24 September and 1 October 2012

24 September 2012

Letter to All:

This week we had a great Sunday. Firstly we had ward conference with 171 people present (normally we have about 90) and 7 investigators present as well. The stake presidency gave great talks and their testimonies were very tender and pure and they testified with the spirit.

Secondly we had the baptismal interview with Eliezer and he´ll be ready for his baptism the 29th! He is really excited to be baptized. He also has great desires to serve a mission and the bishop is already making plans for when he´ll be ordained as an elder. My companion´s last baptism he´ll send out another missionary!

Thirdly the ward council was very helpful this week, we identified 15 investigators that have recently assisted the church and they are going to help us toward baptizing them. We have a new ward mission leader that´s a return missionary and will help a lot!

After Ward Council we went with the bishop to teach a family in which there are only 2 members. It went very well and the bishop got to know them all and befriend them and they all seem very positive.

I believe there will be many baptisms here in the next 2 months, hopefully I will stay here. Changes are October 3rd.

That´s all for now.

Elder Willden

1 October 2012

Letter To All:

This week went well. We have been teaching a lot of new investigators and many should be ready for baptism in late October. We had a baptism this Saturday for Eliezer. It went very well, the Bishop baptized him. It was a special experience. The next step for him is his mission. He has great desires to serve a mission and already is beginning to prepare himself for the next year. I am very grateful to help share the gospel with one who will one day soon serve a mission! It´s a great feeling.

This week they announced the trainers on Tuesday and many in the Zone were called to be trainers. They all went to the training meeting the next day, Wednesday. I got a call Wednesday night from the zone leader telling me that I will be training a new missionary...wow. I thought I was in the clear but nope I´ll begin training this Wednesday, without the training everyone else received. I´m a little overwhelmed to be frank, but I know that it is the will of the lord. This isn´t something rare in our mission to be called as a trainer with 12 weeks in the field; I know of 2 others that came with me to Nicaragua will be training. But still it´s overwhelming.

My Spanish is good enough, I understand almost everything, if they speak well and clear Ii understand everything. Speaking isn´t too bad either, only in the night when I’m tired I can´t speak too well. They tell me I have a good accent. I know the area well. So it shouldn´t be too bad. I just hope the Lord can help me be a great trainer for this new missionary, and that we can learn and grow together to become better missionaries.

I hope you are all of good health and always take time to thank God for the many, many blessings we have been given.

Elder Willden