A Great Week in Lota

Hello dearest family! Thank you ALL for writing me this week. Because you all did it and it filled my soul with joy! I also appreciate the photos from Jenn (you all know how much I love your families and watching your children grow), and the celebration in a Mexican restaurant haha. I realize that there's not really any authentic chilean food around there, but thank you for the intent. I was there in Spirit.

So I apologize profoundly because once again I'm going to be really really lame and not write much this week. I do apologize, these last few weeks have just been very busy and complicated. Right now we're in Lebu doing some errands for Elder Wood's Visa so we have to get going home now to get to work! Lots of travel!

It's going really well in Lota and it feels great to be working really hard every day. We've found a TON of new people to teach and we're excited for next month and hoping for a lot of baptisms. This week we've been really focusing on the Restoration as our main finding focus and it's worked really well. It is, after our, our singular message to the world, and this week my testimony of it has grown a lot.

I have a few requests, Mother dearest, mother mine. So today, sadly, I lost my wonderful camelback water bottle that I bought in the MTC, so can I request a new one for the next pacakge whenever it is? It's the kind that has a pop up, bite-down, drinking bit. The bottle is transparent with color, and has like a straw thing inside of it. I think they sell them in Walmart but if not definitely in a sports store like Dicks or something. Also, I think the time has finally come to ask for my other gray suit. The blue one's getting pretty worn out and one of my pair of pants is still sad from having had mold growing all over it (loved that old house). so if it's posible, that would be great to have.

Other things. Mom, I dedicate you a song. You might have to search for it on Itunes or something, but it's called Bless my Son by Nashville Tribute Band and it will make you cry.

Also, I recommend that everybody look for Patterns of Light on mormon messages. It's a fantastic series of videos with Elder Bednar and helped me learn a lot about personal revelation.

Well that's all for now! I love you all and am so greatful for your letters and your examples of faithful service in Christ's church and for your dedicated discipleship that you show through your actions. Have a great week!

-Elder Wilcox

Feliz 18!!!

First of all forgive me for not capitalizing anything. the shift key is really finicky on this computer and i've given up with it. that being said, feliz 18!!!!! its a beautiful day in lota and there's a lot of buzz and excitement in the streets as the people celebrate chilean independence day. it smells like barbacue everywhere and everybody's making empanadas. we celebrated today buy playing a sweet game of futbol on the brand new court they just finished building next to the chapel and sharing a delicious pichanga afterwards. no we're finishing up the p'day and wondering what the work is going to be like after 6pm with all of the drinking and fiestas. well we'll see what happens. surely there is a good family out there who doesn't drink and needs the gospel and will welcome us into the house with smiles and alfajores. that's the hope anyway.

so like i mentioned in the last email, yep, we moved houses on saturday. yes, im still zone leader with elder wood. but we left the disgusting mold filled cold apartment (pics to follow) for a delightful sun filled house in the center. for your info dad, we live in the corner of serrano and caupolicán. we love our new house!!! (pics also to follow)

The work is going really well. we're working our tails off with elder wood and we're excited to see the results. God has blessed us with a bunch of new good investigadores, and it's going to be a good cambio with him. i really like him a lot. i feel like i can be myself around him, we get along great, and we work hard. things are awesome.

Well that's all the time i have this week. i apologize. i really needed to write some converts this week since it had been a while. i leave you with my testimony that this work is true. that god is our heavenly father and that he has a plan for every oone of his children. i know christ lives, is our savior, and the only way we can find true hapiness and salvation. I love him dearly, and strive to emulate his example, and invite all to do the same. i live you now with awesome words of elder holland in his ces fireside talk this month (BIG thanks to anna for telling me about it. it made my week)

You never leave your religion at the door. Not ever.

Cool. lots of love to everyone and may you have a blessed week!

