Week Fifty Six - Cool Christmas Present & New Companion!

Hello Family!

           This week was okay. Unfortunately, a whole transfer passed and we didn´t have any baptisms.... I´m not too happy with that. But I sure did learn a lot in this transfer. I learned to be more patient with the newbies... I learned to make contacts better...I learned to take action and responsibility better... seeing that before this transfer it was pretty much my companions that did everything. So with the transfer, my companion, Elder J. Rosa, wil be leaving from the area, and my new companion here will be Elder Gonzalez... he´s from Argentina, and he´s got less time in the mission than my companion now.... about 3 months... wow that´s very little time. A member here gave us a Christmas present this past week, just a little late, which is reeeeeaaaallllyyyy cool! I received a little pottery bowl with my name (Elder R. Williams) on it and the flag of Pará. Missionaries have it good, do they not? Hearing that Beau is already returning home from his mission is... unbelievably incredible. This is the year that everyone´s mission ends. Beau, Scotty George in February, Justin in May or June, Taylor in July or August, maybe, Josh in August I think.... and Lucas in October... I think.... and then me... in December... The mission is soooo strange! It´s constantly changing, people are constantly coming and going!... What more can I say?

           So yeah, I don´t have a lot more to say this week, sorry. 
Did your companion get transferred?  If you got a new companion, what's his name and where is he from? Elder Gonzalez, from Argentina

Do you ever see or hear from Klayton, anymore? Nope, he´s in my mission past now.

Have you been to any restaurants or out to eat, lately? Nope, just eating at members.

Do you ever see American fast food restaurants where you are at - like McDonald's? In my area, no but I don´t need it.

Is there anything you need me to send to you?  Wart remover, deodorant, sunscreen? Nope, I`m good for now.

Grandma Marta is wondering if the chocolate she sent you was melted?  Hershey's chocolate drops, I think. Nope, didn´t melt. Thanks G-ma!!!!

My hour of computer time already ended so I´ve gotta go now. But I love you all and will talk better next week.... sorry.

Tchau Tchau!

Love Elder R. Williams

Week Fifty Five - Happy New Year!

Picture of Tom and his companion posted on FB by Cleide Lima.

Hello and Happy New Year!

    Seeing ya´ll na Skype was pretty darn cool, but sorry I didn´t have much to say! I´ll be thinking of questions to ask for the next time starting now! Sorry to hear about your car Em! But I´m glad to hear that you are okay! Egua Mom! Don´t be down because you have snow! Enjoy it for me! Would you rather live in a place where you begin to sweat the second you wake up?! And when you are done taking a shower and get ready for the day you are already sweaty again! EEEsh é horrivel! But only one more year of it! And Egua! I want to go snowboarding! Com certeza, I will be learning that again when I return home! Sorry that my e-mails are getting shorter every week. I´m just kind of losing patience with my self at the moment. With a new year comes new goals, and one will be longer e-mails... okay?

         My week was okay... not a lot special happened beyond talking to you on Skype. There´s a guy here that we talked to, and we´re going to try to teach, that knows a lot about basketball. He´s already talked with a lot of missionaries, but has never been taught, and he´s actually played basketball with some. But he is the husband of a less active member that is wanting to return to the church, so we´re going to work hard with him. Hearing him say John Stockton and Carl Malone was funny. The rest of the people we are teaching are just kinda meh right now. This week is the last of the transfer, I hope we find better people to teach. Anyways, my companion is most likely going to be transferred, and it should be nice to have a new companion... not that my companion is bad or I don´t like him or anything like that... but I kind of want a new one.

Q&A
Did you get the iPod I sent and were you able to listen to music on the little speaker? YES IT IS QUITE COOL! BUT! it needs more Josh Groban, and unfortunately, the computer is not able to identify the ipod. I think it´s because it lacks itunes... so I can´t really get more music on it right now, which is a bummer.


Did your companion get presents from home, too? I heard some sad stories from other missionary moms that said their son's companions didn't receive any Christmas presents. I meant to tell you that you could share with your companion if he didn't get anything. I think you probably got quite a bit considering how many people sent packages. I hope your companion got some things, too. He didn´t get a lot but I´ll be sure to share with him.


What did you do on Christmas day - what was the day like for you? I just talked to you guys and visited some members of the ward... Our leaders said that we had to be out on the street during the day, we couldn´t stay at home, so we just visited people.

Do you know the family well that let you Skype from their house? Yeah, more or less. They´re nice, always giving us lunch. They are a very strong family in the church, and help out the mishs quite a bit.


I am not getting pics loaded on the e-mail right now, because this computer is dumb, but I will try to send some home next week.

