August 30, 2013 Email Letter

Ok, I will now answer your Sunday question so I won't have to in my letter. Sundays are truly a day of rest for us as missionaries in the MTC. We basically just have study time all day, whenever we have a spare moment (and we have many). We have priesthood at 9:40, District meeting at 2:00, Sacrament at 3:15, Temple walk at 4:15, and a devotional at 7:00. All the other time is ours to study. We can't go to our residence until 9:30, so we just stay in our classroom and read scriptures, study Korean, watch Mormon messages, and listen to church songs. I love Sundays best of all, because we can just relax. I get my best gospel study done on Sunday.

I have been able to attend the Temple 2 times since we got here.  The temple is always the single best highlight of my week. I am so excited to go again today! :)

We get 50 minutes of scheduled exercise time almost every day (not sundays or P-days, though we can work out if we choose on P-day). But it is not really enough, especially when your companion wants to leave early or wants to do something else like soccer for gym! Urgh! ;) I am fine with it though, because fitness is not the reason we are here. It is much more fun and fulfilling to do God's work. And to learn a new language. :) But, I am super out of shape. I ran about 2 miles a few days ago, and I almost died! Elder Rosenberg runs with me a lot, and Elder Thomas does the auxiliary workouts with me (like abs and pushups). I love them all to death! I also do wall sits when I wait for my companion in the bathroom... hehehe!

Thanks for that spiritual thought! I needed to hear that, as it can pertain directly to missionary work. We aren't teaching in our name, but in Christ's name, so we don't need to worry about our lack of faith. He is used to using imperfect tools. I was an imperfect tool yesterday in our lesson, as I hadn't prepared the right one for our "investigator". But, despite feeling like i had failed the Lord, I learned an important lesson. I hope I can remember this lesson, and not have to learn it again in Korea! We must have our love for Christ and for the investigator as our single most motivating factor. If we are feeling charity, the pure love of Christ, then we are led by the Spirit and will touch their hearts. If we are too focused on what part of the lesson comes next, or which lesson makes logical sense to teach, we aren't acting out of charity, but out of our own pride. I need to do better, but now I realize how I can. I am so grateful for a Father who knows how to best tune me to match His will. He knows what He's doing.

I love you all so much!!! I will try to write a letter today, but I may just have to work on it at night. Thanks for the letters, packages, love, and prayers. Also, thanks for paying for so much of my mission! I am beginning to realize how much it takes to support a missionary! You guys are awesome! I love you! :)

I will email you again in a week! :)

~Elder "D" Wilcox

August 23rd Email Letter

This week has been great. We've been getting more confident in our lessons, and more secure in how to teach the Gospel. I love this all day, every day thing! I can see the Lord's hand directly in my life so much now! He really kinda loves His missionaries! We have kinda been slacking a little in our focus outside of class time, when we should be studying without a teacher, but I remembered Alma 31:something, which says, "Behold, O lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren. Therefore give unto us, O lord,  wisdom and power that we may bring these our brethren again unto thee." I can focus so much better when I am thinking about the people I will serve. I can't bear knowing that something I failed to prepare to do may have saved the soul of one of my brethren, so I will always be preparing. I love doing the Lord's work full-time!

Thank you for telling me about your day! I hope you feel less stressed soon! ;) My new District Leader, Elder Preisler, has a quote from a cousin that says "Too blessed to stress!" and this is how I veiw life now. we really are too blessed to stress. God loves us so much! 

I haven't emailed Dad yet, so I'd better do that before my time runs out! I love you, and hope the family is doing well! Tell everyone good luck in school, and I will write to you guys soon!

사랑 합니다 (I love you)

Elder "D" Wilcox

MTC Pictures

Elders Wilcox & Newbold- MTC Companions

MTC District

 August 16, 2013 Email Letter

Name Tag!!!!

I have been having so many awesome experiences, that I probably can't remember them all. But I will try.

Elder Richard G. Scott spoke at our Tuesday devotional. He spoke powerfully on the subject of prayer. He also bestowed an apostolic blessing on the missionaries that are learning new languages. It was so powerful.

I got to bear my testimony to my district about the Atonement and the Book of Mormon (in English). As i spoke, the spirit bore witness to me that what I was saying was true, and I really did feel to sing the son of redeeming love, as Alma puts it. That is something that I do not always feel, but I hope that I can always feel it.
I have come closer to God in my personal study, and as we have learned about sharing the gospel in class. I love that part of my day, where I can just sit there with my scriptures for an hour, and just feel the spirit teach me. I am about to finish Alma. Good stuff, and so many insights. One that I remember was when I read in chapter 57 about how all of the Stripling warriors were wounded, but none were killed. I feel like I have been wounded a few times here, but God has healed me through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ. I am coming to know my savior and my God so much better here!

That is awesome that you've been having missionary experiences. I have been praying for you guys to have them every night. Looks like God is answering them.

Tell Jake that I am impresses with his running! I knew it was all about the watch. It probably runs for him, too. Haha!

Tell Jed Congratulations, and wish Grandma and Martin good luck!

