A BAPTISM AND A BBQ (MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2018)

"I would invite everyone to think about the question that 司海军 asked me, "Why do you believe in God?" 

I know that God lives. I know that we are all His children. I know that He knows my name, and that He loves me."

Anna Yu's Baptism

Chinese BBQ

Hello again everyone! This past week has been another amazing week here in the good old California Riverside Mission! The highlight definitely was Anna Yu's baptism!!!! What a special day that was. 

We contacted a lady named Linda 王 this week。It is interesting because we have contacted Linda multiple times before, but this time was different. We started testifying of the Book of Mormon to her. This time the Spirit hit her and she asked if we could share a message with her. Wow did this experience really strengthen my testimony of the Book of Mormon.

We continue to teach Jacky. Please pray for him. This week we shared with Jacky the importance of putting God first in our lives. It was a great lesson, and the Spirit was really strong. Wednesday before our English Class we had an opportunity to meet with 司海军 who is one of our English Class students. About a week ago, he asked me during the middle of English Class, "Why do you believe in God?" What a powerful question. So cool. We had the opportunity to teach him, his wife, and also another lady from English Class who sat in on the lesson, Yang Jin! They all committed to read from the Book of Mormon daily. We also taught Dennis and his wife Yancy. We first contacted them a couple of weeks ago at Harada Park, and we were able to set up a time to meet with them. They are a great family and accepted invitations to read the Book of Mormon and pray, which we were very excited about! We also had the opportunity to have another lesson with Anna Yu. We topped off our night with a visit to Brother Li, who got called as the Chinese Ward Mission Leader this past Sunday!

Thursday morning Anna Yu had her interview and was found worthy to be baptized!!!! We also fasted as a Zone on Thursday about our baptismal goal for the month. Our Zone saw a lot of success that day, which was a miracle! 

Friday morning we traveled down to Menifee to have another lesson with the Du Family! We talked with them a lot about the Book of Mormon and bore testimony of the Book of Mormon. They still are very active in their current church, but are open to still having us over. They are a really nice family! Before English Class that evening, we had another lesson with Tim 张。We had 苗弟兄 come with us and we had a great lesson about the Atonement. Tim has been struggling recently and has had some trials. Please pray for him that he may find peace through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After English Class, we had another lesson with a couple of new investigators from this past week, Nicole and Carson. We are looking forward to meeting with them again this upcoming week. 

Saturday morning we had our Chinese BBQ activity. We had a lot of investigators and also friends from English Class that came. So awesome. The family that we are working with, the Hu 家庭, who has not been active, came as well! They got great fellowship! We also taught Anna today, her last lesson before baptism. She is ready and will be a great member of the Church. 

Sunday was a special day! We were able to meet with Mrs. Wei and her two friends, who went back to China today. We first tracted into their house and were able to teach them some at a follow-up appointment. I am hoping they will be able to learn more from other missionaries. We had an incredible home visit with Shannon Yang [a recent convert]. She is a true disciple of the Savior Jesus Christ. It has been so cool to watch her grow from her baptism in September until now. I love the Gospel and how we each can change through living it. The highlight of the day was that Anna Yu was baptized Sunday evening!!!! It was such a spiritual experience. Anna radiates the Light of Christ and will be an incredible addition to our Chinese Group here. She bore a powerful testimony at her baptism. I am so lucky to know these amazing people. I love them so much. 

Elder Crowther, Brother Yu, Anna Yu, Elder Willes and Elder Nelson

Miracles are everywhere! I would invite everyone to think about the question that 司海军 asked me, "Why do you believe in God?" I know that God lives. I know that we are all His children. I know that He knows my name, and that He loves me. I love you all have a great week!

Elder Willes 

ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE GOSPEL (MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2018)

Hello everyone! This past week has been another incredible week here in the good old California Riverside Mission. Elder Crowther and I have continued to see many Miracles over the past week and our Zone continues to see miracles as well which is amazing! Here is how the past week went down. 

Elder Willes with the MLC of the California Riverside Mission

Monday night we were able to do some great Seeking With Faith as well as visiting a referral in Lake Elsinore. We talked to a lot of people while out and that was a lot of fun!

