We are still figuring out this mail thing, continue to send dear elders and such but i can´t tell you when they get here cause i have yet to get one.... I am glad to email though because I have a lot to say today.
I got bit by my first dog! we pass this pathetic little thing every day and i have(had) such pity for it. one day we were walking past and some other dog barked at us. out of nowhere this little devil was nipping my ankle! i didn´t no how to react! it didn´t bleed or anything, it didn´t even penetrate my pants but it was surprising...dogs here scare me....
The scariest experience i´ve had here however had nothing to do with dogs. we had a reference in an area of town my companion din´t know. (oh by the way we don´t knock doors here. in fact we can´t contact. we work through member references...and the Spirit) anyway we went to this part of town and passed this alley that had a bunch of apartments in it. it was by far the scariest place i had ever seen. i even said so to Elder Ortiz. anyway we were looking all around for this one house and finally asked someone. Guess where our reference lives? in the spooky alley. so we went in. i cannot even begin to describe the darkness there, the smell ( it was terrible) and just the lack of the Spirit. it was physical. i can honestly say that was the only time i have been legitely scared here. but good news! we found René Molina! he was our reference. so yeah. that is good...
funny fact: they sell Gringas here. The first time i saw that i was super surprised! prostitution? but no. when i asked Elder Ortiz he told me a gringa in this context is basically a taco with cheese....strange...

Also, WHAT CAN I DO TO STAY SKINNY? the food here is getting to me. I´m not getting fat yet but with the limited exercise and generous sisters, i am going to get there.... Any tips as to what to eat, what to do with my thirty minutes of exercise would be greatly appreciated.


it was hard for me to read and see pictures about thanksgiving. I´m thankful for each and everyone of you. I love you with all my heart and there are times when i just want to cry cause i miss you so much. but i am here to do the Lord´s work. sometimes its harder than others. but it is his work and Elder Ortiz tells me that i need to enjoy the mission cause i will never have experiences like this again. President Uchtdorf recently gave a talk about choosing to be happy. we watched it in spanish on sunday. its way powerful and i definitely suggest reviewing it.

Love you all and hope to hear from you soon!
Elder Ben Williams
ps the mission is weird. our mission president gave us permission to go see ice age 4....not sure how i feel about that. but i am slowly learning the norms of this mission....


Note from Lorene: If anyone wants to email Ben some "stay skinny and 30 minute workout suggestions", send them to me and I can put them in my weekly email Sunday night.