Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Part 2: Week 37--HOME AGAIN!!

Aurelia is home from her mission!! Here are some pictures of her greeting party at the airport, including a candygram welcome sign with a message made of candy bars.







Thursday, May 10, 2018

Part 2: Week 36--Miracle of a Mission--My Report

Sister Aurelia Eve Wilcox
China Hong Kong Mission and New York New York North mission
October 14, 2015 - May 16, 2018 +
Miracle of a Mission
My journey starts in Provo, UT. I prayed and prayed to have a strong desire to serve a
mission-- and it worked! I had many spiritually building experiences that led me to the point of
sending in my mission papers. Later, in Vienna, Austria (on a study abroad), I skyped my family
to open my call. Expecting a call to Austria or Germany (I had been studying German for a
while), my roommates and I were astonished to see China Hong Kong Cantonese speaking, to
say the least! None of my family members had ever served anywhere near Asia (not even in my
entire genealogy lineage documented). I had never heard of Cantonese before. I was surprised
and excited and left with a great feeling of duty and respect and love for my Father in Heaven
and His children!
Hong Kong. It was a whole different world. A new culture-- new experiences. Fun,
adorable people, with a unique way of living and doing things. However, inside the church, it still
felt like home. It was still the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. When in Tuen Mun
Hong Kong, I experienced the gift of tongues so strongly. I remember praying so hard constantly
that I could just speak the language enough to communicate with the people and share with
them the principles/ lessons of Jesus Christ's restored gospel. My trainer and I set a plan to
never speak English. It was after making this plan, and the constant prayers, that one day… the
language just clicked. The vocabulary still had to be learned little by little, but everything else
began to be fluent and easy to communicate. It was truly a miracle for me to witness this answer
to prayers and to be given this gift! To be able to communicate the gospel to the wonderful
people of Tuen Mun (they spoke with an accent and quicker than the people we taught at the
MTC!).
I remember the fun we had as missionaries in Hong Kong. We really enjoyed every
moment of the work, and loved meeting the people who were so cute and full of humour and
life! I remember how strongly I felt the spirit as a missionary here and how strongly I felt a love
for the people. My investigators, like my first convert a-Yan, meant so much to me. I cannot
explain how deeply one comes to love their investigators, after you've shared such spiritual
experiences and growth together. What a choice opportunity to be gifted a fraction of the love
that Heavenly Father has for us. To be able to have that deep love for them. It means
everything to me. I have never forgotten those feelings. A-Yan is so sweet; she means
everything to me. I will never forget the sincere questions she asked of how to know if Heavenly
Father really had heard her prayers, and how to recognize the spirit. She was willing to listen
and to learn. Her heart was prepared. She once asked if she was “dreaming,” because she had
never before felt the love that she experienced when she was meeting with members and
missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She became so happy and
full of light. Meeting and working with her was life changing! 

I will also never forget the things I learned from my trainer. Charity, patience, exact
obedience.. my trainer and I had such an awesome relationship. I love her with all my heart.
She changed my life in so many ways. Even after the mission, we have kept in touch. We call
each other sometimes (though she lives in the Phillippines). The thing that means most to me, is
how receptive to the spirit we were as a companionship. We chose to be exactly obedient. We
had such a love for the people we met. We hummed hymns and lived our missionary lives with
bliss and service. She would constantly be cooking something to give to someone we knew who
needed food.

It is no wonder that through these experiences, I knew I had to return to the
mission field. I had to finish what I had started. The most important part of missionary work to
me, was the spirit that I felt, the love and desire for the eternal salvation for the people around
me, and the gratitude and love I had for my Father in Heaven and for my Savior, Jesus Christ.
I found much healing in the time period home, between Hong Kong and New York City. It
was a much needed spiritual, physical, and emotional healing, and it does not happen all at
once. Healing takes time, and it has helped me learn to continuously rely on/ turn to my Savior
and Redeemer. I have come to know Him more and use the atoning gift of His life and sacrifice
to find that comfort, healing, and a fullness of joy. I also had the blessed opportunity to serve as
a ward missionary in California, Glendale YSA (the California Arcadia mission). Being set apart
in this ward as a ward missionary was another life defining moment. It was a spiritual experience
that I will always look back to-- one that will always turn me to remembrance of the how much
my Father in Heaven knows me, and just how true this restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is. I
remember in the blessing being told, “Sister Wilcox, think of this as the next transfer of your
mission.” The blessing told me how much my Father in Heaven loved me and how there were
people in this area who would find the Gospel because of my efforts. This brought me to tears…
 
Leaving the mission field early was such a sensitive subject to me. My mission meant everything
to me. I would never choose to leave it, while I was in Hong Kong. To hear the words of this
blessing, and then this Brother’s response, really affirmed to me the truthfulness of the Gospel
and the love that Heavenly Father has for each of His children. It also proved how divine a plan
our Father in Heaven has for each one of us. He leads and guides. He is at the helm. This
brother sat me down after the blessing and told me that I had to explain, because he had no
idea what any of that meant. He had no idea why he had said those things. He didn’t know
anything about my background. Our loving Father in Heaven knows us; He has a plan. It is
awesome that through living in this area and serving my calling fully, some of my friends in this
area came to know more of the Gospel and come to church, and one young man that my friend
and I found after church one Sunday as we were visiting less active members, ended up joining
the church. Through this, he also discovered he had a friend who was a member. His friend
began to come to church as well. I am so glad that we followed the promptings of the spirit and
taught the Restoration, even though we weren’t full time missionaries at the time. We are
always missionaries. Let us always strive to be disciples of Christ and to serve love and teach
as he would. 

