Week 22 - December 16, 2025

 A Moment of Pain is Worth a Lifetime of Glory

Bit of a grind of a week but you love to see it.

One More House?

So, it's been a grind this transfer. We have been contacting every single day this transfer and basically have not had a second visit with someone. It's my companion's last transfer too, so at times I have been dragging him house to house. It's been a test to my enthusiasm and patience. But the truth is that I'm learning so much this transfer and I think this is super important for me. After we had been contacting house to house for a while not really finding someone with a ton of interest, my comp was begging us to go back to the house. I asked to knock one more as we heard them in the house, and we knocked and they went silent and didn't come out haha. So, I folded and we started our walk home. We passed by a house and were about 10 steps ahead and I just felt like we HAD to try. The house was at the bottom of about 20 stairs, so I was yelling Buenas Noches. We waited for a second and nothing. Until the door behind us opened and this guy walked out of his house. We talked to him, Maynor, for a second and he invited us into his house. He told us how he always had wanted to talk to the missionaries and has so much respect for what we do. He was saying how he has doubts about the church he was in and was looking for something else. We taught him and came back two days later. I am really praying for the best and really hope we can meet with him more.

Random Things

🎵: Theres this one little restaurant we have in Rabinal that always just has banger songs going. They actually never miss. I just sit there going word for word and it brings me joy. Food is solid, too.

🆎️: So, we had our English class this week and nobody showed up.  It was a big disappointment. We were just laughing it off though. It was their loss.

🎽: Our zone got these custom jerseys done and they are super sick. What made it even better is some people did nicknames and Elder Redd was BigBuckDown and it came out as BigDuckDawn and we were all dying. Should not have trusted Guatemala with that custom name.

🏀: We played some basketball this week as a zone which was lit. We are practicing up for the mission basketball tournament. Zona Baja Verapaz has very little competition. Dirty squad out here.

Spiritual Thought - Moments of Peace

So I was reading in 3 Nephi this week when I found something that was really interesting to me and something that I had not thought of before. When we think of 3 Nephi, we think of Christ coming to the people and teaching and preaching and by far the most peace these people have felt in their life. But what I hadn't thought of was what had just happened before Christ came. We are able to read in 3 Nephi 8 about the tempests and the lightning and the cities on fire and the cities dropping into the ocean or being buried in rubble. Now this doesn't seem too peaceful. I would imagine this was the least amount of peace they had ever felt in their life. Potentially feeling helpless and lost not even being able to find those around them. 

But it was in this time after being brought to the feeling of desolation and hopelessness that Christ came to them. He didn't show up to them in their moments of peak happiness, but he showed up in their moments of despair bringing them the highest of peace they could ever have. Sometimes we find ourselves in a similar situation as those of the people in the Americas. Maybe not to that extent but we might feel lost or feel hopeless or as if the world is coming down on us. It is important that we remember it is in those times and those moments where we need to turn to the lord the most. He will always visit his sheep that need him. We only need to trust and hope that he will. He asked them all to come unto him one by one. A whole multitude one by one. He wanted to help and be with each one individually.

15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

Hope you all have an amazing week love you all.

Elder Wilde

Week 21 - December 8, 2025

Most Beautiful Time of the Year

Ok little bit of a less ideal week in the field but that's ok. It only means we got big things on the way out here, so I'm hyped. 

3 For behold, the field is white already to harvest; and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard.

Divisions w/ Elder Richards

Had to start off the divisions showing Elder Richards all about. Insert Juan De Dios Reyes Melchor. The goat of Rabinal. He even was taking us to lunch… I don't know if I've seen Elder Richards so nervous when all the sudden, JuanI takes us to the most ghetto hole in the wall pork spot and they just grab the food straight from a bowl and give it to us. We know the Lord has things in store because we somehow aren't sick. But we had a couple lessons that day and I learned so much again. Biggest take away was truly just it doesn't matter if you know every word of scripture word for word. They have to know you care. You have to see how much it matters to you before they think of how it could matter to them.

