First and Lasts

Hi everyone!

This is my final email/blog for my mission.  It is kinda weird and slightly exciting!!

1 Massive Pancake!

You could say that I am excited to return home.  I have been trying to not be a trunky missionary, and I would say that I have succeeded really well.

As of next Monday, I will be doing the tours of Palmyra and the Temple Trip.  I am so excited!!  I am really excited to see the Sacred Grove and I have even been saving up to buy one of the "old" original versions of the Book of Mormon that looks more like a brown book than what we currently read from today.  So that will be great!

This week has been also very eventful, which I have enjoyed, and it keeps me focused and from passing out.  Who knew that a mission could be so tiring?  But anyway...

Marsha is doing great!  We took like 4 members over this week and they all got along.  Marsha has the best answers and since her childhood has been a dry Mormon.  She just didn't know it.  We are still planning on the baptism this Saturday. The only thing that will stop it is if she gets weak and picks smoking back up so close to it.  My fingers are crossed!  Commitment wise, she is a-ok.  We have spent the most amount of time with  her this week, trying to fly through the lessons.  We also did service weeding her fence line and I also brushed her horses.  First time ever that I spent more than 2 seconds around a horse.

The Henry's are the cutest 68 year old people yet.  We picked up 2 more couples this week and apparently they just love what nice and good upstanding young women we are.  Once they get over their rant about how crazy the world is and how children don't show any respect, they normally are very open to a gospel discussion.  I never taught so many older people on my mission as I have here.  LOL.

I also built my first electric fence for another couple who are 7th day Adventist.  Apparently, deer eating gardens is a serious problem up here in the north country.

I also have been helping with the usual stuff.  I am trying to get Sister Holmberg to meet everyone before I leave.

We helped the Elders in Gouverneur by blitzing their area, we set the goal and tracted 80 doors in 3 hours and I think we got really close to 50 or 60 doors!

Yup, that was the week.  basically, nothing too crazy!

But to end my letter, I would just like to bare my testimony.  Going on a mission was one of the greatest gifts that Heavenly Father has given me.  I am not the same person I was 19 months ago.  I can feel the difference.  Yes, there were some tough times, but also some days that were so great that I would go to bed with a smile on my face.  My knowledge and conviction about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon is at an all time high.  I cannot deny the witness that Christ's Church has been restored, and it is back.   I know that the Atonement is real.  I have seen the influence of the Spirit change lives--investigators, less actives, companions and me.  The gospel is true and I have gained so many new friends that I cannot wait to hang out with them in the Celestial  Kingdom.  It will literally be a giant party.  I am grateful for this opportunity.  Sharing the gospel is easier than we think!  Sometimes we just overthink things.  If we share in love, we can never go wrong!

In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Two More (Dos Mas) !!!

Hello everyone!!

It is me again.  This is my second to last email and boy oh boy is that weird !!

Norwood Group

Lots of things have happened this week, and this update might be on the shorter side.  I can't believe how much I used to write towards the beginning and middle of my mission.  Ha Ha.  May has flown by and June will too.  The temple trip will be on the 13th of June and I fly home on the 14th.  I cannot wait to go and see the Sacred Grove and the Palmyra Temple.  Woop Woop!

This week (in summary) has been full of meetings, tracting, finding golden people and getting an infected foot and putting out Amish grass fires.  Never a dull moment.

Today for Memorial Day, we went to the Norwood Parade.  It lasted 8 whole minutes!  Ha Ha. (side note: Norwood is just barely over 2 square miles in size). We also taught a few lessons and then went to a Branch picnic.  It was awesome.  Hot dogs, and we got to slip-n-slide in Pday clothes which is the best.  We also tried OYM'ing with Palmyra Pageant flyers at the Parade today.  "Hey, if you like parades... you will like a free pageant!"  Unfortunately, hardly any of them have ever heard of Palmyra or the Hill Cumorah Pageant.  But north country people will get there!

Last Monday I guess the highlight was stopping by an investigator family that put their down down, like an hour before we got there.  So, they had us pray for their dog and I am glad we were able to comfort them.  But, that was the first dead pet prayer that I've ever said in my life.  Always a first.

Another interesting thing this week was that we got slightly ambushed/invited to a 'going away' party for an investigator.  But, the hosts were the head overlords/pastors for the local Christian fellowship center.  Yikes!!  Lets just say we had a two hour dinner with some people that hate Mormons just as bad as Governor Boggs from Missouri did back in the Pioneer days.  They were polite while we were there, and I tried to keep things easy with small talk. Then, the Elders came and we left to go to an appointment, and those poor Elders got hit with the questions and the Mormon Doctrine bashing.  That was a tender mercy for me and my companion.  Sisters have magical powers of protection at times compared to Elders.  But it was cool to eat dinner with a few pastors of a 'rival faith' and we planted seeds of being Christ-like.  I count that as a win. :)

We did a lot of tracting in the heat this week.  It was very very hot... but we talked to quite a few nice people and me and Sister Holmberg are pretty good at trying to be creative.  Also, we had some great lessons with Betty this week about the nature of God, and helped teach Anita and Angelo the commandments... but the greatest miracle is MARSHA.

Let me just talk about Marsha here for a bit...  She is my forth quarter miracle.  She is my 'Hail Mary Pass' for the end zone.  We tracted her out about 2 to 3 weeks ago.  We knocked on the door and this kinda grumpy older lady comes out.  I ask how she is and she says, "ehh, I don't feel well".  Anyway, that lead to a not so promising approach of us trying to teach her the Plan of Salvation... and she just kept wanting to talk about how crazy the world is and how Obama is the Anti-Christ.  We were about to leave when I handed her a Book of Mormon and asked if she'd keep it.  She surprised me by saying that she would love to read it and she'd call us 2 weeks after reading it.  Baffled, we walked away saying, "What just happened??"  How did she go from Obama being the Anti Christ to wanting to read the Book of Mormon and that we need to check back on her??  Well, this week we did.  WOW!!!  So glad we did.

Marsha is one of the cutest, most prepared, awesome, wonderful ladies I have met on my mission.  She cracks the top three convert list.  She's had a tough life.... she is 74 years old, she's from Long Island, loves horses and she is a widow.  She's sassy, spunky and loves the Lord with all of her heart.  Ever since she was a kid, she believed in God, loved Him, and wanted to find the right church. And has never been able to find it.  She considered herself Lutheran until today.  But, she started reading the  Book of Mormon and LOVED IT!  She loves the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  We gave her a Restoration DVD and when she watched it, she cried.  She immediately knew that the Church was true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  She almost died a few months ago due to a heart attack, but miraculously didn't die.  After us seeing her every day for the last 5 days, and teaching her the Restoration, the Book of Mormon, the Plan of Salvation... it is obvious that the Lord kept her alive so that she could join the Church and be on the right path.

Teaching her is the best.  She feeds us cake and wants to adopt us and is so happy all of the time now.  She has committed to be baptized the 12th of June, my last day as a missionary in Norwood.  It is so awesome, and I hope it all works out...  We talked about baptism today and she thinks about it all of the time and her biggest concern is what she is going to wear.  I finally found my purpose for why I was supposed to be in Norwood these last three months, it was for Marsha.  Apparently, churches have knocked on her doors for years, but she turned them down... but she said that me and Sister Holmberg were different and she could see something in our faces.  It is so so cool!  So, now my last two weeks have become Operation:  Get Marsha Baptized!  :)  Challenge accepted!  I never met someone so excited to be baptized!

Hmm... other things.  We went to Utica for Sister Holmberg's return and report.  She has completed her 1st month as a missionary!  Woop Woop!

