Happy New Years Eve

Happy New Year's Eve,

 

I've been on a spree...not a shopping spree or an eating spree, but a cleaning spree. I've cleaned out every closet, under every bed, in nooks and crannies and everywhere in between. It feels so good. I've given loads of stuff to the DI, and thrown sacks and sacks of stuff out. For example, I've had notes from college that are 20 years old, and decided that I just don't need them anymore! It has been very freeing. :)
 

It reminds me of repentance and forgiveness. We hold onto stuff for some reason,but when we realize that it is just weighing us down and cluttering up our lives, then giving it up makes life much easier. Through forgiveness, we open up our lives to receive peace and the light of Christ. Through repentance, we open our hearts to truth and knowledge of God. I am reminded of King Lamoni who said I will give up my sins to know thee. I need to give away my sins to know Christ. I want to be receptive to the spirit, but if I have spiritual clutter I am cutting myself off from his presence.
 

Clutter comes to us in many forms. For example I think being overly busy is clutter. Dwelling on regrets is clutter. Focusing on external trivia is clutter. I know that I have way, way, way to much clutter in my head, but I am going to work on simplifying my life. I want to have room to be open to the spiritual promptings that may come.
 

I hope your new area is ready for one great missionary and servant of God. Please send me you address again. I lost the paper when I was cleaning!
 

Oh, by the way, I threw away all of your stuff that you had stored, because I figured that you won't need it anymore and want to help you be free of clutter.

Just kidding. :)

It was great to Skype with you on Christmas. You look so good...you have the missionary glow.

I love you.

Mom


 

 

Dear Mom,

It is good to hear that the year is really going to be a good start. I love that comparison to forgiveness. We just need to let go of the things that tie us down.

My mission has been good for me for a few reasons. One of those is that I am overcoming some personality quirks that hold me back from being being the best I could be. I love the Atonement, and how it helps us to change. People are afraid to change, but in reality it is one of the greatest gifts the Lord has given to us. I've been leaning into these changes, because I know that I will be happier as a result.

I love seeing people change. I've been learning about how truly powerful the gospel is in helping people change. Because of my growing testimony of the converting power of the Gospel, it is easier and easier for me to have hope for change in others. Sometimes it feels like I am beating on a rock when I talk to some people. I feel like I can love them more and more, because I know that God loves them and knows they can change. All they have to do is choose.

The area is white already to harvest. There is nothing better than being in the right place at the right time and saying the right things to the right people. When I do that, I feel successful.

My address is:
683 Spring Street
Fortuna, CA 95540

It was great to see everyone on Skype. Even Ra-Ra, ha ha.

Love,

Elder Williams

 

Noel

Noel Elder Williams,

 

"The Son of God became a man to enable men to become the sons of God." C.S. Lewis
 

I've been reading Mere Christianity again and I just love the analogy he uses about how we are like statues trying to become real. I found this quote by Howard W. Hunter that really adds to the comparison:
 

"The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of the Master...."
 

We are not fully awake until we awake to the possibilities that God has available to us. We are like an empty vessel unless we fill our soul with light and truth. The light and truth came down to us in the form of a helpless baby, yet it is a magnificent insight into the love that God has for us that he would send His only begotten Son, to help the truly helpless. I'm grateful for this hope we have.

 

My wish is to do as Charles Dickens suggests through Scrooge: "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
 

I'm looking forward to talking with you. Let's plan on 12 Mountain Time.

Ho, ho, ho,

Mom

 

 

 

 

Hi Mom,

I love C.S. Lewis. He would have been a great Mormon.

This week has been crazy! Thursday I had an all mission conference, so
it was good to see all of my missionary buddies. It was in Santa Rosa,
so it is about a 6 hour drive from where I was at.

Then on Friday night Elder Penman and I caught a ride with some
members down to the Sacramento area, and on Saturday we went to the
Sacramento Temple. We did some proxy work first, then we got to see
one of his converts be sealed to her husband. It was really special.

On Friday night I got a call from President Alba. He asked me to move
to another area. So, I'm now in Fortuna with a new companion. It is
crazy. The area is so different. After getting back to McKinleyville
at 11 at night I packed a few things and headed down to Fortuna. The
elder before me had a talk, so I got to do one in my new ward. It was
good because I think that the ward likes me.