Elder Wilcox

Here We Go Again

Well, the time has come for cambios! Here's the scoop:

I'm staying here in good old Lota, and I will be joined by Elder Wood, a nice Canadian who was the companion of Elder Salas recently. Elder Aparicio will be heading to the middle of the mission to a small branch in Los Sauces, where he will be Branch President. An interesting new adventure and challenge for him and he's super excited.
I'm pumped as well because three of the missionaries that arrived with me will now be zone leaders, so I'll be seeing more of them. Cool! Elder Ramírez, my first son, will be training for a third time, and he will be my district leader! It's going to be a great zone and I'm excited. And it'll be interesting starting it all off with the festivities coming up for the 18th of September, Chile's independence day. Gotta say, Chileans are more patriotic than we are I think. They get three days off work for the occasion and start preparing a week early. It's like a mini Christmas, only less God and a lot more booze. Well, maybe that doesn't really count as patriotic, but they sure do like to celebrate! I'll let you know how the empanadas turn out.

Unfortunately I don't have much time to write this week. It's been crazy with the cambios and Elder Aparicio getting ready to leave and us getting ready to move houses! Yikes! Thank you all very much for writing. Elder Gooden, no worries about not being able to write hand written letters. Believe me, I understand completely. I will be happy reading your regular weekly letter.

Anna, hey! Sounds like a very major specific line up of classes. That's weird, I forget that when one has a little more time in university, one begins focussing in on the major. Are you really that much far ahead of me...? You're a junior! How was starting off this year? Has everything gone as you hoped? I sent off a letter to you, but I still don't have your new address, so I sent it to Oregon, sooo you'll get it...as soon as possible! I request your new address please! Thanks for writing :) Good luck this week!

Mom and Dad and fam, fun to hear about all the commotion with the grand kids. They must be so big now, I can't wait to see them!

Well that's about all I have time for this week. But I'm doing very well. I'm happy and hopeful. And my testimony continues to grow that God loves us and answers our prayers. I know he's answered mine and I'm so grateful for it. This is his work, and it's a marvelous work and a wonder. Have a great week everyone! I love you very much!

Elder Ross Wilcox, Esq.

With Elder Bowman who's leaving. He was in my first zone and a really fun elder who I'm going to miss

With Elder Lusk, my third Zone Leader in the mission, who had a very large impact on me in my first months in the field. A great example to me who I'm also going to miss a lot

We went to Subway in Concepción and to my delighted surprise, 20% Missionary Discount! Vamos Chile!

 Elder Aparicio burned a few photos of his ex girlfriend, haha.

 All ready for bed and cozy in the new blanket. Thanks, Mom!

In Good Hands

Hello hello, beloved family and friends.

Thank you once again for all of your wonderful letters and words of love and encouragement. Every week they are a treasure to me.

Right now I'm writing from the mission office. My companion is on his way back from Santiago right now with two other Colombians taking care of his visa, so I spent the day with two of the Elders from the office in the zone of San Pedro. It was a great P-Day, we had an awesome activity, but now I'm pretty tired and ready to get back to my sector and get a workin'. (In answer to your question, Ashley, the temple of Chile is in Santiago, about 6 hours in bus from Concepción). I was kind of bummed at first that I wasn't going to be able to go with him to Santiago, but now I'm glad I didn't go. I would have lost a lot of sleep on the bus, and a great zone activity, for very little time being there.

Happy to hear that life is going well in good old Georgia. I find it so funny and charming that after a while everyone seems to make it back home to the peach state. I'm happy for all of you to be able to be together. And congrats, Heather, on the new calling! A nice surprise, I'll bet, but definitely an opportunity to learn and to bless many ears and hearts with the gift of music. Serve well, sis!

Things are going well enough here in Lota, we're still working with Yasna's family, although these last two weeks have been a little difficult for us in finding new investigators, and now our teaching pool is pretty shallow. But gotta keep moving forward. I know without a doubt that the Lord has prepared people in our sector. The goal now is focusing on being worthy of the companionship of the Holy Spirit in every moment and following it's guide.

