October 28, 2013

Well, the week was good. I spent two days in Mobay (Montego Bay) for a Zone Leader trade off! I thought I wanted to be in a truck during my mission! So thankful for that oppurtunity cuz I was sooo tired at the end of each day! I also felt lazy! But interesting experience, we got fed by some tourists, white guys. One actually served his mission here in 91-93 so that was cool! Great meal as well! I would give you details why they were down here, but they actually are the real CIA, haha! We had some great lessons there though and learned some new things! We did have Oniel's baptism this week. We filled up the tank and cleaned the church and got it all ready Saturday for the baptism at 8 Sunday morning. At 7:30 we arrive and the tank is empty! Wow Satan, thanks! So the next 30 minutes we ran the fire hose in and buckets from the spicket with an assembly line to fill the tank, haha! Oppostition at every baptism, but it makes it great I guess! :) If things go well, Saffia will be baptized this week and Shereca the next! Both are member referrals - that's the way the work must progress!! Things are going well. In this up coming week on saturday we have a "heart and hands" service project! It involves all the community in Sav! It's a non-proselyting thing, but afterwards suppose to reap some results so excited to see what will happen there! That's about all for the week.. it was long, feels like it has been a month! I'll attach some pics of some cool things this week! Love you all so so much!

Elder Wilkerson

Oniel's baptism

October 21, 2013

  We had an amazing week ! It was a lot of hard work, but soo soo worth it!! We had zone meeting this Wednesday, the focus was on working with the members, getting referrals from them. But before we can do that we have to build their faith to do the work! So the focus was on bringing out their testimony. We share some lesson for like 5 minutes then the next hour we focus on them!! Getting them feeling comfortable bringing up the gospel with their friends, setting plans and following up with them. Obviously some people need a lot more building up than others so it might be a few visits before we get the referrals, but that's fine by me! President Brown said "we are the trench men" the missionaries who follow us are going to have it easy. Our job is to dig deep and bring the testimonies sprouting out of the members. Blood, sweat, and tears in our planning so that we have a member at every lesson possible so they are growing while the investigator is growing! So that was our focus this week! The members we choose to work with was Bro. Beckford( just got his mission call- will be out in Jamaica next transfer), Bro Miles, Sis Gayle, Sis Murdock, and Sis Roach! and just from the small amount, 8 lessons that we had with members present, the progress increased so much!! We had 4 investigators at church, 3 progressing, and one getting baptized next sunday morning!! We might be down at the beach this sunday if we're still out of water for Oniel's baptism!!! Also have an interview for Elder Carter and Barker this next week! So the district is doing awesome! Shereca is lined up for Nov 2nd, and Saffia is lined up for the 9th along with Sarina (Annyias cousin). We are teaching a lot of people in that yard now! So hopefully this will help Annyia get baptized!! President Brown also came up on sunday to re-organize our presidency. Pres Blake is now the 2nd counselor in the mission and Pres Robinson is the new president here in Sav! He will do great! He spoke in all the classes I was in! Gosh, I love listening to him! Some things that stuck out that he said are: "are we being covenant keepers or ordinance doers" and also in priesthood he was talking about priesthood duties can all be summed up into one word " ministering" like 80% ministering and 20% ADministering! Really slammed down with D&C 121: 34-46! So great! So true and awesome! Well, that's kinda the week in a wrap! Wait! Oniel also exercised some great faith this week as well! He was praying for a way to come to church, and the following night he had a dream that someone would bring him the money and God told him that he would provide a way for him always if he would just do what he wants him to do! So he woke up on sunday went outside, he was sitting on his porch and a guy came by asked him how he was doing. He said "not too well, I want to go to church." The man said, "well I had a feeling to come over here and give you fare, I don't know why, I guess you gotta get to church have a great day! Whatcha!! So there you have it and I think everything that was said was just perfect for him and he is so stoked for his baptism so let's hope the interview goes irie!

 

Well, some fun things of the week I'll send pics:

-cinnamon challenge against Elder Hayes.... I Won! ( might check out youtube, if you want to see epic failures!)

-mac and oat table for between the beds!

-haven't found out a punishment yet, but house goal to stop saying "freak, suck, shoot, anything really negative" so we say like wow and great when things go wrong now!

-used frozen popsicles in a lesson!

-people gave us 6 coconuts this week! mhmm I looove coconut water.. and the coconut itself ain't too bad!

 

This week was so fantastic, I love being a missionary! I'm learning so much and having a great time doing it! Of course there are mountains to climb, and rivers to cross, but it's making us stronger each and everyday! Love you all so much! Talk to you next week!

 

Elder Wilkerson

 

 

October 14, 2013

I had an awesome week! I so very much love missionary status lifestyle!  Let me tell you a bit bout my awesome week and how my faith has strengthened!! Then I'll send some pics!

 

First off, I finished the Book of Mormon! Much studying! Probably went so long cuz I took a lot of it deep, with the doctrine! It's so true and I'm so thankful for the things I learn each and every day from it. A word that stuck out to me that you can't even get 5 pages in the Book of Mormon without reading. REMEMBER! EXCLAMATION POINT! Haha, it is said 136 times in the book! Sometimes we always forget! We always have to remember and strengthen our faith, remember why we are here, remember what we are doing, remember our purpose! There is soooo much we need to remember in this life, but most importantly remember Christ and the teachings in the scriptures!! I also started the Book of Mormon over and 1 nephi 2:5 stuck out. They traveled to the red sea, 180 miles, not a three day journey, like 12-14! And 3 days on top of that, cuz that's the Law of Moses, three day travel to have a sacrifice and build an altar! Love the history of the sciptures! It's so fun to study!! :)  But as for my week here is some details!

