Monday, April 30, 2012

Hey everyone, well this week was very strange and very stressful. I don’t think I told you last week but we have been preparing a massive marriage here in Viru and after the assistants heard about it they decided to invite the whole mission to participate. Elder Esobar and I had to plan a massive marriage for 13 couples. The hardest part was getting all the paperwork done because there is no way to communicate with the city office. It’s a little dinky town about an hour away on a bumpy dirt road. There is no phone service so we had to go there like twice last week. Everything went well though and we put up decorations. I got them a few cakes to eat and take pictures with. We even put up a movie on the projector so the other couples could watch movies while they were waiting. I should be able to help Sadie a bit when I get back even though her wedding will be pretty much planned haha
This week we also did service with the missionaries in Viru Pueblo. There area is a little town that has only like 25 members but President Turk wants them to move there so we started to help build their room. We brought the zone there and started to move boulders and dirt and bricks.  It was really fun but really exhausting. 
I also had to do a few baptism interviews this week for the other missionaries. I don’t know why but I like doing baptism interviews. It’s cool to see and hear about the changes people have made in their lives.
 Well just so you know today was changes. I’ve received my change and I know pretty much where I’ll end my mission. My area is in Chimbote, Peru. The area is called, El Carmen, it’s small but I’ve heard that it has lots of success.
 Well anyways, I love all of you. I’m glad to be here in the mission and I’m glad to hear from you every week. I sent a letter to Dad and Justin in the mail the other day so it should arrive pretty soon. I hope all goes well this week.  I’ll let you know a little more about my new area next week and how it is going. My new companion is Elder Marquez from Chile. I think that’s 4 Chilenos now that I’ve had as companions in the mission. He is great. 
 Ya until next week. Chao!!!!!!!
Tyler's new companion
Elder Marquez
he is from Chile

Monday, April 23, 2012

Hey family!!! This keyboard is terrible but I'll write my best.
Glad to hear that all is well. All is well here.
Finally we have another fecha here in Puente, Virú. Her name is Maribel. She is a single mother who is about 45. She is great. We found her only a week ago and she already has a strong desire to be baptized. She has relatives in another town that are members and because of the changes they have made in their lives and the examples that they have set has made her know that this church helps people change their lives and that's really what she wants. She has already started to read the Book of Mormon but as she was reading her glasses broke. What an obstacle that is, but she already believes that what she read is true. We are planning on baptizing her Sunday after church. Well we had District Conference yesterday. It is pretty much Stake Conference but as a district. All of the talks were really good. It was really funny this week because we found a family from the mountains during the week and committed them to go to church. The mother went to church wearing a big sombrero. It was funny and awesome. Everyone looked at us as we walked in but after seeing everyone else without a hat she took it off.
Please pray for Eduardo. He is soooo close to being baptized and if he decides he could do it this Saturday.
 I just got great news. My son, Elder Cook, just got called to serve in the office as financial secretary. He is doing great and he will be calling me every week to talk about financial issues.
Well tell Chase I said hi and congratulations for sticking with the mission until the end. I just got my trunky letter in the which I have to fill out all the information about my address, what airport I will arrive in, my phone number and what day I will be leaving. It is the 23rd of July my friends... a very sad day indeed. But the 24th will be a great one. I hope everyone is okay and stays okay.
Until next week,
Elder Wilkinson
District Meeting
Puente, Viru
April 22, 2012

Monday, April 16, 2012

Well everyone, everything is great! I'm really, really excited to hear
the news about the family Changa and that the parents are getting
baptized. I remember when we first started teaching them. They are a
really great family and I miss them. Mom make sure to write them and
tell them that I'm proud of them. Mirope, the mom, always listened to us
and when I saw her on Christmas I told her she had to get baptized
before I ended my mission..........and she did!!!!! It's really great
to see that the work you did a long time ago still brings fruits and
results for the Lord.
This week here in Puente was good. Today was
actually a little cooler in the morning so there is a little bit of
difference in the weather.
I got my package from Grandma Tuttle. It
took a while to get here because the post office was on strike for a
little while because apparently they had problems getting paid.
Well
not much happened this week. Just here in Puente Virú. It's called
Puente because in spanish puente is bridge and there is a big bridge
crossing a river in front of this town. Our recent convert, Reyner, from
The Selva received the aaronic priesthood yesterday. That made us
really happy. He bought a white shirt to go to church because he
wanted to fit in with everyone else. I gave him one of my ties. Reyner
has been a member for a short period of time but is really close to
finishing the Book of Mormon. He is already in 3 Nephi chapter
21!!!!!! It's amazing how fast he is progressing. He also attends
institute. I didn't even go to institute yet!!! haha
Well family
thanks for all your prayers and for all that you do. Mom, thanks for
sharing that story with me. I love you all and pray for you every day.
This church is true. It's blessed my life every single day and it keeps
me on the path to eternal life. To serve the church of Christ is what
makes us happy because we are only serving Him.
Until next week.
Elder Wilkinson





