Time Flies

Seriously time flies here, it's pretty insane. I can´t explain it but i feel like we use so much of our time helping others and boom, another week gone by.
Elder Dominguez talks about how weird it is that time moves so quickly here almost every night. Its pretty much crazy.

In all reality there were a ton of great experiences this week.
I will start at the top of the list.
We taught Andres the Restoration. I don´t no if i have told you anything about him. He´s a barber and used to be a hardcore alcoholic. Now he´s all good, but he used to be addicted hard core. It was one of the lessons i knew the Spirit was there. He started off by basically inviting himself to church. And from there it just got better. We invited him to be baptized and............ he said its a juge change which he needs to pray about. That is definitely a start. Unfourtunately, He didn´t come to church yesterday. but hey, he will come, I know it. We pray for him to know the truth of the gospel



Another fun fact about Mexico. I´ve been talking to a lot of people lately and they have all told me something they find weird about Americans....Güeros....
They think its weird that we leave the home to study in different states. The fact that we don´t live with our parents until we are married or have a house of our own is strange to them. They tell me that i need to stay at home and not leave the home until my mid twenties. they tell me its a bad thing a way from your family at so young an age and that its better to stay with the fam....so ma and pa, how about it? can i stay at home till I¨m thirty and still unmarried? just kidding =) Its one of the many cultural differences that i have discovered.


Question. Does anyone know why we build our houses with wood? that´s another thing that everyone asks me. They say its unstable and unsafe to build houses out of wood. In all reality i have no clue how to respond to a question like that. So if you could kindly explain to me why our houses are of wood i would (ha punny) be much obliged.

Weirdest experience of the week: Some guy basically contacted us.
We were walking to go visit some family that is almost never home the other day when some guy whistled at us as we were passing by. He and his buddy were drinking and smoking and usually i don´t turn to look when its late and we find people like that. in fact Elder Dominguez just kept walking. I guess I´m still a Gringo because i stopped and turned. He waved us over and the first thing he said was "Verdad que Dios está en todos lados?" He and his cousin (who is an Atheist) were obviously talking about such things just before we past by. It is truly incredible the way the Lord works. Yeah, Cristian (that´s his name) was put into our path and he decided to speak to us. he even said that he wants us to pass by Saturday night. We didn´t even have to say anything. He is ready. All we have to do is get him to live the Word of Wisdom. we pray for him to stop drinking, and smoking and to be prepared to receive our message. I´m sure he will be too.

Francisco is doing amazing. He found a job and he is going to be able to come to church every Sunday now. In all reality, his story is a miracle.

That´s really all from me this week. Just wanted to thank the people who sent me letters in the month of December and January. I just barely received all your notes and in they have helped me tremendously. I can´t imagine what its like to write someone who doesn´t write back so i am going to do all i can to write you all back this coming week. Thanks for everything.



I love you all more than you can imagine. I know everything is going fine even if crazy things are happening. Stay strong, Pray hard, read the scriptures every day and...just keep it up. Something i nearly forgot to mention is that i finished the book of Mormon this week. I prayed to if its true.

I have never been more sure of anything in my life. The Book of Mormon is the Word of God.

Read it. Pray about it. Live it.

Elder Ben Williams

In All Reality

So, this week? In all reality its been tough. I don`t know how to explain that better. Trying to find anyone to teach without knocking doors and contacting( i can`t remember if i told you that... we don`t knock doors or contact anymore in Mexico unless we feel prompted to do so) There are many places in the area that i am still not very familiar with. I feel like the blind leading the blind at times. But the Lord has always asked us to walk by faith.

Just wanted to talk about some of the experiences we had this week. Gerardo finally has a bautismal date! He is going to be baptized Sunday the 17 of this month =) He and his family are saving up so that they can all go together and in all reality its one of the things that has given me the desire to continue with the work. We also taught a family (The Family Caldera Ortiz. They live in Santa Maria.

I had a confirmation of the fact that the Lord answers prayers. Francisco is sober! He came to church yesterday in a tie and everything and I can`t explain how good that makes me feel. We pray that he can follow in his renewed conviction of the Gospel. In all reality, it`s a miracle that he is recovering from all the alcohol he has been drinking...the gospel offers peace and a fresh start.

There was another experience today that was, in all reality, a miracle. We were waiting for a bus to take us to where we had a lesson and i really didn`t know which would take us there. I was just thinking of a time when Elder Ortiz and I were late for a lesson and a member from another ward appeared out of nowhere and gave us a ride. In the moment i was thinking about that moment a car pulled over and asked us if we needed a ride...Coincidence? i think not! the lady is the daughter of a member of our ward and took us from where we were to our appointment... Blessings from the Lord.

We keep praying for the people of Santa Maria To find work and well, that we can have a branch in Villa Juarez which is way close to Santa Maria.
This week we will an activity as a district and we are praying it will turn out well and that we can find new people to teach from it.

