Best. Week. Ever.

Dec 30 2013
this week was like last week...only a little bit better. mostly cause i got to speak to y´all.... but other than that it was sorta tough....Elder Cuevas was sick when you saw him the other day. he was sick for three days so i was there in the house for three days straight. best. week. ever. let´s just say staying with a sick companion is great and not great at the same time. The sick one gets to sleep all day. I CAN¨T SLEEP UNLESS ITS TEN THIRTY AT NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! so i just sorta looked for personal revelation. it was a good time i guess. i learned a ton and i felt like i was a little bit closer to knowing God. Why? because as i learned from a good friend this week the tough times help us grow.
so i decided to ask My Father the first day of my companion´s illness WHY?. and i got an answer. i had to learn some things. so i did =) I listened to john Bytheway and Elder Holland as they explained and helped me see what i needed. i like the whole ask and ye shall receive seek and ye shall find thing... that sounds borderline weird....but anyway its way true. all we have to do is ask with our hearts and He will answer. I know it.
Good news is that elder Cuevas is doing fine =) he is almost 100 percent himself again. but we only worked on Saturday...and we had a ton of success. taught some new people.
C. and B.
They are family too a member and we just barely started teaching them. C. went to church Sunday. They both have a catholic background and have tons of questions about the saints and Christ and tons of other things. But i think its their time.
R.
Girlfriend of a member in our ward. SHE WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED:) wantsto get married first.... no biggie. she went to church even though she was sick and is progressing slowly but surely...

cool stuff right...
suggestion. this year make one or two big goals, nada mas. anything more is way too much... and we all know that half of the goals we make are....just....there...they actually never happen. don`t make that kind of goal...
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!
Elder Ben Williams

The Greatest Gift Ever

It was a difficult week really. but that doesn´t bug me. i´m pretty sure that hard weeks are a test. in fact i´ve got a goal to read El Libro de Mormon en tres meses. today and nefi told me that the Lord lets tough stuff happen to us to let us show how faithful we will. be so i just sorta said "get thee hence satan(or as elder hyde says´kick satan in the face) " and get to work. so that´s what is happening.... so um letters are in process....i feel super bad cause i have not dedicated time to those things. so I think i will just sorta repent and then get them to you all one day.... soonish. like next year(haha)

anyway um yeah. i got a bad case of the "its Monday, what do i write”s. that is a missionary disease. it comes and goes.

i think i´ll just talk a little about some people.....
1. M she has told us the past 2 weeks she was going to go to church. she also said she would go to the ward activity... and she just
doesn´t. no bigs. but it is annoying when people commit to do something and then don´t. I just hope she will understand what she is missin out on.

2. R. is not from our area. osea, she doesn´t live in our area. but she is always here in the area cutting hair(her job). its tough to teach someone who has customer´s and all.

3. I. and C. C. is a less active member.his wife is not a member. they are open to listen to us and they went to church on Sunday...yesterday.... they have potential.... just pray that we can keep the Spirit in the lessons

ok so that last phrase sorta reminded me of some stuff. Please pray for myself and Elder Cuevas so that we can teach by the spirit. I feel like there are moments that we start relying on our own words and forget that we cannot teach unless its by Him. its touch sometimes but it is so worth it. I think that´s what´s happening to me. I´m trying to apply so much at the same time and forgetting the Spirit. grave mistake on my part. wow. that was nice to recognize. thanks for listening to me everyone =)

Did i tell you that i don´t feel like Christmas is on Wednesday? i feel weird. i know what time of the year it is but its like i don´t want to accept it.... no biggie though.

can i ask something special from you all? will you pray for me to become the missionary i should be? will you pray that i can change whatever necessary in me so that i can truly become converted? that would be the greatest Christmas gift ever.

God lives. He is Eternal and Perfect. He loves you and I more than we can understand. We are nothing in comparison to Him but that doesn´t mean that we aren´t everything to Him. He sent the Savior to the earth because of that great love. And that is the greatest gift ever. I can´t think of anything that is worth more, there is nothing that compares to what Christ did for us. No one should think of Christmas without remembering what He did. I love my Redeemer. He has given me the perfect example to follow, and even though i constantly fall short i know that through Him i am being perfected. That is the greatest gift ever. the best part is that it never ends. I know that He lives. Don´t forget the reason we even celebrate Christmas.

I give you all my love (all that i own) to each and every one of you. Merry Christmas=)

Elder Ben Williams

Barrio El Sol...the greatest place on earth.

if you aren`t here.....i am sorry....cause its like the best ever =)
seriously, what everyone told me about this ward is almost true... it has a lot of potential. the ward is huge. the capilla is beautiful. . In the most "dangerous" part of queretaro i felt like i was walking in a park. can you say paradise?
anyway.... i think i will start with my companion, what i love here and what elder Johnson told us =)
Elder Cuevas is CHILENO!!!!!!! he is the only elder from Chile and seriously i think he is the best elder i have ever had the honor of being the companion of.... he is really funny speaks english better than i do, plays volleyball sings and is basically the best. He has 10 months in the mission( i have one month more than what he has left...hope that has meaning) We have had a fun time together and i`m excited to get to know him even better..... More random stuff about my companion. he is the youngest of 3 and has two older sisters. he falls asleep faster than anyone i know and is addicted to tops(the spinning kind...)
Mom asked me for something i love to see every day..... that is seriously a tough one..... i miss the cholos! it was fun to here them yell things at me in english(not really but i do miss them) i love seeing tacos. that sounds funny but in the whole physical aspect its just fun..... they always have tacos de a pastor(look it up cause i don`t have pics of that yet... pero soon don`t worry....)
but there is something better. i love seeing the faces of the people we teach change as we teach them. I can`t explain it, or at least i can`t do it well but lets just say its like lehi when he was describing the fruit of the tree of life.... they sorta glow. best. thing ever.
ok what else.... Elder johnson talked to us and the conejos del barrio about refererrals(wow....that just look s wrong...) he said that is impossible for us to enter into a home of whatever person without having done 2 things before leaving. 1 teach something by the Spirit. 2. gotten the name and direction of someone new to teach.... he said that members don`t need to prepare their friends so that they can receive the Restored Gospel. We(missionaries) just need to know them. We need to be in contact with them and start teaching asap. he taught that missionaries are only in a ward to help the ward with missionary work. We(members) should do eveything possible to fill the planners of the missionaries with names and dates to be able to teach people. in a word it was splendid =) I feel like every time i talk to someone that there is a connection that we make that i try to use to help not only that person but many, many others in the same instance. I feel like the Hastening is rolling on and that we have a great responsibility to keep it going =)
so what else ....
um. i think i will talk about the people we are teaching sale?(that is not sale in english. its like ok in spanish, sale?)
R
she is a barber(does that even apply to women?)
she contacted my companion a week or two ago. she says that we have things in our gospel that whe had never heard before. she had questions that literally go right along with the restoration.

A
she still hasn`t gotten an answer about the truthfulness of the gospel but we are helping her recognize how God answers prayers....

M
he is the grandson of a member. he is 16 and was about to be baptized but his parents said no.


