Hello hello hello errybody! 

Last week in the MTC here I come! I am beyond ready to get out of here and to hit the streets and teach people!

I feel like the weeks blur together and I'm not even sure what happened this week so I'll try to remember...

Talking to my family on Monday was thee best! I love you all so much! Even though I missed some of you, I still love you!!!

Sooo.. one cool thing from this week: we walked through the MTC with the mission of sharing a message in Tagalog to the workers there. My kasama and I talked to a guy named Randy who works in the kitchen and turns out he's not a member. I actually was able to bear my testimony to him in Tagalog and we invited him to continue reading the Book of Mormon after he told us he has one. Whenever we see him we yell "HI RANDY" and he gets this big grin. I love people.

I went proselyting on Wednesday in the Manila mission and to be honest, it was awful. The language barrier is real. My kasama wasn't really letting me talk even when I did know what to say so that was hard. But the people are so nice. At one point she was talking to a couple and their kids were just kind of standing there staring at me so I started talking to them and they were smiling and laughing and were happy that I knew even a little Tagalog. Have I mentioned that I love the people? well, I do. We didn't get to teach an actual lesson because everyone seemed to be not home so we did a lot of OYMs and walking around. I now have the weirdest tan line on my foot because I was wearing my jelly sandals... haha. I learned a lot though. Even though it wasn't as incredible as last week. Not every day in the mission will be ideal and it's gonna be hard so I'm glad that I got to experience that.

It's crazy to think that one week from now I'll be out there. I'm so ready. I know I'll pick up the language much better out there. I've learned so much since being here and I've grown so much. I've never appreciated the Atonement of our Savior more and I've never felt the love that God has for each and every one of his children so much before. I KNOW that God loves us. I KNOW that He sent His son to atone for our sins and to feel every sorrow or pain that we ever have felt or ever will felt. Our Savior has been there and He is there for us. The thing my testimony has grown the most on is prayer. God truly is listening. I KNOW THAT. Without a shadow of a doubt.

Anyways, I love you all and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you and the role you have in my life, whether large or small, you've made an impact on who I am and where I am. Mahal mahal kita! Sobrang mahal!

Sister Wilkins

All Things Come Together for Good

Hello hello hello!

This was yet another incredible week out here! But I'm definitely ready to get out to the field.

So they split up my trio because Sister Ukukala from the last departing batch had to stay back because her mission wasnt ready for her. So she is Sister Loyola's kasama and mine is Sister Bell. It's been really good because Sister Bell and I are on the same level of Tagalog pretty much so we've been able to work together on it. We now teach just us two to our investigators so we have to speak up more. It's hard but I've learned a lot from it. It's very humbling. Plus I'm freaking out inside because they speak a different dialect in Legazpi and I can't even learn this one... But it's all okay because I KNOW I can do it. It will just take time. The Lord has called me here for a reason and He also called me to learn this language.

Wednesday was the best day of my whole entire life. We went to the temple and bore testimonies again and that was great. Then we went to the temple housing right next to the MTC and we had to knock on doors alone and go in and teach a lesson. I was scared beyond belief. Finally I just walked up to a door and knocked and this adorable 13 year old girl answers. I introduced myself and asked if I could teach them and she let me in. There were 3 other girls in the room. I talked about how God has a plan for us and about how much He loves us. It was super hard in my broken Tagalog, but they still understood me. Basically it was incredible and the Spirit was so strong. They wanted pictures with me and then as I was leaving, the girl who opened the door took the ring off her finger and handed it to me and said "for remembrance". Basically I wanted to cry. I hugged her really tight. I love the Filipino people. Seriously. The ring says love on it and I haven't taken it off since. Also I'm a little concerned as to why I have the same ring size as a 13 year old filipino girl. It was incredible. AND THEN we went proselyting. Like into the real world. My mgakasama were Sister Ukakala and a sister from Quezon City North mission whom I can't remember her name. ANYWAYS, we rode a jeepney from the mission home and walked to our first investigator's house, brother Samuel. His wife is a member. I cannot put into words how good these people make me feel. I know like zero Tagalog, so I'm sitting there trying my best and he's just smiling at me and nodding. He asked me to explain a scripture from the Bible to him and I actually did it. Like what even. It was so incredible. There was some serious Taglish going down, but he understood what I was teaching. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL. yeah. Then we walked to a less active's house. As we were walking, this group of three like 7 year old boys started following us and looking at me and pointing and saying "magandang" which means beautiful. Sometimes I'm okay with being white. Plus the sisters got a new contact because this old guy walked up to me and wanted to know where I was from. Being white isn't all bad. I love it here so so much. The people are amazing. So loving and so generous and so humble. They give so much even though they have so little. And there's nothing cuter than a little Filipino kid.