So we cover a ward, and also a branch about 40 minutes south of us.
So, right after we taught a class in the ward we had to go to the
branch. It is so small!

It'll be fun telling you more about it tomorrow.

I'll make 12 MTN work. I'm planning on skyping, so I will call dad's
skype. He emailed it to me. My skype is talliams. If I don't get you
on skype I'll call you on the phone. It all depends on if we can skype
at a member's home in my new area. I had it all set up in
McKinleyville, so we'll see what happens.

Love,

Elder Williams

Hey Talon,

We are all wondering if you had your baptism over the weekend. You have been having a great mission as far as conversions go. It makes me feel more optomistic about our country knowing there are people out there looking for truth and a better way to live. We are so blessed to have the gospel to guide us through perilous times.

We had our ward Christmas party and the girls performed a duet. They did good even though the claimed to not know the words to thier song very well. Brandt got to sit on Santa's lap perhaps for the last time in his life. He had 2 games this week. He played well in both and he really dominated in his game Saturday which they won.

We are all going to see the Hobbit tonight. It is nearly 3 hours long so it better be good. We will all be going to SLC on the weekend to shop around and see the lights at Temple Square.

I don't really monitor your bank account. In fact you should be able to go to an ATM and check the balance yourself. Just do a balance inquiry.

Did you go to the Doctor yet? Hope you are feeling better.

Love Dad

 

Hey Pops,

The baptism went through, and I had the opportunity to preform it. It
was really special for me. She's the first person that I've baptized.
Sister Graves is really solid. She is going to be in the Relief
Society presidency or something like that soon, I bet. Her daughter
has a date for the 5th and another gal, the daughter of a family
friend of Sister Graves, who is also a part member family, wants to be
baptized then too. We also have another lady named Lorretto all lined
up for the 12th. McKinleyville is a great place to be. The Lord is
blessing us.

The lines are becoming more crisp between good and evil. I heard about
the shooting on Friday, so the baptism was a strange juxtaposition.
I'm grateful I made it out on my mission, because I'm seeing more and
more the importance of allying ourselves with the Lord.

Sounds like the kids are doing well. I hope they enjoy their break.

You'll have to get the Hobbit on blue ray so I can watch it on the 75
inch tv you'll have in the family room, ha ha. The plans look really
good. I'm glad that you are able to expand the garage.

I got permission from the zone leaders to check my account on p day,
so it works out. I'm doing alright, I think.

I haven't seen a doctor. The mission nurse has tried to get some to
call me, but it hasn't worked out so far. I'm doing okay, though,

I've got an account set up too for Skype, so it should be easy to set
that up on Christmas day. Pick a time and I'll be ready.

Love,

Elder Williams

Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad Elder Williams,

 

Here is a thought by Neal A. Maxwell:

"The Father and our Savior desire to lead us through love, for if we were merely driven where They wish us to go, we would not be worthy to be there, and, surely, we could not stay there. They are Shepherds, not sheep-herders."

 

I would like to be a shepherd. Being a shepherd is true leadership. Leadership isn't about a title you carry, but about who you are. It is a choice of taking upon yourself responsibility. And foremost, I think leadership is service. That is what being a missionary is, right? Serving, leading through love, and accepting responsibility?
 

We had the ward Christmas party and Brandt sat on Santa's lap. It was cute. All the kids were asking for Ipod's, Wii, etc, but when Brandt got up there and was asked the big question, he told Santa that he wanted a llama. I would like a llama too! It would be fun to have another animal. I loved Nellie the goat. She and I were tight. We spoke the same language, liked the same food (vegetable matter) and enjoyed hiking up tall places. She was funny, wasn't she.
 

Are you excited for Christmas? I'm looking forward to talking to you. Everyone is excited, especially Brandt.
 

I hope you are healthy. Did you get your last package? I sent you a bird. I hope it made it to California ok. :)
 

Did the baptism happen Saturday? Wow, what an amazing experience to have a mom and her kids choose to join the church.

We are praying for you.

With love,

Mom

 

 

Hi Mom,

I love that thought. I love your thought about it too. Christ's form
of leadership is truly the best. I've seen how different leaders work
in the mission, and the most successful ones are those who give of
themselves. Lately I've been more aware of how necessary it is to
sacrifice one's own wants and desires. The Lord can make my life a lot
better than I can. I've just got to follow Him. True leadership comes
from following the Over-Shepherd.