F
is a dentist. her dad just died and she has known church members 5 years. we haven`t been able to teach her because she is so busy with her work =)


that`s all folks gotta go! I love you and you know It =)

Elder Ben Williams

Changes

Um.... so i`m in Queretaro. Barrio El Sol. Elder Cuevas my companion. We are Zone Leaders. And i`m still in shock. Anyone else confused? cause i am and if you wouldn`t mind i would love for someone, ANYONE to explain.... but i`m not complaining. Queretaro is beautiful. Elder Cuevas is great. our area is awesome... it just hasn`t sunk in yet.......... ummmmmm. yeah.
so anyway this week was the fastest ever in my life. i think i blinked and it was over. kinda crazy..... but i guess you could say its normal too. the longer i`m here, the more i feel like this is my life and i`ve never done anything else. Fun right=) um also time is going faster. but yeah..... where was I? the week.... right. um ok so we prepared Jenni for her baptism saturday and it was awesome. and that`s all i remember....
wow.
Oh, also Elder Hyde is going home.
Some Guy spoke to us and told us in perfect English that he was a member of the church and that his mom would love to talk to us. (another reason we don`t knock doors.)
I learned that I am really aggressive in Spanish. that was a pleasant surprise(not really pleasant)
I have a Stocking.
I am rich(in blessings $ is no problem when the Lord looks out for you=) )
and yeah....that`s about all i have to say.... so um pray that i will snap out of it and be able to El Sol into the best Zone in the World. oh and also that we as a mission will be prepared for the coming of Elder Johnson on wednesday. He`s a Seventy =) I`m way excited to hear him speak. its gonna be fun!!!!!!
I love you all!!! I know you are all doing just dandy, so keep apresurando la obra!
Elder Ben Williams

Guess what I made?

so um what`s new? uh.... WE HAD THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!! pretty much one of
the funniest things ever. we asked President if we could have thanksgiving dinner(not really dinner seeing
as we ate at about 12....) and he said "Sure". so uh yeah. some how i got voted "chef" and so i tried to
remember how to mom makes turkey. I will say this, it was delicious=) i will not take any of the credit
cause i was praying the whole time that i wouldn`t burn it. but whatever. and i made gravy. I am like pro at
that anyway so like no big deal but it was fun=) it was fun to be with part of my family here in Mexico
awhile...


what else happened this week? i can`t remember if i told you all about C and her family....i will just tell you anyway =) but i sort of have to talk about P first... He`s our landlord and an investigator to the church( he is from another area, de hecho he is the elders who live in our house`s.... i can`t do english today i hope that made some sort of sense....) where was I? oh right so P is in love with something called Herbalife and he invited us to eat with him there. C owns the little herbalife store that is closest to us . he introduced us to her and basically said" you should invite them into your house. what they teach is life changing" something like that. She was like" cool, When can you com by" do you see why we don`t have to contact or knock doors here? (we contact and knock doors if we feel by the Spirit we should...so we still contact a little each day but its not huge....) anyway, we took her and most of her family on a tour of the Church and it was awesome! but her husband is super hard hearted. I love the guy but he does not let the Spirit work in him! let me say this: we got into the Salon sacramental(MOM! what is that in English?) and i seriously felt a wave of the Spirit Hit us. Elder White felt it too. C, her husband and one of her daughters also felt it. And J shook it off. He said that`s how ever place that is dedicated to God is.....NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! any way please pray that he will soften his heart and that he and his family will come to church....

J did not go to church this week. However, she can be baptized this week if her husband allows it. so uh... pray that he will allow her to make a covenant this week =) . I don`t want to be biased or anything, but she is incredible. I`ve already
told you about how she`s changed. I know that change is real when Elder Hyde( who was with me on sunday. we did divisions....) said" Elder, She is so beyond ready." Then he asked, " does she ever stop smiling like that?" Yeah so um.... I love that. anyway pray that she will be baptized this week...



that`s about it... I love you all! Hope Thanksgiving was awesome!

Elder Ben Williams


These are my mission roomates, (and companion)


After basketball

Elder Hyde is going home so we celebrated at Chili's

This week was spectacularly Spiritual

I `m sorry i wrote in Spanish again. I just Decided to write a lot to President Because this week was spectacularly Spiritual .... Like every week ... only better. i really hope you can use Google Translate for all this ... if not .... sorry.
As google translated...
So many things happened this week that I do not even know where to start.
My interview with you was a key moment in my progression as a representative of Christ. for a long time I have felt that my relationship to God was something missing. I found my answer of what I really lacked in Ether 2 and 3. Now I see that God will speak to me. That's for sure.

The advice helped me see that I have a lot of potential, and I'm living in a way of what I can achieve. and this is already changing.

Elder Crouch divisions told me Thursday (sorry for jumping from one penamiento to another) that I have to do more with less. This phrase struck me and I am applying.

Saturday I went with Elder Hyde in Divisions. We went to a hospital to give a Blessing to a man who is not a member. When we got to the hospital, Elder told me that he felt that he knew the family of the man she went. It was special to see the faith of a man member. When we started with the blessing, God was talking to pray with all the faith that I have to heal R. (the patient) President, I have never felt so sure that God did what we asked. He was healed.

After this wonderful experience I asked Elder Hyde what I can develop the faith to do the same.
He taught me something I will never forget. He said, "The Faith of the area and this area, cannot be more than yours"

I know what I need. I know I have much to change. And I love it. I am applying

so um .... yeah. i love the mission. I will not come back the same person .... and that is awesome.

uh what else ...

J went to church. her husband is really hard to teach. I still don `t know if I he believes what we teach or not. J says he does. we are Praying That his heart will be softened.

J.J. went to church for the first time ever! WOOHOOO! We pray That he will understand The Importance of being there and will receive the answers he needs.

L. is moving to Chihuahua.We pray That She will stay with the Gospel When She does.

So yeah .... I love you you all more than you can tell and i hope all is well ....


Elder Ben Williams

Life as a Zone Leader

Basically this was a strange week.......but not really. i guess it would have been normal. it just had like, a couple bumps in it.....
You are probably thinking what bumps? so im just going to explain
1. Elder Hyde!!!!!!!! he is by far one of the Elders that i have the most respect for in the mission. He is also completely and totally insane... and i`ve figured out that most of the best missionaries in the world are like him. He is super Direct, hilarious, spiritual, and driven. pretty much he is incredible. and he and his companion currently live in our house. He was president`s assistant until recently and so he basically told president his old house was ugly and that he and his companion could fit in ours.... awesome right =)

2. I went to Queretaro. Um, basically every non-mexican who got here in november of last year had to go and sign Visas. It was pretty nice to see all the people that got here at the sametime as me. but it was also weird to sort of recognize how old i am in the mission. Some of the younger missionaries are starting to call me one of the "more experienced" Elders in the mission. and i just think " Uh....excuse me but i totally just got here...." and then it hits me. I have been a missionary, a set apart representative of Christ for more than a year. SCARY!

3. so um what else.... oh i titled this the Life of a Zone Leader right? that`s cause the past two days we have been in the Hospital.....








So is anyone dying to know why? was that enough space to make you feel like that was a cliff hanger? do you realize that i am stalling for dramatic effect with questions you don`t need to answer? isn`t this awesome?

Ok. Elder A, a member of the Zone called us while we were eating on Saturday. he said he was on his way to the Hospital and that he would tell us if he needed anything. basically, we gulped down the food and asked the members to give us a ride to the Hospital.
when we got there the people told us that Elder A had some kind of problem in his appendix and that he needed to go through surgery, now. so that was like a split moment decision. We talked to President, he gave the ok and boom! Everything was over in a flash. We stayed with the Elder while he recovered from surgery Saturday night, Sunday, and most of today. I "slept" on the floor and it was really a cool experience. we talked to the elders there and tried to keep from being bored.... it wasn`t too easy though.