Random Things:

🧗‍♂️: So, the Hermanas have been asking for weeks to go on this hike as a zone. So, we finally did it. It was actually a lit hike but just wait. Those Hermanas that wanted to hike so bad ended up quitting about halfway up the mountain. We were like this can't be real. But we got the job done--don't worry.

🌊: We have been teaching this lady for about a month and thought the baptism was going to happen because of how excited she was to receive all these blessings until she told us that she actually changed her mind and doesn't want to get baptized right now and needs to focus on her illegal immigration to the US, so there we are.

🛸: New Sarita ice cream dropped. Oreo cookies and cream ice cream sandwich. I mean, are we serious?  I'm gonna have three a day. Unreal pick up for the mish.

Argentina Mendoza Mission

Have to give the biggest shoutout to the Wilde family's new favorite missionary, Hermana Calderwood. She accidently misread Guatemala Cobán/ Belize mission for Argentina Mendoza, but we will get there. But Argentina Mendoza is so lucky to have her for the next 1.5 years and she is going to do amazing things and bless the people there so much. Even if she's doing it all in an Argentinian Spanish accent, she's going to be the most amazing missionary and i couldn't be more excited to see the lives she changes. Farewell is December 28th pullll upppp. Cardboard cut outs of me are allowed, just thought you should know.

Spiritual Thought

This week I've been reading a little in this book called, "A Case for the Book of Mormon."  This book goes over many "attacks" on the Book of Mormon and how it responded or responds.  It talks about how it has been attacked for 200 years and there yet to be a dent. But one passage in it I really really liked, and I thought was a crazy way of looking at it. One of the "attacks" is that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon. The passage responds with a challenge:

Write a history of ancient Tibet covering a period from 600 BC to AD 450. Why ancient Tibet? Because you know no more about Tibet than Joseph Smith (or anyone else in the 1820s) knew about ancient America. • There is to be no research of any kind

• Your history must be 531 pages and more than 300,000 words in length

• Other than some grammatical corrections, and a few other minor changes you must make no modifications in the text. The first edition, as you dictate it to your secretary, must stand forever.

• You must change your style of writing many times to represent various authors.

◦ Subsequent archaeological discoveries must support the truth of the objects, events, and names you refer to.

• You must invent about 280 new names of people and places that will stand up under scrutiny through the years as to their proper application and derivation.

• Thousands of great men, intellectual giants, national and international personalities, and scholars must accept your history and its teachings as true.

• Tens of thousands of salespersons (i.e., missionaries) must give eighteen months or more of their lives, paying their own expenses and bearing witness of the truth of this book.

• You must finish writing this book in 65 business working days or fewer.

When you start thinking about it from this point of view, it only starts to feel crazier. Either Joseph Smith “wrote” the book and is the greatest author of all time and an author that lived with very little education who managed to write the most impressive “fictional” testament of all time that “luckily” aligns with the world he knew almost nothing about. Orrrrrr. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and was TRANSLATED through the power of God to give us another witness and fullness of the gospel that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Through the gift and translation of the Book of Mormon, we are able to grow in the knowledge of our Savior. 

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

I testify that the Book of Mormon is a work through the power of God. Through consistent reading and thought you will grow in your testimony and faith and you will have access to the complete knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is the most true book in the world and is another testament of Jesus Christ meant to bring us to him.

I love you all have amazing weeks.

Elder Wilde 

Week 20 - December 1, 2025

 Thank you for sunshine Thank you for Rain

Can't believe we are in December. Right about now I'm really missing some drives in the car with some fire Christmas music. Don't get me going on Mistletoe by J Bieb. The 75 degrees all day here doesn't bother me though. And I hope all of you had an incredible Thanksgiving. I'm not going to point fingers, but I had to explain this was only a U.S. holiday.

Intercambios w/ Raban y Denison

Hit 2-day divisions because my comp was in the capital, so I was with Elder Raban who I was in the CCM w/ and then Elder Denison who is a ZL in Tactic. But I learned that Coban is not a good place for the mission funds. Panda Express, Wendy's, Taco Bell, McDonald's with the fact of going from Rabinal which literally has nowhere to eat magnifies these spots dramatically and I just can't help myself. But the divisions were really cool, and we had an awesome experience that I'll share in my spiritual thought.

