Week 4 - September 14, 2015

Hello, fam!

Can't believe I've already been out a month!  Crazy - time seriously flies!  I'm loving it and it was another great week!  I'm physically exhausted - 15 miles a day with a good work out in the morning will do it to ya!  I actually love walking though.  It's great exercise for me and I get to experience the mission more!  Lots of cool stuff happened this week!  I don't know if I can fit it all in or remember it all, but I'll give ya what I got :-))

Here are some blessings that came our way.  We are walking down the street late at night when all of a sudden this blacked out Cadillac pulls up right in front of us and at that moment we were both like, "That's a gang.  We are about to die.  It's over..."  They all get out of the car and are like, "If you brothers ever have anyone messing with you, give us

a call and we will beat some ***."  They used some more explicit words but that was cool.... So we got to live another day which was kinda nice.

Then one day we were gonna be super late for an appointment, but we said, "Man, we are gonna be so late we need Scepta (our public transportation) to get there asap..."  Right after we said that, Scepta pulls up right in front of us and takes us to the train station.  Then we

get down there and the train pulls up right away, then we had to change trains, and we get out and that train is pulling up.... We made our appointment!

Then today we were walking home from Walmart with all our groceries and it's like two miles and we both just said, "I wish we had a car to transport all this.  It sucks walking.  We need a ride."  All of a sudden a Nigerian taxi driver pulls up right next to us and is like, "You boys

want a ride?"... Heck yes, we do Homie! 

I forgot to mention but last week, we were walking and we were like, "Dang, BYU opener starts today.  I wish we could watch it (jokingly)," and then we got inside a lesson and

the people's cat jumped on to the couch and walked on the remote and turned the tv on and the BYU game was on and we got to watch the final few seconds!  Crazy haha!

I LOVED the picture book Mom made me, and I'm keeping her 10x more in my prayers. Hope you feel better, Momma!  Elder Andrus won't stop making fun of Shitzuhs.  I've had to put him in his place a few times... We ball out every once in awhile and I'm able to score 9 or so points on him by the time he gets to 21 hahaha.  Seriously everyone around here

has pets!  There are Shitzuhs around here everywhere...  I'll send pics that I took haha.  

We have four investigators with baptismal dates - Kevin (15 yer old sophomore), Sarita (18 year old college student), Julius (70 year old black dude), Peter (27 year old rich white guy)

... Their dates are mid October so I'm pumped to that.... Hopefully everything goes through. 

One thing that I have noticed so far on my mission is that these people literally have NOTHING... And yet they feel so blessed - just to be alive and have a roof over their head.  It made Elder Andrus and I have a great talk about how blessed we have been in our lives.... We both take so much for granted and are learning to become more humble, seeing these people the way they are definitely brings about a new perspective. 

Last week I met Dwayne for the first time.  He's been to hell and back - drugs, alcohol, you name it.  He said one day he was going to give up his life, so he said to himself, "God if you want me to live, show me a sign."  Then he said missionaries turned the corner and talked to him.  He's been sober for 14 years... He and I get along really well and I call and text him to show him some lovin'.  He broke out into tears when he had us over for dinner the other night (bought us sandwiches) and said he was so grateful  for the love he feels when he is with us and how we care for him.  Truly an eye opener for me.  He is a great example, and seriously could be a motivational speaker.  His life story is incredible, and I respect him so much... 

Last week the guy that pulled the gun out, we told him before we left as we were walking away he should put away the alcohol.. We come back a few days later and he's sippin on ginger ale, and we seriously just loved him and cared for him and wanted to talk

to him and get to know him.  He said, "Bros, I was such a ***ch to you guys the other day, but you still cared for me and stood by me.  Nobody ever does that.  Alcohol makes me someone else, so I'm gonna listen and not drink for one week," and then we came back another day and we saw him and talked to him and he was like, "wow, these last few days

have been great blah blah blah," and said some amazing stuff, but then I saw him sit down with his girl and have a beer and was like, "Well one beer is better then 10 haha," or we just keep going over and hanging with him, letting him know we are there for him... 

We did some service for a member moving music equipment around the house, then he took us to Ikea for lunch... Yep, Ikea... I was so starving at the time that I pounded food left and right regardless how it tasted, but I was thankful for him doing that for us... Also for Wayne, he literally was telling us how he'd had hardly any money, but he doesn't care about

money.  He cares how missionaries saved his life and brought him happiness and he's indebted to us... So we slipped him a 10 in the Book of Mormon and was like, Hey, you better read tonight!"  Lol

 

I am currently reading Mosiah...most firey scriptures out there... Mosiah Chapter 2 is straight spittin truth, it got me hyped.  Read that one tonight!  I look forward to reading every morning.  There are such awesome scriptures that apply to our daily lives, and it' unfortunate I didn't take the time in high school to really do that, but now here being in

the field, it's the biggest eye opener... Ever.  

Our lessons go just absolutely amazing, and I'm so grateful for that.  I know the man above

is hooking us up and helping us out every step of the way!  Elder Andrus and I are BOYS haha.  We have such a great time together... 

There is so much more I could say, but I love doing all this and I know that

when we are serving others we are serving God and I love it so much.  Bringing the happiness to these people's lives is amaaaazing!

LOVE YOU FAM, take care,

Elder Wilde

 (Elder Wilde sent his family this puzzle because he knows that puzzles are a favorite family project they like to do together.)

(We thought it was appropriate to add some final comments Elder Wilde wrote to his mother:)

Hello, Mother, I miss you !  Yeah Kevin (Elder Wilde's Uncle who was in Philadelphia on business) took us out.   It was so awesome.  We seriously starve to death over here, partially because we walk 15 miles a day in the heat so it gets to you.  I get home at night and am just GASSED.... Takes me like 30 seconds to fall asleep at most!  Also, we took Kevin to a nice part of town.... Haha he was in the good part, where we are... Oh boy, it's A LOT different.  I'll try my best not to scare you, but you see more cop cars than regular cars!
 

I got the package today! I absolutely loved all the photos it made me so happy :)) (Elder Wilde requested a picture book with pictures of family, his dogs, etc.)  Also I read my patriarchal blessing and wow, it was so awesome... So pumped to read it, really meant a lot.

I would LOVE if you went on Amazon food and hooked me up with some protein powder or something.  Honestly, any food is good if you sent me some... I'm trying to eat healthy.  I
get a good workout in every morning, and I'm sure my legs are getting toned haha.  I've put on two pounds of muscle, pretty sure in my legs haha.  I'm seriously dead, my legs are always aching.  

I miss you so much!  I'm forever a Momma's boy!  I'll be sending the fam email in a little bit to tell about my week!  Love you,

Elder Wilde