Feb. 15, 2015 Big Holiday in Korea

Nope, it's not Valentine's Day. Interestingly, though, Koreans celbrate Valentines Day differently than Americans do. On Feb 14th, girls give guys chocolate. A month later, on March 14th, is White Day, where guys give girls candy. Then, if you remained single for both of these 2 couple-centered holidays, a month later on April 14th, you celebrate your misery by eating black-colored JaJjang noodles on what is known as Black day. Missionaries are pretty much supposed to celebrate Black day, so this last week valentines was nothing special.

 

But this coming week is a different story. On Thursday is the Lunar New Year, 설날 Seollar. In Korea, there are 2 really hugely celebrated holidays, that usually warrant 3 or 4 days off work, and this is one of them. Everyone goes to their hometowns, gathers with their families, eats some rice-cake soup, and spends time together. So, starting this coming Wednesday and ending around Saturday or Sunday, there will be really really few people to find on the streets of Korea. Also because they are with their families in the other regions of Korea, this week will be a little tough for traditional missionary work.

 

So, we're gonna have a party! Last year we had a mission conference (a talent show), which was a blast, but this year President decided to have each zone do their own activity. He delegated all planning, time, decisions, prep, and follow-through to the Zone Leaders. Oh, joy. ^^ So that party will be this Thursday, and transfers are the day before. I will be getting a new companion (Elder Lee's condition is such that he needs extended treatment and therefore it is better for him to finish his mission here) named Elder Thorup on that day, but that leaves us with less than 20 hours to prep. So, with the help of my district, we kind of already planned our Anyang Zone's activity all out. Should be fun. I'll let you all know how it goes. ^^

 

Anyway, this last week was great. I was a little stressed out the week before because of Elder Lee having to leave, and then being thrown into a threesome and suddenly having to manage the zone all by my lonesome, but after about a week, the good old adjustors kicked in and things went a lot smoother. We were able to get to all of the appointments in both areas (mine and the other Elders I am with), do lots of language evaluation meetings (practice teaching the lessons in Korean) with many of our Zone's missionaries, and plan for the upcoming activity this week! It's been fun, but I am still really really excited to go back to a normal companionship with only one proselyting area to worry about. ^^

 

Well, we've passed the worst of the winter, have been having unseasonally warm weather pretty consistently, and we are feeling the Joy of Spring and the Work of Salvation. I have been reading The Power of Everyday Missionaries, and I found a really cool insight. Our Church is based on the fact that it is still OK to ask God questions. 3 centuries after the Savior died, religious leaders gathered and basically decided that God had given them all the knowledge and answers to questions He ever would, and so shut the world into the dark night of apostasy. Joseph Smith asked a simple question, got a simple answer, and with constant asking and receiving for the next 20 years, he got more and more answers and established a Church that to this day asks, seeks, knock, and in return is given, finds, and is opened unto by our Loving Father who waits patiently to teach us until we think to ask Him. It's beautiful and simple, and true. I can testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Love you guys (sorry I forgot to send valentines... hehe^^), and thank a bunch for the prayers.

 

The work is sweet!

 

Elder Derek James Wilcox

February 1, 2015 Big Trials, Bigger Changes, and Biggest Progression

Hello Everyone. This is Elder Derek Wilcox. I am so sorry for the long gap between the Big Emails. Time is short today, too, but I want to send this out to you all. ^^

Things have been quite... intersting here in Anyang. I have been here for about 2 and a half months now. I have been struggling since the time I came with my companion relationship. He and I are very different. We have different personalities, backgrounds (temporal as well as gospel-related), attitudes, abilities, energy levels, opinions, and ways of thinking. Due in part to this stress, I haven't felt like writing a Big Email because I felt like most of the things I could say were personal and didn't need to be spread abroad. I feel like struggling for love and peace here in my companionship has consumed most of my time and effort lately, so there really is not much news as far as missionary work goes. We've got some investigators with potential, but just potential so far.

