Monday, December 15, 2014
COUNTDOWN
Its time to countdown. We have received Elder Wilcox's itinerary and his mission is coming to an end. He will be home in 1.67 months, 7.36 weeks, and 51.55 days. Yikes! Prepare to be amazed. I am really excited. I miss him more now than I did 6 months ago. It could be that I am allowing myself to miss him. He has been a great missionary. I can feel it in my heart and in our home. I am a very proud mom.
OFFICE MISSIONARY 12-2014
Dear Family & Friends,
The news is out, I will be spending the last 7 weeks of my mission serving in the Mission Office, as an Office Elder. My new companion is Elder Wallace. I am excited to serve in the office. It's going to be a very fun, very busy 7 weeks.
Wednesday to Friday i was in the office for orientation, and we were very busy! We had to make a road trip down to temple (to my old area) to pick up a missionary, and then to drop off some supplies to some missionaries, and while down in temple we stayed the night at the temple 2nd ward elders apartment, and i got to use their phone to talk to brother fuller, who was the ward mission leader in my ward, and one of the most inspiring men i have ever met, and also got to talk to one of my recent converts, and some of the members in the ward, it was quite neat! That was just the evening for that day, the other days were busy with meetings, running errands, and doing other misc. things.
In my scripture study recently i have started my dive into the book of 3rd nephi, Chapter 5 verses 2 & 3 stood out to me as i read.
" 2 And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken.
3 Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night."
3 Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night."
When i read these scriptures I had a few thoughts come to my mind, These people, even though some of them had been wicked, still listened and remembered the words of the prophets, so when signs started to be fulfilled, they started to believe, and they gained such incredible faith, that they didn't just forsake a few sins, but they forsook 'all their sins'. I love these scriptures, and they motivate me to want to be better, and to try harder.
That's it for the week, From now on, i will be emailing on saturdays though. Our P-day is on saturday, so i will email ya'll in just a few days. :) Love you,
Love, Elder Wilcox
This picture was sent to me from a member. I love receiving pictures of my son.
Friday, September 5, 2014
5 Months To Go
I think I am finally allowing myself to miss my son. I am anxious for his return. I have been listening to music. One particular song, was BRING HIM HOME by Alfie Boe and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, my heart just melted.
I cannot believe 2 years is almost over. I pray the peace from his mission will never leave our home. I have enjoyed the blessings from his mission. I know there are many I have not seen.
I cannot believe 2 years is almost over. I pray the peace from his mission will never leave our home. I have enjoyed the blessings from his mission. I know there are many I have not seen.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Transfer to Euless, Texas
Well, the day is here. I am getting transferred. I will be leaving the Temple 2nd ward, and the south of the mission. I am getting transferred up to the city of Euless, i will not be a zone leader anymore, but i'm going to be a district leader, and the best part, i'm going to be a bike elder again haha :) (Uncle Scott the bike is still working great, and i haven't had a single problem with it) I'm excited but nervous. It's been a good 6 transfers of serving as a zone leader, i've learned a lot, and i'm especially excited to go back and be a district leader again, i was only a district leader for 1 transfer, so there is something that i need to learn still.
I have seen a whole lot of miracles in this ward, Elder Lilo and I together were able to baptize a family of 4, and a single lady, and we currently have 2 more dates, and 4 or 5 potential baptism dates. The work has completely turned around in this ward. Miracles do happen. Faith, Obedience, and hard work bring about miracles. It has been inspiring to see the changes in the ward members here. It's going to be hard to say good bye to everyone. But i'm ready to move on. It's likely that i will be going to my final area now. It's a weird, and kind of scary thought. But Euless is going to be awesome. I plan to move the work forward in the area.August 18, 2014 update from Elder Wilcox
I am not sure if this next area will be my last, but i'm feeling like it might be.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
August 17, 2014
On August 13, 2014, I received a text from a member where Elder Wilcox is serving.
"We feel so thankful for these missionaries. They are the best missionaries we have had! they have been a great blessing to the work in our ward. They have great ability to build others, share their testimonies and work hard! With love and gratitude, Sister Maren Fuller"
This was my response:
"Thank you so much:) as a mom I love hearing about my son and that he is doing a great job. I think this is the last transfer for Elder Wilcox. My heart is sad for him."
"Yes, we are sad to see him go, however, he has been instrumental in helping to bring back several into activity and also bringing several into the church. He is very mature, committed, obedient, hard working, enthusiastic and sensitive to the spirit. My husband is the ward mission leader so I have had the opportunity to work with him and watch him teach on many occasions. Just last week he was teaching a discussion in our home and I was so moved by the spirit as he shared his testimony on grace. I am a life long member. I realized ways that the Lord has shown me grace I had not previously considered. I am SO GRATEFUL for missionaries like him, who can be instruments in helping others to come to Christ. The people he has worked with are so dear to us. He has really helped to turn things around in this ward. Thank you."
Being this missionaries' mom, I couldn't be more proud of Elder Wilcox. I never understood what people were talking about when they would say they could feel the great efforts of their missionaries at home. There is a power, like a protective blanket, placed over our home while he serves. I pray that even when he comes home this power will remain. I feel as if we are in the palm of our Saviors hand.
I am thankful Elder Wilcox chose me as his mom. He is a wonderful person and missionary. I love him and miss him.
"We feel so thankful for these missionaries. They are the best missionaries we have had! they have been a great blessing to the work in our ward. They have great ability to build others, share their testimonies and work hard! With love and gratitude, Sister Maren Fuller"
This was my response:
"Thank you so much:) as a mom I love hearing about my son and that he is doing a great job. I think this is the last transfer for Elder Wilcox. My heart is sad for him."