I did have an obstacle, which was that I got an infected bug tie on the side of my foot, and I am currently taking antibiotics to stop the swelling and infection.  But it is on the upswing and hope to be all better soon! :)

Hmmm...  oh we also saw a fire on the side of the road... so we stopped and ran out.   A little Amish yard had caught on fire (we haven't gotten any rain) and we honked our horn and alerted the owners... then we ran buckets and pitchers of water to help save their lawn.  It was a success.  I love my Amish interactions!  :)

Well, all I can say is that this Church is true and that the gospel changes lives.  It has mine :)

Love you all.
Sister Kylie Williams

Nice and Steady

Hi Everyone!

I am starting to find it harder to type out long emails and letters to home.  I don't know why... maybe it is because I am starting to develop this sort of "Head in the Clouds" mentality.  I have to catch myself from day dreaming these days.  But, the Lord is good to me and thankfully I am trying to run to the finish line.

Hmm....  this week we had some totally random things happen.   We OYM'd these Amish ladies, and served them by helping them to get to the bus station and in return, they took a Book of Mormon.  That was awesome.  Seed planted for the next life.  This week, I also did a Family History workshop at the local library and it was a success.  We got 3 to 4 really interested people and I was able to show them ancestry and family search and they really enjoyed themselves.  We were able to help a member, and an investigator and get new service opportunities from doing the class.  We did a lot of tracting in the evenings, and met some nice people and the other usual stuff.

We had a wonderful ZTM or Zone Training Meeting and I had to give my 'departing testimony".  That was a very hard moment, because it was my last zone meeting ever and I knew it was coming.  I also was able to reflect on what my mission has done for me so far and I compared it to the Mormon Message "Flecks of Gold".  My mission really has been a huge gold find of tiny experiences where not only was my testimony strengthened, but also for others as well.  It was the patient accumulation of little flecks of the Spirit and also funny experiences that have brought me great spiritual wealth.  Something which I will always treasure.

We were able to find some new people this week also.  The greatest is the Henry's who will become members one day.  I found them in the phone records, but they had never been taught before.  They are just a classy, sweet older couple that is open to hearing the gospel and they want to grow spiritually.  We have the best lessons on their farm.  We are always drinking some fresh lemonade by their garden.  This morning we actually  had a great Plan of Salvation lesson and helped them to learn about what Heaven is like.  They really enjoyed it.

We were able to get our new investigator Julie to Church and Josh also came.  He is our favorite less active.  He is less active due to health, but we are helping him with the atonement and helping him remember who he is.  He is a returned missionary actually and he served in the New York Utica Mission 4 years ago... but trials got in the way.  It is so good to have him come.  We are hoping for a full activation in a few months.

Had some other good lessons with our peoples this week.  We also got attacked by wasps in the house.  The dang things were everywhere... but thankfully, we have tennis rackets and Books of Mormon to fight back, so they didn't have a chance.

This week if I could describe it would include beautiful sunsets, bugs everywhere, lots of ice cream, and dog walking.  We walked with an investigator for an hour so that we could teach her the Plan of Salvation.  I have developed those missionary  tan lines again  :(

This upcoming week will be very fun.  We have a few investigator parties to go to, a new missionary meeting for Sister Holmberg in Utica and pre-memorial day picnics.  All good things to come!

Week 2 of things learned on the mission:  When praying, God will not take away our burdens or trials.  So, when praying, I have learned to ask for what I'd prefer to happen in a situation, but if it is not Heavenly Father's will, I ask for certain Christlike attributes to help me deal with the situation.  I have noticed that my prayers are answered more quickly and I can see Heavenly Father strengthen me through anything.  I even have a formula... "My desire in prayer" + "But if not" + "a Godly trait desire" = praying for something that God can grant.  For example, (I really want to find 5 new investigators today, but if not, please give me the charity and love to talk with everyone I see on the street).  It really works!!

Well, gotta go,
The Church is True and the Book of Mormon is Blue!

Love
Sister Kylie Williams

Little Miracles

Hey everyone, it's me again!

I have less than 30 days now... Ahhh!!  Thankfully, this week was stellar.  We were finding and teaching people for days!!  We've taught more investigator lessons this week than any other week I have been here in Norwood.  That was fun!  Sister Holmberg is a lot more comfortable with the area and being a missionary.  So, our teaching together is much improved.  The week started slow, appointments and people were dropping us.  So for some reason, I felt the impression for a donut.  And we have an investigator that we haven't been able to meet with that works at Dunkin Donuts.  So, we went and she wasn't there.... but another coworker named Victoria OYM'd us and asked if we went to a Church.  We jumped on that and we ended up picking her up as a sweet investigator and took her on a Church tour.  She is in college and her mother just died, so she wanted to know where she was and wanted to pray. So, we taught her the Plan of Salvation at the Church and had her pray in the Chapel.  The Spirit was present and it was awesome.  We are hoping that we can continue to teach her!! Fingers Crossed!  Lesson learned, and sometimes the Spirit guides us with food. :) Especially me and my companion.  Thankfully we have been trying to run in the mornings.  I need to get back into shape.

Tuesday we taught our friend Charles, the heroin addict.  We couldn't get in contact with him for a while and we happened to find him walking on the street. We pulled over and talked with him.  He has got a long way to go, but he understands the gospel really well!  We are also working with Anita, and trying to get her baptized.  We also decided to make things fun and challenged our Part member family to a cake off.  If they could keep the Word of Wisdom for 1 week, read their scriptures, pray daily, then we get to make them a German chocolate cake.  They are 6 for 7 and going strong.  Time to make a cake!!  It is fun to see them get excited about the gospel.

Wednesday we got in contact with a super solid former investigator named Julie.  She is so prepared and had a lot of questions about the Plan of Salvation.  So, we sat down and it was super spiritual and intense and we answered a lot of her questions.  She has great potential for joining the Church.  Then, the rest of the day was OYMing buff Ukranian dudes on the street and having herbal tea with our "Grandma Becky".  We also used the scriptures to help one of our investigators that was going through a crazy family crisis. The Gospel does bless families.

Thursday, we committed 4 people to baptism and they accepted.  All 4 were new people that we found within the last 3 months.  Sister Holmberg was freaking out because she's never seen a baptismal invite and have it work!  Haha so that was a nice miracle!!

Heavenly Father was also very kind to us this week with timing and weather.  It was warm and sunny the days that we were outside and it was cold everything we planned inside activities.

We did a lot of gardening service this week.  We helped with a Branch gardening activity and then we weeded and raked this other ladies farm for 3 hours.  We were so sore that we couldn't lift our rams for like a day!

Well, those were the big miracles of the week.  But, the best one was going to sleep with a smile on my face a few of those nights just because I knew that what we had done, was what Heavenly Father wanted us to get done.  Obedience does bring blessings.

The Church is true, and one thing I have learned from my mission is:
Consecration is spelled T I M E :)  How much time is consecrated to the Lord and His purposes each day?? The greater the time, the more the Spirit is increased!!

Love Sister Kylie Williams

The Golden

So this week has been pretty good, also very long. Transfer weeks are always like that, they go so slow.  But things are on the up!

Sister Geary and the District Elders

The beginning part of the week, I mainly had to focus on packing Sister Geary up and having her say goodbye to everyone!  Also, the first pack/transfer on the mission is always the most difficult.  I got to help her with that.  Lots of cleaning and running around everywhere.   Not the most spiritual of things, but necessary!