One thing I've been thinking a lot about lately is what it means to be a servant of the Lord (and this applies not only to missionaries, but to all people, as we must all serve God). I've decided that being a worthy servant means being a worthy vessel. This goes back a little bit to the email I wrote a while back about putting off the natural man and doing what God wants, and not what we want. It's the same principle, but I thought of an example:

A lot of times we ask God to guide us, or we want him to use us as an instrument in His hands, but then we either aren't obedient enough or humble enough for him to be able to do so. I think of a remote control (realizing, of course, God's infinite love for us, and that we are not simply robots to Him, but stick with me). When we want to control the TV, we expect the remote control to do exactly as it is commanded. If we want to increase the volume, we expect the volume up button to do it. If we want the movie to play, we expect the play button to function. This is the purpose of a remote control, and it must work according to our desires. Now what would happen if there were a short in the wiring of the control or something, and all of the sudden the buttons we expect to do one thing, do something completely different. Wouldn't it be frustrating? We press mute, and the channel changes. At this point, the remote control ceases to serve its purpose. It no longer helps us in fulfilling our desires and must be repaired.

How often we are so much like that remote control gone haywire. We as humans are rebellious people. God gives us commandments, and we break them, because we seek not His will, but rather our own. And in the process we lose so many of the precious blessings that He can give us. As a missionary, this example helped me to realize that in order to be led by the Spirit, I must be obedient. I cannot rebel against God even in the smallest way and expect Him to use me as an instrument in His hands for the salvation of His children. It is impossible. When I teach, my words must be his words, given to me through His Holy Spirit. My thoughts must be towards Him, and my actions must be His actions. As a representative of Jesus Christ, that is my responsibility, to do what He would do if He were in my place, because - forgive the trite comparison - Jesus Christ was the perfect remote control. He carried out perfectly the will of the Father and did nothing save it were correct and in harmony with God's desires. He was perfect in love, in charity, in example, in obedience, in humility, and His greatest desire was to carry out faithfully His role as Savior of the world for the glory of the Father. And indeed, Glory be to the Father for the indescribable miracle that is the life, death, and resurrection of His son.

That's the kind of person I want to be. And the kind of missionary I want to be. I want to be like Christ. And while I know I'm far from reaching that goal, and will never reach it in this life time, every time I think about Him, I can't help but be grateful for His example and think, "He did that for me." And I am comforted by His promise in the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 28:9-10, that if I desire to bring souls unto Him, then my joy will be full, and that in time I will be just like He is.

I'm so grateful to be a missionary. It's so hard. At times I'm tempted to think it's too hard, but I know all things are possible for God. And like a stone in the river, tossed and turned, I am shaped by Him until all the edges are gone. I've got a lot of rough spots, but I'm in good hands. The best hands.

God bless you all this week. Keep praying, keep striving, be believing, and everything will turn out okay in the end.

Much love,
Elder Wilcox

Eyyyyyy!

Lo siento, querida familia, hoy día no voy a  poder escribir una carta muy larga como la de la semana pasada, ya que el Presidente Martinez me desafió a que no escribiera por más tiempo que la establecida hora. Me cuesta tanto no decirles muy detallademente todo lo que está pasando en mi vida y en mi mente! Pero bueno, voy a intentar a keep this short. Here goes.

Yasna got baptised!!!! Woooohoo!! It was a beautiful  baptismal service, one of the best of my mission, and there was a great turn out from the ward. Annnd Yasna's husband, mom, two sons, and a few friends were able to attend, so that was awesome. Currently we're teaching her husband and son as well and we're hoping they'll get baptised too in september. I have this crazy dream: Yasna will stay active, her husband and son will get baptised this month before I complete a year in the mission, and then after a year of being active members of the church, they'll go to the temple in September of 2013 and when I'm on my way home from the mission I'll be able to go with them and watch  them get sealed together as an eternal  family! That's my dream anyway, and I'm praying that it works out that way. But for now, we're teaching and helping them keep moving forward. They really are a wonderful family.

