Week 80 - February 27, 2017

Goodbye, Feb!  Hello, Transfers

Man, this week went by in the blink of an eye...

Monday we had dinner with our Mission President and his family, that was tons of fun.  They have such a great family.  This week is transfer week so we have been crammed getting ready for transfers, as well.  It's been great!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we had trainings with the new missionaries that came out five weeks ago and we also had trainings with all of the mission leadership.  It was a lot for sure, but I definitely enjoyed it.  President Randall is seriously the most incredible person, I have no idea how he does what he does.  Baffles me.

We got to see Tom this week.  Tom is doing well.  He is getting baptized on Sunday.  He is super excited, great, great guy - pray for him.

The highlight of the week was teaching Meredith.   Meredith is a graduate student at Temple University.  She is studying Counseling.  She had a boyfriend on a mission and he introduced her to the Book of Mormon.  She read pretty deep into it until he wrote her off basically.  They then reconciled just before his mission was over and she went out to his homecoming in Provo the other week.  She went to church and toured Temple Square but didn't make anything out of it.  On her flight back to Phila, she had a layover in AZ.  During her layover, she said that she had the most overwhelming spiritual impression that she was in the wrong and that she should have never have put the Book of Mormon down and that she needed to get back and begin reading again and meet with the missionaries.  So, yes this is where we came into play :)  We taught her twice this week, both lessons were phenomenal.  She wants to get baptized on April 9th.  We taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ and Plan of Salvation - she wanted to learn more about repentance and so we gave her a talk to read about repentance, "The Divine Gift of Repentance," by Elder Christofferson:

 The Divine Gift of Repentance

(Click on the link above to read, listen to, or watch the talk that Elder Wilde is referencing.)

After reading the talk, I asked her this question:  "We would love to hear your thoughts on this question:  With this new view of repentance, what change or what action are you going to make/take in your life?  It could be forgiving someone , it could be sacrificing something, it could be obedience to some principle, what is it that you need to do to repent and access the atonement?"

She responded:  "It's interesting you ask that because I have been trying to not drink which normally isn't that difficult, but since this weekend, I am around my family and drinking is such a huge part of Greek culture.  Just being in a party setting, I figured it would be really difficult and I probably wouldn't be able to abstain, but last night, I didn't drink anything and it wasn't hard at all not to.. and it was almost easy not to  (which has never been true before) so it really stuck out to me when I read 'one's very heart and desires change, and the once-appealing sin becomes increasingly abhorrent'."

SHE IS INCREDIBLE!!  I'll attach a pic of us at the temple.

 (Elder Wilde and Elder Andrus with Meredith)

 (They, also, had a Skype call lesson with Meredith while she was in Florida during the weekend.)

Kelly is doing well.  She has been super-swamped with her double major, school work, and AA program she is involved in - we are meeting with her this upcoming week.  We are excited to see her again, it's been too long :/

Tai, our Vietnamese buddy, has committed to be being baptized on March 19th.  He has been to church eight weeks in a row now... are you kidding me?!  This guy is amazing.

I got to Skype call my older brother in to a baptismal interview this week - that was pretty cool.  His Mandarin is incredible.  We interviewed a 16-year-old girl together.

I love the quote from Jeffrey R. Holland:  "If we give our heart to God, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do the best we can to live the gospel, then tomorrow--and every other day--is ultimately going to be magnificent, even if we don’t always recognize it as such. Why?  Because our Heavenly Father wants it to be!  He wants to bless us.  A rewarding, abundant, and eternal life is the very object of His merciful plan for His children!  It is a plan predicated on the truth “that all things work together for good to them that love God.”  So keep loving.  Keep trying.  Keep trusting.  Keep believing.  Keep growing.   Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever."

Love you all, thank you for your support - Work Hard & LOVE!

Elder Wilde

Week 79 - February 20, 2017

Hello!

What a busy week here in the grand city of Philadelphia!

 (Valentine's Day)

(Valentine's Day Dinner--Mexican food--tacos for days!)

