Christmas

HO, HO, HO Elder Williams,

I hope you have had a merry, happy holiday season so far. We've made our traditional gingerbread houses, popcorn balls, and gone around looking at Christmas lights while eating a Frosty. What are you favorite traditions? Dad is secretly being a Santa to one of his clients and giving him a blanket I made along with some food and goodies. I hope it makes him feel happy.

How is the ward in your area? I hope they are good strong members who will help the missionaries out a lot. Are you invited to any Christmas dinners? 

This week was busy. Dad and I went to the temple on Tuesday. It was really nice to be there together. Brandt had his dance-festival and performed a really cute Christmas dance with the 6th grade on Wednesday. He was all smiles and the boy has some moves. Thursday Raina performed with the Madrigals in the Christmas concert. When she was up there, I kept grinning. It reminded me of you and how I could see your dimples. You were so much fun to watch. I love going to the programs at the schools. Saturday we went to Iron County and got to see Kylee get baptized. It was nice to see family. It's been a busy and fun week. 

I hope your package came to the right address and I hope you like what Santa got for you. 

I'm looking forward to talking with you on Christmas day. It will be fun to see your dimples. :)

Love you,

Mom

Feliz Navidad Mom,

It has been a merry season so far. It sounds like you all have been having fun with the holiday traditions. The ones you listed are my favorite. I also loved lighting the candles on the mobiles and reading Christmas stories. That's really good of you and dad to do secret Santa. You and dad are really wonderful examples of service.

The ward is small, but there are a few solid members. We are being taken care of well. We are going to be doing Skype at the bishop's house. We will be having lunch with a Fijian family and dinner at the bishop's.

Sounds like last week was a great week for you all. I'm glad that Brandt has some moves. I sure didn't when I did that, ha ha. I'm glad that you all got to see the family in Enoch. 

Thank you for the package! I'll open the wrapped things on Christmas day. Be a little like Christmas past. 

I'll be planning on Skyping at 2:15 or 2:30 your time. I look forward to visiting with all of you. 

The pictures are from our Christmas Conference. It was really nice, and the Spirit was powerful. I am so grateful for the Savior.The anticipation I feel at Christmas I feel is a small reflection of the joy of His coming. 

Love,

Elder Williams

P.S. I sent an ornament that my investigator Lori gave me today. It was a really precious gift. I hope it gets there tomorrow, but it may not. Either way, I hope you can enjoy it and keep it safe for me. 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Elder Williams,

This has been a week of wondering and deep contemplation. A good man in the Richfield community died while playing basketball after he hit heads with another player. He was a bishop and left behind a wife and kids. One of his boys plays for the Richfield basketball team. At any rate, I questioned God and wondered why would such a good man be taken? Is life a series of chance events and accidents just happen? Is there meaning behind this tragedy? Is everyday filled with chaos which we mere mortals try to organize and make sense of? Is there order to the universe or is it a black expanse filled with atoms and the void? 

I just couldn't understand why that would be God's will. Is there an individual plan for each of us or is life random? Well, it took a lot of pondering and going into to the depths of my soul to find the answer. It comes down to accepting God's will. I feel so much sympathy for the wife who is left behind and it hurts my heart to think of the unbearable pain she must be suffering. But, if the gospel is true, then God will exchange beauty for these ashes. 

My sister, Michelle, was sealed in the temple on Saturday. I went down and was so happy that I could be there. I was reminded of the covenants, the protections, and the blessings of an eternal marriage. It brought me back to my questions and I realized that however tragic an event may be in our life, if we hold fast to our covenants and trust in the Lord, we will be sealed up unto salvation. The man who died was a good man and he was living a good life, so the Lord will help the ones who are left behind and heal their wounds. God can turn tragedy into glory if we allow him to. Life can be a difficult and painful journey, but if we endure the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, God will clothe us in robes of beauty. Hamlet asked the question, "in that sleep of death, what dreams may come". He never found the answer. We know through the restoration of the gospel, that there is salvation, and hope, and peace, and glory....if we trust, and repent, and endure. 

I'm grateful for the gospel, the GOOD NEWS.  I don't know if I could bear the whips and scorns of time without this knowledge. I'm grateful you are spreading the good news to our brothers and sisters. 

Let me know what your new area is like. Tell me about your companion. 

Thank you for being my friend, my example, and my son. You are a good man and I'm grateful for your example of service and selfless love.

God be with you 'til we meet again,

Mom

Dear Mom,

Thank you for sharing your experience over the last week. They way you were able to learn from that tragedy is a testimony to me of your spiritual strength. 

I've got a simple little experience to share with you. On Sunday a member family signed up to feed us that night. Their name is the Bumpuses. They are nice, and we were lucky that they signed up. We go over that night, and someone there says, "You look familiar." Turns out that he was someone I met in my first area. He sold things door to door, so we saw him around a lot. He is friends with this member family, and they happened to be hosting him. We were able to talk, and I was able to get his contact info. I hope I will be able to teach him online sometime. 

