Sept. 21

I'm giving you 2 minutes to read Matthew 28:19-20. Ready, go!!! (Insert Jeopardy theme song here.) Guess what?! THAT'S ME! I am helping to fulfill that prophecy!!! When I got my mission call to a visitor center (VC) I assumed I would be giving tours and spouting all sorts of historical facts and calling it good. NOT SO! We went to Temple Square on Wednesday and took a tour. It was a "feel good" tour. My job as a VC sister is to inspire others to change from the message I give them. What other missionaries do in an hour time period I have about 5 minutes to accomplish--AHH! But it's great! I am so excited. Not only am I going to be inspiring others to change but I also get to be an online missionary. When people go to mormon.org there is a chat button where they can speak with a missionary--me! We hold chat ''lessons," email, skype and stay in contact with our investigators for the entire length of their conversion and after. No other missionaries gets to do that. My teacher, Sister Clark, was telling us this week that in September alone there have been 152 baptisms due to online referrals--and the month isn't over yet. Sister Clark has been working with an investigator from Italy who is coming to SLC to watch General Conference and be baptized. AWESOME! You know those nations that don't have an official mission yet? There are still members of the Church over there due to the online mission. I am so excited to be a part of that. I'm bound and determined NOT to be a 'feel good' missionary but one that inspires everyone I come into contact with to change.

Well, our Elders left on Wednesday. Tuesday was an extremely emotional day for everyone. I love those Elders so much and am grateful for the opportunity I have to work with them. I threatened each of them if I didn't hear from them in 6 months. I can't wait for you to meet everyone I've come to know and love here! I've never before understood charity and Christlike love... I think I'm getting it now. So, since our Elders left we (the 4 leftover VC Sisters) got a new district. A district of all girls. They are all great people who I am super excited to get to know and love. Sister Arakaki and Moeller are going to the L.A. VC, Sister Wygant to Kirtland, and the rest of us to Missouri. Two of our "Missourians" are Spanish sisters.

I love Sunday's at the MTC! Last week for Relief Society we had the privilege of hearing from Sheri Dew. It was so great! She talked about the privilege we have of being women in the Church and all the responsibility that comes from that. For our fireside we got to hear from W. Tracy Watson (he's over proselyting). He talked about the Book of Mormon and how it's his best friend and how I need to strive to make it my best friend--Fabulous! For our Sunday night movie we watched Elder Bednar's 'Character of Christ' devotional that he gave on Christmas Day at the MTC. It was such a wonderful experience. I don't know that I've ever been more inspired to change and do better. I've begun reading the B.ofM. more diligently and am gaining so much. I'm also looking for Christ's attributes in myself--not always an easy thing to do.

Well, that's about the excitement from me. I fly out Wednesday morning at 10:45--wave to me! ;) I really, truly appreciate all your emails and wish I could respond individually to each one. Needless to say, I am grateful for your love and love each of you so much! You're in my prayers. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!


Sis. Wilson

September 15 - Pictures

 Our Branch President

 Elders from the district that just left.

My Elders!

 

 Smelling the Cream Soda Tree - seriously smells delicious!

 

September 15

I GOT MY TRAVEL PLANS THIS WEEK!! There is a group of 25 of us going to Missouri on Wednesday, September 26.  Ours is the biggest travel group I have heard of this far. I've learned a lot here at the MTC but I am ready to be out and about putting into practice those things they have taught me. Most of all, I'm ready for REAL food and a more private bathroom. I don't like community bathrooms.

Every day here is like 3 24 hour periods but the weeks just fly. Our Elders leave on Wednesday morning and we are super sad to see them go. We've really learned a lot from each other and have come to love them like the brothers they are. All five of them will be serving in the Tulsa, Oklahoma mission. We've already got a district reunion planned in a couple years. I wish you could meet them all. Good news is, though, that us Sisters will get to begin our visitor center training. We've met 3 other sisters that will also be serving in Independence, Missouri. I'm excited to get to know them better. One of them is another Sister Wilson. Crazy, huh? Make sure any mail you send has my first name on it or she might get it. :D As part of our training we will get to go to Temple Square a few times. I'm not sure exactly what we'll be doing but I'm excited to see the outside world. :D

This weeks devotion Elder Bruce A. Carlson (of the Seventy) and his wife spoke to us. It was on September 11 so Sister Carlson talked a bit about that and told us to never forget that day. She also talked about the mothers of the Army of Helaman and told us not to disappoint our mothers (and everyone else that prays for us) by coming home. Her words definitely brought the Spirit to the meeting. Elder Carlson talked about obedience--that's a big thing with missionaries. My favorite part was when he told us that God knows how obedient we are or aren't going to be. He knows us so well already that we don't need to prove our obedience to Him. Our obedience transforms us. How awesome is that!