Basically, with all the stuff we did this week we worked all of three whole days here in Leon. And we did a ton =)


J is so awesome... but she didn`t go to church again... it may have been because her mom was in town. Regardless, she says she is struggling to get an answer about baptism but that she likes what we teach.we pray that She will receive her answer.


M. she is another person that has gospel potential(which in the words of Elder Hyde, is terrible... why? cause that means she isn`t what she needs to be NOW) so we pray for her to get to her potential

so i figured out something this week.

Eternal Life starts(...or better started)now. we can choose (as it says in 2Nephi2:27) to be eternally happy or eternally miserable now. Make your choice. There are no other options.

I love you wonderful people!

Elder Williams

Transformation....transfer on Monday

um. where to start?

J? why not.
didn`t go to church. no clue why but it happens. she still is going to be baptized. we just have to figure out when...

E got baptized =) it was the most spiritual baptism i`ve ever been to. it was awesome. i know that she knows that what we teach is true. and that`s the most important. there is not, and will never be anything more important than the work of converting souls unto Christ.

WATCH THE LORD´S GAME PLAN from the October 2013 conference.

We have to find new people to teach. there is no way we can keep going on like this. we have plans to do a ton this week. but that isn`t enough. we must do more.

Speaking of which, WE has changed. my new companion is Elder White. HE IS MY TWIN!!!!!!!!!!!! We are both 6 foot, bespectacled, brown hair, brown eyes, skinny(i`m loosing weight... but we are going to start working out in a gym if we get permission from president) and he is american.... Crazy? i believe so my friends.... i don`t really know what`s up with my camera. i will try to send fotos but i can`t promise anything.

We are going to baptize!!! :)

I am done just being average, I want to be a man like Captain Moroni and his valor, his strength and his humility, a man like Mahonri Moriancumer who had so much faith he saw the very finger of Jehovah. Joseph Smith who could never be stopped by anyone from sharing the truth. Most importantly. I will be a Man like the Savior. My Savior. Unselfish. with pure love. always serving. Valiente. Joyful. Powerful. The Best Fisher Of Men the world has ever known. this is the transfer that is my transformation. I will not be moved.

I love you all.

Elder Ben Williams

Long Week

This week was rather long but good for the Elder Vasquez and I for three reasons. 1. Conferences and training with attendees and then with District Leaders. I feel that all came out of that conference built with many goals. Personally I the I have to change a lot of me, more than anything my empathy for other people, especially the Elders who are far from us here in Leon .... Two. We had divisions with our District. I had the great opportunity to work with one of the Elders do not know very well, Elder Alley ... While the area did not know but that gave us the opportunity to talk of many things he expects of himself. Basically, I came to the knowledge of "who is Elder Tyler Alley". And we learned something special. He asked me at one time between appointments "Elder, should I do to develop the same confidence that you have?" I was surprised by this question ... but I saw and felt the need he had Elder. Then I started to talk, parts for me to understand English well. He said that he does not recognize as having confidence in Him Mr. After some time to share some personal experiences. And I applied your problem to the Gospel. At the end of what I said, the two were sorpendidos. I said "thank you. That was exactly what I needed." In prayer, I said the same thing to my Heavenly Father. I know He cares for us. Elder Alley has goals to develop confidence and become what the Lord expects =) 
Three. Good. Now I have to say because the last two have been long. not because of General Conference. I actually felt that the time listening to Special Witnesses of the Savior was fast .... Rather it was because there were difficult moments between Elder Vasquez and me. I said some things that were ... silly, offensive, arrogant .... and hurt my companion .... I assure President we're friends now, all better and resolve the differences between us. It was something that started with a joke misunderstood and went lastimadoras words. I do not feel regret for what I did but I know for sure that I will never do or say the same. I am more grateful now more than ever for the Atonement, by repentance, though it costs my pride. But I have great pride that I can give up to be fully consecrated to the Lord .... 

so this is what i wrote to president today. Basically talks about everything I did this week .... um yeah. i know most of it you will not understand this one ... but that's what the gift of tongues is for =) And Also there's always google translate .... = {) (mustached smiley =))

this is the google translate

This conference was full of inspiration. but it was so short!!! i was waiting for another session ..... but Alma Teaches us That We Should not ask for more than we've been given. Now is the Most Important time. We have to apply what we learned to our lives and I'm sure everyone of us have at Least one goal That We Can Work Toward .... the thing about goals is That We forget about an important part ..... the planning .... meaning the actions we will take EVERY DAY to get one step closer to our goal and by so doing getting Closer To the Savior. I invite you all to make Such plans =)

So we Found some people this week .... Jenni is incredible. She came to conference and said That it was ... interesting ... i guess info we have to help her see just how interesting it will be for her ..... pray That she will apply what she learned And Also what we try to teach her ​​=)

Uh ... D and M ..... They are very good people .... its just tough to see The Importance of changing sometimes if we feel like everything is alright .... pray so That They Will see The Importance of the message we have ...

D will most likely to be moving to Silao soon. Pray for him to continue with the church there ....

well that's all folks .. I love you more than the people here love salsa, tacos, beans, tortillas, and FOOTBALL!!! (And believe me, That means i love you more than even I understand = {))

Elder Ben Williams ...

PREPARE a referral for the missionaries

"So did anyone else notice that all the members in the church were asked to find someone for the missionaries to teach before Christmas? Not every family, not every couple, every member. Has anyone made any plans for that? If you don't make any plans, you probably won't do it."

These are the words of a good friend of mine who is currently on the mission..... so......plans? who`s got them! you realize that if every member gives a reference and is serious about the work of salvation our....um what`s the word.... number of members.....will double! 30 million members of Christ`s Church.... imagine that....

Christchurch... Reminds me of you Dad. Hope all is well in the desert that i call home... You all sound good, you look great and i just love you all.... Mom asked me once if it was ever hard to think of things to right you all on lunes(monday sorry sorta slipped out there...) and the answer is: no. There just isn`t enough time to put all my thoughts and feelings into a letter home....

I`m just going to make a list real fast and ask for some things in specific, sound good.... before that though i just want to thank everyone who prays for me and my companions, the Lord`s investigators.... i can`t express what it feels like to be in the mission. not in the time that i have anyway... just know this.... I LOVE YOU:) and because i love you i will reiterate what one of my beloved friends has said....so have you made plans do PREPARE a referral for the missionaries? if not....um....do it. Look for an opportunity to talk to a nonmember whom you really, honestly, and whole-heartedly love and just talk to them. I promise as president Holland has, That if you listen to your friend something they say will relate to the Gospel. Be persistent and you will be able to convert 1.millions of people 2. one of God`s Children 3. Yourself. I promise that one of the three things i have just written will happen. We just need to have the faith that it will....

i didn`t expect to talk so much about that ....but i know it will help....especially if you don`t know how exactly to share the Gospel.....

1. R. She and her family are new investigators....i don`t really know much about them and they didn`t go to church yesterday but...i`ve got a good feeling about them... pray that we can soften the heart of Her husband...whose name i don`t know.....

