Sorry this is short y'all

Hi,

Not much has happened this week, except transfers and Stake Conference where we had Elder Johnson and Elder Costa speak to us! It was awesome! And Tim went with us and got to hear the first half before he had to go to work. Love that guy!😊

Anyways, I'm being transferred to Woodhaven, which isn't very far from where I'm at now and it's still a bike area. I already know my new companion because she was in our old district! This is going to be so fun! Except I'm leaving my trainer and getting kicked off the nest. Hopefully I know how to fly! Just kidding, I know everything will be just fine.😁

It keeps snowing here, seriously. I don't even know what's going on right now anymore. There's flowers everywhere covered in snow, how awesome. People still get their yard work done though!😂

We had some 80 degree weather earlier this week and we were able to do some rad tracting out in some far places. I loved it! Got to talk to all kinds of peoples and see our referrals.

I love all of you so much and I pray for y'all everyday. Keep being awesome and pressing forward in faith. I know you will be blessed for it!

With Tons of Love,
Sister Wilcox😘

Sister Wilcox and the Twister at Starbucks

Hey y'all!

Last week we got permission to email on Tuesday (and I already told you this, I think?) because of the whole moving fiasco on Monday. So Sister Wilcox and I took the bus to Starbucks to leech off their wifi. During the ride, we noticed that the driver kept warning people about a storm coming. We get to Starbucks and realize we missed like, 20 calls and texts from our district leader and our fellow sister missionaries. They all warned of a tornado in the red zone approaching and we were all instructed to stay in. Well, Sis Wicox Sr was freaking out and was super upset we had left. She was all like, "we're gonna die in Starbucks!" Meanwhile, I'm sitting there emailing everyone and watching the weather like it's a movie. It was the most entertaining thing, but no tornado touched down.

Also, it literally just hit me that I'm coming up on twelve weeks out on the mission, which doesn't seem very long but it FEELS long! Not to mention transfer calls are this Saturday, so the gang is getting split up! The only one happy about this is Elder Brady cuz he's been here 6 months and wants out (we all know he secretly loves Jeffersontown).

We got into a very gentle bible bash with some lady named Helen in a coul-de-sac up the street. She's really nice, but she really only wanted to prove us wrong honestly. She's baptist said we don't believe in the same Jesus cuz they have the whole trinity thing going on, it was just weird. And all of her "facts" were coming from anti-mormon crap and I just don't understand why people go to those sources to learn about the church?? It wasn't terrible though, I learned that I need more cross references to the bible...

We had exchanges this week and I "took over the area." It was the scariest thing ever. I figured out the bus system so we could ride over to a referral, who wasn't home, then we tracted the area and it was just weird to be the one fully taking the lead. Then we had a lesson that night with Tim and I had to lead that... it was just weird for me! But still good and I learned a lot about myself I think. I found out I'm more motivated than I thought, which is good!

Anyways, kinda freaking out still about transfers! I don't know what'll happen! 😨

Oh, and Sis Wilcox Sr is sick again and I had to say a prayer for her because I felt like I should. She wanted to go out and I felt it was a bad idea, she's lost her voice pretty much too, and so after the prayer she felt nauseous and had pain in her chest from the congestion... so she took a nap! It was all good.

I can't remember if I'm missing anything.

I love y'all so much and I hope you have a fantastic week!

With Love,
Sister Wilcox❤❤❤

This Week Was Wack

Hello from the south!

It's not really the south, but the culture is! Sorry this is coming out so late, we helped a disabled gal and her daughter move to their new apartment for 8 hours yesterday. The movers that were supposed to do the job refused to help her move because of her packing methods, which was totes and baskets basically. We pretty much helped them pack, then move stuff. They aren't even entirely moved yet! It was just us and the elders and Brother Casper from our ward. I got hit on by the 13 year old daughter, never thought I'd experience that. We aren't supposed to do service on p-days either, but this was one of those times where somebody really needed help. That's how we got permission to email today.

