E-mail - July 14, 2008

Our meeting with Shaday (our African American investigator) went ok. We talked a lot about the whys and wherefores, but we weren't really able to avail her of her concerns. We gave her a talk we had printed off by Bruce R. McConkie, I hope she reads it. Her whole thing is that when Christ came he tore down all barriers of race (Ephesians 2:11-19) so how could a man called of God ie: Brigham Young claim that God would still segregate some of his children after he tore down all the barriers. She doesn't believe a man truly called of God would do that. I don't know how to start her reading and praying about the Book of Mormon yet. She wants to continue meeting with us so maybe . . .

One of the themes that President Summerhays emphasizes is "The Enabling Power of the Atonement". Eldner Bednar gives a great talk about this that really explains it well. The talk is called "In the Strength of the Lord" - I recommend reading it if you get the chance.

Anyway - I love you lots - keep writing, it makes my heart glad. All my love - Kelli

E-mail July 12, 2008

I celebrated my 3 month mark in my head. At 6 months I burn some Knee highs, at 9 I burn a shirt, 12 a skirt, and at 18 I burn a whole outfit before coming home. I'll do the knee highs, but I don't know if I can bring myself to do the others. We'll see.

I appreciate the things you found for me earlier this week. We are meeting with this girl in about an hour and we'll see how it goes. We've been studying and preparing as best we can all week. As for the rest of my week...

Tuesday I had my first true southern food, fried okra, fried chicken, cheese broccoli, and banana pudding. It was very good, but I'll be OK not eating it again, I felt fat after we left and I really hadn't eaten that much. I was sure the grease was oozing through me and clogging my arteries as I sat there.

Wednesday we had dinner at a members - Amanda drove us - we got about three feet from the house before we realized that we had a flat. That was a fun adventure, changing the tire I mean. Benny has pictures, but I don't.

Thursday we were at TCC as per usual and taught the law of chastity to three different people - it was interesting. That seemed to be the topic of the day.

Friday, July 11, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. I was Saved. Two girls walked up to me and asked some religious questions and then asked if I'd like to learn more, seeing an opportunity I agreed. We have many similar belief's and they kept telling me that if I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart that I would be saved. So I did and now I'm saved. We talked a lot about Faith without Works being dead, and grace and so on. It was actually a good conversation, I left them with lots of reading material like pamphlets and who knows maybe something made sense to them.

Today Benny, Amanda and I went to the Flea Market. Benny bought a confederate flag for $2 - I just haven't been in the south long enough to appreciate it - but I did get a Jesus Saves t-shirt last week. I'm slowly being broken in. So that's me - I hope you are all safe and happy. Love you lots. Kelli

E-mail - July 7, 2008

Amanda's Baptism was wonderful. Another ward had scheduled a baptism for the same time, we just started late and it all worked out fine. Sister Bowcut gave a talk on Baptism and the Holy Ghost. She had us sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", and then compared the Spider to Sin, the Rain to Baptism, and The Sun the Holy Ghost. It was lots of fun and the spirit was so strong. Elder Call Baptized her and Benny and I raced to the dressing room after it was over and we all hugged and cried together. It was a wonderful experience.

She was confirmed Sunday and just a few hours after her confirmation we had her out with us teaching new investigators. She has such a strong testimony and she was not afraid to speak up. Amanda had only had one lesson with Sister Benfield and Bardson before I got there. She was a self referral and looking for religion - She found it!

Taylor goes on her first date, what is with that? I really don't like the whole growing up without me there to see it thing. Oy! Side note - I just had the worlds most amazing stuffed mushrooms. I have never had anything so wonderful in my mouth. I have tasted Celestial food and Terrestial will never suffice again.

I love you lots - Kelli

E-mail - July 5, 2008

Hello? Anybody there? Hello? I assume no one is as I didn't receive a letter today. Shame on you. Since I have an hour to write I'll tell you about my week and hope that you are safe.