Tuesday morning we had our DLC and also our District Meetings. We also brought our Zone together and shared with them what we learned at MLC. That afternoon after our studies, we had another lesson with Anna Yu. Anna is doing great! She currently is on date for baptism this upcoming Sunday (June 24th) and will for sure be baptized on that day. What a Miracle! We followed up with her and her husband on their prayer and Book of Mormon reading was going. We focused again on God's Commandments, specifically the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity. It was a great lesson! We also had another lesson with Jacky! Jacky is doing ok recently. I can tell the adversary is working on him. He is currently on date for baptism this upcoming Sunday the 24th as well. We taught him how to apply the teachings of the Book of Mormon in his own life. I think that is something we are all striving to do.

Wednesday morning we had our English Class, which was pretty great! After our English Class, we had our interviews with President Hammon. Before English Class we talked with President Hammon about our Zone, and then after English Class we went back to the church for our personal interviews. President Hammon is great! The rest of the day and evening was spent with seeking. 

Thursday morning we had the opportunity to have a teaching appointment with two of our new investigators from this past week, Shelly and her daughter Rebellia. We first contacted them on Wednesday night, and we were able to teach them the Restoration! We invited them to be baptized and they explained to us that they were not ready, but they said that they will read the Book of Mormon and pray as well. In the late morning, we drove down to Menifee to have another lesson with the Du Family! We taught Fang Du and his wife. They had a lot of questions about the Restoration and we talked and testified that God really did restore His church here on earth. We also shared our testimonies about the Book of Mormon. They fed us lunch which was super nice and a real treat. We had another lesson with Anna. She is doing amazing. It is so cool to see the change that has come into her life over the past couple of weeks!!! That evening, we had another lesson with Jacky. We brought 苗弟兄 with us, and we taught Jacky the Law of Chastity and also the Word of Wisdom. It was a pretty great lesson!

We taught another recent covert lesson to Sara. She is doing great. We had another lesson with Tim 张。He is doing great! Tim has been reading a little bit from the Book of Mormon. We had a weekly blitz for our Zone. Elder Beddes and I went out together and we go a bunch of referrals and an investigator for the Spanish missionaries. We went on exchanges with the APs. Elder Briggs and I were together and had an amazing day. W

Saturday we had exchanges with the AP's. In the morning, we had another Weekly Blitz for our Zone. Elder Beddes and I went out together, and we got a bunch of referrals and also picked up an investigator for the Spanish Missionaries. Elder Briggs and I were together, and we had an amazing day! We were able to pick up 3 new investigators in their area. We taught a father and a son both named Edward, and they were super cool. That night while we were out Seeking With Faith we taught a lady, Maria, in her garage. That was another miracle! 

Sunday was another great day. This past week, we had 2 people come to Church! Anna Yu and also Lou弟. Elder Crowther and I met an older Chinese lady sitting outside her house,  赵红。We talked with her as we sat outside her house and taught her the Restoration! We will be meeting with her this upcoming weekend. We also got to visit with Liang 弟兄 and also 李家庭。李姐妹invited a friend over named Kay and we met with them. The Li Family is super awesome and they help us so much in our missionary work. We should be able to teach Kay in the next several weeks. Overall, a pretty great day.

This past week has been another truly incredible week! I am so Eternally Grateful for the Gospel in my life. Jesus Christ is my Savior, and my older brother. I know that through Him, ALL is possible. Love you all have a great week!

Elder Willes 

HOW CAN I KNOW THAT GOD EXISTS? (MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2018)

"One of the happiest moments of my mission was seeing the joy on Brother Xiong's face 

as his wife accepted the challenge to be baptized. 

He was so excited and happy for her. That was special, and I was so grateful to be a part of that." 

Hello again everyone! This past week has been another amazing week here in the good old California, Riverside Mission. Our Zone had an amazing week! Together as a Zone, we were able to find 25 new investigators this week. Elder Crowther and I are so proud of our Zone and all of the hard work that they continue to put forth in their respective areas! Elder Crowther and I this past week witnessed many MIRACLES and I am so excited to tell you all about them!

First off, Elder Yang is heading home to China this week. I am really going to miss him. I have learned a lot from him and he has made so many sacrifices to be here serving a mission. 

