There wasn't a single soul out walking on the road. Everyone was a
little out if it to say the least. We actually weren't able to visit
anybody on that day.

So we have this investigator named Marciano, we have been siting with
him for probably close to a month now. He is a really cool guy and has
been going to church every week since he found us. He, although, has a
few problems that we have been worried about such as drinking and not
being married to his wife who is a hard core catholic.  Last week we
talked to him about the word of wisdom. A little drunk he responded he
would live according to that commandment. After that we decided it
would be best to just continue on teaching the plan of salvation. At
first he just wasn't retaining anything that we were saying. Elder
eckman and I would literally reteach one principle 3 or more time
before it would stick in his head. It was painstakingly slow... Slowly
with time he has been able to understand more and more each lesson.
durning my last visit with him he was able to understand every
principle faster with less repeditivity. Puzzled with how much he was
able to retain I asked him if he had any questions. He looked at me
and pretty much explained the whole plan of salvation in simple terms
and then after he said he could see a difference in him self as he
lived the word of wisdom. Elder Eckman and I had kind of neglected to
follow up with him on it but he has dropped drinking entirely since the
visit we had talked about the w of w. It is just so marvelous how the
lord will bless somebody for living the commandment even in a such a
small ways as helping him learn faster. His wife has also seen the
extreme changes to his habits and has really warmed up to us and has
invited over this week to eat with them and talk a little with her
about the gospel!! It is so cool!!!! Hopefully They will be able to get
married soon.

This week we also had a zone conference. The conference was a very
spiritually and uplifting beef to me. It is really cool to see how the
Lord leads us through his leaders. We talked about how we as
missionaries can be more converted to the Lord and to strengthen our
testimonies of this wonderful gospel. Our zone leaders showed us a
clip of a general conference talk by Elder Holland. It was the one
where Holland was talking about how we need to love the lord. He had
given an example of Peter going back to fishing and christ asking him
a question three times. "Do you love me Peter?" After Peter had
responded three times, Jesus said, "Then why are we standing on the same
shore having the same conversation" Oh goodness when Holland said
that It made chills run up and down my spine. I like to ask myself the
same question as Jesus asked Peter. "do I love the Lord? Will I drop
everything to follow him?" It was a great conference I am so thankful
for my wonderful leaders here.

Anyways there really isn't a whole lot more. I love you all and I wish
you a great week:)

Elder Wilhelm