Week 69

Hello Family!

Can you say exhaustion?! haha I am just so overwhelmed and tired! Because this week was SO amazing! :) I don't even know where to start! Sister Boone and I just worked SO hard! Every morning we'd wake up exercise, study then at 10 we'd go out and just hit the pavement and wouldn't be back until 9:30! (which is not breaking the rules cuz we had appointments :) ) Then we'd plan and pray and go to bed! It was absolutely insane! :) haha And I am so tired....aint no tired like a mission tired! It’s the best feeling in the world! :) I can't even put this week into words; I wish you could just feel what I feel. Which is absolute gratitude for my Heavenly Father and humility for the many blessings that He gives to me. I can't even tell you how full my heart is. I am going to start this e-mail with what happened yesterday. :) Nyah and Alaisa were baptized!!!!! It was so cute! They had permanent smiles on their faces and they were so excited! For the program I had the little activity day’s girls come and sing "when I am baptized" with me for the girls. They loved it and their mom, Trudy was crying. It was so sweet! I haven't ever seen her smile that big! I think she was just grateful for the support for her daughters. It was so sweet. Then when they went to be baptized I went to the side of the font with them and Alaisa went first. She was so excited! :) then Nyah was so scared! haha she didn't want all those people watching her! haha but she did it! Afterwards I took the girls into the bathroom and Trudy comes in and Alaisa says "mom I wanna do it again!" hahaha! It was SO sweet! :) Ah! :) I can't even tell you how amazing baptisms are! :) The spirit is just SO strong and it testifies to me that this truly is the Lord's work. They were also confirmed yesterday and they said they felt amazing! :) haha it was the cutest little thing! :) I love seeing the little ones get baptized, they are already so clean and pure and they have this spirit of pure excitement and love for Jesus Christ. It is so special. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father let me stay in Olympia to be there when these beautiful girls were dressed in white and promised they would follow Christ. It is such a sacred thing. It was a crazy day though!!! right after the baptism we had to walk down the hall to the fireside! haha and we practiced a bit and then it began. Papa Rich and his granddaughter Emerald, and Juan, Jon, and Anthony all came!!!! It was one of the most spiritual firesides of my mission. I got to sing in ""be still my soul" as always, which always reminds me of Grandpa, and I also had the wonderful opportunity to bear my testimony! When sister weaver called and asked me I thought I was going to die! I was already running around like a chicken with my head cut off that day AND I was going to have to get up in front of not only members of the stake, but missionaries! I don't know why but I was so scared! haha so I was sitting there, hands sweating, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to say, but I just got up and I felt the reality of the spirit's guidance as I stood there and bore my testimony of Jesus Christ. It felt like the spirit was taking over and I was just standing there moving my mouth. I know that the Spirit was there helping me, I know that Jesus Christ lives! and I know he loves us. One of my favorite accounts of the Savior in the book of Mormon is when Christ comes to the America's and He takes the time to individually let every person come and feel his wounds to know of a surety that it was in fact their Savior. There were about 2,500 people in that crowd. If Christ took just 10 seconds with each person it would have taken 7 hours! But He did it, because He loves us so much individually. Another account that always touches my heart is in the Bible in john when the woman is caught in adultery and the people come condemning her for her sin and throw her before Christ and expect Him to tell them to stone her, and Christ says "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone" and they all leave. Then Christ speaks to the woman asking where her accusers are, "hath no man condemned thee" he says and the woman replies "no man Lord" Then Christ says to the woman "neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more" I know that through the Atonement of Christ we can be freed from the guilt and shame that we feel because of our sins, weaknesses, pains, shortcomings etc. we can overcome all things, because Christ does not condemn us. He loves us with such a perfect and pure love. He is my Savior, my Redeemer, my rock, and my very best friend. I am grateful that I have the sacred opportunity to bear testimony of Him daily! I know He lives! and I know that through Him we can return to our Father in Heaven. I can just tell you right now, I couldn't keep it