Elder Willes and Elder Yang

On Monday night we drove down to Menifee to visit a referral that we received over the weekend. They were home, but more on them later! We also had our DLC Meetings, Zone Accountability and Zone Introductions, and also District Meeting. I received a lot of personal revelation during the District Meeting. Isn't that just a huge blessing that the Lord will speak to us and answer our questions? The APs also called us Tuesday and asked if Elder Yang could come be with us for the afternoon before he went to the airport to finish his mission! So the 3 of us went and taught Macky and Stella! Macky and Stella are doing amazing! They both have been reading from the Book of Mormon. Macky has read through 1 Nephi 8 and Stella has also read a couple of chapters as well. They are such a miracle! We filled the rest of our time Seeking With Faith and contacted a bunch of people. Then we drove to Riverside to drop Elder Yang off. It was sad to see him go. Elder Yang was a great missionary! 

Wednesday morning before English Class we had the opportunity to have another lesson with Joanna. She is doing great! Joanna is currently on date for Baptism for June 17th, but we are most likely going to have to change that goal. We followed up with her Book of Mormon reading and also prayer. We also talked a lot about the role of the Holy Ghost in each of our lives. I have a testimony that I shared with her that reading the scriptures, praying, and attending Church are ways to help us gain faith and feel the Holy Ghost. It was a great lesson! 

We taught a new investigator family from this past week, the Lou Family. Lou Di Xiong is a movie director, and they are a super cool family we found through English Class. The Lou family has already been to Church (2 weeks ago) and we are excited to continue to work with them. Mrs. Lou said a great prayer at the end of the lesson! We also had another lesson with Jacky. He is doing great as well! The Spirit has been so strong in our lessons with Jacky. Jacky is currently on date for baptism this upcoming Sunday, June 17th. Please pray for him that he can make that date!

Thursday evening we had another lesson with Anna Yu, Brother Xiong's wife. We talked a lot about the blessings that come through keeping God's Commandments, specifically through prayer, reading the Book of Mormon, and also attending Church. Anna has been reading the Book of Mormon everyday, and she is doing amazing! We shared Mosiah 3:19 and also Mosiah 18 with them, and invited Anna to be baptized! She accepted!!!!!!!!! We put her on date for June 24th! We are confident that she will be able to make that. The Spirit was so strong. It was an incredible lesson! One of the happiest moments of my mission was seeing the joy on Brother Xiong's face as his wife accepted the challenge to be baptized. He was so excited and happy for her. That was special, and I was so grateful to be a part of that. 

We visited the Zhang Family again, and delivered the Bible that they ordered. We talked with Brother Zhang for a while, specifically about how the Book of Mormon and the Bible helps us to understand Christ's Gospel. We also talked about the difference between the Light of Christ and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. That was super cool. He loved that! We invited them to Church, and it was a great lesson! At the end, we all listened to the first chapter in the Book of Mormon in Chinese. That was amazing. There is always a special Spirit that comes with reading from the Book of Mormon. That afternoon, right before our English Class, we had the opportunity to teach another new investigator from this past week, Tim Zhang. Tim is from Taiwan, and we first contacted him outside our English Class. We shared with him the first couple of points of the Restoration, and also talked with him about prayer and the Book of Mormon. It was a good lesson! Tim was able to say the closing prayer, and we will be meeting with him again this next week! 

Saturday morning we had our Transfer Breakfast at President Jergensen's House. After that, we had a lesson with a less-active family, the Hu Family. The Hu's were baptized in Idaho Falls about 10 years ago, and have not been coming to church for years. They have a huge family! They have 8 kids, and Sister Hu is about to have their 9th kid! We shared with them the importance of reading from the Book of Mormon. It was a great start on the road of getting their family back to Church. We also gave them a children's copy of the Book of Mormon so their kids can read too. 

Back to Menifee - Saturday afternoon, we drove down to Menifee again to visit the same referral that we visited on Monday. We then met a super nice Chinese man, Fang Du. Fang Du and his family are Christians, and actually first met LDS missionaries while in Houston, Texas. We are going back to teach him and his wife on Thursday, and we are praying for their progression in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the afternoon, we also did a home visit with Tony and Tina. They are doing great! In the evening, we then had the opportunity to teach a guy named Alan and his 11 year old daughter named Suri. Alan came up to us late one night this past week after English Class in the parking lot, and said that his wife Sherry attended our English Class. He then explained that he was interested in the Church, and also in learning English. We taught him and his daughter in the Chapel at the church building and it was so spiritual! During the lesson, Suri asked a question, "How can I know that God exists?" I felt a prompting that we needed to sing, "I am a Child of God" to them in Chinese. We sang, and the Spirit was so strong! We taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel, and it was an amazing lesson!