2. D. Funny how her situation is the exact same as R`s....um...that is weird...she needs the same kind of help...pray for 1 her husband to be less....chocante(forgot the word...cold?)2. that we can find her in a moment that she is not busy....

3. J. This is just strange...they are all the same....she`s ready to accept us... but her husband is ....slow to accept....pray for him (E) to understand the importance of what we say by the Spirit.

4. Es. Found one of her old Christian friends and didn`t go to church with us.... Pray that our words will sound in her mind as well as her heart....

um.... yeah....that`s about it...

oh one more



I Love You !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Ben Williams

It's partly in spanish....

So how is your Spanish? This week Ben copied what he sent to his mission president. The missionaries write their presidents a report of their week each p day. I debated whether or not to post the whole message, but decided to do it because it gives a new perspective on the life of Elder Ben. to assist the non Spanish speakers, i will give a brief translation....those who speak Spanish just skip that part because my Spanish is a little rusty....




Ésta semana fue algo largo pero bueno para el Elder Vasquez y yo por tres razones.THIS WEEK WAS LONG FOR THREE REASONS. 1. Las conferencias y capacitaciones con los asistentes y despues con los Lideres de Distrito. Siento que todos salieron de aquel conferencia edificado y con muchas metas. Yo el lo personal tengo que cambiar mucho de mi, mas que nada mi empatia por otras personas, especialmente los Elderes que están lejos de nosotros aqui en León....

1 CONFERENCES TRAINING MEETINGS AND DISTRICT LEADER MEETINGS. I THINK WE ALL LEFT THE MEETINGS EDIFIED AND WITH MANY GOALS. PERSONALLY I HAVE A LOT TO WORK ON MOST OF ALL MY PATIENCE WITH OTHERS ESPECIALLY THE ELDERS THAT ARE FAR FROM US IN LEON. 2.

Tuvimos Divisiones con nuestro Distrito. Tenía la gran oportunidad de trabajar con uno de los elderes que no conozco muy Bien,(elder X) ... no conoció bien el area pero eso nos dio la oportunidad de hablarme de muchas cosas que el espera de si mismo. Basicamente, Llegue al conocimiento de "quien es este Elder X ". Y aprendimos algo especial. Él me preguntó en un momento entre citas" Elder, Que debo hacer para desarrollar la misma confianza que tiene usted?" Me sorprendió con esta pregunta pero vi y...sentí la necesidad que él Elder tenía. Entonces empecé a platicar, partes en Inglés para que me entendía bien. Le dijo que lo que él no reconoce cuanto confianza tiene el señor en El. Despues de un tiempo compartir algunas experiencias personales. Y apliqué su problema al Evangelio. Al final de lo que dije, los dos quedamos sorpendidos. Me dijo" gracias. Eso fue exactamente lo que necesitaba." En oración, dije lo mismo a mi Padre Celestial. Sé que Él nos cuida. Elder X tiene metas para poder desarrollar confianza y llegar a ser lo que el Señor espera =)


2 WE HAD COMPANIONSHIP EXCHANGES WITHIN OUR DISTRICT AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH AN ELDER I DIDN'T KNOW VERY WELL. HE DIDNT KNOW THE AREA VERY WELL WHICH GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK AND WE BOTH LEARNED GREAT THINGS. HE ASKED ME HOW HE COULD GAIN THE CONFIDENCE I HAD. I WAS SURPRISED BY THE QUESTION BUT FELT HE DID LACK CONFIDENCE. I TOLD HIM HE NEEDED TO REALIZE THE CONFIDENCE THAT THE LORD HAD IN HIM. I SHARED PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND APPLIED GOSPEL TEACHINGS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. HE THANKED ME AND TOLD ME THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT HE NEEDED. I OFFERED A PRAYER AND SAID THE SAME THING TO THE LORD...I KNOW THE LORD WATCHES OVER US. THIS ELDER X HAS GOALS TO HELP HIM DEVELOP CONFIDENCE AND BECOME WHAT THE LORDS WANTS HIM TO BE.


3. Bueno. Ahora tengo que decir porque los ultimos dos dios han sido largos. NO fue por Conferencia General. De hecho sentí que el tiempo escuchando los Testigos Especiales del Salvador fue rapido.... Mas bien fue porque había momentos difíciles entre Élder Vasquez y yo. Dije algunas cosas que eran...tontos, ofensivos, soberbios....y lástimé a mi compañero.... Le aseguro presidente que ahora somos amigos, todo mejor y resolvamos los diferencias entre nosotros. Fue por algo que empezó con una broma mal entendido y se fue a palabras lastimadoras. Ya no siento el pesar de lo que hice pero sé con certeza que jamás volveré a hacer o decir lo mismo. Estoy mas agradecido hoy mas que nunca por la Expiación, por el arrepentimiento, aunque cuesta mi orgullo. Pero tengo mucho orgullo que dar hasta puedo quedar completamente consagrado al Señor....


3 OK NOW I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHY THE PAST FEW DAYS HAVE SEEMED SO LONG. IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF GENERAL CONFERENCE. IN FACT I FELT LIKE TIME WENT REALLY FAST LISTENING TO THE SPECIAL WITNESS OF CHRIST. IT WAS LONG BECAUSE OF SOME DIFFICULT TIMES BETWEEN ELDER VASQUEZ AND I. I HAD SAID SOME THINGS TO HIM THAT WERE OFFENSIVE, IN JEST. AND IT HURT MY COMPANIONS FEELINGS. I ASSURE YOU PRESIDENT, WE ARE FRIENDS, EVERYTHING IS BETTER AND WE RESOLVED OUR DIFFERENCES. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT STARTED AS A JOKE AND TURNED TO HURTFUL WORDS. I NO LONGER FEEL THE WEIGHT OF WHAT I DID AND I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I WONT EVER DO THAT AGAIN. TODAY I AM MORE GRATEFUL THAN EVER FOR THE ATONEMENT, FOR REPENTANCE AND IT COST MY PRIDE. BUT I HAVE A LOT MORE PRIDE TO LET GO OF BEFORE I AM COMPLETELY DEDICATED (CONSECRATED) TO SERVING THE LORD.

so this is what i wrote to president today. Basically talks about everything i did this week.... um yeah. i know most of you won´t understand this one...but that´s what the gift of tongues is for =) and also there´s always google translate....={) (moustched smiley=) )

This conference was full of inspiration. but it was so short!!!!!!!! i was waiting for another session..... Now is the most important time. WE have to apply what we learned to our lives and i´m sure everyone of us has at least one goal that we can work toward.... the thing about goals is that we forget about an important part..... the planning.... meaning the actions we will take EVERY DAY to get one step closer to our goal and by so doing getting Closer To the Savior. I invite you all to make such plans =)

So we Found some people this week that we can teach.... Jenni is incredible. She came to conference and said that it was... interesting... i guess we have to help her see just how interesting it will be for her.....we pray that she will apply what she learned and also what we try to teach her =)

Uh...Dora and Martin.....they are very good people....its just tough to see the importance of changing sometimes if we feel like everything is alright.... so we pray that they will see the importance of the message we have...

David will most likely be moving to Silao soon and we hope and pray for him to continue with the church there....

um... Lulu basically told us " keep coming but i´m going to stay catholic =) " can you say ouch.... :) its okay.


well that´s all folks.. I love you more than the people here love salsa, tacos, beans, tortillas, and FUTBOL!!!!!!!(and believe me, that means i love you more than even I understand ={) )

Elder Ben Williams...

ps um pictures.... lets see if i have any....=) well nope, sorry

LEON!!

