Week 65: Thanksgiving

This week, I am grateful for the sweet, loving members who are always so willing to share their abundance and love and time with us!

For Thanksgiving, we got to eat with a few awesome families and they were all so inviting and welcoming- it was just like being home for the holidays (also, one of the families was named the Wilcoxes, so it really was like being home, haha- no relation we know of yet though 🤔)!

I am also grateful for cars, b/c we were biking on exchanges and I froze to death. I don't know how those Sisters do it every night, bless theirs hearts!

Anyways, we had a good lesson with a girl we're teaching named Calli. Her mom is a member who used to go to church sometimes when she was young. Calli's the age of my sister Mary (and even reminds me of her in a few ways! they're both so cute 😊) so it's fun getting to know her and help her to increase in her knowledge and love for her Savior. This week, we talked about the blessings of having the gospel in our lives and gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and a picture of Jesus Christ to hang up in her room to remember Him throughout the week, and it was awesome to see her smile as she hugged her personal copy of the Book of Mormon as we left! The gospel really does bring such lasting joy to us when we choose to believe. 😊

We also had a good lesson with a girl we're teaching named Victoria (at the Jensen's house! they are from my home ward and moved their family out here a while back, and are such great people, it's a blessing to serve around sure disciples of Christ like them 😊). We talked about questions Victoria has and how to continue to find truth for herself, and it's amazing to see such young people have a desire to find truth for themselves, even when it's scary and unknown and easy to sometimes feel alone seeking the truth. Regardless, Victoria has been coming to church on her own for over a year now, and when we asked why she said, "When I get up on Sundays, I never really feel like going to church, but then I feel like I just should. I know it's the right thing to do so I do it." 😁

She is an example to me of following the Spirit and doing what's right even when we don't know why or "don't feel like it". Blessings always come from choosing to follow our Savior. Always.

I'm excited to continue to be a part of her story as she keeps learning and growing in her understanding of the love and plan her Heavenly Father has for her.

And with the pictures, I just wanted to share with you all how beautiful my sisters are!!!! I am so, so grateful for my family- each one of them- who individually bring their own irreplaceable light to make one beautiful whole that is the Wilcox fam. 😉😁

You guys are my favorites! Love you so much and hope you have a great week remembering Jesus Christ and looking for ways to serve Him and His children this holiday season! 🎄❄

Lots of love,

Sister Wilcox

Eagle, ID

 Emmett, ID

My Florida family

Week 64: Emmett's Pretty Cute.

Hi!  🙄

This week was pretty good. There is a lot of work already happening here in Emmett, so it's more of a teaching area than it is a finding area at the moment, which is a pretty nice change.

We are teaching a 97 year old lady named Dorothy who's getting baptized early December! Her son joined the church a year ago and has had a huge impact in her own faith growing enough for her to take the leap of leaving everything she's grown up knowing for the past century and the comfort of her old religion behind to join what she knows to be true. It was cool getting to sit in for the interview with her as she bore her testimony of the reality of how hard it is for her to change, and how scary it is for her to be getting dunked under water (she's 97!) but she knows it's the right thing and she's excited all the same. I hope we all can have testimonies firm enough to do whatever the Lord asks of us, especially when faced with fear from the adversary. The Lord is always more powerful and, "If we choose Christ, we will have made the correct choice" (Pres. Thomas S. Monson).

Also, last week I think I forgot to tell the stories of us almost dying and whatnot- so anyways, there was this guy on the side of the road that was talking to some kids in a pretty threatening way, so Sister Yeates and I, being the only other ones outside in the vacinity, stood kind of nearby nonchalantly on the street corner wanting to make sure nothing happened to them- but still trying to look like we weren't paying too much attention to the situation. After a while a woman came out of the house and got the kids and started talking to the man so firguring it was okay and wanting to look like we weren't suspiciously watching them we walked to the closest house nearby and tracted it. Unfortunately, it was clearly abandoned and as we stood on the doorstep the man was out of our view, but we could hear him and the woman talking about us watching him threaten the kids. He started yelling stuff and walking closer and long story short Sister Yeates and I just followed the Spirit and everything turned out okay and we gave him a Book of Mormon and by the end of our crazy conversation he said he'd read it, so all's well that ends well, right? 😅😐

Anyways, the Lord protects us as we give our hearts to Him and trust Him and His plan and try our best to be helping those around us to feel of His love and to be made instruments in His hands! This month we've been inviting people to think about what they're grateful for and to find a way to show their Heavenly Father that gratitude, and serving His children (which, in turn, is serving Him- Mosiah 2:17) is such a great way to find lasting joy and peace. So, I invite all of you this holiday week to find a way to show Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that you're grateful for your blessings by sharing them or giving of yourself for someone else, so that they can find that happiness as well.

