Monday, August 26, 2013

Hey this week was a great week. We had a great experience last week. We were out riding our bikes in the heat. It was so hot and sweat was just dripping down both of us. I finally decided that we needed to get some water, so that we could keep going. We road into the closest gas station and were locking up our bikes, when a Blue Bell truck pulls in right in front of us. A man stepped out and said, "Hey Elders, I want to give you some ice cream." I know that our Heavenly Father knows everything that is going on in our lives and he will help us.
  So we have been teaching this couple and we met with the husband whose name is Juan this Wednesday. At the end we gave him the Restoration Video and commited him and his wife to watch it. Then, on Friday afternoon we got a call from him and he told us that he and his wife watched the video and then he watched it a few more times and they decided that they wanted to come to church this Sunday.  And, they actually came and it went really well! 
  We have been working with Natalie and her husband Rodrick quite a bit.  They really like our church and love coming.  It is amazing how quickly they are progressing.  Charles is also doing well.  He reads and prays about the Book of Mormon and knows that it is true.  Once he gets off of probation he will be able to come to church, so we have to wait until September.  Bobby is also doing well.  He wants to meet all ya'll after my mission.  haha.  He is working on Sundays at the moment and promised us that once his schedule calms down; he will be at church which should be in the next week our two. 
 I love ya'll and hope all is going well.  Love my Mission and Love the Work.
Elder Willden

Monday, August 19, 2013


This week has been a special one.  I have gained a very strong testimony in the work that all of us missionaries are doing.  I will start out with the negative to get it over with though... We went to try David this week and his kids answered the door and told us that he didn't want to talk to us anymore.  It was sad, but God is a true believer in Agency.  He wouldn't have let 1/3 of our brothers and sisters in Heaven choose to follow Satan if he didn't. 
 Anyways, now to the positive.  On wednesday we had run out of things to do so we were trying to think of somewhere to go and we decided to go visit this Part-Member family, the wife(Claudia) being a member and the husband(Jacob) isn't.  When we got there they let us in and we were planning on sharing a short message with them.  Then, Jacob just started asking all these questions about our church and eventually allowed us to teach him the restoration.  The spirit was so strong and he fully committed to be baptized.  He was really sick this sunday and wasn't able to attend, but Claudia did.  
And, this Sunday Natalie was supposed to be gone on vacation with her husband who recently got home.  And, we got a text from her saying that they were coming right in the middle of sacrament.  We hadn't even met her husband yet, but he came too.  His name is Rodrick.  When they got to the church it was the beginning of sunday school so we took them to class.  Then, at the end of church Rodrick told us that he really liked it and wants to continue going and meet with us.  And FYI, Natalie's baptism date is the 1st of September. 
  So, Dad asked me how I am doing.  Well I am doing great.  I am always tired it feels like, but through the grace of God I am always able to keep running.  I have been doing a lot of my studies by topic lately and this morning I studied Christs name in the Old Testiment, I AM.  I came across my favorite chapter of all the scriptures John 8 when Jesus Christ declares that he is the Light of the World.  I can't read that scripture without bawling my eyes out!  haha.  So, yes I am doing really well. 
  Dad also asked the question what places am I seeing.  Well, I am in the Ghetto kinda.  Its not as bad as Pasadena, but you see things that you would never see in Utah.  People, if they are bored, will just go outside and walk.  I thought that was a little weird.  But, there are a lot of humble people and it is amazing when you hear their stories.  We got our miles cut in half from 1000 to 550.  So, we are riding bikes a lot more. 
  Dad's last question was what do I do on P-day.  I clean the appartment...  My companion doesn't like doing it; so I do most of the cleaning.  We get groceries.  And, then we either play B-ball or write ya'll.  So, ya that's what happens. 
  Love ya'll and hope ya'll have a great week.  Love my mission, love the work.
Elder Willden

Monday, August 12, 2013


  This week has been a fantastic one.  I was talking to Elder Martinez today and found out that he is really good friends with Lindy Hyatt.  Anyways, I will talk about the downers first and end with an uplifting and terrific message. 
 We haven't been able to get in with David he has been really busy and hasn't been able to talk with us.  So, hopefully through prayer Heavenly Father will open up some time to where we can see him.  Now that the downer is over, let's talk about the terrific stuff. 
 So, Natalie is doing Great!  She is coming to church and the ward loves her, she will answer questions and purpose questions in sunday school and relief society.  It is awesome.  Her husband gets home this week, so we will begin teaching him as soon as he gets here. 
    We are also now teaching an older hispanic couple that we tracted into, Bro. and Sis. Castillo.  When we first met them they were not interested at all, in fact they wanted us to just leave; but we insisted that we just leave them with our first message, The Restoration.  The lesson went so well and they invited us back and are wanting to learn more! 
    We gave a Blessing to Pat Hosea this week because she got in a car wreck and when sunday came around she was healthy enough to come to church!  So, she is now doing really well.  We also saw Billy this week.  And, he hadn't read anything from the Book of Mormon, so we read the introduction with him and the 1st chapter in 1 Nephi.  Hopefully when we see him this week, he has read and prayed. 
   I don't know if I have mentioned Charles yet, but he is one of our investigators.  He is a tall old black man.  He is super nice and loves Christ.  He is also on probation right now, but he is almost done.  We went over and he had read the introduction of the Book of Mormon and the first two chapters.  It was awesome.  He said he prayed and he knows it is true.  So, now we just need to teach him all the lessons and wait until he is off probation. 
   We also had a lesson on Friday with Nicole and James.  Elder Roundy and I had been working with them, and we haven't been in since.  But, Nicole's mother was there and she was a preacher.  And the whole time her mother was saying all this bad stuff about us and we didn't even say a word because Nicole was defending us.  After the lesson we invited her mom to pray with us and she declined and after the prayer we left.  I thought it was so awesome that someone who hardly knew us would defend us from their own family.  
Anyways, this week was a good week.  The work is moving forward.  I love ya'll.  Love My Mission and Love The Work.
Elder Willden

Monday, August 5, 2013


Howdy! 
 Elder Martinez and I are doing great.  We saw Bobby this week and he is doing good and still planning on coming to church this Sunday.  We had to clear up some issues because Elder Roundy left and he started to think that all we are here to do is convert people and leave.  We then explained that we can still communicate with him and after our mission we can still go by and see him.  It was all fine afterwards.  
Anyway we weren't able to see David this week because he had some family fly in and he has been really busy.  He wasn't able to show up to church either, so hopefully we will be able to get in with him this week.  
We saw Natalie and taught her the Plan of Salvation.  She liked it and it went well.  She also came to church Sunday and she is loving it.  Her son Jeremiah tried to take off with a toy truck from church, it was so funny.  So, she is doing well and her Baptism Date is the 1st of September.  
On Thursday we had a lot of appointments fall through and a name popped into my head.  James Ogbivorne.   He is a former who we have tried once or twice.  We went to try him and he was actually home this time.  So, we started talking to him and he wasn't interested at all.  Then I felt inspired to talk about God and his love for us.  And, afterwards he wanted to meet with us again and invited us in to pray.  It was a mighty change of heart.  
We also met with a guy named Mack.  I don't know if I have told ya'll about Mack or not, but anyways we had a Restoration lesson with him and it went really well.  He is willing to do the things we invite him to do.  I have learned so much and will continue to grow.  I Love this work, Love my Mission, and love ya'll.
Elder Willden
Ps. It is okay to email me pictures.  And, Bailee looks way different...