I have learned more here in Anyang from Elder L. than I have learned in all my other areas, with all my other companions put together. Elder L. has good eyes for people's inner character. Through his (sometimes quite painful) correction, I have come to see myself a little clearer, the good points, as well as a lot of the weaknesses I haven't noticed before. I have struggled and struggled to learn to love without holding back, to think of others before myself, to truly seek for others' benefit. I've been pretty selfish and prideful up to now, and I want to apologize to any and all of you whom I have offended in any way. I have been going through a refining fire for the last few months, and my heart feels burned. But it feels great to start to clean off the soot and become better and better through the Atonement of Christ. 

My companion has been struggling himself with quite a large demon, his ankle (which caused him to return home once before to receive surgery and treatment for 6 months) has been aching non-stop for 3 months, leaving him unable to focus on things or have patience for a companion with lots of short-comings. He hasn't even been able to sleep for more than 4 hours a night, on and off, since the cold weather started. And so, this week, my companion talked with our Mission President and decided to be released and go back home to Busan for up to a few weeks to get scanned, and possibly another surgery. I will be a threesome with the other elders in my house until the end of this transfer, by which time Elder L. plans to come back. This was all rather sudden, for me and for President, but I think Elder L. has been thinking about it for a while. He'll leave tomorrow at MLC (mission leadership council), and then 2 days later, we'll have a Zone meeting. Training will be fun. Prayers, please, for him and for me.

The worst part of this is the fact that I feel excited for this change. If I'm honest with myself, I feel like things that can need to be done can finally be done, and things can go the right way now. That could still just be my sefishness and pride talking. I don't know. What I do know is that all things will be done in the wisdom and grace of He who is mighty to Save. He's saved me many times in the past few months, and He will continue, as long as I reach out my arm and grab His, always reaching out to rescue me and you.

I love this gospel, even when it's so hard you just want to cry. Just like I learned in Cross Country, so recently and yet so long ago, If you push, give literally EVERYTHING you have and more to the race- life, to the hill you're on- the trail you're facing, even though all you want to do is stop or at least slow down, then afterwards comes the glorious high, knowing that you did your very best, being pleased with your efforts and knowing that God is too. Having No Regrets.

This life is to short to waste. Don't stay down when you get knocked down. "Success in this life is not measured in the number of times we fall, but the number of times we rise up again." (rough quote from President Uchtdorf)

I testify that there is a God, He loves me and you and all of us. He wants us to be truly happy, and so He provided a Savior to rescue us from ourselves, our own mistakes, and the hard trials of life. I testify that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, as restored through Joseph Smith and lead today by Thomas S. Monson, has the priesthood authority of God to lead us to and help us to become like that Savior, even Jesus Christ, through the ordinances of salvation like baptism. The path is set before us.

As is says in 2 Nephi, "all things are given [us] which are expedient unto man, and [we] are free to choose liberty and eternal life through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death..." It's just up to us. Do I reach out and take the Hand outstretched to save me? Do I choose to make use of the wonderful atonement provided for me? Yes. I pray that is our answer. I am learning how to make it mine.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow, and even though it hurts like CRAZY sometimes, I am happy. Truly Happy. I love you all, and I say these things in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

~Elder Wilcox

December 28, 2014 ----"Big Breakthrough"

This is it, the end of my only full calendar year in the full-time nametag-witnessed service of God!

 

This week was truly a Christmas gift for me.

 

Not only did we have a spectacular Mission Conference, a great ward party on Christmas Eve, and a Christmas Day of Caroling and spreading Christmas Joy, but we also received the gift of the most prepared investigator I have ever had the privilege to teach. He came to church yesterday after meeting for the first time the night before. He's looking for a new religion, and found us on the internet, usually a hostil place for us Latter-Day Saints. He stopped us in the middle of the lesson after church and asked how he can become a member of our Church. Can you spell GOLDEN?!?!? ^^

 

Also, the biggest blessing was the Breakthrough. The reason for the title bar. Up until now my relationship with my Korean Companion, Elder Lee, has been pretty rocky. He's the tough-guy, don't want to let anyone in, kind of Korean man. But yesterday after church, he opened up and let me know what he thinks about me. I was able to find out things that I was doing wrong, despite my pure intentions of loving and helping this Son of God reach his potential. And from that time, for the past 24 hours, we've been tighter than ever. I am even learning how to show love in the touchy-feely way Koreans like. Thats taking some getting used to. ^^ 

 

Changing through prayer and striving to be like Christ!

