News of Coming Home!

Yesterday, we received a letter in the mail that informed us that Hermana Wilbur will be coming home on March 4, 2015.  We are so excited to have her home again, although she will be sad to see her mission end. 

Hermana Wilbur has learned so much on her mission.  Enjoy some quotes from her recent letters:

"I am grateful for my mission, for my areas Owensboro, Fairdale and Hurstbourne, for all the companions I have had, for my mission president, for his wife, for the person I am becoming, and so much more. But more than anything I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for God, my loving Heavenly Father, and for their love for me. "

"Life is so much more easy with the perspective that the Gospel brings. Trials are softened when we realize that Heavenly Father has a plan and it is probably to teach us something we need to learn. "

" Something valuable that I have learned on my mission is praying to Heavenly Father to evaluate myself. In the world, it is easy to compare yourself to others. But on those hard days, I love closing my day in prayer and talking with Him about how I did. Fortunately, He is patient with me and usually helps me to know that I did what I was supposed to and if there are ways I can repent and improve. So this week I really realized that I should not blame myself for when something disappointing happens. Rather, I should realize that Heavenly Father has His perfect plan and I need to align myself to it. It is then that I do not get discouraged but rather have respect for the agency of others and gratitude for the plan of God."  

Thanksgiving Day

Surprise....Hermana Wilbur found another puppy to love!

 

Some New Pics from Kentucky!

Enjoy some new photos of Nicole:

Kentucky has already had snow!

Cold....but happy!

Zone leaders needed the car....Sisters get the van!!

Approaching Her Second Winter in Kentucky!

Hermana Wilbur recently left Fairdale, Kentucky and is now residing in Hurstbourne, Kentucky.  Most likely, she will be there the rest of her mission.  In her weekly letters, Hermana Wilbur shares her testimony of love, faith and prayer.  Before attaching some fun photos, I will share some of her words:

"God knows us perfectly.  He loves us.  He is our Father.  He has a plan for each one of us.  What knowledge could be greater or more sweet?  All of these things in our lives come down to one thing:  Love.  Heavenly Father loves us, so He sent us here to experience things.  As we experience things, we learn.  As we learn, we come closer to God.  We feel of His love more in our lives.  And as we do, we are able to help other people more."

"This week in every one of my prayers, I asked first that I may be able to be worthy of more of the Spirit and that second, that we may be led to someone prepared to hear the gospel.  As I left the house each day, I had confidence that I had the Spirit with me more strongly and I had no doubt that we would find someone prepared that day.  As the prophet Ammon said in the Book of Mormon, "I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom...Yea, I know that I am nothing as to my strength I am weak; therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things...""

"I think the biggest thing I have realized is that God works for the ONE.  The worth of ONE soul is great in the sight of God.  As a representative of His son Jesus Christ, He puts me where I need to go to help ONE of His specific children...I am grateful that God works for the ONE.  I am grateful for the ONES I have been blessed to meet."

Enjoy some photos of darling Hermana Wilbur:

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

Congrats to Hermana Wilbur as she passes her one year mark!

Please enjoy some photos and quotes from our missionary:

"On Monday, we were out with a member who is deaf in one ear. She was driving us, and when we told her to make the turn, she didn't hear and then somehow ended up on the freeway! Of course, there happened to be an accident on the freeway, and the next exit was not for 2 miles and traffic was crawling. We called our investigator that we had a lesson with, and turns out that he wasn't even there! So here we were, stuck with this wonderful member in a traffic-filled freeway, but somehow it was super funny to me how ironic it was! Finally when we got to the next exit, the member said, "We're going to Waffle House." WOOHOO"

The summer has been hot in Kentucky, so we are ALWAYS grateful for Dairy Queen.

From Hermana Wilbur..."With a new transfer comes a new planner, and the front of my planner has a cute picture that I got from LDS.org that says, "Scatter Sunshine." I just liked the design of the picture, but yesterday I found out that it is a hymn too! I liked the words to verses 1 and 3: "In a world where sorrow/Ever will be known,/Where are found the needy/And the sad and lone,/How much joy and comfort/You can all bestow,/If you scatter sunshine/Ev'rywhere you go," and "When the days are gloomy,/Sing some happy song;/Meet the world's repining/With a courage strong./Go with faith undaunted/Thru the ills of life;/Scatter smiles and sunshine/O'er its toil and strife." I am excited to scatter some sunshine here in Fairdale for the next six weeks! The weather may be getting cooler, but the work of salvation is just heating up!"