Wednesday came around quickly and we had to get up at 5 in the morning so that we could get to Utica early so I could get to the trainers meeting.  It's my first time training during my mission.  Wow, it is a very humbling experience.  Being a Sister Training Leaders is nothing compared to a trainer.  You have to be exactly completely obedient 24/7 cause your trainee is always watching and picks up on the littlest of things.  But, I got really lucky!  My sweet sweet trainee is from Draper Utah.  She is an awesome listener, motivated, in tune with the Spirit, and ready to work hard.  She actually pushes me sometimes which is what I desperately need towards the end of the mission.  She also loves food, and collegiate Lacrosse, so we talk about sports a lot.  I know we are going to have a blast this transfer.

We're also going to have to go over quite a few basics like what a AL, DL, MLC, ZTM, OYM,  etc., :)  I didn't realize how many acronyms we use on a mission till I had to explain them.  haha.

After all of the packing was done, we've mostly been trying to plan and introduce everyone to my new companion, so she can start learning.  We are always role playing and trying new things out.

Anita is doing awesome, we love her so much.  She is progressing the most and basically is a member.  She just has a slight marriage problem that is keeping her from baptism.  But, we are slowly trying to help with government/legal problems!  Might be a month or two, but she will get there.

This week we've also done some tabling, but the college kids are all graduating, so it is time to take a step back from that.  We need to work more on the old timers in the area, because they actually live in the area.

Sunday was Mother's Day and that was great to talk with the family!  It will be great to be with them soon, but until then, lots of good work still to do.

Sister Holmberg (my new trainee) and I are trying hard to work on creativity   and do different things to get to find people, and not be robot missionaries.  We are about 1 step below buying a ukulele and singing to people on their door steps just because people are tired of missionaries and are slightly stubborn.  Yesterday, we did run into a lady that was 'looking for a Church' so we are super excited!

I have also been teaching Sister Holmberg about the local culture.  Stewarts, Walmart Wings, Potsdam toilets, adding S's to all of our words, and bathing in bug spray... it is awesome!  I think it preps me slightly for motherhood....allowing your kid to grow by falling on their face, but helping them get back up and keep going.

Well that's it for the week.  Lots of finding and great adventures on the rise.

Starting next week, I will be basing my blogs on the top things I have learned and changed during my mission.

Love ya lots!  The Book is blue.. and the Church is true!
Sister Kylie Williams

My Final Transfer

Hello Everyone!

One GIANT Adirondack Chair 

So, this week has been quite unique and interesting!  Never a dull moment and things are always changing.  This is the last week before the upcoming transfers, which is also my last transfer in the mission.  So weird to say that... its kinda starting to sink in.   But, new and great things are on the horizon.  We got a call on Saturday night and Sister Geary is getting transferred to Albany to be a STL (Sister Trainer Leader) and then I was told that I get to train!  It will be my first time truly training a new missionary on my mission!!  But unfortunately, I only have about 5 to 6 weeks to teach her the basics and then start packing to return home.  Also weird.  Time flies by so fast on a mission, just the other day I was remembering some of my first experiences in the field and started to see the little changes in myself that weren't there before.  This really is the Lord's work and not only is He saving souls by preparing them for the future, but also saving those already in the Church and preparing them for the future.  I really don't have a lot of time left, but I can still put in my honest effort and try to make the best of the next 6 weeks.  I am excited, but a little anxious for what happens this week.  I keep crossing my fingers that my new "golden" or 'greenie' is ready to go to work!

This week we didn't do much teaching because we had an exchange to Syracuse and also tried new finding methods with the Elders on campus.  We were still able to see a lot of miracles.

In Syracuse 

I also did have some firsts this week.... like tracting and talking to a few Mennonite and Amish families.  That was really cool.  They are so unique and it is hard to talk with them because they have strong German sounding accents.  They weren't at all interested, but I was happy to cross that off my list.  I wonder if their kids ever notice or wonder why they are so very different than everyone else.  Apparently buggy vs car accidents are a common thing up here in the north country.  Yikes!

We are slightly teaching a Mennonite family, they are very nice and want to try coming to Church.  They do however have some unusual traditions and being in their home made me feel like I was in a 1900's horror movie, but that is the mission field for you!

Tuesday we went tableing at SUNY Potsdam and had one of the most fun days I have had in Norwood.  We went with the Elders and decided to do a combined effort.  It was really successful.  We had a whiteboard and asked everyone we saw "What makes you happy?"  We had some interested people talk with us and we gave out many Books of Mormon and pamphlets.  Unfortunately, we haven't really picked anyone up from it, but the 4 of us worked together and taught close to 10 lessons in 2 hours.  We had a ton of fun.  Once we got the Spirit, me and Sister went tracting and taught a few new people in Norwood.  We also got in with a large less active family and taught the daughters.  We hope to get in more in the future and help them come back to Church.  They are at square 1 with the gospel.

Wednesday, we also taught some of our less actives and helped out teaching English!  Then, we had to prepare for District Meeting and exchanges.  I have come to love long car rides and road trips.  Something we do quite often in the mission.  I takes about 3 to 4 hours from the north to get to Syracuse and I spent the day with Sister Chandler.   It was the greatest idea to put us together, because we go home together in a few weeks.  We had to pray really hard to stay focused, especially when all of the Syracuse appointments fell through, and it decided to rain cats and dogs.  We were able to find a few potentials and service opportunities!  We also spent time with their awesome 'dry mormon' investigator at Funk-N-Waffles.  I had to go one more time on the mission.  So that's another thing we checked off the list.  

Well, we have lots of cleaning, packing and reorganizing to do!!  Goal for the next week is to get my trainee and just love her and start teaching her correct principles of missionary work!

p.s.  Brian in Horseheads got baptized!  I might have shouted for joy!  Missions are awesome.

Here is some spiritual insight from this week.
1)  Missionary service does not end after 18 or 24 months in the field, it is just the beginning.  Hit the ground running and don't allow yourself to take a break from serving or the gospel.

2)  Enduring is the process by which the Lord solidifies the changes he has recently made within us.  Without it, our conversion or changes would be fleeting and cosmetic and not be embedded deeply into our soul!

Love you all!
Sister Kylie Williams

One Eternal Round

Hello Everyone!

This week has been interesting for sure.  Every week feels like a month with the mount of people I met and all of the events.  Just goes to show, that there is plenty of time in a day to accomplish many things.  I just need my planner, some water and some sugar to get through it :)

The headstone for grandfather of Joseph Smith

We have been doing a lot of service this week.  It is good PR in the Community and also gives us a break from finding investigators all day.  This week we helped out a local thrift shop  and organized clothes.  We helped teach English at the ESL class and that was really fun.  Many professors at Clarkson are not from the US, so their wives need help learning English and the culture.  They are the coolest ladies.  They used to live in Italy, France, Vietnam, and Japan and their accents are hilarious.  I also repeatedly told them that they shouldn't generalize the US by their experience in Potsdam, because the North country is not like anywhere else in the US.  Funny group of people up here.  They laughed and agreed!  We also helped out at the local library again and made some posters for upcoming community events.  It felt good to bring out my artistic side again.  We also tried to help with some yard work and building fences/playground equipment with some investigators, but that didn't quite work out so well.  Service can soften hears, but it's also just another powerful way to share the Gospel.  If you can't use words, then use actions... because they speak louder than words.

The most exciting things this week was going up to Ogdensburg for District Meeting and spending time with the Knights.  The coolest senior couple in the world!  They ended their mission and we had a going away party... super sad that I only got a few weeks with them.  But, as tradition, when it gets close to the end of the transfers, we take District photos, so we used their house on the St. Lawrence Seaway and got some great views of Canada.

