Week Forty Three - Baptism in Lakewood and the McKinney Hermanas!

Baptism of Dre Young in Lakewood with Elder Munday and Elder Haskell!

 

 

Hola!
   I love hearing about everybody's week, even little things like the dog church updates!  Was that the first time he saw John there?  Did Dad go down when the dog hit him? I wish I could have been there to see that! I saw a lady playing fetch in a field with a chuck-it stick and her big dog, and then there was another little dog just sniffing around, showing absolutely no interest in the ball.  It brought back some very precious memories.  I fear that Toby won't be the same dog when I get back, and he will have slowed down a lot over two years.  Please tell me that won't be the case!?!  Em, send me some pictures when you get back!  Glad Tom is staying busy and making money so that he can take lots of girls out on dates.  Mother, I wish you safe travels and a good time! 

   Hermana Macy and Hermana Asay are the sisters here in McKinney.  We have dinner at members' houses with the hermanas almost every night, and we go to lunch with them along with the other elders in McKinney a couple times a week.  They are super cool!  Hermana Macy actually went home last week back to Hawaii.  She is probably the coolest Sister missionary I have ever met.  Incredibly happy and fun all the time, yet mature and focused at the same time.  She was always thinking of others, seeking opportunities to serve and make people feel good, and truly Christlike.  She had a big impact in the area, and everyone was sad to see her go.  She took great interest in the fact that my mom was not a member, so when she asked for my home address, I wasn't sure what they were going to send you!  But I trusted them, and I am glad you enjoyed what they sent.

   On Saturday, we carpooled back to Lakewood with Elder Munday to see the baptism of Dre Young.  I don't remember if I told y'all, but in Lakewood we started playing basketball every Saturday afternoon at the church, and we would invite all the youth we saw throughout the week to come play on a nice, hardwood floor indoor court out of the cold.  After a couple hours of play, we would take everyone on a tour of the church, and then have chicken nuggets and orange drink after it all.  Sometimes we had up to 20 hoodrat kids in the gym, and we would always play the 4 elders against whoever else.  They all get a kick out of Elder Munday, this 6'7" English white boy that has an obsession with Lebron James and talks trash like there is no tomorrow.  It was a great time, and Dre is a result of Saturday afternoon basketball against the Elders.  I never had the chance to teach him, but I did develop a friendship with him, and I like to say that I contributed to his humbling process as I took him to school on the court every Saturday.  Hehe!
   We don't do bingo anymore.  When President Durrant found out that his missionaries were wasting there time calling out numbers for old people, he lovingly and sternly invited us to stop immediately and find a better way to use our time.  Haha!  So this week we went to the Habitat for Humanity here in McKinney for the first time with some English Elders, and it was the best service I've done my whole mission!  We bundled, labelled, and organized wood siding, and moved giant slabs of marble counter top.  Busy, manual labor, hands dirty, and didn't require hardly any brain power.  That's my kind of service right there!  I actually felt like I accomplished something, unlike Bingo, where I would always wake up to the old folks giggling at me because they caught me sleeping.  So we have plans to go there at least once a week now, if not twice.

   Thanks for the quote, Mommy.  Best I've heard in a while!   

  

-Yes we went to Applebee's, and will probably go there again soon!

-There is a coldstone in Allen and Plano, but nothing in McKinney.  If you sent it to me, I could probably find a way to use it.

-I use Spanish a lot more here in McKinney.  Elder Malpartida and the ward members help a lot.  Spanish is still coming along well!

-I don't know where I will be watching conference, but I am hoping I don't have to watch it in Spanish. 

-I can't think of anything I need at the moment.  Thanks! 

I have two questions of my own:

-Is Gavin one of Tom's mission companions?

-Where are you going to watch conference, Mom?

That's all I can think of for this week.  I will try my best to make this week an exciting one so that I can have lots to tell you next Monday.  Love and miss you all!  I pray that the Lord will bless and guide you all in all that you do, and that you can have the best week of your life!

Elder Williams