I basically cannot wait to get out into the field. We're the Senior Batch now and it's so weird. It feels like I got here yesterday, but it also feels like I've been here for eternity. I want to go teach real people and be out there doing the work of the Lord. I'm so so grateful to have been called here and I know it's where I'm supposed to be. 2 more weeks and I'm outta here. I know with all of my heart and soul that this Church is true and that conviction gets stronger every single day. I still struggle loads with the language, but I know it will come in the Lord's time so long as I put my effort in.

I love my life and I love you all. Can't wait to talk to you, my pamilia, on Sunday!

Mahal Kita!

Sister Wilkins

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Fwd:

I guess the mission equivalent of getting a phone number is getting an email. Bahaha. I love Filipinos! Enjoy this picture of us! haha this was the morning we got up at 4 am to say goodbye to Elder Crichton so don't look too close at me.

Re: Pictures!

Pictures!

Pananampalataya

Kumusta!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! And I don't think I'll ever be able to say that enough. So get used to it. Oh my heavens this week was AMAZING. Every day is when you're a missionary.

So on Sunday we had our last Sunday with the Senior Batch of missionaries who were leaving for their missions on Wednesday. We had an activity where we all stood on one side of the room and were each asked if we wanted blessings from Jesus Christ. With every answer, whether yes or no, Elder Carrington did 5 pushups. Everyone was sobbing by the end of the lesson because we saw him suffer for each of us individually. It was a parallel to Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. He suffered for our pains and sins whether we want to accept the Atonement or not. He loves us so much that He suffered for us individually. It's hard to explain this sort of thing because the Spirit was just SO STRONG in the room. We are so so blessed.

So along with the Senior Batch, one of our elders, Elder Crichton, left for his mission because they don't teach his language here. He'll learn it in the field. We got up at 4 am and had a testimony meeting before he left. So now my district is my trio and Elder Bautista. We have to teach our lessons all four of us cramped in a tiny room with our investigators. It's hard but Elder Bautista is full Filipino but he grew up in Canada and he knows way more Tagalog than any of us so that's a huge help. But it's just hard to balance between four people.

One such lesson was with our investigator Sister Alma. We talked about the restoration and about Joseph Smith. My part of the lesson was to bear testimony after we sang Joseph Smith's first Prayer in Tagalog. Everyone was crying so it pretty much ended being a solo by yours truly. I just want you all to know that I KNOW that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet of God. I know this because I prayed to Heavenly Father and asked; and through the Holy Ghost, He told me. I know it. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. He restored this church to the earth. As I bore testimony, that knowledge grew stronger. And I could see in the eyes of my investigator that even though she couldn't understand my broken Tagalog, she could understand that the Spirit was telling her what I was saying was true. We then committed her to read Ang Aklat ni Mormon. I just... love the gospel.

This morning we were able to take our first temple trip. The Manila Temple is beyond gorgeous. The Spirit was so so strong. I loved all of it. The Filipino workers were incredibly sweet the entire time. I sat in the Celestial Room and cried for like 30 minutes because I just was overwhelmed with how incredibly blessed I am to be here among these people and how blessed I am to have so many family and friends back home and throughout the world supporting me and loving me. God is good to me.

After the temple, we greeted the new batch that came in. I was pretty anxious for them to come because ever since the senior batch and regular training missionaries left on Wednesday, there have been literally 17 missionaries in the entire MTC. It's been so quiet. I'm excited to get to know the new batch. I'm a Sister Training Leader so I get to help out a lot with them and it's such a blessing. The native missionaries are the sweetest. One of them is headed to Phoenix!

Ok, funny thing that everyone keeps telling me. Apparently Wilkins is a water bottle brand over here. Every time I meet a native and say "ako po si Sister Wilkins" they laugh and say "oh, did you know that Wilkins is water?" I just want to see some evidence of this.