"Yes, we are sad to see him go, however, he has been instrumental in helping to bring back several into activity and also bringing several into the church. He is very mature, committed, obedient, hard working, enthusiastic and sensitive to the spirit. My husband is the ward mission leader so I have had the opportunity to work with him and watch him teach on many occasions. Just last week he was teaching a discussion in our home and I was so moved by the spirit as he shared his testimony on grace. I am a life long member. I realized ways that the Lord has shown me grace I had not previously considered. I am SO GRATEFUL for missionaries like him, who can be instruments in helping others to come to Christ. The people he has worked with are so dear to us. He has really helped to turn things around in this ward. Thank you."
Being this missionaries' mom, I couldn't be more proud of Elder Wilcox. I never understood what people were talking about when they would say they could feel the great efforts of their missionaries at home. There is a power, like a protective blanket, placed over our home while he serves. I pray that even when he comes home this power will remain. I feel as if we are in the palm of our Saviors hand.
I am thankful Elder Wilcox chose me as his mom. He is a wonderful person and missionary. I love him and miss him.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
June 2, 2014 Letter from Elder Wilcox
Tuesday: Nothing to big happened on thursday, we taught one our investigators who is progressing towards baptism for augsut 23rd, and it went fairly well.
Wednesday: District meeting day!! I got to go to an all spanish district meeting, and I don't speak spanish. So it was quite fun. I sometimes am able to pick up the spanish that people speak, but sometimes i can't pick it up at all. I think I have a gift to understand spanish. I may have to learn spanish after my mission. We also got to teach an active family part of the first lesson. We are starting to teach all the youth in the ward, and it has been going well. We are just getting it started, but once we get it started, it's going to catch fire, and we'll be super busy.
Thursday: Exchange with the assistants. It was great! We have been pretty good at correcting each other on exchange, so we can select things we can improve on, as well so we stay humble.
Friday: MLC Day, it was another great meeting! Sometime here pretty soon i'll try and send you the recorded meetings. They are absolutely incredible, and spirit inspired. We talked all about planning, and president stated a fact that if we learn how to be good planners on our mission, we will be 2 to 3 times more successfull than other people. So planning is going to be something very important that i learn on my misison.
THe longer I have been out, the more i have realized that everything i am doing out here, is preparing me for real life, in a gospel oriented way, which means that i really get the help of the lord. I love it! It helps put a positive note on everything that we do.
Saturday: We taught our golden investigator who is a referall from our bishop. We talked about baptism with her, and she felt the numbers 22, so we committed her to pray about June 22nd, or July 22nd. As we were reading 2 nephi 2 with her, she randomly said July 4th. So we asked her to pray about july4th for baptism also. I will add the rest of this climatic story in the next paragraph :)
Sunday: She committed to baptism on July 4th!!! She has already asked our bishop to baptize her as well. It is so exciting! The work here is picking up. If all the people we are working with right now get baptized. That will be 6 people. When we haven't had a baptism in over 2 years.
Things are going really well over here.
I am hanging out at about 150 pounds right now though. Which is a good thing. I don't remember if i ever told you that. I email jake roush, and he commented that I look a lot bigger. I feel healthier at the weight that i'm at, than trying to drop weight and get lower. I am also building some decent muscle with our workouts at the gym that we have each morning. It's nice to hit the weights hard, like back in high school. I am a lot weaker than i was then still, but i'm getting back.
The gospel is true! I know without a doubt. It's the only church that makes complete sense. It matches the blueprint that christ established perfectly. :)
I love you mom, I hope you have a great week, and keep on keeping on.
Love, Elder Wilcox
Oh my goodness this mommy heart is happy. But I really miss my children. I never realized that even when you are all grown up, you can still have growing pains:(
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
May 7, 2014
I still miss my son as much as the day he left. This Mother's day phone call will be the last Mother's Day call I will receive while he is on his mission. I must say I will miss his Monday emails and the 2 phone calls a year. I wonder what it will be like to have him home. He has less than a year left. I need to catch up on his mission scrapbook and organize his room and the list goes on. But really none of that will matter. It will be good to have an Austin hug and to feel his sweet peace that is just part of who he is. He has been gone for 15 months now. He claims his mission is going too fast now. I forbid myself to count down. I only countdown to phone calls. 4 more days:)
He is close to where he was at the beginning of his mission. Instead of riding a bike though, he and his companion drive a 2014 Toyota Corolla. He is in Temple Texas, close to Waco. He said there have not been any baptisms in 2 years in the Temple 2nd ward. He looks forward to making some changes.
He recommended "For Peace at Home" Ensign May 2013. We need to trust in the Lord and in his timing that a positive response to our prayers and rescue efforts can occur. We do all that we can to serve, to bless, and to submissively acknowledge God's will in all things...
Austin's letters uplift me and help me endure the everyday struggles.
He is close to where he was at the beginning of his mission. Instead of riding a bike though, he and his companion drive a 2014 Toyota Corolla. He is in Temple Texas, close to Waco. He said there have not been any baptisms in 2 years in the Temple 2nd ward. He looks forward to making some changes.
He recommended "For Peace at Home" Ensign May 2013. We need to trust in the Lord and in his timing that a positive response to our prayers and rescue efforts can occur. We do all that we can to serve, to bless, and to submissively acknowledge God's will in all things...
Austin's letters uplift me and help me endure the everyday struggles.
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