I get to talk about Leòn, elder Vasquez, and everything and is happening, and i sent pictures..... pretty much today is awesome! Where to start....

Leòn is huge! It’s about the size of Vegas. 1.8 million people live here....the sad thing is there is only one Stake here....is that crazy or what! how many stakes are there in Vegas? like 20? but we are working on that =)

um...where to start.... i`m just going to talk a little about my friend elder Vasquez... he is from Oaxaca(sounds like "wahaca" just so you know =) ) He has 4 weeks left in the mission and he does not want to go. He has 7 brothers and sisters and is the youngest and the only missionary from his family. He has one day he wants to go to BYU and seriously, his English is wonderful. I am surprised at the knowledge he has of English, knowledge that he`s gained in the 2 years he has been in the mission. Important thing about Elder Vasquez. HE IS TEACHING ME A TON!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok now let`s move on to the investigators.

Estefani. She is pretty awesome and her name reminds me of a certain ginge in know ;) she is the daughter-in-law of a sister who got baptized a few months ago. She`s been to the church like 4 times and says she likes it but that she wants to know more before she makes a decision about anything....so pray for us to teach clearly and allow her to understand by the Spirit that what we say is true....

David. He is pretty much awesome. His name also reminds me of someone i know. He is ready for baptism soon. We are praying for him to be bigger than his temptations and pray that we can prepare him for baptism....

One more... LULU. She is a florist and psychologist....not sure how that works but hey i don`t judge. Great person and pretty receptive to our message but doesn’t believe that belief Christ is necessary for her salvation…Seriously, elder Vasquez and i left that little meeting almost crying.....we pray for her to know her Savior and to recognize his importance....

um. Yeah. Got to go and all but I love you all with a heart that is getting bigger every day...

Elder Ben Williams

Welcome to Leon....That's it!

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

I´m kinda sick of stupid technology and i have absolutely no time. i will write more next week but seriously .... i thought i was patient.....i continue to learn....
Elder Ben Williams

Cambios!

I may not be able to writ much today because i´m not in San Miguel anymore. MY companion is Elder Vasquez he´s from Oaxaca and will be going home in 6 weeks! woohoo! so i just thought I´d tell you that I love you all a ton that I´m safe and sound and that we don´t have time to do much today. I have a lot to tell you and a lot of pictures so i think i´m just going to send some pictures( mom always says they are worth a thousand words.... i hope that´s true.....

The church is true, doesn´t matter where you are. I love you all and um....keep strong=)

Elder Ben Williams

*In his haste to write, Elder Williams forgot to tell us where he was transferred to. :)

Abraham Got Baptized!

Sunday September 15 2013

Learning is fun

That was a terrible title and i know it....but seriously what i learned in this week was....not fun but good.... it was close-ish to that cheesy title so i put it down.

Informes de Investigadores

1. Guadalupe: Sabe.
We haven´t seen her in a week and every time that we pass by she says she doesn´t have time. Her sister is a Member and hasn´t been to the church in who knows how long. She is A great person but we will probably have to stop teaching her soon.... Pray for her to at least pray. that´s one of the many compromisos...um...goals? ( Mom help me out here! i forgot the word in English!)

2. Antonio:
He still hasn´t stopped drinking but i can´t explain to you the Spirit that he has. He is one of the people that i just feel close to. He has given us more people to visit than any member and he brought his Daughter (Claudia) to Church this Sunday and she says she wants to hear more. I know he will be Baptized but he can´t seem to stop drinking! its a little tough sometimes..... he needs prayers of strength

3. Victoria:
She didn´t come to church this week(she works every day....) but she did introduce us to her children( Felipe and Magali). They listened to us and we all felt the Spirit, I¨m sure of it. I know it will be tough for them to come to church so I ask all of you to pray that they want to and will be able to come.

We had a Zone conference this week and i just want to but some of my thoughts from what he said.

1. Prez combined 1 Samuel 15 with the parable of the talents. he told us that if we are almost obedient....the Lord almost blesses us. I would suggest that any missionary who is almost obedient read 1 Sam. 15 =)

2. Without my companion, I´m not an Elder. I still have all the right and abilities to be Christ´s representative but i need the support of Elder Comboy to truly be such.

3. Without the Members of the ward, no one gets baptized.

I feel like i´m doing great, but its a commandment to be perfect(look for it its in the Sermon on the mount) So I´ve got some sacrifices to make.

I love you all and pray that all is well=)

Elder Ben Williams

This week was something....um.....tough

um...

Yeah i will divulge on that but there are some days that i just sorta feel like i need to be so much better! i feel like i have to convert myself and right now i`m missing a lot to become truly converted....but conversion is a process. its the process of giving everything you`ve got, leaving absolutely everything behind, Giving yourself to the Lord and its not easy..... but the best things in life are never easy. If the were, they wouldn`t be worth it. so I decided to make some changes this week.

1. I`m going to but the highest goals i can. And that doesn`t just apply here in the mission. Remember how i said that i`m making my life plan? So far I`ve narrowed down what i want to do with my life to a few choices Engineer (Chemical, Mechanical, or Medical) Accountant(i like numbers) or Dentist( i like the idea and any tips from Uncle Dave Macdonald would be nice) and I`ve got other plans that are probably more important but i don`t really want to share with the whole world so there. if you want to ask me personally

2. I`m no longer going to try to work by personal efforts. that doesn`t mean that i will ignore the Spirit when it tells me to talk to someone but seriously the most effective investigators or in other words the ones who go to church and that one day get baptized are REFERENCES!!!!!!!!!!! I can`t work without the members. in fact no missionary can, or at least not effectively. Do you know why there are so many baptisms in the city of Mexico? because the missionaries there work hand in hand with the members. so that`s what i`m going to do...more =)

3. I`m going to read a message from the modern day prophets and apostles every week. There is no guidance quite like the words of men who are living (or were living) in these days. I feel that they speak straight to my soul and even more so when i read in Spanish. There is nothing quite like it.....

just saw a video that i need every Father to watch(especially you pops) its Called "Padre Terrenal, Padre Celestial"

and even though the title is in Spanish the video is in English.

so enough about me.

Antonio is... who knows where.... but he is changing. he told us the other day that he felt sad....because he hasn`t had a drop of alcohol in a week and his body isn`t used to that =) Keep praying for him, because he is changing a whole ton but its tough to get rid of an addiction.

Guadalupe!!!!!!!! we have no clue what is going through her head right now....mostly because she doesn`t either....she told us she likes church and the feeling she has there and she always tells us how much she likes everything we talk about.... but she doesn`t pray and won`t read the BOM so....we don`t know what to do. Help us out by praying for us to understand her needs=)

Um... Angel. He is an Older man that leaves in a Ranchito called EL NIGROMANTE!!!!!!! its like 40 minutes outside the city. He is really old (i think he said he has 86 years) and is looking for a religion that convinces him so that he can be baptized.... he says that he has been with Jehovah Witnesses, Baptists, Christians and a bunch of other sects but that he isn`t convinced....so we need to help him know the truth....pray for him to get better (he is a frail dude and recently had a heart attack and as such can`t leave the house....) and to understand the truth that is in the Book of Mormon =)

and that`s all folks. Just want to thank the people who have written me recently and say that I love you, You know who you are. and if i don`t get to writing you today, know that i am truly grateful for your love, your prayers and every experience that you share with me.