You know, it is a simple little experience, but there are so many variables that I can't imagine it happening unless God set it up. There are too many things that could have been different. 

The thing I think I will be most surprised about when I pass on and can see my life is how intimately God has been involved in my life. I know that I owe him a debt of gratitude that I can't comprehend right now. 

My new area is a nice little town. There are about 8,500 people. There is a lot of local art and it has a nice little downtown. The people live at a slower pace than the rest of the world. The ward seems really nice, and they are relatively few in numbers. I'm back on a bicycle. We are the new set of missionaries here. My companion and I both came in on Wednesday. There is now a Spanish speaking companionship. The ward seems pretty excited that there are so many missionaries. 

My companion's name is Elder McKay. He is a nice guy, and we get along well so far. He has had some struggles on his mission, but I think we will do well. 

We have a couple that is excited for baptism. We set a date for them for the beginning of the year. I think they can make it. Their names are Zack and Amanda, and they have a little boy named Zack. They have had a really hard time in their lives, but they are seeing how much God is blessing them for following the Gospel. 

Thank you for all that you do, Mom. I love you. 

Love,

Elder Williams

Noel

Noel Elder Williams,

I hope you received the package I sent. If you are getting transferred, please send your new address asap. I will need to update it on the ward list. 

I hope you had a good week and you were safe and happy. Time is flying by so fast I can't seem to stay caught up with it all. It will be lovely to visit with you on Christmas Day and I'm looking forward to it! We'll have to start figuring out when the best time will be. Dad and Raina work on Christmas day, so hopefully we can Skype earlier in the morning or later in the evening. We'll work around your schedule. 

For Young Men/Young Women's, we had a combined activity which was an etiquette dinner. The Deacons and Beehive's were in charge, so I was given the job of planning the program. I made a PowerPoint with quotes, questions, and queries. But the emphasis I wanted to make is that the youth are a royal generation and beloved children of God. With that, comes the responsibility to shine as examples in a world full of wretchedness and decaying moral principles. I hope it sunk into some of their hearts and minds of how important it is to use polite manners and act in accordance to their elect status of being members of the church. You are a gentleman and I've always been proud of how kind, compassionate, and considerate you are. You have a good heart and gentle nature. I love this quality about you. 

Raina and I performed for the ward party on Friday. She basically sang a beautiful solo while I quietly sang alto. It was a fun experience to sing with her. She has such a lovely voice and I love to hear her. I'm glad you were involved in Madrigals while you were in high school. I think it really added to the quality of your experiences; for example: honor choir, performing at the SL Tabernacle, etc. It was always so much fun to watch you in the programs. 

I've been busy making Christmas presents and quilts. We are planning on giving one away to someone in need. It makes me happy to do this and I hope it makes the recipient happy too. 

I love you and wish you many blessings. I hope you have a wonderful week. May God be with you 'til we meet again.

Love,

Mom

Dear Mom,

I did get the package! Thank you for all of the pictures and treats. :)

I am getting transferred. Here is my new address:

121 Vista View Drive 

Cloverdale, CA 95725-3373

I'm going to miss all of my people. I've loved this area, and I'm grateful for all of the experiences and growth I've had. I'm grateful for all of the blessings I've had on my mission.

We had the ward Christmas party on Saturday and we got a whole bunch of our investigators and less active members there. We had to set up 5 extra tables. It was amazing. Darla brought some of her family, and Lori brought her mom. I think their hearts are being softened.

We were able to give talks in sacrament meeting, so it was almost like a little farewell for me. Lots of the members said nice things and that they would miss me.

I'm glad you raised me to be polite. It has helped me a lot on my mission. I'm sure you were able to help all of the youth out. You are a great teacher. 

Sounds like Raina had a great time. I'm glad that she has been sharing her talents. It will be fun to watch all of the kids do their thing.

You are awesome Mom. You are a great example of charity, always making things and giving them to those in need. 

I'll keep in mind the skype times. 

Love,

Elder Williams

Winter Greetings Elder Williams,

How was your Thanksgiving? Did you have yummy food? I sure hope so. How is the work progressing? We pray for your people every night.

We had a Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday with my sisters and mom & dad. It was so nice to get together. JoAnn brought Aaron,Justin and his girlfriend, Robyn. Michelle was with her husband Morgan and his son Braden. Chrissy and Hoss came with the boys, Jett and Kyler and Jessica. It was really fun to visit and catch up. 

We are getting the house decorated for Christmas. It's looking festive! I love the season, the music, and the celebration of the baby Jesus. It's a lovely time of year. My Christmas wish this year is to have the kids allow me to read a story to them nightly....just like the old days when you guys were young. I miss having little ones who love to be read to. So, I just want to have fun and read the old stories that we loved so much. It's kind of silly, but I'm nostalgic. :) 

We listened to a conference talk yesterday by Elder Christofferson. He spoke about repentance. It is such a gift which leads us to freedom, peace, and joy. I was inspired by it. 