One our investigators this week was a less active member--Brother Johnson and his wife. They taught us so much more than we could ever teach them. He read a few scriptures with us in Alma 13 then said a beautiful prayer for us. Not only as missionaries but he also blessed our families. It's amazing to me how and who the Spirit works through. Sister Harding and I both needed to hear different things in his prayer. We had a small crying fest in the bathroom after we left. Anyway, after that meeting I decided to study Alma 13 in depth. Here's what I found in Alma 13:3.... (I'm gonna make you read it for yourself) Before the world was created God KNEW ME! He knows me now and knows the amount of faithfulness I would or wouldn't show. He had a plan and a purpose for me before He had somewhere to put me. He knew what I needed to do and how I needed to do it. Isn't that great!

Well, that's about it here. We get to go to the temple this afternoon. My next p-day is on Friday. I love you all! Hugs and kisses coming your way!

Cris

September 7

Hello, everyone! I absolutely loved getting and reading your emails. I cannot respond to everyone individually (I feel bad about that) but I can give you and update on me.

I feel like I am finally treading (?sp) water. Those first 4 days were ENDLESS!!! However, once Sunday hit the week just flew by and, oh my goodness, it's Friday already! It's really nice not to be the new kid on the block any more. I'm a veteran at this now. I am learning to love my experience here at the MTC. I came into it with no knowledge of what to do or what would be expected of me... And they never really explained that. At first, I thought that they had basically just thrown me to the wolves but now I understand that they are immersing me in the gospel learning from day 1. I think if they hadn't done that it would've been much harder. It's good now, though. Six hours of class a day plus personal and companion study plus investigator lessons plus planning sessions plus food make for a very long day. But I'm learning a lot about myself and the things I need to do to become a better servant of Christ. I still absolutely LOVE my district. The Elders and Sisters I am serving with are fabulous. We are already making plans to have a district reunion in a couple years.

My favorite part about the last week was fast Sunday. We had mission conference which is basically stake conference at the MTC. It is so awesome to see all the missionaries (mostly Elders) in one place. My favorite part is listen to them sing. The faith these 19 year old boys have is amazing. During conference President Brown (MTC President) spoke to us. He basically commanded us NOT to fail. He said "think about all the people you will disappoint if you go home now." WOW! I don't know what missionary hasn't had those thoughts. I appreciated Pres. Brown's words and felt as though he were speaking directly to me. I WILL NOT fail you guys! I have been promised that you guys will receive blessings because of my service. How selfish would I be to take those away from you. We had a fast and testimony meeting with our Branch in the afternoon. Our branch president is a shorty guy (seriously, shorter than Sarah--I will get a pic) but he is so awesome. Our whole branch presidency is awesome.

One of the major things I am learning here at the MTC is charity-the pure love of Christ. I never met any of the people I am serving with before I got here BUT I love them unconditionally. Every Elder and Sister I see is my brother or sister and I try to teach them as such.

Well, that's about all for now. My p-day next week is on Saturday. Keep writing even though I may not get back to you individually. Know that I love getting your emails and look forward to hearing from you all. I love you each and keep you in my prayers!

Sis. Wilson

P.S. I'm leaving for Missouri on September 26
P.S.S. Pictures.... aren't working.... maybe next week?

First P-day - Pics

Me and my companion - Sister Harding 

 Our other Sisters in our District

 My District!

First P-Day!

Hello, all! I made it to my first p-day! We've had a heck of a time finding a computer that works this morning--really frustrating. So far everything is going great. My companion is Sister --- from Lehi. She's really fun; we get along great. She is also going to the Missouri Independence Visitor Center Mission so we will spend the 4 weeks together and fly out at the same time. We've met 3 other sisters going with us but they aren't in our district. Sister --- and Sister --- are in our district as well as our roommates. We've got 5 Elders also in our district. The 9 of us have a lot of fun. It's really weird being here. It feels like I've been here FOREVER but each day seems to go on forever. It's really weird to explain. Each day is so structured and there is so much we've got to get done that it's a little overwhelming trying to do everything. We spend the majority of the day in the classroom or in personal or companionship study-my brain is fried. There's so much time to just read, ponder, and pray. Not at all what I'm use to. I really don't know what else to tell you. 

I'll do my best to keep you updated on what's going on here...

 

Love you all!

Cristin