That´s it for this week. I love you all. Happy New Years! Wish me luck on my last year of the mission. Tchau Tchau!

Elder R. Williams

Week Fifty Four - Christmas Call Home

My cute Tommy in a hat!

The streets.....

Elder Shaw, Elder Kaufman and Tom at the mission Christmas party.

Hi Family!

          Wow what a complicated week!.... what more can I say? I guess since while talk tomorrow, I don´t have anything else to say. Just some pics. Me, Elder Shaw, and Elder Kaufman, at the mission Christmas party, after one year in the mission. A pic of what our area looks like, basically. And a pic of me and an ugly hat.... I don´t like hats.

Anyways, tomorrow, I will probably try to talk to you around 7 o´clock here. I don´t know what time that would be there. But if worse comes to worse, I will call home and pay the family that lended the phone, later. I guess it´s just that this week.

I love you all. Merry Christmas, have a great week, enjoy all your new toys!

Love Elder R. Williams

Celebrating Tom's One Year Mark at Texas de Brazil

Em and Dave enjoying the food.

David looking unhappy that I'm taking his picture.

David and I enjoying a great meal!

On December 13th, it was exactly one year from when we took Tom to the airport to leave on his mission.  So, to celebrate the one year mark, we went to City Creek and had dinner at Texas de Brazil.  We also walked over to Temple Square and looked at the lights.  It was a fun night and we all wished that Tom could be with us.  The next time we have Brazilian food, I think he will be with us!

Week Fifty Three - Goiabada and Acai with Sugar!

Goiabada and cream - love the tie in the background!

Acai and sugar.

Tommy with purple teeth!

Hello my Family!!!
       This week was more or less again... this area is being a little bit difficult. A lot of people here don´t want anything at all. We´re knocking on a lot of doors at the moment but getting little success.... but I think that´s normal when it comes to knocking on doors. But while knocking on doors we found a less active family, we talked a little and the father wants that we baptize his 2 kids, Joseph and Maria (9 and 8 years old), because right now he is unable to. He had some rough experiences and is in the middle of something being resolved, but I just don´t really feel like sharing much of his story. But still, most of the people here just don´t want anything. Anyways, the week was still okay, more or less. Oh, maybe you haven´t heard yet, I passed the one year mark, which is pretty awesome. I guess it´s all down hill from here... I´m not sure how I feel about that... but unfortunately, I can´t do anything about it. Pics!        The first is my one year anniversary special snack. It is goiabada or something like that with cream milk, or something like that, with noodles in the back there, of course. The second is açai, probably the worst tasting fruit, but with a lot of sugar, it´s quite amazing. And the last is me, after eating my açai, with purplish teeth. Q&A Did you get the big Christmas package I sent and was that the one that you had to pay money to get? The one I payed for has a bunch of Christmas presents in it, I think it´s that one. I only opened the ties, I promise! Any other packages from anyone this past week? I got a package from the Frandsens, and G&G Pratt. Muito Obrigado meus amados queridos!
Do you know your plans for on Christmas day, yet? No not yet. I have no idea what I´ll be doing on Christmas. It seems like a strange day to go out proselyting, and our Christmas mission party is this Wednesday... hmmm I´m stumped.
Do you know your plans for calling home, yet? I think it will be Skye! GET READY! DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND WE´LL CLOSE UP THE PLANS NEXT P-DAY!
What did you do, if anything, to celebrate your one year mark? Just had a special snack.... didn´t feel like doing much else.
Did you get the Christmas tree I sent? oooooooh a christmas tree, eh? no I have´nt received it.
Did you get all of the letters and cards I sent?ooooooh Christmas cards, eh? no I haven´t received them.
Anyways, I love you all have a great week. I´ll e-mail yas on Christmas eve and talk to yas the day after, tá? tá! I loooooooove youuuuu, ooooooh I´m so excited for Christmas!
Love Elder R. Williams

Week Fifty Two - One Year Mark!!

Picture off of FB, Tom and his companion after a baptism.

Love the thumbs up sign!

Tom chopping down some trees.

Tom playing the bass - first picture without missionary clothes on!

 

 

This week, on Thursday, December 13th, Tom will have been on his mission for one whole year!  Sometimes, I wondered if that day would ever come.  It's been a strange year.  Dave said the other night that when he thinks about that day that we took Tom to the airport and said goodbye, it seems like an eternity ago.  But, when he looks back on the entire year, it has flown by.  I feel the same way.  In some ways, it has been a long, long year - missing Tom every day.  Missing him to the point of tears on some days and on other days, just knowing he is growing, maturing and doing what he wants to do so being happy for him.  We can now start counting down to the day he comes home.  365 days from this coming Thursday!  I am sure the year will fly by for us, but I have a feeling it will go even faster for Tom.  He will probably start wishing time would slow down and start feeling like he's not ready to come home - seems to happen to most missionaries.  I am looking forward to this year and to all of the adventures we'll get to hear about.  I will still live for Mondays to get that e-mail and will just have to be patient until he comes home!  

