Week 88 - April 24, 2017

Hello from the City on a Hill -- good ole' Wilkes-Barre. 

WAYYY up north.  What an........... interesting place to say the least.  Pretty run down, economically depressed, odd city -- I LOVE IT!  The scenery up here is to die for and I'm actually online 45 mins to an hour from the Priesthood Restoration site! 

It was so sad to say goodbye to Elder Andrus, I miss him so much already!  

 

After I dropped him off at the airport, we went back to the airport a few hours later to pick up the new Goldens! 

The new missionary I am training is named Elder Sandberg.  He is from Grantsville, UT.  He is 20 years old, a solid tennis and basketball player, which means the basketball lineage continues on.  He's a great guy.  I was blessed.

It has been quite the experience already just watching a brand new missionary grow and learn - its pretty remarkable.  Makes me think a lot about my early days as a young buck in South Phila.  Wow I was prideful.  Sorry, Elder Andrus. 

We have been blessed by miracle after miracle in only three days here in Wilkes Barre.  We have found a few families with so much potential.  We invited three other individuals to be baptized and they all said yes.  We have a firm baptism this upcoming Saturday as well! Elder Sandberg is definitely on cloud 9 - as am I.  It is quite a powerful feeling watching your brand new companion invite someone to baptism for the first time.  He about tackled me after the lesson he was so hyped. 

We are taking one of our new investigators to the Priesthood Restoration site on Tuesday which we are super excited for. 

Meredith spoke at the recent convert fireside on Sunday and absolutely killed it -- once again.  I was able to Facetime into it and watch it.  Amazing experience. 

James E Faust once said:  "I wish to speak about the greatest event in all history. That singular event was the incomparable Atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. This was the most transcendent act that has ever taken place, yet it is the most difficult to understand.  My reason for wanting to learn all I can about the Atonement is partly selfish: Our salvation depends on believing in and accepting the Atonement.  Such acceptance requires a continual effort to understand it more fully.  The Atonement advances our mortal course of learning by making it possible for our natures to become perfect.  All of us have sinned and need to repent to fully pay our part of the debt.  When we sincerely repent, the Savior’s magnificent Atonement pays the rest of that debt."

Sincerely,

Elder Wilde

 Elder Wilde wrote:  "Elder Andrus got home last week and gave his homecoming talk on
Sunday. Pretty cool that Bracken was able to see him"

Week 87 - April 17, 2017

Hello, Happy Easter!

What a bittersweet ending it was to the Elder Andrus Elder Wilde duo.  We loved serving with each other in the great city of Philadelphia for 7 1/2 months!  So many incredible people we were able to teach together. 

 Seth and Kendy

 "Our main man, Mike from South Phila"

 China town -- always a good time

 Dimsum

 The crew at the Grange!

It could not have been a better week to close out our time together in the YSA.  It was an amazing Easter Sunday, and I, like Elder Holland, add my thanks "to Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that Jesus still stands triumphant over death, although He stands on wounded feet.  I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that He still extends unending grace, although He extends it with pierced palms and scarred wrists."

We were able to take Meredith and Tom to the temple on Thursday and we were accompanied by some of our amazing members.  We were blessed to find somewhere around 25 names for Meredith to take to the temple which included both of her grandmas.  It was such a great experience seeing her be baptized on their behalf. 

 

"Our Thursday temple trip!"

 

Meredith and Vanita  

 

Meredith taught her first Gospel Principles class today and absolutely killed it - she is so excited to get her Patriarchal Blessing this Thursday. 

I gave a little talk in Sacrament, it was nice to say a few last words!

This week I will spend a few days with the new Assistants helping them get ready for the upcoming transfer.

Tomorrow is transfers so that should be exciting, always a good time.  Wednesday, we take the departing missionaries to the airport and then pick up the new missionaries a few hours later. 

On Thursday, I will get my golden (new missionary) and then head up to Wilkes-Barre!

In April 1986, a talk entitled "Happiness" was given by Elder Goaslind:

 

"The implications of the question, “Are we having fun yet?” are profound.  How many people in this world pursue happiness but find that it eludes them?  They contrive pleasures, invent amusements, and invest heavily in recreation.  They go abroad in search of this rare gift but fail to see that evidence of it is all around them; the source is within them. 