So now i just want to give a quick background on my companion. Elder Dominguez is from a city in Vera Cruz. I`m not even going to attempt to spell the name of the city cause i can`t even say it... He has been a member all his life and has one brother one sister. He is a Soccer lover and its something he misses a ton. His parents have a sports store and own a few businesses that sell a type of pan called ojaldra or something like that. He says that veracruz is always really hot and that he lives near the beach. He left two girls waiting for him at home and has no idea what to do about it. The good thing is that really isn`t something he needs to worry about. He still has 23 months left in the mission =) And that is Elder Dominguez in a nutshell. You will surely hear more about him in The Very Near Future....(Not sure why that i in caps).

Now for my buddy Josher.
Loved the pictures of you Bud! You look big and grown up! Thank you so much for your prayers. They help me in everything that i do. I am glad to here that your class mate is all good and feels better. Keep on being the best ever example for everyone around you and know that I love you Tons!

Sadie Jade=)
Sadie you are wonderful. I`m glad to here that you have so many friends and that you are playing and growing and learning. Keep Smiling Babe! You are a shining example and I feel your prayers for me. Keep on reading the Book Of Mormon!

Sam Bam!
You are silly bro =) that picture made me laugh pretty hard=) i miss your humor. Weird bugs??...Yeah the only thing i can think of are the humongous ants! i have a picture that i will send you next week of a couple of them that were in our house. Other than that.... Nada.
A month without tv! that is an awesome goal and it will help you focus your time in what matters most. I Love you Bud =)

Hey Stephers =)
I`m glad to see/hear zone went well =) that is something i miss, student council. If i had the chance to go back in time i would have started in student council my freshman year. it helps a lot in every aspect of life. Make sure to keep me updated on Random Act of Kindness Week. Sounds like a blast! I miss a lot of stuff from home. I miss you tons. I Pray that everything is going way good =) Thanks for sending pics. I feel bad cause this week i didn`t take any pictures. I sorta forgot. I love seeing all y`all though. It makes me happy =) I pray all is well. Enjoy every moment of the last part of your senior year!

Linz!
Mission Papers Done?!!
That`s what`s up! thanks for your words of encouragement and all your love. In all reality it helps a lot that you shared with me your experiences as a TA. Its tough to be a leader, to have people who depend on you and in all reality to hear your words of encouragement makes me happy that i have this opportunity. Someone told me once that they were grateful for their challenges because it helped them to grow. Its true! At times i fell like there is no way i can keep going and then all of the sudden something sparks my desire. Often times i feel like Its the prayers of all the family that keep me going. Thanks for being the best Big Sis ever.

Mom and Dad. Both of you said something that almost made me Cry.
"I Love You"
I`m pretty stressed out right now but when I read those words....I don`t know. It just made me calm. I am glad call you my Parents. Just want you to know that everything i do here is a reflection of your teaching. You`ve taught me so much and serving others and demonstrating to the World what Dave and Lorene Williams taught me is my way of showing my gratitude. No one else could have shaped my life as you two have. I love You both =)

no Pics today... but next week for sure!
Elder Ben Williams

...Changes...

I´m Training!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHH!

So the reason I didn´t write Monday is because well, we had....cambios...(in all reality I have no clue what it is in English...changes?) Any way, changes in the mission happen every six weeks but not every companionship gets changed every time changes come around. But cambios came this time to us. Elder Ortiz is now secretary of materials in the mission offices and he has a new companion. And I stay in Aguacalientes with a new companion, Elder Dominguez. He is new in the mission so I am training him. When they told us in the MTC that we would be preparing to train in 3 months I didn´t believe them. and now here I am....living the life of a Missionary in Mexico!
In all reality I think I went into shock when they told me I would be training. I feel like I barely even know what its like to be a missionary and I have to teach someone else? I was doubtful and scared and, for the first time in all my mission, a little depressed. I didn´t think i could do it. In the Bus on my way to Leon i was almost in tears. I didn´t feel right until I realized that all i had to do was pray and read my patriarchal blessing. as I did that I had a feeling of peace, that everything would be ok if i pray to the Lord and trust in Him. I feel like this is a test of my faith. The Lord wants me to be more confident in Him and if this is how I need to do so, so be it....
Its tough having the responsibilities of a trainer and in all reality i didn´t realize before how hard it would be. More than anything though i can feel the support of the Lord. I feel comforted in the fact that i am not alone. I have the ward here and i have you all and your prayers. I love you tons for that.
So i got more letters this week! Even a thanksgiving card and christmas letters...yes they just got here.
Still nothing from Steph though how long ago do she send that?
We only have half a day of p day today and so i feel a tad rushed but hey its all good.
This week we need a lot of prayers.

That is all.

I love you tons and i´m so grateful for all your support and prays. You are the best!
Elder Ben Williams

"Come What May and Love It!"

