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

Finding the Elect

Hello Everyone !  :)

It is me again, just another week in the Mission Field, finding and teaching despite the struggles and opposition that Satan throws our way, we were very blessed this week and have been able to see the hand of the Lord in this work.  He has a sense of humor, because lately he has been putting us in the right place, at the right time, for people that we are trying to teach.  even when they are avoiding us, the Lord will prompt us to knock on a door in another city and there they are... ha ha!!  It is like the Lord is saying, "You cannot hide from ME!"  People still unwisely use their agency, but it is still so cool.  So much can happen in just 7 days.

Monday, we did the normal stuff.  We did Zumba with the ladies in the ward.  They are so funny.  I also needed a haircut badly, so I went to Walmart for a cut... I look like a presentable person now.  Yea!  and then we started teaching.

The biggest miracle this week is Brian and Sabrina.  I nick named them the Holy-Poleys due to their last name.  They have been investigating very slowly for the last 4 to 5 months.  We have put our sights on them.  They have been in the back ground but with the business of work, and everything, struggle to meet with us.  Well, we finally go to teach Brian on Facebook all alone, and we just starting teaching.  I had been praying really hard lately because they needed a very specific but different formula of the lesson organization to progress.  Some thoughts and ideas came about 3 weeks ago and I wrote them down.  (Hint:  Always write down spiritual promptings!!  It helps!)  We felt prompted to focus on the priesthood and the restoration.  He understood everything and we got pretty deep, which is what he needs, because his brain is like a gospel sponge.  We committed him to watch the 1 hour version of the prophet of the restoration.  And then everything changed... The next thing, he texts us and we meet and he loved the movie so much that he watched it twice.  Brian said that he loved the Book of Mormon, but now he loves Joseph Smith and said that he knows the Church is True!!  We would baptism him in March, but due to a surgery, we have to wait until April.  That's okay, he needs the surgery too.  So, later in the week, we set up a church tour with him and his wife.  They agreed and we showed them around.  It was the first time they had been in a church for many years.  Sister Seader played " I believe in Christ" on the piano in the Chapel.  They opened up and asked a few questions, and without us knowing they decided to take us out to dinner and we got to know them more.  They are really cool... and they really need the gospel.  Both have had many crazy difficult things in their lives.  They also came to Church.  Both came for first hour, then went to more.  We took the Ward Mission leader over that night and had a good lesson.  Brian loved it.  Sabrina is feeling the Spirit, but is still confused about many things.  Brian said he will most definitely be coming to Church!  People that come to church get baptized!!!  Woop Woop!  Still going to be a slow process with certain commandments, but we will get there.  Huge miracle for us.  It is not every week that you have a breakthrough with investigators.  Go Brian!

Another miracle... the Spirit led us to an apartment complex in front of the Church and we have been tracting there lately and finding some super cool people.  We are trying to work with schedules, but the people we found are sweet.  First, we found this older lady who let us right in.  She is a Methodist, but loves Mormons and had actually lost her copy of the Book of Mormon.  So I gave her a new one and she was so happy that she cried because she missed her old copy so much.  She lives all alone and has lots of health problems, and has lots of questions about the afterlife.  We should start to work with her slowly.  Her name is Lynn and for a 78 year old, she is as bright and smart as a 30 year old.  Fun fact, her deceased husband invented the windows for the space shuttles.  We saw his 7 US Patents on the wall.   Also, another fun fact, they went to a MENSA Meeting a few year ago (MENSA is the Super IQ Think Tank) and it has been scientifically proven that when a person takes their last breath, the body becomes lighter.. not weight wise, but energy wise.  So, super smart people agree that the spirit leaves the body at death and goes somewhere... how cool is that???


Hmm, lets see.  Jim, Rachel and Will are all doing great.  Jim loves ringing the bell, and Rachel is pumped up with family history and is getting her patriarchal blessing.  We also did 2 to 3 generations with Will for his family history and he loves it.  He does it on his own now and he might even get a family history calling.  He developed a sore on his leg, so he couldn't come to Church due to all of the pain....  the poor guy.  He cried because he was so sad that he missed Church.  And then in his prayer, he repented and committed to be there next week.  :)  If only everyone did that !!!!