Monday- Elder Peart left to the mission office, and flew out Tuesday so I was in another tripanionship. Elder Hayes and Wignal had another baptism and I talked on the Holy Ghost and then we went to Little Tokyo after to celebrate!

Tuesday- Did some service in the morning scraped and cleaned the yard and driveway area.. to show our neighbors we are trying to do good and not just be those annoying missionaries that are up early and always up and about! I think it helped a lot! Actually, I know it! And it was great fun, I miss working!!! I got picked up right after that by my senior couple, the Wrights. We had a long drive into Kingston and got there about 4. They took us to lunch at BK and had a training meeting at 5! It was very good, totally lifted my spirits, but I was still nervous to be training again! We stayed at the Assistant's house.. they picked up the new guys and they stayed there as well! Got to meet them all before transfers, and guess what, my boy Elder England from the MTC is back! Love that, such a great example!! So 4 new guys came in.

Wednesday- Woke up got ready, studied. then drove around with the zone leaders as they picked people up and moved things around for transfers. The meeting started at 4 and I am training a guy named Elder England!! I get my boy! My brother!! So sick! So excite! and so ready to do some work!! We had another long car ride home.. and the Wrights bought us pizza! Very nice people! It's like having grandparents on the mish! .. at least that's what they say!! Got home at 9:30 and planned.

Thursday- Went to work!! Didn't get much done, Elder England had something going on with him. He was weak and couldn't bike far without feeling hot and tingly inside and wasn't breathing well. Weird, but it hasn't happened again. On top of his bike problems, we didn't get much done, but we stayed positive through it!!

Friday- We picked up Sis. Reed as a referral. We're having a hard time teaching her cuz she throws in Hallelujah and Praise the Lord all the time. I hate it, but whatever, that's how she has grown up. Hard to break a habit at 78! She is cool though and we're teaching the grandkids as well! She has had a hard time believing there are prophets today, but we will get there.

Saturday- We went back to Sis Reeds and  helped her with yard work and we got a tour of her awesome land/farm! Ate so much! Had banana, coconut, sugar cane, guava , june plum, grapefruit, oranges, gunip, and she showed us her chickens, quail and all sorts of good vegetables! She's set!!! Lucky kids! That was good.

Sunday- By far the greatest day! Thursday we talked to Oniel about faith and we challenged him to be at church no matter what. We told him we would walk with him. Now it's a 50 min bike ride so bout a 3.5 hour walk! He said "lets do it"! So we planned to leave the house at 5. We got a text at 4:32. This guy got up at 3, got ready, and caught a ride with like the only person awake in the road. He was at the church at 5 so we got dressed, hurried down there, and watched conference and videos from lds.org til church started! This guy put 1 nephi 3:7 to the test!! Love that man! Someone also gave him fare to go home! God loves us and WILL provide a way!! So awesome! After that 8 hours of church all 3 of us were spiritually overloaded! But what a great day! Being a missionary is so great, so hard, so rewarding. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm thankful for this opportunity to learn and grow! Thankful for everyone's support! Love you, have a much awesome week. Liccamor.

Elder Wilkerson

smile:)

Elder Wilkerson and Elder England after a wonderful rainy Sabbath.

October 7, 2013

I am training again! I'm excited and nervous as always! But excited to get pumping into the work! Though I wish the more part of the members were there for the Saturday session with all the missionary talks, Kareen showed up for Sunday last session and we had 4 less actives back at church who brought some friends! Of course they were referrals for the other missionaries! It all went to fast! The quickest 10 hrs of my life! If I had to pick favorites it would be very difficult, but I would definitely say  Giffard Nielson for shore!!!! Jeffrey R Holland always, Dieter F Uchtdorf (Priesthood session) and Henry B Eyring! Loved it all, learned so much, and never fell asleep! But as for the week, in missionary work it was slow and steady! District meeting we went over planning and using our time wisely and such but we are just going to have to talk to more people!! Guess my faith to find isn't there! I'm expecting them to pop up cuz the work is hastening, but gotta continue looking! Searching! And that's the goal this week! Talk WITH EVERYONE! I had all my motivational quotes all over the walls where I couldn't see them and I feel like I have lost the fire so I pulled them down and put them on my desk, trying to get back in the groove! I think of what I have learned though I wouldn't be so humble if we were baptizing every week! Gotta obtain the spirit and hold fast to it and unbottle it in every lesson! No one is progressing right now.. Steve comes back this week and we got a few in mind for a date, but we just need to find better.. I don't like giving up on people, but as long as we leave their progress record in the area book one day they will accept as we plant the seed with 6 to 10 sets of missionaries trying to grow them in this hot waste land of Jam rock! Cool experience this week: we started teaching a pastor lady named Maris. She has a Book of Mormon and actually uses it when she teaches her church.. HUH! Loves it but won't come to our church.. You gotta be kidding me.. she also has a few of our teaching manuals. She is smart, just lacking that authority so gotta nail that down this week. She works at a shop though and it's almost impossible to feel the spirit there, but gonna keep trying! Elder Wignal and Elder Hayes have a baptism today! Totally awesome, the district is doing swell, just Elder Wilkerson is slacking I guess, haha. Oh ,and a terrible story that we have all got over.. we (Elders ) got chewed out by the Branch President for teaching the law of chastity wrong. He was saying when you have a boyfriend or girlfriend you can't hug, kiss, or hold hands! Whaaaat! You maad! He called Pres. Brown to have us removed cuz we said that's not true.. thankfully President Brown straightened him out and we are back on good terms :) Living in Jamaica is great! We kinda have to train the whole church how to function properly and gosh sometimes I dread going to church.. but its good!! :)

 

Elder Wilkerson

 

Cavalash tree

Motivational desk

94 year old temporary replacement Grandma - Sister Walker