Pictures

Breann Falling asleep while praying!

Breann with  her friends

Breann with daughter and grand daughter

Baptism time!

Breann loves the Nicaraguans and they love    her!

10-27-14

10/27/14

Hey family!!!! i hope all is going well over there in the states... its starting to get cold isn't it... what a chilling thought hahahaha that was funny. 

Its still hot and rainy here in my beautiful Nicaragua :) and things are going great on this end.

Well first and foremost, WALTER AND CANDIDA... this week we were getting everything ready for their baptism and they were so prepared honestly I was a little shocked because there is ALWAYS some sort of problem before every baptism but they were so prepared that there didn't seem to be any problem. Saturday morning we called them and all was good :) so we started getting everything ready... and then 20 mintues before the baptism there was a HUGE rainstorm and it knocked out the phone lines...  My companion looked at me and said "freaking Satanas" hahahaha so we said a prayer that they would be able to get to church and everything would go well. That the members could also asistir. It was 6:15 and no one had showed up... the baptism was scheduled for 6:00 so I started worrying just a little but we had faith that everything was going to work out alright. At 6:45 in walked Walter and Candida soaking wet but with big smiles on their faces- And shortly after them came the members. They told me that they wouldn't miss this day for the world. Seriously I can not express the gratitude that I feel. Seriously I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed me to see these miracles in my Nicaragua. These people have changed my life. Hermana Candida shared her testimony and it brought me to tears. The Spirit testified so strongly that she is going to do great things here in the church and that she is going to remain strong. This has been the best part of finishing the mission.. all of my converts are so awesome!!!! But these last couple of families have a better understanding and all of them have goals to go to the temple. Seriously... I have been so incredibly blessed. 

This week I was in divisions with Hermana Villacorta and we decided to contact a bus again :) I enjoy contacting busses because I can be like a preacher hahaha "RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS!!!!!" ahhahahaha "THOSE THAT FEEL THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL KNOW THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED!!!" thats right... they call me the preacher willy. Just kidding no one calls me that.. but if they could they would. Its rather exciting and I think I will do it in the States as well. :) 

Things are going great here in my neck of the woods we are working hard with high goals... even though my time might be coming to an end the work continues and I will not rest until I am on that plane home. :)

Have a fantastic week, I love you all! 

Hermana Willy willy. 

Oct 20,2014

Before I post Breann’s letter I just want you all to know….she will be home 3 months from today!!!!!!
Ok so I am just a little excited!  Her homecoming will be Jan 25th at 12:50

Hey there family!!  

Well this week was another good one... haha I think I start all of my letters like that.. Are you guys bored of reading that same line..? OK this week was another AMAZING WEEK in the work haha.. even though nothing too extraordinary happened it was a good one. :) 

It all started with Monday night, I was sitting on the floor because the tile is always cold and all of a sudden I feel the earth start to shake.. So naturally and calmly I said to my companion "hey do you feel that" to which she replied no. So I told her to come sit on the floor with me and as soon as she sat down the earthquake was even stronger so she jumped up and yelled and ran outside hahaha I wont lie it was a hilarious thing to see because I was totally calm just chillin on the floor and she just jumped up and left me. It was a pretty strong earthquake but the good news is that nothing too major happened. 

I am going to update you all quickly on the status of the investigators. 

Emilio y Maria, They are still progressing well, they just have a couple of questions about why they need to be baptized again but that is an easy obstaculo... wait... obstacle.. I think thats how thats spelled. haha silly English. They weren't able to come to church this Sunday because Emilio had to work, but I still have faith that they are going to be baptized. Keep praying for them