Sunday was awesome as well! This past week, I had the opportunity to speak in the Eastvale Ward Sacrament Meeting. We had 3 investigators that came to Church! Anna, and Mr Duan and Linda Duan, all came to Church! In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to do another Home Visit with the Liang Family. That was great! In the evening, we got to meet with Jacky again! We talked about the Sabbath Day, and the need for repentance if we do not keep the Commandments of God. Jacky said an amazing closing prayer with real intent, and we are praying that he can be baptized in the next couple of weeks!

Updates:

-The Yang Family in Chino Hills, are doing pretty well. They have not had the opportunity to pray and read, but we are working with them. We invited them to be baptized and shared Alma chapter 7 and encourage them to repent and choose to be baptized. They said that they need some more time to prepare, and so we are excited to continue to work with them and help them to Come Unto Christ!

Alma 7:27

And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and hers, and all that you possess...according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever."

-English class is booming. We had lots of people attend this week. We teach Wednesday mornings and Friday evenings.

-Thursday morning and afternoon we had our MLC meeting. We received lots of great trainings from President and Sister Hammon, the APs and President Norman. Each focused on how we can become better leaders in our mission. 

This past week has been amazing. I love the Work so much! I have never been as happy in my life as I have been on my mission. This truly is God's Work, and what a blessing it is to be a part of it. Love you all have a great week!

Elder Willes 

MIRACLES ARE EVERYWHERE WAITING TO BE FOUND (MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018)

"I love this Work. I am so happy out here! Go share something you love with others. 

The missionaries need you and so does the Lord. Miracles are everywhere waiting to be found."

Elder Simpson, a good buddy serving in my area, (in the middle) is getting transferred. I'm gonna miss him.

Hello again everyone! This past week has been another incredible week here in the good old California, Riverside Mission. Actually, it has been AMAZING! This past week the Lord has blessed us immensely. We had 8 investigators that came to church and we also found 9 new investigators! I am so excited to report on this past week! Transfers came and went and Elder Crowther and I are staying together in Eastvale. This upcoming transfer will be my 6th transfer as a Zone Leader. 

We had a good start to our week with Monday night being filled with good old "Seeking With Faith." I have come to love looking for people who are searching. It is so cool when the Spirit touches them and you see in them a change as you share your testimony. I am learning so much on my mission. We had our District Meetings this week. This is such a great environment to feel the Spirit. We found and taught an investigator, Arena! We taught her and her mom about the Restoration, and it was a great lesson. They are going back to China very soon, but we hope that we can continue to meet with them in the future. We also had the opportunity to drive out to Chino Hills, CA and teach the Yang Family! The Yang family has been coming to Church for the past two weeks now. They are friends with Tony and Tina in the Eastvale Ward. They are from Tianjin, and have only been living in the United States for a very short period of time. They also have a 9 year old son, Ray. They are such a great family. We gave them a copy of the Children's Book of Mormon Stories Book. Please pray for them. They are an amazing family! 

Wednesday morning we had another great English Class. English Class was PACKED! We had about 20 people show up, and that was super fun! That evening, we had the opportunity to teach Anna Yu, who is Brother Xiong's new wife. She is doing awesome, and she is feeling ready to be baptized. We taught them the importance of reading the Book of Mormon and praying as a family. It was such a great lesson. We also taught Jacky again and focused a lot on repentance and the power and peace that can be found through the Savior's Atonement when we repent. It was an amazing lesson. The best lesson that we have had with Jacky yet! Please continue to pray for him. He is doing so great! 

Thursday was another amazing day. We taught Sara Guo another recent convert lesson. Sara is doing so well and came to Church again this past week! In the evening, Elder Crowther and I had the opportunity to do a couple of Baptismal Interviews for a family that the English Elders were teaching. This family got baptized this past Sunday, which was super cool! Nothing is better. Friday morning we went a worked and visited with residents at a care center called the Palm Terrace Care Center. Man, service makes you happy and is actually a lot of fun. 

We taught another new family, Macky and Stella. On Thursday while driving right outside our apartment, we passed a house with a garage door open. We kept driving, and I felt an overwhelming prompting that we needed to turn around. I told Elder Crowther, and so we immediately turned around. We drove up to the house with the open garage, and there was nobody outside. We got out of the car, and went up to knock the door. We met Macky, and talked to him on the front porch for like 10 minutes. He expressed a lot of interest in the Church and also in English Class. We then set up an appointment for the following day (Friday). We taught him and his wife Stella and it was an amazing lesson. They accepted a baptismal date for July 8th, and it was amazing! They also came to Church this past week. Truly a Miracle!!!!! We also taught Mr. Duan, Linda Duan, and also his wife named Carol. They also came to Church this past week! 

