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

 

September 30, 2013

You will have to give Brad a shout for me! A quote he said in Priesthood pops up a lot sometimes.. he said,"the harder you work in your mission, the hotter your wife will be", haha! good memories, good times! Wow! I can't believe 24 degrees! I was missing the snow, but I think I will be fine. I was freezing last night with 2 sheets and the blanket you sent at 70 degrees. It was a cold night cuz of the rain!!!  Yah I have been listening to conferences as I workout in the mornings. You know we try to be obedient, but I can't lie I started to listen to the radio when I worked out in the morning.. cuz I thought I needed to have that drive! I was terribly mistaken, but I'm glad I could learn this lesson on my mission! That day for missionary work was terrible, I repented and found out that working out to General Confernce talks is just as good if not better! Enlighten my body and mind! Some scriptures I applied to that was Alma 26:12 I am nothing but through Christ I can do all things! And Mormon 4:15 where they were driven to do great works by anger, same as I was with my workout, but in the end it worked out better to be driven my good, uplifting things!! Learning so much from my district and my companion!! We had a good week for teaching but 0 at church! Something we need to focus on more! I feel good about this week cuz we have bigged up the prophet so much! But we gotta keep people coming!! The teachings are all there, just waiting for them to act!! But church was good with the members starting to step up, take responsibilty and recognizing they are responsible for hastening this work. We teach and baptize but we gotta have people to teach. We don't know people! They do! we need their help! Hopefully T. Monson can drive that into them!! Interesting things that happened this week: Rastas are racist, gotta have a black Jesus. A bum rubbed my belly while begging some money and I got chased by a drunk guy who thought my name was Joe! Was a rough week, but looking forward to the next especially now that I have food and don't have to do the water diet for 3 days... but hey it's a good way to get in your head that you MUST budget! Much love! Have a great week, and enjoy conference!!!

Sept. 23, 2013

Oh boy, what can I say 'bout this week?  Interesting, long, found some cool people, bike problems, that about sums it up! Ha, just kiddin', it was a great week! Did my interview for Samantha, the Negril Elders' baptism this week! She is awesome! So prepared! I asked how she felt about the Book of Mormon and she bore a powerful testimony. I felt the spirit strong and it was a wonderful teaching and learning oppurtunity! Did a trade off with Elder Belnavis, another Jamaican which is way cool. Our zone is half jamaican and half white and I'm the only one from Utah! Weird! But Elder Belnavis taught me a lot about charity with the people we teach! Great oppurtunity! Negril rains more than Sav! Hard to believe, but true!! We are on another 3 day streak without rain, guess winter is coming soon! Can't believe it is almost October and General Conference two weeks away! So excited! We actually watched a clip from Thomas S Monson in a lesson with a 7th day Adventist! I'm learning really quick that Bible bashing isn't the way to prove them wrong! Bear testimony! They got agency, if they want it.. great, if not, there is 59,999 other people in Westmoreland that might!! But it really grabbed his attention and he loved it! We found a former investigator this week as well! His name is Oniel. The missionaries before us really only gave him a Book of Mormon, but he is so ready now! Just need to find him a job so he can get a taxi to church! We met with him cuz he called us actually. So the next day we went to the church, taught him the restoration, committed him to baptism, read the book of mormon, and was going to commit to reading the plan of salvation pamplet before next meeting.... but he didnt want to ... he wanted to learn about it Now! So we taught the next lesson! The following day we laught lesson 3 and Word of Wizzum! This guy is just taking it in! Church is the only issue, gotta get him to church.. can't be baptized without it! This week we also got to meet with Annyia's mom. We just felt inspired to drop in and she was home! Sat down had a great discussion with her.. when baptism came around how a powerful lesson on the priesthood she wants to learn more.. but does not believe in a 2nd baptism.... so still got to soften her heart there!! But I think she will come around. Annyia was really bummed, but we are just gonna try focusing on her helping her mom see how much she is changing and really learning from us teaching her! We saw Sally yesterday.. we really gained her trust.. she is learning math right now so we helped her with that. So now we do about 20 minutes math before a lesson and then a lesson. Service then a lesson! I'm all bout that! So that's cool. You reallly do grow to love these people you serve and want what's best for them in any way you can help! It's so great! We don't really have anyone progressing at this point due to them not being at church! But just gotta keep looking up! Something will come out of our efforts soon I just know it! Steve was getting so close to baptism, but is in Canada right now with family. Will be back in like 3 weeks! Hopefully he can see the temple and fully functioning church while up there! That's the goal I hope.. he knows he needs to! He said he had to or he might lose that desire! He's the man! But crazy story of the week is probably being stopped by a crazy man who thought he was a police officer and was playing a flute as his departure and coming up to greet me. He told me I got to be careful and that these parts are nothing like I have ever seen before! He also directed me through traffic.. super weird.. but I just went with it! The lil town thought it was so funny, but it was alright i guess. We watched a safety video for district meeting due to all the accidents happening so everyone is fixing up their bikes and apartments. President Brown says we are to bring safety back to the mission.. so consecration, we are leaving nothing out! Almost like we are in the army.. I guess we are! God's Army! It's been a good week nonetheless looking so very much forward to the next one! The days fly by! I seriously can't believe how fast it is going! Time flies when you're working hard! Love you!