Wednesday was kinda slower, we did some finding. and found potential investigators.  I can't believe that last year, I was paralyzed to go knock on someone's door and talk with them.  Growth!  We did get to go down to Pennsylvania in a thunderstorm to the Cicotti's for dinner.  It was awesome, we got to watch the storm in this valley in this log cabin with huge windows and ate cookies.  If only I could have stayed there for more than an hour, I would have loved that!!  :)

Thursday was exchanges with the Owego Sisters.  I spent the day with Sister Hawkins, and she is really awesome.  Quieter and super sweet!  We did some finding again, and we taught two really cool older ladies again.  I hope we can get in again this week.  We then did more tracting in a snow storm... which is fine.  Snow doesn't even bother me anymore. :)  Also, we taught that family that we shoveled the driveway about 2 weeks ago.  They let us in and were very nice.  They preparedness for the gospel is kinda 'iffy' though.  They love alcohol and are strong Baptists.  But, we will see what happens. It is so weird, just being in someone's home, you get to know a lot about them.

I had a few interesting less active lessons, I haven't had a whole ton of less active success on my mission.  That is why we try our hardest to have people really converted before we baptize them.

Friday was Jim's birthday.  We took him out to eat at Denny's and it was great.... until later that night when Brian told us to never eat there again and several other places due to unhealthy kitchen conditions.  (Brian is a manager at a Friendly's which is a restaurant out here.)    Apparently Denny's got closed for 3 days 2 months ago for cockroaches, thankfully that is why we bless our food!  LOL.

We taught Roger, a super social awkward yet super adorable 70 year old man.  He loves the gospel, but is so afraid of going to Church, that he doesn't want to learn.  Then there is Jeff, the super humble construction worker, that loves the restoration, but also doesn't want to go to Church yet... So many people are in the beginning stages.  We do a lot of finding and dropping, but at least we are still teaching and not just picking our noses.. haha.

The Lord is good.  I have been reading in 2 Nephi and I can understand about half of Isaiah now!  Improvement!! Better than nothing!  This week will fly by with MLC and a trip to Syracuse... but plenty of time to teach the gospel!

The Church is True!!
Love,
Sister Kylie Williams

When Your Steel Bow Breaks

Hello Everyone,

What a week it has been.  Haha.  God likes to give us lots of opportunities to grow and learn and be stronger.  Most of the time, when He wants to do that, He gives you something difficult.  Well, the last 3 months have been a little bit easier, (or they have seemed to me).  So, Heavenly Father decided to ratchet up the furnace and give me reasons to grow.  His time is growing short in order to get me to where He wants me to be by June!  This week was pretty intense.  Definitely opposition, but that isn't going to stop us!

Monday was pretty fun though.  It started off great.  We began with a new tradion of Monday Zumba and Scatterball at the Church.  It is super fun.  We then had plenty of time to get everything else done.  We had pizza at a members house that has been struggling to come to Church and we brought Him over.  He loves pizza and we needed another male with us so that the Elders could come in and eat too.  After eating some Domino's we took Jim over to the members that are his neighbors (who are actually members) and borrowed a computer so that he could do some family history work.  We are trying to get his 4 generations done so that he can go to the temple.  He had lots of fun and worked for 3 straight hours!  That is actually a lot since he has never worked on a computer before.  Jim also got a calling.  He is the 'bell ringer' at Church so that the classes get done on time.  It is so perfect for him and he loves it.  We then went over to Don's and taught him a super spiritual plan of salvation lesson.  He unfortunately left for Virginia for 2 weeks, but I know that he is going to progress and with help, get baptized.  I really like Don, he is so humble and loves to learn. He has got potential or in New York language "Hes gots potential.  New Yorker's add an S on to everything.  We also saw Rachel and she is doing great.  She is going to get her patriarchal blessing next month.  She is really excited for it and it will be great!

