I MADE IT TO MICHIGAN!!!! HHHOOOLLLAAAA

Hello everybody!

Oh my goodness Michigan is awesome!!  I will just start from the beginning. So this is how they got us to the airport we get our suitcases and get on a bus then the bus just drops you off at the front runner then drives you to the TRAX then from TRAX you go to the airport so that was fun haha... and it was an experience trying to lug all of my stuff everywhere especially when one of your suitcases weighed.... 67 pounds.. so that was...new...and interesting.

I sat by two of the elders on the plane and all I remember is the three of us looking out the window saying goodbye to Utah then I remember the 3 of us waking up saying Hello to Michigan haha! But when I woke up on the plane I looked outside and my first thought was "WHERE ARE THE MOUNTAINS?!" But then I remembered I wasn't in Utah anymore! There are literally no mountains here. The closest thing they have to a mountain is a bump that is in the road. When we got here my old companion Sister Trent said "I cant wait for P-day when we get to go hiking and stuff!" and i just looked at her and said "What are you planning to hike?!" haha then we all had a good laugh.

So the first night in Michigan was great! Our Mission President and his wife are so cool. 

There are for sure beetles here and squirrels will take over Michigan someday, I am sure of it. Sister Jacobsen is like Snow White. She fed the squirrels and there were like 15 in her back yard that morning just chillin'. 

So I was going to get in the shower at the mission home and I looked down and there was a HUGE beetle on the ground. I made Sister Trent come and kill it hahahah. She thought I was pathetic but you know... it happens! Bugs are scary!

The next was when we got to go meet our comps and go to our area. My area is called Mt. Pleasant and it actually reminds me of Logan Utah. (@malonehansen) because it is a college town. The college by us is called CMU. So it's a fun, safe little town. I love it here. The people are pretty nice even when they are rejecting the gospel, they are still nice about it. Most people are Catholic. We were door knocking and this guy opens and we are like "Hi we are missionaries" and he said "Oh are you from the Muslim church?" and we said "No." and we said "Do you know of anyone who needs this message today?" and he goes "Probably no one" and shut the door and we were like ooookkkkaaaayyyy? Haha so confusing, he was creepy to say the least.

That first day though we just got thrown right into door knocking and teaching a lesson so that was way fun.

The next day we did 3 hrs. and 10 minutes of door knocking which is A LOT. We got invited into people homes three times which I guess is rare? I didn't know that. But it was way nice cuz it was super windy and cold that day so it was nice to go inside where it was warm. 

The area we were in was called Sheppard and my mom will kill me for sharing this but i am going to because it is cool...

So most of you know that I am a scaredy cat, haha. So we are walking down this road and I hear this loud bang! and being from Utah I said "Who is letting off fireworks this time of year?" Sister Ensign replies "I hate to tell you that that was not a firework it was actually a gun shot. You are going to hear them a lot" and normally I would've freaked out!! BUT! THE PROTECTION AND THE SPIRIT  that you have with you 24/7 is amazing and unreal!! I did not feel unsafe for one minute. I was just like "Hmmmm Okay." and we continued on. So that was something that was cool just to have the spirit with you. I can feel angels surrounding us at all times and it is amazing.

Also EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE smokes pot here. Hahahaha. I got my first dose of pot my second day of door knocking at my last three houses. They were burning something and it wasn't food. Haha so that is fun, the Word of Wisdom is a big problem out here so we will see how that goes in the lessons. 

So are you ready for it?  My MIRACLE story of the week!  

