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 =)