Week Seventy Four - Skyping on Mother's Day!

Tom playing volleyball, going up for a spike!

Hi Family!

     Wow, seeing your faces again was so awesome. WOW! The time between Christmas and now passed sooo fast! And the time between now and when I come home will past even faster! Mom! Chora não! (don´t cry)! I´ll be home sooo fast you´ll be begging that I return to the mission! Hey sorry I wasn´t able to talk more. Yesterday we had lunch at a members place and immediately after the sisters used Skype on the computer of the future son-in-law of this member, and they did it without any problems, and we waited there the whole time, about 3 hours. When my companion tried to use it, no one in his family was online. So we went outside, used a phone booth to call his family, tell them to get online, and we went to this future son-in-laws home, about a 20 minute walk away, and when we arrived there, the internet pretty much didn´t work. So my companion tried for about an hour and a half and was only able to wish his mom a happy mother´s day and say hello rapidão to a few peeps. After his few tries we decided to return to the other members house because it worked so well there, but she wasn´t home so we went to the neighbors place, but the internet didn´t work so well like it did in the first place. So that´s probably why the connection was bad. I wasn´t really thinking of much to say, I was just happy to see everyone at home. I guess I should´ve thought more about you guys there, but.... it´s too late now. But like I said, 6 more months and we can see each other in person again! But can´t talk about that yet, I still got work to do.

    But my week was okay. We were going to have a baptism, but the person who was going to get baptized said she traveled to stay with her father, in another city, and a little later we discovered, through a member, that she just doesn´t want to get baptized anymore and it seems like there´re some people trying to interrupt the baptism, but I also think it´s part of the her own desires. She doesn´t have a testimony of the church yet and I think she just wanted to get baptized because she knows she needs to be (and has never been baptized yet), so any baptism in any church will do for her, but we know otherwise!. But my companion is not a quitter and he´s very persistent/insistent (I forgot if there´s a difference or if they mean the same thing, but whatev), so we´re going to keep trying with her. We took a family to church with us this week. They said they liked it and we´re going to try to have a family home evening with them and a member family tonight. 

     My time as a district leader is going okay. I usually have to give some sort of training on tuesdays so I stay awake a little late on Monday nights, thinking of what to teach, but if I pray about it I usually get an idea and that idea doesn´t leave my mind, so I know I should teach it. But so far, my mission is going well. I´ll be sure to write letters to everyone, being that my last 6 months of the mission are just about to start. Egua, i´ve been really lazy when it comes to writing letters, and for that I apologize. Right now I just want to say I´m grateful for the opportunity I had to talk to you at home yesterday. Grandma´s new hair-do looks awesome, Grandpa is looking young enough to basketball again. I didn´t see Grandma and Grandpa Pratt, but I assume the same thing. A few last words to David, before leaving to his mission: DON´T GO!!! WWAAAAAHHHH! (jk) I just want to wish you the best of luck. I know you will love your mission and speaking another language. Strive as much as possible to learn it and I´ll be learning it too while you´re gone, it´s a promise! Convert yourself to the gospel, David. Make the book of Mormon an instrument in your hands. You´ll never convert someone beyond your own conversion. So be diligent, be humble, have patience, love everyone you meet, and show the world you are a representative of Jesus Christ. Give all your heart, might, mind and strength and don´t let down for even a minute during any day of your mission. Don´t be afraid of doing anything. Accept any challenge with courage and enthusiasm. It passes unbelievably fast, so enjoy it and forget about everything else. I know you´ll be a great defender of the truth, David, and a blessing to everyone that you encounter. I´ll be sure to write to you a lot while you´re out. I love you and I´ll see you 2 years from now! 

Q&A

Cindy Nielsen sent you a letter a while back, but she is worried she didn't put enough postage on it.  Did you get a letter from her? Yes! I did, thank you Cindy Nielsen, and to Andy too, for the e-mails.

Did you get a birthday card and letter from Dad? Yes I did, and 3 letters from sister Peterson (muito obrigado for keeping me in the loop) a letter from G&G Williams and Pratt, muito obrigado, também. And a birthday card from Bob Esponja! Obrigado Bob Esponja! (and to my family, Mom Dad Em and David! I know you told Bob Esponja to do that! I KNOW IT!)

Could you see us while we were Skyping?  We could see you pretty well, but it seemed dark where you were....Did you see Toby and Sherm? Yeah I could see you all just fine. It should be even better in person right!? I don´t think it will be all laggy and pixelated... I hope...

Do you realize you have a Brazilian accent?  It's not super strong, but it's there and we love it!! So I´ve heard....

A pic!

It´s me playing Volleyball going up for a spike. NOSSA! GUERREIRO EU SOU! It reminds me of that pic.... of me... playing tennis.... I´m crazy!

Okay, that´s all. I love you all at home and miss you all so much. I know the church is true and the gospel can change lives if we just strive to live it. I know the lack of David´s presence will be hard at home, probably hardest for Toby, but it will pass fast, and there is nothing better that David could do than spread the good news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the most important message on earth! Again, I love you all. Have a great week! 

Love Elder R. Williams

 Hey!........ ONe more thing!...... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DAVID AND MOM! NOSSA! IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY I WISHED YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR YOUR 18TH AND 50TH BIRTHDAY. PARA BÉNS PRA VOCÊ, NESTA DATA QUERIDA. MUITAS FELICIDADES, MUITOS ANOS DE VIDA! Birthday presents are coming, but it will probably take a while! Love you, tchau!