DC HERE I COMEEE!

LAST PDAYYYY! Holla at yo girl! I'm so ready to leave. MAJOR props to anybody that has to stay longer than 3 weeks, because I'm super ready to go. Hahaha. This week has been pretty good! Our elders left on Tuesday morning (ps-family look out for elder myers if you're in Mesa!) :( MISS THEM. We all got sooo so so so close, so them leaving was pretty hard for all of us! So for Tuesday we were a district of 4 haha, and then Wednesday we started VC training! Our district now has 35 SISTERS. It's RIDICULOUS. We're the biggest district in the MTC! It's nuts. I don'tlike it at all haha, everybody just shouts stuff out all the time, but oh well. I only have a couple more days so it's ALL GOOD. Everything is so good. Haha. 

Wednesday morning we got to go to Temple Square! It was so fun! Mostly just because we got to leave the MTC, but it was so pretty! We got to take a tour, so we could get the "visitors experience", so that was kinda fun. Then we sat in a room and listened to some guy talk about Visitors Centers, and I think I dozed off or something because I don't remember any of it lol. Oops. Hahaha. But it was fun! Coming back to the MTC was super hard though haha we were SO CLOSE. SO CLOSE TO FREEDOM. 

Oh, random fact, the missionary presidency did some math, and they figured out that in April/May, there will be 52% SISTERS, 48% ELDERS in the field! WHAT?!?!?! THAT'S CRAZY. That's the first time EVER that there'll be more sisters than elders! Nuts! So cool though! I'm so blessed to be part of this! They told us about how we as sisters have a "special power" or something for hastening the work, and I just think back to when the age changed, and wondering if President Monson had any idea what a huge impact that would have on everything. It's so cool, and so humbling!

I can't believe that this time next week I'll be IN DC, with my TRAINER. OH MY GOSH. I can't even handle this. Sister Griffin and I are freaking out though because we don't want to split up. We've decided that we're just going to be forever companions. We can't actually split up. NUUPE. Sorry goes back to visit a lot, so she came to lunch with us and told us all about it! I am SO PUMPED. President Cooke. lol. I love her SO MUCH. She's so funny and we're so similar and I love her. So, so excited to be in DC though! One of my VC teachers actually served there a few years ago, and  AHHHHH!!! She was talking about how DC is probably the most foreign mission you can get. She kept track of all the people she taught, and she said that in her 18 months, she taught people from over 80 COUNTRIES. WHAT. So I got a little notebook and I'm going to keep track and see! So exciting! And the Visitors Center is going to be such a blessing! It's so, so perfect for me. I guess we usually have a 4-8 hour shift at the VC 4-6 days a week, and the rest of our time is spent in our areas proselyting! Woohoo! SO much to say, no way to say all of it!

Tomorrow is fast sunday, which will be interesting in the MTC haha. Our branch was chosen to pilot a new relief society program tomorrow! So Sister Griffin and I are in charge of it! In the past, after sacrament meeting all the sisters go and watch Music and the Spoken Word, and then we all have relief society together. BUT, tomorrow we get to try something new! They want to have us start doing it all with our branches, so our branch was chosen to try it! So it's all on Sister Griffin and I! We get to report to the MTC Presidency about it on Sunday night! Fun! :)

I love you all so much! And I am so, so blessed to be a missionary right now. This is exactly where I need to be right now, and I am loving every minute of it! It has been the best 2 1/2 weeks of my life, and it'll only get better once I'm in DC! I was telling some of you in other emails, but I don't want to come home! Brother Anderson (BEST TEACHER EVER) was telling us about what it's like coming home from your mission and having to take off your name tag. He cried. Hard. And he never cries. Not even in front of his wife. But he said that it feels like you're ripping your heart out. And it's only been 2 1/2 weeks, but I already feel that way. I love being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love being a representative of Christ, and it's hard for me to take my name tag off at night before bed. I'm positive that I'm going to be that sister that cries begging the President to let them stay longer, and then cries the whole flight home. I don't want to leave! This is the best work, EVER. It's amazing how much I've grown in 2 weeks. And it amazes me how much love I have, for everybody! I love missionary work! It's the best work in the world! I love the Lord! The spirit and scriptures are amazing! 

I love you all so much! 

SEE YA IN DC (not really, but hey)

Sister Wilson

 THIS IS HOW WE FEEL LEAVING THE MTC (going to temple square). Best. Moment. Ever. Super ready to leave for good hahaha.

 Barefoot in the snow! HOLLAAA. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

 ​After a day in the MTC...

 One more of our district the day before our Elders left! *sob* MISS THEM.

 SNOW!

