Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Week Fifteen - Bike Mayhem, Dinners With Members and Journal OCD!

Querido Familia,
 
    Ohhh what a week I had!  Not really.  The missionary life is starting to become normal for me.  Nothing too exciting happened this week.  Just more heat, more biking, more sweating.  More finding, more teaching.  It's just the same old same old now!  But it's definitely not boring.  I had two little mishaps on my bike this week.  One time I just tried to go up these two little stairs, didn't have enough speed, tried to catch myself, almost caught myself, and then fell into a bush.  The other one I can't even explain, but I thought I broke my big toe!  But I didn't, it just bled a little.  But I've decided that I am just not meant to be on a bike, and Elder Crockett finds it to be quite hysterical.  
    We had two dinners with members that I think are worth sharing.  The first was with the Derkowski's, a middle aged odd couple if I ever did see one.  Robert is a skinny readheaded guy, recent convert, and obsessed with herbs that only speaks English, and Pilar is a little Hispanic lady, convert but not recent, and only speaks Spanish.  How that happened I have no idea, but they must be in love!  Robert keeps telling us that the best way to bring souls to Christ is to get down on their level and become one of them.  So because most Mexican men drink, we need to drink with them, just be careful not to get drunk.  It is a view that I have never heard before, but I don't think he fully understands the Word of Wisdom. 
   The other dinner was last night with the Boswell's, and it was probably my most favorite dinner so far in my mission.  They are in their thirties, no kids, recently graduated from byu.  She is a convert from Costa Rica with an amazing, inspirational and motivating conversion story.  Every mission wants to baptize someone and later on down the road see that they are as strong in the church as this woman is.  He served in Japan and told us lots of stories and gave us advice and opinions, which was very enlightening.  One thing he said that stuck out to me is "letting go" of life back home, and once you can do that you can truly devote yourself to the Lord 100% and get lost in the work.  I haven't "let go" yet.  While I don't know how exactly to do it, I need to!   But hearing about other people's missions is probably one of my favoritest things ever.  Every mission is just son insanely different!  But it was a very enjoyable dinner. 
    I started reading the Book of Mormon this week with the intention of starting at the beginning and reading all the way through.  I have only done that once in my life before and I didn't get much out of it because I just read it so I could say I read it, barely skimming the surface.  I finished 1 Nephi today and it's amazing how much of it makes sense now!  Like this is what I have been teaching people for the last 3 months!  It is all clicking for me now and I love to read that book!  It's sad that I am saying this 3 months into my mission.  It should have happened long ago, but at least it's happening.  The Church is true, the Book is blue, and Elder Williams loves you... hehehe! 
     About the Olympics, yes sadly I am quite out of shape.  I'm not fat, but definitely not strong.  I have actually put on fifteen pounds since I left!  But it is next to impossible to work out in the mornings!  But there are missionaries that can do it, and they work out hard too.  The good thing is that there is another Olympics next year and I will be ready for that one! 
   
-  Kevin Crockett and Sharon Rose are Elder Crockett's parents.  He said he thinks they went to Cottonwood. 
-  I got Grandma's package on Monday, and then the letter a day or two later.  So thank you grandma!  You are good at packing boxes, that thing was loaded!  And the subway cards are perfect, because that is one of our regular places that we go.  Subway and McDonalds, unfortunately.  But thanks for worrying about me.  I'm so spoiled!    I also got a letter from Andy as well.  Thanks Andy! 
-  I do use the face medications for my face and I think I have got suficiente por ahora.  Thanks though!
-  JW's are Jehova's Witnesses, yes.  I have only had one real run in with one, and he just showed off his knowledge of the Bible to us for 20 minutes.  Nice guy though, which surprised me from what I have heard about them.  But there are actually some missionaries that hunt for JW's, or even take lessons from them!  I don't plan on ever getting into that though. 
-  This week was hot to say the least.  No rain lately.  We have had a day or two in the last couple of weeks where it was actually enjoyable outside; sunny but not unbearably hot, and I loved it!  It reminded me of baseball and I wanted to be back in the good ol' days and play!   But this next week is supposed to be super hot again. Not sure when it is supposed to cool off, pero ojala pranto! 
-  I have already almost filled up my first journal and I could use another one soon.  Haven't missed a day yet!   But I want a specific one if you can find it, probably at Deseret.  One like that blue one you bought me for Christmas last year.  It should be down in my room by my bed if you don't know what I am talking about.  But I have that one, and the one I have now is the same but dark brown.  And now I need a new color!  They have red and black and maybe some others.  If possible I would like all my journals to be the same, just different colors, and at this rate I am probably going to need one of every color, at least!  I hope I don't sound too needy, but I might be slightly ocd about journals.  I hope that isn't too much of a hassle for you.  But I've still got enough room for probably 3-4 more weeks of writing left in the one I've got, so you've got time.  Love you! 
-  Thanks for the pic of me perritos! 
    Mom, I'm quite sure most missionaries are homesick for nearly their entire mission, it only becomes more and more bearable all the time.  I'm still homesick, I still miss you all like crazy and everything else about home, I still think about that day I come down that escalator way more than I should, but it is bearable and I am learning to enjoy my time here!  I hope that doesn't make you emotional or anything.  Know that I never stop thinking about the ones I love most, but at the same time I am doing just fine!   Quidence mucho y les amo bastante!  
 

love Elder Williams

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