Bro and Sis Knight and Sister Geary with Kylie 

Teaching wise, we are always in the finding mode.  I have taught the restoration lesson more in the last 5 months of my mission than in the first 12 months combined.  We didn't tract or OYM as much.  I finally taught my first official college student on a  college campus!  Mission bucket list - Check!  She is awesome, but unfortunately she is leaving next week to go home to Jamaica for the summer.  But, she promised us that she would read the Book of Mormon on her way to NYC on the bus, and check out the local ward in Jamaica!  Seed planted!  We also found this retired Army guy who used to work with Elders years ago, but is now open to learning more.  We also found a family and the kids like talking about God and we tracted into the cleaning lady of the Relief Society President!  She has lots of questions about religion.  She doesn't understand the Resurrection.  She thinks coming back to life will make us zombies.. ha ha the lack of spiritual preparation astounds me sometimes.  Ha Ha.  I just try to not laugh about it.

My District

Anita, Al, Gary, they are all hanging in there!  Still progressing and still trying to fix their lives so they can get baptized.  Probably will take a few more months to years, but it will eventually happen.

Fun story, so its amazing to see how the Lord has His own timing.  A young teenager I taught in Utica got baptized this week.  So cool!  And also Will, from back in Elmira, was able to baptize his daughter and family with the help of the Elders.  Tears of joy! :)  Weird to think that just a few months ago, he sat alone in his house with no purpose in life.  Now he loves the Church and is a support to his family that lives on the other side of the City!

So, sometimes we just have to be patient and do what we can! :)

I have been learning a lot about the apostasy the last few weeks, and seeing how people lose their faith in God because they don't have the understanding of the doctrines of the gospel, prophets, dispensations and apostasy.  It is important to have a knowledge that there is a true and living Church on the earth that is under the direction of the true and living God!  But still learning myself. :)

Have a good week everyone!  Last full week before the transfer and we have a trip to Syracuse this week.  That will keep things fun and exciting!

The Church is true.
Sister Kylie Williams

Walking in Sunshine

Hello!

We are officially on the downward slope of the current transfer.  This means that things will be speeding up and this week was a little better as we found 9 new investigators to teach!  Lots of walking and contacting referrals.  This area is really teaching me how to street contact or OYM (Open your mouth) as many people are not very receptive at the door, but are more willing to talk on the street.  Also, with the recent change in temperatures, college kids are everywhere and we have to be pretty creative and bold to talk to them.  So that has been fun.

Starting with Monday, we went through our whole phone and called everyone that we didn't know.  We called quite a few people and gave some referrals to 4 years old former investigators to people in other parts of the mission.  We did then however, go and teach Al and Sister Archie.  To our surprise, their friend Joe, whom they had wanted to share the gospel with was also there.  We went according to plan and watched  "How rare a possession, the Book of Mormon". It is an amazing video about Parley P Pratt and this other Italian guy from the 1900's and their conversions with the Book of Mormon.  It is awesome and we talked about the restoration with Joe.  It went right over his head... ha ha.. but we will keep trying.

Tuesday we began our finding!  We went to the little town of Madrid (pronounced MAD-RID) and talked with a few people, and we also randomly stopped into the little library and dusted/cleaned for an hour, and the people working loved us.  So that was nice.  Service points!  We then traveled to the other side of our area to a little town on Winthorp and picked up Bill and Rich and Sally as new investigators.  They are referrals and potentials from a long time ago.  We taught them and they listened.  Bill is the type of good ole boy that thinks his backyard is his church and likes to live in solitude to be with God.  Rich and Sally are non-practicing Catholics that want to find a better church, because they don't like their priests.  :) It is going to be a work in progress!  But, we still had a good time teaching them... hopefully we will get them to read the Book of Mormon.

Wednesday we went on over to Canton and saw Elenor and we had to drop her.  She is not really progressing and has a lot of health and mental challenges.  We are just prepping her for the next life.  We then scurried over to SUNY Canton and tabled.  It was my first table/booth experience on my mission. It was super ineffective.  We sat behind a table for an hour and had to let college students come up to us to ask questions and grab reading materials.  Unfortunately, most students had their heads in their phones and school is starting to wind down, and people are graduating and returning home, so campus is getting smaller (and it is small to begin with). I prefer to walk up to them and ask a questions like, "how do you find joy?"  or "what do you think your purpose in life is?"   Surprisingly, most people haven't even thought about this question and we catch them off guard and they just throw something random out and walk away... the world is doing well at distracting people.  We taught this super cute lady named Becky that is Unitarian and lives in this gorgeous cottage on the Grasse River and took us on the tour of the home.  She is going to read the book of Mormon and if she likes it, then she will investigate.  She didn't want to be pushed, so we did what we could.  We tracted a bit, contacted some referrals and walked around a lot.  We also had coordination.  Good thing the weather has been getting better! :)

Thursday was District Meeting and it was so much fun.  We played a missionary version of seminary scripture chase and this alter-item game, we got a little bit too intense.  LOL, we felt like high school kids again.  We then taught Cameron, a christian college girl, that wants to go into elementary education.  We saw Anita but she got hit with some crazy disease relating to her nerves that is just taking her out.  Satan is a jerk, he uses health as a way to slow down the Lord's work!  We taught a few non-interested agnostics and and that was really interesting.  We do have this other cute couple, Nick and Hannah.  Hannah has a lot of potential and we had a really good lesson about the gospel of Jesus Christ this week, and she wants to try a church tour this week!  She is a cutie, and I hope that God will continue to soften her boyfriends heart because the branch needs some young blood :)

Friday was slower, we did some service at the Norwood Library and made flannel boards!  Yay for new skills!  We also continued to teach a few of our non-progressing individuals. The new cultural mentality lately, that we have been trying to face is that "everyone has their right to believe what they want, and since there is one God, we can get there on our own path, or our own beliefs."  :(  So many half truths in just one sentence, it just blows my mind.

Saturday we met this lady named Kathy that we called on the phone, she is very humble and nice.  The Jehovah Witnesses had just talked to her 10 minutes before us... so sneaky!  We taught her how to pray and we are seeing her again this upcoming week and hopefully things go well. :)  We then walked around Canton and OYM'd for about 4 hours.  Got kinda sun burned, the Elders took us and dropped us off because later that day we went up to Ogdensberg for a baptism. That branch hasn't had a convert baptism for 2-3 years, so we supported them!  It was a good little baptism!  But, in Canton we had some unique experiences like killing hornets that were attacking little Chinese students, placing 3 Books of Mormon and tracting into a cute family.  We also talked to some Jamaican college students that thought Mormons were the Amish.  (Amish are everywhere up here, might buy some bread from them one of these days.)  It was all fun.  Most college students I have noticed are from NYC and then go to college up in the upstate and they hate it.  LOL it is so funny because you can pick out a city New Yorker from an Upstate New Yorker very easily.  It is awesome.  I've also met so many international people this week too.  We taught a girl from France and she was super nice, but not interested in religion (it's a French thing apparently).

Sunday was my favorite day, the Elders randomly found this girl on SUNY Potsdam and invited her to church, she is just super spontaneous and came.  Her name is Nyasha and she is from NYC and is the coolest person ever.  We had a super spiritual church tour after Church and it cleared up a lot of her misconceptions.  We hope to teach her more next Sunday... she is just busy with finals.  We tracted into another lady named Angela, that has a lot of kids and is dealing with the death of her father.  (Prepared?? I think yes!)   She let us right in and she wants to find something for the kids and we are excited to teach her again this weekend!

Well, as you can tell, we talked with lots and lots of people this week..for better or for worse!  We saw some miracles and the Lord really wants to make us stronger, so He puts us outside of our comfort zone.  Boy of boy has this put me outside of my comfort zone walking on the streets for 4 hours a day talking with random 20 to 30 year olds that are really intimidating and trying to teach them the gospel. I am excited for this next week, we have lots of service and things to try and do!

I know that the Church is true and that God puts specific people in our path.

Have a good week everybody!

