Ironically,
we had stake conference as well!! ours was over an hour away... but
It's fun to know we're still doing the same things! Thanks for sharing
all your insights, I wrote a lot of them down and will cherish how
perfect they were for me right now.
Even
though it took me 2 weeks to finallllly remember how to say miracle in
Korean.. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many miracles we've seen
since getting to Korea. The first .. my ability to even speak Korean at
all. Holy cow, no kidding I never learned it until now. Korean is HARD.
The more I learn the more complex it gets.. the more vocabulary I learn,
the more times I mistake a word for something completely else! Twice
now... I've told an investigator a prayer is a competition with God
instead of saying conversation... aka, Korean is hard. BUT! it's coming,
and I can't thank Heavenly Father enough for the gift of tongues.. to
feel as if I can more so fulfill my purpose as a missionary now.
My
companion and I decided to start a purification process this last
week.. To rid ourselves of the natural man and become the missionaries
Heavenly Father needs us to be.. I urge you to figure out who your
natural man is... and then to kill it. there's a famous quote by C.S.
Lewis that I don't have time to type (haha sorry.. stop emailing when
i'm trying to write this!!!! ;)) That perfectly describes the process of
killing the natural man and becoming made new by Christ. It's one of my
favorites and I read every other day or so. As hard as it was to figure
out what my natural man was... it's been even harder changing my nature
to overcome it. However, as we've taken a step closer to Christ
everyday.. the miracles we've received have been without number.
-Last
Wednesday, as we set out for the day... in order to locate ALL of the
less-actives in our ward (with no map, and without an exact location)
the task seemed pretty impossible to complete.. and I hit myself several
times wishing for my iphone... hahha. Mind you, I had only been here
for 2 weeks.. i still have no clue how the address system works over
here.. and my companion, as she's stated 34895602356 times, "I have zero
sense of direction." By 7 pm
that night, after having found all but 2 houses... having skipped lunch
and dinner, we were pretty worn down... we were jacket-less (by the way,
it's FREEZING here.. We went to Seoul the last two days for Stake
conference and I started sweating the instant we got off the subway
since we need to be so bundled up here.. But.. I was called to serve
here, and I'm doing it with a fat smile.. regardless of how perfect it
is in Seoul ;)) Anyways, you will NEVER guess what happened. As we were
waiting to cross a sidewalk, a man walked across from the opposite
direction.. Although sisters aren't allowed to approach men and
elders-women, I always smile at the people we walk by. Wellllllll, the
man stopped and smiled back and asked what my name tag stood for. (we
can talk to them if they approach us first) Well.... we then began to
share our message and halfway through.. his eyes lit up and said, "This
is my wife's church, she's been looking for it." DING DONG DANG - one of
our less-actives!!!!!! Holy cow, i started crying once we heard her
name. Heavenly Father loves all of His people! I know it!! We ended the
night by not only making it to the last house, but meeting with the
family... Although she told us she is no longer interested in the
church, we were able to accomplish what we set out to do... I know that
the Lord will always help us complete our righteous endeavors!
-As
we were walking home from an appointment.. my companion starts booking
it.. all 82 pounds of her.. faster than I have ever seen anyone run..
and we run.. block after block.. all while she ignores my questions as
to why in the WORLD WE WERE SPRINTING... until finally.. we get to a
house.. and she tells me.. the person that had rid her bike by us... was
an Investigator who they lost all contact information for.. well.. we
now have her address and number and an appointment :)
-although
this isn't directly relevant to missionary work... it's a miracle
nonetheless! I've been working with MASSIVE headaches the last week and
we finally went to the doctor today.. my vision has improved +.50 since I
got to Korea and my contact prescription has been too strong.!! I am
now at -1.50!!! huge improvement from my once legally declared blind
eyes!! EHEH???
I've said this
in previous letters home.. but I need to work on so many things.
Sometimes I think it can't be done.. That I can't change my nature..
that it's simply just part of me... That sometimes.. when my companion
wakes up in the middle of the night because she can hear a mosquito (I
have no idea how she even hears it...also, I've been bitten a million
and 7 times) and by the time we've finally killed it (an hour and a half
later) and I say to myself... there's no way i'll be able to wake up
tomorrow... I realize.. This is how I should feel every day. The energy
we exerted today to bring others unto Christ.. is exactly how much
energy my brothers and sisters deserve. And then I push a little
further.. I trust a little more... I trust that the atonement will carry
my weaknesses.. I recognize His hand in every detail.. I give thanks
for the moments when I don't think I could get any closer to my
companion.. I love my Savior a little more.. I break habit after habit..
and then miracles come.. the weaknesses are made strengths.. the
atonement cleanses me.. and then with strengthened faith.. I continue to
move forward.
Family, it can be done.
Regardless of who I've been in the past.. the "strengths" I proudly
carried.. and the weakness I shyly hid.. They can all be made new in
Christ. We are enabled through the atonement of Jesus Christ.. and I
know that we can become like Him. (mor 10:32)
I know that as we become what our Savior needs us to be, we will be
able to do what he needs us to do. Regardless of whether it's serving a
mission, providing for a family, taking care of children, working, going
to school... We can do it all... WITH the help of our Savior. He has
literally carried me.. and I know that if you looked back and realized
throughout about it.. He's carried you as well. Trust in Him!
Family...
there have been so many times where I felt so lost.. being in a
completely new city.. COUNTRY.. not being fluent in the language..
having a native companion who didn't know English before starting her
mission... The feelings of loneliness often creep in.. But I have gained
a firm testimony in the power of bearing my testimony. Whenever I feel
lost.. whenever I don't know how to teach sometime.. whenever I feel
sad.. All I need to do is bear my testimony and instantly, I know who I
am and why I'm here. Whenever you feel that way.. I encourage you to do
the same. It's made all the difference!
I love you all!!! Thank you so much for your prayers and emails, letters and packages!!
I continually pray for you.. work your hardest this week! I promise you won't have any regrets!!
All my love,
Sister Willcox
| The wanted me to try the selfie stick- imagine a go pro stick for anything - phones, cameras.. Koreans do it all. I love this family so much! and our two girl investigators :) They're so good and ahh, I love their desire to learn more. |
| Halloween :) |
My last pic with the temple... see ya Provo!
|
| the three-in-one. if it wasn't slightly disturbing, I'd want to take this home with me. |
| kim ear young... the investigator i literally felt prompted ( with a strong force) to talk to.. she ignored me the first 3 times.. i persisted.. we've met 8 times in two weeks. pray for her. also, my first time at baskin robbins. it's great, but they glorify it! hahaha |
| When I passed off lesson 1 to my companion.. she always writes notes and it stresses me out... resorting to a half wall. once again, this is what I stare at for the first half of every day. I love her. |
