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