We're also teaching a good man named Eduardo. He's about 50 and he is a professor of math. He's got great intentions, he's very very smart, and understands the Gospel theoretically, but not in his heart. His faith is weak and has trouble making commitments. But he always reads the assignments we give him and is very receptive. The biggest issue is he's living together, and needs to get married. We had a great lesson with him yesterday and his faith is growing.

Other than that we're pretty short on investigators right now, so we gotta get out there and get looking, because the field is white already to harvest. The Zone Coronel is good too, and we came a lot closer to our goal for this month than last month, so we're progressing. The elders, the majority of which are quite new (that's weird to say, I'm  pretty sure I'm still new), are growing in their testimony and becoming more aware of the power and authority  of their calling, and their responsability to open their mouth and declare the  Gospel to everyone. Things with Elder Aparicio have been good, and we're constantly learning to work better as a team. Overall, I'm happy, I'm healthy, and I wouldn't rather be anywhere else in the world. (I am however, happy that the beach trip was a success, and I LOVE the pictures. I promise I'll be there for the next next one.)

I leave you with  my humble testimony that Christ lives. That he is literally our savior. Our savior from sin and torment, from being cast out of the presence of God. His way is the only way, and I'm so grateful to God for creating this beautiful plan and making posible the rescue of all of his children by  way of his gospel. It is that gospel that we preach and teach to everyone, and it fills me with joy. I know I'm in the right place, and doing the right thing. I love you all very much and wish you a wonderful new week.

Con mucho cariño,

Elder Wilcox

P.S. Mom, I read an awesome article in the Liahona from January of this year about staying astonished. It's called Rediscovering a Wonder of the World, something something. I highly  recommend it.

The lake outside our apartment.

 Yasna's baptism!!!

 Birthday gathering for Elder Aparicio. We made empanadas and afterwards there was cake.

 The beautiful beach of Lota Bajo.

Here Comes the Sun

da da da da! After almost a whole week of rain, the rain has stopped and the sun has finally decided to show his face. They say that August is the most difficult month here in this part of Chile, when the most people get sick too. It's constantly back and forth between heat and cold and rain and dry and it's very unpredictable. But luckily, I've stayed pretty dry, and have avoided sickness. The only tricky part is our very very humid and moist apartment. It's a trick every week keeping my things from getting moldy. I can't leave anything sitting around for too long, because even books will start to get fuzzy on the binding, and I've even had to wash my english scripture case because of the mildew build up. But we're hanging in there, anxiously awaiting the summer.

It's been a good week, and the work is progressing in Lota. We have a baptism coming up this weekend which we are thrilled about, because it will be the first one in the Lota Branch in many months. Hopefully we can get good turn out from the members. Her name is Yasna, and her brother is a recent member of the church. She has a little baby named Vicente and another 10 year old son named Matías. She's had a lot of doubts throughout her preparation for baptism, and a lot of fear of taking this big step in life, but in the last few days her faith has grown a lot and she feels a lot more ready for saturday. Sweet!

Samuel, haha good hearing from you buddy. And happy to hear you and Heather made it safely back to the homeland. I wish the very best for both of you in this new chapter of your lives.

Mom, awesome to hear about the power and reality of revelation working in the process with the book. The way you are always in tune with spiritual promptings and the voice of the spirit is an example to me and I desire to be able to develop that ability to always be guided by the Lord in all my doings. Thank you for always sharing such wonderful experiences with me. Not to mention I'm pumped for the party in 2014!