 

Wednesday morning at Temple Square! SO PRETTY.

PDAYYYYY

So much to say! Hopefully by the time I come home I'll have mastered the art of emailing/journalling, because there is just WAY too much to say, always. 

PDAY IS MY FAVORITE DAY. This morning we got to go do a session in the Provo Temple! It was wonderful! I've missed the temple so much! We had to be there at 7, so I was up at 5:30, soo naps are happening after we finish laundry hahaha. Last Friday we only had a half pday (5 hours), and let me just tell you how WONDERFUL it is to have a full day!! AH. Seriously, time doesn't even exist in the MTC. I don't know how to explain it, but you're going ALL THE TIME. No joke. All. The. Time. So having this day has been wonderful. We went to the temple as a district, ate waffles in the temple cafeteria (YUM), changed into sweats, emailed, ate lunch, got mail, email/laundry, then naps after this! WOOHOOOO. I love it so much. 

This week has been so great! I love it here! Sister Griffin and I get along SO well hahaha. We usually start gym time by getting ice cream from the vending machines and hiding in a closet while we eat them. Then we run a couple miles so it's okay. Hahaha. I love gym time actually! I run at least a couple miles a day so it's a huge stress reliever haha. Sitting in a class for HOURS on end isn't my favorite thing to do. And the food is so good. We get BYU ice cream twice a week, YUM. I love it. We eat lots of ice cream. (Sorry Sister Spencer, lol) It's free though! Take advantage of it while I cannn! Haha. I actually think I've lost weight though, lots of my clothes are much more roomy than I remember haha. Yay! Haha.

So, we have 3 investigators that we're teaching right now! Grant, Aaron, and Tayla! (Tayla is an actual investigator-ah!). We commit Grant to baptism, yay! Aaron is a heavy catholic, so that's tough haha. And Tayla! I LOVE HER. Bless her soul. She goes to BYU, but she's from South Africa. We've met with her 3 times, and last night she agreed to read the Book of Mormon! She's super excited about it. She's still convinced that Joseph Smith was high when the first vision went down ("You know, it's common for people on drugs to have "visions" of God" lol). Oh well, she's reading it so yay! She's so wonderful. I love her. Bless her heart. <3

Ummm what else... I sung in the MTC choir on Tuesday! We sang "Consider the Lilies", so it was goooood :) I loved it! Oh, and on Sunday night we get to watch a "movie", and we watched the "Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar! It was SO GOOD. Seriously, everybody go watch it. I loved it so much! Also, the Because of Him video? How have I not seen it before?? *tears*. I loved it. It's been so cool rereading scriptures or talks or watching a video that I've seen/read a million times before. Everything takes on a whole new meaning when you're a missionary! It's so cool! 

I can't believe I'm already halfway done here at the MTC! Time is nuts here. The first few days were SO slow, but after Sunday I haven't even had time to think! It's going SO fast! This next week we have VC training starting Tuesday!! We go to Temple Square to train Wednesday morning-afternoon, and then again Saturday afternoon-night! I'M SO PUMPED. It's going to be so great! I'm so excited to be a VC sister! And I got my flight info today too! I fly to DC March 3rd, I think our flight leaves at 9:45, but we leave the MTC at 4;30 haha. Its a 6-7 hour flight, but we don't have any layovers, so hooray! I'm so pumped! I can't believe that 2 weeks from now I'll be IN DC. AH. IM SO EXCITED. So blessed that I get to proselyte and do VC! It's the dream! Woot woot! 

Ok, gotta go finish laundry! I love you all, thank you so much for your love and support!

Emily

PS-Mom, can you tell Jim and Tiff thanks SO much for the cinnamon rolls and letter?? I loved them! My district loved them too! And a huge thanks to Carlee and Kathie for their Dear Elders, and to Cindy Stephens for her card! I love you all so much! I don't have any time to reply to them, but I really do appreciate it and love them so much! <3

 IT SNOWED. IT FREAKING SNOWED. AND THIS IS HOW I FELT.

 Snuck a pic with ELDER CHRISTENSEN from The District. He taught one of our classes! He was super amused by our missionary oogling over him. Lol (Sister Griffin and Sister Menzie)

 Our district! Left to right: Stever, Palmer, Meyers, and then Sister Menzie, Schaeffer, me, and Griffin! WOOP WOOP 

​

 ​We thought we were super funny in our work out clothes and name tags. Lol. #cameraselfieswin

 Our zone!
Half of them just left on Tuesday, and we lose our 3 elders this tuesday :(

 Temple walk on Sunday
 
 

 Me and Sister Griffin! I LOVE HER.​

 

When you ask an elder to take a picture for you... -__- lol

 ​LOOK AT THE MOUNTAINS

Week 1!