Our wise and loving Father in Heaven is concerned for the welfare of his children.  He desires to see us happy.  The very purpose of our lives can be defined in terms of happiness.  The Prophet Joseph Smith said, 'Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it.'

The suffering that results from sin is most tragic because through our own choices we can choose to avoid it.  We have that power.  We also have the capacity to repent of our sins and to experience the sweet joy of forgiveness.  If we are unhappy, let us examine ourselves to see where we need to repent.   If we have questions about what we need to do, or not do, we need only listen to our conscience and follow the promptings of the Spirit.

Striving for happiness is a long, hard journey with many challenges.  It requires eternal vigilance to win the victory.  You cannot succeed with sporadic little flashes of effort. Constant and valiant living is necessary."

I thank God for The Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Love, 

Elder Wilde

Week 86 - April 10, 2017

Hello!

Well, quite an incredible week!

Elder Andrus and I found out that we are third cousins - we did some
family history work. We share a great great great grandpa Milo Andrus
who was a pretty famous person in the church in the 1800's.  Family
history is remarkable... i need to be better at it!  Pretty funny
stuff!

We were able to take Meredith to the temple for the first time this
week.  We did some family history with her beforehand and she brought
some names of her own!  She was so excited!  After the temple, I asked
her how she felt and she said, "Well, I felt incredible after my
baptism, but after coming out of the temple, I feel 10 times better."
Meredith was also asked to speak at a recent convert fireside on April
23rd!  She is going to do so great!

 

Meredith also received a calling in church this week and is going to
be a Gospel Principles Teacher and is teaching next week on eternal
marriage!  She, also, is going to receive her patriarchal blessing soon!
She picked up one of our investigators and brought her to church without us 
even knowing.  She's pretty solid.

Tom received the Aaronic Priesthood this week.  We will be going to the
temple with him on Thursday (yes, Meredith will also be going).  He is
doing so well.  He has read about 3/4 of the Book of Mormon now.  Pretty
remarkable.

Unfortunately, Tai hit a major stumbling block with his family and won't
be able to be baptized for a few years.  He is doing great though.  He
has come to church for three months... consecutively, reading, and
praying.  Amazing.  Pray for him.

Elder Andrus goes home on the 18th, and I am getting transferred on the
18th as well.  I will be training a new missionary for my last three
months of my mission.
 
Our mission President and his wife took us out to dinner and gave us
both ties and wrote us a nice little note - I'm going to miss serving
closely with them so much...

I'm heading up to Wilkes-Barre, PA!  It is literally right next to
Scranton, PA.  So, first order of business (probably not though...) I
need to go get pictures of all "The Office" stuff in the vicinity and
get myself a t-shirt from there as well.  I am, also, only an hour away
from the Priesthood Restoration site and since we are so close, we are
able to take an investigator up there as long as we have a ride!  I am
super excited for that, especially because this week Elder Andrus and
I were suppose to go to the Priesthood Restoration site for three days
to help out with a mission tour, but it got cancelled... Anywho, it is
bittersweet to leave this amazing ward behind and all of these people I have 
been so blessed to work with.

Just to quote a little bit from general conference the other week:

"There is a place for everyone [in the church] who loves God and
honors His commandments as the inviolable measuring rod for personal
behavior, for if love of God is the melody of our shared song, surely
our common quest to obey Him is the indispensable harmony in it.  With
divine imperatives of love and faith, repentance and compassion,
honesty and forgiveness, there is room in this choir [church] for all
who wish to be there.  “Come as you are,” a loving Father says to each
of us, but He adds, “Don’t plan to stay as you are.”  We smile and
remember that God is determined to make of us more than we thought we
could be.
 
I testify that this is His restored Church and is the vehicle for
bringing the teachings and saving ordinances of His gospel to all
humankind."

I thank God for the experiences he has allowed me to have -- Elder
Holland said it best when he said:  "These kinds of sanctified moments
remain unuttered because expression, even if it were possible, might
seem like desecration."

Love,
Elder Wilde

Week 85 - April 3, 2017

Hello!

Wow, what an exciting week it was here in Philadelphia!

First thing first -- the #PrinceOfPeace video came out and is on
https://www.mormon.org right there on the home page. Watch it and share it.

Mormon.org - The Prince  of  Peace:  Find lasting peace ... www.mormon.org Find peace in a troubled world  through  Jesus Christ.  This Easter season,  learn  principles of peace from the  #PRINCEofPEACE. Get started at  Mormon.org.

