May 27, 2014 Welcome Home

 

Almost Home

Hey Elder T-T,

It's weird that your mission is over. It's gone by so fast. But it has been a great blessing to many people --- those who you have taught, those in your family and especially your own life. I think you've had a renaissance --in heart and soul. You seem like a different person. Well, actually you're the same, but better.

I'm so grateful that you've had the opportunity to serve. I know that it will bless your life forever.

I'm excited to say, "See you tomorrow". I know it's bitter-sweet to you, to end you life as an ordained servant, but I know you will continue to be a missionary.

I love you.

Well, done thou good and faithful servant.

Mom


Thank you mom. Your support has helped me become who I am now. I am so
happy with my mission. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Love,

Elder Williams

Ending Strong in Shiloh Park

Hello Elder TT,

Aubree had seminary graduation last night and it was a nice program. 

Everyone is ready for school to be done. Summer time is calling! I'm looking forward to it also. I want to do a lot of day trips and hiking. 

Tell me how your work is going. Let me know if I can do anything for you.

I love you.

Mom

Dear Mom,

I'm glad that Aubree had a good seminary graduation. School is over quick. 

The work is going well. We picked up 5 new investigators over the last couple of days, so the Lord is really blessing us. I'll be ending strong here in Shiloh Park. 

I got to go to the Oakland Temple last Thursday. I love the temple. I took another name for an endowment. I'm glad I figured out all that family history stuff. It will be something I really get into. 

My companion, Elder Waite, went home last Friday. He extended, so he went home on a day other than transfer day. He is in Colorado now. 

That journal in the most recent package isn't the journal that I was talking about. Sorry. I have two blue journals. If you want to dig through that other package with all the stamps then let me know whether or not you find it, I'd appreciate it. I've been asking around too to see if anyone I served with spots it. Thanks for letting me know about the other journal, though.

I love you, Mom. Thank you for everything.

Love,

Elder Williams

Newtons

Hello,
Your amazing son served in our ward at the start of his mission. We saw him at Stake Conference a few weeks ago and wanted to have him over for dinner to catch up on his past two years! He is a great young man with a strong testimony. Thank you for raising him so that he could come to Santa Rosa and touch the lives of my family. He has been a great missionary and I am sure you are looking forward to his return.
Thanks again,
Heidi, Stoney, Denver, and Logan Newton

Feeling Successful

Good Morning Elder Williams,

So nice to visit with you last night. Everyone was excited to see you and we're counting down the days until you come home. I know you are counting too...with sadness, but I know you will always be a missionary regardless of whether or not you wear a name tag. 

It sounds like you have a really great teaching pool. I hope you see a lot of good things happen with them. What is really awesome, is that you will be able to stay in touch via Facebook, email, etc. You've made a lot of friendships and connections with people that will have eternal significance. 

Let me know if you need anything or if we can do something for you. 

Love you!

Mom

Dear Mom,

I was glad to talk to all of you. It was good to hear how everyone is doing.

You are right. I can still be a missionary, and even more importantly a disciple of Christ. My calling will change, but I know I can still assist God in His work. I've learned so many things over the last  two years, and I still have time to learn more lessons that will bless me for the rest of my life.

I have made so many dear friends. Sharing the Gospel has made those spiritual connections. No matter what my people choose or how fast they progress, (I don't know if anyone will be baptized in the next couple of weeks) I will be happy and grateful that I was able to help them on their journey. I love a section called A Successful Missionary in Preach My Gospel Chapter 1. It says,"Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost." I do feel committed. I haven't been perfect, but I have tried so hard.

I'm planning on sending stuff home today and next week. It'd be great if you could let me know if the packages arrive. Also, if you could let me know if you find my journal in that package, I would really appreciate it.

Love,

Elder Williams

Mother's Day

Hello Elder Williams,

Soon I'll be able to call you Talon again. How will that feel? Probably weird for awhile, like when you get your braces off and you tongue keeps running over and over your teeth because it feels so smooth. Well, you will be smooth - like Joseph Smith said: 

"I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force....all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty."