Tuesday was awful... with awful weather.  It was raining, snowing and the rain was freezing at the same time so it turned to ice.  Ice was everywhere.  We had tried a few people, but they are kinda flaky so nothing came of it.  We then had District Meeting.  Those are always interesting.  With the weather, we just struggled to get in contact with people and also to find new people.  We are totally in the finding mode.  We have found a lot lately in the last few weeks.  Most people are spiritually lazy and don't want to find the time or don't have a need or desire to have God or the gospel fill the empty void in lives.  Many don't even realize that they have a void.  We tried knocking on a few doors, and people would say, "it is cold!"  Go home and warm up!"  Unfortunately, we can't really do that.  We did see a few of our steady recent converts so we didn't freeze to death.  Will was feeling much better so we could see him too.  Finally, I felt impressed that we shouldn't just sit in the apartment, but to at least go and serve.  We grabbed shovels and shoveled people's driveways.  I felt impressed to target a specific house.  We shoveled and nobody was home.  So, we left a card... little did I know that the husband would get home, find our card and come looking for us.  We were talking to someone on another street outside at the time.  He thanked us and asked if we wanted money.  I said "No, just an opportunity to talk with your family."  We are going tonight to hopefully teach them the 1st discussion.  I really like the kids, and the Dad.  They currently aren't going anywhere for church, but I am not sure that the wife liked us.  We will have to work on that.  Little service = big tender mercy!

Wednesday was also intense.  We has a very intense lesson with Megan.  She is the first person I know who did not like the Proclamation on the Family.  She didn't agree with the whole "homosexuality" thing.  She then started nit-picking the prophets and the bible/Book of Mormon and actually got kinda angry.  The Spirit left and I was very surprised.  We brought it all back to the Book of Mormon being true and it being evidence that if it is true, so is everything else.  Upon reflection, I realized that the anger came from not truly understanding the scriptures.  When most people don't understand something, they get angry and confused.  We need to learn patience and learn line upon line.  Thankfully, we talked it over and she is still sincere in her search, she is just going through struggles.  That's how testimonies are built.. We tried to find others, but nothing worked out.  Everyone we planned to see had some kind of crisis or wasn't home.  We did some tracting while it was nice for about an hour or two.  Nobody was interested at all.  I learned a lot about Lent during that time. If only Protestants realized how Catholic they are... oh well.  However I saw someone from high School .... Yup, Prairie View!  I had to go to the bathroom at the grocery store and as I walked in, a lady walked out and we both stopped and awkwardly starred at each other and in my head, I was like "Whoa, I know you."  Well, she was weirded out and ran out and went to her car.  It took me 10 minutes before it hit me.  She was my substitute teacher from my English class in High School.  I was so made that I didn't recognize her and that I didn't run out and talk to her.  But it took me 10 minutes before I could pinpoint how I knew her.  From Brighton CO to Horseheads NY... what are the odds???  She is here somewhere.  Now I just need to tract into her again.  :)

Thursday we had a blitz exchange from the Cortland  Sisters. I worked the day with Sister Baxter.  It was sweet because I have been wanting to serve with her for almost my whole mission.  We had a ton of fun.... finding, teaching crazy unprepared people, and saw some recent converts.  It was awesome. We finally taught Caroline (Nadine's Landlord).. haha.  She is an English drummer turned Mom and is very Episcopalian.  She got really mad when I started by saying "God is your Loving Heavenly Father"   She shot back, "Nope, nope, Nope!  God does not have a gender, nor a body. That's a traditional view".  Let's just say that we couldn't do very much teaching with her.   However, her reasoning is super false because Episcopalians are basically Catholic with a King Henry the VIII twist.  They believe in the trinity, and even within the trinity God is Christ, and Christ was a male.  Yet God has no gender or body??   Most people don't even really know what they believe these days.  Pick and choose.. "everything goes."  I feel bad for the next generation of missionaries.  I've had a few people not let us in because they can't trust anyone in their house, because the world is crazy and if people think upstate New York is bad... I don't even want to think about the bigger, busier areas.   We taught this really cute Christian girl that works with a member at a puppy place.  We got a few potentials.  We worked super hard all day.  I was exhausted by the end.  The other sisters saw some less actives.  The Enrights have been diligently reading and should be at Church this coming week!  Oh I hope so!  Unfortunately, one of the sisters from Cortland, has had medical problems with her back.  Nothing was working.  She actually was told that she was being sent home.  Sister Seader was a trooper and tried to cheer her up.  But that was tough.  I slept very well that night.