Juan Reyes

So, one Juan Reyes is a mission legend. Known for being top three craziest members in the mission, and I'm just lucky enough to visit him 2-3 times a week. Juan is truly insane but does love the missionaries and does want the best for us despite what you might hear him call us. It's all in good fun. But Juan has had a really hard life. He was living in the states and got drugged/jumped and has been living in pain ever since. Our last visit was a tough one. It was a tough visit, and I honestly felt tons of pressure. He was telling us about how he's been living in constant pain for 23 years and he has no one and he honestly just wants to be done. He was talking for a while and told us there was this opportunity to maybe go somewhere for treatment for about 2000 dollars. He said it seemed a little odd and he wasn't sure about it. Then he turned to me and asked me to give him counsel and tell him what he should do. I was kinda shook and didn't know what to say. We ended up talking for a second and we left him with a blessing.

Random things

🏀: Elder Ruiz and I went to play basketball and ended up having people try and recruit us to play with them in their tournament so they could win the chip. They called me Curry. Had to show them the picture.

👨‍💼: Had a good interview with president and we talked a lot about what is coming up. Then he took us to a fire restaurant and paid, so that was unreal.

🔡: Starting this week we are now going to be having English classes. Maybe this could break the cold streak of finding someone. It is going to be lit.

Spiritual Thought 

So, this week when I was on divisions we went and taught this family with three kids in a super small house who obviously did not have a lot. We taught them and then we were about to leave when they asked us if we wanted something to eat. They brought us out taco empanadas. Of course, we couldn't say no, but we asked if they were going to eat with us. They told us no they were going to eat later but it was clear that they were giving us what they would've had for their lunch. It was clear that instead of eating themself they were going to feed us. It was a really humbling experience.

Not that I haven't seen this before or realized this before but in the week of Thanksgiving I thought it needed to be included. It's truly humbling going into these people's houses who have nothing and have never met you and yet they still put you first. There's so much to be grateful for.

I'm so grateful for every blessing I have in my life. For my parents for always being there to help me. For my brothers for always making it a good time. For my friends for spending all the time and having our reference games.  For the late night putting green comps. For the blessing I have of my home. For my mom always having something to eat for me. For music. For having a healthy body. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be on a mission. For the opportunity to serve, to help others, and to learn. I'm so grateful for the gift of eternal families, temples, and knowledge of the church I was born into. I'm so grateful for the countless people who have been examples to me in my life and made me want to be better every day because of it. I'm grateful for every day I have and I'm grateful for the harder days that make the good ones mean so much more. I'm so grateful to be here in the Guatemala Coban/ Belize mission. And so many so many more

John 15: 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Hope you all have a great week, love you all. Special shout out to Aubs for gettttting her mission call🥳🥳🥳🥳. Stay tuned Wednesday. Going to be an amazing addition to the Guatemala Coban/Belize mission...🙏🙏🙏🙏. 

Elder Wilde

Week 19 - November 24, 2025

 Andaré con Cristo

Salama

So, I was in Salama for four days this week because I didn't have a companion. Salama is where the ZLs are and that place is literally beyond blessed. The church is huge, the members all have money, the members all want to help you, and they have unreal restaurants. Literally members fed us for every meal and because there were three of us, were just dropping like $60 on us. That place literally might be the promised land. And the members are so sick. I was with the presidency of Salama and I was like, “Hey… I'm about to have six months in Rabinal… is there anything we can do after this.” President Pope says he's gonna talk to Urizar haha.

Elder Ruiz

Elder Ruiz is my new companion, and he is such a dog. What a duo walking the streets of Rabinal. He's finishing his mission this transfer and for that I think I'm staying again in Rabinal. But also because he's finishing his mission, I might be having lots of study time… But he's such a goat and we have a lot of laughs together. So, for reference he was in Belize for six months before this. So, when we are walking the streets, it has consisted of three things. Him singing Teach me how to Dougie and hitting the dougie literally all day, Young and Wild and Free by Snoop Dogg, or They Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar. We both have the gift of knowing lyrics, so it's a good time. It was also his 24th birthday this week and a member blessed us with pizza and cake. We don't really get fed in Rabinal like those Elders in Salama, and we got two dinners back-to-back, so that was amazing.