I don't know if I'm a fan of llamas. You can't ride them. Nellie, on
the other hand, could be ridden, ha ha.

I am excited for Christmas. We'll have to set up a time that I can Skype home.

I'm feeling better. I think those herbs helped a bunch. I did get a
bird, and I did put it on something, ha ha.

I'm so grateful for this last week. Tina was baptized on Saturday and
confirmed on Sunday. I was able to preform my first baptism, and it
was such an honor to be a part of her progression to the Celestial
Kingdom. I have grown in appreciation for the gift of the Priesthood.
I've preformed priesthood ordnance before, but it was a very special
experience for me to preform a baptism. She is being a great example
to her family too. We were able to set a baptismal date with her
daughter for the 5th of January as well as one of their family
friends.

We also have another lady with a date named Loretto. Her sister is
married to a stake president in Utah, so she has been exposed to the
church before. She has been so prepared by the Lord to accept the
message that we share. She is going to be baptized on January 12th.

I love it here, and I love the work. Thank you for all of your support.

Love,

Elder Williams

 

 

 

Happy Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah Elder Williams,

 

 

We are going to celebrate Hanukkah for Family Nght. I love to light the candles and eat latkes and doughnuts. It's a beautiful tradition. I love the story surrounding Hanukkah and the symbolism of the lights.

 

It is Charles Dickens 200th  anniversary this year. I love Dickens and his stories. Have you ever read The Chimes? I'm reading it now and it's thought provoking and a bit melancholy, but I love it. I am also reading out loud to the family, The Life of Our Lord by Dickens. President Hinkley mentioned this book several years ago, and I thought it would be a great year to read it. Brandt and I also went to the Dickens Festival in St.George and it was a fun day.
 

I have been teaching a class this year about Tolkein and we have read the LOR trilogy over the past 14 weeks. I have learned so much about pride, power, mission, calling, duty, and other things. It has been an epic adventure. I have used the EPIC as a layout for my classes. E for experiences, P for patterns, I for inquiry, and C for connections. I've been immersed in Middle Earth and all the while been learning many things about the regular ol' earth we live on. The battles are the same....over ideals, freedom, truth, and what is the summum bonum or greatest good. I'm not a fantasy fan by any means, but I can see how the symbolism and parallels can teach powerful lessons. It is a story and stories are how we humans are wired to learn.
 

I was able to participate in baptisms for the dead yesterday with the youth. It has been many years since I've had that experience---the last time was when I was in Young Womens as a young woman. It was neat to watch the baptisms and listen to the names. I wonder how many years it took to find their names and how long the deceased waited for this opportunity. Think of all the stories connected to these people....it is fascinating to wonder about them.
 

I hope you are well and hope that the Spirit of Christmas is in your heart.

With much love,

Mom

 

 

Dear Mom,


I'm glad that you are celebrating Hanukkah. There aren't a lot of Jewish people up here in McKinleyville, but there were a lot down in San Rafael. I feel like it is part of my heritage, spiritually and family.

I haven't ever read that book, but I always think it is so wonderful that General Authorities mention people like Dickens in their talks. It shows me that they read out of the best books, and can lead us to
some of the best books.

I'm kind of jealous to hear that you have been teaching that class. I've always been interested in Tolkien, but there is so much to know with him. You'll have to teach me someday about him.

I love the temple so much. I've been learning a bit about becoming a Savior on Mount Zion. There is so much to do in the temple.

We've had a successful week. A lady named Tina is going to be baptized on Saturday, and she came to church. Also, one of our recent converts, Erik, has been coming to lessons with us and blessed the sacrament yesterday. It was so wonderful to see him progress in the gospel.

The bishop gave a wonderful talk that helped me catch some more of the Christmas Spirit. I feel like this time of year will be very fruitful for missionary work.

Love,

Elder Williams

 

 

 

Hi Talon,

These weeks keep flying by between emails. Soon we will be able to speak to you on Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, I spoke in church yesterday on Christmas. I was the last speaker and time was about gone so I had to give an abreviated version of my talk but it went OK. Also had tithing settlement. It is nice to be able to say we are full tith payers. I don't dare get behind on it ever. This coming Saturday we have the ward Christmas party and the Elders are doing the decorations.