Sister Kylie Williams

Rolling On

Hello Everyone!!

Toilets toilet toilets.. everywhere...

I am halfway done with this transfer..  which is kind of weird.  I feel like I just got here.  The weather has been crazy.  It is cold and snowier here in the month of April than when I was down in Pennsylvania from December to February.  Spring please come!  That way with all of the walking we have to do, it will be more enjoyable and people will be out.

Fun fact... I learned that my area/branch is St. Lawrence County.  Which is the biggest geographical county east of the Mississippi. I have been trying to develop a super hero talent of teleportation so that we don't have to worry about car miles, and be able to go from farm house to farm house.  That hasn't quite worked out yet... but we will keep trying. :)

lots of rivers up north.

We did a lot of trying to find investigators this week, we just weren't very successful.  However, we did have some bright spots this week.

Blessing #1)  I got to eat dinner with President Rogers and we had our President/Missionary interviews at their hotel and go to work with them throughout the evening.  That was fun!  At first I was really intimidated, because I wanted to act my absolute best around the Mission President and I held my breath...   But, I ended up having a lot of fun and it felt like hanging out with family.  I event to hand wash the Rogers' car and we went to a nice Chinese restaurant  They don't' really talk much while eating, which is awkward... but I do love observing their relationship between them.  So much love and concern is expressed. So, I asked about some dating and marriage advice.  I asked Sister Rogers what I need to do to snatch someone like President Rogers.  Her advice:  to see their reactions in all circumstances (stressful, happy, sad, discouraging etc.)  and see how they treat their family.  All good points of wisdom.  Sister Rogers then went with us to see Nick and Hannah who are college students we teach.  I really like Hannah.  She has potential and asks great questions.  She is however, very logical and skeptical, but her heart is in the right place.  We will be seeing her more after college finals which are happening in the next 2 to 3 weeks.  We tried some other potentials, without any luck  We saw the Mathie/Atchie Clan.  They are my favorite people to work with.  They have struggles and have a ways to go before baptism but they like to be silly and we have pretty good gospel conversations.  We see them the most frequently, and I am just about ready to build them a house so they can get married and be debt free and get baptized.  Anything is better than tracting for 5 to  hours.  but o well!

Blessing #2)  We had a wonderful Zone Training meeting this week on Tuesday.  The missionaries in the Potsdam Zone are great!  They work had and are obedient.  First tie I can say that about a zone here on my mission.  We did a first time experiment of Workshops and we practiced certain skills.  I loved it..  President taught us about being urgent missionaries and living the program and then connecting to heaven.  I repented and committed to do better which is always a joy!  We then saw two new less actives who haven't met us before.  they live about 15 miles away, but they are willing to meet u and they want to come to church.  So more power to them!  We went to the only diner by us and saw some former investigators and also ran into some other less active members.  It was hilarious.  We should just go to the local diner and wait for people to come to us.  It is easier to find the there than at home.

Blessing #3)  We had a fun missionary fireside with the Branch this weekend  It is the first missionary fireside I have attended.  It was very poorly attended.  We happened to get Al there, but we did have like 5 members come and it basically turned into a conversion testimony fireside for Al.  The Spirit was really strong and we had fun.

So... in between all of those, we have been scraping the bottom of the barrel for any names of people that are potential investigators.  We did quite a bit of tracting and OYMing.  We talked to a few Italians, and picked up a ton of referrals for other missionaries.  We have the most up to date area book in the whole mission.  Everyone has been tried so we have been trying to be creative and calling random contacts on the phone and also just trying to offer up service to anyone and everyone.  Things are slowly coming around  We should be building a few fences and retaining walls soon.

We've been let in a few homes to teach the restoration, but they do not want to investigate further.   We are still planting seeds!  Trying to have people read the Book of Mormon and also trying to teach people how to read so they can read the Book of Mormon..  That is a extra challenge.

But, God has still been very good to us this week.  He has reminded me in Mosiah Chapters 23 and 24 that those he loveth, he chasteneth and tries their patience and also their faith.  But, if we submit cheerfully to all of the will of God, we will gain from our afflictions and also grow in many ways than one.  I am glad that Heavenly Father gives me trials, it means he trusts me and he loves me.  It's a tough love, but a better kind of love.

This week we are going to continue to find, to find service opportunities and try new areas on the corners of our area!  The weather should also be warming up!  Yayy!!

The gospel is true!
Love you all!
Sister Kylie Williams

The Lodge, the Campus and Conference

Hello Everyone!

Another week has passed and now we are in the month of April.  Exactly one year ago, I was getting transferred from Corning to Utica.  It seems like forever ago.

This week did go better.  We had some good lessons and I found a handful of new people.  We also had General Conference and I was reunited with my love.. Stewart's Ice Cream!  Potsdam has also stated to grow on me, it is  just so pretty.  Once it gets green it is going to be breath taking.  Unfortunately, the bugs will also be breath taking.  Apparently ticks and beetles are a huge problem in the spring.  Yikes!

We started this week on Monday with the usual P-day activities, I also did an Insanity workout with some women in the ward.  My calves were sore until Friday.  Ha ha.  Not good.  But, we had some funny experiences that day.  We tracted along a lake, with the cabins and met a lady named Moriene and she said we could come back.  We hope to teach her this week!  We also saw our friend Al.  He is doing great and is giving up coffee.  Al knows the Church is true and has a greater desire to live the covenant path than his recently reactivated  girlfriend.  Crossing our fingers that we can strengthen their faith to get them to be married.  Al is a great guy and I would love to see them be able to be sealed in the temple.  We then had to walk the streets of Norwood at 8 pm in the rain.  Nobody was outside except for a few Masons that were leaving some kind of a lodge meeting.  We went over, said hello, complemented their patriotic ties and now we are going to start meeting with one of the leaders of that group once a week.  Pretty interesting guy.  I feel like I am in part of a National Treasure Movie when we talk with him. j We will see where it goes, but I did have some Norwood pie at the local cafe (the only one in town) before heading in and that was good.


Tuesday was also fun. We headed over to Sunny Canton on the college campus of OYM and met with college students.  It was scary at first and slightly intimidating.  We got through it and actually met some really nice young college girls and hopefully we can see them more in the future.  President loves the idea of us and the Elders finding college kids on campus, so that is what we are trying to do.  I actually had fun, and we will be planning on doing it again in the future.  We then left the college and headed to a members to help them clean and move out.  The house was built in 1850 and it was pretty sweet to see the architectural details inside.  Most houses in Canton are from the 1800's.  If only most people took care of them, upstate New York would look so classy!  We then picked up a new investigator named Tracey.  She is nice and has unique views on religion but her kids want to know God, so she is willing to learn.  Not to bad.  Also chatted with Anita who is a very cute older lady that has been investigating for a long time.  she was sick and hurt her back, so we had to stick to phone lessons to talk with her all week.  We then also had an awesome less active lesson with Bro Murray.  Spirit was so strong, and he has the desire to come back to church and he is living everything, he just got out of the habit.  I am excited to keep teaching him.  He might be one of my favorite less actives.

Liz is also one of our most solid investigators, and she just befriended a lady in the ward and was introduced to Sisters in March.  She just gave birth to her little daughter yesterday.  But before that, we were able to still teach her twice.  She has strong desire to know Christ more and also to be accepted and have a future. j We hope that we can get her baptized in May of June.  That would be sweet.

Jessica, is my favorite person in the area.  We just picked her up this week.  Divorced Mom who is looking for that connection to God, but hasn't fount it in other churches.  She feels the Spirit, keeps commitments and wants to meet frequently and looks like a member and has the cutest home and kids.  I am so excited to keep teaching her.  I had a good Book of Mormon Lesson last night.  I really love her so much.