 

On Tuesday, we had a really good District Meeting.  I went to Elder Moreno's District Meeting.  He was an Elder that served in Southwest Phila while I was in South Phila, so I got to know him pretty well.  It was a pleasure to see him.  It was all focused on the Book of Mormon.  I love this quote about the Book of Mormon from Ezra Taft Benson:  "It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that.  It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too.  But there is something more.  There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.  You will find greater power to resist temptation.  You will find the power to avoid deception.  You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.  The scriptures are called “The words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon.  When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance."

On Wednesday, we had our last Zone Conference for the transfer.  It was sooo much fun and so enlightening.  Every time we get up and sing, "Redeemer of Israel," I get so hyped up.  We got to do some really great trainings.  I was sitting up on the stand preparing for a training on "Listening Skills" (my parents are probably laughing really hard that I, Parker Wilde, gave a training on listening), and I just had this thought come to me, "Because HE [God] listens to us, we must listen to others, so we can help others listen to Him."  A few missionaries asked where I got that from?! and I told them, "I heard someone say it once (the Spirit :D)."

 (Valley Forge East Zone)

Due to just being pretty busy, we hadn't had the chance to go on exchanges with any of the Zone Leaders this transfer so far, so this week we went on three back-to-back exchanges. Exhausting, but exhilarating!

 (Exchange with Elder Baker)

On Thursday, I took Elder Baker from Reading, PA, and brought him down to the YSA.  We had three great lessons, but my favorite was with Tai, our Vietnamese investigator.  He is sooo much fun to teach.  He came so prepared after reading, "The Plan of Salvation," pamphlet multiple times on his own.  He was teaching us!  We are so excited for how things are going with him.  Pray for him, he's making incredible strides and sacrifices.

On Friday, I got to return back to the Promise land of Cherry Hill with Elder Smith!  I came out with him and actually roomed with him in the MTC.

We had a great time together.  I got to see a few of my amazing converts from Cherry Hill.  It is always the best time whenever I get to see Beena.  She is the closest person to God ever, I swear... wow.  She is doing so well.  It means the world seeing others doing so well.  

 (Beena)

On the contrary, it hurts a lot when someone you care about isn't doing well (obvious statement).  Alana, my investigator I taught and was sooooo close to help getting baptized has gone off the deep end.  Her member boyfriend just has not been the best influence unfortunately.  Pray for her.

On Saturday, I got to spend some time with Elder Mpolmby.  He is from THE Congo.  He was a model up in NY and got to spend some quality time modeling for Kanye West. Anywho, not that that matters, right!?  He actually serves in the land I was born in!  South Phila!  I got to see the Yeams, a family we taught, reactivated, and baptized.  Kevin, the 17 year old who is a junior, is saying he wants to serve a mission after he graduates... I was soooooo pumped to hear that!  Two of my incredible converts now, Destiny and Kevin, are both going to serve missions.  LOVE IT!

We had an incredible day at church yesterday (Sunday).

(Destiny, Elder Wilde's recent convert, on the right.)

 

(Our good friend, Wayne.  We love him!)

We had this Chinese women from Beijing on vacation for two weeks.  During introductions, she said she has been looking for our church and glad she has found it.  Knowing China, I knew she could not be baptized in Beijing, but she could go to Hong Kong.  I pulled her aside and we taught her the first discussion and invited her to be baptized and she really wants to!  We are planning on teaching her everything this week and then baptizing her on Sunday or next Sunday.  Her name is Serena, she is super cool.  She has a great testimony about God already from before.  We hope everything goes according to plan!  We are going to teach her in just a little bit.

 (Serena)

We also had a self-referral come named Meredith!  She has a member boyfriend who went on a mission and invited her to learn more.  She has read 3/4 of the Book of Mormon and then the member boyfriend broke up with her so she stopped being interested.  However, she flew out to his homecoming the other week to see him and on her way back on the plane, she had a super strong distinct impression she needed to learn and get baptized.  We are teaching her on Thursday!  She is super cool.  She's a graduate student at Temple.