On Monday, Mark Jarman, the Director of Training at the Missionary
Training Center in Provo and Jason Mitchell, the Director of
Administration at the Missionary Department flew in to visit the
mission and conduct some trainings.  We went and met them at
President's home Monday evening.

Tuesday we had the opportunity to go out teaching with Mark Jarman....
I swear, just when you think you finally started figuring missionary
work out, you learn that you don't really have it figured out........
sigh.


We had some "wonderful" lessons with Tai and Meredith, but wow did I
learn a lot about what I need to improve upon!  I'm excited to apply
what I was taught by him.


The next two days we were in Delaware and then Northern PA for two
leadership trainings.  Brother Jarman and Brother Mitchell trained us
all on the doctrine of Christ and our missionary purpose with a focus
on the importance of the Book of Mormon, prayer, and helping others
attend Sacrament.

I learned something interesting -- Prayer connects us to God, The Book
of Mormon (another testament of Jesus Christ) connects us to Jesus
Christ, and then as we partake of the Sacrament, we receive an added
portion of the Holy Ghost.  Thus these three things if not being done
on a routine basis prevent us from having access to the Godhead.

I actually had the opportunity to use these new teaching skills
directly after our Thursday training with our new investigator,
Rachel.


Meredith came teaching with us for the first time after having only
been a member of the church for a total of... four days.
We taught Rachel (another temple student, first lesson) at the chapel
across the street from the temple.  We gave her a tour of the chapel,
taught a 5-10 minute Restoration lesson, and then read 1 Nephi Chapter
1 verse 1 and discussed that for about 20 minutes.  She was on Cloud 9,
so we invited her to be baptized and she said yes and so she is
getting baptized at the end of April.  Then we taught her how to
pray, and she prayed for the first time on her knees with us.  After the prayer she said, 
"I feel so empowered and feel so different from
before," and I said, "That's the Spirit!  God allows us to feel that
whenever we have made a correct choice or when he wants us to know
something is true."

Friday, we had golden re-training which is where all the new
missionaries and their trainers come and meet back up after four weeks
and we do additional trainings.  It was a really great time.

Meredith is working on her family history (and she lives right next to
the very first street made in America, so we got a good pic of that)

for the temple trip on Friday.  Tom, our other recent convert from
Doylestown, is getting the priesthood this week and then going to the
temple on Friday for the first time as well.  Tai is getting baptized
on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday.  Does life get any better?

General conference was incredible, as usual.  Just read the Book of
Mormon like President Monson advised us to.  Stop being of the world -
you'll only find despair.  Be ALL IN, lukewarm commitment never got
anyone anywhere.  Stop looking around you and look up more - the praise
of man won't ever bring everlasting satisfaction.  Get a dictionary so
you can understand what on earth Elder Holland said.  The church is
true.  I love this city.  Love y'all too.

Elder Wilde

Week 84 - March 27, 2017

Hello!

What a thrilling week it was here in Phila. 

It honestly was such a bittersweet week.  Elder Andrus and I had our last Zone Conference together, and he told this remarkable story about an experience that he and I had serving together in South Phila as his testimony - it was very touching. 

Our Mission President has to be the most incredible person I have ever met.  I know I've mentioned that before but he honestly is simply amazing.  He told this heart-wrenching story about how 1 of his 9 siblings drifted away from the church and then passed away about 6 months ago.  He found out two months after he passed away about what happened, and that "two months later" was the day before our Zone Conference in Valley Forge.  With nobody knowing what happened, the day before that conference, he got up and did his thing and did it so incredibly.  Well, you could never even think anything was wrong.  Didn't even mention it to my companion and me.   He had been praying for the past three months now whether or not he should share this story and finally he decided he needed it.  He got very emotional telling this story and in the end concluded with something along the lines of, "I tell this story not to bring you or your family grief or sorrow.  I tell this because the message that you share is the ONLY thing that got me through Christmas.  Your diligence in sharing this gospel has allowed my family (converts) to be together for time and all eternity.  Don't take this gospel lightly, don't take your missions lightly.  There are people who need saving, and I was one of them."  I can't do justice to what he said, but it was absolutely inspiring. 