We are also teaching Karena, who was also a solid Mom, but she just dropped us this morning for no reason.  She does not want to see us anymore.  So sad, we were having good lessons, but last time she brought up polygamy concerns and thought we were FLDS.  :(  She's been looking up the wrong things.  Gonna have to put her back into the Lord's Hands.

Thursday we had District Meeting in Ogdensburg.  I SAW CANADA!  :)  It was pretty sweet!  We had a good spiritual meeting in a tiny branch building (Stage 1 & 2 I think).  We then went out to lunch at a grill and had Canada Fries.  It is kinda weird in the North country, because half of the radio stations are French Canadian (we tried to find General Conference on the radio for someone and that's how we found out).  We teach a few people that always say "eh!"  We then saw Gary and Trevor later.  Investigators that have a loonnggg way to go, but it was good to finally meet them.

Friday we ran around with planning and library service and seeing our investigators.  We also had to fill the font for the Massena Elders, they had a baptism.

Saturday and Sunday was mostly General Conference in the Potsdam Chapel.  the themes of the temple, humility, service, kindness and focusing on the Savior really stood out.  I enjoyed the talks on the Restoration of the Priesthood and lost truths.  People are struggling with their faith and their lives , so the Church is counteracting with helping us see that when we help others, we help the Savior, who in turn heals us spiritually.  "Jesus is the World's greatest leader, because He is also the best follower". Priesthood Session.  The only time, a tear was able to get squeaked out was when Elder Kernon spoke about the refugees Sunday afternoon.  I don't know why, maybe it was the accent, or maybe just the power of the message, but I really like how the church is trying to help the world and love people of other faiths and cultures, when the world is becoming more hateful and full of prejudice.  I am excited to find ever more ways to serve after my mission, because service is an eternal principle.

I know that the Church is true and that we have inspired leaders, called of God.  I love them and if everyone would just watch conference, then how could anyone deny the goodness and the truthfulness of the Church?

I am grateful for my family and for my faith.

FIND WAYS TO APPLY CONFERENCE THIS WEEK! :)  Application brings wisdom and understanding.

Love,
Sister Kylie Williams

North Country

Hey Everybody!

Another week in the good old mission field.  A lot of changes have been happening the last few days and unfortunately, I won't have a much to talk about this week because that is just how things happen during Transfer week.

Sister Munoz and Sister Kylie

So, after getting the call, I quickly started to see people and say goodbyes.  I did a few final lessons, called up some members and ran around trying to fit the accumulating pile of clothes in 3 suitcases and clean.  I don't think that I ever stopped to take a breath from Monday to Wednesday.  Crazy Crazy.  I am thankful for my time down in the Owego Zone.. I loved it! :)

Another cool thing that happened this week is that I finished reading through the Book of Mormon and highlighted any reference to Christ.  I did it in 4 months to complete the challenge from President Rogers.  First time in my entire life that I read the whole Book of Mormon and didn't miss a single word.  (Ya, I admit that I skipped the Isaiah Chapters before.)  I was the most through study and I loved it.  I love the Book of Mormon.

Wednesday was spent driving from the southern tier to the north country... nothing like 7 hours of driving.  Woop woop!  I then got to meet Karena, an investigator in Potsdam and she is pretty cool.  She struggles with her life and being a single parent with a highly autistic child.  We also met the Branch Mission Leader and had coordination meeting and got to meet a few of the branch members.  We have a mid sized branch... like around 70-90 people.

My new companion... Sister Geary

It is super gorgeous up here.  Everywhere it is so peaceful and full of cows and the green grass/leaves haven't even started yet so I am excited to know what it will look like in a few months

Since then, I have been transitioning.  I am trying to learn my new area, see a few of our investigators and such.  Due to Spring Break problems, I haven't met them all yet.  However, I did get to met Nancy and Brother Al Mathie.  He looks like "Wreck it Ralph" with a backwoods kinda fair.  He wants to be a member and we just have to help him marry his LA girlfriend.  We will see what happens :P  I met Anita and she is adorable and has been taught all of the lessons, She also needs to get married to her boyfriend of 20 years.  I also met Ray and Ann.  They are the only recent re-activations in our area.  The just talk and talk and talk.  We taught about family history and the lesson went for an hour and a half.  Ray started crying when he found out that he previously had done his father's temple work before going less active a few years ago.  We also teach this 11 year old named Brandi who is the daughter of a less active.  Well, she is quite funny and full of energy, and as been taught on and off for  the last year or two.  Unfortunately, she does not have permission to be baptized until she is older.  However, I do have a testimony of baptizing people that have support systems and the ability to be old enough to not be swayed by those who have responsibility over them.  So.. seed planted.  We also have a few others, but I am still trying to learn who they are and how to get to see where their hearts really are.

We have a lot of finding to do in the future.  However, a lot has already been done with not much luck.  The Catholic Church is the most prevalent than any other place I have been in.  Catholics make good Mormons, they just have to be willing to first listen, and then change.  Very hard combo to have.  Many people have either talked to so many missionaries that they are sick of us, or they think we are JW's and won't even shake your hand.   I have had a few people already just see the name tag and run away in fear.  It is a little unsettling.  But we have also gotten in with a few others through tracting and at least they let us in and listened once.   I think we are going to have to do more on the outskirts of town to find more.  #Farmers4dayz.  I have also seen a lot of Amish up here too.  I need to brush up on my Dutch.

We also have the area of Canton in our area.  It is a little college town.  Not very open either, but they are funny.  I tried to OYM this lady from Montreal, and she also ran away.  But, at least I got her to laugh.  It is the only thing you can do in that situation.  Also, street contacted this man named Larry on the street.  He said he would read the Book of Mormon and also had this beard that touched his belly button... and I thought Jim's was bad.  haha

On Easter, we went to Church.  We taught 2 lessons that day and also had Easter dinner at the Pittmans.  They set up an Easter Egg hunt, so I thought that was really fun.  I found 14 eggs and I  had to beat the Elders.  We do have some really great Elders in the Ward, and we have a District of 3 companionships--Norwood, Potsdam and Ogdensberg.  So small, but we will get to know each other pretty well.

Also got to know about Church History in Potsdam.  Did you know that Joseph Smith's Grandfather and uncles are from the Potsdam area and many converted and started the Kirtland settlement.  Just more and more Church History roots.  :)

I know that the Church is true, and that the Book of Mormon is also true.

Love you all,
Sister Kylie Williams

Finishers Wanted

Hey everyone!

Well, life is exciting as always.  This week has been full of conferences and teaching.

Today is super busy and hectic because I just found out that I am getting transferred to Norwood on Wednesday to be with Sister Geary.  So, I am running around seeing people and packing.  I am excited.  I am going to leave Horseheads and finish my mission up in the north country by Canada.  Kinda weird knowing where I will be on the end of my mission. I actually like it because now I can just focus on the people in the area and be in my own little world and go to work.  I will no longer have the added stress of exchanges or being a Sister-Trainer-Leader.  Woop Woop!

I am sad to leave Horseheads.  It has been my favorite area on my mission.  I had 2 stellar companions, a loving ward, plenty of receptive people and made some of the greatest friends with those we taught and baptized.  I have been the happiest here, but i also realized that I have been the most obedient and worked the hardest.  Goes to show... that when we put in our effort and give it our all, we truly do lose ourselves in the work.  But, now on to bigger things, or maybe smaller ones.  Potsdam and Norwood are actually quite rural.  There are however a few people that need a little push to be baptized and brought to church. The Mission President has asked that I go and get 3 people baptized. So, I am going to work on that.  There is a lot of hard work ahead.