Candida y Walter.. Walter is the son of Candida I think I told you that... but they are seriously incredible. This week we mixed things up a little bit. Everyday we left them with homework and then the next day we would come back and give them our nametags and we played "you be the missionaries" (a little twist on the game dad loves of you be the parent haha) So then they would teach us what they learned and Walter even invited us to be baptized that kid is going to be and incredible missionary. Anyway it all ended with them saying that this Saturday (25) they are going to be baptized at 2:00 :) I know that they are going to be some of my favorite converts... I know I am not supposed to have favorites.. but I just love that little family. They have so much love as mother and son and they just have such a thirst to know the truth. I love teaching them. Candida told us that this week she went early morning walking with some of her groupies and she taught all of them about the book of Mormon.. We have 3 new people to teach this week thanks to her. I am always amazed at how the Lord works... He brought us to them, and now through them we are finding even more people to teach. I always felt like this area was small but now I am seeing that it has so much potential. I am also so grateful for my little companion :) even though she is new she teaches with such power. The Spirit is in every single lesson. She has been learning so fast and I am seriously so happy to have her :) I am grateful to know that we are going to be together for next change too. 

I am grateful for this gospel and for the chance that I have been able to see it change not only my life but the lifes for so many others. :) I know that Christ lives, I know He died for me. I love Him and I will serve Him.

I love you all and wish you all the best week ever!!!!

Hermana Willy willy...

ps funny story, mom the candy you sent me is the brand Wonka.. and here everyone calls them willy wonkas so as I was giving candy to some kids they were all laughing because willy was giving willy wonka.. I was straight up the candy factory this week :) 

10-13-2014

Hey familiy, so this is the third time that I am writing this email because this computer has problems... and it always crashs right about when I am about to finish. 

Anyway I got your package today, thank you so much for your love and candy. It was just that extra boost that I needed.

I wanted to share with you guys a couple of the miracles that we saw here this week with my Daughter... that just added to my testimony that Heavenly Father takes care of my area even when I am not here because I am helping other Hermanas.

Rejina, she has been an investigator ever since I got to the area. We were working hard with Hermana Behan to try to get her baptized but she never wanted to. So as the time went on we slowly stopped visiting her. This week I got the strong impression that we needed to go visit her. So as we knocked on the door she answered with a huge smile on her face and said. "I knew you guys would come." :) So then we asked her how she had been and she started to cry uncontrollably... now we all know that I am not the best when it comes to people sharing their emotions so I just stood there awkwardly patting her back as she continued sobbing. When she finally got herself together she looked up at me and said.. "I know that the church is true.. I have been waiting for you guys to come back.. I am going to be baptized this Sunday." This moment was such a tender moment to see that she had realized that the message that we have will and did change her life. So this sunday after church our sweet Rejina was baptized.

Also this week we found a really cool new family.. It is actually and interesting story. We were out looking for references and one of them led us to a house but it wasn't the people we were looking for. But I was like hmmm we are going to talk to this lady anyway. So we contacted Maria and she asked us to come to her house the next day. SO the next day (Saturday) we went to her house and taught her and her husband and her 2 teenage girls the Restauracion. It was a very powerful lesson and the Spirit was so strong. We left them with the Book of Mormon and invited them to church. They then told us that they had been pastors of their own church and had established 3 churches but as we testified that today there is a living Prophet Hermana Maria started weeping... she told us that she had always known and that she just needed a little help. They hadnt been going to church for a whole year. So sunday they came with us and fell in love. It was testimony meeting and as I bore my testimony about eternal families.. I started to cry... I don't cry very often these days but in that moment the spirit was very strong and I was overwhelmed with gratetude for my eternal family. As I looked at our little family of investigators all of them were (was?) crying as well. That afternoon after church we went and taught them again. They are now preparing to be baptized the 24th of this month to celebrate my 15 months in the mission. Pray for them