To end the week, we went to a fireside/devotional where the Navy head coach spoke to us. There were like 300-400 people there, it was packed.   President Vai Sikahema is good friends with him, so he had him come up to speak.  President Sikahema also invited some former Eagles players who came, as well as some college football students.  Some incredible stories were told, lots and lots of fun.
The importance of following the guidance of the Spirit on all things and sticking up for what you believe in was definitely reemphasized to me as these gentleman spoke.

 

Til' next week!  Love you all!

Work Hard
        &
-- LOVE --

Elder Wilde

Week 78 - February 13, 2017

Hello!

What a fun week here in the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission!

This week we had two Zone Conferences and our third one was canceled because of the snow!  Philly just can't make up it's mind, one day it will be like 60 degrees and then a few hours later it will be snowing.
 
Our Zone Conferences are sooo much fun - our mission president continues to amaze us all.  Elder Andrus and I did a few trainings on:  Listening, asking inspired questions and teaching to concerns. That was lots of fun!  I'd say my favorite part of Zone Conferences 
is at the very end when we sing our mission hymn.  It is an incredible feeling looking out 
at a group of 70 missionaries one day, another 70 the next day and another on the last day. I feel a great amount of love as I scan the room at all missionaries that we get to serve in one way or another almost every day.

 

 

Kelly continues to shine - she is amazing.  One night one of the other Young Single Adults in the ward invited her to come over and be taught in her house - she came and he invited likes five other young single adults.  It was SO much fun teaching her with all the other members.  It was a riot, she has been integrated so well, we are hyped for her
baptism.  Everrryyone loves Kelly.

 

Tai, our Vietnamese investigator, never ceases to amaze us either.  On Sunday he brought his Vietnamese girlfriend to church.  It was soooo cool.  They both enjoyed it and they didn't even understand what was going on - but I do know that regardless of the language that we may speak, the Spirit is the only universal language that we can all feel/understand.  I know that is what Tai feels as he comes to church and that is why he continues to come back.
Tom has still been K/O'ed because of his tonsils.  We haven't been able to see him this last  week - but we will this week and he should be getting baptized by the end of February!

This week we had a recent convert fireside in Wilmington, DE.  Our Mission President asked us if we would come and support that and, of course, I was all over that because i served in that zone!  I got to see a few of the people/members I served and served with.  I
was most thrilled when i was talking to one individual that we taught and baptized, Destiny. She told me how well she has been doing.  She has been going to seminary, going to the temple, and is preparing to serve a mission in two years and has already been inviting and bring friends to church.  She is incredible!
 
I also got to see the Fletcher's, a lovely couple from the Bayview who never ceases to amaze me with their kindness and devotion towards serving missionaries and those around them!

Last night, driving home from Wilmington, we got a call from one of the Young Single Adults that's on the rowing team for Temple University.  She was in need of a blessing - we were a ways away so we called on two other individuals, but unfortunately those two both have not received the Priesthood yet.  Elder Andrus and I made the decision to go and give her a blessing, and I am just so grateful for the opportunity God gives us to serve others and allow us as flawed humans to hold such a valuable gift.  Small acts of kindness go such a long ways.  Not our small act to her, but her small act in asking us - WE were thankful.

This week in preparation for our conferences, we were asked to study, "The Challenge to Become" by Dallin H. Oaks.  It was an incredible talk and there were two things in the talk that really stuck out to me:

1. "The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts--what we have done.  It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts--what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."

2. "Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquillity."

I am thankful for the hardships and trials that I have been able to go through. I hope that you all prayerfully ponder what hardships and trials you have in your life and what the Lord is
trying to teach you.

Happy early Valentines Day :))

Elder Wilde

Week 77 - February 6, 2017

Hello, everyone!

We have had another week here in Phila!  Went by so fast... already onto the third week of the transfer. Crazy.

Our investigators are all doing really well.

Kelly is just the most amazing person out there.  She is just soaking everything up like a sponge.  She loves loves loves the gospel and is just so on top of everything.  She made a comment the other day how if somebody would have told her four years ago that she would be meeting with Mormon missionaries preparing to be baptized, she would have laughed in their faces, but she says that this has been one of the greatest choices she has ever made. She talked about how the 12-step program for overcoming addiction has direct parallels to the gospel, and I told her it's how we get atheist people to live the gospel without them realizing it.  She, being a former atheist, got a kick out of that. 