 

Bring on this next year! 세해 복 많이 받으세요! (Receive lots of New Sun Blessings!)

 

Love,

 

Elder Wilcox

December 21, 2014 Email

Hello Friends, Family! Long time no type! 

Things have been great here in Anyang for the past few weeks. Lots of preparation for Christmas in the mission, the ward, the missionaries. Even as full-time, name-tag-wearing representatives of Jesus Christ, there are still a plethora of things trying to distract and take away from the meaning of this special season. Trying to overcome them can seem impossible.

That's one thing that's been on my mind lately, is the question of How can I handle all of the trials, responsibilities, duties, and other things that life entails? How can I do it in a way that is right and balanced in God's sight? Lately, as my personal responsibilities increase and new facets that require energy and effort open up, I've been wondering how I can handle it all. I know I'm not the only one, either.

As I studied this morning, I read the Liahona for December. There is so much in there about Christ, of course, so I was reminded of Him and His life, and suddenly it came to me. The way to handle all the different things in life in a way that God is happy with is to become just like Christ. His perfect example is just that, perfect. If we were able to think as Christ would, to act and speak as He would, then we would naturally handle each situation we were placed in with Love, Patience, Hope, Faith, Diligence, Virtue, Knowledge, Kindliness, Humility. Developing Christlike attributes is the way, the only way, to know for certain that our lives are good with God.

At least that was the revelation that I've needed lately. As we approach the day that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, I hope that we all can reflect not only on His wonderful example, but on His eternal sacrifice through which we can be cleansed from sin and enabled to do things that we could never do alone. It makes me realize how I can introduce this Gospel to the Korean people. There are so many people who are satisfied with life how it is, but if they could just taste the joy, the true joy that comes from living according to this Gospel, they would never stop seeking it. 

I am always bad with remembering quotes and scriptures, but I want to close with one I read in the Liahona this morning, from a former prophet. It said something like this: "True Joy can only be found by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ." We can find out that gospel, and point ourselves more and more in that direction by daily studying the word of God's servants, the prophets, and by praying with real intent, desire to receive, and faith in Christ. And we can truly begin to emulate the savior's example by consciously making the decision to love someone, forgive someone, to do something that we normally wouldn't but that Christ would were He to take our place. I want to spend the last 7 months of my mission, and the rest of my life following my Master. He will lead me in the right paths to eternal life, to Joy. This I know and promise to all of you in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you get some snow in Utah, and spend some great time with each other. Eat lots of good food, and partake of the Spiritual feast made possible by the Reason for the Season. ^^ I love you all! 

Elder "D" Wilcox

November 30, 2014 Big Email (Annyeong from Anyang!)

Hello everybody!!!

Long time no type! A lot has changed in the past 2 weeks. Elder Jensen and I got transfer calls, and I had to leave my little countryside village of Anseong and move to a big city center (at least by comparison) called Anyang. This is very similar to the word for "Hi" or "Hey" used among close friends or youngsters, which is Annyeong (An-nyung). Hence the title bar. ^^

I am also with my first Korean companion! Elder Seung Bong Lee, who is 25 Korean age (24 american) and the former companion of my former companion Elder Braden Perry, as well as my trainer, Elder Jordan Oman! We both served in Shingal, and have lots to talk about as far as missionary memories. 

~shout out to Braden, Your pics look great! I got your letter. ^^ Congrats on your engagement and wedding soon! ^^~

My Korean has already jumped up a few notches due to the constant flow, and I am loving it! Elder Lee and I don't have many investigators that meet every week, but we're looking to find more Through members, Less Actives, and street contacts. 

Our ward is superb, with a very active and energetic Bishop leading it out in the Work of Salvation. 

We were able to have a Baptismal service for the sister missionaries' investigators this week, the third baptismal service I've yet attended on my mission. We'll make some more soon.

This morning, to start off the month of December, there was a big snowstorm! I am soo happy to see that gift from heaven. Every time I see it, I am reminded of the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, which can make us as clean and pure as a snowflake. I am infinitely grateful for this sacrifice, and for the perfect example He gave us to show us how to live in this confused and confusing world. I am able to bring this example to others everyday as I wear His name on my chest and in my heart. He fills me with his love, giving me a bigger heart with room for my members, investigators, companions, and all of you. I love you, and so I invite you to come unto Christ! Let Him take you in His arms of love and make you better than you were. It is glorious. In His name, Jesus Christ, amen.