To build off of the two incredible things that already took place this week, we had one of the most incredible baptisms I have ever been a part of - Meredith.  She is 22 going to Temple University studying counseling.  She has to be one of the most amazing people I have ever taught on my mission.  

 

She spoke and bore her testimony at her baptism, and I haven't shed a tear in a really long time, but this week I did four times... gosh.  Elder Andrus, my Mission President, Meredith, and then I'll tell the next one in a moment.  Her parents were very against her joining the church and when her dad found out, he started calling her things and names one couldn't imagine!  Her parents both came to the baptism (interestingly enough) and Elder Andrus and I took them on a tour of the Phila Temple grounds and the chapel across the street as well.  We taught them the basic principles, etc.  It was incredible. The baptismal service proceeding that couldn't have been more spiritual and at the end, the father accepted a Book of Mormon from his own daughter, and he actually came up to us privately after the meeting and told us how his views have changed and how he is thankful for what we have done for his daughter. 

 

 

My last story really quick - try to keep this short.  I'm sure many of you remember Robbie Scott, I baptized him in January of 2016.  He passed away in September of 2016.  His mother was diagnosed with cancer a few months before his death.  We haven't seen her in about a year and a half.  She finally got out of the hospital, she is about to start chemo, but last night we felt we needed to stop by her home as we just heard the news that she was back.  She is this short, bigger, older, black lady - the sweetest person you'll ever meet, quite funny as well.  We knocked on her door and walked in (as we typically do) and she being confined to her bed all day, shoots up from the bed, gets on her feet and bawling her eyes out, starts hugging us and thanking God for bringing us to her home.   After some time of that, we sat back down and she told us more about what happened with Robbie and then said, "I thank God for Him bringing you hear to my home to teach my son.  You two were the only ones who could do it.  Because of you, my son has a chance at eternal salvation."  It was a pretty remarkable experience.  One I will never forget.

It is a pretty interesting feeling being across from someone in the same seat that you sat in and it's been a year and a half - things have changed so much.  I just felt so different sitting there. 

We had some pretty remarkable other things happen this week as well, but I''m not trying to write you a novel here, so I'll conclude with my testimony.

I share this exert from President Uchtdorf: 

"As we increase in faith, we also must increase in faithfulness... There is nothing good unless you do it.  You and I may speak most eloquently of spiritual things.  We may impress people with our keen intellectual interpretation of religious topics.  We may rhapsodize about religion and 'dream of [our] mansion above.'  But if our faith does not change the way we live--if our beliefs do not influence our daily decisions--our religion is vain, and our faith, if not dead, is certainly not well and is in danger of eventually flatlining."

I am thankful for the good news which the gospel is and how it molds us from what we are into what we need to become. 

Love,

Elder Wilde

Week 83 - March 20, 2017

Hello!

What a grand week here in a grand city.  It was President's birthday this week.  We had all of the Districts in the mission take a District photo with a happy birthday note/poster, and then we put together a slideshow and went to his house and watched it with him.  It was great.

We got tons and tons of snow on Tuesday.  We were snowed in.  No way we were going anywhere.

Wednesday our car got "iced in" and due to us moving into a new apartment, we didn't have any tools to get ourselves out.  Luckily some people came and helped chisel us out. 

We had a few Skype calls with Meredith as she was at her Condo in Naples, Florida..... lucky!

 Elder Wilde stated: 
"Kadeem, our Ward Mission Leader (Taylor, my cousin, taught him on his mission here in PA).   He, along with our mission president and his wife participated in a Skype lesson with Meredith this week. It was awesome!"

 Meredith

Elder Andrus and I moved her baptism to this Saturday so she could get confirmed Sunday and then go to the temple with the YSA ward on April 7th.  She is sooo excited.  Her family is very supportive of her.  She seriously is so golden, so many stories to tell about her. 

Tai is doing so well, he is excited for his baptism on April 9th.  We pushed his date back a little just because we wanted to give him some more time. 

 

Tai

Joseph, our friend from Ghini says he wants to go back to Africa and tell everyone about Joseph Smith, so yeah, he's pretty solid and he's getting baptized mid April. 

 

 Joseph

We are still trying to meet up with Kelly.  We are in contact with her but haven't been able to have a lesson.  She has a non-member significant other who I think is pulling her away. Gosh dangit.  She is so solid - pray for her.