The members are literally like arguing to come teaching with us to see our investigators... we brought our dinner calendar to church for the first time today and I think it was gone for like 30 minutes and by the time we got it back, the whole month had been filled out... wow. 

Tai, our Vietnamese investigator, is doing so well.  He is the sweetest kid ever.  He took a picture of Elder Andrus and me and posted it on Facebook and all his Vietnamese friends were commenting.  It was funny.  We have some great members who fellowship him.  He just reads and reads and reads "Gospel Principles" in Vietnamese.  We also got him a Vietnamese Book of Mormon, too!

Tom, our investigator who is getting baptized in three weeks, just got his tonsils taken out. We were able to see him before the procedure, and I was able to give him a blessing.  It was great.  It took a lot of humility on his part to accept it as he has never really received one before, but I am grateful for Tom.  He's a good example to me.  Pray for him.

This week, I was actually able to see one of my former investigators from Cherry Hill-- Alanna.  She is so awesome.  She hasn't been baptized yet, but she is going to be coming to the YSA next week.  We were able to have dinner and a lesson at her house.  It was fun to teach her again, she is so great.  She is actually engaged now........ but her wedding isn't for like two years?  Not sure how that works out, but okay. 

We had our Mission Leadership Council with all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders this week.  That was fun.  The Area Seventy, Elder Kunz, came and presented to us--pretty cool guy.  He knows what he is talking about.  It's always fun being around the Mission Presidency and other guest speakers listening to what they have to say and being able to train alongside them.  Our Mission President is going to be a General Authority, probably an Apostle - he is seriously the most incredible person. 

 

(The Lineage--far right to far left of which missionary trained the next missionary.)
 

We got some noise complaints a few weeks ago with all of the incoming missionaries and departing missionaries, so we have been forced out of our apartment.  We had one day to move - we failed.  It was such a hassle, taking down and putting back up 10 bunk beds alone is no fun.  Oh well.  We were allotted a bit more time.

Today for p-day we get to spend with President planning for Zone Conference which is on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week.  We are super pumped to go see the mission again!  We are also picking up a golden from the airport, should be fun! 

GO Pats. 

Well, not too much more to add.  Life is good, the Philly YSA is great, the gospel is true.  It makes one happy, just live it.  The Dream Team continues. 

Love, 

Elder Wilde

Week 76 - January 30, 2017

Hello, there!

What an incredible week here in the Promised Land of Philadelphia!  We have been so blessed with incredible opportunities.

This last week on Monday we had all of the departing missionaries at the mission home and we played games (I beat Elder Andrus in ping pong 25-23) had some good cheese steaks and heard some amazing "dying testimonies."  It was particularly heart-warming when our two-transfer missionary bore his testimony and how the great example of his two trainers influenced him so much.  Everyone was in tears.  Be thou an example! 

We dropped them off at the airport Tuesday morning.  It was sad to say goodbye, lots of mission legends.  We rushed back to the mission office and began transfers helping people get in and out quick, that was... exciting :)   Elder Andrus' trainer got picked up by his parents at the mission office, that was cool.  His trainer is a complete stud of a missionary. 

After transfers, we rushed back to the airport and went to go pick up all of the incoming missionaries or "Goldens" as we call them... they were so frightened it was great.  Love to see those new missionary faces--it's the best.  I always enjoy spending the day, learning and getting to know them.  I respect each individual who comes out to serve a mission! 

Wednesday we did some trainings with the Goldens and their trainers and it is sooo much fun watching the slideshow of who the Trainer-Golden companionships are.  There is a lot of excitement.  

  (The new incoming missionaries.)

We watched the missionary broadcast and learned a lot from that, plus our missionary schedule just took a 180 degree turn.  We actually get more sleep now! 

