I miss you! I am so grateful for the love and support and prayers I
receive from you all. I could not do this without you! A picture of
Toby was exactly what I needed this morning. Did you take a picture of
the fallen tree? That is loco! Must have been
a vicious storm.
I had a very good week. I got my first sunburn of the year! We had a
really cool storm the other night. The lightning was lighting up the
sky almost constantly with all of its flashes! I had never seen
anything quite like it. I had wild hog for dinner
one night. We got a new car! The Malibu reached it's mile limit, so
the Church is going to sell it and they gave us a brand spankin' new
2014 Toyata Corolla. I love the smell of a new car. It's probably the
nicest vehicle I have ever driven. Maybe. I
mean, it's just a Corolla, but it is so new and runs so smoothly and
even has a back up camera! I am too spoiled.
"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." ~Joyce Brothers. This blog started out to be a way of reporting on Tom's mission adventure. I soon realized that there's just a lot going on in life that I don't want to forget about. Our lives are busy, happy and full and I hope to capture some of the excitement in this blog.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Week Forty Six - A New Car and a Homecoming!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Week Forty Five - "You Got Twenty Minutes, Tell Me Something Uplifting."
Hey Fam,
I had a very good week. The weather was nice, we worked hard,
no problems, and being a missionary is just starting to become rather
pleasant. It gets easier and easier all the time. I feel like I am
almost 100% adjusted, and this is just life now.
Time is going by crazy fast, and I spend less and less time thinking
about time and home; and more and more time thinking about investigators
and the work. While I am still hungry for baptisms and success, I feel
content with the missionary lifestyle. It's
amazing what time and persistence can do.
So our week was pretty typical, with the exception of food. I
told you last Monday that we were going to eat buffalo for lunch. The
members that cooked it talked it up a lot, but really it was far from
anything special. We were also fed cow tongue
one night for the first time in my mission. It was cut up into bite
size pieces, and you could see the taste buds on it, and I'm quite sure I
got the very tip of the tongue! It wasn't bad, if you put lots of
salsa on it; but the salsa they had was super
spicy, so I couldn't handle much. I think they were going to try to
feed it to us without telling us what it was, but somebody asked, and
the cat was out of the bag! It would have been easier to eat if I
didn't what it was, but I survived. I was also fed
some of the best homemade cheesecake ever. TWICE! We made it so
obvious that we liked it so much, that they made another one later in
the week and invited us over to come eat it. They call it "WOAH"
because that is what people usually say after their first
bite. Sometimes I feel like food takes up a bigger portion of my
mission than it should, but missionaries love food! And the members in
this particular area love feeding us! It is rare if we don't eat at
members houses five times a week; and they would
feed us seven times a week if they could!
I believe I already told you that the same nonmember feeds us
every Tuesday night, and she has a son named David that has been serving
in the Houston mission. Well he comes home tomorrow, so last Tuesday
she asked us to help her make some "WELCOME
HOME DAVID!" signs. It kind of brought on a mixture of feelings, and
she wants us to be at his welcome home party on Wednesday. That's going
to be weird!
We had a specialized training on Wednesday, where all the
Spanish missionaries in the mission got together. It was fun to see all
my amigos, it was very insightful, learned a bunches, and I love
President Durrant! He is a very inspired man.
We met a guy this week named Wally. Biggest hippie I've met in
all my days in Texas. He has pictures around his apartment with him and
his friends shirtless, long hair, gnarly staches, and shotguns. He
told us that he was the biggest pot dealer at
A&M back in his day and got rich off of it. When he opened the
door, he had some old hippie music blasting, and he looked like somebody
that was about to slam the door right on our noses. To our surprise,
he invited us in and said "I love my God! You got
20 minutes, tell me something uplifting." We stayed for an hour and a
half and had an awesome conversation. He is very open and super funny.
One of those guys where Elder so and so is too difficult, and insists
we tell him our first names. He is a lot
smarter than he looks, and asks a lot of really good questions. It was
nice to have a conversation like we did. I'm sorry, but no Hispanic
has ever made me think as hard as he made me think. We have had two
good chats with him so far. They aren't really
lessons, they just go wherever he takes them. It is lots of fun to
talk with him, and I am hesitant to pass him on to the English Elders,
just because he is so stinking cool! He is a very interesting man to
say the least. I love meeting wacky people!
We had an investigator show up at church yesterday for her first
time, in the middle of sacrament meeting. She walked in and
practically yelled "buenos dias!" in the middle of someones talk. Haha!
Her name is Marta, and she is pretty wacky herself.
It was incredible to see the members take her under their wing and
make her first Sunday at the Mormon church an enjoyable experience.
Thanks to them, I am confident that she will be back and baptized soon!