We had Stake Conference this weekend.  Elder Alard was there (I think he's a Seventy).  The Stake Conference was seriously incredible.  I'll share three lines and then a simple story that stuck out to me.

-We may be the window to others accepting repentance 

-What is in your heart will determine whether or not you will understand what is being taught 

-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the greatest organization on earth.  There is nothing like this. 

The Temple President spoke about how there are so many miracles that take place in the temple.  He told of one individual who was blind, but he got called as an ordinance worker in the temple.  He needed to be able to read, learn, and memorize some specific lines that were lengthy.  He couldn't do it without his eye sight.  The temple president spoke about how when the man came to the temple (I'm not sure where in the temple he was), he received his eye sight for about 15 minutes, just enough time for him to learn, read, and memorize the lines and then right after he memorized it, his eye sight was lost again. 

“However many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made … , 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.”  - Jeffrey R. Holland

Love,

Elder Wilde 

This is the DREAM TEAM!

Week 82 - March 13, 2017

Hello!
What a brisk week it was here in Phila.  We are expecting some huge
storms this week, apparently two feet of snow.  Last year, we had, I
believe, 14 inches, so this time it's going to be a lot more!


This week was pretty chaotic.  It was transfer week, so there was so
much going on.  We finished a total of 100 missionaries' transfer plans on
Monday night, and then on Tuesday, transfers took place.


Tuesday night we had the departure meeting for all of our departing
missionaries.

Wednesday we all woke up at 4AM to drive the departing missionaries to
the airport, and then at 4 PM, we went and picked up the new missionaries
from the airport.

Thursday we had a big meeting where all of the new missionaries got
their trainers.

Friday we had our Mission Leadership Council.
It was lots of fun!

Meredith is still doing great, she is so awesome.
Tai is still reading the Sok Mun Mon (Book of Mormon)
Tom got his temple recommend.


This week we met a man named Joseph who is from Ghini, Africa.  He
lives in southwest Phila.  We walked into his house and he had this
HUGE tiger fur coat on.  It was awesome.  I'm trying to get one :)  I'll
make sure to get a picture next time.
He wants to be baptized.  He told us a lot about what's going on in
West Africa right now and I was just sitting there with my jaw down to
the floor listening... we are so blessed to live in the United States.
He came to church with such a great outfit on - also should have
taken a picture.  Dang, I'm slacking.

Elder Andrus and I have been teaching these two members of the church
every Sunday night.  They are so great.  They are both freshman and one
goes to Temple University the other goes to Drexel.  Yesterday we had a very
pivotal moment and one of them said he now wants to serve a mission,
and so he called the Bishop and will now be starting his mission
papers, pretty exciting!

We read part of this talk that he really liked and I'll just attach a
bit from the talk.  It's entitled, "Your Four Minutes."


"Before you were born, you existed as a spirit.  In the presence of a
loving Heavenly Father, you trained and prepared to come to earth for
a brief moment and, well, perform.  This life is your four minutes.
While you are here, your actions will determine whether you win the
prize of eternal life.
I urge you to ponder, 'What do I need to do next to ensure my medal?'
Perhaps during this conference, the Spirit has whispered to you what
that may be:  to prepare more thoughtfully for an ordinance in your
future or to receive an ordinance that you should have received a long
time ago.  Whatever it may be, do it now.  Don’t wait.  Your four minutes
will pass quickly, and you’ll have eternity to think about what you
did in this life."

I had one other unique experience this week - long story short, we
told our ward mission leader he should call our dinner appointments
and invite them to have friends over while we were at dinner, so he
did.  On Thursday night, we went to Joy's place for dinner.  Sure enough
she had two friends over.  I got there, took my shoes off, walked into
the kitchen, and this young women turned around saw my face and dropped
a very colorful word and I was so confused.  Anyways, we went to 5th
grade to 9th grade with each other in Shanghai.  We weren't really
friends, but I knew her a little bit.  We reminisced about Shanghai and
she asked me so much about what it's like to be a missionary, etc.  We
don't share the same religious beliefs, she is actually atheist, but I
was able to share with her what I believed and it was a really great
experience.  I think she must have used the line, "You have changed so
much," at least 50 times while I was there.  I think every time I
replied, "That's what the gospel will do to ya."

I love you all, be good, be great - be good, do good.

Elder Wilde