RUSSSIAIAIAIUIAAA

I love Russia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

It sounds like Spanish to me haha!  We went to that book store and found the Count of Monte Cristo.  It is 2 books in Russia.  Weird.  I also found the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and had to resist from buying it right there.  That would be a lot of weight to carry for 2 years!  Can you send me some cool family history stories?  I was surprised when one of the members asked who was the first person to join the church in my family.  Didn't think they would ask stuff like that in Russia.  Also there is a book called "Combination Reference" By Eldin Ricks that my companion has that is really good for talks and stuff.  If you send me a package I would like that in it.  I was in Irkutsk for 3 days this week.  Elder Lyman (William Grant but he goes by Grant) was on his Visa trip and his plane got delayed or something.  It was super fun though!  Elder Protopovov is our zone leader and I was with him and Elder Gardiner.  Elder P is from Moscow and way cool!  

I heard that the world cup is in Russia in 2018, so that's happening then.  I'm definitely coming back for that!  Something that surprised me is how many Subways (fast food chains) there are everywhere.  So many!  It's basically the same except their lettuce looks like death.  I gave my first blessing this week!  Sister Wilson was sick (the one Taylor knows) and she asked me to perform the blessing which was cool!  I was nervous but she got better so I guess it went well haha.  We played ping pong!  Elder Lyman is way good!  The branch president said he wants to play with us but he wasn't there.  

I had to give a talk in church this week.  My second week here and they make me speak.  Haha crazy Russians.  It went good!  Elder Lyamn helped a ton with translating it.  I made spaghetti and Elder Lyman is teaching me so much.  We are going to buy a ton of fruits today and make a ton of smoothies!  I ate a whole half of watermelon.  I have never done that before, it was great!  He just cut it in half and we went to town on the watermelon.  Our investigator Rueslan is progressing quickly!  We had his baptism scheduled this week but somebody in ward council said something that she heard so we may have to push it back but hopefully everything works out.  Rueslan called us or maybe we called him and said that when he meets with us he is inspired by our faith and loves meeting with us and after we leave he doesn't know why, but he says he just feels good and wants to do what is right!  That's a testimony to me of the power of the Holy Ghost!

We got a referral from the Zone Leader about a woman who wanted a Book of Mormon is Angarstk.  We had the address and went and looked forever for the address but nobody in Russia knows the street names.  We looked it up on the computer and it said the place didn't exist.  Haha hopefully we can find her and give her the Book of Mormon.  There is a man in the branch named Slava and he is a genius.  He has been a member since January and has already read the Book of Mormon like 4 times.  Read the bible 8 times and knows everything.  He has a photographic memory.  He was going through his scriptures with us and almost every verse was marked haha.  He has read the Koran and all these other books of scripture from weird religions and is just a genius.  Makes me glad he chose our church because he has investigated so many others.

It's funny.  Some people on the street will say "Hello" to us and laugh way hard about it.  They think it is so cool they know some English haha.  They think they are way cool when they say it haha!

Have you looked on the map where I am?  I am in like the middle of Russia.  I'm as far away as possible from the mission home.  I am in Siberia.  And I love it!

Love

Старейшиа Уилдинг

P.S.  What time is it when I email you?

MTC Photos From Elder Brower's Blog

Elder Brower's mom told me I could have these photos that Elder Brower took in the MTC and post them here on Elder Wilding's blog.  So here are some pictures from when they were still in the MTC....

After seeing this I can understand why they also had so much fun (or so it appears) in the MTC as well.  Otherwise they might have gone crazy!

