Holy Week

This week was a little slow, but it was still good. Holy week in the DR is crazy! I feel like it's more celebrated than Christmas, which is kind of cool. 

We were able to baptize our 3 friends Caroline, Harry, and Richard. It was an amazing experience getting in the ocean. The water was warm and it was just a beautiful place. They are super good kids and I am excited to see what their future will look like in the church. 

This week we have had some crazy things happen. One of our friends told us she was struggling with depression and other self harm thoughts and we used that as a way to teach her about covenants and the baptismal covenant. She seem interested in making a covenant relationship with God and now has a baptismal date for the 27th of April. We hope she can progress well towards that date so her life can change. 

We met some more cool friends and taught some people who have interesting stories, but always end up having so much interest in learning more about Christ. Our friend Ambioris is one of the guys who has CRAZY stories and we don't know how true they are, but has already started to read the Book of Mormon and claims he will finish it this year. I hope that he does.

Also wanted to say thanks for all the Birthday shoutouts! 20 years old is kinda cool to say haha. Love you all! 

Sorry for the short email just don't have much to say this week. 

Hope you have a great week! 

Elder Wilde 

Revived

This week has been amazing. I am still in Samaná but training a brand new missionary! His name is Elder Haney and he is from upstate New York. A place called Ithica. He is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. To say that President clutched with this companionship is an understatement. 

We have been working hard! He has the greenie fire and is so ready to work. He is motivated to work and teach. We have already seen so many miracles. 

One of them being from Saturday. We were walking around giving out a bunch of invites to church, like little cards. Anyway we talked to a women named Ana. She was kind and all but I didn't write her name or number down to put her in as a new person in teaching cause I wrongly assumed that she wasn't very interested. Well yesterday 5 minutes after Church began, in walked Ana. It was so awesome! I couldn't believe that she came. Later that night we went and had a really solid lesson and hope to help her progress towards baptism. 

Speaking of baptism we are gonna baptize our 3 friends this Friday! Pray that everything goes well so they can be baptized and confirmed. 

Honestly the mission is the best. This week has truly reminded me of how much fun the mission can be. If we truly have faith in Jesus Christ and give Him our all we will find true Joy. 

It's been so fun training a new missionary who is excited and motivated to work. We have a great time together. 

Love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Elder Wilde

Hardest Thing I've Ever Loved To Do

The title of this email is a song by Nashville Tribute band. It talks about a mission and how it's the hardest thing he loved to do. I am in complete agreeance. 

The mission is the hardest thing I've ever loved to do. It is full of trials and afflictions, but in the end it is always worth it. Samaná just so happens to be filled with extra trials and afflictions. Man has this week been a hard one. 

We have been working super hard and inviting so many people to be baptized. Although we have been rejected there have been a few to accept. The hard part for all these people is going to church. 

I won't lie it wouldn't be very motivating to show up to a church that has 5 members. It's so sad that there are many members in Samaná and NONE of them care to go to church. 

Yesterday was interesting. At 10:00 we start sacrament meeting. When it was 10:25 there were 3 people. Elder Sorensen, me, and a member named Augustín. Luckily by the end we had 9 people. 2 of them being investigators. It was a cool thing to see that even when we are a small group of people everything happens the same. The sacrament, the talks, and the hymns. 

It was a little disappointing that our friends on date didn't come to church. It’s hard working so hard during the week to see nobody progress, but I know God has a plan. 

A positive from this week was Wednesday. We went to a place called Sanchez and had a great lesson with some members out there and the 3 kids who haven't been baptized yet. They all have a date for the 29th, but due to rain they didn’t come to church yesterday so we might have to move the date :( but Sanchez is an hour away by bus from Samaná so we went in the morning and we were there during lunch and everything. The member made us rice and beans and chicken with sweet plantains and it was super good. Afterwards we played 3 rounds of Uno with them and I won 3 times straight. That's the highlight of the week lol. 