This week was another toughy. And yet it was worth it. I am constantly reminded of the talk "Come what may, and love it". Its something that helps me in the moments i get discouraged.
We finally found Francisco. He fell back into old habits, namely drinking. Its weird to talk to him. I know its the same man we have taught countless times but his very countenance has changed. It was hard to listen to him explain why he "returned to his nets". He is one person to pray for. Pray for him to remember the covenant he has made.
Santa Maria is still in a tough spot. No one has money there. But i have good news, we found someone there we can teach! She is the sister of one of the members there and is looking for God due to the many challenges in her family. If we teach them i know that things in her situation will change.
Turns out Ortensia (the sister who came to church last week) lives in our area! The only problem is her daughter is in the Hospital and we haven´t been able to see her all week...
Guess what?! this week i got the first ever letters from home this week! woohoo! Now we know...mail here is slow. Elder Ortiz got a letter that was sent the 14 of November and the letters i got were sent the 21 of December... It was something very special for me to read from different people about their lives and to get a couple Christmas cards. I think i´m going to try to send some letters home this week if i have time(which i think i will) so look for a letter in the coming months ;)
We had Interviews with the president this week. He is and incredible man, truly a man called of God. I felt peaceful and at home in his presence and what he told me was exactly what i needed to hear in that moment. It was nice just to talk to him for the short period of time that i did. He is going to address us as a mission very soon.


Keep up the good work. Fight the good fight. Don´t stress Joshua 1:9. Trust in the Lord. All is well.
I love you all more than i can explain!
Elder Ben Williams

Yep that´s an iguana

I love these things =) there all over here. this is the first time i got to hold one.

Weekly Letter Home

The time i have for the computer isn't very long and as badly as i want to tell you everything that happened this week, it is impossible! Especially when I write individual emails to the fam. I can share some of the highlights...like the miracle that happened this week. Sunday morning as we were leaving for church we got a call. The woman on the other line asked for Señor Ortiz. She said she was looking for God and that she had heard about our church from someone. She asked what time the meeting started (church) and guess what!? She actually showed up! Turns out that a person we had contacted a couple of weeks before had been talking to this woman and she told her that the Mormons "Hacen Milagros" (work miracles). So, the previous "contact" testified that we had helped her(we gave her a blessing that she might be able to see better, she´s pretty much blind) and that testimony led her friend (the lady who came to church the other day) to us. Neither of the two are actually from our area but it doesn´t matter, the work is the same. The Lord guides us to those who are looking for the truth.
Speaking of truth, first I want to say thanks for sharing I Corinthians 2:1-5 I quite literally needed to hear that because as far as the language goes, this week was one of the toughest. We were teaching a lesson and in the middle of it my mind went completely blank. I couldn´t speak Spanish. It was scary and more than a little discouraging. But later that same day we taught again and the words just flowed. I know it wasn´t just me.
I knew it was the Spirit. We were in a family night and the dad was sort of, well, teaching false doctrine. Elder Ortiz and I had the opportunity to teach truth. When it was my turn to speak the room got quieter. The words just flowed. It felt right. This was my first experience like that. I pray there will be many to come.
As I have studied today I´ve learned a lot. One thing I learned is the importance of being humble. (Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel has a section on that). This is where the Lord wants me to be and I know it. My life is different. I´m a missionary. I´m just barely realizing that (jk) and some days are just weird...but I am doing wonderful =)
I love you all. Remember, everything will work out. Just make sure to thank Heavenly Father when it does.
Elder Ben Williams

My Zone!

Happy New Year

You know some weeks are really weird. Like this week. Guess how we started the new year? in the rain! I am relatively certain that it has never rained in Vegas on new year´s day but this is mexico. Needless to say, the first day of the year was pretty dreary wet and hard. You would think people would be in their houses due to the rain. We walked all over town that day, and we didn´t find anyone. That was harsh. This week was kinda like that. We went to Santa Maria on Wednesday to see why Geraldo didn't come to his baptism. We had or guesses but hearing it from his family was tough. No one in Santa Maria has the money to pay for the buses to and from the church. It isn´t just his family, everyone in that little pueblo is suffering. They don´t have work. They need to be nurtured by the gospel but there isn´t anyone nearby to help them. It is way hard sometimes to see the problems of other people and to be unable to help them. Please pray that they can find the means to come to church.
In contrast to that sad event, we went to the temple this week! But in a way that was sad too because both Francisco and Antonio failed to show up. Basically, the reasons we had to visit the temple didn´t come. But we went anyway because we had already payed for a seat on the bus.Guadalajara is warm and reminds me a lot of California. The temple in Guadalajara is small. its the same model as the one in Oklahoma City. But it doesn´t look real. It is beyond beautiful!

The temple. I´ll admit i was kinda scared to do a session in Spanish but it wasn´t that bad. I can tell you this: i feel most at home in the celestial room of the temple. I ca'pt explain the feelings I always have there. It verified my testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel. Doesn´t matter the language, the Church and the feelings of the Spirit are the same. I know that now more than ever.

I was reading earlier this week about the changes that are in process in the church's curriculum for the youth.
It isn´t enough to simply be a member of the church any more. We can´t just go to church and have everything be fine and dandy. We have to be converted to the gospel of Christ. President Eyring gave a talk Come Unto Christ March 2008. It is truly incredible. I pray that you will come closer to the Redeemer this year and I know that the new lessons and such that the church is giving will help you all to do so.
I love you tons and well miss you....but I know the Lord wants me to be here.
Elder Ben Williams
Ps pray for us to be able to find people to teach!