So day 3 of door knocking - yesterday, we go out and all day. I was just hating life. All day all I was thinking about was coming back to Utah.  I kept wondering how people do this for 18 months and I was like calculating hours and ugh I was hating it. So we get back from church and have about over an hour to go door knocking so we go finish knocking on this street called Elm that we had knocked Thursday. We are going along, everyone is saying no  and it's getting dark. We have to start heading back to the car pretty soon. We come up to this duplex and this big black man opens the door. He is a pastor and was super nice. He gave us his number to come back and talk about the Book of Mormon and how it can bless his life.  He clearly smokes marijuana his home just smells of pot. He is obviously high and he keeps rubbing his blood shot eyes. You just know he has no idea what we are saying so he goes to get his phone number and I turn to Sister E and say "So after this house we are going to go back to the car right?" and she says "We will knock on this door (the second duplex door) and then we will head back" I was like okay, like kinda bummed out because I just was not havin' it yesterday. So we get the guys number and knock on the other door and this big white man with an orange beard answers the door and we say "Hey how are you doing today?" and he just walks right outside onto his porch so I got a little nervous. So I just stepped back a bit and we are like ya "We are missionaries" and he was like "I knew when I came to the door you didn't know who I was but I know who you two are" and Sister E and I were both just like what? What is going on?

He says "Are you the ones that have been contacting me?" and we are just like "What is your name?" and he says "Michael" and he just keeps saying Michael over and over and we are both like okay? Then I realize that I had CONTACTED A REFERRAL THAT THURSDAY NAMED MICHAEL! So I start freaking out because they have been trying to get a hold of him forever!! Then Sister E realizes what is going on and then she starts freaking out! And Michael starts crying and he just kept saying "You found me, I cant believe you found me." and I like don't know if I want to laugh or cry and we are just freaking out. We are all shaking hands and laughing and just amazed at what God had done for us. And he is like "When I lived in Lansing my wife left me then the next day the sister missionaries showed up. But then I moved and haven't found a place to live. I just got here today.  Sorry I haven't texted you sisters back I didn't want you to know that I don't have a place to live." God literally put us in each others paths. It was the largest miracle ever! We are meeting with him this Friday. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! Especially since I was having a bad day that day. It was so amazing Michael was just crying and I was tearing up, it was the coolest thing. And then I remembered that earlier that day I said the prayer and I did not want to go door knocking. I said "Please help us to just get through door knocking today and help us find the one person that needs us, please." HOW COOL IS THAT!! 

Right before we knocked on that duplex I was like "Sister Ensign what are some miracles that have happened to you? I need to hear about the good things that happen on a mission", then we went to knock on Michael's door and she was like "After this door I will tell you the story because it is kind of long." and then we had our own miracle!

Our apartment is so nice!  We have a washer and dryer right inside, it is amazing and such a blessing!  I love it here! Missionary work is an adjustment and it is something that I am going to have to learn to love but I know that I have been called of God to do this work and to share it with people.

I will tell more about the people I have been teaching next Monday because I don't have time right now but the people are amazing. So many times I think "If I wasn't a missionary I would be so so scared right now." Some of the doors we knock on and some of the people we talk to I never in a million years would have talked to.  But through the spirit and the protection of my Heavenly Father I am able to do these things without worrying and feel God's presence with me always. I love it here it is amazing! There is nowhere that I would rather be!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and I know that without a shadow of a doubt! I know that God is aware of all of us because he is aware of me and I feel that constantly! I love you all!! Please send me letters I love hearing form you and I can use the encouragement throughout the week. I Love you all!! I can feel your prayers you are all amazing!

Love, Sister Wilde

Hello Michigan! 

(Sister Wilde says she thinks she missed the pretty season)

 Elder Woolfenden and Elder Whipple flight seat partners

Sister Wilde with her new companion and trainer, Sister Ensign

 Study Desk

  Sister Wilde and Sister Ensign with a family they are teaching. 

Sister Wilde says she just knows that they will be baptized!

A fun note from Darcey:

How fun is this? Like Sister Wilde said several times in her farewell talk, there are NO coincidences in life. This is a picture taken Saturday night in Midland, Michigan. On the left is the son of a sweet sister in my ward, the couple in the picture are dear friends from Vernal-he was a seminary teacher to my siblings, with my sweet Sister Wilde. We made the connection that Alyssa is serving in the stake where they are members of the stake presidency together. Turns out that it is Stake Conference her first weekend there. They sought her out during the meeting tonight and took this picture together. Heavenly Father never fails to deliver tender mercies in our lives.

From the mission home when Sister Wilde arrived: