Well, first of all, I am on my way to Manchester right now for a sisters time out! Which will be so much fun 😁 But because of that, there won't be any pictures in this weeks email (although I hardly send them anyway - sorry).
This week, my companion and I have both been focusing on the attribute of Faith. The faith to find those that Heavenly Father has prepared, as well as faith and confidence in our abilities to share the gospel. While studying faith, I read one of my favourite scriptures. This scripture always helps boost my confidence as a missionary. It's found in 2 Nephi chapter 32, verses 2 and 3.
"Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."
I know that as a missionary, I can speak with the tongue of angels, and I have the same power and authority to do all of the things that the prophets of the Book of Mormon do. Amaleki is one of my favourite Book of Mormon missionaries. He was bold and always spoke with so much power. I know that I can be just as bold as him when I exercise my faith. I know that before my mission, I was very timid and quiet, and it was hard for me to socialise. It's still definitely hard for me, but I have been jumping out of my comfort zone and trying to be more comfortable with it. I know that I wasn't shy in the pre-existence (as President Ulrich tells us every day) so I know have the capability of speaking to others about the gospel. Even when I have to pretend that I'm actually a social person - sometimes it's good to "fake it 'til you make it".
We have a Book of Mormon reading class every Thursday night, and one of the members that was there used me as a reference while talking about a quiet and timid person. He was telling everyone that we are all able to talk about the gospel, and then he said, "Well, we think of the small, young missionaries and the power they have. Like Sister Wilkinson. She is pretty quiet and maybe a bit timid, but I can just imagine the power that she has when speaking to people. I just imagine people shaking when she speaks to them boldly." It was sort of a funny example, but it helped me realise the power of the authority I have been given. I am confident that we will have at least one baptism this transfer and find at least one progressing investigator.
The Crosby area is (from what I've heard) very different than the other areas in the mission. The majority of the members are over 60 years old, and many have health problems, so the fellowshipping is somewhat hard, and we don't have too many investigators at the moment either. There are are also many less active members. Most of our time is used to find new people and reactivate the members. I actually love it in this area though, and because of that, I want to do everything I can to make others feel excited about he work. We have found many people that could possibly become new investigators.
Sister Clawson and I both got blessings yesterday, and it really helped strengthen both of us. I know that I have been sent on this mission for a reason, and there are so many people in this Crosby area that I am meant to meet. Already many of them have had such an impact on my life, and I'm excited for the new people I will meet this transfer.
Also, our companionship is such a blessing. I love Sister Clawson so much, and I am so grateful to have her as my companion. We have gotten to know each other really well, and we both feel that we can be ourselves around each other. I'm starting to feel more like myself again, which is good because the first month I was struggling trying to find my own personality because I was so overly focused on being a perfect missionary. I know that I have been given certain gifts and talents and that I also have a unique light. I have been given all of these things so that I can touch the lives of others. I have now been able to use a few of my talents as I become myself again. I also have felt more joy in serving a mission.
I feel that our companionship is very strong, and that we will be able to see miracles happen as we test our faith. This week, we challenged ourselves to be more prayerful. We have said so many prayers throughout this week, and I have actually felt the presence of the Spirit even more. There was a moment when we were tracking where I could actually feel that the Holy Ghost was standing right in front of us as we spoke to a man about the Book of Mormon. I know that the Holy Ghost is real and that he can give us the words to say. It is his mission to testify of the Saviour, and he can do that through us as missionaries. I really a, grateful to be on a mission. This week has been so wonderful.
Also, my iPad forces me to use British spelling, so I apologise for all the strange looking words.
I'm not sure if I have used these before (because my list of words is back in Crosby, and I'm almost to Manchester now) but here are 2 British terms, and one Scouse term for y'all (Oh also, I know I'm serving in England, but I'm actually gaining a southern accent). 😜
1. Trousers - pants👖
2. Trainers- tennis shoes👟
3. Mingin - Scouse term for filthy 💩
I love you all dearly 😘
Speak to you next week
-Sister Wilkinson
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