Week 65

Hello Family! :)

it's always a little weird to e-mail on a Tuesday... I feel like I'm breaking the rules!!! haha but I'm not I have permission :)  but I just feel weird! :) This week was ok. It definitely had a lot of ups and downs. I'm doing great so don't worry about me :)  I hope you trust me when I say I'm doing great cuz some of the things that happened this week weren't so great.. :) So on Monday last week President and Sister Weaver came down and took the zone out to dinner at Red Robin. For some reason unknown to me I felt like I was going to cry the entire time :P Then as we were leaving Sister Hall came and put her arm around me to ask how I was doing and I just started crying. So I went aside with President and I told him a few small things I'm struggling with, and I just decided to ask for a blessing. There's a lot of things that were on my mind and I just felt like I needed more strength than my prayers could give me. But it really wasn't for anything serious. I just wanted a blessing :)  So we went to the church and I got to talk with President for a little while about what's going on and he talked a lot about Christ-like attributes. I know that the trials and tribulations we go through help us to become more like the Savior Jesus Christ. I am so forever grateful for that. In the blessing he said a lot of things that gave me a lot of comfort. He told me I was a choice daughter of Heavenly Father and that He was proud of me for the work I was doing. Which was really good to hear, I know that I work hard, but sometimes I just want to do more. As a missionary I worry constantly about whether I am doing my best and if my heart is really in the work. I know it is and I am trying but it's still really good to hear that God approves! haha :) He also told me a few times that I was very strong and capable and that God would make me stronger and more capable. He told me that He would help me bear the load of 2. And after the blessing I just felt the enabling power of the Atonement enveloping me. I can't even explain what it felt like, I honestly just felt 100% at peace and such a great strength.  But I was so happy afterward! I felt like it says in 2 Nephi 1:15 "I am encircled eternally in the arms of His love" and I knew at that moment that everything was going to be ok. I just need to have charity, and patience! :) The gospel is such a blessing!!! On Sunday C came to church! and also some YSA people we're working with, Sabrina and Kurt. Kurt was invited by a less active as he was walking down the road and he came. He so needs the gospel. I am excited to teach him. But guess who didn't come to church? Gary. I was so worried the whole time but I tried to not let it get to me. I put it in the back of my mind. And then that night we went and visited him. Satan has gotten such a great hold upon him and has made him think that he is "too busy" to come to church and meet with us. He still reads the Book of Mormon and such, he's not giving up on us...but I still just am So sad. We left and went to the church and I sat down and just started sobbing. I absolutely LOVE him so much and it's just so sad for me to see him in such a loss. When we went over he looked sad and tired and the light in him was gone, he smelled like smoke and it was so sad. He knows what God wants him to do and he knows the church is true, he's just afraid to take a leap of faith. It's devastating. I might be over reacting but I just love that man SO much! Afterward we went to the Mcowens and they gave us brownies and Crystal was there and that was a big comfort to me. Those guys are like my best friends! :) So that was comforting. Then on Monday we hung out with the Sisters and I talked with Sister Julien and she shared a lot of things that made me feel a lot better :) She shared this scripture: D&C 123:17

17: Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

 And that really gave me a lot of comfort and peace to know that if I do my best that God will work the work that He needs to do. And it's not over with Gary. :) So I am happy and healthy.  God just likes to give me trials right now. :) But I am so grateful for them. I have read the talk by Elder Bednar over and over and over since I got the Ensign from conference. I know that without a load or a burden I wouldn't have the spiritual traction that I need to help me get closer to my Father in Heaven. I know that as we go through these things if we lean on the Savior He will help us do all things. I have studied Matthew 11:28-30 a lot and I told you about that on Mothers day. This week I learned that yokes are custom fitted and so no matter how small or incapable we are of bearing or moving the load Christ will move it with us. He will always be strong enough and He will always help us. Because if we keep our covenants like it says in Mosiah 18 if we mourn with those that mourn and comfort those in need of comfort and bear one another's burdens that THEY MAY BE LIGHT. When we love God and love each other we are keeping our covenants and our burdens and other burdens become light. All we have to do is keep moving forward. At the end of the day we just have to endure to the end and then we "shall have eternal life". I am grateful for this gospel and the strength and help that it is in my life. I am grateful for the power of the priesthood and how real it is and how much it helps me every single day. The church is true. I am so grateful for that knowledge! I am grateful that even though "weeping may endure for the night...joy cometh in the morning". I know that because Heavenly Father loves us so much. He will always be there to lift us up if we let Him. We just need to exercise and obtain Christ-like attributes and have Faith and be Obedient. Oh how I have a testimony of that! I love and miss you all so much!!! :)

love always

Sister Wilkins :)