There is a member here that was a nurse, and is super into
natural oils. She made some sort of concoction to put on a wart I have
on my finger, and it is the most fowl smelling stuff that could ever go
through your nostrils! It smells like vinegar,
lemon juice, armpit sweat and moldy gym socks! I've only been using it
for three days, so it is too early to tell if it is working or not.
I'm just praying that I'm not rubbing this stuff on my finger for
nothing!
-We can put on p-day clothes to do service if necessary, but with
unplanned service opportunities, the only thing we can do is tuck our
ties into our shirts, roll up our sleeves, and do our best to keep
clean!
-I am sleeping much better now. The snoring definitely hasn't
slowed down, but recently I actually read the instructions on the side
of the ear plugs box, and they work great when you use them correctly!
Lesson learned.
-I haven't seen Sister Packard much lately, but I did meet Kurt Heldt's brother yesterday in the church library!
It is crazy to think that Rachel will get to Texas at the end of
this transfer! When you gave me the news it seemed so far away!
Missions are crazy. I love it. That's all I can think of for this
week, so until next time! Love and miss you all! Have
the best week of your life!
Elder Williams
She Said Yes at the Happiest Place on Earth!
![]() |
| David and Em and Ironman! |
![]() |
| Em and David at Cinderella's Castle. |
![]() |
| The happy couple! |
![]() |
| The ring! Beautiful! |
| Emilee and David had planned a trip to Disneyland for David's birthday. The week before they left, David took Dave to dinner while Em and I were at our pottery class. I had a feeling that he may want to talk to Dave about asking Em to marry him and I was right! He wanted to get our blessing before he popped the big question - what a guy! So his plan was to ask her the first day they were there in the park, but he didn't know exactly how he was going to do it. He ended up asking her on the Dumbo ride! And, of course, she said yes! We were so excited for them and are so happy for the two of them. David is a wonderful guy who treats her like she deserves to be treated and we couldn't ask for a more wonderful son-in-law! They ended up having a wonderful time in Disneyland and I am so happy that they will always have that happy memory in the happiest place on earth! |
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Week Forty Four - Building a Fence and Painting a House!
Hey,
Now this is the kind of week back home that I like to hear about. Em's
getting married!?!? I figured this was coming soon. That is so crazy
exciting I can't believe it! From what I have seen, David is a great,
genuine guy that knows how to treat a lady.
I approve and have absolutely no worries there. Dad, your news, on the
other hand, is not so pleasing. I am sorry to hear about the pains you
have been having, and now I feel terrible for taking it so lightly last
week! Have Tom give you a blessing and
suck it up. I will keep you in my prayers as well. I would imagine
that running the church ball tournament would be quite the hassle.
Certainly not my cup of tea. But you will be blessed for your diligent
service and efforts! Tom, can you do any flips
yet on the snowboard? Hop on the lift with some chicas tomorrow and
ask them on a date! Mom, isn't that just the most convenient thing
ever? We can watch conference in the comfort of our own home and even
pj's if we want! What a great blessing that is,
and I hope all will take advantage of that. I am stoked!!! Oh, and
thank you for the relieving news about Toby : )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!
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.
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
Week Forty Two - Mission Bucket List: Conquer Fear of Snakes - Check!!
Hey there Fam!
Sounds like y'all had a good week and have
some fun plans in the near future, stuff is happening, and life is picking up
and rolling on in the right direction for you all! It is hard for me to picture
Tom eating real food. I guess missions really are magic! I will keep Em and
Mom in my prayers as they are traveling. So I was not able to email on Monday
due to icy roads. It rained ice on Sunday, so the roads were super slick on
Monday and the majority of the mission was forbidden to drive, even though all
the ice was melted here in McKinney by about 4 in the afternoon. I just don't
get this Texas weather. The majority of last week was nice; it even got up to
80 degrees on Saturday! And then Sunday out of nowhere it dropped down to 17,
with snow and ice. Right now we are in the 40's, and I think it is only
supposed to get warmer from here, but you just never know! I am looking forward
to rain and storm and tornado season that is just around the corner!
-McKinney is becoming more familiar now. I only need the gps every now and
then, so that is a good feeling.
-I know I don't get enough exercise, but as far as I can tell, I'm not
getting fat yet. We have a fitness center at our apartment with a treadmill and
a few machines, and we go a few times a week, but we still need to do a better
job of taking advantage of that.
-I wouldn't mind more of those oatmeal balls. You can send them with the
next package, but I don't really need anything at the moment.
-My camera is working great!
I think that's all I've got to say for this week. Love and miss ya!