Amanda was interviewed for baptism on Tuesday and passed with flying colors. She will be dunked today at 1 p.m. I will send pictures Monday. That day we went bowling - I bowled an impressive 70 which surprisingly enough wasn't the bottom score.

Wednesday I made the mistake of teaching the Elders how to play Narcalepsy and it has come back to bite me.

Thursday we had our booth at TCC which was all kinds of fun. The Ronald McDonald House called us in a panic and we had to find a ride up there so Tammy could make her Dr.'s appointment. We met up with Noly, an investigator, she doesn't have to work Sunday so we will be seeing her there.

Friday - Happy 4th everybody! We had breakfast with the Elders at a members home. He served it real southern style. Grits - which aren't that bad, bacon, sausage made of venison and Wild Boar, I choose not to partake of that particular bit of culture. All reports say that it tasted like play dough.

Later that day on campus we met a group of people and ended up having a good two hour conversation with them. One of the girls will be meeting with us again tomorrow to learn more. Keep your fingers crossed. We had a BBQ after that, lit off fireworks and all that good jazz. I made a small flower explosion, no where near as good as last years, I only had 6. Oh well - we still had a good time.

Well, I love you lots and hope to hear from you soon. 'Cause it's important to write Kelli letters:) Church is true, book is blue, and all that good stuff. Love, Kelli

E-mail - June 30, 2008

This morning we went with the Zone to play Roller Hockey.  I had a great time and actually got hold of the ball twice - yea me.

Sunday I had the dubious privilege of playing the piano in Sacrament meeting.  I only had one mess up (I picked really easy hymns).  We celebrated Melanie's Birthday - I made her a cake and we had a transformers Pinatta - I forgot my camera so no pictures.  Sister Benfield and I had dinner with her High School Choir teacher and his family - small world huh?  It was really fun - he has two kids under the age of 5.  It was nice to be with a family.

Saturday morning the Ward had a free car wash and we (the missionaries) had Books of Mormon, invited people to look around the church and taught mini lessons.  It was a good activity and it got the ward involved.  One guy drove up, he didn't want his car washed but he gave us a bunch of certificates for free sandwiches at Chick-fil-a because we were doing such a great service.  We went for lunch.  After the car wash we went to Amanda's to help her move. Around 7 we went back to the Institute and played around the world with the Elders. 

Friday we had Zone Conference.  We watched the KBYU video on Bronco Mendenhall and the BYU Cougars - changing the culture of the team.  The theme of our conference was to change the culture of our mission.  It was a great meeting and the Elders really enjoyed the chance to watch some football.  We got home about five - Amanda picked us up at six and we had dinner at the Institute and watched The Testament.  She sort of liked it - her favorite movie is Zoolander - so The Testament is not her usual choice for entertainment.

Thursday we finally met Laura - she is a referral from President Summerhays.  She is going to Med school here at FSU and has a crazy schedule.  Trying to find time with her has been really difficult.  Now we know what she looks like and she knows us.  It was a very blase week.  We work hard and are still waiting to see the fruits of our labors and trust that it will turn out.

The frog I sent you a picture of had been living outside our door for about 2 weeks, there was a massive storm Wednesday and we think he died.  His name was Charming - we miss him.  The day after the storm a bunch of mushrooms suddenly appeared - maybe that is where he died.  The FSU track team won nationals so they lit the arrow on Chief Osceola and his horse Renegade.  Chief Osceola was the last chief of the Seminoles - a Native American Tribe that was never defeated.  We don't know where they are now and aren't sure how they were never defeated yet failed to live on.

I hope you are all happy - I love you so much - be safe!  All my love - Kelli

E-mail June 21, 2008

Wow, it sounds like things have been crazy busy for y'all this last week. TJ's getting married! Oy with the poodles! Taylor's almost 16, I don't think I like this whole growing up without me there to see it. But I'm glad that Whitney and Taylor continue the tradition of going to do fun things together. (They went to St. George for a get away at Gma & Gpa's condo and saw Les Miserables as Whitney's bday present for Taylor). I did get Whitney's DVD, I was highly amused by her dancing and proud of her singing. The Talent Show was a delightful surprise and so Whitney like. (Whitney did an Aretha Franklin & Princess Jasmine imitation both captured on video).