We has Stake Conference this weekend (which I will talk about more later) and I talked to some old friends from the Corning Branch.  It was great to see them, and a few are actually RM's.. and I asked them.. "What advice do you have for those that are leaving their mission soon?" They both said, "Charge ahead till the very end and don't look back!"  Endure to the end.  I have seen many missionaries give up or go all out on their missions, and I have total respect for those that go all out.  In Stake Conference, the focus was love, and one of the counselors mentioned an old talk from President Monson from a 1972 General Conference talk entitled "Finishers Wanted".  I decided to go and read it because lately, I have been trying my hardest to stay focused and run to the finish line and not falter.  I highly recommend that everyone reads this.. it is amazing!  The 6 marks of a finisher and not someone who falters are:  Vision, Faith,  Effort, Virtue, Courage, and Prayer.  So, all 6 things I hope to work on over the next three months.

Don

Back to the week in review.  We have been teaching some investigators of ours.  Lynn let us back, and Don is progressing well.  He is a lonely old man and I hope that one day he joins the church.  I really do love the guy.  I am excited to hear what the Sisters are able to do with him in the future.

Rachel, Jim and Will are all doing awesome... and they all came to conference.  I am going to miss them the most. I am so grateful that we have a next life, because I really want to hang out with them then.

Brian and Sabrina Holis-Polley

The Holis-Pooley family...aka the Holy Poleys are doing so well.  Brian accepted to live the law of Tithing before even having to teach him.  He is getting baptized April 23rd and I am so excited for him.  Gage is praying more and he likes meeting with us.  Sabrina reads the Children's Book of Mormon and they all have real intent.  Such real intent.  It may take a while for full conversion, but I can't wait for the day that they are sealed in the temple!  I can see it happening.  We brought the Elders over yesterday to give them both priesthood blessings and the Spirit was super strong.  They both felt better afterwards.  Hopefully Brian's feet heal up nicely.  I am also going to miss them.

We did go on exchanges with the Corning Sisters and that was fun.  We did this service project at a Presbyterian Church and filled close to 1000 plastic Easter eggs.  10 missionaries in total, and we did it in an hour and a half.  I think we scared the Presbyterians.  They were nice but acted really weird around us... ha ha, oh well!  Also I got pulled over by a cop... I was in a new part of town and was speeding in a school zone.  Thankfully, he just gave me a warning. He said because we were missionaries and doing a 'good thing' that he would let us go.  Thank You Lord!!

We also have the coolest new investigators named Kate and Kimberli.  I am so sad to see them go.  They are both going to get baptized one day.  Kate is 1000% excited to learn and she is so happy that she just wants to cry everytime we are over.  Kimberli  has the member connection and is just really humble and cool.  We had great restoration lessons with them this week. I know they will do well.

First time ever, I am also leaving the area better than I found it... normally I just come in, tear up the place and then there's no more investigators because either they get baptized or dropped.  But now, I can walk away and know that this area is in safe hands and plenty good things are to come.

I tried Wendy's multiple times in an effort to find Nakora, but I couldn't find her again.  But hey, I got Frosty's!

We tracted, we tried new people, we also went to Zone Conference and learned about prayer.  Prayer is super important!  It really boils down to if people know that God is their Father, and He wants to talk with them.

Stake Conference was great.... lots of driving and partying with the  Websters who drove us.  They are like cute adopted grandparents and we laughed the whole time.  Back and forth!!

My new address in Norwood is:
4 Harrison Street
Norwood NY 13668

Love you all!
Sister Kylie Williams
.....yes, the Church is still true :) (And it always will be)

The Hand of the Lord

Hello!

Another good week in this part of the Lord's Vineyard... it was a fast week, and this week will probably be even faster with some crazy service projects, a zone conference, a blitz and upcoming transfers... who knows what is in store for the future!  I looked at the calendar today and I officially have 3 months left.. crazy how fast times goes!!

This week we have been really blessed and I have really come to see the Lord's hand in missionary work.  He has a sense of humor and also sends us very tiny rays of sunshine to keep us motivated to keep working hard and doing His work.  Definitely seen that this week.  He guides, He protects and He inspires.

He protected me this week when I decided to finally repair all of the broken lights in the apartment.  I fixed the bathroom and started in the kitchen, but because we have gone so long without light in the kitchen, I assumed that the light switch was in the 'off' position... it wasn't :(  So, I get up, pull out the bulb, and the next thing I know I see a spark, pop and a bang.  The light bulb, somehow short circuited or something and the surge ignited something on the inside sending a piece or two of broken light bulb everywhere.  But here is the cool thing....I was completely protected.  Nothing touched me, or hit me in the face and even though I was only 6 inches away, I didn't get shocked either.  All of the pieces of glass just happened to have exploded into the trash can that was just to the side.  It was hilarious, but scary... but also really cool.  Guardian angels exist, that is for sure!

Monday we did the usual and saw the Enright's.  We are trying to get them to Church, which is hard.  Finally we met her less active mother also for the first time ever.  I don't see them coming back anytime soon though.  So sad!  We saw Don Davis and had a good discussion with him.  We talked about how we can receive a spiritual witness and know truth!  He had never had any kind of a moment where he knew that God was speaking to him.  I never knew how hard it is to describe divine personal revelation, because it is so personal.  You have to experience it to know what it is.  Unfortunately, he is moving soon this summer down south!  But that is okay, seed have been planted!

Tuesday we had a District Meeting and those are always interesting.  I can only spend so much time with a large group of Elders, before I want to get out of there!  We saw our friend Pat, and she came to Church this Sunday!  We also saw Will and he is recovering with his leg and just loves church.  Jim blessed the Sacrament this Sunday and was a boss at it.  He memorized both blessings and was sad that he could only bless the bread and not both.  :)

We then just tried to go finding... that wasn't too successful and people were mean.  But God with his Sense of humor gave me a Frosty craving, so we went through the drive through and the cashier asked for our card and said she would call us because 'she was excited to see Sisters again"!  Her name is Nakora and is a sweet southern girl and we are going to do "operation: Stalk the Wendy's" so we can get her to call us or get her number!  I really want to teach this lady!  She was awesome.  So what I learned is that Wendy's Frosty's make for a good finding situation.  We watched the LDS Face2Face with Elder Holland with Rachel that night, because we are all young single adults and it was really good.  Everything was on marriage.  Which has it's pros and cons.. but my favorite quote of the night was, "Love is what you go through together" and I loved that.  Bonding through hardship... that's why it is so important to have the same goals and aspirations so that you can endure trials, because you are holding out for something greater, like the Celestial Kingdom.

Wednesday we did more finding and we met and taught this surfer bum named Mickey.  Nice guy, but we taught him outside his apartment complex while he was taking out the trash.  Hopefully we get to teach him again; he was pretty open...but I think his roommates don't like us!  Grr!  We did more finding...nothing was working out....  but we kept going.   Thankfully, it's been warm this week, like 60 to 70 degrees.  So tracting was nice.  Our bodies are not used to the warm temps, so we were dying and now everyone is sick again because the temps went back down to the 40's.   Up and down, up and down!  We teach this really cute new less active named Sister Peckham and she is a cute grandma, but now we have to get her inspired to go to Church too.  We also have started teaching Gage, who is Brian and Sabrina's son separately on Facebook.  He does pretty well, and he has had neat experiences with prayer.

Meeting with Brian and Sabrina was tougher this week due to them being crazy busy.  Brian goes in for foot surgery today and they had a lot to do, but we will have the whole next month to teach him at home!  We had a good lesson on the plan of salvation with Sabrina and have started to get her to read the Book of Mormon verse by verse so she can understand.  We will get there with them.  I am so proud of their progression!