Elder Ben Williams

Let's see what happened this week?

1. Dinner with the Bishop was a complete hit! I honestly love him and his family. They remind me a lot of us (my beloved family is the US). They are converts to the church from 12 years ago and are truly incredible. 6 of those 12 years He (the bishop) has been...well...bishop. His entire family speaks English pretty well and he says he wants to finish a degree in Utah. he told me it will last 2 years so I might be able to introduce you all to him. He is very humble and a true disciple of Christ.
2. ANTONIO CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!! he doesn´t seem to be able to kick the habit though. Its totally understandable though. Think of something you do everyday out of habit and try to stop doing it for one day. That´s the position he is in right now and its tough! He needs patience but he also needs a reason to stop. Pray for him to find his true desire.
3. NO clue what´s happening with Guadalupe. she said she would come to church but that didn´t happen. but i think its because she is sad. her cousin died this week. we have to figure how we can help her understand the church and its importance. Pray for us to be able to do so.....
4. um...................
5. SO...............
6. thinking....
7. Karen(grandaughter of the lady who just passed away) is doing ok.... her mom is jurting (HAHAHAHAHAHA i totally just spelled that in Spanish! that is so silly!!!!!!!) ok. HURTING. (had to do that slow.) pray for her to understand the atonement.
8. we are trying to teach a mostly deaf woman who can´t read and can barely talk. i don´t even know exactly how that all works out but i do know she is God´s Daughter and that she has a wonderful Spirit. Alicia is her name and she is the Wife of a member....its kinda a cool experience for us. He wants to be sealed to her in the temple so we are trying to help prepare them.... apparently she has been baptized but i really don´t know if that is true or not. Pray for us to be able to communicate with her...
9. ABRAHAM is getting baptized! this week Mauro will also be baptized. Remember him? I am super excited but a little nervous. I have said before, when we decide to take a step towards the good, Satan tries hard to get us to do the bad. Pray for them to overcome temptations.
um....good luck with school this week!!!!!!!!
I love you all my beloved Family.
Elder Ben Williams

Don`t have much time

Why? cause we invited the bishop and his family to eat dinner with us in OUR HOUSE and we are going to cook. Cool right=) Presidente told us to do something new to gain the trust of our bishop...so we asked permission to invite his family to Cenar con nosotros (eat dinner with us). Its gonna be fun!





Ok so real quick, wanted to tell you about a really cool story. We taught the Grandma of a member last Saturday. She was really sick and the doctors said she didn`t have much time left. In fact, she(la abuelita) asked us to talk to her. We taught the Plan of Salvation and i have never felt the Spirit testify so strongly of our words. She was so frail....so tired looking....she couldn`t even keep her eyes open. She just kept nodding and looking at us with gratitude in her eyes. She didn`t say anything. but I could tell she was scared before we began talking and by the time we left she was calm. She looked completely convinced of the truth of our words.
She passed away last night.
as i`m writing this, tears come to my eyes.
But I know with complete surety that she is resting. accepting the missionaries on the other side. I KNOW that this is God`s plan. He decides what happens and when it happens. He knows perfectly what we need.

other things that happened....1. Gudalupe didn`t come to church. We pray for her sisters to support her more and that we will be able to find her.

2. Abraham, the boyfriend of a member from the other ward, is from our ward and is going to be baptized soon. We are praying for him to overcome whatever temptation he would face this week.

3. Antonio is doing better. He has a goal to stop drinking before the 31 of August to be baptized the 21st of September. He still needs that kind of support.

4. I am trying to learn how to be cheerful in every moment. Pray for me to find a way to do so.

5. Remedios is the name of the woman who passed away. Pray for her family.

I love you all and sorry it was short this time=(

Elder Ben Williams

Shortish

I don´t really want to write much of a general letter today because i feel like i need to write many people personally including my lovely sister Stephanie because today is your birthday! (you are an adult my love! WEIRD!) so I will keep things short and sweet.


Andrea was baptized. I will never forget her story. she has so much faith. I know she is one of God´s chosen Children for these later days. she is truly incredible.....We pray for her family to start to accept what we teach. we want these blessings to reach every member of her family.



Antonio came to church this Week! woohoo! He is still drinking but he says its not nearly as much as he used to. He told us that he likes the church and wants to be baptized but he just needs our help, God´s help to stop drinking. I really love him and it makes me sad to see him struggle so. Pray that he will have the strength to get rid of his addiction (I can´t remember the word for vencer or superar...)

Guadalupe also came to church! she is another one of our Heavenly Father´s chosen children. We are praying for her to understand and follow the commandments that we teach her so that she will be baptized the 31 of this month. We pray for her to feel the support of her family, especially her less active sisters =)

That is all. I need to write many of you personally and so a bid you Adieu hasta luego!

Elder Williams

P.S. Les amo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miracles

=)
You know something? I never realized how many miracles pass in one day until the mission. I can`t explain how many things happen in one day that just make me understand how perfect our Father in Heaven is. Everything is in His hands. Its really wonderful and its makes me feel even better when I understand that we can be His Helpers in this perfect work. Its pretty much the best thing ever...

I am official two decades old. Weird right? lots of the people here say i look like i`m 24. that hurts. just saying. but the greatest thing about this week doesn`t have anything to do with my birtday.

Dania Got Baptized! WOOOHOOOO! I think the best moments i have lived in the mission are the baptisms. Dania was investigating the church for a long time. Her parents wouldn`t let her be baptized. She sorta got lost, out of radar if you catch my drift for several months. and then we found her again. And she was ready to be baptized. She Went to EFY and turned 18 and she told us she wants to go on a mission and really wanted to be baptized.


That wasn`t the only miracle in this week. Andrea is going to be baptized! I think i`ve told you about her about once. Her parents didn`t want her to be baptized. Can i just say something? Fasting works.

We invited Andrea and her sister to fast so that her parents would allow her to be baptized. At first when she told her dad about her desire to be baptized he started saying a bunch of harsh things about the church, but in the end he said" But you can do what you want. Get baptized if you think its something good." That was by far the best birthday present ever!

Sad thing that passed this week. We may leave Gabi and her family to be taught by other elders. They really don`t seem quite ready. Gabi was excited because of EFY but everything passed in a short time so she sorta lost interest... I feel bad but they are a great family. they will accept the Gospel one day. They just need more time and I pray that they will come to the realization of the truth and accept it.

Antonio is doing... mas o menos bien. he hasn`t drunk alcohol for a week. He went to Dania`s baptism, and he accepted a baptismal date. but he needs God's help to stop drinking(its not that easy to get rid of such an addiction) and to find a friend in the church. I ask all of you to pray for him to be able to overcome such difficulties.

I love you all and pray that you are well and following the councils of the Spirit.

Elder Ben Williams

I turned 20!

It was weird without you all but my adopted family in Mexico made things pretty awesome =) no piñata (no hay $) but I still felt pretty great! =)



I actually didn`t want to tell people it was my birthday. but Elder Comboy told everyone =) and so we had fruit. that purple thing isn`t a grape. Its a tuna(not the fish) or the fruit of a cactus. they are super good!


