Blurry Days

Hey y'all,

I just want to start off saying thank you to all those who have kept me and my companion in your prayers, and missionaries in general too. This work runs on prayers and we have truly seen miracles this week because of them.

Last p-day we had a little extra time at night to do some finding. I had a place in mind and we headed out to it. I missed the turn. I thought of another road to try and guess what? Totally missed that turn too! But I had this feeling to keep going down the road. Finally I felt like I needed to turn us around, and I saw an auto repair shop that I could use to do so. At the last second I decided to use the lot next to it. Then I realized that we pulled into a tri-plex parking lot, which I didn't know was a thing, and we decided to get out and check it out. The first door we knocked had no response. The second a lady came out, totally not interested, and tried to discourage us from knocking the last one. We did anyways. The door opened and we explained who we were and they let us in! We got to know this cute family, the Wheelers, and they accepted a Book of Mormon and wanted us to come back and teach a lesson! I'm amazed always at the different ways God works through us, and I'm so grateful that He led us to the Wheelers home in the last 2 hours of our day.

On Tuesday we went tracting in the morning/early afternoon and met some really nice people, but none that were real interested. On our way back to our car, these 2 big dogs started streaking after us across the field (a neighbor to that house had just warned us about them) and Sister Johnson grabbed my hand and started panicking. Well, I yelled at them. And they came to an abrupt, confused halt. I told them to go home. So they sat there, and then a car pulled up and the man in the car asked if the dogs were bothering us, and we said yes, so he went and kinda blocked them from us with his car and we yelled thank you and speedily walked away! Can't believe we didn't get torn up! God really protects his missionaries!

Later we were invited over to dinner at Sister Pearson's house. Sister Johnson before we got there was like, "we need to ask Sister Pearson if we can teach her grandkids!" And I was like oh my gosh you are SO RIGHT. So we asked, and Sister Pearson said she would talk to them about it. Her grandkids are her kids, she's raising them, and none of them have been baptized. Sister Pearson also enlisted our help with some gardening stuff they wanted done the next day.

Wednesday was great! We had a fantastic lesson with Myra, and she accepted a baptismal date!!! She never ceases to amaze me. She watched a movie on YouTube about the book of Mormon, and at first I was scared, but as she explained it, it talked about the Restoration and Jospeh Smith, and then went into the first book of Nephi. She loved it and said it made her appreciate the land we live in even more. It was so sweet! But the fact that she accepted a date really just blew my mind! We are ecstatic!

After Myra we helped Sister Pearson and her daughter Teresa separate seedlings and transplant some things for their vegetable garden, so you know that was right up my alley! Then we helped them catch a rogue chicken that refused to go back into the coop, and that was just a blast! Teresa was like, "they should use chicken chasing as a team-building exercise!" Then, Sister Pearson told us that she already talked to the kids and they wanted to take lessons from us! That was the best moment ever! And when we got home we saw that we received several messages from her, explaining that she has had so many promptings lately urging her to come back to church, and she wants to actually do it. It made me cry! We are so eager to help this family have the happiness that the Gospel brings, they have been through far too much, and it's time for them to have some peace and joy in their lives. Sister Pearson wants that so bad for her family! I'm just so happy!

Thursday we had our first lesson with the Wheeler family and oh my gosh that was so intense and spiritual, I had the spiritual sweats going on. Also, it was kinda hot in there. We taught the Plan of Salvation and drew it all out on a whiteboard in a way that the symbols would spell "love." Dolly caught on, she's the mom, and she thought that was the cutest thing ever. But she was like, "it IS love, it's God's plan!" She went on to explain that it didn't change what she believed, but she had never had it laid out so clearly before, she had never been able to really understand it. We told her that the reason why the picture was so clear, was because lost truths had been restored through the book of Mormon, and when we used the book of Mormon and the Bible, the picture is complete.

Her husband started giving different scenarios of people's lives and questioning what would happen to them, and it was so incredible to see how the Plan of Salvation answered all his questions. I could just point to different points on the board and explain, and it made me realize just how perfect God's plan is. His plan is for everyone, it helps everyone, and it gives us all the opportunity, if we choose, to return to Him. No matter how your life plays out. He gives us every chance we need to try again. Literally the only way you could fail is if you choose to fail, don't do that. Look at the wonderful plan our Heavenly Father has for us all and take courage, have hope, keep going.

On Friday we helped the Lusk family from our branch prep their house for paint. Sister Johnson and I covered windows in plastic and lined trim with tape. It reminded me of my house with all the painting we've done, and trim work, and tape, it was all too familiar! I loved It! Afterwards we had our first lesson with the Pearson children! They listened so good and participated, they are probably the most polite, well behaved kids I've ever met in my life. Sister Pearson had powerful insights and bore her testimony, it was wonderful! I'm so excited for them!

Saturday and Sunday was awesome because you know, General Conference happened! It felt so short, and the talks were so bold and powerful! I loved how all of them linked together, many shared the same scripture or quote, or touched on the topic the last speaker did, and I thought that that really shows how it was all done by the Spirit. None of them knew what the other would speak on, yet they all blended together. So cool! I'm sad it's already over! 😣

We have another busy week coming up with Zone Conference and interviews from our mission president, it's going to be crazy! I love busy though because it makes time fly by! Easter is just around the corner woohoo!

I hope you all received answers to your questions during conference, and I hope you felt the love that our prophet and his apostles have for all of us. I did. There's no way they could keep doing what they're doing if it didn't all run on the fact that they love God's children. I know this church is headed by Christ himself, I know President Nelson is led by Him, and the apostles are led by Him, the work is moving forward because of Him, this work only works because of HIM. This is no earthly church. I'm blessed every day to have a small part of gathering Gods children into His fold, as imperfectly as I do, and I look forward with anticipation to see what God will do next to further build His kingdom here on earth.

I love you all, I pray for you all, and I wish you a happy week until next Monday!

With love,
Sister Wilcox❤❤❤