Dad, very cool about the conference with Steve Martin. I remember watching a program about him on TV with you one day and it amazing me how multi-talented he is. I would still like to read that book about him you always told me about. Sorry I never read it before. I'll definitely do so after the mission. I imagine that your calling in the Church now has you very busy, but I'm also sure it has helped you to learn a lot about the Lord, His work, and yourself. About not aspiring to leadership or responsibility in the Church, i never did/don't either. But if there's something I've learned on the mission, it's that being a true, christlike leader has very very little to do with aspirations or natural ability. It has everything to do with humility and willingness to do God's will. When God called Moses, he didn't want to be his representative. He said he was bad at talking and wouldn't be good for the job. But he was humble, and God assured him he would put the words in his mouth that he needed to speak. I know that if you've never aspired to leadership in the Church, then that is exactly why God has called you to it now. Looking back on my life, when I lead Men of the Mill or whatever else, I always thought I was the right one for the job because I was the most talented or the most able, and now I realize that I was in the wrong, because that's terrible leadership. A good leader is one who everybody thanks when things get better because of him. But a great leader is someone who doesn't get thanked for anything, because when things get better, everyone thinks they did it themselves. He gets lost in the work. I think of Christ, how he was a man of sorrows, he was lonely, and unappreciated. But that's what made him a great leader, his perfect humility. I love the example in John 13 about him washing his disciple's feet and then saying that the servant will be the master and vice versa. I guess what I'm getting with all this is that the mission has really helped me to change the way I look at true leadership, and helped me understand why God calls who he calls. I'm so proud of you Dad for your willingness to work humbly in the ministry to which you have been called, and I know that with Christlike service, you will be a great leader. I look up to you very much. Something that I love reading that helps me remember the sacred nature of the priesthood (and especially the High Priests) is Alma 13. I recommend it. I love you Dad, and I pray for you success as well.

Ashley, hang in there, sis. The summer can sometimes be pretty lame, but try to make the best use of your free time now preparing yourself for the mission. In the down time, Satan will work very hard to unmotivate you and distract you from what's really important. Try to keep youself busy with productive and edifying projects and service, and you'll be prepared. I'm proud of the way you prepare your classes so diligently every week and I love hearing about how seriously you take that calling. I know you're doing a great work already, teaching the living water to thirsty people, and giving food to the hungry as well hehe. In this class that you have to prepare now, since it's a lot of material, I invite you to think less about just covering material, and more about how specific principles will help your class to be better people. In the MTC, you're going to learn a lot about teaching people, not lessons. It's the same in all Gospel teaching situations. The lesson material is there as a base that prepares the spirit to testify to the hearts of the hearers, but the most important part is the application, and the spirit will be strongest as you invite your listeners to act. There's a wonderful article about teaching for conversion in the Ensign of july I believe. I highly reccomend it. Let true conversion always be your aim as a teacher. Way to go for being so dedicated, and thank you for always writing me :) Let me know who things are going with the mission papers!

Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing that wonderful experience of service. You truly are such an example to me and I'm grateful for the way you are always trying to help people and do the right thing. I'll be praying as well that Beth can soften her heart and start to attend more frequently. Keep it up!

Joseph, Cómo estás allá en el gran CCM? Cuánto tiempo te falta ahora? Ya estás por salir, verdad? Gracias por las cartas que me enviaste, recibí cada una y me ayudaron mucho. Agradezco tu amistad y tu ejemplo en esta gran obra, igual que tu consejo. Sabe que yo te admiro mucho a ti también y estoy orgulloso por conocer a un misionero tan bueno como tú. Siempre esfuérzate por ser humilde en todas las cosas y seguir el ejemplo del Salvador. El mundo aprecia talento e inteligencia, pero esas cosas son secundarias en el evangelio. Lo que importa es si realmente has entregado tu corazón a Dios, porque eso es la santificación (Helamán 3). Procura ser diligente pero siempre manso. Te quiero mucho, amigo, y sé que es un gran misionero y que ayudarás a muchas almas a conocer la verdad y recibir la remisión de sus pecados mediante el bautismo. Dios te bendiga!

 Anna, Wow! No puedo creer que ya estás a punto de entrar la universidad otra vez! Que vuela el tiempo! As it is said in the classic film what's up doc, don't be nervous, just remember, everthing depends on this. Haha but seriously, I know it will be great. New experiences and adventures always bring great times, although being a little freaky at first. I know God's always there to comfort you as well. I still love that favorite scripture of yours that you shared with me a while back in John 16 right? Paz os doy, no os la doy como el mundo os la da. It's definitely true, and it's something that can't be counterfeited. Yes, please keep me updated on all of the happenings of school life. Let me know what classes you're taking! And if you happen to run into Robert Tanner, one of the Asistents here who just got home from his mission, tell him I say hi! Thank you for always writing. You're my best friend as well :)

Well, that's my email for the week! I'll let you all know how the baptism went! Bye bye!