From Elder Brower's Blog: Hope you are all doing faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic. ;) Me and elder Wilding say that alot ;) hahaha We say "hi" to random elders and catch them off guard. OK RANDOM THOUGHT! We say hi to like everyone....I'm serious when I say this. haha I call people out from across the MTC haha and only like 40% say hi back!!! Like why??? Are you anti social? YOU ARE A MISSIONARY! If you can't talk to other missionaries good luck speaking to random peeps on the street!....Grrrr hahah anyway! Me and Elder Wilding always say "hi" to people and ask them how they are, but when they ask us how we are as we are walking past them we just say, "FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.......AAAAAAAANTastic!!" hahha its funny ;) Hope you are all doing FAAAAANtastic too!!!

MTC Selfie....I think he stole Elder Brower's camera.

 With his trio.  Elder Berrios and  Elder Brower

 Russia bound....

RUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm in Russia!  Like I'm actually in Russia and it's awesome!  Everyone looks like Taylor haha!  The people smile and are mostly nice!  When we street contact I say, "Hi, we are from the Church of Jesus Christ, are you a believing person?"  Most the time they say they don't understand English even though I am speaking it in Russian haha.  Sometimes they just keep on walking but more than I expected people stop and talk to us for a little bit!  Only have seen a few drunk people, everybody wears way short shorts even the guys and all the Russians have the same shoes haha!  The ones with the holes everywhere.  All the buildings look scary and gross from the outside but once you go inside they are pretty nice!  My apartment is really nice and we have a better shower than we do at home haha!  The branch in Angarsk (where I am serving - Siberia) is super strong!  There is a man here named S who has read all the standard works four times and he has been a member less than a year.  Crazy how strong and committed members are, they sacrifice so much for the church.  We are teaching a man named R.  He has a baptismal date this Saturday but we had to push it back a week because Elder Lyman, my companion, has to go on a Visa trip tonight so I'll be in Urrkookts for like 2-3 days.  R is amazing and when he talks about the gospel he says our church instead of your church!  He says how when families fall away from the church the family falls apart and he isn't even a member of the church yet!  There is a ping pong table in the chapel and the branch president says he wants to play us in ping pong sometime!  Guess it's time to school some Russians in Ping pong haha!  

The language is difficult but I know I will learn it!  So many words that I don't know but I get better everyday!  Everyone in the branch is way nice and says that I know Russian really good!  They're so nice because I don't at all!  I bore my testimony in church which was cool!  I have to give a talk next week haha!  I also passed the sacrament.  Church is only 2 hours here.

On my trip from Las Vegas to Korea the airline was amazing!  They gave us fruity drinks and 2 meals and a hot towel but I was asleep so I didn't get the hot towel :(!  I slept basically the entire time of the 13 hour flight!  Everyone else stayed up like fools because our teacher told them they would adjust to the time change better but she has never been more wrong!  We got there and it was morning so I was well rested and everyone else was tired!  President and Sister Perkinson picked us up at the airport!  They drove us to the mission office for a second and then to the mission home.  The mission home is sooooo nice!  Sister Perkinson is a really good cook!  

My trainer and companion is Elder Lyman from Highland Utah.  After the mission he is going to play baseball at BYU.  I really like him and we get along well!  He is a really good cook and we made a Pizza my first day here!  He has been out just barely under a year.  Apples means orange in Russian haha!  I think today we are going to go to a book store.  He said that the Count of Monte Cristo was there in Russian and while we can't read it on the mission it would be definitely cool to have for when I get home so maybe I could send it to you or something.

Like I said Russia isn't what I expected at all.  Landscape is a lot like Alaska and I really like that!  The branch president here served us cake and apple juice when we went and visited with them which was delicious!  Just your average Heavenly Father's children in Russia, they aren't a whole lot different from Americans in a lot of ways.  Tracting is pretty fun to see people shocked that two Americans are talking to them haha!  It's hot!!!!!  I did not expect Siberia to be this hot!  I know it will cool down though haha!  A lady here said -40.

I love you all!   

Старейшинa Wilding

We Have Arrived!

AUGUST 18, 2015

From President and Sister Perkinson:

 

Your sons and daughters are here in Vladivostok safely!

They are so excited to be here and to finally start to serve The Lord!

