Tyler's new companion

Elder Escobar

from Guatemala

Hey everyone how are you??? Everything is going really well here. We're working really, really hard here and we really are trying to strengthen this rama.

 My new companion is Elder Escobar. He is the missionary that just finished his time in the office. He had 5 months in the office and is really excited to start working in the field again full time. My companion is from Guatemala. That's my third companion from Guatemala. I've had more companions from Guatemala than I have from Peru. I've also had as many companions from Chile as I have from Peru, that's 2 chilenos and 2 peruanos. 

Well all went well last week. We did get the marriage arranged and we were able to marry 3 couples in our zone, including our couple from Puente, Sara and Eduardo. The marriage was really cool and was really special because a couple that was 80 years old was married. They have known the missionaries about 2 months and ever since the first visit they wanted to be baptized and to get married. The old man was also in a wheel chair and I had the opportunity of helping him with his baptism last week. It took two of us and about 35 minutes but we got him standing up and then walked him up the 4 stairs, down 4 other stairs, and into the cold water. Then we had to put a chair in the water so he could sit on it. After Elder Guerrero said the baptism prayer, I took the chair out from under the grandpa, Elder Guerrero took him in his arms and I slid the chair away and we both submerged him in the water. It was a little rough on the old grandpa but he was really brave. His wife was so happy and she went right down into the water and was baptized without a single problem. Also, after that Hermana Sara was baptized in our area. Now all that is left is her husband Eduardo. He is an awesome guy and is really close to baptism. Please pray for him. 

Yes mom we will be seeing General Conference here in our capilla and it's going to be awesome. I'm very proud of you mom for giving your 5 minute talk on................me haha it's not that hard though to say talks when you study scriptures everyday like we do as missionaries. The news that Nick's getting sealed in the temple is really amazing and special. I can't believe how much everything is changing there. You should tell them to get married on the 3rd for dad's birthday haha. That's also the day that the sealing power was restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. haha Just tell them to think about it.

Until next week.

I love you all,

Elder Wilkinson

Well everyone, things are going good. Just siiting here in a little internet place a few feet off the Panamericana, the main freeway that passes through lots of cities.

 I was in the emergency room with a missionary today that had really, really bad stomach pains. He got food poisoning because the pensionista gave him yogurt that was a little past date. Never know what your gonna get in your meals here. Except for chicken and rice and bread, that's an everyday thing. Every meal thing!!!!!!!!! I now weigh 69 kilos. haha not sure how much that is in pounds, but not very much. I think I started my  mission weighing that much. 

This week was fun because we had interviews. My interview was great and President Turk has now assigned me to train a new zone leader this next change. I'm now in charge of different things in the zone, and I also have to help my new companion learn his responsibilities. It will be hard, but will really help me become an organized person and a better leader. We have all of our responsibilities to take care of plus be an example to the zone in success and obedience. Also in the interviews  we played games... Chutes and Ladders. I won Froot Loops which was awesome. I finished the entire box in 1 day. muy rico!!!!!!!! Also we played fooseball. We won the championship game!!!!! haha it doesn't hurt that we have a fooseball table in our house. I just never thought it would ever help me out but it did. I won more candy!!!!!!!! 

Well it's still really hot here. It should cool down in 3 weeks.

 Last week there were 4 baptisms in our zone. We didn't have 1 but we should have 1 or two this week. It is a couple that needs to be married and after they should be baptized as well. Mom please pray for Eduardo and Sara. They are a great couple. Their son was baptized by us about a month ago. They both have testimonies and they will complete their family, all being members if they are baptized. Also you can pray for Mariana, Angi, Mayela, and Jose. They are all really great investigators that need to gain stronger testimonies and receive permission from parents to be baptized.

 Yes mom we did take a bus to the interviews in the morning because Trujillo is only 1 hour away, and yes we return after in a bus. It's actually pretty easy . 

Well I love you all and hope that this week goes really well for you. Stay close to the Savior and His teachings and He will always guide you and help you press forward. Don't ever lose the opportunity to invite someone to church or to a church activity, and don't forget your home teaching. It's really important, pretty much the way to strengthen the ward. 

I know the gospel is true and that what I do is what Christ would do if He were here right now in Viru. I know that through the Savior one day I'll live with God. 

Until next week.

 I love you all, 

Elder Wilkinson.  