Elder Wilkerson

September 16, 2013

Well the week was very long considering the details I will share later. First, soccer, haha funny story with the soccer.. we played some futbol with some guys on friday at friday night activites and I guess cuz I'm white they thought I couldnt play.. so at the beginning this kid says.. k white boy you are goin to pass the ball me. I was like alright black boy.. haha then we schooled them! They were extremely astonished that white boy could play ball! Ha, so we will play every friday now :) We did have a great week though for the work! Helping people increase their faith on every corner!! Thankful for the things I learned from Elder Elliott! Really love to sing at appointments now, but I got my new comp on Thursday night, was in a tri-panionship til that night so not much time to reflect on the situation which is a good thing... but I'm thankful for Elder Elliott and his great example on the atonement and how very important it is! He will be so much more prepared when he comes back out!! Elder Pear is great though!! He hasn't gone to the MTC yet so I'm Double Training him! He actually is going to the Dominicain republic next transfer speaking Spanish so hopefully this is a good kick start to his mission!! Got 3 weeks to get him a baptism! Haha, I think we can definantly do it! Conducted an interview for the other Sav Elders this Friday and have another one this week and hopefully we will have one the following week! So the district is starting to get with the program and is doing great!! We found some solid investigators this week as we have a goal to see one member everyday in the week to build trust and get referrals or just to try to help them in their missionary efforts!! We had 3 at church and a few progressing! The baptism went well, the water ran out so we went down the ocean! It was sweet, poured rain right after!! Definantly cool, hope the water runs out on ours as well, but either way is great! This week was very long, but got many wonderful things happening! Hope all are doing well and enjoying the wonderful rain that I experience every day! Love all much! Have a fantastic week! 

Elder Wilkerson

Smile :)

September 9, 2013

GOOOOD MORNING! What a week it has been!  family is of number one importance that is why its in the restoration and its one of the easier things in the gospel to talk to people about!! take it all back to the restoration and the rest flows from there once they understand that!!  we are on day 3 with no rain! first time in Sav that i have not seen puddles on the road! yes, its hott and humid especially at night. but the plus side is no puddles, easy to see the pot holes, and not as many mosquitoes!! plus all the beautiful nutrients of vitamin D!!  yes, im not so shore what the big deal is with the bike problems and car problems but something i have learned as we are walking instead of biking with great speed people can talk to us more and easier for the lord to put people in our paths to talk to!! on bikes we dont really take those oppurtunitys so it is not needful that mine elders move swiftly from appointment to appointment saith the lord. haha but we can talk bout bike problems later!! haha cant even imagine what it will be like getting back home in the snow! yes the companion is doing Great! learning soooo much from him as we learn together, and i try to teach him the few things i know!!

 

Now for the uttermost spiritual side of our week, it was slow in lessons but every single one of them I would say was worth our time or efforts to prepare for! Elder Elliott looooves to sing soo something we have started doing this week is before every lesson is sing a hymn! It sets the tone for the lesson and is super spiritual!! Loved it! Starting to love singing, we sing everywhere we bike and you could say it is helping bring down my pride cuz I always before thought, no we aint singing in public, people will think we are weird. thats something I am trying to get over. If I'm being good doing the things I know I should who cares whos watching, what they are thinking, and how they react! We are disciples of Jesus Christ!!

 

STEVE, we have seen twice this week; he has told us he knows the Book of Mormon and Joe Smith was a prophet, now just trying to find time to teach him all the doctrine! But he is also leaving to Canada for a month so we might have to hold off on him for a minute. Dang it!

ADRAIN, found him when we got into a hard core bible bash, that's when I realized I really have learned a lot, but that's not the point, bible bashing is terrible. Tried to have the spirit there, just didn't work. The kid we were doing it with wanted us to bring something to the table to dicuss and he would talk bout something. He was soo convinced and into it til his friend came and he started the bashing. Later found out he is 7th day... kinda the problem there. But some people were listening in and one was Adrain and had an awesome desire to want to know more. We met him next day at the church, gave him a church tour and had a powerful first lesson. He said "give me sometime to read but I want to learn more"! He worked this Sunday, but hopefully next week we can get him out to church! A prepared person indeed!!

ANNYA, started to review with her, found out she really doesnt have a real testimony of the B.O.M. so recommitted her to read and pray bout that and then we just got to talk to her mom once she has a testimony there!