My last little miracle is about a lady named Candidad... she is the latina clone of aunt Kaye.. I kid you not... It freaks me out sometimes. Anyway we have been teaching her for the passed to weeks with her son named Wallter, she left her husband because he was a drunk (ok.. that isn't like aunt kaye.. but her personality is...) hahaha. So we invited her last Saturday to go to conference with us and when we passed by she was all ready and in Inglish told me "lets go home girl" hahaha I laughed really hard. Then we taught her during the week and all of them were lessons that ended with us laughing super hard. This Saturday we wanted to take someone to see a baptism so we showed up at her house and invited her 15 minutes before it was going to start. TO which she replied hold on let me get sexy first. HAhaha so she threw on her dress and came to the baptism. Yesterday in Church we were in Relief Society (we had taught her the plan of salvation) and they asked her to share a small testimony. SO she talked about how all of our thoughts need to be directed to the Celestial Kingdom... I sat there amazed at how much she knew. Seriously this woman is incredible. WE haven't been able to get her to accept a firm baptismal date but I know she will be entering into the waters of baptism pronto.

I am so eternally grateful for the Love that my Heavenly Father has given me. He knows I am tired and a little worn out but I am still giving it my all and for that he blesses me. I am grateful to be a missionary and I hope it never ends. I love you all :) 

Until next week!!!

Hermana Willy willy

Pics from the week

10-6-14 Raining!

Well family it is officially winter here in Nicaragua.. I say winter but what I mean is that it is still hot it just rains all the time. Right now it is about 76 degrees outside and I am in a sweater... good heavens I don't know what is going to happen with me when I am in snow... hahaha.

This week was a really busy but really great week. I have been put in charge of the hermanas in Tipitapa which only has one companionship of hermanas because supposedly it is slightly dangerous. But don't worry nothing happened while I was there, but the divisions along with the meetings that I had last week meant that I had to leave my companion here in the area with other hermanas for 3 days straight.. poor girl... I felt bad because the poor thing is still new but I guess the Lord wants her to learn fast haha. This week as a missionary is like Christmas. Being able to bring people to General Conference is a huge deal because the Spirit is SO STRONG and no one can deny that that cute old Prophet is a Prophet of God. So we worked really hard this week and we were able to bring 3 families to the conference. We went Saturday afternoon and to both on Sunday. But let me just explain to you all how Sunday went down. Ok so we woke up early (5:00) and started getting ready. We studied for an hour and by 7:00 we were knocking on the doors of Less Actives, Recent Converts and Investigators. Sometimes I think to myself how many friends I would have if I was this annoying at home on a Sunday morning hahah. Anyway, so we do the usual... Knock knock "what do you want" 

"hermano its time to go to church" 

"I don't want to"

"thats too bad, we are here and we are coming in!!"

So we walk in and help them cook breakfast, iron thier clothes, and even sometimes put on thier shoes. Hahaha. All for a good cause right.

Then we hop in the bus, yup we take a bus to church. And this Sunday in particual I was thinking about you guys home on the couch watching the conference and there I was, sweating, riding a bus full of stinky people, not even sitting but standing in said bus, tired, and smelly, but with a big smile on my face. How blessed have I been to be here in Nicaragua helping people recieve this Gospel that is really helping them change their lives? So blessed. I never have felt the joy that I feel as I watch people file into the church to be able to hear the voice of the prophets and apostles. Blessed :) Then we leave to go grab some lunch because I was STARVING. So we shoved it all down and set out for round two.. but this time God gave us a twist... RAIN and a lot of it... so there we were soaking wet barging into peoples houses and getting them ready to go to church... I ended up giving my rain coat and umbrella to different investigators. hahahha but when we got to church we sent them to sit down and we dried ourselves with the paper towels from the bathroom. Shower Nicaraguan style. I am really learning to rock the wet dog look just so you all know. Then we enter the room and some crazy man has the air conditioning on... so I froze just a little but it was so worth it. 

I just want to end with my testimony that I know that God has called prophets today, that we are so lucky and so blessed to be part of the ONLY church that has communication directly with a loving Father in Heaven. I know that the church has been restored and that we are living in the recogimiento de Israel. Cuan grande es nuestro llamamiento!!!!!

Les Amo!!!!!

Hermana Willardson