Enjoy some more pictures from our Crazy Missionary in Kentucky:

Where's there's a puppy....there's Nicole!

Hermana Wilbur with her trainee!

Churchill Downs

"Last Monday, we went to Churchill Downs, where they do the Kentucky Derby! It's so awesome! We took a tour and went through the museum. I was dying; I want to come back and actually watch a Derby! Did you know they have been doing the Derby for 140 years straight, haven't missed a one? Around the stadium, they have the names of all the horses that have won the races over the years. One of the horses, Secretariat, won the Derby three times! One of them he even won by 35 horse-lengths, which is a huge distance! Remind me when I'm home to watch the Disney movie about him; his heart weighed 21 pounds, while normal horse hearts weigh under 10! Wowza!!!"

The Missionary Becomes a Trainer!

Hermana Wilbur continues to thrive in Louisville, KY.  She writes in her letters every week how glad she is to be on a mission and serving her Heavenly Father in the great state of Kentucky.  In August, she was asked to train a new sister missionary.

In Hermana Wilbur's own words:

"There are a couple of scriptures that I love to describe the feelings I am having about [my mission]. It is from my favorite chapter of the Book of Mormon, Alma 36:20-21."

" And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains.  Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."

 Please enjoy some photos Hermana Wilbur has sent our way:

Hermana Wilbur was asked to train a brand new missionary

AMERICA!

The District at the Kentucky Fair

Hermana Wilbur trains her first newbie!!

Hermana Wilbur with some other sister missionaries

The biggest spider she has ever seen!!

She found a New Mexico quarter!!!

You know you're in Kentucky when....

Hermana Wilbur and her Companion

Hermana Wilbur had never seen a blimp before....kinda scared her!! LOL

A sure cure for a hot Kentucky day!

Look how long her hair is getting!!

Hermana Wilbur with some fans!

Hermana Wilbur with a favorite investigator

Hermana Wilbur with a favorite member

Wonderful Missionary Moments and Pics!

Here are a few excerpts from Hermana Wilbur's letters...

"...We were not having much luck with getting in to homes to teach. As we were walking to try another family, we almost passed by a man who was outside with his son. We went back to talk with him, and at first, it just started off as a typical contact. We were able to share a scripture with him and have a good overview with him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We asked to end with a prayer, and after we prayed, we looked up to see him with tears in his eyes. The Spirit was strong. We then asked if he knew anyone else that would benefit from a prayer or this message, and he paused for a moment, and then said his brother would."


"... I was battling feelings of self-doubt and depression, so I said a prayer out loud by myself at the end of the day before we went to bed. I love saying prayers out loud. I really feel as if Heavenly Father is right there with me, listening and answering me. It's a great conversation. So I talked about everything in my prayer, my feelings, investigators, my personal progress, etc., and I listened too. The best part though was towards the end. Just as I was kneeling there praying and crying over these hard things, an image came to my head of Christ kneeling in agony and paying the price for my sins, my pains, my heartaches. I felt Him right there next to me, kneeling there with me, feeling these things with me. I received comfort, and I know I am not alone. Those times in which I feel I can't go on, I am reminded that someone better went through this before me so that I do not have to go through these hard things by myself."


"...I am just so grateful for the opportunity to be here on my mission. I am learning so much. Especially about how much Heavenly Father desires to be in our lives, and how much influence He does have when we seek Him."

Enjoy some pictures from our missionary:

The junior companion gets to drive....she's feeling cool!

Hermana Wilbur and Companion with little guy

July 4th Fingernails!

Happy July 4th!

Many Miracles in Louisville!

Hermana Wilbur reports that she is seeing many great things happening in Louisville.  I will summarize her "miracles" list:

• On May 28, Hermana Wilbur attended the Kentucky Temple.  She hasn't attended a temple since she was in the MTC in Mexico.  She loved her time in the temple.
• Hermana Wilbur and her companion tracted out an inactive member who was thinking about returning to church.  The missionaries' appearing at his house unexpectedly confirmed his commitment to return to activity.
• Being led to a family of four who are spiritually prepared to hear the message of the Savior.
• Teaching another  lovely family about the Plan of Salvation on their porch as the rain poured down.
• The Smores Blizzard at Dairy Queen.