Although Samaná is the hardest area I've had, I'm growing to love it. I admire the faith of the few active members. Strengthens my testimony a lot! 

Hope you have a good week! 

Elder Wilde

Casa de oración

Hey everyone! WHAT A WEEK! Wow. After about 6 1/2 months spent in the mission office I have been shipped to the farthest area in my mission. SAMANÁ! It is by far the hardest area I have ever had and the toughest thing I've ever done. It's only been a week. Let's get into it. 

Monday we were driving to the store. Elder Wight, President Bretón, and me. President Bretón got in the truck and first thing he said was "Elder Wilde tomorrow you are leaving the office." Me: "to where?" Him: "Samaná!" Me: "..." yes speechless lol. He then proceeded to tell me how I need to work super hard and how Samaná needs help. He wasn't wrong. 

I got here on Tuesday. Back story on Samaná. It is a very very touristy place. Absolutely beautiful. Stunning. Everything is mountains and hills. Then the beautiful sea. It is awesome. But so hard. We "walk" up mountains ALL DAY LONG. Basically hiking. It is kinda awesome. Makes for some super pretty views. The people here, so so kind. The gospel here, so so weak. A whopping 8 members attend the house of prayer every week. Yes, it is literally a house. It's awesome. 

We have some friends we are teaching. Most of them not progressing that fast. But yesterday at church we found out that this 13 year old girl who is the daughter of a member is for some reason not baptized. She will be soon. We have faith! Most people here don't want to come to church cause they are lazy. But we are praying for them. Also fun fact about Samaná, there are so many different churches. Makes the work so easy.. kidding. It’s super hard. But that's okay. If it doesn't challenge you it doesn't change you. Shoutout to my brother Carter for giving me a card that says that when he was on his mission. 

Overall I love Samaná. The first 3 days were HARD. Missing my buddies from the office. Also Samaná is LONELY. We are an hour and a half away from the next closest missionaries. 4 hours from the mission home and offices. It’s interesting. But I have grown so much already and have much more time here to grow.

Yesterday at church we had a special guest. Elder Villanueva of the seventy. He has spoke in conference before and gave a prayer in the last one. Basically a celebrity. Kidding. But he is an amazing man. Was so kind to us and shared a very powerful testimony of ministering and paying tithing and serving others. May or May not have teared up a few times. We had about 20 people or so in the church yesterday. Very decent number for Samaná apparently. Lots of people have been baptized here. All inactive. We are working hard to get convert baptisms. 

Sorry for such a long email. If you read it great. If not. Oh well. Love you all! Miss Utah and the cold. Samaná is an oven. Hope you guys are doing good and always remember Jesus Christ. 

Elder Wilde

Los Últimos Días en la oficina

Hey everyone! This week was a solid one. Kinda just waiting around for Pres to tell me when I am leaving. 2 days ago he told me and Elder Newton that one of us would be leaving next week, but he didn't say the area or which one of us is leaving. Hoping it's me lol. 

We didn't do too much this week. Went to Puerto Plata once and that was exciting. We saw the beach, and we may or may not have take pictures holding a parrot. It was actually super cool. I hope I get sent to Puerto Plata to finish my mission, but I highly doubt that happens.

We taught a few good lessons this week. Most of our people that we are teaching weren't at home though:( We have a few baptismal dates and are honestly just doing the same old thing so I don't have much to say. 

I've been studying a lot of different topics this week. One of them being the Plan of Salvation. A few days back Elder Wight and I were driving home and we had a super deep conversation about the start of the world and a lot of things that our brains simply can't comprehend. Later I kept thinking and it was honestly playing with my head, but then I looked up at the stars and just remembered how the earth was made. Jesus Christ is real and loves us. If it weren't for him we would never live again. We wouldn't be able to get through life's challenges and temptations. I'm so grateful for a knowledge of this Gospel and for a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Love you all so much. Miss you guys more and more daily! Coming up on 19 months out here and it just keeps getting better:) 

Elder Wilde