Friday, we planned and tried to take a breather.  We also saw Will.  He got the priesthood this week.  Yayy!  Despite Satan telling him not to go to Church.... he always has to mess with our people.  It is so annoying.  Satan has millions of people.  Can't he just leave our 10 investigators alone??  It was another cold day and nothing worked out with our flakey new tracted into investigators.  So, we were kinda bummed.  We did get let in by the kindest Hindu family ever and we taught them the restoration.  They love learning and know some members and said that they would read everything we gave them. They also fed us and it was like being served at a 5 star hotel... slightly weird, but a very fun experience.

Saturday was a good day.  Heavenly Father was kind to us.  We did service for three hours at the food bank, we taught Brian and he says he knows the Book of Mormon is true and he has a testimony!!  Yayy!  He is totally going to be baptized!  He also as of March, said that he will take off work to come to Church!  YES!!  Taught this younger guy named Dan, and he was open and he said we could teach him on Saturdays and he was really nice.  We picked up this cool potential family named Beth and RJ.  I hope we can get in with them again, super open and nice!  We also taught Jon/Crystal and we taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Crystal had surgery so she was struggling, but they are open to learning and coming to church when she feels better :)

Sunday... church was great!  I taught the 12 to 13 year old's for Sunday School.  OMG, what a blast from the past!  I felt so old and realized that I could never be a middle school teacher.  We had 5 set return appointments with newer people we found... and they all cancelled. GRRR  >:(  We tried!  When finding more people to teach, tracting is not the best way to find people.. but our options are sometimes limited.  We have been pushing for referrals and it has been good.  We have like 3 to 6 solid new ones because of it!

I know that good things are in the future.  Sometimes things just don't work out. In the Book of Mormon this week, we read about Nephi and his broken steel bow.  Kinda irritating and he was really sorrowful.  He was hungry and his whole family was complaining, even his father... the Prophet.  They had previously had so many wonderful experiences, but when things got hard, they turned on God.  Nephi however, just got to work, made do with what he had... made new weapons and asked for help from his complaining father.  Lehi needed to learn and then was directed from the Lord.  Irritation is always a forerunner for instruction.  So, yes we had a lot of irritation this week... but it's because the Lord loves us enough to give us instruction.  So when you bow breaks, don't complain and don't get sad... keep going and the Lord will lead you to the Promised Land.

Single digit temps, Double digit investigators

Hello friends.

Monday is here.  Let me just say off the bat, that I have gained a testimony of journaling.  I love it so much, this is my time once a week, to set aside and write down everything.  I look forward to it every week and it now is a source of joy.  Never thought that would happen.  I have struggled with journaling and writing things my whole life.  My mind works so much faster than my hands, so that's why I talk so much.  It helps me think... but this is real special.

Well, this week, WOW.  So full of opportunities to do the Lord's work in all aspects.  We have seen many small miracles.  They came from deep prayer and diligence.  Just before Sister Seader got here, I was looking at our investigator board and felt the mantle hit me real good.  We desperately needed to find new progressing investigators and help the ones we already have get closer to baptism.  In my heart, I pleaded that the Lord would give us new people to teach.  Well, He fulfilled His promise.