I had book club last week and we talked about the book The Rent Collector. One person mentioned how she thought it was implausible that someone who didn't have their fundamental needs met would want to learn how to read. But in my mind, I totally disagree with that. I believe that human beings can transcend because we are not mere animals but have a divine spark that makes us seek for higher things. I was reminded of Viktor Frankl in the concentration camps.He said, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." I believe that we are more that a bunch of Pavlovian drives, or Maslovian needs. We are son's and daughters of God with divinity written into our DNA. Herein lies my hope and belief in the redeeming power of Christ. 

We pray for your safety and well-being. Thank you for being a wonderful example for your sisters and brother to follow. You are showing that the gospel is worth sacrificing for. I appreciate you and your service. 

I love you and wish you blessings and happiness.

Love,
Mom

Hey Mom,

I had a great Thanksgiving. The members took good care of us. We got to eat with a couple of my favorite families, the Eagars and the Gibsons. The Eagars have a son that come out with us all the time. His name is Jake. The Gibsons are cool too. Brother Gibson is the Stake President.

Thank you for praying for my people. It helps so much. Lori has come such a long way. It is a miracle that she is overcoming her addictions so fast. The Spirit is filling her up. She is experiencing a lot of opposition from her family, but she said that she feels even more convicted. Tyler is doing well too. We are eating dinner with him tonight. He came to church with us yesterday.

It sounds like it was a great Thanksgiving. I'm glad that most of the family was able to come. 

I can't believe it is almost Christmas. You'll have to send me some pictures of the house. I bet it looks pretty. Thank you for all the time you spent reading to us. That is a treasured memory for me.

In my studies I have been learning about what a wonderful gift it is to have our bodies. Our bodies give us such a rich depth of experience that we couldn't have otherwise. The philosophies of men would have us believe that our bodies are prisons, or that our identity is separate from our bodies, but I'm grateful to have learned that is false. Our bodies are so important, because the body and spirit make the soul. We may live in a fallen state, but that doesn't mean that we can't have joy. We are supposed to love our lives on earth, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. I love what you said about Viktor Frankl. We do have that choice.

Thank you for all of your prayers. I can feel them, and I know they help shape my life and the lives of others. 

Love,

Elder Williams

Hi Talon,

Well no one else got sick last week thank goodness. It a nasty stomach virus that's been hitting the whole valley including my employees. 

Hope you had a good thanksgiving. We went and cut a tree on Thursday and then Mom fixed a mini thanksgiving dinner for us. On Saturday we had a big gathering with the Wright clan. All of your aunt's made it except Melia. Some of your cousins came as well. We had a great meal and a fun time. The weather was nice so the young ones could play outside.

Grandma Shirley continues to say she's OK but I know it's been hard for her the past several months so keep her in your prayers. 

From your pictures you are looking very fit. Good job!!! I need to do better. Raina wants to run a half marathon with me this spring and I said I would so I need to get going. It's about time I get the treadmill fixed. 

The garage is finally done except for sheet rock. I had a guy install the garage doors and new openers. It's nice to get a breather from that project for a while. I will get to the sheet rock over time doing it myself and if you are around long enough you can help me with the ceiling. 

Sounds like you have the chance to move soon. Do you have a preference where you go? I think I would like to be in a more rural area but that's just me. When is transfer day? 

Your gift is on the way to the mission office and will arrive this week. I hope you like what we got for you.

It's strange to see guys from your graduating class home from their missions. I've ran into Phillip several times. He's working at Fresh Market. Rumor is he's close to proposing to his pre-mission girl friend. 

For now be well.

Love dad

Hey Pops,

I'm glad that everyone is healthy. I've been dodging the illness going around here so far. 

Thanksgiving was pretty awesome. It was a memorable time. We had a good time with the members. It was a lot different from last year. 

I'll keep Grandma in my prayers. I'll send her a letter today too. 

I am dropping weight. Basically I don't eat except when members feed us. It has been working. I'm getting better at running too. I don't know if I would be at 1/2 marathon status, but hopefully I can do a decent 5k by the time I get back. 

Yeah, I'll make a point to help you with the sheet rock. That sounds like a fun project. 

I would like to serve around Woodland or Vacaville. They are piloting some sweet things over there with our iPads. I will probably be leavingnext Wednesday 

Thanks for sending me a gift. I appreciate it. I'm sure I'll love it. 

Ha ha, I hope Philip and his gal get married. That'd be pretty sweet. I can't believe people my age are getting married. It is pretty weird.

I'm going to miss my people, but I know the next phase of my mission will be great. I feel like I am the most skilled that I have ever been. It will be good seeing what the Lord has in store.

Thanks for everything. I appreciate everything you do.

Love,

Elder Williams