Anyways, this week was awesome cuz I puked on Tuesday and spent the rest of the week trying to come back from that while still doing normal missionary things. We totally got taken care of by the members this week though, like it's just been incredible. All you members out there want to be those families or couples or cool old people that the missionaries just adore! Take them in, and talk to them even if they're weird. We're all weird, especially the people who don't think they're weird!😆

Seriously though. We had a lesson over at the Finder's home with Tim where he got to meet Bishop. Sister Jones came running over with Sprite and crackers when she found out I was sick. The Walpoles with their two cute little boys and their busy lives help us all the time, and Sister Walpole went with us to another lesson with Tim this week and shared her sweet testimony (and Tim prayed for us for the first time since we've started teaching him, and I know it's because of the Spirit that was there that Sister Walpole brought). Brother Harding had us and two of our investigators over for Saturday morning session, even though his family was in Utah and he could have had the house to himself (plus he always helps us in a pinch😉). The Ciarlante's feed missionaries all the time and they invited us over for both Sunday sessions of Conference. And the Caspers are just heaven sent! Brother Casper helped us all day long to move, and I think he hurt his back too! Afterwards he had us over for dinner and it was like, 8 o'clock! I know this was long, but you wanna be those kind of people and families that can be relied upon, I want to be like that! Y'all already are, but I just wanted to emphasize the gratitude and respect I have for members like these.

I've really come to appreciate the unique perspective a mission life gives. I get to talk to people from all backgrounds, from all sorts of religions and cultures, and I get to share the gospel with them. I've heard so many stories about people's lives being changed because of Jesus Christ, not always Mormons either. People deal with so much sorrow and confusion, and it's amazing to me how anybody could believe they can get by without God.

I was just reading in Ether where he talks about the promises God made to the people who would dwell in these lands (the Americas, which is called the promised land in the Book of Mormon). Those who live here will be blessed so long as the people remember God and live righteously, obeying the commandments. This is talked about in the other books as well, but it struck me more profoundly this time because then I read about the utter destruction of the Jaredites later on in the book. The entire continent was covered with these people, millions of them. But they turned their backs on God and the teachings of Christ and they hated and cursed his name, and for that they were cursed until they went extinct. The same thing happened to the Nephites. They were given the same promise, and they forgot God and were destroyed.

I guess what I'm saying is that we have the same promise. Are we not living in the Promised Land, the only truly free country here on earth? This is God's country! We are going to be held accountable just like the Nephites and the Jaredites were. Christ's Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is spreading across the globe like wildfire. There are temples all over the world so that families can be sealed for eternity and those who have already passed on can have the opportunity to accept the gospel. We as latter day saints have a job to do, and that's to bring others unto Christ. We have all been called to be laborers. We are all converts and we must continually be converted to the Lord. In Alma chapter 5 it reads:

62. I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.

We just had an awesome General Conference. Use those notes and follow the words of the apostles and our prophet! I am so excited for Ministering! It sounds so much like just being a missionary! It'll be fun!

I know this is said over and over, but read your scriptures, say your prayers, go to church, use the Atonement. I'm not perfect, nobody is or was except for the Savior, but I know that by doing these simple things you will find greater happiness and a love for the gospel. This world is crazy and tumultuous, but there is peace in Christ. I love you all so very much and He loves you even more!

Happy Easter!

With Love, 

Sister Wilcox😘😘😘😘

I Am Not Immune!

Hey everybody,

This week has been another week of nasty coughing, except now I'm a part of it! Yay! I started with a sore throat, and now I have the cough & congestion where my ears feel like they need to pop all the time. It hasn't been debilitating though. 

It started snowing on Tuesday and we were totally biking blind! We had went to visit one of our sick investigators (who is an absolute doll face and I love her!) and when we got out it already snowed a few inches. What the heck?? It was super dangerous too cuz we couldn't see and neither could the cars, so yeah that was sketchy. We were gonna try biking to our dinner appointment, but she ended up being like, "aw heck no!" And she came and got us, Sis Marks is amazing. 

