Week 6

Thank you, Grandpa, for keeping me updated on the family and doing the blog for me. I love your mission stories and advice. Thank you everyone (Aunt Kim and Aunt Debbie) for your emails through "dear elders". I do read them all and especially love your little stories. I will try to respond to a few but I mainly love reading them.

General
It has been fun seeing so many people that I know at the MTC! I actually tried to get a picture with a couple of them so I'll forward a picture if they send it to me (I mooch off of other people's cameras!) We are Skyping actual people in Hong Kong tonight and teaching members a lesson. I am very excited. My companionship taught an actual investigator on Saturday (a BYU exchange student from Hong Kong). We felt the spirit so strongly. I shared a personal story with her that I thought would help her. She is such a sweet girl. I told her maybe we will see her again at BYU after we come back from our mission. She said she would be in Hong Kong then but she gave us her information! I would love to see her there. Her name is Nikki. Oh, and I realize that we also have Viet Nam elders in our zone. Since we have the largest branch at the MTC, we are basically taking over for Thanksgiving. We say all the prayers for all the special meetings. I will be saying the closing prayer at the Humanitarian meeting in front of 1200+ missionaries.

I bought bright orange earmuffs because I get so cold every morning. Everyone says I look like a pumpkin. The mountains are gorgeous. When I walk to my class or to the temple, I feel like my life is complete. It is just so beautiful. Gamyaht hou leng (Today is beautiful) Grandma, I wrote a song about the gospel! Thanks for the advice. Sometimes it is nice to spend the last couple of minutes of the day at the piano writing music to wind down. I figure it would be a great way to write down testimonies as well. My district jokes about how Mandarin is on the bottom floor and we are on the top floor of the building (telestial, terrestrial, celestial) since the two languages are such rivals (which is harder, sounds nicest). I accidentally pushed a Thai elder over in his chair during lunch. It was so funny. I don't know sounds like OMG. (Ngoh mh ji). To say "my older brother is taller than that older brother" you would say "Gogo gohgo bei ngohge gohgo gou." Hence, tone are everything. Ching cho? (clear?)

I had a dream during my nap today that one of the elders in my district threw peanut butter at me. You might wonder why peanut butter was in my dream. I think my favorite thing to eat here lately has been the chicken patties (without the sandwich, then add tomato slices and pepper) and carrots with peanut butter!! yum! During one of our classes, our teacher was doing a teaching demonstration about tithing. He was showing that the church doesn't just spend the money on whatever they want, so he started making it rain $$$ but accidentally said "jipsauh saihlai" receive baptism. It was hilarious. Note: the church does not bribe people with money to get baptized. Oh, and I just realized that we have two celebrities in our midst. Apparently one of our teachers was a TV star in Korea before his mission. I'll find out more details on that later.

Spiritual
My goals this week have been to turn outward and stay positive. I think that no matter how you feel or what goes on in your life, it will all be solved if you turn outward. If you focus your life on loving and serving others, you will no longer be focused on your own worries or "problems." You can notice more fully the blessings around you everywhere and sincerely want to help those around you.

Moroni 9:10--what not to read to an investigator. A Laotian speaking elder in our branch did that accidentally.

I challenge everyone to find a way to be more like Christ! Enduring to the end (2 Nephi 31:16, 19, 20) consists of following in Christ's footsteps with exactness for the rest of your life. Having unshaken faith despite your trials (Ether 12:6). Always finding an attribute of His to follow; always finding service opportunities; always loving as He would. I have been asking in prayer, "What lack I yet?" He will make it known unto you. Even just the little things. I hope that each of us can look to His life example and live so people can see Christ in each of us. Mosiah 5:7-8. Take upon you the name of Christ. Have obedience and know that this is the guidance that is merely there for our own salvation because of His immense love. Have His countenance. Moroni 7:48...we shall see Him as He is because we will be like him. I can testify of Heavenly Father's ability to change our very hearts and attributes. We simply need to ask in faith and be willing to change. And what a blessing it will be at that day when we shall see Him, having become like Him. Alma 5:26...Can ye feel so now?

I love you all. I love this once in a lifetime opportunity. Of course it is hard, at times more than others. But I would not want to be anywhere else.

Sister Wilcox

Here's a preview of what I'll be seeing in Hong Kong, courtesy of a Elder who just arrived there from the MTC.

My roommates (some from another Cantonese district) and my class with one of our teachers Sister Kuok from Macau (short with the long hair_.

Here I am with my companion and with my two men teachers Brothers Smith and Johnson and another with Sister Kuok.

Oh, I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!