Elder Williams
Monday, February 24, 2014
Week Forty One - Some Awesome BBQ, Finally and Five or Six Kids, At Least!
| David, Elder Malpartida and some hermanas at Cain's after lunch! |
Hey,
I am super sorry to hear about Susan. I cannot imagine how the
closest people to her are feeling right now. Susan is the last person I
expected to hear after reading that you had some sad news to share.
You are right, a tragic event like that really is
eye opening. It is in times like that when the Gospel and the Savior
can be our biggest help. I will definitely keep Chris and Susan's
family in my prayers.
A weekend trip to St. George doesn't sound half bad right now. And
neither does a weekend alone with the pups! Glad to hear you all had a
peaceful, enjoyable weekend.
Elder Malpartida and I had a decent week. The highlight was on
Friday when we had a Zone Conference, and we were blessed with the visit
of Elder Stanley G. Ellis, a member of the 70, and we had the privilege
of learning from him and his wife. He gave
a talk in General Conference about a year ago called "The Lord's Way".
It was a great conference and I learned a bunches of good stuff! It is
always neat to see guys like him (meaning 70's and Apostles and
probably the First Presidency) in a less formal
setting than the one you typically see them in (meaning General
Conference). They all have so much personality, they are super funny,
and you just wish you could be in their presence at all times. They are
incredible examples of devoted disciples of Jesus
Christ. Meeting people like Elder Ellis really just shows ya how much
further you need to go, how much more you need to change, and what you
can reach in this life. It gave me a clearer picture of the kind of
missionary I want to be, as well as husband,
father, friend and disciple.
They have 9 kids, 28 grand kids, and still have the energy of a 35 year old! After meeting them, I have decided that I am going to have a big family, 5 or 6 kids at least! I just think the neatest thing in the world would be to watch your children grow up in the Lord's way, the more children the neater!
They have 9 kids, 28 grand kids, and still have the energy of a 35 year old! After meeting them, I have decided that I am going to have a big family, 5 or 6 kids at least! I just think the neatest thing in the world would be to watch your children grow up in the Lord's way, the more children the neater!
We have an investigator that works at a restaurant called
Hutchins, and apparently it is in the top 50 BBQ joints in the country!
He hooked us up with a free meal and ooh baby was it good! I remember
everybody telling me before my mission that I would
be getting plenty of good BBQ here in Texas. Now that I think about
it, I think that was the first BBQ I've had my whole mission!
We had dinner with an older couple the other day. They like to
feed missionaries and invited us over. They are converts of 25 years or
so, and they shared their conversion story with us. She was easy, and
desperately wanted to be baptized early on.
He, on the other hand, was an ex marine, tough guy, and one of those
people that argues for the fun of it, just because they are so stinking
good at it. So when the missionaries(a senior couple) came over, she
made him sit in, and he looked at it more as
an intellectual game than anything. The sister missionary would
usually end up leaving in tears because he was so ruthless in his
arguments. He read the entire Book of Mormon in three nights, only with
the intentions of finding more stuff that he could argue.
But basically, what it came down to, is he said that there is
absolutely no way that somebody with a brain could read that book and
not know that it came from God. There are more details that make the
story better, but I don't want to write it all. But I
love hearing peoples' conversion stories. It makes you see that God
really does know his children and knows what they need, that he has a
time for everyone, and it's different for everyone. You can learn a lot
from conversion stories, especially as a missionary.
I already knew that the Book of Mormon was the keystone of our
religion, and ultimately the key to conversion, but now I KNOW that the
Book of Mormon really is where the power lies!
We taught the Restoration to an old Hispanic Evangelical couple
this week. When we first met her, she had some misconceptions about the
Church, and I had to convince her into letting us come over to clear
those up, using the Bible. When we got there,
she answered the door, giant Bible in her hands, ready to go. We
showed her and her husband verse after verse in the Bible supporting all
the points of the lesson. We didn't bash, they accepted everything we
read and said, and I thought it went really well.
In the end, they basically said "Yeah, you might be right, you might be
the true church, but we are members of the Evangelical church, and at
least we are better off than the Catholics. The Catholics need you guys
more than us"..................you gotta
be kidding me!? Then, after even more convincing, I talked them into
letting us come back. We have an appointment with them tomorrow. Who
knows how it will go, but the purpose of missionary work is to give the
world it's chance, and I honestly feel like
I gave them the best chance possible. What more can I do?
Welp. I don't know what more to say. That's about it for this
week. No questions this time?! That's a first. But thank you for the
pictures! Toby hasn't changed a bit, Dad's looking better than ever,
and Tom needs to go on a date.
Does Tom eat anything you put in front of him now?
Does Tom eat anything you put in front of him now?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA ST GEORGE!
Love ya!
Miss ya!
Until next time!
Elder Williams
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)







