Gotcha!

This week flew by. i don´t think i have anything new to tell you. so this is my letter this week.

















Just kidding! =)


Great news! Antonio is getting baptized! woohoo! this Saturday is his baptism!! His girlfriend is a member and she has been talking to him about the church for forever. he has gone through 2 other pairs of missionaries and finally he is going to be baptized! i can´t tell you how happy i am for him. Its really pretty crazy to think that in all seriousness, i have been in Mexico a month. can you believe it? its crazy!
I feel like i just got here. Yet i also feel like i´ve always been here.
Strange but true.
I got to experience "divisiones" or companion exchanges this week. I was with our district leader Elder Romero. he is from Honduras and speaks super fast. there are times when i can´t understand him. but there are times when i really don´t understand anything. anyway, i was with him working for the whole day. and i learned a ton! Elder Romero told me that the mission is for us to enjoy. we follow the rules and we bring people to Christ but we do it in a way that is natural to us so that we can truly enjoy it. I feel like for my mind for a long time was completely set on the "work, work, work" part of missionary work. But elder wirthlin said this
"come what may and love it". That means whatever is happening in the moment, we love it and enjoy it. basically, i need to enjoy what is happening here and now.
That was like revelation to me. i was a little to serious before, like i had the whole world on my shoulders. now when times are hard( so like every other minute) i think back to that quote, try to smile and continue on. it helps a lot to remember all of you and your prayers.
the other thing i learned was really sad. The church is Perfect. the members aren´t. this fact impedes a lot of less active members from returning, i´ve come to realize that missionary work is more the work of the members than of anyone else. that was different. i always thought everything was the job of the missionaries. as a missionary, i realize that without the members help, missionaries can´t do anything. Chapters 9 and 13 of Preach my Gospel made that completely clear.

Today was the best day ever. we went as a zone to play paintball. here in Mexico its called GOTCHA. funny right. But yeah it was a blast just being with the zone and having fun as missionaries. Its Elder Ortiz´ BIRTHDAY today! he just barely turned nineteen. we celebrated a little with a family last night and it is just great here. i love MEXICO! every day it is better. it is crazy sometimes and i don´t always know what´s happening but its getting better. Christmas is around the corner and i feel really weird, mostly cause you, my family aren´t here. i miss you a lot but i´m focused on the work.

On a different note, i´m glad you are studying the attributes of Christ. I know that reading and more importantly applying these points have helped me tremendously in my spiritual growth. I love reading your emails and learning about your lives. I will try to respond to each of you today but i can´t promise anything..... i need to be true to my word in printing emails and writing the next week. so, if i don´t write you today, next week, i promise =)

I Love you all so much and pray that you are doing well.
Elder Ben Williams
ps
pray for our activity this week that it will go well and that we will find people to teach through it
pray for the family of Geraldo that they can continue to grow in their strength of the Lord.
pray for Lupita( a new investigator)