Thanks for your love, support and your prayers!
The gospel is true and changes lives for good!

AUGUST 21, 2015

 

Sister Wilding,

Thank you for your wonderful son! Thank you for teaching him the gospel of Jesus Christ! We feel so blessed with this new group of missionaries! And Elder Wilding tops the list!

Elder Wilding has been assigned to serve with Elder Lyman in a small branch in the West Zone called Angarsk where this young branch will love him! We were just there less than two weeks ago for District meeting and a fun Family Night with a song, power point presentation and pizza! I know that Elder Lyman is a wonderful missionary who will diligently train him with the 12 week program. 

Here is a couple of pictures of him just prior to his departure.

 

Thank you!

Sister Perkinson

Vladivostok Russia

I'm In Russia!

Just arrived a like an hour ago! Russia is awesome! It's really humid and hot. President Perkinson said that by December we will be about the oldest missionaries. And in just a few transfers we'll be training! It's scary but exciting! I'm safe and in Russia! I love you! 

Elder Wilding

Sidenote from Mom: 
The photo of McKay was taken by a stranger at one of the airports.  He asked McKay for my cell # and then sent it to me. :)

The other one is of the flight tracking from Vegas to Seoul.  It was almost a 13 hour flight. Thank you all for your prayers for his safety.  Please continue to pray for him

I'm leaving..... on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again! Hopefully in 2 years!

WOW

The MTC has flown by that crazy fast!  I can't believe that I'll soon be in Russia in less that a week.  I sent you my flight plans in the photos.  So I leave the MTC at 3:00 PM which is super nice because it seems like everybody leaves at 3:00 AM.  From the Salt Lake airport we fly to Las Vegas and will be there in a layover for 3 hours.  I will probably call you between 3:45 and 8:00.  And maybe I will even call you when I'm in Vegas for 3 hours.  But I can only call you in the states.  After Vegas we fly to Seoul Korea and have a 6 hour layover there.  I heard Korean Air is amazing!  Don't know why but everybody tells me that haha.  After the layover I will fly to Vlad and spend a day or 2 in the mission home.

Something super cool and amazingly awesome that has never happened at the MTC before and probably never will happen again is that we are going to perform with the Nashville Tribute Band the day before we leave!  I didn't know who they were before I got out here but they are a country band that makes gospel music.  It's pretty surprising that the MTC would allow them to come and let us perform with them because even though it is church music it isn't really hymns.  The songs we are singing with them are 1st "I was born"  2nd  "John's song" and 3rd "The hardest thing I've ever loved to do"... the last one might make you want to cry mom.

We teach everyday in Russian!  Sometimes twice a day.  It's fun!  Me and my companions are getting really good at teaching together!  To bad we are about to get separated haha!  We were continuing teaching U-li-a (the one I asked to get baptized) and we scheduled he baptismal date so soon that we didn't have much time to teach her all the other things we had to teach her.  So we taught her all the commandments in 20 min. Haha I don't even know how!  It would have taken me longer than that to teach the commandments in English. God is with us!  She got baptized (not really just in our minds) and then we taught her the laws and ordinances lesson!  

Another one of our investigators whose name is Andrei (Brother Clark my favorite teacher not a real investigator) is a really hard investigator or at least we thought.  He would always ask questions that would derail the lesson and it felt like we taught him nothing but we always left him with the commitment to read and pray.  One time we even asked him to pray in front of us and he refused.  But for some reason he always kept his commitments.  We never asked him to be baptized because we were always too intimidated.  Foolish thing to do we should always ask them to be baptized on the first lesson.  Anyways we asked him this time and he said then would!  He said when he read the Book of Mormon he felt God's love.  That's the most important thing. That they read the Book of Mormon when we're not there and that they pray when we are not there.  It is important that they do those things when we are there but much more important if they do them when we are not there.

