Preparation

Fam--your emails are incredible. Incredibly motivating and powerful. It makes me happiest to hear about your experiences in life that bring us closer to Heavenly Father. I see that each of you are staying as closely as you can on the path of righteousness and doing your very best to be successful in the `work of salvation.` I love that! You are amazing, I love you and am in awe at your righteousness- your desire to do the right thing! Thank you! I was thinking about Stake Conference and having an area authority in our home. How awesome! We have had so many opportunities to meet some pretty awesome people and learn from them. We have been blessed. Did the boys enjoy it? I remember sitting at the dinner table when we were younger and mom and dad would say, `how would you act if the prophet or apostle were eating dinner with us??` haha  Mom were you with Sister Leavitt most of the time?? How was that? I dont remember that experience with the sacrament at the care center. I wish i did, how old was I? Hey guess what! Elder Ballard is coming to our mission on Feb 20. And Elder Rasband! Isn:t he `over` you dad?? I hope i get to talk to him. Super exciting. The work is moving forward! It is so neat to see and be apart of.

RURI:
isnt that CRAZY that I saw of pic of Ruris mom at grandma and grandpas house?!! My companion doesnt believe that it is. I SWEAR it is, i will send you the picture. Did she stay at grandma and gpas house?? Crazyyyy.
We got to spend quite a lot of time with Ruri this week which was AWESOME. I`m telling President Yamashita that he cant transfer me until she is baptized. ;)Monday was fun- I was so glad to have her in the church with other members having a good time. We went to her restaurant and ate Ramen, then she asked us to meet her on saturday. She drove us to her daughters restaurant, we waited for about an hour to eat, then spent another hour and a halfish. We had so much fun talking and laughing with her, we werent able to talk a lot about church/prayer but we gave her a book of mormon that i had highlighted, hopefully she will find comfort while she reads. I have so much hope and faith that a new page is turning in her life. This is what is going to bring eternal happiness, this is what everyone on earth needs! I know Ruri is going to take this opportunity and accept Christ, I know she is going to apply the atonement and find what she may be missing. Sweet is the peace the gospel brings. After that, as she was driving us back to the church, she asked if we wanted to call the elders and all go bowling together! hahah i was surprised she wasnt sick of us! Mineta Shimai told her we couldnt (okay i:ll be honest i probably would have said yes..haha i want to spend as much time as we can with Ruri! She cant meet anyother days than saturday!) MOM im so so so thrilled you went to dinner with Yuri! I asked Ruri if she would be coming to Japan, she said no, i think she is pretty sad about it.

I was in the MTC when Elder Ballard spoke to us. He said to let your families be serving the mission with you. Let them be apart of your experiences and your work and encourage them to also participate in missionary work. That is so special to me --I feel like you guys are apart of this journey with me, Mom and Dad i still wear your rings everyday. ;) I think of you often, how dedicated missionaries you were and are- that is how i want to be. Shay i think of your diligence and happiness as a missionary and back home. You have so many Christlike attributes I hope to more fully develop. Parker- when is am discouraged or sad, i try to be more like you- you make the best of any situation and always include others. I try to think of others and forget myself. Jaren- I think of your humility and charity- two of the best characteristics of Christ. You are so awesome.

I am so glad to hear that Grandpa is doing better. This week, the woman i call `Okaasan` went to the hospital, and she seemed so happy to see some friendly faces. I wish i could be comforting Grandpa in the hospital, but I`ll do my best in japan until I can see him again.

PARKER AND JAREN-- Im glad to hear you are both looooving piano. ;) The Elders` investigator is a professional pianist, we went to his concert this week with some members in the ward. KEEP PRACTICING piano is so cool.

Evangeline is slowly progressing. She has been noticing good things in life and relates it to God. `Maybe God sent you to help me and be my friends.` We love her. Ahh i hope she can see how much the gospel would bless her life.

KINJIN KINJIN WE FOUND A KINJIN! One night we were OYMing and talked to a 16 year old girl. As we started talking about the church, she was very interested. We asked her if we could meet with her one day and talk more about it. She said, `can you tell me more right now??` So we taught her how to pray and basically taught her the first lesson. THAT NEVER HAPPENS it was amazing!! we are meeting with her on tuesday and we have been so excited!! That night she texted us and said she wanted to pray but forgot how and she asked us to teach her again. YAYYYY PLEASE PRAY FOR KON CHAN! :)

This week, I studied President Eyrings talk from conference called, `The Preparatory Priesthood.` It is sooo good. please read it. It talks about the aaronic priesthood as preparing for a greater priesthood. It also talks about preparing for life in general. As I have been on my mission, I realize how beneficial preparation is. I wish i would have been more prepared for my mission. I heard that all the time but i didnt really know how to prepare. Parker and Jaren-- you can come on your missions with a little testimony, and go home with a powerful and incredible testimony. But think about how more influential you will be in the lives of God]s children if you come with a firm and strong testimony. As a representative of Jesus Christ, as one set apart to preach His word, I want to take this as an opportunity to invite you to prepare. I had the desire to prepare, but I dont think I put forth enough effort. My advice to you is to develop a strong and special relationship with Heavenly Father. Do anything you can. Of course the best way is to read your scriptures and pray. But if reading is hard right now, FIND OTHER WAYS. Listen to efy music, watch mormon.org vids, make some cooking for your friends. Anything that will bring the light of the gospel, please do it. Dont give up. Pray and pray and pray until you know that God is listening. Pray until you can talk with Him, not to Him. Parker, as you are making major decisions in your life right now, let God decide. He knows what is best for you.

I love you guys. Heavenly Father loves you. Pray for missionary opportunities, I know they will come!

Love, Sister Wilcox