Oh, so Pananampalataya is the word for Faith in Tagalog. Before I left that was one of the words that I saw. I was terrified because, well, look at it. But not only have I mastered that word, I've gotten some harder ones. There is no way on earth that I'd be able to do any of this without the help of the Lord. I love seeing how much I've learned in the past two weeks. I'm so grateful for the Gift of Tongues because it is SO REAL!

Welp, I love you all so much! Tell Steph I'm rooting for her and I can't wait to see pictures of Baby Dallas! I'm so so so happy! 

Kita Kits!

Sister Wilkins

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Thrilla in Manila

Kumusta!!!

Holy heck I love being a missionary! I have two weeks to report on since last friday was not really a p day. SOO here we go.

Here are some things that I've learned so far:

1. Do not take strange Australian medecine no matter how horrible you feel

2. Tagalog is the most beautiful language but it's SO HARD to learn

3. Filipinos drive insane but they never get in wrecks

4. The Spirit is the real teacher

5. Fish eyeballs are not as squishy as you'd think

6. The Jacob district is the best district

7. I wish I had an accent

Let me expound.

1. So in my district we have my mgakasama (companions - I'm in a trio) and two other elders. Elder Chrichton is from Australia. I have a bit of a cold and I wasn't feeling good at all, so he gave me some of his medecine and my body didn't like it. first it thinned my blood so when we played volleyball at gym I got tons of broken blood vessels and bruises on my arms. Then it made me shake like a chihuahua. I'm fine but it was so weird. It's normal for a 6'2" elder I guess... haha but a good thing that came of that was I asked for a blessing and Elders Chrichton and Bautista gave me one. It was such a beautiful blessing and I felt the Spirit so so strongly. Heavenly Father takes care of His children.

2. I LOVE TAGALOG. Like for reals. It sounds like a mixture of Spanish and Mandarin.Which sounds really weird but it's accurate. I know that the Gift of Tongues is a very very real thing.

3. Driving to get our Visas was an adventure. Filipinos are the defenition of agressive drivers. ALL OF THEM. I would never be able to drive here. I'd get killed. But they're so good at it. They're completely fearless.

4. We taught an investigator who turned out to be our teacher. completely in Tagalog. I know so little that it was just like.. stress beforehand. But despite our flipping through our English to Tagalog dictionaries, the Spirit was present in every single lesson and I know that she felt that what we were saying was true. Even though she was acting, you could tell. No matter how little we know, the Spirit is the one that does the talking.

5. The food here is so good. Like really. Today for lunch we had fish. Like a fish that was caught and then cooked. Nothing else. The Aussie dared me to eat the eyeball so I of course had to do it. I was expecting it to be squishy and what not but it was like eating a bead. but weirdly good.

6. My district is seriously incredible. We all just get along so well. My companions sister bell and sister layola are the sweetest and funniest people and I love them to death. The Elders are hilarious but immature. We all joke around so much but when we're learning the Spirit is definitely there.

7. Aussies, New Zealanders, Pakistanis, Samoans, Tongans, Filipinos. I'm one of very few Americans. I just want any one of their accents. They're all so cute. The Filipino accent is theeeee cutest. My companions and I always talk in their accent when we do roll call and throughout like everything. I am in love with the people here. Words can not describe. Plus they love me. when I first got here, everyone was looking at me and at the hotel we stayed at the first night, the workers wouldn't let me carry my bags but everyone else was okay to... haha and a lady stopped me to tell me that I'm beautiful. I feel pretty special and blessed to be here.

So much has happened and it's hard to say everything in such a short amount of time but I just want everyone to know that I love being a missionary and that I KNOW that the church is true and I KNOW that our Father in Heaven is very very mindful of each of us and He loves us beyond our comprehension. I have felt that love so many times while being here. This is the Lord's work. This is where I am meant to be right now. It's hard, but as Elder Bowen of the Quorum of the 70 who came and spoke to us this week said, "Life gets tougher and tougher, but you get stronger and stronger."

Mahal Kita!!

Sister Wilkins

P.S. Chris, Alfredo says hi. I sat next to him on the flight from SLC to LA. OH! and this Japanese lady on my flight from LA to Tokyo who spoke very very little english was asking me about the Book of Mormon. She looked it up on her phone and asked me if that was what I was reading. I love the gospel and I love sharing it! 

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