P.S.sorry if this is scattered...I feel a little scattered today haha :) but I am happy and healthy and love you!!! :)

 

D&C 24:

 7 For thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion; and in this thou shalt have strength.

 8 Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.

 

READ THIS!!!

 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/bear-up-their-burdens-with-ease?lang=eng

 

Sisters! :)

Week 64

Hello family!

Wow can you believe it's only been a week since I last talked to you??? It seems like forever!!! haha but I am excited to give you some updates on my wonderful missionary life!!! :) On Saturday we had a stake relief society activity and C came! she actually drove us :)  and it was so fun! And 2 days before I had decided that since I was asking my investigators to sacrifice things, I was also going to sacrifice. So I decided that I was going to give up caffeinated soda for life. And Sister Jensen decided to do the same! Also a family in our ward invited us and C and Sister Mcowen over for lunch on Sunday as well and that was a blast!  :) In Sunday School we had talked about baptisms for the dead and someone had made a comment about taking dead bodies out of the morgue to baptize them and everyone in the class just laughed except for C and G! haha So I had to explain that to C but she totally understood it! ! Gary is still doing the same...he's not making a ton of progress because he is focusing so much on his job that he has not been reading the BOM or praying which makes my heart BREAK! he is so overwhelmed and he just needs to down size! I know he knows that he will be so much happier when he puts God first, but it's so hard for him to change, poor guy...we took Brooklyn Falter with us to the lesson and it was absolutely perfect!!! she's the best! She is hopefully going to be getting her mission call this week or next!!! :) So exciting! :) but Gary still came to church. He told us on Tuesday that he was about to give up and say "what's the point" but he is totally fine after we come over! It's just so sad to see him struggle. I know that if he took that leap of faith to be baptized, his life would be so much better! But he has to get there :) Sister Jensen wants us to give him a break but I just can't give up on him!!! Nyah and Alaisa wood are getting so close! Nyah just turned 11 last week and Alaisa is 8 almost 9! they are the cutest little girls! I love them so much! They always ask questions and are so smart! :) We took over a present for Nyah this week and just visited with them and it was a lot of fun! I love those two! :) Domonic who is 10 is growing so much! This week he actually participated in the lesson!  he's surely a stinker but has such a good heart! I love that little boy! I just hope that he can find a desire to be baptized! We visited Kelly Walker this week, it was quite the experience. He confessed all his sins to us and we talked a lot about the Atonement. Tears were definitely shed and the spirit was so strong. I know that we can all be healed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Shawna Lorge is struggling as well; she has apparently called off her wedding and moving out. but she is turning to the BOM for help and it's awesome! :) It's amazing how much I love these people. I never thought in a million years that my mission experience would make my heart this full of love! last night I prayed for each of my Recent Converts and Investigators individually and realized that they are the most precious people to God. He surely loves His children and I get to have a small taste of that. Missions truly are a small taste of heaven. I can't wait to be in the celestial kingdom with all of you and all of the amazing people of Washington!  and I think I have joy now? I can't even wait! :) Last night we had a fireside in Centralia! It was such a sacred moment for me. I got to sit next to Sister Packard and some of my dearest friends. And remember the Savior. I just cried. It was truly a taste of Heaven. I told President Weaver that I wouldn't mind staying in Olympia for the rest of my mission and he told me that he has been meaning to ask me about that and it sounded to me like I might stay til the end. I am trying not to get my hopes up! But I would LOVE to stay here! I love these people SO much!  We also had zone meeting this week and it was amazing! President had me conduct the music which you know is totally out of my comfort zone, but there's no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone! :) haha It was fun though! :) I love to just learn from the weavers. They are leaving the mission on June 27th. I am going to CRY MY EYES OUT!  President called me this week to make sure I was planning on going home September 3rd so he could get my plane ticket in line. It was a crazy phone call, but he told me I had to promise to tell him when my homecoming was. So remind me when I get home cuz I'm sure I’ll have a zillion things on my mind! :) but we talked a lot about the Saviors love for us each. There's a song called "one by one" It's a way good song! look it up!!!  but I just feel so much the love that the Savior has for me this week especially. It has been such a good week, In studies I have been reading 3rd Nephi and eating it up! I love how much compassion the Savior has for the people he comes to see. And He loves them one by one. Individually. I know this is true because I have a miniscule taste of what that is like. I love each of the Recent Converts, Investigators, Ward members and missionaries individually. And my heart is full of love; I can't even imagine what the Saviors love is like for each of these individual sons and daughters of God. They are amazing, each of them in their own way. And I am just so grateful I get to have the sacred opportunity to know them and be a small part of their life and eternal progression. It is the best! :) I love being a missionary! It really is such a blessing. God blesses us so much more than we deserve. I love Him! I know that this gospel is true. It is SUCH a blessing in my life. All of my joy comes from the fact that I know the Savior and Heavenly Father love me and their gospel is here to sanctify me! I am out of time!!! but I love you all!