Thursday was great.  We taught our Vietnamese investigator, Tai.  He doesn't speak much English, but we read from "Gospel Principles" about who God is and who Christ is and the role of the Holy Ghost.  He would read it in Vietnamese and then we would ask him questions, and he did surprisingly well understanding what we were saying.  He prayed for the first time in his life at the end and it was amazing... love this kid.

We taught this new young single adult named Kelly.  She goes to Penn.  She is from Lubbock, TX.  She has had a really CRAZY past, in and out of rehab for drugs, alcohol you name it.  She has been all over the place with her life.  Well, she met an LDS girl at rehab in Utah and they went through the process together and became really close.  Last week the LDS girl got married in the temple in Pason, Ut and Kelley decided to go and wait in the lobby.  She said as she was waiting in the lobby, she just felt the most incredible sense of peace she has ever felt in her life and that she wanted that more in her life.  She has had multiple LDS professors in her life and has just been surrounded by members of the church who have had a huge impact on her in the good and bad times.  We had our first lesson with her and she was sooo pumped to meet with us.  It was an incredible lesson.  She is stunning.... words can't describe how cool she is.  She loved church, is going to Institute with some of the members.  She's all over it.  We focused our first two lessons with her primarily on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how she can access it and feel God's love and power in her life. 

We had a pretty funny experience this week up in North Philly at Temple University.  We were going to have dinner with a member and while we were waiting on the street corner, we heard someone yelling and using some very explicit language to say the least and anyways after a few minutes this small but pretty bulky hammered drunk comes walking up to us and starts yelling at us and basically goes off on us, "You don't know who I am?"  We were like.... what?  He starts going off about he plays football for the Steelers and we're like... okay, that's cool.  He got up in our faces and was like, "You don't believe me (in the midst of all this he was using some colorful language wow) and he pulls out his wallet and tries to give us hundreds and hundreds of dollars for us to believe who he is, and we were like, "We don't care about your money, man!  Anyways, he pulls out his NFL ID card (he actually was a Steelers football player) and is trying to get us back in his car (guy was driving so drunk) and the member finally comes and the guy is like, "You don't know who i am either," and the member says, "Yeah, you're Tyler Matakevich."   It was pretty funny. Apparently the guy was a legend at football at Temple and is a rookie for the Steelers, but it was just comical to see him so drunk all on his own walking around Temple trying to get some recognition for who he was.  Good times, gotta love Philly.  I thought Elder Andrus was about to lay down the hammer if he got any closer lol. 

Well, to close I really like these two passages one from "Preach my Gospel" and the other from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

"As we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain.  We can be filled with joy, peace, and consolation.   All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

(A recent convert who Elder Andrus and Elder Wilde really love.  He is great!)

 

"However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made … , or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.  It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”

LOVE,

Elder Wilde

Week 75 - January 23, 2017

Hey, everyone!

Hope you're all doing well.  Today is my P-day, well kind of, still have a lot of transfer plans to do but the next few days including today are super busy, so we just went to the temple and will be getting back to work for transfers pretty shortly!  

The temple was great.  It was cool.  The bishop and his wife from my previous area, Cherry Hill, were actually doing the sealing for her parents and so they were there as well as a bunch of other people from the ward that I served in, and we were all in the same temple session.  Love all those people, but to put the cherry on top (no pun intended), Beena, one of my recent converts was at the temple too!  And I saw her and surprised her and she said, "God knows my heart.  I was praying that I could see you today that you would be at the temple, God knows."  She was in tears and couldn't contain herself in the temple.  I had to quiet her down lol.  She is seriously incredible.  I love her!

 

Life is good over here in Phila.  We have been swamped with transfers.

 

 

Elder Winstanley, as of just recently, was just asked to fulfill a different position in the mission, so now it will be Elder Andrus and I together.  Sad though.  We got a lot of good ball in in the morning. 

 

We have had some great lessons this week with some of our investigators.  Tom will be getting baptized in two weeks or so.  He's getting his tonsils out. 

 

This week I started the Book of Mormon over again in a brand new blue one, and I am reading the Book of Mormon with a focus on Christlike characteristics from "Preach My Gospel."  I have learned so much about a few characteristics in specific - faith, patience, humility, charity, and obedience.  I love the Book of Mormon and what the Spirit teaches me as I read it. 