Brandt is getting very excited for Christmas. I don't even know what he thinks he's going to get.  Mom and I plan on keeping things simple this year.

 

As you can see we are in the design phase of the garage. It will be puny but that's just the way it is.

Not a whole lot going on at home in the last week. Brandt had 3 games. He had 12 points in Richfield, 23 and 9 in Monroe. I ended up coaching the first 2 games. He won the first two games and lost by 2 pts in the last game. His Richfield team is pretty good and he works to get everyone involved. Every kid on that team scored points last week. His Monroe team isn't too good. I call it Brandt and the 7 dwarfs. When he comes out of the game they always seem to get way behind and then have to fight hard to catch up. He has made 6/9 3 point shots this season. He has capsilesed his basketball saying last season was, LEARNING, this season is, BREAKOUT, and next year will be, DOMINATION. These are his words not mine but it may be an accurate description.

Hope you are getting over your cold. If not I suggest you get to the doctor and get checked out. The doctor's office can just call me or mom and we can give them payment infor over the phone or perhaps your mission office has somone the missionaries all see. Just take care of yourself.

We pray for your safety and success.

 

Love,

Dad

 

 

Dear Dad,

The weeks really do fly by. I've been out for a long time already, it seems. Speaking of that, I can actually Skype home. So, I'll look more into that and maybe you could get an account figured out.

I'm glad to hear that your talk went well. There were some good ones yesterday in church for us, and I think that it helped my mindset.

It has been a blessing to have you and mom keep the commandments. I'm glad that you pay your tithing and can go to the temple. I'm learning more and more that the blessings of obedience far outweigh the small sacrifice.

Simple is good. I feel lots freer when I'm not weighed down. I've been in houses of people who are hoarders and they are so trapped by all of their stuff. Simple is good.

The garage plans look really good. I bet it will be nice just to be able to park inside, even though it will be small. I'll have to help you build a shed or something for storage.

I'm glad Brandt has that little mantra. I hope he keeps going for it. I challenged him to read the Book of Mormon before he gets the priesthood next year, so maybe you could help him out.

I'm going to see the doc soon. The Church takes care of all of the medical stuff. I've just gotta do a small copay. I've been getting some stuff on my debit card. Should I worry about how much I have, or do you monitor it?

I've been having some great experiences. I feel like God is trusting me with more things. We've blessed a lot of people, and we are having more success. I'm learning so much out here. I want to be able to say that I did all the Lord wanted me to and have no regrets. There are just so many blessings to be had for everyone. We have another baptism for this Saturday. Her name is Tina, and she is the mom of five kids. We hope that we can baptize the ones that are old enough. Her husband has been supportive of her decision to join and her kids like church. It has been a blessing to see her come close to the Lord.

Thanks for everything.

Love,

Elder Williams

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays Elder Williams,
 

In Sunday School the question was asked is Santa Claus is real. I said that if you quit believing in Santa, then all you get for Christmas is underwear. :)
 

We talked about miracles and if they still exist today. There were some good examples. But it kept running through my mind that we experience a miracle every Sabbath ...it's the miracle of forgiveness we can receive when we partake of the sacrament. I've been thinking of the song, "Amazing Grace". I think it should be a Christmas song. It is so beautiful and I love the lyrics which say:
 

'Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.'
 

I am a wretch. I'm a sinner and fallen being. My only hope is in Jesus Christ who can save me. I'm grateful for his compassion and divine intervention. I hope I will receive this gift fully.
 

In tonight's Christmas devotional, President Uchtdorf spoke about being a cheerful giver and also being a cheerful receiver. I am not a cheerful receiver. It is a struggle for me to receive because I feel like I owe a debt to whomever gives to me. I know this is the wrong way to be. I have thought about it and that is how I feel towards Christ....like a debtor and an unworthy receiver. President Uchtdorf helped me realize that I'm not receiving the Atonement fully. I need to trust and have faith that he will indeed do what he has promised...redeem me even though I'm a wretch, a fallen person who has so many weaknesses. I've been walking in blindness, because I haven't seen the miracle of love and forgiveness that we are offered with compassion. Hopefully, I can open my eyes to the gift and open my heart to receive it.

 

 

I love you. I pray for you. I was able to attend the temple and put your name on the prayer roll as well as Erik's. I hope that he was baptized. I hope he accepted the true gospel and received the Holy Ghost.

