Sister Wilson in DC North: Hump Day 🐪

So, I've been a missionary for 9 months. That's weird. It's been a roller coaster for sure, but I'm loving it! More sentimental stuff later. As far as transfers go, Sister So and I are both staying in Chevy Chase! NICE. I love this area so much, it feels like home! (eh, maybe not "home", but it's growing on me). The Ward is incredible and I'm so blessed to be serving here for so long! Praying I stay for Christmas too! WOO.

This week has been good! We didn't have much time in our area, so finding time for all our appointments was hard, but it's been a relatively good week! Last Monday night, we got to the VC to see CHRISTMAS TREES all over the floor. Cried a lil bit. We've been fluffing them up in our spare time, getting ready for Festival! Oh man it's going to be SO. AWESOME. More on that in my pictures.

Tuesday was great! Around 11, a man walked into the VC and went straight for the temple model. I went over and started talking to him and found out he's not a member. He's an engineer doing a project up the road, and his boss told him that he had to come check out our temple model! He popped in on his lunch break, and he was totally wigging out over it! l ended up talking to him for over an hour and got his information! He's been to tons of different churches but has never found that "one true church". He had tons of great questions, and after every response I gave, he would pause, think about it, then say "well, I can't argue with that!". He's so awesome! Calling him tonight to see how church went, woo! Because we talked for so long, we totally missed lunch and went to zone district meeting for 3 hours, then got sucked into a Chinese and full-pros sisters meeting, and eventually made our way to some food late that night. Whew. We also met with Ed for the first time that night! Not sure what I've told you about him, he met with missionaries 15 years ago, but stopped investigating when he got a work transfer to California. He's back in DC now, and wants to investigate the church again! He also had lots of deep doctrine questions and has some concerns that we're resolving, but he's great! He loves church and loves Mormons in general. NICE.

Wednesday we went finding again. It's definitely something that you have to practice as a missionary, living out of our area makes it hard to just go out and talk to people all the time, so I'm a bit rusty! We metro contacted, the street contacted, then tracted. AH. DC people are terrifying. Plus some creepy old guy that didn't speak any English gave us his number, we gave him a VC card, he hugged us, took a picture of us, and has called us like 5 times a day since then. So. Ah.

On Thursday morning, we got a call from one of the older ladies in our Ward, Mildred. She invited us to go get some ice cream with her, so we headed down to Georgetown and for ice cream with her. It was FREEZING, but she loved the company. What a cutie.

Friday, we met with Ed again, Sara came with. It was good! He's progressing, so that's awesome! On Saturday, he came with us to a Veterans Day Concert at the VC. We were able to show him around afterwards and answer a lot of his questions about everything happening right now in the Church. He came back again Sunday nightjust after we left the VC, and spent like 3 hours watching the Joseph Smith movie and every church movie he could before we closed! NICE. He came to church, and Joe came too! Joe is our new investigator, he's actually from Phoenix too!! He lives right by Arrowhead, but he's here for a couple months for work. He took the first discussion in California on his last work trip (he travels lots), came to the VC, and now he's meeting with us. He's awesome too! NICE. Go figure his first Sunday at church was the primary program, but oh well haha. Miracles are happening in Chevy Chase!!

The past 9 months have been wonderful and challenging! Being a missionary isn't what I thought it'd be, it's a lot more difficult in a lot of different ways. But being out here in DC, teaching people about the restored gospel and how it can completely change their life is amazing (even when people are really mean). Nothing has brought me more joy than this! I've grown and changed so much, and I'm eternally grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord this way. I know that God lives! He loves and knows each of us perfectly, and answers our prayers. He speaks today through a living prophet and 12 apostles. The Book of Mormon is true, and can CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Read it! The atonement is real and it works. I love Jesus Christ and I love His gospel! I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have of the plan of salvation and eternal families, Sister So and I have really been learning that one this week together. Serving at a visitors center and teaching people every day about the blessings of the temple is the best calling in the Church! The temple is the goal! Get there! It's worth it, I promise!

I love each and every one of you so much! Thank you SO much for all the love and support you've shown for me, it means so much. I love you all!!

Sister Wilson

衛愛兒