 

Hello

 

    I´m short on time. This week was okay.... more or less. We´re just working with a bunch of people that need to get married that don´t want to get married, so progress is slow this week. Thanks for reminding me I hit the one year mark (like I could ever forget). Congrats to Nick on his mission call. The day you leave will come faster than you know it.

Q&A
Did you get any packages this past week? Please tell me you got my big package and if you did, you better not have opened any presents! Did you get any of the other packages from me? There are two small ones besides the big one. Any packages from anyone else? I got a package from G&G Williams. Muito obrigado, love ya´ll!

Are you going to do anything for your one year mark? Don't missionaries usually burn something? I don´t know right now, maybe I´ll burn a tie, not sure....

Did you like the cookies that I sent from Mr. Cheney's? Dad said to tell you that he wishes he could bring you a cinnamon roll! cookies were awesome!

Have you heard anything about calling home, yet? no will get the info this week.

Are you dreaming in Portuguese, yet? I heard that's how you know you really know the language. It sounds like you are doing great with the language and maybe are having a hard time with English, sometimes? I´m not dreaming much but I´m quite sure I´ve dreamed in Portuguese numerous times.

Dad wants to know if you have to teach your companion the ropes? Are you pretty much in charge? no, he´s pretty much got it down. Maybe I´ll have more control when and if I actually train, but right now, he can have it....

 

Anyways, pics this week are of me and a bass guitar I found and me cutting a tree... I think...

 

Anyways.... anyways.... I love you all have a great week as you celebrate my one year mark. Stay safe. Thanks for everything you do for me and send me. I know the church is true!!!!

 

Love Elder R. Williams

Week Fifty One - New Area, New Companion!

Tom, his companion, Malena and her daughter, Ynara.

View out of Tom's new apartment.

Tom and his new companion, Elder Rosa.

Week fifty one..... only one week away from week fifty two!  I can't believe it will be a year next week and we can finally start counting down!  The year has gone fast in some ways and slow in others.  I think Tom has mixed emotions about how fast time is flying.  He's on to a new area, a new companion and more adjusting....just another day in the life of a missionary!
 

Hello Fam Fam!

               My week here was okay. My companion´s okay. His name is Elder J. Rosa, he´s from Rio Grande do Sul. He´s only got about 6 months in the mission, but he´s a good missionary, and he´s enthused to work. My area is okay.... what more can I say. Oh! it started raining again everyday. It´s kind of nice but annoying at the same time. It´s incredible to think I´ve already got about 1 year in the mission, and by this time next year I´ll be home. My trainer, Elder Reis, returned home this past week. His mission ended and wow it passed fast. When I met him he had just a year and 2 months, and now he´s home sleeping. Anyways, to get to my new area, I just took a boat back to Belém and about an hour taxi ride. Paracurí is actually really close to my second area, Castanheira, only about 20 minutes away. Today I´m going to go get my Christmas package, and I think I´ll spoil Christmas by opening it early.

    Pics! My new companion! The view out of the window of our house, our baptism before leaving the Vila dos Cabanos (Malena and her daughter Ynara)

    Q&A
Did you get any packages, and if you did, what did you get and who from? The only package I received is the one I have to pay for, but maybe I´ll receive another tomorrow.

Is your new companion from Brazil?  What's his name?  Do you like him? His name is Elder J. Rosa, he´s from Rio Grande do Sul, yes I like him, and I already said all this... anyways.

How is your new apartment?  Do you have a pillow?! It´s cool. It´s 3 floors up, it´s got a nice view... it´s clean and has 2 bathrooms. ++++++++! and yes  I have a pillow. 

Where do you exchange money?  I noticed you have used your card for a few small things, which is fine, but I was wondering if you got cash or just charged the card when buying something. Generally, the grocery stores have ATMs that I can get money from. I almost never charge at the cash register.

Do you know anything about calling home for Christmas, yet? No, but I think we´ll start searching this week. I´ll let you know on the next P-day!

Well that´s all I have to say for this week. I love you all and miss you all demais! Have a great week and stay safe. And I´ll see you all 1 YEAR FROM NOW! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAA! Tchau Tchau!

Love Elder R. Williams