I hope you had a good Sabbath day. I love listening to conference talks before church. Elder Christofferson is such a man of wisdom. He addresses the modern belief that we as humans are inherently good and therefore don't need a savior; we must save ourselves, and will eventually accomplish this according to the forces of evolution. The Christian doctrine that man is a fallen being has fallen out of the collective conscience and so many are blinded to the true cause of societies problems. Like Thoreau said, many are hacking at the leaves but few strike the root. Well, anyways my point is, we have apostles and prophets who stand on the watchtower to warn and guide us. I am so grateful for an anchor of truth which tethers me to the earth, and a north star to keep me hoping for celestial beauty and the possibilities that await the faithful. 

I was able to attend the temple twice this week. I went over on Tuesday because dad took Brandt to his final soccer game in Ephriam, so I was dropped off. Then on Friday I drove over with the Young Women and Men for baptisms for the dead. I'm glad I got to go and watch Brandt participate in the work. He is such a good kid. I have such good kids and love you all so much. I'm so very blessed. 

God be with you 'til we meet again.

I love you.

Mom

Dear Mom,

I'll get to talk to you on Sunday cause it is Mother's Day. Let's plan on 7 my time, 8 your time. Email me if that doesn't work. I can check my email, but I can only reply on Monday, so I will be able to see if that works for you.

Yeah, it will be weird to be called Talon. I'm going to miss being called Elder.

I'm glad that you have such a strong testimony of our living prophets and apostles. I love Elder Christofferson too. 

I'm happy you were able to go to the temple a lot too. I get to go next week on Thursday. I love the Oakland Temple. I feel like it is my temple. It is the one I have gone to the most. 

I'm doing well, and the work is going well. I'm really trying to give my all. I talk to so many people every day. I've talked to thousands of God's children on my mission, and I plan on talking to a few hundred these next few weeks. 

God be with you.

Love,

Elder Williams

DOH! April 28

Haloo Elder Williams,

You have the weirdest mother in the whole breadth and depth of the church. On Tuesday for Young Women's, I was talking to my beehives and the discussion was centered on technology. We were talking about hand-held devices, i.e., phones, iPods, etc., and was trying to get out of my mouth the games that people are always playing. I said, "You know, like those little thingy's, uhh, game-time, boy-game, playboys...." A beehive quickly said, "my mom told me not to look at those." I realized my faux pas and was so embarrassed! I was corrected with the right name which is Game-Boy. Oh, brother. Needless to say, I begged pardon and tried to clarify my meaning, but I was so mortified that all I could do was laugh at myself. 

I can just imagine the conversation when they got home: 

"Hi honey. How was Young Women's and what did you learn about?"

"Playboys."

Dead silence. .....

Yes, I should be evicted and fired from my job. That would be okay with me. I would like to just sit back go on cruise control...just show up on Sunday's and enjoy conference talks during the week. But I guess I'll keep putting my shoulder to the wheel and stumble along, frequently falling on my face, but getting back up, nevertheless. :)

How are you getting along? I hope better than me. ;) Do you like your new responsibilities? Are you getting to know the ward pretty well? 

Brandt is counting down everyday until school gets out. He can hardly stand it. I think Aubree feels the same way...anxious to be done. I'm looking forward to summer also. I want to do lots of fun things like go to the zoo, hike, and just have picnics and such. Good times!

Let me know how your companions are and who you are teaching.

With love,

Mom

Dear Mom,

You're not that weird. You'd be weird if you said it on purpose. But, you didn't. :) You're making a real difference for your young women. 

How's the new job going?

I'm doing well. I can't say that I totally like my new responsibilities, but they are helping me learn. I'm not a huge fan of administrating. I like ministering better. The Lord is blessing me with lots of opportunities to do that, though. I can really see what the other missionaries need to do to be happier and more effective.

It is going to be hard to get super close to the ward. I am trying to step back and let my companion Elder Ashton be the front man since he will probably be here next transfer.

Michael is the investigator that I am most excited about. He is an alcoholic, but he wants the Savior to help him. He has been sober for the last week, and he came to Church with us the last 3 weeks. He already knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God. We shared a few verses with him, and he reads them over and over. I know that he is finding hope in Christ. Those who truly want help from Him will receive it.

Love,

Elder Williams