We walked through the giant piles of snow to our district meeting and that was fun because I was the only one wearing good snow boots! Then the rest of the day we couldn't do anything because everything was shut down due to the weather. Plus we were dying of mucus... 

Thursday was interesting because we got to do our service, but then the elderly couple that came with us took us out to a restaurant called "Cracker Barrel", and it was awesome, but we were there way too long! But the place was so cool and I don't think I've ever seen one in Oregon? Later our investigator Tim planned a dinner and a lesson at his place with the elders. He is the sweetest man ever and we are totally gonna get him baptized! We talked about the Word of Wisdom with him, and while he's stubborn, I have total faith in him that he will overcome.

I don't remember what happened the rest of the week, in order anyways. We got to meet with our part member family guy, David and have a lesson with him and his friend Adrian finally! Sis Wilcox Sr and I had exchanges with our new STL, Sis Rogers. She is fantastic and she gave me an awesome study on the commandments! And I met this crazy lady, Sis McGuire, who absolutely loves animals and has major road rage.

I gotta tell y'all about her. She is from California (and honestly drives better than everybody over here), anyways she told us this story about how she chased down a litterer. She was about to walk into Blockbuster with her friend when some punk threw his entire bag of McDonald's crap at her feet driving by. So she grabs the bag and her friend, jumps in the car, and runs every single red light till she caught up to this dude and pulled up beside him by a light. Then she rolls down her window (and the guy did too thinking she wanted to talk to him) and she goes "I think you dropped something!!!" And threw it right through his open window and drove off like a madwoman. It's the greatest thing told in her voice with her crazy little hand gestures! I laughed so hard it hurt!

Well I love you! I hope everyone is happy and doing well! 

With love, 

Sister Wilcox

Spring is Coming

Hi Family!🤓

So currently Sister Wilcox Sr and I are in the hermanas apartment helping our Hermana wax her legs. She hasn't shaved since December... apparently I'm really good at ripping off the strips unexpectedly.

Anyway, this week has been an interesting one. Sis Wilcox has been sick pretty much this entire week and has gotten herelf dependent on herbal teas. The J-Town elders are enablers because they bought her some. Last transfer we got a new set of hermanas, so now our building has 4 sets of sisters running around. I'm not the youngest missionary out here anymore! Woo! No it's weird. I'm mostly weirded out by that.😨

Tuesday we weren't going to go out at all but we got a plea from a less active, Sis Holloway, to walk her beagle Willow. We haven't had hardly any contact with this gal after trying several times to meet up with her, so we headed out despite my companion's lethargy. We walked her dog for about 2 hours before getting back. Sis Wilcox and I then took like a 3 hour nap.😴

On Wedenesday we had our zone conferenece that lasted for 8 hours. I developed a pinched nerve or something in my shoulder by the end of the first half and my companion was soffocating herself trying to hold in the coughs... the training was awesome though! I learned how to plan better and how I need to be more bold. There was this cool sister who told us that we are like the iron rod guiding people to the tree of life. We need to be firm and straight up with people about our purpose and what we are out here to do so that there is no questioning where it is they are going or what is at the end. I really needed to hear that and since then, I have been less afraid of talking with people. I've actually, a couple times, been the one going up to people and chatting it up! The Lord is a worker of miracles everyone! You just need a little faith and trust! 😉

That wasn't all though. We went and did our Dare to Care service and afterwards went back to the church for Pie Day. Pie Day is apparently a thing on March 14th because the date reads 3/14, like 3.14... yeah that went over my head until someone explained it to me yesterday😒. Oh man. We helped clean up afterwards and there was all this leftover pie, so Sis Wilcox was suddenly like, "I know what to do with this!" She convinced Elder Johnson to join her in her little scheme and they each took a pie, went outside, and smashed eachothers faces into the pies! I barely got it on camera! My companion keeps surprising me, and boy she hit him good!😂

Thursday was produce day at the Jeffersonian church, but the produce truck was 2 hous late (big surprise there😐), but we got to do some odd jobs though and met this really adorable old man from Moscow named Gregory. He told us how, growing up in Russia, they were told there was no God and religion wasn't allowed, but he always believed there was a higher power. We totally got his number and contact info! And he waved us goodbye and told us to be safe biking with his little accent. SO CUTE!

