Week 3 - September 7, 2015

Wow! What a crazy week! 

I seriously have so much to say I don't even know what to say. 

My companion is Elder Andrus.  He went to school at American Fork, but knows Connor (Elder Wilde's cousin who is serving a mission in Managua, Nicaragua.)   Elder Andrus plays for BYU basketball team.  I have been super blessed with the companions and friends at the MTC I have made.  The second I walked out of my mission president's door after my meeting with him, he was like, "Hey, Elder Wilde.  I know exactly who your companion is going to be already."  So I was nervous, but excited.  Then apparently, ya know, I was goofing around with the Assistants to the President, well they went up to my companion before we found out we were companions, and they told him that he got matched up with the best missionary in the field and that he was gonna love being with me, but he didn't know it was me yet.  But we were kinda staring at each other across the gym, and we kind both just nodded at each other.  We both got that feeling we were gonna be companions.  Then when we got home he was like, "I have been blessed beyond belief to have you," and I was like, "Same here, man." 

 

We are WAY chill....We just go together so well, we are very similar.  He's only been out three months, but he's a great missionary and we just have had so many amazing lessons. We go play ball most mornings and yes I can score on him :-) although I can't drive on him because he's 6'10, so it's kind of hard to drive or I'll get blocked so I shoot threes and jump shots... It's way fun though.

We both got called to South Philly, the ghetto/poor part.  We are loving it though.  Every day is a new experience.  We have four investigators with baptismal dates, it's awesome.  I love teaching people it's great.  Our area is a walking area.  We walk around 15 miles a day in 100 degree weather, constantly sweating, but we don't care.  We are buds and we just talk about life, sports, friends, hobbies, all that kinda stuff... But we KILL it in lessons we are so on point... We've had some amazing blessings come our way already, just it's awesome.  We got a free taxi ride when we were exhausted and we gave the driver a Book of Mormon.  We got free drinks at convenient stores when we were so parched... 

 (Elder Wilde and Elder Andrus put their testimonies in front of the Book of Mormon for those they give Books of Mormon to.)

 (These are the instructions for a Book of Mormon challenge in helping others to understand the Book of Mormon and feel its truthfulness.)

Just seeing the change in some people's lives is incredible.  These people love us and

we love them and they listen.  I mean that's not always the case, but it happens a lot haha.   It does get frustrating teaching investigators sometimes.  One person we have a baptismal date just dropped the bomb on us saying she was getting baptized next Sunday by a church she doesn't even know the name of and how they do it . . . We are so confused.

But I love lots of the people here.  A recent convert yesterday fed us bananas and cheese.  A blind guy, Mike, feeds us all the time.  He has a cute dog, a German shepherd.  We are going to his house for French toast tomorrow.  I love that guy!  He loves us to visit. 

He got baptized 4 months ago, so we go and share a message with him and spend time with him because he gets lonely.

 
I really don't know how much I can say, my brain is turned to mush at this point, but it was a great eventful week...

I'll send some pics!  Love all you :))

Elder Wilde