#RepentanceIsCool #AgentForChange. It was amazing being called to NYNYN
Mandarin speaking. Partly, because part of me was really drawn to NYC Mandarin speaking
(the only other place I was drawn to for visa waiting was California Arcadia). This is because
one of my home teachers in Provo, UT who had really helped me and encouraged me in my
process of returning, had served NYNY Mandarin speaking. It meant so much to be called here,
because it was yet another testament of Heavenly Father’s awareness and love for me and for
each individual. In Chinatown I learned to trust. I learned little by little to have the spirit with me
moreso and to recognize it. I found healing. I think one of the most amazing things I
experienced as a missionary in Chinatown was I began to have a vision and hope for the future.
I found joy in remembering I would have a future family… And learned to empathize with others
more. I have so much gratitude for my family and for ability to return to serve fully. I had been, in
a way, stuck before coming here… and serving has opened so many doors and windows-- it
has brought me a light and hope for the future, and an excitement for it. We witnessed so many
miracles in Chinatown, and talked to everyone on the Subway and in the streets! I remember
when we were planning for Li Hai Yan’s baptism, and were so worried about how we were going
to get light refreshments for it. We wanted her to feel loved and special, and felt that it would be
important to bring something for her baptism all the way up in Lincoln Square. That very
morning, one of our investigators showed up at the church with two huge boxes of sandwiches.
Tender mercies like this, testify of how our simple prayers are truly heard and answered.
Teaching a cute investigator from Macau in Cantonese with Sister Tai was also amazing… It is
so special to see these converts become part of the humble Chinatown ward-- to be embraced
with open arms by loving members in a cute little office building in Manhattan. The Gospel is for
everyone everywhere. What a blessing to be granted a part in the work of Salvation! This is His
work.
In New Rochelle I found joy. I learned to find joy in each moment. As a trainer, I wanted
to distil faith and diligence into my sweet companion. In praying and working to do so, I also
found a strong testimony of it for myself. We have seen so many miracles. It has been a
blessing witnessing the light that comes to our investigators as they learn to change and to
repent; as they implement the joyous truths and commandments of the restored Gospel of
Jesus Christ into their lives, it is a great blessing to witness the happiness and unity that comes
to their lives and families. Seeing our recent convert Mamale enter the temple, and then give a
tear-jerking talk in Sacrament about how much it meant to her to do baptisms for her
grandparents… The testimony she has grown and conversion she has experienced is amazing.
She loves the scriptures and has a habit of reading, pondering, and applying. She teaches her
friends and family truths of the Gospel and invites them to learn and to attend church and watch
General Conference. Being in the temple all together and seeing how much it meant to Sister
Au and Mamale was such a faith-building experience. It really touched my heart! And the
members who love these converts and came with us to the temple, I will forever be grateful for.
I am so thankful for Angela and Aya’s families as well. Meeting both of these families
separately were undoubtedly spiritually guided miracles. Watching these families blossom in
friendship and conversion has been a gift! Seeing Abraham receive the priesthood and be such
a strength to his family and watching Angela give a Family Home Evening Lesson (where she
asked what makes us happy, and picked scriptures from the Book of Mormon to read together
and expound upon) has meant so so much. The spirit at their baptism and confirmation was so
powerful... it was truly a miracle to see the way their hearts were prepared, and to see and hear
their impressions of the spirit afterwards. Angela said she felt calm and a deep feeling just
sinking into her heart. She felt the spirit. And now they have that gift of the Holy Spirit to be with
them always. It brings me a peaceful feeling of spiritual confirmation just remembering what it
meant to her. It will always mean something to me.
What a blessing; what a gift to be a part of this great work. It is so much greater than us--
what a blessed ability to witness the finding and conversion of God’s beloved children. To
witness the joy of the Gospel as it is infused into their lives. I am so grateful for the strong
spiritual experience I felt in the temple, allowing me to know that I was truly to stay in NYNYN
mission, and that the Lord would have me to train Sister Au. Heavenly Father knows every one
of us perfectly. I’m thankful for the tradition my trainer set of always sharing your love for your
trainer and the good things with your trainee. A tradition of love and gratitude for all the good
and the miracles and the spiritual experiences. It is a process of gratitude and spiritual
experiences that will never end, and sets a spiritual and hopeful expectation for the rest of your
mission, and life. All of my companions have been blessings to me; they have each come at the
exact time I needed them; they have helped me to learn, to grow, and to love more fully and to
be loved. I am thankful for the members and leaders who love and lead by example. They have
supported and been a part of this work in every aspect. They are always lifting. May we strive
to do that as we serve those around us for the rest of our lives. What a beautiful mission
experience-- it has set a path for the rest of my life. I am hopeful and grateful and excited for the
future. I love this Gospel and am so thankful for my Redeeming Savior, Jesus Christ, and his
healing, guiding WAY that he has provided. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Part 2: Week 35: Hello Goodbye

感謝天賦賜給我這個很偉大的經驗。And many more to come. 