 

 

Many blessings to you and those whom you are teaching.

 

 

With love,

Mom

 

 

 Dear Mom,

Thank you for sending those letters from all of the other missionaries
in the Stake. That was a blast from the past. It was really neat to
see how the different Elders took to the work and their missions.
Could you ask Sister Oscarson for Luke's address? Preferablly his
mission office address.

Thank you for sharing your insights that you gained from the Christmas
devotional. I've been struggling with the same thing. I hate it when I
make the same stupid mistakes over and over again, but I know that it
can be made right through the Atonement. Trust and faith are something
I'm growing in, now I'm trying to grow in humiliy so that I can submit
and accept.

Thank you for praying for Erik. Erik was baptized on Saturday and was
confirmed and ordained to the office of a priest on Sunday. It has
truly been a joy to be a part of his journey into the church. So many
missionaries and members have helped him along the way, and now he is
in a great position to bless others. I dearly hope he serves a mission
in the future.

We set a baptismal date with a lady named Tina the other day for the
15th of December. The Lord is truly great and wants His children to
join His church. There are miracles happening here in McKinleyville,
and I'm so grateful to be a part of the Lord's work here. It has been
an interesting and wonderful experience working here.

I love you Mom. Thank you for sending me those addresses too.

Love,

Elder Williams

 

 

 

 

Hi Talon,
 

We were happy to hear about your baptism and hope the other one happened this past weekend. We earnestly pray for your success. Hopefully you are continueing to feel better and your cold hasn't slowed you down. My first Christmas out on my mission, my companion and I were both sick and had to stay in for about 3 days. It wasn't fun at all.
 

Lots of talk in church yesterday about the change in the missionary program and elders being sent to China soon for as long as 3 years. All the other parents of missionaries are talking about how many more missionaries will be sent to their son's missions. You mentioned you may get up to as high as 250 missionaries. I definately think the change is the right thing to do.
 

Brandt had one game last week and it was in Richfield. I think it was his best yet. He scored a few less points but he had a complete game with rebounding and assists and just making smart plays. He has struggled with free throws the past 2 weeks though. It's funny because 3 weeks ago he won the Elks Lodge sponsored free throw contest at school and this past Saturday he competed against kids from 13 schools and won. He got a nice trophy and advances to another competition in January where region winners from St. George to Nephi will be competining in Monroe for a chance to go to the State finals in Provo.

 

 

The girls have been practicing a duet that they will sing at thier Christmas recital and Raina is now the back up piano player for the school choir on days when Sis. Anderson can't make it. It has made Raina more motivated to practice. Aubree has been working hard on the yearbook. She has done some really nice work.

 

 

I should be meeting this week with a guy that can draw up plans for the garage.

I hope all is well with you and you have a great week.
 

Love Dad

 

 

Hey Pops,

Thank you so much for the prayers. Erik was baptized, confirmed, and
ordained to the office of a priest. It was such a sweet experience. He
overcame it all and was successful. We've got another lady with a
date, the 15th. We gave her a blessing on Sunday and she accepted her
date too. She is a member referal that we got the first week I was
here, so I'm grateful that the Lord prepared her to recieve the
Gospel.

I'm looking forward to the big jump in numbers. Today is transfer
Tuesday, so in about 3 months it'll really hit out here.

This cold is still bugging me. I've had it for over 2 months now, but
I got a blessing today so I should be getting better soon.

I'm glad to hear that Brandt is having a good streak. It'll be fun to
see how much change he has gone through when I get back. He'll smoke
me even more.

The girls seem to be having a good time. It's good to see that they are busy.

Send me pictures of the garage. It'll be good to have a garage again.

Love you,

Elder Williams

 

 

Seasons Greetings

Seasons Greetings Elder Williams,

 

 

We had a beautiful day on Thanksgiving and went to get our Christmas tree. It was fun to go to the mountain and walk in the snow. On Friday we had our big feast and enjoyed a visit with grandparents. How about you? Did you have a nice holiday? How was your day?

 

 

I've been thinking about our trip to Plymouth and our Pilgrim forefathers. We are the progeny of courageous and brave folks who had powerful faith. I'm grateful that they believed in the Bible and risked everything to be able to worship God according to their convictions. It's the same today though....people leave behind everything in order to join the church. They are pioneers and pilgrims in their own right.