Sunday was an amazing day! This past week we had 8 investigators that came to Church. The Yang Family, Mr. Duan and Linda, Anna, and also Macky and Stella all came to Church this past week!!!!! It was such an incredible day. After Church, we had the opportunity to attend the Andreas Family's Baptism. Elder Crowther and I were able to share a bit at their baptism and that was super cool to be a part of. We also visited the Meaders Family. Sister Meaders is the Primary President in the Eastvale Ward and Brother Meaders is a Seminary Teacher. They both have great testimonies and we talked about the importance of doing Missionary Work! They are awesome! Go share something you love with others. The missionaries need you and so does the Lord. Miracles are everywhere waiting to be found.

This past week has been another great week. The Lord continues to bless us each and everyday. I love this Work. I am so happy out here! Love you all have a great week!

Elder Willes 

THE. BEST. WEEK. (Monday, May, 28, 2018)

"Matt told us that he is going back to China in a few days to get some money and bring it back here to support his family. [He and his wife had been scheduled for baptism on June 17.] Matt asked us during the lesson if he could be baptized and confirmed this upcoming Sunday right before he left (the 27th). 

Matt met all of the requirements for baptism, we just had to teach him the rest of the lessons! "

Elder Crowther, Matt Ma, and Elder Willes

THE BEST WEEK
Hey everyone! This past week has been another absolutely incredible week here in the good old California, Riverside Mission. We were able to witness many, many miracles. Two of those miracles were the baptisms of YiHang Yuan and also Matt Ma! I am super excited to tell you all about my week.

This week was busy and awesome. It was filled teaching and finding, English classes, service, successes and disappointments, and lots of miracles. We taught a man named Clark. We first contacted him in the park, and he said that he was interested in the message. We finally set up a time to meet with him, and taught him about the Restoration. Clark doesn't have any religious background, and said that he is not ready to accept the true message of the Restoration yet. It was sad, but I know that God will continue to prepare him for future missionaries.

We also had Multi-Zones this week! It was awesome. We received a lot of great trainings and it was super cool. Elder Crowther and I gave a training on the purpose of our Missionary Standards, and why we have them. The Spirit was so strong, and we thought it went really well! 

The Lord continues to bless us through English Class. We have been having lots of people come recently, and so that has been a lot of fun! It has been a great tool in finding more investigators. We also had a home visit with Brother Xiong! Brother Xiong recently married Anna Yu, who we are going to resume teaching this week. Anna is really interested, and we believe that she can be baptized coming up here soon! Wednesday evening we spent a lot of time out and about doing some good old Seeking With Faith and witnessed a Huge Miracle. We received a referral from a Chinese person who wanted a Bible. We went by the address listed, and guess who it was? The Zhang family, who we paused about 2 weeks ago. They let us in, and were super nice to us. We talked with them about the importance of prayer, and also priesthood blessings because we felt that may be helpful to them to consider as their baby daughter hasn't been feeling well recently. We hope and pray that we can continue to teach them! 

Thursday was super busy. Elder Crowther got sick, so I went out and worked with Elder Carter. We had a great day! In the morning, we had a WeChat lesson with Amy. We read through 3 Nephi 13 with her, and talked about Jesus Christ's teachings to the Nephites in the Americas. Those chapters are so powerful. It was a great lesson! We also we able to do a Home Visit with 杨弟兄，a recent covert of just a couple of months. He is great, and we shared the Stake Mission Plan with him. 

Thursday afternoon, we had the opportunity to meet with Matt and Joanna! This is the lesson where everything started to happen super fast. Matt told us that he is going back to China (today) to get some money and bring it back here to support his family. He asked us during the lesson if he could be baptized and confirmed this upcoming Sunday (3 days away)  right before he left for China (the 27th). Matt met all of the requirements for baptism, we just had to teach him the rest of the lessons! We taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Law of Chastity, the Word of Wisdom, and the Law of Tithing. It was a great lesson. They agreed to keep all commandments, and really grasped the importance of them as well. It was amazing! That night Elder Carter and I drove out to Corona to teach Jacky again! We followed up his prayer and Book of Mormon reading, and taught him the Restoration all the way through again. Please continue to pray for Jacky! He currently is on date for baptism on June 17th. 

