Turkey Week

Sister Williams - Sister Maxwell

I'm so happy! This Ward and the members we live with....are pretty much the best. And I'm super hoping that I get to stay in this area for Christmas!!

We found 4 new investigators this week! And have return appointments set with all of them; I'm so excited for these people who all seem pretty prepared. We're not really sure where to go with Amanda right now; she's kinda at a halt...but still progressing. I think the main thing that she needs right now is a witness that the Book of Mormon is true.

In sacrament meeting this week, someone talked about recognizing the blessings that come from trials and weaknesses. So I sat down and made a giant list of weaknesses and trails that have happened in my life, then on the other side wrote what specific blessings came from it. It was so eye-opening to see how God shapes and molds us and how we always have SO much to be grateful for. No matter how great things are going or how much good you are doing, you just can't be happy without gratitude. As we notice our blessings not only will our gratitude grow, but our testimony of our Heavenly Fathers love will grow also. I would challenge you all to do it, because it really puts things into perspective.

This week I was focusing a lot on the apostasy and the blessings of the restored gospel. I'm pretty sure we are one of the only religions that practice the things the Savior taught after he was resurrected. He talked about anointing, and baptisms for the dead, and the binding power of the priesthood. Many things that have completely changed our lives and bless us and our families so much, many people simply look over. We can't take these wonderful revelations and blessings for granted. This is the only true and restored church. And I'm extremely humbled to have it in my life.

Hope y'all have a amazing thanksgiving! Thanks for all the love and support :)

Sister Williams

 The Jacksons bought us stockings for Christmas :)

they're honestly like my mission family.

Sister Ecchels and the baby blanket she made for 

my first child...haha so cute

The clouds were insane. 

Moroni 7:12

This is from the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. 
We invite you to get a free copy at http://bitly.com/ZVb27O

Catch up email :)

Hey everybody!

Lunch with the Sister Training Leader's

I feel like it's been FOREVER since I wrote a real email soooo

Today will be a little catch up of the main things that have happened in the last few weeks.

A while back I wrote about Leah, and how before she could be baptized her dad wanted to have proof that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

Well.....Last week we got a frantic text from her telling us that we aren't able to come over to her house anymore, and that she is not allowed to get baptized. We called her and she told us about all this Anti- information that her dad has been giving her, and how she still REALLY wants to be baptized. So that was heart breaking, and then Amanda told us that she doesn't feel ready to be baptized either......

BUT there were many miracles that happened too :) one day some Elders in a different area were talking about a women that called them for service and as they were talking we realized that she lived in our area, so we went over and helped Fran clean and organize her house. After that we had a first lesson with her, when we started we she said that she has felt lost for a very long time...and a few minutes into the lesson she said that she felt home,  So at the end of it we put her on date for baptism on November 14th!!

This past week I have gained such a strong testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon, it is one of the things that we talk about all the time on and off the mission, but the past few weeks we've had to testify and defend the Book of Mormon over and over again. So I would quote the promise from Moroni and promise that if they study from it daily they can receive revelation. Then I had to ask myself "do I even do that?"

So this past week I have tried to make every single verse in the scriptures mean something to me, so I can testify with even more convection that this book can change lives.

This coming week I challenge you all to put more effort into your daily reading. That book is what sets us apart, and the fullness of the gospel.

(Okay FUNNY story)

Sooo lately we've had many men try to hit on us haha and I don't think it has anything to do with me...but when you see two girls walking down the street I guess we're easy targets. Haha so we've become masters at turning it into a gospel related situation. A few weeks back this car of guys drove passed us then they turned around an pulled next to us, they yelled " hey my homie thinks you're cute" then they said can we get your number...so I answered with " only if you want to know more about the gospel" they replied with whatever works.

Then two days ago this guy flagged us down then he realized we were "Church Girls" so we ended up getting his number and inviting him to church hahaha so funny.

Sister Williams  

Great Things

This week was full of great things...but it was also full of some really hard experiences. A few emails back I talked about how we had three people on date, which was awesome, but in this past week two of those people fell through. Leah's dads forbid her from getting baptized and Amanda said she just doesn't know.

BUT this week was also a historic one, cause on Sunday we had a multi stake conference because they will be creating a new stake!! That's huge! So everything kinda got switched around, but it was so cool to be a part of that :)

I also went on exchanges this week and it was amazing for me! Because it helps me realize that I have been being a little too hard on myself when I comes to missionary work (haha big surprise) but Sister Quido talked to me about how I remind her a lot of how she was when she first came on her mission...agh! It was amazing!

I'm doing great!

Sister Williams

"Sis Williams trying to get over her fear of birds! Ha"

Roller Coaster of Emotions

Wow, What a week!