 

 

How are your investigators doing? We are praying for them.

 

 

I hope to have the Christmas Spirit this season. I love this quote by President Monson:

"This is the spirit each true Christian seeks. This is the spirit I pray each may find. This is the Christ spirit. No quest is so universal, no undertaking so richly rewarding, no effort so ennobling, no purpose so divine. The Christmas season seems to prompt anew that yearning, that seeking to emulate the Savior of the world."

 

 

I love the signs and symbols of Christmas. Signs of Christ can help us understand who He is and what He represents. For example, there was a literal sign placed above his head while he hung on the cross. It simply stated, " Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". This sign teaches an integral lesson. The two criminals on either side of Christ both asked him about his identity. One thief mocked Jesus by saying, "Aren't you the Christ? Then save yourself and us!". The other thief asked for forgiveness and Christ promised him that they would meet in paradise. It is so touching to me that even to the last moments of His mortal life, Christ was still listening to others, forgiving sins, teaching, and showing the way. We are like the thieves on the cross beside him...we all must choose to follow Him or deny Him. We can be a witness to signs, miracles, and wonders; however, we must still choose whether or not we believe in the divine son of God.
 

It's kind of eerie to me too....the post-modern mantra of "God is dead---we must be our own saviors." Today's secular man worships himself whether it be through body- image, the worship of power and politics, or worshiping science and technology. We live in the most polytheistic society ever imagined because each person is his own god! It is easy to fall prey to the lure's of Satan. Who doesn't want to be "cool", "hip", and "savvy"? Hopefully, we can quit trusting in the arm of flesh, become meek and humble, and worship the God of the universe and Savior of the world.
 

 

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

God be with you 'till we meet again.

With love,

Mom

 

 

 

Hi Mom,


I'm glad that you had a good Thanksgiving with everyone. I had a very
good Thanksgiving. We ate with the Maulsons. They live right by the
ocean, so it was very beautiful. Elder Penman and I collected some
cool sea creatures.

I'm proud of my roots. I feel like I have a lot of people backing me
up when I think of them.

Erik, one of our investigators is one of those people. He is moving
down to Southern California so that he can practice his faith more
freely. We are all set up for a baptism this Saturday evening.

Ben was baptized! It is such a privilege and honor to be a part of his
"entering the gate". He has been taught by many missionaries, and I am
grateful for all that they did to help prepare him for his baptism
yesterday. He overcame much to be able to enter in to that covenant
with the Lord. He suffers great anxiety from time to time, so it was
only with the Lord's help that got him to the baptism. There was a
member, Brother Bill, who helped him and baptized him.. I'm so
grateful for the love that the members of the McKinleyville Ward shows
our investigators. We did a font-side confirmation, and it was
wonderful to see Ben receive the Holy Ghost. The Spirit was strong.

We have a few more people that we are hoping to set dates this week.

I hope to have more Christmas Spirit too. I think that the Lord has
prepared a lot of people for us to teach this coming month.

Unity and clarity are so important. I'm glad to worship the only
living and true God.

What I really would like is addresses of family. I can't send them
emails because it is against mission rules. I can mail them though. I
feel bad when I can't reply to Grandma Wright and Grandma Williams. If
you would send those addresses to me I could send them letters.

I love you Mom. Thank you for all of your support.

Love,

Elder Williams

 

 

 

Hi Talon,
 

 

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving last week. I have tried to remember the Thanksgivings I spent in the mission field. I remember the first one well but the second one is just a blur. I did not do a good job remaining in contact with people I knew in the mission field. It is one of my regrets. I hope you can do better at it than I did. It should be much easier for you since the rise of social media. Do you keep a journal? If you don't I highly recommend it.
 

Did your baptism happen over the weekend? I am amazed at the young man you are teaching who is willing to sacrifice all to join the Church. It must be scary for him but maybe not if he truly believes. Our priesthood lesson yesterday was on Elder Bednar's talk from conference. It was about the difference between having a testimony and being truly converted. It has made me think a lot about where I am today and I realize I need to do more for the Savior since he gave all to me.
 

On Thanksgiving day we went up the Koosharem side of Monroe Mountain and cut a tree. On Friday we had the grandparents over for our Thanksgiving meal. Mom and the girls put together a great feast for us and we had a nice visit.
 