Friday we cleaned Limonite again, a major street in Eastvale. In the afternoon, we also met with Matt and Joanna! We taught them the rest of the commandments and it was another great lesson. They are such a prepared family. We are so grateful for them! That night, after English Class, Matt had his interview for Baptism. It went great. He needed another interview with President Hammon but more on that in a second. 

Saturday we did another WeChat lesson with Amy! She is doing awesome! We got her confirmation ready to go for the following day. Matt and Joanna also took us out for lunch at a Asian Buffet, and they also brought a non-member family member. It was super cool! We drove to the Mission Home to be there for Matt's interview with President Hammon. It was my first time ever being in the Mission Home. It was so nice! Matt was found worthy and ready for baptism, and that was amazing! Right after that, we went straight to have another lesson with William Cui. We set some very specific goals with him, reading from the Book of Mormon, prayer, and also quitting smoking. Please pray for him! We also spent a good amount of time doing some Seeking With Faith, and that was pretty great as well!

Matt and Joanna (and their family member) treat Elder Willes and Elder Crowther to Asian Buffet

Sunday was amazing! This past week, we had 8 people come to church! 5 of them are current investigators, and the other 3 we haven't been able to teach yet, but we will this week. Matt and Joanna, Jacky, Anna, and also Xun all came to Church!!!! It was incredible. We also had Chinese Sacrament Meeting, and the Spirit was really strong during that. That afternoon, 苗弟兄 took me to YiHang Yuan's Baptism! It was an incredible service. I had the opportunity to baptize him. YiHang has changed so much, and I know that the change is because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. A lot of YSA students came to support him, and that was so great to see! 

YiHang's Baptism

Right after YiHang's baptism, we had Matt Ma's Baptism! What an amazing baptism. The Spirit was so strong. President and Sister Hammon came. I also had the opportunity to baptize Matt, and that was something I will never, ever forget. Matt left for China today, but will be back in 2 months. Elder Crowther confirmed Matt and President Hammon stood in the circle with us. That was super awesome. Matt bore a powerful testimony at his baptism. 

Matt's Baptism

I testify that it is because of God that we have had the amazing opportunity to be in the teaching process with Matt and Joanna and YiHang. Matt is going to be an incredible member and we are excited to continue to work with Joanna! After the baptism, we were able to meet with them, and teach them the last lesson. It was so spiritual. They told us that they want their son Mark to serve a mission. That was amazing and nothing would make me happier. They are so cool!

Well, everyone, this past week has been amazing. I testify that miracles have not ceased, and the God continues to work miracles each and everyday. There are people all around us who are ready and waiting to hear this message. I love God's work, and I am so happy and grateful to be a full time representative of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Love you all have a great week!

Elder Willes 

IT CHANGES LIVES (Monday, May 21, 2018)

"The Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect, and I know that It changes lives." 

Elder Willes and Elder Simpson on p-day

Hello everyone! This past week has been another incredible week here in the good old California, Riverside Mission. Elder Crowther and I have continued to see Miracles each and everyday, and I am excited to report on another great week here in Eastvale. Here is how it all went down! 

On Monday night we had another lesson with our investigator, Leo. We taught him the Plan of Salvation, and then his son was super tired and started having a meltdown. We were not able to finish the lesson. Leo went back to China this past week, but he said that he is interested in learning about the Church in China, so we are going to help him out with that! 

Elder Willes and Elder Crowther with their English Class

Our English Class has been incredible lately. Before class this week on Wednesday morning, we met with one of our new investigators from this past week, Jun. Jun was found through our English class. After teaching him he accepted invitations to pray and read from the Book of Mormon. We were super excited about that! We have been having like 16 people come to English Class! It is a great finding tool in our area. 

That same day we were also able to have a lesson with another new investigator from this past week, Eric Hao. Eric is here with his wife, and we first contacted him while he was carrying his groceries home. We taught him at the park and shared the Restoration with him. It was a pretty good lesson! He also accepted both an invitation to pray and read from the Book of Mormon. Please pray for both of these individuals. That night, we also had another great lesson with Jacky! Jacky is doing great. We really feel that this is his time to progress towards Baptism and join the Church. We taught him some points from the Plan of Salvation, and had a pretty spiritual lesson with him. 