 

 

I've learned many things on my mission and one thing that I learned which was reemphasized as I read the first 9 chapters is that complaining, transferring blame, and justifications never have and never will get you anywhere.  Those who complain, transfer blame, and justify lack a firm relationship with God and are staying stagnant and even regressing on their journey to becomes perfect like Christ.  I respect those who humble themselves, take correction and overcome their weaknesses, regardless of how hard it may be, and rise from the dust and become men and women of God. 

I am thankful for the Atonement of Christ which makes this all possible. 

Love,

Elder Wilde

Week 74 - January 16, 2017

Hello there!

Wow, what a crazy week... We got a new companion here to serve with us as an assistant... and I have served with him before... he was also my trainer!  Elder Andrus is now an assistant with us!!!  We are so excited.  I could not believe it.. I'm so pumped.  #The DreamTeam!

This week was pretty hectic.  We had three days in a row of training.  We had all of the District Leaders, Zone Leaders, and Sister Training Leaders with us.  It was a good time.  I always learn so much from the different Elders and Sisters in the missions.  It is so rewarding to say the least. 

I did a training, or more of a discussion, on the importance of being an example towards others.  It went well, really enjoyed it. 

There is a good quote that says, "We cannot make others do the right things.  We can only show them by our example what doing the right things looks like." 

Joseph F Smith once said, "It is impossible for you to be an example of what you are not." 

I am thankful for all of the examples that I have had in my life.  I know I would not be where I am today without them. 

I also tried to discuss how our actions, even the small ones, can have such great impacts on us.  I shared a brief story that Gordon B. Hinckley told.  He said:  "I approached a large farm gate one day.  I lifted the latch and opened the gate.  The movement at the hinges was so slight as to be scarcely discernible.  But the other end of the gate cut a great arc sixteen feet in radius.  Looking at the movement of the hinges alone, one would never dream of the magnified action that came as a result of that tiny movement.

So it is with the decisions in our lives.  Some small thought, some small word, some small action can lead to tremendous consequences." 

I truly have been able to see that as we all strive to be obedient to all the commandments-- the small and the big ones--and we try to improve each and every single day, that Heavenly Father will truly be so proud of us. 

We had a great week at church.  We are so excited for how things are going things with our investigators.  Tom is doing really well, should be getting baptized in the next few weeks. We are also really excited for one of our investigators named Dan.  He came to church for the first time and just had an incredible experience--absolutely loved the YSA... everyone does. 

We had some guy from Vietnam show up, didn't speak really a lick of English, that was funny.  Anyways had some more people show up, too, just a really solid Sabbath Day to say the least, got to have a great interview with President.  That man is so amazing, closest person to God, I swear. 

We had a large lesson this last week before church, had two investigators, a recent convert and two members, and we taught on for a good chunk of it, the Atonement and repentance. I enjoyed this part as I studied the Atonement from "Preach my Gospel":  "As we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain.  We can be filled with joy, peace, and consolation.  All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

One last experience that really stuck out to me this week was one that occurred in our last day of training.  We had an incredible Elder who was out on a test mission to see if he could serve a full two years--incredible, incredible person.  His first transfer he was trained by one of the best missionaries in the mission and then the second transfer he got trained by another one of the best missionaries in the mission.  Unfortunately, a few days ago he was told that he would be unable to serve a full two-year mission.  As I watched him and his trainers walk into the room, they were all three filled with tears.  They all were embracing this young missionary who was devastated that he had to go home.  They bore such strong testimonies how this young man had changed their lives.  It had to have been one of the most amazing moments I have been able to witness.  The amount of love that those two trainers had for their trainee was absolutely amazing.  I am thankful for those who strive to have charity and patience with those, even myself, who have weaknesses and flaws.  Love is always the answer.  Christlike love will never fail us. 

I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It has changed my life.  I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and its amazing insights that have helped me become the person God wants me to become -- long ways to go still.

I am forever in debt to the scientists who created Advil to relax the head.

Love you all, 

Elder Wilde