Grandma Shirley had some heath concerns in recent weeks, there were concerns that she might have colon cancer but we found out last Wednesday that it was a false alarm. We had been doing a lot of praying on her behalf and everything has seemed to be OK. Her doctor will want to check again next fall.

 

 

The kids enjoyed having some time off school and Mom had a break from teaching. I used my time off to continue finishing a few things in the family room like putting in shelves in the coat closet. I also put some lights on the house.
 

I hope you have a great week, with much success,

Love Dad

 

 

 

Hi Dad,

That package was great. I'm still not operating at 100%, but I feel
better. It would be great if you would put some more money and tell me
how much. I feel bad asking for money, though. I already cost a lot to
be out here.

Tell Mr. Costa hi back when you see him.

I bet there is a great sense of relief for the girls not that the
musical is over. It is a lot of work Raina told me she'll have to
clean her room more often now.

It's a bummer that Brandt had a tough time. He told me that he likes
his Richfield team better.

I like what you said about tracting. The work that the Book of Mormon
uses is "perhaps". It's worth it on the chance that there is someone
who will receive the message.

I hope that the change in land doesn't cramp the garage too much. What
are you going to do about our land to the south? Move the fence or
something?

I'm always super happy to hear about the work you do as Elders Quorm
President. Thank you for doing all of that work. I have a new
appreciation for it now that I've been out. Better watch out. You
might be bishop when I get home.

My Thanksgiving was pretty good. It was really pretty where I was at
and the people we ate with, the Maulsons, are awesome. I want to take
the family on a trip around here some day. It is beautiful.

I have been keeping a journal. I write in it every night. Sometimes it
isn't the most detailed, but I'm already grateful that I write. I've
looked back on spiritual experiences and that has recharged me from
time to time.

I have written some of my investigators and members. I wish I could
add them on Facebook now, but it'll be easy to find them later.

Our baptism was a great success. Ben had been taught for a long time.
Finally he gave up coffee and powered through his fear of people. He
gets really anxious. I'm happy that it is over. It was quite the
challenge getting him there. He is really happy now, though. We
confirmed him by the font, and there was a huge change. One of the
bishopric gave him a quad and he was almost crying. He bore a really
sweet testimony too.

The young man is a go for this Saturday. He is so elect. Things just
are falling into place for him. He faces opposition like a champ. He
is converted like Elder Bednar talked about.

I'm kind of worried about Grandma Shirley. She sent me an email, but I
can only email immediate family. If you and mom send me everyone's
addresses I can write them letters.

Thank you for everything.

Love,

Elder Williams

 

 

O si yo

O si yo Elder Williams, (Cherokee greeting)

I hope you will have a peaceful Thanksgiving holiday. Who will you be spending it with? I'll send you a turkey leg in the mail in case you didn't get a dinner invite.
 

The girls did an excellent job on their play. It was very well done and they had a lot of fun performing in it. I love the arts and am glad they are taking the opportunity to immerse themselves into the world of theater. It is a creative endeavor. I read a quote that I just love regarding Shakespeare which said, "You don't read Shakespeare....He reads you."
 

I thought that was so profound and true, because when I read his works I think of the virtuous and vile characters and their actions. It makes me wonder...who am I behaving like? Cordelia? Claudius? Kent? Ophelia? When dad and I went to Hamlet this fall, I just wept at the agony of a tortured soul. I don't know why, but Hamlet is a soul mentor to me. He struggled and wanted to know what was really true, right, and good. There are so many facades that people wear and it was his aim to find truth. I also love Cordelia in Lear. She is a Christ like figure and ultimately died an innocent victim of treachery. I could go on and on, but I'm sure you have had enough of Shakespeare today.
 

Yesterday, we attended a fireside presented by the Stake Presidency. It was concerning chastity and moral cleanliness. We live in a polluted world where evil is seen as good and good is stupid. You know, it's the same plague that has always been on earth....the plague of moral corruption. When a person allows sin into his life, drop by drop like a bit of black ink in water, his view gets clouded and ultimately vision is lost. When trying to decipher what is true or false, a person who has the black clouds of sin engulfing his soul has no ability to see truth. That is how a despicable character like Iago (Othello) is created...bit by bit and drop by drop of the black ink of sin blotting out the light of Christ... Thankfully through the grace of Jesus, he can clear the waters of sin through repentance and we see clearly once again.
 