First things first. TRANSFERS! Um I don't think people understand how much anxiety comes along with transfer week; you're just waiting for a phone call that is going to determine your fate for the next six weeks....terrifying to say the least! And of course our zone leaders decided to sit on our voicemail until the end of the night on Tuesday, so we were kept impatiently waiting.

We had just gone with an investigator and her daughter to Independence Visitors' Center with Sister Furrow (a ward missionary) and had decided to get some "celebratory" ice cream on the way home...because there's always a reason for ice cream :)

Anyway we were all in the car when we got the voicemail. They dragged it out as long as possible...but the car erupted in screams when they said we were both staying!!! And it took us a few minutes to realize that they said our ward was getting Elders as well. So when we got home we realized that hey now we have to share the ward. Not okay with that. *Joking* I was actually really excited, because this Ward is amazing and I think Elders are really going to help the work pick up even more. So on Thursday we meet them.  Elder Tippets has been out for over a year and Elder Griffiths was straight off the plane...yeah that's right Elders Griffiths and Tippets haha quite a mouthful. But they're awesome, as long as the ward realizes who the "original" missionaries are ;)

Sis Olsen, Sweet Friend, Sister Williams

"Pure Joy"

Okay friends well God really has a sense of humor, as he answered my prayers to not get super fat on my mission, by making it so we have to share our car with the Elders and only have it every other week....um maybe I shouldn't try and tell him my plans, because he always seems to have different ones. ;)

Alright well now for the subject line...Well this week was exactly that. A roller coaster of emotions, when President calls you, it's usually something pretty serious. So when he asked if he could talk to me alone....a million thoughts went through my head, and I was almost in tears before anything came out of his mouth. My heart went out to my family as he told me that one of my uncles had passed away. It was a testament to me of why I'm out here in a mission. Because a lot of people don't know what we know about God's plan. That plan mostly referred to as the plan of salvation, has taken on its less common name in my missionary work, as the plan of happiness, because that is what the gospel brings. HAPPINESS!

 Uncle Jason

Right after that phone call I had the opportunity to go and teach this 13 year old boy about the plan of salvation. I was able to truly feel the spirit as I testified of this merciful plan, and couldn't help but smile ear to ear when this young man decided to be baptized on November 21!

That tender mercy showed me how mindful God is of each of his children, as that lesson was not only for him, but for me as well, as I was comforted by the spirit and knew that what I was teaching was true. In this life we probably won't ever understand why some things happen, but all we need to do is hang onto what we do know, and continue to nourish that. All we need is the basics, the things we're been taught since the very beginning. Studying, praying and attending church. I don't know everything and in fact my testimony is very simple. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and redeemer of the world, that he lives, and through him and only him are we able to receive salvation. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it is central to returning home again someday. We don't need to know everything in order to continue in faith.

There is a talk titled "the Candle of the Lord" where it says something along the lines of "a testimony is often found in the baring of it" and I can testify that, that is true.

So I challenge everyone this week to share what you believe with someone else. The Lord is preparing people all around us, and his work is hastening. What a great work we ALL get to be involved in! Love you all, and thank you so much for all the prayers and support!

-Love Sister Williams-

Haha and if there are new rules about missionaries having races on blow up 

obstacle courses...blame it on me and Sister Olsen. And while at the members

house who has the squirrels s)...I may have gotten quite competitive on 

this obstacle course...and there's definitely a picture of the evidence. 

Long story short if that rule pops up...you can blame it on us. :)

Squirrels that a member family has as pets, 

Sister Olsen loved them....

Me, obviously not so much haha.

Sealings and Books of Mormon

The fact that it is already p-day again is seriously insane to me. Time does not work on a mission the way it normally does, having said that this week was full of lots of learning experiences. 

On Tuesday I had my first exchange. I was put in trio that was over both an YSA and a family ward. Oh I love those sisters so much!, being there with them really helped reiterate the importance of talking to everybody, because obviously you can't know if someone is interested unless you talk to them. Okay well “talk to everybody" is a lot easier said than done, because it is honestly so much easier to fear men then to fear God. But we are promised so many blessings if we open our mouths to declare this sweet message. 

On that topic, this week we have been helping many members in the ward set up a "family mission plan" because as we all know missionary work extends so much further than just the full time missionaries. In this mission plan there are goals to help the family pray and read scriptures daily, and to invite less active and non member friends to church activities and to learn more.

In D&C 24:12 we are promised as we declare the gospel that we will be given strength that is not known among men. Sharing the gospel can be scary, but most of the time our Heavenly Father answers prayers through other people, you could be that answer. No matter who it is, you can leave them with something, an invite to a ward activity, dinner at your house, a Book of Mormon or something as simple as your testimony. 