Monday, I was super tired.  After transfers and an MLC, I wanted to sleep... really bad.  But instead, we got up, and went to the Zumba class at Church and quickly did everything else.  Sister Seader wrote letters and I took a 2 hour nap.  I haven't had a nap in 4 months.  It was good, but I still had this urgent feeling in my gut that the Lord needed me to do something.  So, I got up and impressions about past referrals from members that we never quite followed up on came to mind.  I wrote them all down and started making some calls and texts.  We received addresses and began our research.  We saw Will first, and he is doing great.  He should have gotten the Priesthood this Sunday, but due to a massive cold, he was down and out for the count.  Actually, many people are sick right now and a few people we are teaching are getting surgery soon.  It's the season to go to the doctor I guess.  

We then went to the house of Syndey and Dakota.  They are related to a member in the ward and we went and knocked on the door.  Dakota came out, walked outside and let us teach him the Restoration. Doesn't have a huge religious background, but he liked it and said that he wanted a change.  He and his wife want to come to church.  That has been awesome.  Unfortunately, they work crazy hours and don't see each other very often, so they don't have  lot of time to meet with us.  They also have 2 little kids.  Our obstacle is people working too much.  Grrr-- Satan.  Always making it so people need to survive and stay afloat, but then they can't go to Church because they are working and then feel like God isn't in their life because they aren't focusing on him.  It is a typical downward spiral that I am starting to see in society.  Anyway, we will be working with them more in the future.  Slowly but surely!

Tuesday was Zone training meeting.  We drove to Owego with the Elders.  4 out of the 6 of us feel asleep in the car.  We focus on teaching skills, especially how to begin teaching.  Our teaching has been so much better with it.  People we teach know our purpose and know what they are doing.  It is just up to them to decide what to do.  We drove home and saw Megan.

We taught Megan the law of the fast. It went well, and she agreed to fast with us.   We wanted to meet more with her so she let us come back on Thursday and we taught the dreaded law of chastity.  Dun Dun Dun..   It actually went well also.  She is living and engaged to her less active boyfriend and we have been afraid of her getting offended and refusing to live it.  Plus, I am the world's worse law of chastity teacher.  I am so awkward and I look like big red tomato all of the time.  But, I prayed the whole morning and also practiced so that it wouldn't be that way with Megan.  We got there and she made us the best omelets I have ever tasted in my life and we talked.  Then we taught her.  She already knew the law and knew the standards because her boyfriends parents told them quite a while ago.  It made sense to her, but because she is getting married in April, she said that she would talk it over with him.  But she wasn't going to move out or stop doing anything.  I guess I could have been better at calling her to repentance, but I have come to realize that people do not want to keep the big three (chastity, tithing and word of wisdom) until they have a strong desire to join the Church and know that the gospel can fill a need and get them closer to God.  She right now has the desire, but not too much desire... We're going to work on that.

We saw Jimbo, and he is doing great.  We are going to the Houghton's tonight to do a huge FHE on family history and have him work on it on the computer, so he can do work for his ancestors soon.  Guy is a stud.  A humble one.  But, he also works all of the time, so he can have a place to live.  If I had the money, I would buy him a ticket to SLC and move him close to temple square in a little apartment.  Then he could see the sights and go to conference and find a good Mormon eternal companion.

We went tracting and went into a few homes, but nothing really stuck.  It was like, "thanks for the message, but we are all set and have a religion, I don't need anything else. "  Ugh, pride.  It started to snow and we went to this Chinese buffet with members and got so full.  Chinese is not good in New York, unless you are in Ithaca.  But, we did pick up a new investigator named Alec, and were pretty sure he would convert, but his  mother is a strong catholic and called us and told us to go away.  Darn.  Next life!