So we had a sub teacher.  We taught them as if we were tracting.  Russia has a weird thing where it is bad luck to shake hands in doorways.  So we knocked on the door and he opened up and my companion said we are missionaries.  I then put out my hand and shook his.  I looked and saw the confused look on his face and realized what I had done.  I then proceeded to walk into his house!  What was I thinking haha!  He had a even more confused look on his face and I just got out of there as soon as possible haha!

Other investigator.  Our teachers play people they taught on their missions.  We were teaching a woman maned Galina.  She said that her son has been online and read about the Mormon church and was reading on LDS.org.  So she knew somewhat about the church.  We were talking to her about the Plan of Salvation and how we must be baptized in order to get into the highest kingdom.  She said "dyevaye" which means Lets!  Some people are prepared!

Can't really think of anything I need. I guess besides that track phone.  Oh and Bryce, Taylor, and Sky's Emails.  I love your packages and that's something I am going to really miss about being at the MTC.  Getting your wonderful packages full of all kinds of sweets!  I got the voice recorder just have been kind of busy but I'll use it in the field.  I lost my RVCA shirt.  Not my Russian shirt.  It's ok if I get 2 of them though because I like it.  I am grateful for the clothes you sent me in the last package and for the food! 

Love you all!

Don't know when I will write again because who knows when my P-day is?  I look forward to talking to you!

Love,

Elder Wilding

Elder Wilding with Elder Diedrickson (Little Deeds - friends from high school)  They are both serving in Russia but Elder Deeds is serving in Moscow and so he will fly out of New York while McKay flies out of Las Vegas. 

With Little Deeds and companion Elder Brower

 Flight plans

SIDENOTE:(from Mom)

In case any of you are interested in the Nashville Tribute Band, here is their amazing song The Hardest Thing I've Ever Loved to Do.  McKay is right, it does make me cry every time I hear it.  The first time I heard it was when Taylor was on his mission in Brazil.  But, it's quite an incredible song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr5Kzy4FF1g

WE GOT AN APOSTLE!

I don't know how I got that but I accidentally did control and hit some key and it started typing like that.  I'm on a different computer now so that's why it's back to normal.  As it says in the subject last night we got an apostle to speak at our devotional!  It wasn't only an apostle but the president of the apostles!  President Russell M. Nelson!  He was amazing!  Not only was he super spiritual but also very funny!  He said, "People will ask you on your mission if you believe in the Bible, you will tell them yes and that the people who wrote the Bible are members of our church!"  He talked about how we are supposed to become "epistles" of the Lord.  As Peter said in 2 Cor 3:3.  He described what an epistle was but at the moment if I tried to describe what he said it wouldn't do it justice.  He said we are going to teach so that we can gather scattered Israel.  That really hit me because all of the tribes of Israel are in Russia.  If you get around 20 Russians together that have their patriarchal blessing more often then not every tribe of Israel will be represented.  His wife talked first.  He remarried in 2006 after his 1st wife died.  When I heard that all I could think is what it would be like to date an apostle.  How would the apostle find the time?  The devotional was broadcast to all the MTC's around the world!  I was in the choir as usual so I hope that some of my friends in the other MTC's saw me!  We sang "Be Still my Soul".  Brother Eggett who is our choir instructor who is just amazing told us he chose this song because of the huge responsibility that President Nelson has now to run a huge part of the church.  Brother Eggett whenever he is teaching us a song he always tell us stories that in one way or another relate the song and they are always incredibly powerful.  This time he told of how because of agency and the atonement, no outside person can vanquish you.  You are the only person that can beat you.  He told that no matter what sins we've committed or no matter what has happened in our lives, Jesus pleads with us to come unto Him and be forgiven.  In the Savior's words, "As of as my people will repent, I will forgive them."  As long as we keep trying to push ahead and keep trying to repent even if we keep on making the same sin over and over again, the Savior will always forgive us.