Tell everybody good luck with school, and I will be praying for you each by name every night. I love you all so very much!!! 

Email Letter #2

Hi, Mom!

Thanks for a nice, long Email! It really helps to get emails, letters, packages here. I didn't really get why everyone seemed so obsessive over them, but now I see how much it helps. Thanks for the postcard, thoughts, treats, and message from Mackay, too! You guys are the best family ever.

Wow, the Stake Pres asked you to speak, huh? Maybe I'll have to talk with him... ;) You will do great. You're kind of the expert mother on making home an MTC. It's hard to pick just a few things that i have time to write here, but a few things that I recognize that have helped me have been:

1. Family Scripture Study, with Insights shared and testimonies.

2. Teaching me how to do my own laundry, clean-up, etc. Prepare to live "on your own" with no one to do things for you.

3. Maintaining an atmosphere of love, learning and the Spirit. I have felt the Spirit so strong here, it's ridiculous! It is vital that young "missionaries" learn to recognize the Spirit and learn to strive to have it with them all the time. We've already experienced so many literal miracles, that I am sure I wouldn't have gotten as much out of them as I did if i hadn't learned that from you guys so early and consistently.

4. Most of all, cultivate the personal testimonies of your children. There is no way they will survive a mission (or at least do everything that the Lord wants them to accomplish) if they do not have their own testimony. Let them share it often and build it often. A testimony is found in the bearing of it.Practice, practice, practice! You will collapse under the stress here if you can't turn to God to lift you up and share your burden. My testimony of the Savior and his Atonement has increased so much because I have been forced to rely on it to get through these long, tough days. The work is hard, but it is also fulfilling. Like a good, hard run! ;)

I love hearing about what you guys are up to! Keep sending me updates! It makes me feel like I am home again! I love you so much, and the rest the family too. Tell Dad to take it easy on the stake pres's wife, and Jake to run hard and keep lifting weights, and Miles to stop eating doughnuts, and Kevin to keep being hilarious, and Katie to not be quite so sassy. Thank you all for the notes and messages you wrote to me. They are huge blessings. I am still finding them all over! I love it!!!

I pray for you every day, every time I pray (sometimes in Korean!). I feel your prayers and love every day, every hour. I know that with a family like you and my Heavenly Father behind me, I can do this work and LEARN THIS LANGUAGE!!! It comes slowly but surely. I love our teacher, Brother Scoville. He is so funny and a great teacher. my district is so close to each other, we must have met in the Pre-existance! I love them almost as much as I love you. We've had some hard times already, but the miracles we have witnessed and been a part of are truly inspiring. Read my snail mail letter for more info.

I hope you guys are well, and Keep looking for missionary experiences! Tell everybody (friends, ward members, etc) that I said Hi!

LOVE YOU!!!

~Elder Wilcox~

P.S. I have been memorizing a scripture per day since sunday, because Elder Newbold is a scripture-quoting maniac with the memory a supercomputer! I have gotten Katie's first scripture (AoF # 9), Alma 36:27, Alma 37:6-7, 1 Nephi 15:24, 2 Nephi 2:6-7, and D&C 90:11 (Dad inspired that one because he referred to it in my setting apart).

P.P.S. I tried to upload a pic of the shoulder bag I want, but apparently it is only available at Missionary Depot in SLC. Honestly, any shoulder bag will do just fine. I haven't checked specifically for one at the Bookstore since last week, but I can today. So don't buy one unless you find the perfect one. I can survive without it for now. I could buy any other stuff here, because we get a huge missionary discount (40-60% off!!!). So, I guess just keep money in my account. I have spent approximately 10 dollars since I have arrived. I would love the occasional package of... well, anything! Keep sending healthy treats if you can, and I understand if it is too much money. Letters will do fine, because we get letters/mail every day, as opposed to Email which we can only check on P-day.

P.P.P.S. Tell Jake to have my friends email me!!! I need their contact info. Everyone in our family who has a personal email should contact me too, because I like writing to individuals better than general audiences. Thanks! ^^ (Korean smiley face)

First Email :)

Hi, guys! I only have about 10 minutes, so this may be a short one. And I already sent a snail mail letter today to you guys.

Things are going well; I am not adjusted yet, but I think I can get there eventually. Give me a few weeks. ;)

My companion, Elder Newbold, is a cool guy who was a swimmer in High School, and went to BYU for a year. he wants to study geology when we get back.

Our district is Awsome! Elders Dewey, Warnick, Thomas and Preisler are amazing guys and like to do pullups. ;) Sisters Berry and Partridge are also cool and funny. Our instructor has only spoken to us in Korean so far, and we are somehow learning stuff from him! Gift of tongues! Look for my letter for an example of what I have learned in just one day.

Fridays are P-days, so I will try to write then. I still feel like I am drowning a little in the procedure and schedule and such, but i can catch on in a few more days.

I love you all, and hope to hear from you soon! I love the Work already! I love you all!

Talk to ya in a week! Sorry it was a short one today...

-Elder Wilcox