JANUARY 1, 2014

HAPPY NEW YEARRRR!!!!! :)  Wow, I can't believe that it is already
2014...that's weird!  But it has been a great first day of the year!  The
highlight of the day was probably when we went with a member to go play
BASKETBALL!!!!! Man!  4 months without playing ball takes a little toll on
a man...I may or may not be a tad rusty (But don't worry B, I can still
take you ;) )  haha!
    Everything is going really well, we are still working with Martha to
get everything ready for her baptism on Sunday.  The Mission President came
to visit Lecco this past Sunday, and spoke in sacarament meeting.  He then
interviewed Martha right after the block.  He came up to us after the
interview and said "Elders, very well done, she needs to be baptized!"  So
we are really excited about that.  She has already been baptized twice in 2
other churches, and that was a little bit of an obstacle for her and us to
work through, but she has such a solid testimony of the Book of Mormon.
 Everything in this church depends on the veracity of the Book of Mormon.
 Her testimony of that and Joseph Smith has pulled her through every single
trial that she has been having, and she has such faith.  Remember her in
your prayers that all will be well with her in this wonderful time in her
life :)
    The Michael family is doing well also!  The husband is still really
having a hard time, we met with him today for an hour and a half and
discussed all that is going on in his life.  He has had a really tough
life, but his faith is helping him to hang in there.  They still need your
prayers very much.
       The husband shared a wonderful experience of his with us today.  He
was baptized this past June, and he spoke with us about when the other
missionaries were teaching him the Word of Wisdom.  He said that the whole
time up until then when they would be meeting, he would smoke a cigarette
before and after, and he had been smoking for over 9 years.  But as soon as
they gave him the Word of Wisdom pamphlet, and he read it, he said that
every time he had an urge to smoke, or was about to lay the money on the
table to buy some, "something would go through me, and I would think to
myself 'why are you doing this? Go spend your money on something else!' "
 And he said that the Spirit of the Lord would move through him and take
away his urge to smoke.  And two weeks before his baptism he just decided
to stop, and did.  It was such a testimony-builder to me that 1 Nephi 3:7
is true, that the Lord will ALWAYS provide a way for his servants to
accomplish that which he commands them to do.
   The new year was soooo crazy here in Italy.  It was SO loud, with
fireworks (and we're pretty sure gun shots) going off everywhere, and
everyone screaming and throwing things out windows, and just everything.
 We were in the church having our New Years ward party, and we did
something that I really actually thought was pretty cool.  About 10 minutes
before the new year, we sang a hymn and a prayer and took a little time to
just ponder about the past year, and then look forward to all that was in
store for us the next year.  It was special for me to think back at all the
things that I have experienced this past year.  From college to summer to
work to missionary life, I have been through a lot of different "stages" I
guess we could call it.  A lot of different mind-sets and ways of life.
 But there has been one thing that has been the same the entire time.
 Every time I had a trial or a struggle or a question, I always would get
on my knees and ask for advice from my loving Father in Heaven.  And he
would always provide some sort of comfort or help, or friend, always in an
unexpected way, to pull me through and help me push forward in faith.  That
got me thinking...it's like that not only with investigators also, but with
all of us.  The Lord gives us a little here and a little there; just enough
to help us push forward a little more, and aswers our prayers in His time,
and in His way. And I just am so thankful for the help that He always gave
me, and continues to give me, and the He gives to all of you.  We are very
blessed to have the gospel.
   Oh, and by the way, for my new years resolution I chose to work on
patience.  Because we all know I'm gonna need it! Companions. haha.  But I
am so thankful to be a missionary!
   We had a wonderful miracle this week.  We have been meeting with two
young investigators, Marvin and Osvaldo, roommates and students here in
Lecco at the university.  One of them is the son of one of the
investigators we met a month or so ago, and she referred him to us to teach
and fellowship.  The first part of the miracle is that both of them came to
church this last Sunday, and expressed to us that they had a really
wonderful experience.  We met with them the next day, and watched the
Testaments with them.  At the end of the film, the spirit was so strong,
tears came to my eyes as I pondered about the love that our Savior truly
has for us.  And I looked over, and Marvin's eyes were also wet with tears.
 I felt the spirit manifest to me that he knew that this was true, and I
knew he had felt it too.  As we discussed the film, we bore testimony of
our Savior, that he came to the world to save us, to be the example for us,
and to show us how to love and serve one another.  Both of them said that
they found the film very "interesante", and I know that it touched him; as
it touched us as well.  The Lord is so wonderful, and the spirit truly
bears testimony of the truth.
      Well, I hope that everything is going well with you all, I love you
so very much! Everything here is just great!
     Love,
          Anziano Wilson