So for teaching, our teacher sister Thomas is playing a person she taught on her mission named Ulia, Uleia, youliea.  I don't know how to spell it in English haha but it's U-lee-a.  Anyways we are always supposed to ask them to be baptized unless the spirit directs otherwise so that people know our expectation.  So we were teaching her and towards the close of the lesson I was bearing my testimony of Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us and then I had a thought come into my head that just seemed like a normal thought but it said bear testimony of how much you love the Savior.  And as I started to the spirit came in a way i haven't felt my whole time at the MTC.  It was so powerful I can't even describe it.  It was like the Holy Ghost was literally there we just couldn't see him.  And after that I asked her to be baptized and she said YES!  It was the best feeling in the entire world and even more of the spirit was poured out when she said yes and committed to be baptized!  The Church is true.  How else could 18-19 year-olds convince people of the gospel otherwise?  Something I've realized is that I can't do this alone.  I can't learn learn this language alone.  But I don't have to.  The Spirit is there and He helps me.  The gift of tongues is real. 

It rained here a little bit and after it rained we went and played volleyball outside and it was awesome!  The sand is usually so hot that it burns your feet so you have to dig holes in order to play.  The Grinch robe is the best!  Everyone loves it!  I wear it every night with pride!  We learned how to tell time this week!  It's different then English.  Let's say the time was 7:05, instead of saying that they say 5 of the 8th or five minutes of the eighth hour.  And if it was 6:32 they would say, without 28, 6.  We taught the Elders who have been here 2 weeks the case chart.  Which is basically the most important thing ever.  It tells you how to conjugate so many things.  Basically everything beside verbs, and those aren't so bad.  When I taught them I learned so much more about it than I ever understood before.  I think that was kind of the teacher's plan.  When you teach you understand a ton more.  So weird story when we do service which I love so much we get different BYU students who work there to supervise us.  SO this time we got this girl who served in Tahiti.  She got hit by a car and died.  Was dead in a ditch for a little while until someone gave her mouth to mouth and her heart started going again.  Then she died again in the ambulance and was revived again.  A drunk driver hit her and her companion got hit but the car's side mirror and was fine.  Pretty crazy.  Oh during the devotional me and little deeds were companions for like 2 hours!  We were on splits because of we sit in the choir and my companions were in a different area so we got assigned splits!  Watched a talked Elder Bednar gave at the MTC like 8-10 years ago.  The talk is entitled "Becoming a Missionary".   He said it is not enough to just be on a mission.  We must become missionaries and serve with all our heart might mind and strength.  He said the main indicator of success on your mission isn't baptisms.  He said the Lord won't change people's agency, the harder you work doesn't mean you get more baptisms.  Baptisms are a gift from God.  Our church isn't a church with a check off list.  If you do so much then this will happen.  He wasn't saying don't work hard because no matter what you do you won't get baptisms.  He was saying work as hard as you can but just because you do that it doesn't promise baptisms.  I hope that comes across right not sure if I worded it good enough.  Probably my favorite thing he said was when it is time for you to return home from your mission, "Return home but never leave the Mission field."  He said we should be weird when we get home, if we're not then we didn't put everything we had into our missions.  He said how could someone focus on a mission with everything they've got for 2 years and come back and not be weirded out to be around girls again haha.

We had a BYU basketball player who served in our mission 2 years ago come and talk to us for a little bit.  Really awesome guy!  He said just embrace their culture.  It is up to you if you're going to be happy or sad, whether you're going to work hard or be lazy.  He said just keep on studying Russian and write down sentences the way you would say them and write down words you hear people say but you don't know and one day you'll realize that there's not much you don't know how to say.

I love you all and I love it out here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Wilding

I turned part of my robe into a tie!

Elder Brower stole my camera and this is the picture he took while I was trying to get it back.
Me and Elder Prestwitch
We love the cheese

Me and Ty (Elder Palmer)
OH DA!!!!!!!! With Little Deeds....... the grinch ROBE!!!!!!!!!! again