This week we also taught 2 other new investigators, Jack and Chloe. Jack, originally was a referral from the other missionaries, and so we went by and got to teach him and his wife, Chloe as well! Chloe has a Christian background, but Jack doesn't really have any religious background. We had a really spiritual lesson with them! They both really have a strong desire to strengthen their faith in Christ, and that was something that was really cool to see! 

We met with Matt and Joanna again! They are doing so well! Matt and Joanna are some of the most prepared individuals that I have taught throughout my entire mission. They are so incredible, and accept and apply everything that we teach! A week ago, the Li family took them to the San Diego Temple and also the Mormon Battalion Visitor Center and they loved that! More on them later! 

Thursday night we also got to go over and teach Amy Hanstad again! Amy's Confirmation will be this upcoming Sunday! We are excited for her! Tuesday morning we had our DLC and District Meetings. It was a great opportunity to look towards the coming week, and to come up with ways on how we can improve the Missionary work in the Jurupa Zone. That day we were able to do a lot of good old Seeking With Faith, and we found some potential investigators for the week.

Friday afternoon we also had the opportunity to meet with Sara Guo again, and to review the Restoration with her. The Spirit was very strong, and Sara has a strong Testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It has been such a blessing to be able to see her utilize the Atonement and become a true follower of Jesus Christ. That night, we had another incredible English Class! We had a lot of people there. 

Saturday was busy busy! In the morning, we had another Weekly Blitz. Elder Loveridge and I went out together. He is one of the ZL's in the La Sierra Zone. That was fun. After that, in the afternoon, we had the opportunity to meet with Matt and Joanna again! We taught Matt about the Plan of Salvation, and Matt loved it! They are so cool. Matt and Joanna are currently on date for June 17th. Please pray for them that they can progress and be baptized on that date! That afternoon, we also had the opportunity to teach William Cui again. We taught him the Word of Wisdom, because we are trying to help him to quit smoking. He also played this instrument for us that is used in the Beijing Opera. That was cool. After that, we then got to teach Jen's less active husband Lorenzo. We answered a lot of his questions and concerns about the Gospel, and the Spirit was very strong. It was a great experience!

Sunday was another great day! We had 4 investigators that came to Church this past week! Matt, Chloe, William, and also Jacky all came to Church! After church, Elder Crowther and I had a meeting with the Stake Presidency called Stake MCM, to talk about the missionary work in our Zones. That was fun! In the afternoon and evening, we were able to do a couple of Home Visits, specifically with Spencer Holloway, and also the Li Family. All of them are doing great and are all excited to be more involved with our Missionary Work! 

This past week has been incredible. I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity that I have to be here and to represent my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect, and I know that It changes lives. What a blessing that is! Love you all have a great week!

Elder Willes

HOW DOES THE HOLY GHOST SPEAK TO YOU? (MONDAY, MAY 15th, 2018)

I have a challenge for each of you. I would like to invite all of you to figure out, or start to find out, 

HOW does the Holy Ghost speak to YOU? Then email me back! 

There are many different ways that the Holy Ghost speaks to us. God knows us perfectly, and He uses a perfect way for each and every one of us to communicate with Him. Just as the Prophet, President Nelson, said, 

"We will not be able to survive spiritually without the ability to recognize Personal Revelation." 

That is a challenge I give to all, and I will do that too! 

Amy's Baptism Day - Elder Crowther, Elder Nelson, Amy, her husband, and Elder Willes

This past week has been another pretty incredible week here in the good old California, Riverside Mission. Elder Crowther and I have been working really hard, and we have seen a lot of success over the past week. We are crazy busy and that is a huge blessing. This past week, Joanna, Matt, and Amy all came to Church! 

Tuesday morning we had our DLC, and we discussed how we are going to improve the missionary work in our Zone. As a Zone we found 16 investigators 2 weeks ago and so we were super happy about that! I also had my interview with President Hammon. We discussed missionary work, and the ecclesiastical questions that I need for my BYU acceptance. President Hammon is so awesome and he has helped me so much in becoming a better missionary. That afternoon, we had the opportunity to teach the Zhang Family again! We talked about a lot of different Gospel Principles with them, and discussed the Word of Wisdom as well. Mr. Zhang is struggling to give up smoking, tea, and coffee. We actually had to pause the Zhang family later in the week as they were not progressing, after trying everything and anything we could think of to help with these addictions. It was really sad actually. Pause is a hopeful word though, because pause is not quitting. Rather it is just giving someone a quiet minute to think and reflect and hopefully feel compelled to change through the love of God.