Miracle of a mission. To witness Angela and Elisha get their marriage license, and then see Angela give a lesson at family night , and pick her own scriptures without even being asked to do so... She asked "what brings you happiness?" And then shared Alma 22:15, Alma 29:9, 2 Nephi 2:22-25. It was lovely. True conversion! Blessed to be a part of this great work. Blessed to get to know these good good members and share restorations with them, and see how powerful that simple message of truth is for them to hear. What a blessing to know of the restoration and the plan of Salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth of our salvation -- our eternal life!! With our families forever. 


We have had so many miracles and funny stories that it overwhelms me to think of trying to write them... So I am leaving at a simple email.

 I love this gospel. I'm thankful for the way things have all worked out as I've put my trust in Heavenly Father. I'm so excited for the future. I am thankful for our blessed leaders who minister to the one and are a great example of faith and love. I'm thankful for my Savior and Redeemer. My perfect brother. I'm thankful for the way he has provided. For the book of Mormon which is evidence of these things ! For the holy spirit and the light of Christ ; these gifts have been given to us so that we can know with a surety for ourselves. I'm forever grateful for Jesus Christ's atonement and saving grace and the ability to return to serve my very fullest as a missionary to bring others the truth that has brought me a fullness of joy-- a lasting joy. I love this gospel. I know it's true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen 阿們。

韋姐妹


Angela at hers and Matai's confirmation.


Missionary disguises 



Newlyweds




With members

Sister Missionaries
Zone conference and transfers




Part 2: Week 34--Overwhelmed

Sorry that I haven't had much time to write. Just overwhelmed with investigator drama !! Lol!

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Part 2: Week 33--Home soon

Busy getting ready to come home but trying to stay focussed. Just three more weeks.

Angela and Elisha went to get married but got there at the wrong time apparently. So we will postpone the baptism until the next week or two. Sister Bandeaux wants to postpone it until May 6th for some reason . I will try to be logic but faithful at the same time. I have to be an influence for good!

There is good in the work. I'm thankful for the spiritually guided transfers I've had in the mission field. Consecrated missionary work!

Joseph said, "It takes 3 days to get baptized, right? Because I'm looking to get baptized." He's so cute and sincere (his mom is a recent convert who just moved here from Missouri. He and his mom read the book of Mormon together! They will be getting a ride from Rye on Sunday.

Sister Wilcox
韋姐妹

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Part 2: Week 32--Always miracles, even if unwritten

Angela and Elisha have a wedding planned for next Saturday and a baptism planned as well! The relief society are helping put together the wedding. Angela also brought a friend to church.
Mamale is going to the temple this Saturday with some of the ward members and with her own names. 

My new companion is really great and funny. 

Sister Wilcox

Friday, April 6, 2018

Part 2: Week 31--Who rocks New Roc? (我)

Area is doing great! Mamale brought her friend Purity to conference. She loved it. We taught her the restoration in between sessions and invited her to watch with the question if this was Christ's true restored church on earth and to say a prayer in her heart. Afterwards, she told us the answer to her question was yes! But that she needed to learn more! It was such a miracle, and we are so thankful that this sweet recent convert us actively sharing the joy of the gospel that she found, with those she loves. We are glad we taught her how simple missionary work is when we went street contacting with her! She says she is so excited to support her friend as she learns more of the truth of Christ's gospel!!

Angela and Sister Sainbert's family came to general conference as well. It was so sweet to see them all there. And we are so happy to have learned that Angela's family visiting lead to Elisha (her husband) getting the help he needs (to live gospel fully)!! Her and our prayers have been answered. Heavenly Father is bringing everything into alignment for this family. It is amazing to be a part of the work. We now plan on having Bishop Neilson meet Elisha and Matai and Angela want to do everything possible to still be baptized on April 22. They are so grateful and even remember the scripture stories we read them (in church they get excited when they recognize it)! She is on a road trip right now to North Carolina.

General Conference was so powerful! I loved the talks on receiving revelation. 

My new companion, Sister Bandeaux, is so sweet and fun! Love her so much already. I recognize that God leads His work and gives divine revelation and inspiration to His called leaders. Staying in New Rochelle and being with these missionaries feels right. I'm at peace. And my companion also went to BYUH! I also, cried and couldn't stop telling Sister Au how much she means to me when I found out she was going to Chinatown. I love her with all my heart! She will always be special to me! So many amazing and kind and diligent missionaries in this mission. Thankful.

Sister Wilcox
韦姐妹

pics are more snow, cute trainer and trainee Sister Wilcox and Au ,  Sister Wilcox and new companion Bandeaux, the Chong family, the Sainberts, and Angela and members. Love them all so much. 再见 💓💓