Moment

So, I don't know if you guys have those moments where you're doing something and then it just hits you like something kinda crazy. I had this. I'm in Coban right now because my comp needs to cancel his visa and we were with four other pure Latinos. And we were just walking, and we had been together for a while and it like hittttt me. I was like I'm in Guatemala, with four Latinos speaking Spanish and getting along with them like they are my boys in Utah (Don't worry HFTD boys, nothing will compare). But it was a crazy feeling. And no I am not saying by any means I'm crazy at Spanish, but it was a crazy feeling to just be able to be walking with four people who four months ago I would've had too big of a language barrier to say anything. They put a Wendy's in Coban so they were hypedddd to eat there.

Random Things:

Elder Aceituno: So there's this Elder from Guatemala City who is in our mission for just this transfer then leaves to Provo MTC then to serve his mission in Orem Utah. He's so hyped but I wish he was staying cause he is suchhhhhhh a goat. Treat him right out there, please.

🏀: Today for P-day we played a lot of basketball, and it was so fun. Can't even lie I was cooking had the hot hand. Had to hit a “they do have a timeout decide not to use it… Curry way downtown… BANGGGGG”.

Wallet 💸: So, we were waiting to play mini golf and Elder Redd's wallet fell out of his shirt pocket while bending over and perfectly went down the storm drain falling about 40 feet never to be seen again. I'm not sure Iv'e laughed so hard in a long time. Sucks for him though.

Spiritual Thought

So, every single day of the mission we teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ consists of five parts. Faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and maybe the most important which is endure to the end. There's a story I love, well don't love, but it reminds me of these principles so much. I have told this story before for a Mother's Day talk so if you have heard it already my bad and I'm sorry.

I don't remember how old I was, but I think I was probably about six. My family and I were at the Polynesian Culture Center and it started DUMPING rain. Everyone put on the same ponchos and appeared the same. Now at the time there was a game I loved to play and that's walking on the side of curbs trying to balance. So of course, I'm sure I took the challenge of the rain and the curb and began to walk. After a little bit of time, I decided to stop my game, which I imagine I won, and return back to my family. It didn't take long to realize that the path had split in two and I had decided to balance on the wrong side and went the wrong way. I could not find my family and did not know where I was. Everyone appeared the same. I decided to start walking to find my family when I thought I found my mom and went and grabbed her hand only to realize it was not her. I kept walking and stopped at a cart and sat there with the worker. Of course, I was found and I will never forget hugging my mom after being lost.

This story has many gospel principles in it. 

Faith: We cannot balance in the middle. We cannot be halfway in halfway out. There's a story that says on one side of the fence there was God and the other was Satan. Both were offering different things of value, but they couldn't decide so they stayed on the fence. When he got grabbed by Satan and was told the fence belongs to him. We need to be committed. Trying to balance in-between gets us lost. We need to have faith.

Repentance: Sometimes we pick the wrong path. We make the wrong decisions. We are not perfect. But there is always a way to perfect your flaws or errors.

Holy Ghost: Do not stray away from those that are there to love you and help you. Theres a reason they are there to help you. We need them in our lives to keep us going where we need to.

Perseverar Hasta el fin, Endure to the end: At points of my balance, I'm sure I was making strides in the right direction making my way. I was doing a little better throughout. But I messed up. Eventually I made the wrong strides. But all three of those principles came back to me. There was someone working to find me and help me back. We are always gonna have setbacks. But we also need to come back. Enduring to the end isn't being perfect. It's doing the little things despite the hardships. He knows we are going to mess up. It was in the plan for us to mess up to become better. He is always the shepherd to leave for his lost sheep and rejoice when he finds it.

Alma 37:6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

Love you all.  Sorry for the longer email. I hope you all have an incredible week.

Elder Wilde