We had about 10 people come to our English Class on Wednesday morning. That was a super great turnout! We also had a big turnout on Friday. Our English class in Eastvale is filled with members from China and investigators. These people are very dedicated to improving their English. It is very important to them. That evening, we went over to Brother Hanstad's house with President Hammon, so that Amy could have her interview for baptism! Seeing someone I care about make baptismal covenants with God is really just the best thing ever. 

This past week I went on exchanges with Elder Jackson, one of the District Leaders in our Zone. I definitely learned a lot from him. We were not able to teach anyone on Thursday in their area, but we did a lot of Seeking With Faith, which was fun. We set up 9 future appointments for them in their area. That was pretty cool.

On Friday we had another exchange. Elder Simpson, the other District Leader in our Zone, came to be with me in the Chinese area. That morning we worked at a member's home and did some yard work in their backyard. Service has a way of clearing your mind and heart and helping you to feel love. Love for others and love of God. We also had another lesson with Amy over WeChat. Elder Simpson and I taught her the rest of Lesson 5, and it was a great lesson. Amy told us the story of her husband becoming active in the Church again, and also sharing his testimony with her. It was super cool, and the Spirit was very strong during that moment. 

Saturday was busy busy busy. In the morning, we had a big service project called "Making Riverside Clean & Beautiful." We went and with our Zone, cleaned a big street in Riverside. That was fun and hot. After wards, we had a lesson with one of our investigators named Margaret. Margaret lives in Corona, and her daughter is a less-active member of the Church. We taught her the importance of prayer and why we need to pray. We read through 2 Nephi 32:8-9 with her. I love scriptures about prayer! 

2 Nephi 32: 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

Saturday evening, we went to dinner with Jacky! We went to a Korean BBQ with him in Riverside. He is a young college age man so we are trying to love him and be his friend, hoping to help him. The Korean BBQ was all you can eat meat, so that was great :) We then drove straight back to Corona to visit a referral named Pan. We knocked on the door, talked to him for a little bit, and he invited us to share a message with him! He is a very devout Christian, and we got to share a little bit about the Restoration with him, specifically about the Book of Mormon. He liked it a lot,and said that he would be willing to read. Please pray for him!

Sunday was super busy, but an incredible day! We had 3 investigators that came to church! Matt and Joanna, and also Amy, all came to church this past week. I had the opportunity to do Sara Guo's Confirmation in Sacrament Meeting! Sara was baptized last week. I haven't had the opportunity to do a confirmation that since Brother Ning. That was an amazing experience. Sara is so awesome and will be a great member of the Church! 

Sara and her family

After Church, Elder Simpson and I had the opportunity to teach a Chinese man, Leo Zhou. We first contacted Leo and his wife late one night on exchanges this past week. We taught him about the Restoration at the park. Late at late, at a park teaching about the Restoration. Isn't that cool? It was an incredible experience! We are meeting with him and his wife tonight as well. After our lesson with him on Sunday we then hurried back to the church building for Amy's Baptism! It was such a spiritual experience. Amy has changed a lot, and I know that this change comes only through the Savior, Jesus Christ. I felt the Spirit very strong as I heard her bear her testimony of The Gospel of Jesus Christ at her baptism. It was incredible, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to teach Amy and be apart of her learning process! We finished off our marathon Sunday by visiting some former investigators, a family, that we are hoping to meet with soon. Please pray for them as well! 

This past week has been another incredible week. I have a challenge for each of you. Over the next couple of weeks, I would like to invite all of you to figure out HOW the Holy Ghost speaks to YOU. There are many different ways that the Holy Ghost speaks to us. God knows us perfectly, and He uses a perfect way for each and every one of us to communicate with Him. Just as the Prophet President Nelson said, "We will not be able to survive spiritually without the ability to recognize Personal Revelation." That is a challenge I give to all, and I will do that too! 

I am so grateful for the sacred opportunity to help others to come to know our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love the Lord and I love His Work! Love you all have a great week! 

Elder Willes

I will have a list next week of some scriptures I love about receiving personal revelation and how the Spirit speaks to me! What will you share?

Elder Willes was so tired, but happy and extremely FOCUSED!
He wanted to spend our 40 minutes of Skype talking about missionary work.
We love him and miss him, but wouldn't have Elder Willes any other place. We are team Riverside!