Week 72

Hello Family!

I feel like compared to your e-mails today mine isn't going to even be close in comparison! haha Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. I am so glad you got to meet the Weavers. They really are so special and hold such a sacred place in my heart. I bet the homecoming was amazing. That is the spirit of the WA-TAC. And now you know why I never want to leave!!! haha but I know that that spirit will always be in my heart :) I really don't even know what to tell you about this week besides exchanges! haha so we'll start there :) haha We are just trying to find people to teach, and It's been kinda hard. But on Thursday night we got a call from the STL's and were told that we were going to go on exchanges!!! I finally got to leave the area! (since I've been training the last 3 I've stayed in oly for all the exchanges) So we went from Friday at 3 til Saturday at 4! And I got to go to Elma with Sister Stucki! Have I ever told you how much I love that child?! haha cuz I do! neither of us really knows how we became friends....haha but we are like best friends! It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot! We really didn't do that much teaching, we taught some recent converts, some less actives and such! but we also did like 2 hours of service and went to a funeral! It was really nice, because I got to kind of relieve some stress and just relax a little. I think that being in the area for 6 months and training basically the whole time has made me feel really old. :) Sister Boone says that I'm basically training her too, which I feel like I am...haha so it was nice to just have someone think about the things you have to do and such for 24 hours! haha I think that's probably a big part of why I have been sick. But anyways, I just love being with Sister Stucki! we never stopped talking. And since she's going home in like 9 days it was cool to get some advice from her and just "hang out" haha :) I learned SO MUCH from the exchange. Friday night we decided to tell each other our life stories, and it was insane how similar we really are! haha but while she was sharing she kept telling me of all the different times the spirit directly spoke to her and I just had this prompting to pray and ask Heavenly Father to help me with my back. Which I have done a million times. So when the time came to say our prayers, I knelt down and I prayed with so much faith that God would ease the burden placed upon my back. *Disclaimer that night I did not take my muscle relaxer because I knew we'd stay up talking :)* The next morning I woke up and every morning since I've had this problem I've woke up and so much pain, but Saturday morning I woke up and felt fine. IT WAS A MIRACLE! I can feel God easing my burden when I have faith and patience. I am trying to find a good chiropractor in Olympia. I'm not really sure when I can go because I think they want us to go on Mondays but neither Sister Blatter or I know of any good chiropractors in Olympia so I've got to talk to some members before I can go. We don't want me to be in more pain! haha I am feeling somewhat better though and could probably function until I get home :) Plus next Monday is Hall and Bevan's last p-day! :( anyways that morning we went to a funeral haha Sister Stucki had to talk about the Plan of Salvation and I just sat in the audience and cried. :D I am a baby! haha I was just thinking throughout the whole thing "what do I want my family to say about me at my funeral" haha and so I was just deep in thought. I am just grateful for the Plan of Salvation and that we all can be together again! :) Then we went and did service for about an hour :) haha we pulled some lady's ferns out of the ground! it was hard work and I'm kinda sore :D hahaha but it was so much fun!!! Then we went and visited some less actives and I found 2 of the UBC's from Olympia at their Grandpa's house in Elma! haha S and T M. They are 12 and 9 and they've been coming to activities; I found the M family my first transfer the step mom is the only member. her husband her son and her 2 step kids (S and T) are not baptized, but S and T' real mom is baptized and so are their grandparents! haha so I am excited to work with them! :) But seriously, what are the chances?! haha it was a lot of fun. Here are some things I learned about from the exchange: Do things for my future children. Be the kind of person you want your husband to be. Acknowledge what is happening, aka you are going home. Enjoy and cherish every moment. Remember spiritual promptings. Cheerfully do all things that lie in your power. bear testimony all the time. Heavenly Father would do anything for me. I don't want to be a comfortable missionary. I need to be grateful for what I have. Now let me explain a few of those things. First of all D&c 100:4 talks about how God has called me here for a wise purpose for it is "expedient for the salvation of souls" I am so grateful to be here in Olympia! I am such a spoiled snot sometimes because sometimes we don't have a ton of work to do as far as investigators go, and that's not really how it was in my other areas. But I know of missionaries who have a hard time like this their whole missions! And so I really need to have an attitude of gratitude. because who knows if I have come to this kingdom for "such a time as this"? So I am going to do what it says in D&C 123:17 "cheerfully do all things that lie in our power, and then...stand still with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God and for His arm to be revealed." So I am determined to cheerfully do all things that lie in my power! and that's all we really can do, at the end of the day I want to look back and just see when I was cheerful. Even when I come home. I want to always be happy and always remember Jesus Christ! :) This week Sister Boone has really been struggling with confidence. I have had a feeling that I might get transferred and have to leave the sacred land of Olympia. and so she has just been wallowing! haha I came back from the exchange and I was so happy and filled with the spirit and she cried ALL day long. So I just decided that I was going to tell her what President Uchtdorf would say "Stop it!" haha she's doing better now, but I just think negativity is the root of all evil! haha We all fall into the trap sometimes, but we have to get ourselves out of it ASAP! :) I feel like this Is really short and I only have a short time left. Other than that, here's a few things that happened this week: G's in Oklahoma but we found out he is still way interested in learning and progressing. A random guy found our number on a bus and texted us and wants to meet with us! I love to bear my testimony on every doorstep! D wants to come to church! we couldn't get him a ride this week, but we will get him there. A less active family that we've been working with since March came to church for the first time yesterday! S still meets with us but doesn't see the importance of church or even wanting to come anymore. All the youth went on trek and came back and and had an amazing time! I haven't mentioned it a ton but I absolutely LOVE the young women here! haha They make my entire day! :) I am out of time :( But I just want you all to know that I love you SO Much! :) and I am grateful for your love and prayers! :) I know the Gospel is true, and I know Christ lives! Keep faith! and share it too! :) Love you!

 

Love always

Sister Wilkins