Friday night we got our investigator Tim to come to dinner with us and a member family, the Browns, and it was awesome! He came all dressed up and he got along with them so well. We all bore our testimonies at the end of the lesson, and Tim did too! He told us that he needs to come to church, and we were like YEAH! Then he told us that his boss is having him come in at 10am instead 8 for work. We have been prayng about this forever! AND he agreed to come for half an hour on Sunday! I love him so much!

Saturday was a bust, but we shamrock attacked one of our sick investigators and got a member family in on it. Then she totally posted it ON FACEBOOK and it was just adorable!

Sunday was flipping awesome! Tim came! He said he was able to get to work on time which was exactly what we promised him if he took a leap of faith by coming to church! Sooooo coooool! We also got our other guy, David, to come who's from a part member family and he stayed for second hour. He's like, already a member, but not... he knows so much already he just needs to be baptized!

After church we got called by our referral Julia who immediatley drove over and picked us up so we could help her clean her house. I washed a mountain of dishes and Sis Wilcox dusted and vaccumed and stuff. Her marital situation is rough, so we'll see how this all goes. She became an investigator though, so that was cool. I just hope we can help her.

Next we visited our man Kuria who's been sick this whole time and then got in a car wreck! He has a fractured rib, so we offered him a blessing of healing and he was like, "yes please!' Two sweet guys from our Louisville 2nd ward came and we taught him a bit about what blessings are and what priesthood authority is. This man though, was like, "please bless my children, they're having a rough time and it hurts me more than my rib." He just amazes me. This man turns outward instead of inward. He couldn't even be angry with the crazy lady who hit him either!

We visited our favorite lady Kim on our way over to a missionary farewell party to check on her. Then we talked to a few cool guys and got a return apointment with a dude named Randy. He rapped for us. The party was great and a bunch of missionaries came to wish Livi (the cute gal leaving for her mission) good luck and stuff. She's going to Redlands California, Spanish speaking.

Sorry this is so bleeding long! It's just that I actually remembered everything that happened this week and I feel so much more optimistic and happy. Not gonna lie, I think the naps helped! Also, the suns coming out, the daffodils and hyacinths are blooming and I just feel so much better about everything right now. Prayers are being answered!

Thank you all for bearing with me in this email, hopefully it was entertaining and not boring!😶 Thank you for your love and prayers! I love you all so much and I pray for y'all all the time! God loves you!

With buckets of love,
Sister Wilcox Jr ❤❤❤

Dropping Like Flies

Hey y'all

So, as the title implies, sorta, people around here are getting sick. It's very bad cuz it's the flu and apparently a few people have already died from it, so fun stuff there! Mi companera is also sick, but not to that level. She's has a cough and headaches, she's been taking lots of naps and I've been cleaning. She loves herbal teas now too!

Tuesday was another big tracting day, we biked all over and tried contacting a bunch of people and it wasn't going so great until the very end where we met some awesome peeps. We got a new investigator and it really made our day😊. We had dinner with this awesome lady in our ward and her little girl Clair. So, on the car ride home I sat by Clair who's like, 3, and she was asking me why we were riding with her and her mama. I said, "cuz it's cold" She goes, "why?" So I'm  thinking oh no what have I done, but I respond, "because the temperature dropped" "why?" "Because it's winter?" "Why?" "Because the Earth is farther away from the sun right now and maybe we're going to go through global freezing??" To which she says, "ohhhh, yeah." So that was my deep, confusing conversation with a 3 year old but I still laugh about it! She was such a character!

