next Tues.!!!

LAST P-DAY HERE AT THE MTC!!!!  IM SO EXCITED!!!!  So, I was forced to break my vow of silence last Tuesday because I had to make a trip to the...er....dentist.  One night I was getting ready for bed and noticed I had a big hole in my back molar.  Guess I swallowed it, cuz, I sure didnt spit it out.  oops.  I have to go back on Friday morning to get the permanent crown!  I am SOOO LUCKY that I had that hole in my tooth my last week, though!  Its a huge blessing!  If it had happened in California, I would have had to go to some strange dentist who doesnt have my dental records and he would have charged me a million dollars, which I then would have had to send home to mom and dad, since I dont have a million dollars.  :)  But my lovely dentist here in Orem did it all for free, because I'm a missionary.  and he always says Im his favorite patient.  guess it pays to be nice! 

 

I got my...(drum roll please....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....) FLIGHT PLANS!!!!!    I leave next Tuesday morning!!  My flight leaves at about 11 am.  only an hour long, so I'll be in my mission super quick!  yay!  I look back at these nine weeks at the MTC and I have learned SOOO MUCH!  so much.  At first, I was kinda bummed to have to stay the whole 9, but now I understand why.  Even though I already knew ASL, this has been an AMAZING review for me.  My ASL has improved, I was able to teach Sister Embley a LOT, and I have learned how to be a better missionary!  My teaching skills, though still far from excellent, have improved as well.  I actually feel BAD for the people who only stay 3 weeks!  They express their concerns and they are way freaked out to go start teaching!  As for me, Im feeling well-prepared.  I am sooo excited.  not a fear in me.  Ready for Cali.  Callie in Cali.  yes.  I think its marvelous! 

 

SO!  Dont send any more letters here....I probably wont get em.  unless you send them like TODAY.  or TOMORROW.  (Wednesday or Thursday).  I think my facebook has my mission address that all of you can write me! 

 

Ive been thinking this week about how no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God.  Thats what I'm doing as a missionary!!!  I'm helping people become clean again so they can see Him and live in His presence forever!!  What an exciting and wonderful calling!!!  I'm such a lucky girl.  er...sister.  :) 

 

Other randomness:  I miss music.  very much.  Most of my days are completely silent.  Theres a hallway that we walk through to get to the cafeteria and its full of rooms with pianos.  Every time I walk by an elder or sister playing music I start melting....then I scoop myself up into a cup and walk past the next room and spill out onto the floor again.  Lather, Rinse, Repeat.  I miss music.  I'm excited just to be able to listen to a music CD when I get to the field!  It will be grand!

 

I love you all!  Wish me luck my last week!  Thanks for all the prayers!  I can feel them!  And go pay special attention this weekend as our prophets speak to us!!!!!  YAAAAAAY!!!!   GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!! 

 

love, Sister Wink

the time is gettingt close....

hello all!! 

 What a great week here at the MTC!  The end is near!!!  Im really excited to leave here on October 4th, but strangely, I am super happy that I had a full 9 weeks!  We have had some sisters who speak English in our room and they only stay for 3 weeks, but all of them have felt so unprepared to enter the mission field!  I am grateful to have taught so many lessons even though I know I have SO much to learn and improve!!  Its really a wonderful place to be for so long, and its helped me be sooo excited to get out and teach real people instead of my teachers! 

 Elder Ballard came to speak to us last week.  oh man.  Gave a lot of good advice and now I have quotes from him!  Yesterday evening, we had Russell M. Nelson!  MORE good advice and quotes!  Thats THREE apostles since Ive been here!  (but honestly, Holland was my favorite of the 3.  his talk rocked my socks) 

 

Sooo...I miss children.  The other day I went to therapy with Sister Sellers to a place in provo and as we walked by one of the offices, there was a woman standing at the desk.  Her little blonde haired boy was sleeping on the bench.  He was so beautiful.  I started crying.  yeah.  I realized that I really miss all my nieces and nephews.  Its going to be hard for me to not play too much with the kids on my mission.  I havent been around children for 2 months and its driving me crazy!!! 

 

THE ENSIGN!!!!  AMAZING!!  You all better have read it.  All about the Book of Mormon.  They printed a special copy for all of us here at the MTC to have our own.  sooooo good!!! 

 

I took a vow of silence last friday.  I havent used my voice in 5 days.  Just ASL.  It frustrates some people.  Everyone in the district made the vow but all of them have failed except for me!  Im still going strong!  Determined to not speak a word until I call mom the day I leave!  (oh, and Im singing for the departing devotional the same song I did for Holland, so that is allowed too)    My testimony of missionary work has increased so much since I got here.  I dont think I really understood it before now!  Its so important to gather the children of Israel!!  And I am so happy to be involved in the work. 

 

The wrist is doing much better.  Thanks to an AMAZING MOTHER who shipped me a brace within 24 hours after she heard I needed one. Thanks mom.  One of my friends that I made here told me she loves it that I wink at her all the time.  She doesnt do ASL.  hmmmm.  I guess I wink at everyone.  Why didnt any of my family or friends ever tell me this....

 

Last week, we taught our investigator Veronica (the one who doesnt know ASL, you can only teach her through charades) the ENTIRE PLAN OF SALVATION!!!  Wow.  I NEVER thought I would be able to teach someone such amazing principals using only face expressions, body shifting, and acting like a mime.  Im getting better at it but sometimes its really hard.  Anyway, the spirit was sooo strong and she wants to be BAPTIZED!!!!!  YAY!  The church is true!!!