Monday, April 9, 2012

Hey everyone!!! Sounds like all is well. I hope you had a Happy Easter. Easter was alright here. This week was the famous Semana Santa, or in other words the Semana Borracha!!(the Drunk Week) Everyone here this week doesn't work from Thursday to Sunday and they all drink in the night, sleep in, and watch movies about Jesus during the day. They also go to the beach and get drunk there too. It's not a week that's very santa, holy, but that's what they call it. 
Well nothing pleases me more than to know that all went well with the sealing of Nick and Jordynne. That's great that they did that. Anyways it's weird knowing that this is the last change of Chase and that he'll be home really soon.
 Things are going really good here in Viru. I went on a work visit this week with Elder Fackrell. He is a new missionary from Bountiful, Utah. He is a really cool kid and we worked in his area thats called El Niño. His area is a lot cooler than mine. It's a little village about an hour away from Viru. It's just straight up fields of corn and other fruits and vegetables. It's beautiful. We worked there all day Friday. 
This week I also had the zone leader activity. We played soccer and frisbee dodgeball. It was awesome. Another cool experience I had this week was that we didn't have any baptism clothing so I had to go to Trujillo to pick it up. I went to The Noria!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was great I got to see the pensionista Hermana Miriam and the family Asto. They are all doing really great. I didn't have a lot of time to visit but it was really great to see my old area. It was a strange experience finding out who of my converts were still going to church and the others that weren't. It was exciting knowing that some are progressing and becoming strong members and really sad that others are having lots of troubles.
 I'm glad to know that all my family members are active in this church and that they strive to live the commandments and have an eternal family. I don't have to worry about things like that. Though other people do have to.
 But please everyone pray for my family and their health. It would mean a lot to me. I sure do pray for you guys... a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Well today we're in Trujillo and we're going to the mall which obviously means I'll be getting fatter and happier all at the same time while I eat my delicious Big Mac with fries and an Inca Cola. I love you all, I love Big Macs and Inca Cola, I love the mission, and I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father, just not in that order. hahaha
Until next week,
Elder Wilkinson. 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Zone Leader Concilio
April 4, 2012
 Lots of training from 9-2....
  lunch....frisbee dodgeball....soccer!!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Hey everyone everything is going great here in Virú. General Conference was great. We were allowed to go if we brought investigators and we were able to bring investigators to all of them!!!!!! I liked a lot of talks. I'm really bad at remembering who said what but I did take notes to read in my free time. 
Well this week seems really exciting for everyone. I hope everything went really well for Nick and Jordynne this week. That's great that they've progressed so fast. I just baptized Nick a little while back and he's already beat me to the highest spot in the Celestial Kingdom haha. Way to go guys!!!!!!!!!!!
 Well this week we didn't have the baptism we were waiting for but the people that we are working with went to Conference so I know that will help them make their decisions a lot faster now. Viru is changing little by little and I'm glad the Lord sent me here. I know I would've had more success in The Noria but the people we have found here and taught the gospel to them has definitely been worth it. Not many people came to Conference on Saturday, about 12 in the morning, 20 in the afternoon, and 30 in the night, but Sunday there were a lot.
 My companion is doing good and we teach really well together. He is new, only has 9 months, but is really good at teaching and having the responsabilities of a zone leader because he served in the office for 5 months, made phone calls, ordered things, and went to all of the leadership trainings of the mission.
 Well it's still the same temperature here. They say it cools down in the middle of April. I hope so. This Wednesday should be the Zone Leader Council so watch for pictures of us!!!
 I received Easter packages from Mom and Grandma Wilk, and Grandma Tuttle's is still on the way I think. but thank you all so much for the packages. I have the only family that sends packages and letters for not as common holidays. I was the only missionary to receive things on Valentines Day as well as Easter, at least before the holiday I'm sure some came after a little later but that made me happy.
 Anyways I hope Dad has a happy birthday and that you guys can do something special. 
Let everyone know that I love them and always remember them and pray for them. 
Until next week,
Elder Wilkinson.