5 Months Down--Say What!?

I realized just now that today marks 5 months since people stopped calling me "Adam" and started calling me "Elder Williams"... weird. (ps is that a "trunky thought"?)

This week I had two major breakthroughs, as far as personal and emotional developments. The first came in the form of a postcard from London. It came last Monday. I had been beating myself up the weekend prior over silly things. You know how I am and stress. It seemed that all of these expectations I set for myself and the missionaries around me are not being lived up to. I realized that I was setting standards that even the perfect missionary would struggle to meet. And so, up until this postcard arrived I was trying to figure out where or how to draw the line between pushing myself and those around me without it becoming a burden. This postcard simply said, "Hi Elder W. Greetings and support from England! Your reader, Mary" I am going to assume that Mary is a member from England who found my blog somehow-and not some other Mary that I know who took a trip to London. (the story sounds better that way) Besides being deeply touched by the thoughtfulness of Mary it got me thinking about the expectations and the undue stress I am putting on myself. It's so easy out here to look at the immense amount of work around us in getting the gospel out there and understood by the people of Trenčín. It's even easier to trick yourself into thinking that you are the ONLY that even cares. But Mary gave me a wake-up call for sure. There are 14 million members around the world who are supporting all of us missionaries. The Prophet and Apostles talk about us and our needs weekly, and countless prayers are uttered in within the temple and in the homes of millions of people. And that doesn't even include the numberless friends and family members that aren't members but still love and support me. So to all the "Marys" in the world, thank you :)

The seond breakthrough: I learned how to make the perfect tortilla. Coupled with the salsa sent by the Woods= an answer to prayers

I'm sorry to say that besides the postcard it's been a pretty lousy week. Nothing much has happened nor changed. Working out kinks in the companionship, headaches from the language study, trying to find people to teach, you know, the usual.

s laskou,

Elder Williams