"Freely ye have received, freely give." 😊

Let me know how it goes!

Love,

Sister Wilcox

. Sister Yeates and I saying goodbye.. I'll try to be better about taking pics next week!

Week 63: Idaho Namps Mission: Come unto Christ

This week was pretty crazy. A lot happened. We almost died twice.. in one day.
But, before I get into all of that I just want to take a moment to recognize how amazing the INM (Idaho Nampa Mission) is! Sure, we aren't the highest baptizing mission in the world- or maybe even the region. But our missionaries are some of the most loving, genuine, hilarious, enduring people I have ever met, and as I've gotten to know a lot of them and the people their working with throughout my mission I have gotten to see how they have changed the lives of the hundreds of people that have had the opportunity to get to know them and see their Spirit. I also see how they've all changed my life, and I just love every missionary here so, so much!

Anyways, with that said, transfer calls came and I'm leaving AGAIN. 😥

I'm going to Emmett, ID (and hopefully staying a while). I'll be with Sister Temple, and she is super sweet so I think it'll be good. I'm going to miss the amazing, loving members here in New Plymouth though and it's been too short being here! But, I trust President has a plan, and that plan is to follow Jesus Christ's plan, and that plan is the best plan.

Love you all, gotta be transferred now so talk to you next time I do.

Sister Wilcox

Week 62: Happy Halloween!

This week was good. We went on 2 exchanges and saw tracting miracles and had fun getting to know more of the awesome Sisters we have in our mission. They are all seriously the best and I think I learn more from them every time we go on exchanges than I could ever teach them- funny how the Lord's plan works to benefit us in ways we never expect. He is literally all-knowing and wise and loving! 😁💛

He's the best.

We had a fun Halloween going to the New Plymouth trunk or treat, and dressed up as princesses (we just wore our matching dresses and put crowns on that we bought from Walmart lol..) and got lots of candy. 😁🎃

Also, a lot of pass along cards and 3 copies of the Book of Mormon were given away by a family who loves to serve people on Halloween so they buy A TON of full size candy bars and put them in bowls on a table in front of their very decorated house and talk to people as they line up down the street to get some of the "good candy". Every year they like to get the missionaries involved and see it as an opportunity to share the gospel so they put the pass along cards in the bowls with the candy in case anyone wants to take them, and disperse the Book of Mormons around the bowls of candy on the table, if anyone wants to take one of those as well. They are so awesome!

Finding ways to share the gospel fills your life with more meaning, purpose, and joy and gives you opportunities to share and grow your own testimony as well.

So, this week I invite all of you to look for a way to share the gospel that you've never thought of before. Get creative and make it fun. B/c "missionary work is easy, and fun!" 

Let me know how it goes!

Love you! 😁💛

Sister Wilcox

Pics:

1. Happy Fall! These pumpkin dudes were all over Nyssa.. creepy imo

 

2. Mermaid Man! (💛 Spongebob)

 

 

3. This girl dressed up as A PIANO. Genius. (The keys in the right corner popped up so she could grab her candy lol)

 

4-5. The Moscrip's house (the cool missionary-minded members I talked about 😉)

 

Week 61: I Love to See the Temple

This week was pretty awesome.

We had 2 exchanges so it was busy! But, with the added load He always provides more strength and guidance! It was so cool to see how the Lord guided us in His planned ways, even when our plans weren't necessarily the same originally. As we listened to and followed all of the good thoughts to help people that we had, we were made into instruments in His hands numerous times to bless His beloved children! And everyone we didn't know it was a prompting until after we did it. So, "never suppress a generous thought." 😊

ALSO, remember my first baptism a year ago when our beloved Sherry got baptized in Middleton? This Saturday she went through the temple for the first time, so Sister Abbott (my trainer) and I got to go back to be with her and her family for it! She also got sealed to her daughter and her husband. 💛

It was the sweetest experience to be able to witness her make these lasting, sacred covenants with her Heavenly Father that will allow her to be with those she loves throughout all eternity, not just in this life we now experience! Do everything you can to go to the temple and to bring everyone you can with you. It's the Lord's house, a place of love and peace and revelation. I am so grateful for temples and the opportunity we have to feel a piece of heaven while on this earth.