Love, 

Elder Wilcox

November 16 & 23, 2014 Email excerpts & picture :)

Good news this week, we taught one of our member families a really inspiring lesson in family home evening. It's called The Gospel Feast in English, and something funny-ish in Korean that won't make sense. The word for Gospel and the word for a popular dish are quite similar, so I made that a wordplay. Anyway, it shows how just plain rice is everyday life, and God wants to give us a tasty life, so he provided various side dishes like Commandments, Repentance, Faith, Prayer, Scriptures, and Ordinances like baptism and the Sacrament. Then, if we show by diligently and regularly eating of those dishes, God grants us the meat buffet of the Gift of the Holy Ghost! It's all you can eat, but you have to get up out of your chair and go to the church every week and sometimes to the temple to get refills. But this Gospel feast is sooo much more delicious than just plain rice. There are so many people just eating plain rice out there, longing for a more delicious existence. It's our job, as (member)missionaries, to advertise and invite people to come to this buffet. And the best part is, they don't even have to pay, cuz Christ already did. This lesson really helped that family, and will help tons more throughout the rest of my mission! I got this as inspiration a few weeks ago.

We also had stake conference! It's forever travel from my area, so we spent the night at another area's elders' house. I really got a lot out of the conference, even though it was all Korean. I was just starting to get a little prideful about how i could understand, so for the Sunday session, God had me try and translate. That's super super tough, and I was quickly brought down to humility again.

Well, that was this week! Next Saturday, we will get transfer calls. I have been here in Anseong for a while, and Elder Jensen is all trained, so I could leave, or he could leave, or something unexpected could happen. I'll let you know next week. ^^ Thanks for the prayers and thoughts and email and love!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! ^^ <3 another="" div="" great="" have="" week="">

Love, 

Elder "D" Wilcox

Family we taught the Gospel Feast to :)

November 23, 2014

You guys are great! Love ya!!!! ^^

I've got some biggish transfer news! I am going to be leaving Anseong after 8 months here. I am going to an area named Anyang, which is in Anyang zone, and I will be zone leader over there! My companion will be 이승봉, Elder Lee, my first Korean companion! I am soo excited! I just sent my luggage in the mail (they have great delivery service here) and I will be headed over there on Wednesday morning. Wish me luck, and the Spirit! ^^

This week was a tough one, though. I kinda knew I was going to leave Anseong and so I was reflecting on my work here. I looked too much at physical evidence, things that I can see, and took that as my success here. It's not very much, so I was wondering if I really did God's will here. But, after a really nice lesson with Mr. Jeong in which he thanked me for all the help I have given him and said a really really spiritual prayer for me, I realized again that its not the baptisms I can count, the number of people attending sacrament, or any physical thing like that that matters. What matters is that I was a representative of Christ and showed His love to people. I have been blessed with great relationships that will hopefully last a lifetime. I feel like God has accepted my work here. No use getting down on things that I can't control! Just go out there, do your best, Elder! ^^

The rest of my Anseong brotherhood will be staying, and my companion's new companion is someone relatively new in the mission. Things will be hard for them here for a while while they adjust and struggle with the language and the branch, so I would like to ask you to remember Elders Jensen, Ely, DeSpain, and Bryner in your prayers.

It's going to be weird leaving Anseong. This is like my home. When I think Korea, I will always think of this place first.

Anyway, that's all I've got to say. I have some time today, about half and hour, so since you guys are all smart-phoned up we can do some back and forth messaging if you want! I don't think I'll write a Big Email yet, just cuz transfers is the only big thing that happened this week. ^^ Just in case we cant message back and forth, I love you all and thank you for the prayers and love! ^^

Love, 

Elder Wilcox

큰 일이 났다! A Big Event came out! November 9, 2014

I wanted to share a Korean expression with you all. This can be roughly translated to mean something REALLY BAD happened. But I just needed a subject bar. Things have actually been really good.

It's been a while! Sorry for neglecting the Big Email; I hope those of you who are allowed to are following the blog my Mother is running for me. I have been well, how are all you?