A fun birthday tradition here is that the person who is celebrating their birthday bites the cake before anyone else gets any.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Why is time speeding up!?

UH... what happened to this week!



We had Interviews with Pres. Mejorada this week.... he is... a Mission President. Those of you who are in the mission or have been a missionary will understand... He just seems to know me. I know its because of the Spirit and His call but he just sorta.... I don´t know.....

Something he told me is i have to be more direct....Words like "like" (como) "um" or "Sort of" Leave room for doubt in our message as missionaries. WE DO NOT DOUBT THIS IS THE TRUTH. He asked me, "If some says to you, ' Joseph Smith was like a prophet and he ummm restored the Gospel. He ummm saw God and sort of became a Prophet...? would you believe them?" Given i don´t talk like that (or at least not as bad) but he made a good point. THIS IS THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD. I HAVE BEEN CALLED BY A LIVING PROPHET AND HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ACT IN CHRIST´S NAME. is there anything more powerful, or wonderful than the knowledge we have? i think not.

Anyway, i invite you all to become direct. sometimes i feel like we get worried about what people might think and that we might offend them by inviting them to do something. I´ve found out that when we have the Spirit with us, people either accept our message, or they say no...its really not scary or terrible. Its just a simple, "no thank you" so what do we lose to talk to people about the Truth, The Good News. Try it. Invite someone to church this week. The worst thing that will happen is they will say no.

Anyway, great things are happening. We found a lot of work.... its kinda... beautiful really=) we are wroking harder than ever and we have had a lot of spiritual experiences.

For example, Dania. She accepted to be baptized this week. =) August 3. She set her own baptismal date. HOW? I don´t think i can explain it. We went to teach about who knows what and ended up talking about the whisperings of the Spirit. And she understood. It was the Spirit speaking to her, telling her that now is the time for her to make a covenant with God. it was a really Powerful Experience. We pray for everything to be ok with her baptism and that we can help her become truly converted.

Antonio is still drinking. Less than before but alcohol is alcohol....But he is changing dramatically. He read the Book of Mormon. He explained to us the Restoration. He knows that he needs to be baptized. He even changed his views of chastity and virtue as his lustful thoughts "are offensive to the Spirit of the Lord." I am astounded at his growth in such a short time...but he needs to stop drinking....and it won´t be easy... he has been drinking for 30 years, almost everyday....he needs prayers.... he is a great man. he just needs spiritual strength.

That´s really pretty much what´s been happening here.... I don´t know.... Pretty calm and all... but soon there will be a whole ton of work and i know it =)

I love you all !

Elder Ben Williams

Miracles are always nice

7.15.2013

and they do happen =)

Before i talk about that stuff i have some rather sad news....not really sad but....Mauro isn`t in our ward boundaries.... so we won`t be teaching him anymore. Andrea`s mom(and dad although she hasn`t talked to him) won`t let her get baptized yet. But we aren`t giving up =) Its sad sometimes how people don`t see the good effect the Restored Gospel has on our lives. But one day they will see. I`m sure of it.

anyway, i wanted to talk about the not so great things before i get into the awesomest stuff, the miracles if you will. I think all of this deserves.... a list =)

1. We have a ward Mission leader..... i actually don`t know if that is the name of the calling in English but no biggie.

2. We found a former investigator of the church and his family and he is ready for baptism =)

3. We started teaching young man.

4. We provided service to a less active member and ended up getting to know a potential investigator.

5. 3 youth went to EFY(its called SEMEC or something like that now but EFY is better...) and they want to be baptized.

Miracles? Most definitely

Our new mission leader in our ward is on fire! we had our first meeting with him last Thursday and he is just..... Super ready to work. I love it! He has so many visions as to what our ward can become if we try hard enough and really its pretty impressive what he has in mind. One thing he has in mind struck home. He wants to activate active members....wait...what? Thinking back ten months i was an inactive-active member of the church. I went to church and prayed every night. But i almost never read the scriptures. Prayer wasn`t what it should have been. The Sacrament was less meaningful. What Adàn(Lìder Misional) wants to do with members of our ward is change that type of member(or those that are like i was before the mission) into consecrated individuals. It's not only having a testimony but http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/converted-unto-the-lord?lang=eng#watch=video to the Lord. Its really impressive and its going to take some time and effort, and Prayer.

We found a man who once listened to the missionaries named Miguel, he is incredible! We decided to look for former investigators and let me just say that sometimes we have know clue how deeply a seed of faith can be planted. Miguel has had no contact with missionaries or the Church in months but remembers how he felt when he listened before and says he is now ready for baptism. He lives in an area that i really don`t know too well....we were basically knocking on doors asking if somebody, ANYBODY, knew Miguel or if they had a clue as to where his street was ( he lives in an area where there are no street signs....) we were getting kinda confused when BOOM! we found him=) His wife isn't thrilled about him changing his religion but we pray that we will be able to help her feel the Spirit and just add to the truth she already has and answer concerns she may have about him getting baptized.

Miguel, I felt the Spirit very strongly when we were there, especially when he prayed. He was stuttering and pausing and getting embarrassed the whole lesson when suddenly in his prayer the words just flowed. Miguel is 14 and was bullied in his school a couple times We hope to help him to be more confident...in himself and in the Lord.

We helped a woman from our ward put things for sale outside of her house to sell them, sorta like a garage sale....only without the Garage.....a woman walked by looked at what was being sold and bought a seat. she told the less active member that it was heavy and she didn`t think she would be able to take it home. So we offered to help her. She is and artist and lived in Brazil for a long while and moved here about a month ago.. She didn`t really seemed interested when i was talking about our message but did invite us to her home to tell her more. We pray for her to accept the message we will bring her =)

Gabriela, Dania, and Erendira. They all went a youth conference and they want to listen to our messages. I will tell you more about them when i actually meet them...=)

I learn a lot in the mission. I think in this change i`m learning about communication. Elder Comboy is my best companion yet. Why? because we talk about everything and anything and we are open about how we feel.
I love YOU(reader, listener, friend, family,...other).
have a wonderful week and do great things=)

Elder Ben Williams

ps did you read the articles i sent last email?
if not, why? read them my friends. they are awesome=)

So i did actually remember the 4th of July

7.8.2013

I celebrated listening to patriotic Motab and wearing my American flag-ish tie. Cool Right?

But the best part of that was working with Boris. He is nine. But he wants to be a missionary now. He went with us visit some people this week. He is super awesome. His older brother just died and many people would be really sad because of such a loss. But he keeps on going. He told us that he knows that he will see his brother again and that when they are together in heaven his brother will be able to walk and play and it will be sweet(His brother had cerebral palsy) I love the way little kids explain things. It shows perfect faith and understanding that comes from the heart and is clouded by doubt or worries about this world. Pray for him and His family. They will be moving to San Luis Potosi soon and they need all the help they can get. Pray more especially for his mom, Marcela. She is an incredible woman but things are tough for her....

Speaking of prayer there was an article in the liahona from june...3 actually. Look them up becsause they are incredible. One is called Walking in circles by Dieter f. Uchtdorf. Another is Dear Are the Sheep that Have Wandered by James E. Faust. The third (and the one i have been trying to apply) is Improving Your Personal Prayers by Kevin W. Pearson. I suggest you read them and apply them to your lives.