 Viru Zone Interviews

March 16, 2012

Viru Zone has 14 Elders 

that are led by Zone Leaders

Elder Wilkinson and Elder Uribe

There are really outstanding missionaries in this group.

 This Zone includes:

Elders:  Wilkinson, Calisaya, Morgan, Fackrell, Oyarzun, Alva,

Cañarte, Calderone, Román, Contreras, Cárdenas, Gamboa, Uribe 

Well everything is good, all is well, nothing to report, see you next week..................................................................................haha just kidding, but I'm glad to hear everyone is doing good and that it's warming up there in Utah. It's still really hot here in Viru. I couldn't sleep very well last night because I was sweating and felt like I couldn't breath from the heat. It doesn't help either that everyone here believes that cold drinks are harmful for your body and make you sick, MOST RIDICULOUS BELIEF EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha I always have to buy cold drinks in stores.

But I have news that will shock anyone that really knows who I am....during these last 3 weeks I have quit drinking pop!!!!! ha I haven't had any pop for a long time and it was really hard to stop. I did it because there is an invitation in chapter 10 of Preach My Gospel that says we as missionaries should learn how to overcome addictions and get rid of bad habits to learn how hard it is for an investigator to get rid of theirs. If it was hard for me to stop drinking pop I don't know how much harder it would be to stop drinking alcohol or smoking. It really helped me learn how to control my own actions and learn how to help people have faith and endure in hard times.

 This week was really awesome because Reyner se Bautizó, was baptized. He is 26 and awesome!! He is already in the middle of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon and we met him like 2 and a half weeks ago. Well we had some cool meetings this week and we took some funny pictures. This Friday we have interviews with Pres. Turk and we're hoping to help a couple get married this week so they can be baptized in these next weeks to come.

I love you all, I pray for you, and I always remember you.
Stay happy and safe this week.
Elder Wilkinson

Zone Leader Conference 

February 7, 2012

The day began with a morning of training ...

 followed by lunch at the mission home...

 then off to work....

 mowing and cleaning up the grounds of 5 different chapels...

 lots of work to do ...

 including Elder Yat giving Elder Wilkinson a haircut...

and ... a fashion show???

Leadership Training

March 6, 2012

"As I think about your schedules and the pressures you face at this time in your lives, I can understand why scripture study can so easily be neglected. You have many demands pulling at you. In some cases, just maintaining your social life is a full-time occupation. But I plead with you to make time for immersing yourselves in the scriptures. Couple scripture study with your prayers. Half an hour each morning privately studying, pondering, and communicating with your Heavenly Father can make an amazing difference in your lives. It will give increased success in your daily activities. It will bring increased alertness to your minds. It will give you comfort and rock-steady assurance when the storms of life descend upon you." -Elder Ballard

 — 

Hey everyone how are you doing? This keyboard is really bad so I can't write much.

 Well everything went well this week. We didn't have a baptism this week but is already set and good to go for this Saturday. His name is Reynerio Silva. He will be my first convert from the amazon jungle. SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! He is the coolest guy ever. He is 26 and is living here alone and works on a chicken farm. They raise chickens and then ship them off to be killed after 45 days or so. They don't have much of a life but Reynerio sure does. He's really cool and has studied more of the Book of Mormon before being baptized than any other of my converts I think. He is in 1 Nephi chapter 18  I think after only a week or so. That's a lot for a Peruvian.

 He's really intelligent and humble. I also got to help set apart a missionary last week in the district. President Turk came with the assistants and asked us to join them. It was a cool experience doing that. President set him apart but I was next to him and he had his right hand on the missionary and his left hand on my shoulder and it made me feel really important and that we were doing something really really sacred. I don't think I'll forget that moment and don't think I'll ever stand in a circle to set someone apart like that again. I'm glad to be here!! 

 I heard unfortunately from one missionary that the draw units for the deer season have all been made smaller meaning that there is less areas to hunt with the tag that you draw. I hope that doesn't turn out really bad for us. 

Well this month President Turk asked us to read The History of Joseph Smith lots of times before General Conference to receive a testimony of him. I did that last year as well and it really helped me a lot and I know that he was a prophet. I want to invite all of you to do it as well before conference because it was really one of the best studies and spiritual experiences I've had on the mission. 

The church is true and I love you all.

 Chao.