Wednesday we did our regular service routine and after we went to visit a single sister in our ward with Parkinson's disease. Sister Wellings is such a strong, faithful woman despite all that she has to deal with, and she is angelic. We were able to do some service for her, but she was mostly concerned about us helping her diabetic son who no longer believes in the church. He's lost his faith in God because of his trials and doesn't believe in a God that would allow bad things to happen to good people. I was about in tears after we left because he didn't care for anything we tried to help him with. There are people who don't have hope and don't believe they ever can.

On a good note though, we did a lot of service and I love it so much! We made dinner for one of the sick sisters in our ward, and it was awesome! I also was asked to bear my testimony on the Atonement on Sunday. I was terrified, and then I got up there and everything was fine and I was able to testify things I didn't know I needed to say, and without crying! It was great. All things considered, I feel pretty good about this week!

I love all y'all! Thank you for your letters and love!

With love,
Sister Wilcox❤❤❤

Transfers Ahhhhhh!!!!

Hellos,

So we found out who all is getting transferred this week, no one in my disctrict!😛 Woohoo!!! I love my district and I don't think we're ready to part ways just yet!

This week started off great. We did a ton of tracting on Tuesday and met with an inactive family. They were super nice! People are funny too. This one guy we talked to really encouraged us to only read the Bible, and he was worried for us because we also read out of the Book of Mormon... it was super adorable but he would not let us explain that both books testify of Christ and that the Book of Mormon is not a replacement for the Bible. It's like he only heard every other word we said?? Catholics are great too. Especially old Roman Catholic gals, they're the best. We got stared down by a whole group of em when we were checking up on a referral. Awesome!

We started meeting with a part member family, the Knowles, and they are so sweet! The husband is the non-member and he attends church more than his wife does. We're trying to get the whole family, but she doesn't feel as welcome as he does. So we told like, the whole ward that they were coming this Sunday and it worked out so well. Only the husband came again though with his boys, but it was all good. We've realized that we as missionaries need to communicate better with the ward. Our members are awesome and we need to let them know what's up.

Our new smart phones have been such a blessing! Group texts are amazing! We've been able to connect with our peeps so much easier and we loves it! Sis Wilcox Sr is way more excited about them than I am though, it's pretty funny actually.

Sis Wilcox Sr totally popped her front tire after thinking she could make it over this huge curb and didn't quite make it. I felt bad cuz I saw it happen in what felt like slow motion, but I let her do it!😆 Luckily we were right outside a Wal-Mart, but none of the workers knew anything about bikes so we ended up calling our elders for help. It was such a fiasco, but we laugh about it now!

Ha, I haves a funny story. We had this one investigator that was pretty cool and kinda progressing, but we felt it would benefit him to meet with the elders instead. So this gator has been avoiding the elders like the plague since, and we ended up dropping him cuz he's super flakey. Anyways, Wednesday Sis Wilcox Sr and I get a message from this guy on facebook that goes, "do you believe in love at first sight?" And we happened to be in our district meeting at the time and we told our zone leaders, and they were like "DO NOT RESPOND!" I was dying! 😂 poor guy! So yeah, that's my story.

Also we had a sister take us out to meet her neighbors and it was fabulous! We got a new investigator because of her and an 11 year old girl from another member family, Chelsea. These gals just went out and pretty much bore their testimonies to everyone they saw and it was so inspiring. You members have more influence and power than you think! You are a force of nature, and you are the ones who help investigators feel welcomed and loved. Open your mouths and don't be afraid to share what you know! I need to follow your example better!

We got to do a ton of service this week. My prayers were answered! We helped a family move and worked in a food pantry. And we have some more opportunities to work in the community coming up and I loves it! God really does listen and answer our prayers, even when they seem random. 😉

Anyways, I love y'all! Have a wonderful week and do some yard work for me! I have yet to meet someone who will let me pull weeds with them!😢

With love,
Sister Wilcox😘

That pic of my face is apparently my planning face, hahaha??? Oops.
Also, we play missionary "Guess Who" it's awesome!