I'm sure you are short on time and this is getting to be a long email. I'm sorry. I just love you and am grateful for the work you are doing. I wish you happiness and joy when you celebrate Thanksgiving. Remember our pilgrim forebears who sacrificed so much in order to have freedom.

 

 

Cherokee Traveler's Greeting (Cherokees of California)

I will draw thorns from your feet.
We will walk the White Path of Life together.
Like a brother of my own blood,
I will love you.
I will wipe tears from your eyes.
When you are sad,
I will put your aching heart to rest.
 

With love,

Mom

 

 

 

O si yo Mom,

I will have a good Thanksgiving. We will be spending dinner with a Native American family, the Maulsons. They are really good people. The ward loves us here. We are taken care of.

Don't be worried about time for me to read your emails. I love hearing from you. I say that I don't have much time in regards to write back. Since I've been in McKinleyville I haven't been so crunched for time on P-Day.

I love it here. We have a baptism this Saturday and next Saturday. The man we are baptizing this week is named Ben. He is in his fifties and has a really sweet personality. He gets nervous around crowds, so church has been tough for him, but he has a strong testimony. The baptism next week is for Erik, who I've told you a bit about. It would be really wonderful if everyone could pray for them.

I'm really glad that Raina and Aubree did well in their play. I'd love some pictures. Dad told me that Brandt is excelling at basketball too.

I love Shakespeare. I've related to a few people out here because of the things you've taught me about the plays. It has been really wonderful how the Lord has been able to use me to spread the gospel. I think about the Sons of Helamen and how their moms prepared them. Thank you for preparing me.

I've been breaking through into a new level of missionary work. I've worked hard out here, but now I'm getting better at working with the Spirit. It's really so much more effective. It's also so much simpler. I love how plain the Gospel is. I also have hope in improvement in myself, too. One day I came to the realization that 1 Nephi 3:7 doesn't only apply to commandments like attending church and paying tithing but also to patterns of thought. It is a commandment to be cheerful, for example, and the Lord will provide a way.

I love you. Thank you for your love.

Love,

Elder Williams

Hey son,

Sorry this is late. I hope I sent you everything you needed. Let me know if you have other needs, would it be better if I just put some extra money in your bank account? That way you can just go to the store on your own.

Nathan Costa says hi. He always asks about you when I see you.

The musical is finally over. The girls did really well and enjoyed it. Brandt didn't have as good a week in basketball. In his game Saturday he got into foul trouble early and made some turnovers and after that he wasn't there mentally. Sad lipping on the court like you may have seen last year. He's young, but it will be the mental side of it that will hold him back from his potential.

Tracting takes the right kind of mindset. Or in otherwords be prepared for rejection, but once in a while you might find someone. I am excited to hear you have a couple of baptisms set up. We will be praying that they happen.

I had our lot surveyed last week and found that we have about 6 more feet on the south side but about 4 less feet on the front. This means our new garage on the front can only be about 20 ft deep instead of the 25+ feet we had before. That bites but there's nothing I can do because the city requires a 30 ft set back from the property line in the front.

We had ward conference yesterday, I spoke during a combined priesthood meeting. Earlier in the week I went on ministering visits with Pres Ware. He is a great guy and has the spirit with him. We visited a few families that are semi active. It reminded me of what it's like in the mission field and I thought of you.

Hope you are well,

Love Dad

 

Hey Dad,

Thank you for the package. I appreciate you getting that stuff for me.

Life has been sweet here in McKinleyville. We have a couple of
baptisms lined up, one for a guy named Ben and another for a kid named
Erik.

I used to be scared of tracting, but now it is kind of fun. Yesterday
we met a guy who is a recovering crack addict and Navy Seal who is in
the witness protection program. God has us talk to the strangest
people.

I went on an exchange with the elders in the neighboring town called
Arcata. It has a small university called Humboldt State, and there are
so many crazy libs. It was really fun. We talked some very strange
people. Lots and lots of homeless people live up here. McKinleyville
doesn't get too many of them compared to the other cities in the zone,

Tell Brandt that he should write me an email. I miss hearing from him.

Love you,

Elder Williams

 

McKinleyville, California

 

Elder Penman

 

Camp Liahona Mission Conference

Golden Gate Bridge

 

 

 

 

(Don't jump!)

 

 

Missionary moments