 

Love always,

Sister Wilkins :)

This is our best friend Crystal :) haha she's the best!!!! :) She has horrible lighting in her house...but we are going to hiking in a week with her and I will take more pictures :) But I figured you'd like to know who my investigators are :)

Week 63

Well hello!

I don't feel like I have a ton and a half to say to y'all since I talked to you for an hour less than 24 hours ago :)  but that was such a wonderful thing to be able to talk to you and see your faces and believe that you really are still alive :) I am grateful that we had that opportunity. The time is really coming fast that I will be sitting in that living room with you! CRAZYNESS but we won't talk about it  :) I just love you guys! :) Well I guess I can tell you a little of what happened this week! :) Then on Friday Sister Stucki and I (we were on an exchange) rode with her to Sister Mcowen's baby shower and C and I basically talked and laughed the whole time it was way fun and I got to know her a little more! :) I found out she likes country music a lot just like me! :) And then she came to church on Sunday and the ward was so nice to her and invited her over for dinners and today in about an hour we are going to go hiking with her!  I am stoked! :) P-day party! :)Gary is doing well, he didn't come to church yesterday and I'm not sure why, but we had a pretty good lesson this week with him. Oh and I forgot to tell you he gave me $100 for my birthday!!! The flippin sweetie! I just love that man so much! Sometimes I'm not sure what we should do with him though, I just can't seem to understand why he won't be baptized...But I will not give up on that man, ever! :) Kelly Walker is doing well, he cut back on drinking coffee which is good, but we still have to help him with smoking! he's on date for next weekend though so he has to stop real soon :) haha Domonic our 10 year old is still being a stinker! but I think we're going to get him involved with boy scouts! :) and then maybe he'll make some friends and want to come to church. We have 2 more lessons with Nyah (11) and Alaisa (8) and then they are going to decide if they want to be baptized! This week we taught them the plan of salvation and they were so cute and asked lots of questions! :) Nyah read the book of Mormon and wrote a little essay on it!!!! It was adorable! :)  Exchanges with Sister Stucki was a lot of fun this week! I don't know how, but we somehow along the way became really good friends! haha so we just talked and laughed the whole time! It may or may not have been a little late by the time we got to sleep!  you get 2 friends together and we talk for HOURS! :) God has really been trying my patience here in Olympia :)  I am loving being here though, last night we went back to the Falter's for dessert! I love that family! :) They take very good care of us! And are so caring! And their daughter Brooklyn is the sweetest! she's my buddy! She's getting her mission call soon!!!! So I am excited! I just really appreciate them! :) anyways...that's about all I got! :) haha But I am so grateful for you all! I love and miss you dearly and hope you have a wonderful sunny week! :)

The church is true!