GO TO THE TEMPLE (and email me your experiences!)

Love you all, 

Sister Wilcox

😊👍

Pictures:

Me and Meridian ID Temple (dramatic, right? 😉)

 

 

 

 Just proving the Meridian Temple has no bad angles

 Sherry, Sister Abbott and I

 

Sister Abbott and I at the temple open house a year ago

 

Sister Abbott and I now (a year in the life 😊)

 

 

Meridian Temple view out back 👌

 

Week 60: Getting You Up-to-date.

Okay first, sorry I didn't email last week- it was our temple trip so our pday was moved to Thursday, and then there wasn't enough time to shop and email, so we chose to shop..

Also, sorry if my I forget to update you on our investigators every week! So much happens every week and I write it in my journal, but when I get here on Monday I usually just look at my pics from the week to remember what happened and they're all just taken on pday, so that's what I write about lol- but, I'll try to write the spiritual stuff first so you all know that we are actually working hard out here. 😁

Anyways, we had an appointment this past week with our most progressing investigator Aaron. He's a youth who wants to be baptized by his birthday, and so we sat down with him and his family and went through everything that needs to happen between now and then so that he can be prepared to make his first covenant, or promise, with his Father in Heaven. He and his family have been reading the book "Saints" together, and come to church almost every week, so things are looking good for them! He is the sweetest kid and it's such a blessing to be a part of his spiritual journey and helping guide his faith to grow in new ways as we follow the Spirit in our discussions with him.

We also had a good lesson with a teenage girl we're teaching, Taylor, who doesn't even have a relationship with her Savior or her Heavenly Father yet. We're working on helping her to come to know who she is to Them, so that she can feel their love more fully in her life and the support They want to give her in her trials.

That's how They feel towards all of us. Our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ love and want to reach out to each one of us and lift us up when we feel down and defeated, but, just like my favorite picture of Christ knocking on the door that has no handle, we have to left Them in. Then, once we open the door to let Them into our lives, the love and blessings they have waiting for us just on the other side will come flooding in and there will hardly be room enough to receive them!

We also had a good lesson with another young boy named Hunter we're teaching. He and his mom came to church yesterday, which was a big step for him! And our lesson on prayer went well and yesterday he told us he prayed by himself for the first time in a long time, and we're going to follow up more on his experience this next week, but it's just such a joy to see the people you grow to love, growing in their love for their Savior and seeing the change He makes in them.

And that is why we do missionary work. Because we love His children, and we feel just a part of the love that He feels for them, and so we desire for them to feel that too. To know that He is there- that there is peace in Christ. Never be afraid to share that with another one of His children who needs it.

Also, go to the temple! I got to take a family name to the temple for the first time (I know, I was a slacker before my mission- but it's soooo cooollll!) and we were there all morning doing everything from baptism and confirmation all the way to being sealed to her parents for her. It was just awesome, and to understand you'd have to try it for yourself. 😉😊

But I am so grateful for this gospel, and I know that this is Christ's church established and restored in it's fullness on the earth again today. I know that that happened through His chosen prophet Joseph Smith, who was led and guided by Christ Himself in restoring His truths to the earth, and I know that we still have a living prophet today. President Russell M. Nelson leads and guides us in the Lord's way, and is the ultimate example of what a true disciple of Christ looks like. I am grateful for all of the commandments He has given to us, to help us, not only to be safe from the craziness of the world, but to give us so many opportunities to redirect and refocus our thoughts on our Savior throughout the day so we can lead Christ-centered lives and truly have His Spirit to be with us in the daily challenges we all face. 

Just keep swimming. 😊

Love you all,

Sister Wilcox

Fruitland

Temple Trip

Week 59: Sorry, No Time

Sorry! We had a temple trip last week for pday, so our pday was on Thursday and then there wasn't enough time to email anyone after!