May 18, 2015

I apologize in advance that this will be a short email.  We had another good week.  We met lots of new people and made lots of new friends:)  We are still walking a lot because the second car is still afar off in the land of paperwork I fear.  But it is good for us to walk, and sometimes when the sun is super strong and we are walking down a dusty road I have the impression that I am in Africa and it makes me happy.  I love the idea of Africa.  One amazing miracle this week is with an investigator named Chris.  We met him three weeks ago when we went to teach his girlfriend Virginie.  He is very interested in religion because he studies a lot in the Bible, but he does not belong to a particular confession because he has not found one that really follows what is in the Bible.  He was sort of hesitant and strange during the lesson, and has had a very hard past, but we testified about the sacrifice of Christ and how we can really learn of how to use this sacrifice to heal our hearts in reading the Book of Mormon.  He said that he could not believe in the book because he had never heard of it before but that he would read it.  Well, we didn’t see him for three weeks, but yesterday we stopped by and had an incredible surprise.  He and Virginie have been reading it every day.  He spent twenty minutes testifying to us about the power that it had had already in changing his life.  I can tell you completely honestly that this was not the same person we had met three weeks ago.  Instead of looking like the wait of the world was on his shoulders, he was beaming from ear to ear as he talked about how much happier he felt in reading and in applying the stories to his own life.  He even had a friend at work that wanted to read and who took the time to photocopy the entire book page by page!  He is so excited that this is only the beginning of this new knowledge:)  I am excited for him too!  I know that the Book of Mormon is an inspired book of God given to us through his holy prophets.  I love reading it every morning.  It is a light in my life and it brings me such peace:)

I only have three weeks left which is crazy for me to think.  I am not really worried about slacking off at the end; I don’t have a problem with working hard, I like to work, but what is hard is to not think about home now.  Three weeks is a lot of time, in which a lot of good can be done, and a lot of growth can occur and I hope not to miss/to waste a minute of it.

 I had a bit of a rough day yesterday.  We have been working so hard but sometimes when you don’t see the results of your work it can be discouraging.  But what is the most important is that we do our best and keep moving forward.  I know that this is God's work and his plan/timing and that I need to be grateful with what he gives me:)

I think what is most beautiful about this island is the people.  They are so friendly, kind, and humble.  The branch is not super big (60 active members) but it is like one big family:)  I love the people who I have met, and the person that I have been able to become from being here.  What a great blessing it is that Heavenly Father gives us to grow up and learn together and from one another.  A life is such a rich blessing and adventure.

I love you all and hope that you have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Wilson