28 maj 2012

Hello family!
Hope everything is good with you all! Elder Clem and I had a very busy
week-- one of the busiest of my mission I think-- at least in recent
history. We taught as many lessons this week as I did the entire last
transfer. And we will continue to push ourselves and teach more! I'm
looking forward to it. :) I'm sure I mentioned it last week, but we've
heard prayers in like 5 different languages the past couple days-- and
we can add sign language to that list again. Remember that deaf member
in Bratislava? We're meeting with him again-- he pretty much only
turns up when someone knows asl or is willing to communicate with him
by writing.
I absolutely love it here in Bratislava. Elder Clem is a great
companion and I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks with him.
We are having a ton of fun and working hard.
Thank you Grandma for the package and the note! My companion and I
have been enjoying them. :)
Shout out to Logan on the graduation!! WAHOO!! I loved the pictures--
and you should send me that video of you taking a dive! I can't
believe I graduated 5 years ago already- time flies! (Elder Clem was
shocked when I told him that-- he was still in middle school when I
graduated...)

I love you all!!

Elder Williams

ps thanks for the emails and updated addresses-- I will try to get to
you all sooooon!!

 May 21, 2012

Back in Blava

Everyone,

The past couple days have been a complete blur. It's been a trip. I
spent 3 days in Zilina training Elder Bateman as my replacement-- he's
already doing a fantastic job. It was an exhausting couple days of me
just talking and going over everything there is about the branch here.
But E. Bateman is as ready as he can be. It runs itself, really, you
just have to do it once and it all makes sense. He didn't believe me.
And now I'm back in Blava!! I don't know my address yet, sorry. I'll
include it in a future email. I am serving with Elder Clem from Tampa,
FL and I just know that this will be one of the best transfers of my
mission. He has a ton of energy and is ready to work. He was hanging
out with Elder Nichol and Fenn waiting for me to get here and he had
the area ready to go. We got meetings and investigators coming out of
our ears. I lOVE it! Elder Rhodes and Wykoff were here before us and
they found a ton of people. So our job is to keep them progressing
towards baptism. Church yesterday was great and the branch has grown a
lot in the past year. It has matured into a completely different
branch and I am really looking forward to the next two months here and
seeing it continue to grow. I am all excited to be a "regular"
missionary and not worry about anything else but "my people".
In other news, Slovakia placed second in the World Hockey Cup
yesterday and the town is a blaze in celebration. Elder Clem and I
will be inside during the festivities trying to call all of these
people in our phone.  :) I just love missionary work sometimes and its
crazy to think that I DIDN'T think this would be a good thing for me
to do. :)

I love you all and talk to you soooon!!

Elder Williams

Switch-up

Hello family!!

First off it was great to hear from you all on Sunday! Can you believe I have no more phone calls left??

So as you all know, its TRANSFER WEEK! President Irwin has, true to form, shaken things up. My companion, Elder Johnson is staying here and I am serving with Elder Clem..... in Bratislava! (I was really confused about it too) Elder Bateman will be taking over as Branch President here and I will be hanging out with him til Saturday giving him a little crash course on how to run things. He goes in and out of "freak outs". I keep telling him he'll be fine.

I'm really nervous for him.

But he is going to do a fantastic job! It just feels right. He's a 4th transfer missionary and is ready to get to work. This city/branch is ready for a missionary like Elder Bateman and I'm looking forward to what he'll do. I'm just sad I won't be here for it all.

It's been a weird time for me- trying to get everything packed and ready for Elder Bateman. I know how Elder Tomlinson felt I think. Kinda relieved, but at the same time like old garbage. lol      I CANNOT wait to get to Blava with Elder Clem. I've heard a lot about him and I'm looking forward to hit the ground running with him. He's heard some things about me and I'm preparing to prove them all right! (or wrong if they're bad things.... :)

It's been a wild ride here in Zilina. I love this city and these people. I'll think about them often, I know I will. I've learned a lot about myself and what I'm capable of--and a little of what my potential looks like. This upcoming transfer will be one of expanding and unlocking that potential. I'm SO excited to be 100% dedicated to missionary work-- it's what I was sent to do. :)

I love you all. Stay close to the Lord, read your scriptures, say your prayers, and remember, I'll see you soon. :)

Elder Williams

ps Mara, I miss you toooooooo!

Baptisms, new bathroom and a wedding?

I'll explain the title later....

Hello everyone! I hope this week was a good one for you. The excitement came Wednesday when our landlord's brother came over and demolished our shower room (Toilet and shower are in separate rooms. It's brilliant) Everything out. That was fun for us. I learned some new words as they asked for tools. (I've already forgotten them all. When will I use "sandpaper" or wire cutters" again?) I'll attach some before and after pictures next week. We've been going to the other Elders apartment for the past couple days for showers. 

This Friday we will be having 4 baptisms in Zvolen! It's about 2 hours away from Zilina--but they are the newest members of the branch! We're excited for them all. It's been a long time coming for them all and two will be getting married that day as well before hand. I'm still a little confused about who will be performing it... Uvidime. It's been quite exciting for them though. And for me up here. I gotta figure out what new members need from a branch president that lives 2 hours away.. anything?? It's been a learning process for me. I'll let you know how everything works out. :) 

Our baptismal date is doing really well. I'm so excited for her. She's so special and will be such a boost for the branch here. she has a ton of faith and just loves the church and the restored Gospel. She's facing a ton of opposition-- mostly from her husband who changes his mind whether or not she can be baptized. But we are moving forward with faith. We've been praying for him to have a softer heart. I'm certain she will be baptized.  

I have been thinking a lot about missions and the gospel lately. Why me? How do I have the gospel in my life? Why does the Lord see me fit to do the things He asks me to do? I'm grateful that He doesn't look at me as I am right now-- but that He looks at me in terms of who I will become. At what I am capable of- not what I've done in the past. To God it's all about the future. His is an eternal perspective. One that I lack sometimes. But that's why we are here. To learn how to stretch ourselves and become something. 

I love you all and I promise I don't need anything. Looking forward to talking to you about 6 my time!! 

Elder Williams