Wednesday, we were running.  We picked up this investigator named Norm a few weeks ago and stopped by.  He is halfway through the B of M and won't let us come back until he is done.  At least he is reading.  Praying that nothing crazy happens in the mean time.  We went back to this street that I kept feeling good vibes about (Sage Street) and tried like 2 to 3 doors.  Nice but not interested.  Then I see this lady about 100 feet away walking into her house and I start yelling, "Hey!  How are you?" and started running.  Sister Gass would be proud, because she did it all of the time.  She actually let us in, and her boyfriend came home and we taught them and they said that we could come back.  They were both really nice and the boyfriend was really listening.  We just need to also work around their work schedules and get them more interested.  They are reformed christian, but open to the Book of Mormon.  We saw our usual, and also saw this new investigator named Jim.  We tracted into him like 1 to 2 months ago.  He said we could come back.  Well, he let us in and we taught him.  He said that we were the nicest proselyting religion and like how we presented ourselves.  So, he agreed to read the Book of Mormon and finish it.  We are to check up in 2 weeks and if he likes it, we can teach him.

People need to recognize a need in their life and see the Church fill that need... that is what I have really seen this week.  People that need something, like a religion for their family, or to get them closer to God, then they are the most receptive and willing to act.

Then, that night we gave Jon and Crystal a church tour.  It went well.  They are kinda quiet.  However, Jon did say his first verbal prayer and followed the proper order for a prayer.  Yes!  Work in progress.  We then had Coordination meeting.

Thursday we saw Megan.  We tried teaching people, and saw a few less actives that kinda just stay the same.  Always finding excuses, even after spiritual experiences. If you really want to stay active in the gospel, you become a person that does not make excuses.  So, I am trying to do that too.  Stop rationalizing and be a better missionary!

Brian and Sabrina!  They are progressing!  We saw them 2 1/2 times this week, which is the most ever.  Sabrina especially is increasing her desire.  She wanted a hard cover of the Book of Mormon, so that she and her son could read it together.  If it wasn't for work and health issues, they would be members.  Also, another work in progress.  Heavenly Father is starting to teach me patience in this area.  Patience and being humble.  Sabrina also really likes conference talks and Brian really likes the Book of Mormon.  I see them honestly getting baptized in the spring or summer.  They are kinda the main focus this month!

I call a man named Don Davis.  He is a member referral.  He is a super awesome guy, but he talks a lot and gets side tracked.  He has tons of potential to be taught and join the church too.  But, more importantly, we brought Rachel with us to the lesson.  She bore her testimony like a boss!  Proud moment! :)  Rachel is doing good, the Ward loves her.  And during lessons, she asks deep things when we read the Book of Mormon like 'What are the mother gentiles.. in 1 Nephi 13?"  Oh, that is England in the Revolutionary war."  Thankfully, she puts up with my history lessons and actually understands them.

Friday, we went to the Food Kitchen in Elmira  with the High Priests. It was fun.  High Priests are just like Elders, same goofy maturity level, they are only 50 years older.  It got real cold. Ice cold though.  We tried teaching people later, and we taught Nadine  We taught the Lockes again and they should be coming to Church next week.   We went back to Sage Circle again and tracked into the  most solid people I have ever met, the Fitches.  "Golden" dry members.  They were literally waiting for us.  They gave us water and sat and listened.  The husband is more interested and started reading the Mormon.org during the lesson.  We praying for them all the time now.  Because they said that they really want to read the info we gave them, discuss and pray about it and then see if they want to learn more and become members.  GRRR I hope it works out.  Because they literally are Elder Quorum President and Young Women's President material.  If not, a seed has been planted... a big seed.

Saturday it was like -15 below.  We planned all day and were told not to go outside.  We had a few Facebook and phone call lessons.  We started making paper hearts for 'heart-attacking' on Sunday.  That was it.  When it goes below 15 degrees, you can't do much.  Nobody want to talk to yo, so we stayed in and organized.

Sunday was more service.  Too cold and people were busy.  So, we 'heart attacked' and gave service to 9 RC-investigator families.  It was awesome :)

Well, that was this crazy busy week.  And who knows what the Lord has planned for this week.  The Church is true. :) 

Love,

Sister Kylie Williams

On the Road Again

Hello Everybody!!

I love New York !!