I love revelation from modern day prophets. there is nothing better than knowing that God speaks directly to men today. I feel incredibly grateful to play a small role in the Lord´s most important work..... The Work of Salvation. I Know there is nothing more important than this work.

Anyway, we met Presidente Mejorada the other day. He is incredible. He has already helped me see that in many ways i can change and be a better servant of the Lord. Something important that he told us is that we have to have a life plan. Without a plan, we won´t know where we are going. Basically, he told us that we need to figure out what we want and what the Lord wants from us in the future. So i´m thinking about possible career choices when i get back. it won´t be easy but since when is following the Lord easy?


Andrea. Her parents don´t want to give her permission to be baptized. We pray for her parents to have a change of heart.

I love you all. remember the Saviour and what He has given us. Don´t ever be afraid to be bold in making changes to follow His perfect example. He loves you and will guide you. share the gospel always. don´t ever stop inviting people to come to activities, the church, to family home evenings, to whatever. Just invite them and be an example. I love you all and pray you are doing well.

Elder Ben Williams

One week in new mission

7.1.2013

Weird right? I didn`t really even move anywhere but i`m officially part of the Queretaro mission. Mision Mexico Leon ya no existe. Its weird. But i`m alright with it being strange to think about. Mom you asked me about everyone of the people we were teaching last week. Guess what? everyone on the list from two weeks ago is now avoiding us. Personally, it is kinda tough. But i guess it just isn`t time for them to receive the Gospel.

Elder Comboy.....
Let me just tell you about him really fast. He is from Veracruz. He told me that the nickname of his city is The City of Pineapple. He is a convert to the church and only has 4 years as a member. He got sealed to his parents like a week before leaving for the mission. He is intelligent, likes to dress well and talks a lot which really is a good thing. He likes Banda and talks kinda weird. Sometimes i don`t understand him because he uses a lot of words that are native to Veracruz so i struggle to understand him sometime. He is what we call "Fresa". if you remember spanish slang that means his upper classish...a rich boy if you will but in a good way. Its will take me another week to get used to everything but that`s how it always is during cambios.

Questions about my comp? I will try to take pictures this week of us, deal?

Um...

Mauro is incredible. I have never had the opportunity to teach someone so humble, so ready for the Gospel before. I have absolutely no clue why the Lord has blessed us with such a great person to teach but we are doing all we can to help the man understand God`s plan. He is what you could call "de oro". But he still needs help. His family doesn`t support him and he doesn`t want us to go to his house. We need his family to soften their hearts. Pray for them please.

We are also teaching Andrea. She is the sister of a Recent Convert, Jovanna(who by the way is preparing for a mission. she is the only member of the church in her family and needs your prayers to help her in her desires to Serve our God). She, Andrea, is twelve. She has to have to the approval of her mother to be baptized and we have no clue if her mom will actually let her. She also has trouble recognizing answers to her prayers. We pray for her to be able to receive an answer from our Heavenly Father and that her mom will allow her to be baptized.

we are trying to prepare families for the temple. There are a couple of families that might be able to be sealed soon.

I made a goal to finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish before i complete a year in the mission. I have found more answers in the past couple days in 2 Nephi than in all of my life. For anyone who has not read the Book of Mormon completely yet, I challenge you to set a goal to do so. I always pray before i read and i read sitting up. And the revelation just flows. I feel like the prophets in this sacred book are speaking directly to me....its really pretty much awesome =)

I love you all and hope that you have news about how you helped share the gospel this week. May the Lord protect you and the Spirit guide you in your personal struggles.

Elder Ben Williams

ps....not many pics this week.....sorry...

Big Changes!

Otra vez (changes again)..... at least time i`m not moving very far =) ok so i am officially part of the Qeretaro Mission. The mission split, the Leon mission has dissolved and become the Aguascalientes and Qeretaro missions.

I`m sure its going to be great here with our new president, Presidente Mejorada. I feel like i was meant to be in this mission. It isn`t something i can explain too well. Its just i feeling i`ve got. Its going to be great here with my new companion =) Elder Comboy is from Veracruz like Elder Dominguez. He is the oldest in his familia. He says he is 21 and i still don`t believe him even though he showed my his driver`s license and everything. He looks so young!. and it doesn`t help that this week people have been telling me i look like i`m 22 to 24 years old. Any way, we are still here in San Miguel. We will just be in the new house that we found the other day. Elder Olivares and Elder Medina will be in the old house in the other Ward. Cool right. Finally we can focus in on one group of people at a time! i`m excited =)

We said goodbye to Presidente Del Valle this week. That man is constantly guided by the Spirit. I will miss him and all but I know that it is for a good cause. He has told me so much that has helped me. Not just in the mission but many counsels that i will be able to apply after my life here ends and a new one at home begins.

Did you get to see the broadcast for the new mission presidents and ward councils? it was great! I learned a ton and more than anything i learned that missionaries and wards have to work together in the work of salvation. The Lord has told us repeatedly that the most important work we can do here is MISSIONARY WORK. That applies to each and every member of this church. In the church website you can look up hastening the Lord`s work(or something like that....it was in spanish and i don`t translate too well.) a ver.... it will give you ideas in what you can do to take part in the most important thing you will ever do. i invite each and everyone of you to think of a friend, family member neighbor whomever and invite them to an activity,. to church, to listen to the missionaries. and don`t wait. I expect to hear from you all this coming week. I expect to hear about what you did to share the gospel. Pray for the courage to do so. Don`t worry about what people might think. really the worst thing they will do is Say no. How bad can that be?

We have an investigator named Mauro. The lesson we had with him was especially spiritual. I know he is chosen to receive this message. We pray for his family to accept what he believes.

I love you all and hope you understand why i always keep things short. I am sure that sometimes you might think that i am really.... i don`t know....impersonal in my letters. I just want to let YOU know my beloved family and friends that what i say is meant specifically for YOU. I love you personally. What i say here is meant for you even when it seems unspecific. I hope you can feel that. YOU are the greatest people in this world. I love you all because you have shaped me into the person that i am. I can`t thank you enough.

YOUR ELDER

Elder Ben Williams

Where to start?

Happy belated father´s day Dad. Just wanted to let you know i have been thinking about you a lot this week. I remeber in third grade we had to write a paper about someone we wanted to be like. Guess who I wrote about=) You are the greatest example of a priesthood holder and father that has ever existed. I hope one day to become like you. I love you dad =)

OK...um...

This is going to sound strange but we have so many investigators right now i don´t know where to start. I have never been in a situation like this. I can´t focus on everyone... The weird part is they are all from Aldea, the ward we will be working in in the future. Its kinda cool=) Anyway...um....first and foremost we baptized this week.

Erendira's baptism was something spiritual. Beforehand, it was a little crazy....but i think that´s how all baptisms are. We got to the church and it turns out we don´t have keys to the baptismal font. Both bishops were out of town but some how we found keys. only to find that the font was full of water...and spiders and cockroaches. We started draining it all and cleaning like madmen(one hour before the service) While i was up to my knees in the cold water throwing out bugs, the cell fell out of my pocket into the water(still works...its Nokia =) )..... oh and we forgot to make a program for the baptism. But the baptismal service was incredible, and that´s what´s important.


whew. what else? we found a sweet house that has cheap rent. Pray that Presidente will approve it =)

I love you all =)

Elder Ben Williams

ps sweet pic of when Elder Cristofferson came. This is the whole mission =)