Hi Family!
Well It is a very
bitter-sweet time of life right now! Tomorrow some of my very dearest, best
friends are leaving the WA-TAC. I am sad, but excited for them to move on to
their next adventure. I am sure I will be crying tomorrow! haha but, what can
ya do? :) I am so grateful for these wonderful sisters who have impacted my
life so much, each one of the ones coming home have been my greatest influences
and someone that I could look up to throughout my whole mission. I will never
ever forget these wonderful sisters. I am grateful that I had the sacred
opportunity to serve with Sister Ryser (my mtc companion, she's going home
early for school.) Sister Hall and Sister Packard and go on exchanges with
Sister Esplin, Davis, and Stucki and also around Sister Scott, Logan,
Bevan, Crosby and so many others (there's 13 of them and for some strange
reason I can't remember everyone that's going home at the moment!)
haha my heart is just full with love and gratitude for the way they
have changed the face of the Washington, Tacoma mission. It has been such
a privilege to serve with them. I am also extremely grateful to have been
around Sister Hall and Bevan these last 2 transfers. It has been so fun! :) I
am really going to miss all of them for the next 6 weeks. But I know God is
calling them to something & somewhere different. :) Another Bitter-sweet
thing, I am being Transferred! I am going to Deschutes River in the Lacey
Stake. My companion will be Sister Stevens! I haven't ever been on an exchange
with her, but I served around her. I was a little hesitant about the call, but
I know God knows what is best for me! I think she's from Utah, all I know is
she's very loud and eccentric :) haha I am really excited for this opportunity
to learn from her. :) The next 6 weeks will be the very best. I am excited to
work my tail off because I have had the sacred opportunity the rest of my
mission to take 6 months to create good relationships and leave my areas better
than I've found them. And now I'm on a time crunch! haha but I know that I am
going to be working HARD and doing my very best to leave my new area better
than I found it. Something that I learned about it is that it used to be a
branch, and now they've created 3 new wards from it. And I've also heard it's
pretty on fire at the moment :) even if it's not I am just excited that God is
giving me this sacred opportunity to grow and learn. Saying goodbye
to Olympia is one of the hardest things I have done. This has been such a
sacred space. This was definitely my "refiner’s fire". I have loved
the ward and the investigators here, and it breaks my heart to say goodbye.
Poor Macey Adams has been coming out with us every day this week because she
knew there was a possibility that I was leaving and I made her cry! Her along
with the rest of the ward. One of the things that I have reflected on
again and again about leaving, is I've seen how much I love these people
so much, and also a small part of them loving me too. All I know is that this
place has changed me. I have learned so much. And I have made dear friends. I
am seriously going to miss this ward. Why must I always get so attached?! haha
poor Sister Boone cried her eyes out. But I know she will take good care of
Olympia. I have been able to see how important repentance and patience is here.
I have seen the importance of a good attitude. I have learned how to love
people that I wouldn't normally love. I have seen Seth, Maria, Nyah and Alaisa
enter into the waters of baptism and make a covenant with the Lord. I have
taught Jesus and Crystal, Gary, The Morriseys, The Rendons, Sabrina, Marlon,
Jhonny, Maggie, Kelly Walker, Somon and Izsiah, Dominic, and so many more. I
have created great relationships in the ward with Macey, Silem, The Falters,
the Opdahls, June & Don, and so many more wonderful members of the restored
gospel. And served with Sister Horgesheimer, Flannigan, Jensen, and Boone. And
my heart melts when I think of the sacred experiences I've had with each of
them. While we talked about Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, and felt the
spirit. As we grew together and learned together. That's why Olympia is so
sacred to me. It reminds me of Mosiah 18 in vs 4 &5 it describes the waters
of Mormon as a wilderness with thickets of trees and in vs 30 it talks about
how it is "beautiful to the eyes of them who there came to a knowledge of
their Redeemer". It is sacred because I have come to a greater knowledge
of my Redeemer here. And how much He loves me, and all of His children. I will
never forget the way this place has changed me and touched my heart. It will
forever be sacred space, just like Chambers Creek and Steilacoom. I am just so
very very grateful for my mission. I can't even express how much I love it. And
how grateful I am for each experience. I will never be the same. But I won't
say goodbye! cuz this won't be the end of the best days of my life! :) I am
moving on to a new area, with a new companion to create one last sacred space
as I prepare for God calling me back home. It is insane how much I have changed
in 17 months. And I am grateful to God for letting me have this experience.
Every morning when I kneel to pray I thank Him first for letting me be a
missionary. I am just so grateful! My heart is so full. I need to stop now
though, before I start crying :) This week we've been focusing a lot on Marlon,
Jhonny and their mom Maggie. We just started teaching Maggie this week. It's
hard, because they are supposed to be moving at the end of the month
to California. So, we aren't sure how it's all going to play out. But we
had some really great lessons with them! And I am grateful I got to teach them
:) It's kinda cool, because I met Jhonny in April, and he was super flaky, and
now we are teaching him, his brother and his mom. I think they just all
needed to be there, God has perfect timing. I hope that they accept the
message of the restored gospel. :) Also a great thing that happened this
week was with the Morrisey's! :) Elizabeth is the mom and is the only member.
She has a son who's 18 Jordan, Her husband Quinton, his kids Savannah (12yrs)
and Tom (10yrs) and their kid Kaden (1yr) We've been working on them since I
think when I was with Horge! haha, and they've just been way busy with
everything and we haven't super focused on them because they didn't seem super interested,
but for some reason I kept going back. Well last Saturday I found Savannah and
Tom at their grandpa's in Elma and they said they wanted to be baptized,
and got grandpa on board! and this Saturday after transfer calls I went over to
say goodbye and I found out that Quinton's heart is being softened and he's
been thinking about being baptized too! And Jordan is a flaky teen but he has
the desire too (he's in Hawaii though for the summer) IT"S A MIRACLE!!! :)
haha Elizabeth, Quinton and Kaden came to church yesterday too! It was
wonderful! :) I just love these people so very much. I can't even explain how
great it is to see someone come to church or read the book of Mormon! It brings
a smile to my heart every time!!! :) Time is almost up, see? It goes SO FAST!!!
haha but I just want you all to know that I know this gospel is true. I know
God loves us and would do anything for us. I know that Christ lives and through
Him we can do all things! I know that Thomas S Monson is a prophet called of
God. I know the Book of Mormon is true. It has such a power in its pages.
Please read it, cherish it and love it. I am grateful for Olympia, and the
wonderful people here and what they've taught me about my Savior. I couldn't
ask for anything better. I am so grateful for each of you. I pray for you. I
think of you often. I love and miss you dearly. I am grateful for your prayers
and continual love and support as I have been on this wonderful journey. I love
you lots!
Love always
Sister Wilkins :)
Exchanges from last week :)
Hall and Bevan are dying :(
The Morrisey's
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