together! I kept it together til I bore my testimony and sang in my group and then I just lost it! I couldn't even stand how bitter sweet that moment was! There were so many missionaries so I got to sit in the pews and look up at them and 4 of my best friends sisters Hall, Packard, Stucki, Esplin and President and Sister Weaver were all sitting on the front row of the stand. All of them are leaving within a month and they were crying. and then when we got up to sing amazing grace I lost it even more! Especially when I looked at papa Rich singing it with us! He loves that song, I just looked out into the audience at people I love so much and remembered the amazing people behind me and I just couldn't help but cry out of gratitude for how much love this mission has. I love these people SO much! :) It truly is amazing, how much our heavenly Father cares for us. Afterwards I went up to President and Sister Weaver and just hugged them tight!!! I am going to miss them so much. It is insane. There are so many goodbyes on a mission, as well as anticipated and special reunions! Because of the Savior, Jesus Christ there are no endings. We will all be together forever one day. :) Life does not end at the end of my mission. I'm not literally dying! haha I've got all of eternity before me! :) I got the new EFY cd from Austin falter and one of the songs is "when I’m gone" and it made me cry it says "every smile every laugh all the memories we've had that's what I’m taking with me, stronger faith, no more fear ya we've started something here that will grow, that's what I'm taking with me when I go" I will always keep these sacred memories in my heart. Another absolutely amazing thing happened! Sister Rea who you met in Chambers is now serving in Steilacoom! haha and she told me of 2 people that I worked with that they are working with again! One of them is Marissa. Marissa I found with Sister Baird and we taught her and her husband, but they were just kind of difficult to get ahold of, and they basically dropped us. So we stopped going by after a while. But Sister Rea went back and Marissa said "where have you guys been I've been waiting for you for a year!" she left her husband who wasn't interested and she had always wondered what her life would've been like if she would've joined the church, now she's going to church and taking the lessons again. It is absolutely amazing and humbling to know that no effort is ever wasted! It brings me to tears to know that the people that I love so much, but because of circumstances couldn't accept the gospel are now accepting it!!! I will never know of some of the people I have taught, but I am grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord in letting me know about a choice few that were touched by the things I did. I am sincerely humbled by how much God blesses me. It's not about the numbers, or convincing people to join the church I know is true, it's about eternal life. It’s about love, it's everything. This work is so amazing! And I love it with all my heart! I am so grateful for the support and love I have gotten from you; you have no idea how much it means to have that as I go throughout my days. I know I always have my sweet amazing family's love to hold onto at the end of each day. And my Heavenly Father's love. It was a special day yesterday. My brain was on spiritual overload! I was just so exceedingly joyful!!! :) and as you can see this whole e-mail is about ONE day of the week, the rest of the week was pure awesomeness too! Sunday just topped it off. I love this gospel, and I know it's true. I know that it's easy and worth it to follow. It makes me so happy. It brings me to tears. I am grateful to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people that they might have everlasting life. It’s the greatest calling I've ever had. and I hope each of you reflect on your testimonies of the Savior, and of His gospel. And the tender mercies of the Lord. He loves each of you more than you know. And I testify to you that this is His church. This is His way. And if we follow, we will have everlasting life, and joy. We do NOT have to be perfect, we only have to try to learn and to grow and to follow our Savior who set the perfect example for each of us. Remember that Faith is only true faith if we act on it. So stop your blubbering and go do something amazing! :) (like I’m about to do :) hehe ) I love you all so much!!!

Love always

Sister Wilkins :)

Beautiful girls! Nyah and alaisa! They had unremovable giant smiles on their faces all day! <3 so cute! :)

I am so grateful for these amazingly wonderful people. I love them SO much and they have made such a huge effect on my life. I am grateful I have the sacred blessing of knowing them. last night after the fireside I just went and gave them both the biggest hugs of my life! :) <3 I am sure going to miss them :)