Dad, I loved your idea for my investigator - I feel that will be a very valuable tool for me to use. I made your cookies yesterday! They were very good considering I didn't have an electric mixer to use. I used a giant fork - Honey - I blew up the fork! That joke never gets old. (Whitney said that about the meat fork when she was unloading the silverware out of the dishwasher at about age 5) Anyway, just wanted to let you know that your legendary cookies continue even in Florida.

Last week I got the District into "Free to Choose". They have the opening song memorized and sing along with it. Mission entertainment, watcha gonna do. We're waiting to see if Ben's dad comes back. It's our own soap opera. Dan didn't do the voice on those did he? (These are filmstrips Dan did in high school based on Book of Mormon stories)

I have started writing down odd/funny things that people say - I will share some of them with you.

"I'm sweating like a whore in church." Elder Call

"Close your mouth, unless you're telling me you love me, then open it." Melanie Parker

"I love you and you love you - there's no one left to love me." Sister Benfield

"In this house we don't Skinny Dip. We Chunky Dip." Sister Benfield

I found these thoroughly amusing. Tuesday was Benny's birthday, after our work day was over we came home and threw confetti all over and it wasn't until after we were done that we realized that the vacuum was broken. We swept a lot of it up, but the floor still looks like a Jackson Pollock painting.

This week we didn't get to teach at all - Amanda is out of town and all our other investigators seemed to fall off the face of the planet. It was very much like my first two weeks here. Lots of walking, talking, great experiences but number wise it looks like we didn't do anything.

I love Dr. Dunn. He is teaching me how to align myself, I'm in and out in a few minutes and he is teaching me how to use pressure points to help alleviate the pain and numbness. The secretary at his office is a hoot - we are buttering her up and plan to give her a Book of Mormon when I'm done. Dr. Dunn has put me on a 3 week plan. I go 3 times a week for 3 weeks and at the end of that, as long as I continue the exercises and aligning myself, I will never have to go to a chiropractor again. I notice a huge difference in my hands. Dr. Dunn says soon I won't have to wear the hand braces to bed anymore. On Wednesday he is going to teach me more on how to adjust myself so when I get transferred I will be OK without a chiropractor in the near area.

Did I tell you we have 3 new Elders here? Well we do. Tab (a member) took us all out for ice cream on Benny's B-day and then yesterday we found a sewer tunnel that we all had to sit in and get pictures. There was a frog outside our apartment last night, we haven't seen any fireflies - lots of dragonflies and lizards and a never ending stream of love bugs. Those things are ugly!

Thank you so much for contacting the Wilson's for me - I've been worried about that.

I think that's everything, sorry if I forgot anything. I love you all and thanks for keeping me updated. The church is true, the book is blue, write Kelli letters and have a nice day.

Sister Kelli Wilcox

E-mail - June 16, 2008

Hello All,

I'm glad you got the card, I worried I had sent it too late. I hope you know how much I love you, it is impossible to express in words. Thank you for the pictures, they totally worked - I think Samuel and Benjamin grew again. Where is that rock that Grandma Wilcox always threatened us with? I demand a rock be placed on their heads so they stop growing! And Whitney, your dress is adorable!

I went to the Chiropractor today, he just did x-rays - I go again tomorrow to get adjusted. He dresses like a Hawaiian but is very much the southern gentleman. I'm excited to once again be pain free.

Yesterday we had 3 investigators promise to come to church - none of them showed but Lauren (a ward member) had invited two friends so we got to talk with them. So we had highs and lows. The Sacrament talks were all about fathers and I decided that it is beyond lame that we can call home on Mother's Day and not Father's Day - they both raised us.

Anyway, we have a lesson later today - please keep us in your prayers. This girl has been investigating the church for nearly a year and will not commit to baptism, we don't know why. Pray for her, and for us so we can help her find her way.

That's me - keep writing - it makes me happy to hear from y'all. Love, Kelli