I am still in the beautiful little town of Anseong. I have been here for a total of 7 months now, and the people on the streets start saying hi to me now because I have seen them so much. I have almost been adopted into the close-knit society here in the southernmost corner of my mission. 

Elder Jensen, my awesome, less-green-than-he-should-be-for-only-one-full-transfer companion and I are still doing work here, and we have currently been blessed with baptismal dates with 2 of our investigators. We are working with them to be baptized at the end of this month, but more time may be necessary for conversion. 

Last week we had a great Zone Training, and among other things I was reminded that conversion happens between the lessons, not while we're sitting there with them. Decided to focus on our investigators' personal study and prayer.

Also, yesterday we were blessed with inspiration during companion study. I heard one time, and it makes sense to me, that God doesn't send prepared investigators to missionaries, but to wards and branches that are ready to receive them. It makes sense because the ward is there with the investigator much longer than the missionaries. So, especially in our tiny branch, each member needs to do 2 things: Prepare to be a gospel leader, not just a follower, and Participate actively in the work of Salvation with the full-time missionaries. The members of our branch vary widely in their faith, but the way that we missionaries can help them to prepare to become the fellowshippers that our investigators and other prepared people need is by sharing the Love of Christ with them thru service and meeting them, sharing the words of the prophets and encourage them to study them on their own, and invite them to do something with us in the Work, all while having a humble attitude and love for them. Our Mission President has emphasized that our work is Strengthening Wards and Branches, as taught us by Elder Cook of the Quorum of the 12 in a conference earlier this year. So, here in my little branch, I am starting to prepare my members to be the leaders necessary to support all the prepared people we will be blessed to find as we thrust in our sickle.

Speaking of Thrust in your sickle, we got to do Farm work for the first time in a few months. The other Elders, Ely and Despain, have been taking care of it while I train Elder Jensen, but we went Saturday. The Less Active sister we do it for is starting, little by little, to change and become more happy. She knows we love her and want to help. She's started praying again, too. ^^

We are looking forward to Stake Conference this week. It's the second I have attended as part of Anseong! And I have seen 2 general conferences here. Been here a while. But here is where I have come to realize my faults and learn how to improve the most. I love this little middle-of-nowhere town at the edge of our mission! Even if it means lots of travel and separation from other missionaries. I have come to love the people here that at first I resented. God has blessed me to change thru the enabling power of the Atonement as I put forth my effort.

Also, I have been humbled here. I have been blessed with more lessons and investigators than ever before, but have therefore discovered my weaknesses with teaching, testifying. I have been brought low, and doubted whether I am doing things right in God's sight at all. But this week I found 1 Corinthians 1:27 and 2:1-5. They taught my soul that it is alright if I can't speak the fancy eloquent Korean that convinces the wise, my job is just to convey the spirit by my testimony, the one thing that no matter how much others may rail and curse, no one can deny, that I know God lives and loves me, and each and every one of us, His Children. His Son, Jesus Christ, payed the price for our sins, and will forgive us completely if we just meet the standard set by Him to have faith in Him, repent, be baptized and make other covenants, and live so we can follow the Spirit until the day that we die. 

That is what changes and improves us, and gives us power and authority to teach others. That's why I can stand up to a trial with faith and say, "Someday it will turn out alright, because I know what I am doing is right." I do. I also know that God is hastening His work, and we as His Church need to follow His lead. It will take all our strength, it will take away some free time, but it is infinitely WORTH IT.  There is nothing God can't do in His work, and He invites us all to participate, to be changed and bettered in the process of bringing souls back to Christ. That is the lesson I have been learning for the past 14 months, and I testify in the name of our Savior, Lord, and Redeemer that this is the True Church of Jesus Christ. I am His servant and representative, and though I lack a lot, He has made me more than I ever could be alone already, in only 19 years of life. I stand forever indebted to and awed by Him. Amen.

Thank you all for the support, thoughts, prayers, words that you give to and for me. I love you all as my brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope you all have a great week, and find ways to let the Lord guide you as you act in this great, Latter-Day WORK. It is work. But it is sooo fun! ^^

Love, 

Elder Derek J. Wilcox

Here's a pic of us today at our lunch restaurant. we plan to go hiking today, so dressed down. ^^