Enjoy some pictures from Louisville:

Hermana Wilbur with her two companions

Hermana Wilbur now resides in Fairdale (in Louisville)

She's feeling it!

Kentucky Temple

A Tribute to Kentucky Fried Chicken!

In the middle of Louisville, is a beautiful cemetery called Cave Hill Cemetery.  Hermana Wilbur reports that it is the most beautiful cemetery she has ever visited with miles of rolling green hills.  Also, she discovered that the REAL Colonel Sanders (founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants) was laid to rest at Cave Hill.  To everyone who has enjoyed KFC, hats off to the Colonel!

Tribute to Colonel Sanders - founder of KFC

Happy Cinco de Mayo Y'all!

Hermana Wilbur seems very happy and enthusiastic about the work in Louisville.  Some of the things she shares in her letters include:

• Kentucky weather is really starting to heat up!  Yay!  Humidity!
• She was not able to attend the Kentucky Derby, but it was a great conversation starter, and many people asked them to pray for their favorite horse to win!
• Hermana Wilbur is getting to know all the children in her neighborhood.  She says, "They all run up to us and give us huge hugs and talk our ears off. I just love to think of how Christ loved the little children and spent time with them (if you haven't seen the Bible video the church has with Christ and the little children, I would recommend you check it out - makes me cry every time!). I love doing the same as a missionary."
• Hermana Wilbur still LOVES dogs; even on a mission she finds pets to love
• Sometimes Hermana Wilbur is not sure what to do with the gifts she receives!

I love PUPPIES!

Even Sloppy Kisses!

Another puppy to love!

Hmmm, what do I do with a fish?

And the new area is ...... Louisville!!

Hermana Wilbur reports that there are three sister areas in Louisville, and several Spanish elder areas too.  She is actually in Fairdale, which is not in the inner city, but is still part of Louisville.   Fairdale is another biking area - and Hermana Wilbur is excited to bike around Louisville in the hot, hot humidity!! (haha)  Currently, she has two other companions, but expects she will lose one of those in the next month or two.

Quote from Nicole:

" I thought I knew Jesus Christ and His Atonement before my mission, but I have really come to know Him in a different way through my mission. The first part of the Atonement is the part that covers our sins. As I have tried to become a better person on my mission, I have really come to see that the Atonement is for the large sins and also for bad habits, little mistakes, and small failures. The Atonement is there to help us to overcome the natural man, to become better, even as Jesus Christ. I can testify that as we work to overcome the small things, that we will have the support and strength of Jesus Christ as we work to do so. The second part of the Atonement is for all the hard times in our lives. Because Christ felt everything that we do, I know that He suffered not only for my sins but for my pains, heartaches, sadnesses, and hard times. As I come to Heavenly Father in prayer after I have had a hard day, I am comforted through the Holy Ghost and through the Atonement. There are times when I think that I am going through a hard time absolutely alone, and then something reminds me that I was not the first to feel this way, that I can go to my Brother Jesus, who wants to take away these sad feelings or hard times. If He can't take them away, it is because we still need to learn something from them and in the meanwhile, He will help us to bear the burdens with strength until we can say it is finished. The Atonement is so real and so life-changing."

 A picture of Hermana Wilbur and her new two companions:

Hermana Wilbur and her two new companions

Saying Goodbye to Owensboro!

As Hermana Wilbur says goodbye to Owensboro, she looks forward to the adventures ahead of her within her new area.   Our next Blog post will announce her new area.  In Hermana Wilbur's words:

"All in all, I have grown so much here [in Owensboro].  I have never learned as much, prayed as long, smiled as big, or loved as hard as I have as a missionary.  I have learned about God's hand in this work and in my life.  I have learned about the gift of prayer.  I have learned how to use "yall", how to cry, how to work, how to testify, how to speak Spanish, how to relate to all sorts of people, and most importantly, how to love...I truly have loved this six months, and I know that my time here has helped me to love my mission."

Enjoy some pictures of Hermana Wilbur and her favorite things in Owensboro:

Hermana Wilbur and her companion

With "The Thinking Man" on St. Patrick's Day

One of Hermana Wilbur's favorite houses in Owensboro

Another Favorite

One More.....

Hermana Wilbur and her companion

The missionary bikes

The famous Sassafras Tree

 

 

The wonderful Sisters of Owensboro!