 

Elder Alder left this week early for Houston.  It was a sad day for all of us.  I love all of you soo much!  Thank you for the prayers on my behalf and all the other missionaries!  I can feel them working!  It is such an amazing opportunity for me to serve ASL.  I havent forgotten that!  I love every minute of this language and I am so blessed to have the chance to serve God with the talents He gave me!  All of us should use our talents for His work! 

 

I miss you all!  Keep the letter coming!

 

Sister Wilson

...wink....

MTC District pictures

Left to Right: Elder Wardle (deaf with 2 cochlear implants), Elder Alder (deaf district leader - yes, the white streak is natural since birth), Elder Roper, Sister Sellers (deaf), Sister Embley, Me
Sister Embley, Sister Sellers (deaf), Me
Me, Sister Embley

ASL in the temple...awesome!

well hey yall!!  I had an exciting week last week!!!!  To start off, our Branch President let us do the ASL SESSION AT THE TEMPLE!!!!!!   oh.  my.  heavenly. days.  no pun intended!  YAYA!!!!!!   IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER!!!  And I even got to go through the veil while using sign language.  :)   sooooo cool.  Im really looking forward to daylight savings.  I need that extra hour of sleep!  haha.  25th right? 

 

We had a fireside last Sunday for September 11th.  oh.  my.  amazing.  The president of the MTC reminded us that after 9/11, people remembered God and did a lot of repenting and tried their best to be better about spending time with their families.  But here we are, 10 years later, and the world has again forgotten the Lord their God.  Its MY job to go remind them and call them to come unto Him!!!  So great!  We also sang Called to Serve.  Which we sing like 49 times a week.  and its actually really fun to do in ASL.  haha.  I'm NOT sick of it yet!  It inspires me!!  I'm getting used to wearing a dress every day.  I just wish I had some longer ones....the weather is pretty cold in the mornings now and for some reason our classroom doesnt understand that its no longer air conditioning season.  We often bring blankets to class.  :) 

 

On a bit of a sadder note...(is sadder a word?  meh.  who cares)  I'm having pain in my wrist....from signing 12 hours a day.  My body isnt used to Sign Language for so long every day and I guess its taking its toll on me.  But I'm trying to correct my signs so they dont injure my hand any worse.  I went to the therapist with Sister Sellers because of her therapy for her knee and because he LOVES us, he looked at my wrist for free.  He says its NOT carpal tunnel.  Which made me really really happy.  I was so worried.  I just need to brace it at night and be more careful with the way I sign because sometimes I guess I get a little too expressive.  (surprise to any of you?   I think not.)  But all will be well!  And the Lord knows what he's doing with me!  and my wrists!  :)

 

The MTC is still pretty grand.  But I'm feeling a bit ready for the field!  yeah.  excited.  Sorry if I havent answered any of your questions!  The mail room CLOSED DOWN for a week so they stopped packages and dearelders, so if any of you wrote me....I didnt get it yet.  but I will.  and I'll write back next week, mmmkay?  I love love all of you!!  Thanks for the prayers and support!!!

 

Sister Wilson

Fall

Hello all!!!!

I LOVE FALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!! ITS MY FAVORITE TIME OF EVER!!! Fall is a gift from God. Just to me. okay, I guess I can share with you guys too. I love love LOVE September. Soooo perfect. The weather makes me happy. Every time I go outside I just breathe it all in and smile. and stick out my arms like I'm hugging the air like an idiot. :) So marvelous.   Love love love it.  But it makes me miss Wadley Farms.  September weddings are my mostest favoritest.  of all. 

I may have already said this but I am older than ALL my teachers.  grand.  I get the old jokes but its just funny. 

I have a cold.  not so marvelous.  but it will fade.  I knew Id catch a cold while I'm here in Azkaban anyway.  :)  Stuck with all these bazillion people, illness spreads easily.  Hey--if you want me to answer your questions in email, send me them by Monday night.  I'm getting all these letters JUST after I write on P-day that complain that I didn't answer questions and then I cant answer for ANOTHER 6 days.  so dear elder me on Mondays would be best if ya want to hear back in a timely manner.  :) 

This week has been great.  Lots of lessons learned.  Some hard, some not so hard.  Alright, all of them were hard.  but still so GREAT!  Proverbs 3:12.  :)  look it up.  I dare you.  Sorry this is so short today.  I miss all of you.  Play with Roxie for me.  Hug the little ones. 

The church is true!  Heavenly Father answers prayers through the book of Mormon!!  He loves all of His children.  :)   (and I'm learning to as well!) 

oh yeah!  Random:  Elder Roper worked for a chiropractor (sp?) for a few years before he came on his mission.  He's fixing my "foot flare" (which basically means that I walk like a duck.  which I do)  So, I'm walking better!  YAY!  And also, my calves are actually looking like calves instead of toothpicks!  ANOTHER YAY!!! 

17 months to go!  haha. jk.  I wont start counting like that.  Its really crazy though, that Ive been on my mission for a month though!   If anyone feels so inclined, I could use another book of stamps.  :)

love you all! taa taa for now!!

Sister Wilson