Nicole Turns 20!

Nicole turns 20 years old!

 So hard for this missionary mom to believe that twenty years have passed since the birth of this wonderful girl!  Celebrating a birthday on a mission is a different experience, as the work continues, and there is no "princess for the day" kind of stuff in Kentucky!  Hermana Wilbur did have the opportunity to have dinner at a member's home, and upon finding out that it was Nicole's birthday, they dug out a candle for her brownie and had her blow it out for luck.

The work in Owensboro continues to progress.  Hermana Wilbur gained eight new investigators with a total of 32 lessons taught last week.  She reports that it is VERY cold in Kentucky right now, and riding a bike around town can get pretty chilly so layers upon layers of clothing are needed to stay warm as shown by the photo on the right.

So cold!

Quote from Nicole: 
"My favorite prayers are usually during breakfast (I say an out-loud prayer during breakfast while my companion is in the shower, and for some reason, these prayers have become some of my most sincere and most special, because I feel like I am having an actual conversation).   Prayer helps me to see how much Heavenly Father is involved in this work, and helps me to receive comfort, direction, and guidance for the people in this area. It makes me so grateful to know of Heavenly Father's role in my life, and makes me more anxious to help others to know of the power of prayer and the blessings they can receive. It helps me to see that this life is more than just our time on Earth - we are going somewhere after, and that gives me so much hope! So after all that is said, I would invite you all to each say a prayer this week, out-loud, because it makes a difference."

Good Days for Missionary Work in Owensboro!

Missionary work in Owensboro seems to be on the upswing, and Hermana Wilbur and her new companion are BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!  Last week, Nicole reported that she taught 34 lessons!  Isn't that amazing?

Although Hermana Wilbur has been in Owensboro for four months, she says she doesn't want to leave the area.  In her words, "I just really do not want to leave this area...I love that the area is new, and that we are in the early building blocks' stage.  It is just evident at how much Heavenly Father is helping us in this work.  He places certain people in our path that are perfect building blocks.  For example, how is it that we just happened to find two less active members of the church who were both baptized in Mexico and who were re-found in Kentucky?  Only through the help of Heavenly Father, that's for sure!"

Hermana Wilbur translated her first Sacrament Meeting.  She reports she was very nervous, but she prayed for "el don de lenguas" (gift of tongues) to be with her, that the words could come to her mind easier and that she could translate so her investigators could feel the Spirit and hear what they needed to hear.  She said it was hard, but the words came!  She says..."The nice thing about translating is that we can change the speaker's message a little bit to conform to what our investigators need (haha).  For example, I MAY have mentioned baptism a couple more times than the actual speaker did!"

Finally, Hermana Wilbur received a letter in the mail from the Owensboro Police Department.  It completely freaked her out....but it turned out to be a request for her to register her bike in case it was stolen.  What a relief she isn't going to be arrested for jaywalking!!

My Second Companion

January transfers brought change to Hermana Wilbur's life in Owensboro.  Her trainer companion went home to Utah, and Nicole was assigned a new companion.   This new sister has been out for 11 months, and will hit her "year mark" about the same time Nicole turns 20 years old.  They will both celebrate these events at the end of January!  It is hard for this mom to accept she has a twenty year old!

Dia de Los Reyes Bread

In mid-January, Hermana Wilbur celebrated Dia de Los Reyes.  This is celebration when they think the Wise Men went to visit Jesus, and is a big holiday in Mexico.  You celebrate the event by having everyone take a piece of a round, donut-shaped bread.  There is a small plastic baby hidden in the bread somewhere, and whoever gets it has to throw a party in February!  Guess who got the baby?  Yes - Nicole did!

Finding the baby in the bread!

Some exciting news.  Hermana Wilbur reports that missionary work in Owensboro is taking off.  They had three investigators at church, and one of the people they are teaching has agreed to be baptized.  She also mentioned that she and her companion found ten new people to teach the gospel lessons.  Owensboro Branch is very close to meeting the requirements to becoming a ward, and Hermana Wilbur is excited for that day to occur!

Quote from Hermana Wilbur: "I hope you don't mind....I am going against everything I was taught as a child and I am ALWAYS talking to strangers!!  (ha ha)"

Happy New Year from Hermana Wilbur!

 While 2013 came to a close, the Owensboro Spanish Sister Missionaries continue to press on!


How many calories??


Hermana Wilbur and her companion had a wonderful Christmas and spent the day visiting many individuals and families that needed a visit.  You can see by the photo on the right that they hauled in a tremendous amount of candy for Christmas.  They thought about adding up all the calories, but knew it would discourage the full enjoyment of their spoils!


Hermana Wilbur at her Christmas Mission Conference 

Hermana Wilbur had the opportunity to attend a mission-wide Christmas Conference in Louisville.  She loved it!  She reports that having over 250 missionaries gathered together is a phenomenal experience.  She loved seeing her pals from the MTC, and grabbed a photo with her "old MTC group" while at the Conference. 


Quote from Hermana Wilbur:  "I have come to feel the power of the Atonement as a missionary in a different way than I have before.  It is amazing that the Atonement is not just for sin, but for sadness, and other afflictions, and gives us power to overcome all things."

Welcome 2014!

While 2013 came to a close, the missionary work heats up in Owensboro!

Hermana Wilbur and her companion had a very wonderful Christmas.  They spent the day visiting those that needed a visit, and each had the opportunity to talk with their families for 40 minutes!  They received A LOT of candy for Christmas, and they thought of trying to add up all the calories, but knew the number would discourage them from fully enjoying their spoils!

Hermana Wilbur with her MTC pals at a Christmas Conference

Hermana Wilbur attended a mission-wide Christmas Conference in Louisville. "Imagine the power of 250+ missionaries all in one room...it was so fun to see my MTC pals, and everyone else gathered together!"

Finally, Hermana Wilbur reports that she had a Family Home Evening with a family from Thailand that were recently baptized.  It is very difficult for this family as their first language is Burmese and you can imagine they do not find many in Owensboro, KY who can converse in their native tongue.  This family asked the sister missionaries to return often, as they enjoy the "spirit" they bring into their home.

Quote from Hermana Wilbur:  "I have come to feel the power of the Atonement as a missionary in a different way than I have before.  It is amazing that the Atonement is not just for sin, but for sadness and other afflictions, and it gives us the power to overcome all things."