Hey everybody!

I guess it hasn't really been a "week" yet, it's only been a couple days, but I totally love it here! My companion is Sister Griffin and I LOVE HER. We get along so well! She's from Draper, and I just love her.  Our district has me and Sister Griffin, and Sister Schaeffer (from Vegas) and Sister Menzi (from Australia!) They're both going to Temple Square! They're wonderful! And we only have a trio of elders, because I guess the fourth didn't show up! Haha, 2 are going to Jamacia, and the 3rd (Elder Meyers) is going to Mesa! So, watch out for him family! Our district is awesome, we all work so well together and get along great! We're so stinking funny hahaha most of class is us messing around. And our teachers! Ah! They're so wonderful! Sister Griffin and I start teaching our investigator (Grant) tomorrow morning (the other companionship's taught today). We're so pumped! Gosh, I love praying! We pray SO much. I love it. Haha a lot of the time I forget to pray until after I've started eating, or after I've started studying, but I'm getting better! I'll get into the habit eventually! (hopefully).

 

Sister Griffin and I got made the Sister Training Leaders last night! So that's cool. Haha I know we probably won't do much but I'm happy about it :) Ah! 

 

Ok, I had the coolest experience on my first day. First of all, the plane was aweful. I sat  by one of the Elders going to the MTC, and OH MY GOSH. He talked the ENTIRE time. Not even one minute went by that he didn't talk. But I was so nice! And I tried so hard to be loving and Christlike. Anyways, getting here was overwhelming! I was the last person to get to class, and I was just like "EMILY WHY ARE YOU HERE", kinda freaking out about what I was doing. Then, a little into the lesson, our teacher was like "Ok, I want each of you to go ahead and say a prayer. I want you to check in with Heavenly Father, let him know that you're here! Talk to him about how you're feeling, and then tell him that you are here, and committed to the next 18/24 months." So we did! He told us not to worry about time, so we prayed for a few minutes. But Ah! As soon as i "checked in" with Him, I was at peace! All my thoughts about why I was here were gone, and I was so at peace and so excited. It was like I could feel Him hugging me and telling me he was proud. It was way cool. :) 

 

We've had so many awesome experiences, and I totally love being a missionary! I love this work! We've been talking a lot about conversion vs testimony, and I love it. We read the parable of the ten virgins, but replaced "lamps" with "lamps of testimony" and "oil" with "oil of conversion". Reading it that was SO cool! I loved it so much! I'd definitely recommend doing that and thinking about what it means to be converted :) 

 

Anyways, I gotta run, but I love you all! The church is SO TRUE! i love it! I couldn't be happier with where I am now. I love my Savior!  I'm so happy!

Sister Wilson

Then a little later she wrote again:

ok, some  more things I wanted to add! 

I've been doing pretty well! I've learned a ton, and I haven't been homesick at all)! The food is super good (I try not to eat too much of it.. lol), we got BYU ice cream our first night, freaking YUM. It was so good. Some of the food is meh, but I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything so it's all good hahaha. And I love gym time! Haha I ran over a mile and a half yesterday, it was bombbb hahaha I loved it. Like I said I've got so many knots from sitting all day, I need to get out and do something! Haha! Sister Griffin helped rub one of my huge ones out thought so YAY for her! I love companions hahaha. Maybe it's just cuz we get along well and we're all such good friends already, but I love it! And I love praying together! Like, kneeling up together at night and praying, or in the mornings, or over meals, or before study, or after study, or ALL THE TIME. It's all so great! I love prayers! And I have such a strong testimony already that they really work! And they bring us so much closer together. Our district kneels to pray before and after every class, so I really love that :) Prayers are Sister Wilson's favorite! :)

Oh, and also, I'm the only one in my district that knows how to play piano and lead SOO GUESS WHAT I'LL BE DOING EVERY MEETING EVER. lol. 

I LOVE MISSIONS. YAYAYAYAYY.

Oh, and I just ran into Melanie Hale! I LOVE HER. She leaves Monday for Texas, she just got reassigned waiting for her visa! 

Love you all!

She's in the MTC!

Emily was set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Tuesday and flew to the Provo MTC (Missionary Training Center) on Wednesday morning.   This is Sister Wilson as she got dropped off--ready to begin her adventures as a missionary.  Her address is on the side bar and I know she would love to hear from you!  You can also use dearelder.com to send letters while she is in the MTC (until Mar 3).  Please use her full name as there are several "Sister Wilson"s in her mission.  I will continue to post her weekly letters and pictures here.      -Emily's mom