We then had a little miracle.  After all of the tracting, we got a call from a member who then handed the phone over to his coworker and she is interested in the Church.  Her name is Kate and she is the most excited person I have every met who wants to learn about the Church.  I am excited to start teaching her, I just hope that her family doesn't "anti" the Church a ton... that's not good!

We picked up some new investigators on Thursday, this cute Mom named Samantha that is looking for a church and has a crazy family, but is sincere and very tired.  She needs this.  Also Dotty who works at the nursing home by the Church.  She wants her granddaughter to come to Church and we also got a few referrals... so not to shabby!

Friday we went on Exchanges with the Ithaca Sisters.  So much fun!  I got to work with Sister Gilstrap and we had a blast.  We found this lady named Kimberli and she has read all of the Standard Works and used to go to our Church 20 years ago.  But, with her kids, she left and couldn't handle it.  But with her life being so crazy now, she is open to us teacher her and letting God help her amidst trials.  Super cool.  We taught a few others that were kinda weird.  Like this Nigerian OBGYN that wouldn't allow us to speak hardly because he had so many questions.  We got back in contact with Leandra, a promising former investigator, and she said we could come back.  I hope she lets us teacher her, she has a ton of potential.

Saturday we went to this intense service project at the food bank where we packaged and gave food to about 400 households as they drove by.  That was fun!  We also went to the Horsehead's St. Patrick's Day Parade.  I didn't know there was so much "Irish Pride' in our part of New York!  I totally forgot to wear green,, but it did make people look at us more.  ha ha.

Well, that was the week basically.  I have learned a lot about the importance of prayer and how essential it is for revelation... real sincere prayer is the key and it is the first thing we do to invite the Spirit to help us learn!

I am grateful for the gospel and the peace it brings!  I know the Church is true.

Be good!
Love Sister Kylie Williams

The week in two words... Joseph Smith

Hello Everyone!

It is me again :) This week was probably one of the fastest that I have had in a while.  But it was fun, spiritual, crazy and tiring... hmmm that sums up about my whole mission.  haha.

We have been working really hard, and we are starting to see tangible results and see the Lord really work on some peoples lives here.  Yes, there are still times when people drop us, or miss appointments, but when one door closes, another opens.

On Monday, we tried some of our most recent potential we found.  And eehhh not so promising.  But, we were walking the other day and saw this family need help collecting cans.  We stopped and helped.  The Mom was thankful and the kids thought we were pretty cool.  We are seeing them this Wednesday!  I hope that goes through.

OOOhhh Brian and Sabrina just make us so happy.  They are currently my favorites.  Brian had some great lessons this week.  We covered some of the deeper things in the Plan of Salvation, we answered questions that he had had for a long time.  For a religious guy, ti is interesting to see that most religions know what "to do's" but don't know the "why's or hows".. cough, cough... apostasy.   He never knew why we need to take the sacrament or what it represents.  He never knew why Adam and eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden.  He never knew that keeping the commandments is what allows us to repent and feel the Spirit.  If most people would just open their hearts and eyes, then it would be almost instant for them to know that the gospel is true.  Everyday I learn of things that open my eyes to how awesome this Church is.

But, anyways, back to Brian.  We taught him about he Sabbath, and how we are commanded to keep it holy.  We taught him the Word of Wisdom and he accepted both and is now striving hard to live them.  It was hard for him at first, but he understands, so now he is applying it.  The missed Church this week due to a friend getting hurt 15 minutes before  Church started.   So what do they do, they pray to  HF and ask for forgiveness and commit to be there next Sunday and then tell us how bad they feel.  I love watching the repentance process.  It is soooo cool!  Still a work in progress, but they are making leaps and bounds and that is through the Spirit.  We also committed Sabrina to watch the 1 hour Joseph Smith: The prophet of the Restoration Video.  So after our lesson, we watched it with her.  Oh my, the Spirit was so strong in our little family history library.  Our testimonies were strengthened of Joseph Smith and the restoration.  But then we thought... how many of our people have seen this??? So we started inviting all of our people to watch it.  Everyone who did had a better week and they understand more about our purpose and the church.  Those who truly understand the restoration, progress!!

What i am trying to say is, don't take for granted your testimony of the restoration.  It is one of the most important things to know, along with the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ.  That's why Satan is working so hard to muddle up Church History and attack the beginning of the Church.  So, that was one of the greatest things that I learned this last week.

We had district meeting with President Rogers. That was fun, I love them so much.

Jim, Will and Rachel are all doing so well.  We are still trying to strengthen them and get them to the temple in April.  Jim is supposed to bless the Sacrament this next week and I am so excited to see that.  He has been practicing the prayers in his head for the last few days... :)  Preparation and Commitment!!  Love it.

We picked up two cool investigators this week.  One is named Suzanne and she was tracted into.  Open... kinda, but she smokes a tons, but she is open to learning and keeps her appointments!  Long process, but this will be a good opportunity for her.  Then we picked up Christ.  SO SOLID.  Member referral.... went over at the right time, let us right in, we taught her and she is looking for a Church and loves the members and is super spiritual.  Basically the Gray family is one of the most classy elegant families I have ever met and they will be super embers!  Now we just gotta break the ice and get in more with their crazy schedule.  They remind me a lot of Brian and Sabrina.  So more to come with them.

We did more tracting and finding and everything on Wednesday, we also taught the Baptist family... they have a long way to go too!  Then we had coordination.

Thursday we saw our typical recent converts and less actives.  Then, that night we went on up to Syracuse to sleep before MLC the next morning.  We went and had  a party and a half with those Sisters!  Sister Seader, then started to not feel so well.  :P

Front row was in the MTC together, Back row were in the MTC together too!  

Friday was MLC.  The best part of MLC was President Rogers giving us a "hell-fire & damnation" talk teaching us what we actually need ot know on the specifics of what hell actually is.  I learned so much. It was awesome. I finally know what/when/where that is... it is just confusing because of all of the different contexts that it is used in the scriptures and names.  Basically if you want to know, just read D&C 19 and then the bible dictionary.  We then had testimony meeting at the end.  Great testimonies.  Most of us at MLC have 2 to 3 months left and you could tell that we wanted to be out teaching, instead of being in a meeting.  Then Sister Seeder got really sick... like stomach flue sick.  I was basically without a companion.  She fell asleep on the couch and I went to the meting. I felt kinda weird. Unfortunately, she proceeded to get even sicker as we had to drive back and deliver all of the Syracuse missionaries in the Van.  Nothing like taking care of a sick, emotional companion in a car with 4 other missionaries.  That was stressful.  Thankfully we were allowed to stay the night in "da Cuse."  aka Syracuse...   I went to a Rite Aid and got supplies.  I am SO GRATEFUL TO BE SERVING IN HORSEHEADS AND NOT SYRACUSE.   Everyone I met that night in Syracuse looked dirty, sick and unhappy.  #Ya'llNeedTheGospel!!

Anyway, we came home on Saturday and basically crashed.  I think I got the bug too, but because I had taken so much Pepto, I didn't get sick like Sister Seader.  I just got really tired.  We slept close to 14 to 16 hours on Saturday and we slept great that night too.  I think the Lord allows us to get sick sometimes so we can take a break without feeling really guilty.  But then when you aren't teaching, the Spirit is not as strong.  Thankfully with Facebook, I was still able to do some things and get in contact with a few people!  :)

Sunday we felt better and actually worked!  We taught this super cute older lady named Bonnie that wants to be baptized.. but has a memory problem.  Ahhh!  I've see the Spirit work with Will, so I hope that it works with Bonnie!

The Gospel is True!!

The picture of me is in Ithaca on Saturday, in my pajamas on the famous graffiti walls.

Love Sister Kylie Williams