Okay now as for the subject line...some recent converts in our ward got sealed on Saturday!! Sadly because we weren't the ones to teach them we didn't get to go, but we were able to help with the luncheon after. Anyway there was SO much opposition while they were preparing to be sealed. The husband had a herniated disk and was scheduled to get cortisone shots the day before the sealing (which didn't happen) there was also a bunch of drama with the kids, because they are a mixed family and some of the kids weren't going to be able to be sealed to them. But they realized the blessing that would come from it. So during the endowment they actually brought in a huge foldout lazy boy chair for the husband and it all worked out.

But it really got me thinking of the importance of temples and how sacred they are. And that actually happen to be the lesson we had on Sunday. Temples :) so the rest of this email is going to be a bit about a talk that Brad Wilcox gave at this last education week. Haha don't quote me on this...these are my notes from the talk. “You’re Not Alone: Come to the House of the Lord”

 The “Five S’s” of the temple for Latter-day Saints to remember about the House of the Lord.

1 The first “S” of the temple is sanctuary. The temple is a spiritual sanctuary. “We can go there and escape the cruelness of the world and the pollution of the world and the evil of the world. … Our spirits feel like they’re going home.”

2. Our second ‘S’ is school - a wonderful school where we’re taught the lessons of eternity, the beautiful lessons that matter in this life and beyond.” In the temple, individuals are taught in the Savior’s way — both directly and indirectly. We all can go and learn something else. We must be a participator not just a spectator. There is a Chinese saying that says "tell me and I'll forget, show me and I'll remember, involve me and I'll learn and understand" 

       

3. The third "S" of the temple is salvation. The temple is where we receive saving ordinances, done as an offering of love. When we go to the temple for the first time we "receive" our endowment, just as when we are baptized and confirmed we are told that we "receive the Holy Ghost, this means it is an action, and that it is up to us to accept it! 

       

4. The fourth “S” of the temple is sealing. “The temple is a place of sealing where couples and families can be sealed together forever.” An act the can only take place in the temple

 5. The fifth “S” of the temple is The Savior. There is no other place where we can feel so close and understand our Savior; we can feel complete, clear, and the truest indicators of our deepest feelings of Christ.

Okay I'm sorry this one is SUPER long, and is all spiritual. I promise I'll add more stories next week. Love you all, and thanks for all the prayers and support!!

Sister Williams

More pictures of our face...because it seems to be the only pictures we take ;) 

Baptisms, Fireflies and Visitor Centers

This week was incredible! Okay first off warning, this email will be kinda scattered because I'm super short on time and have a billion things I want to say haha, so bear with me :)

So Monday, something happened that has been on my bucket list for awhile... we were in the middle of a lesson on this guy's porch when I screamed like a child... I got to see fireflies! haha I apologize if you expected something more exciting, but for me it was awesome :)

Moving on, I feel so blessed that there are two Visitor Centers that we have access of using in our missionary work. On both Wednesday and Friday we took investigators to the Independence one. The spirit there is always so strong as we look at the history of this place where they live. Oh I love it! And both of those investigators came to church this Sunday!!

Later that Friday night was Steve's baptism, I've been told stories of golden investigators and through some miracle I was able to see one in my first three weeks. It was incredible! He found the church because his friend was LDS and while he was at a disc-golf course he found a Book of Mormon on a bench and that was that. The only reason he "was kept from the truth, is he knew not where to find it" His testimony at his baptism was one of the most powerful I have ever heard. It was also a miracle that his wife was able to attend. Oh I know that they will be sealed as a family sometime soon, as we were at the baptism you could see her countenance change as she felt the spirit. Agh, I love them so much! Sadly they don't actually live in our area, so now it's up to the Elders in his area to teach the rest of their family, but I'm so excited for them :)

Well on a mission you definitely learn something new every day, one of the things I learned most this week was how knowing the truth causes people to change. I've seen this so many times already! In an email earlier I talked a little bit about the K. family, oh they are seriously the best :) Anyway the dad is very set in his ways and even from the time I've known him, I have seen the gospel change him and his family. Last night when we were teaching them I called him out on some sass he was throwing at me and he said something along the lines of " I like this one she's not afraid to talk" haha well I told him I'm not shy about his salvation. He always says things like "I've been thinking about getting baptized, but I'll probably wait 18 months" haha then I'm like seriously don't mess with me like that. But I truly know that this gospel makes people desire to be better and do better.

So that's my little challenge for this week, is do better! Because it's our actions that often define who we are. Don't just know the gospel, but live it!

Sister Shelby Williams

Independence Visitor Center

Blurry picture, but Steve's baptism!!