ONEIL, found him on the road. Has a B.O.M already and just really wants to learn more. Has studied with a lot of faiths and has a great desire to learn! Man he loves to talk but he is smart. Just another sign that the lord is hastening his work in Jamaica, no doubt bout it.

KAREEN, just need to see her more. Called her every night to read but she just works a TON! Going to see her Tuesday, she has to commit to church or probably drop her!! Despite how amazing her cooking is and how much we love her!

ALSO saw many less actives this week. I have strong hope for them. We both felt sincere love and desire for them, the singing and wonderful lessons.. I do believe they will come back and many said they have friends they want to bring with them.. GREAT!!

One of the less actives in perticular is Sis Walker.. reminds me of back home with Sister Erickson. She is old, sweet, can't walk so that's why less active, but we take her the sacrament and she has a powerful testimony and gives amazing prayers! We love her! Yesterday while singing hymn 86 we were crying, so powerful......

 But to finish my email,  now for the Temporal for the Week!! We had an appointment that we were bound to get to! It had been raining for like 5 hours- I shouldn't say just raining, it was like a blizzard, but RAIN!!!! Anywho, it flooded the canal and drainage ways so one of the main roadways was flooded, houses near by that weren't on blocks were flooded!! Like 30 inches of standing water on the road!! So school was just getting out, taxis couldn't get through so they had flat bed semis with 50 or so kids on each load and other people moving through this little river that was bout quarter mile long! We decided to ride through it cuz we were already wet! It was tough to pedal but when the semis came smashing through it made like tidal waves that we had to fight as well!!! It was a lot of fun, wish we could have got some photos! But didn't bring the cameras!! Some other fun things of the week is painting with Steve, painted his room purple and ate lunch together just talking bout things. Working out every morning at 4:30! Somehow still able to manage throughout the day!! It gets easier as you Go!!! haha OH and cant forget about the weekly bike problems!!! This week no tire problems, but my handle bars snapped of at the neck! So I had to grip the neck going all western on it! and had my handle for brakes in the right hand. That's how I rode from the far part of our other long stretch area! But it was great attention grabber and we talked to lots of people!!! Ha, many people are learning nothing stops us! We go out rain or shine, bike or broken bike, all day everyday!! It was a long eventful week, but much needed with fun stuff or the spiritually draining days would have killed us! One thing I have really been learning on my mission is patience. My bike breaks and I don't even get mad, you just get it fixed and keep going! No Problem Man!! So that's kinda my week in a wrap! Love you all! Work Hard, Play Hard!

Elder Wilkerson

99 aint Good Enough!

 

Sept. 2, 2013

Hello!! Well,  typing is taking a long time today. School is back in down here  instead of 5 people in the lab there is bout 40! Well this week has been an eventful one indeed. Picked up on Tuesday with Elder Groesbeck, we stayed in junction again with the Elders there! Since it was our 6 month mark we bought a liter of kerosene and Sister Newcomer came over and the 3 of us burned ties, drank bag juice, did the cinnamon challenge( which Elder Groesbeck I think is the first man in history to complete it!!!), and a challenge to see who could last longer eating javenaro peppers -  super hot!! Super dumb idea!! Wednesday was transfers, went out to eat. Elder Groesbeck bought this cake and thought  it tasted funny so I took a bite.. goodness it was slaughtered in rum! Not our fault!!! But transfers was great, I got Elder Elliott! He is awesome, we clicked well right at the first!! He's 20, from Cedar and was in the army before coming out. Knows his stuff -  a lot more prepared than I was!!! Excited to see the work we will get done together!! The day we left transfers didn't get to teach cuz the truck bearing went out on the left front tire so we had to wait for a tow truck on top of our 5 hour drive so didn't get home til 10:45!  The next day was rough too, we went to leave and his back tire wasn't even straight so we straighten the rim. We get out and are having a great day, then the rain caught us like mid day, appointments fell through so we went out and exercised our faith!! soaking wet! We biked up this hill til prompted to stop at this shop, bought some bag juice... nothing really happened until we're about to leave and this lady(Sophia) walks in and we start talking to her! We eventually get the shop owner involved and talked about the plan of salvation and got some return appointments! Faith booster!! We will lead us to them or them to us! Sunday we went to see Otis and got caught in the rain again, he ended up not answering after we confirmed it. (by the way its bout a 50 min bike ride out there!) So we are headed back, puddles all over the road, can't see the deep pot holes.. I blew my tire out up in Petersfield....took about 2 hours to get back to the house.... bummer day, but you know that's just satan working on us cuz he knows once we get going we are going to tear Sav up!! Excited for this transfer and this up coming week, gonna work hard physically and spiritually! Much love to all! The gospel of Jesus Christ is true! Have a wonderful week!!!

Elder Wilkerson

99 aint Good enough!

New companion - Elder Elliot