Love always

Sister Wilkins :)

 

 

 

http://motherhood.mormon.org/

 

“THERE ARE FEW THINGS MORE POWERFUL THAN THE PRAYERS OF A RIGHTEOUS MOTHER.”Boyd K. Packer

 

“There is no limit to what a mother can accomplish. Righteous women have changed the course of history and will continue to do so.”Julie B. Beck

 

“MOTHERS ARE ENDOWED WITH A LOVE THAT IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER LOVE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.”Marjorie Pay Hinckley

 

Motherhood 

It’s the highest, holiest service assumed by humankind. It’s the definition of selfless service. It’s both a daunting responsibility and a glorious opportunity. The divine role of motherhood is a gift from God, and key to His plan of happiness for all His children

 

The Falters :) with me and Sister Flanigan :)

Week 62

Hello family!!!

You are the best family in the whole world! Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes!  How did you know that we were going to Panera today?!?  We really were already planning to go so Sister Hall and I could have our reunion at our favorite place and now I have a gift card for it!! :)  I am going to be eating like a queen! Jon and Juan gave me a gift card for Applebee's! they sure are the sweetest!!! :) When they showed up yesterday I about jumped out of my seat and my heart was pounding out of excitement!  I love those guys more than you know! I am so glad you got to meet them and kind of feel why I love them so much! I got to see the videos and cry! Kyson is getting so big!  I am grateful that you had the sacred opportunity to meet some of the people I love so much! :) They are seriously such a blessing in my life! :) So I guess I should tell you about my new companion! Sister Jensen! I haven't laughed this hard in a long time! haha we have a lot of fun! which is good because I was a bit worried about my friends leaving!  but I got a best friend as a companion! :) She's from Kaysville! she's 23 so she knew of Sister Hall but they're not very close in age! :) It's very interesting that we are companions...we have already learned much from each other. She is struggling with her confidence a little bit. And so I think that's a big reason why God put us together. She has taught me a lot about the Savior and the Atonement.  She just graduated from BYU and majored in Human Development. I don't know what else to tell you!  but I can tell you that we have fun :) I think I am constantly laughing! And I am grateful for that! Lots of people are taking care of me today, haha I've already gotten messages from Elder Genereux and Sister Hall and some people from our ward. I am grateful to be in such a great mission! :) and Sister Harwood from the office called :)  at transfer meeting she gave me a zillion hugs!!!  I don't remember if I told you but her brother was my sophomore year English teacher! pretty small world huh?! Mr.Woddups! haha Maria just walked into the library so I stopped and talked to her and found out that North Thurston county is going to pay for her to have a place to live!!! Yay! :) It's so awesome I am so happy for her! She got a little discouraged this week, but now she's doing much better! so it's happy! :) Another happy thing is that C has been coming to church!  Gary is still doing good! He's about the same though, he takes tiny steps every week, but not as big of steps as I want him to take, but it's all in God's hands! :) He was trying to make it by my birthday (which was unknown to me) so we'll see how our lesson goes tomorrow! :) We are also teaching 2 10 year olds and a few 8 year olds! I love the little kids! and a part member family :) So we are staying pretty busy I think! :) Transfer meeting was good! I got to see all my friends and people I love! :) For probably the last time...but! it was good! :)  We rode up with a new senior couple that just got here to do the job that the Clarke's were doing! I sure miss them! But it was very funny! They just sounded like an old married couple :P I was a little stressed!  They might've been bickering a little bit cuz none of us knew where to go! :)  but we got there and back safely! And they took us to Meconi's on the way back! :) Yum! :) District meeting is very very different... it will be an interesting transfer :)  Oh! On Wednesday night we stopped by the Falter's house and Sister Falter was going out of town so she gave us some food :) and we got to talk to her daughter Brooklyn! I love that girl! but she had her interview with the stake president for her mission papers and afterwards she just felt very scared! haha so we went over there and talked to her. And I told her to read D&C 25 but then we saw her on Friday and she told me she read D&C 125 and it was so much help!!!  so God knew what she needed I just had to get her to open to D&C I guess! :) it was cool though! Basically, I love you, I love my mission, and I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! :) I will talk to you all about everything in just 6 short days! :) I am sorry if this is short, I am running out of time though...so I just want you to know that I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! :) I am happy and healthy so don't worry! :) haha Love you!

Love always

Sister Wilkins :)