Love,
Elder Wilcox

9 terrible pens I bought on a bus for 2 dollars. Fantastic deal.

The mission really wears out the feet.

Time for some odor eaters.

Elder Zuñiga cooking up some Milanesa.

Hermana Silvia is a fantastic cook. I plan on having her write down all of the recipes she knows so I can take them back home and show everyone some classic Chilean cuisine. 

It loves me!

And it's happy to see me! (This was our delicious lunch with Hermana Silvia and her family today. We go there on p-day a lot to cook up delicious things with her.)

A New Era

Well well well here we are again, another week down, and yes another week closer to the one year mark in the mission. Not that I'm counting, but it really is weird how fast the time flies, and yet it seems life time since I began. I'm truly excited for what's happening in the mission these days. We're seeing a lot of changes in the administration of things, and new focuses as we continue to try and adapt to the present needs of the mission and the missionaries. We're prepared for big things, and I really believe that soon we're going to see great things happen. There are going to be more baptisms, more worthy sincere converts, who will then remain active and steadfast in the faith. I'm excited, and hopefull.

And impressed, by the wisdom of those the Lord has called to guide His church in these latter days. As I continue to serve in the mission and in positions of leadership, I continue to learn and apreciate what it takes to be a leader in the Lord's service, and have a greater respect for the sacrifices that so many people make every day because of their testimony of the truth. I always want to be willing and worthy to serve in whatever capacity the Lord calls me to in the future, and I want to be able to give Him all that I am, to love Him more than these (John 21). Today we had a wonderful oportunity to receive instruction from the new Area President, Elder Arnold, who gave a training meeting with the leaders from both the Concepción and Concepción Sur missions. I won't go into details, but it was astounding, and the power and authority (and above all, love) of that man was a testimony to me of the inspired nature of this Church, and the involvmente of the Lord in it.

We're doing well now here in Lota with my companion. Things aren't perfect, but we're both learning, and I think it's been a great experience for both of us so far. We've learned to manage our pride more and put ourselves in each others shoes. I'm grateful for all of the support and advice from everyone who wrote me this week. Thank you, mom, for your words of wisdom, and Jennifer for sharing your experiences. I'm grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, to know that all of these things happen for a purpose, and it is for our good. Christ commanded us to be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect, and it's a pleasure to know that He's on my side in that endeavour, and that here on Earth, we're all in this together.

The work is going well here in Lota, there's a lot to do, and day by day we're finding more people to teach, which is exciting, because I love being booked all day. We have a baptism coming up for a young mom named Yasna and potentially her son, her cousin, and her cousin's son. It won't all be on the same day probably, but we're working on it, and they're progressing a lot. It'll be the first baptism in a while here in Lota from what I understand, so we're pretty excited, and we're trying to help the members be excited too. They're kind of asleep right now, but we have wondeful leaders who are working hard to help them wake up.

Well, that's all I have time for this week. Thank you all for writing me. I always love to hear from every one of you and am grateful for who you are. Have a fantastic week, and always fight the good fight, for Christ is on our side!

Elder Wilcox

P.S. Thank you, Mom, for sending the package! I haven't received it yet, but surely will next tuesday, as we have mission conference in Concepción.

Beach adventures last P-Day in Playa Blanca

 The universal baptism symbol, appropriately pointing to the ocean.

With Elder Phelps! Oh yeah I never told you! He's the new companion of Elder Zúñiga, who also lives in our house, so once again I'm together with my first ever mission companion

 Special shout-out to a special person.

With Elder Ramirez, who also got transfered up here to Coronel a few weeks ago. He's in Arauco about an hour away from Lota, so it's pretty cool getting to see him a bunch again

This is Umberto the crab, he was a smelly crab (in the Lota market, which goes on every day, and it's awesome)