Another week has gone by and I now have 3 transfers or 4 and a half months left on my mission.  It is such a weird feeling.  So much has happened in a year+.  I have seen lots of challenges, miracles, and changes happen.  I have been doing a lot of reflecting late, and I am truly blessed, and I am grateful for my Heavenly Father.  He has given me so many opportunities and great people to meet.  Great companions, and so far, a really great mission that is only going to get better.  Sister Gass went back home this week, It was weird.  It is the first time ever that I have sent a companion home.  It isn't the greatest thing in the world.  You think more about home, and most missionaries struggle their last few months with different challenges.  But, it has just prepared me for my new companion.  Sister Seader, who is also going home in 3 months.  Ha Ha.  I think Heavenly Father is trying to make me trunky or something.. or testing my diligence and singleness of heart.  I think it is the latter.   :)  But, I guess it is needed.  I have been praying more the last few weeks than ever before because I have to wake up and focus myself each morning.  I think that is good. It helps me rely on the Lord and now that I am getting pretty confident in missionary work and my abilities, it is good to stay humble.

But anyway, this week has been so crazy.  I have been stuck in the Zone Leader van for far too long. I have had lots of driving around and getting organized.

On Monday, I kept telling my companion that we needed to start packing... yeah that just didn't happen.  We instead went and played scatter ball with the youth.  We were so tired, we didn't go as hard as the last time.  We then quickly ran and did everything else and started seeing our 'peoples'.  Sister Gass had only 2 days to say goodbye to everyone, so we had lunch with Megan, who is a great cook.  She will get baptized one day... In the future... she is still a work in progress.  We saw some members, and saw Jim and Rachel.

Jim, he is doing so well.  He was ordained a priest this past Sunday and has developed a habit of crying now in Church.  Just feeling the Spirit!  It is just a funny picture, me sitting next to this guy that looks like a mix of Santa and Gandolf and he is crying all of Sacrament Meeting.  His next goal is family history and getting to the temple to do the work for his deceased father.  He also had developed a habit of Book of Mormon Bashing with people.. it is funny.  We have been telling him to be careful, he just loves talking about the Church to random people and then they slightly argue with why the Mormons are wrong.  Then he just shakes his head, throws down some bible verses and walks away.  We will continue to work with him on how to share the gospel in a more positive manner.

Rachel,  she is doing so well.  Cutest thing ever, she bore her testimony at church during Relief Society and she talked about how she knows the Church is true and how she was driving in the night and saw this person on the side of the road and had the prompting twice to turn around and talk to them.  Even though her Mom taught her to never talk to strangers, she did.  What ended up happening is that the person she saw was a run-away autistic teenager that was lost, confused, and wanted to go home and only had her pajamas on.  Rachel was able to call the cops and got the girl back to her family.  The teenager was about 30 miles away from home and the family was worried sick.  She recognized it as her first real experience with the Holy Ghost and is starting to recognize how to feel it and follow it.  I twas kinda a proud Mom moment for me.  going to get her a calling and get her to the temple!  Retention is the key!

Tuesday, all we did was pack and see members.  The house looked like a bomb went off.  I can't wait to throw away some of the junk that I have collected on my mission.  We did see Will.  He is doing great also.  Nothing big is up with him, but he should be getting the priesthood also this next Sunday.  Just plugging away!  He did however, find his parent and grandparents and wrote them in his family history booklet!  Ya!

Wednesday, I drove to Ithaca.  Sister Gas went on up to Utica and I stayed again with Sister Virgin.  We struggled a little... we didn't have a gps and I didn't know what was going on, and poor Sis Virgin was overwhelmed with taking over and she is a new missionary.  We ended up taking the wrong freeway and went 10 miles east instead of 10 miles north to an appointment.  We stopped at a gas station to look at a map.  We found out we were totally in the wrong place and then the Elders in another Zone pull up.. haha.  So, we drove back and did some Facebook lessons.  Also, I met Helen, the cutest little Asian investigator.  It is hard to teach her though.  There's simple, and then there's international simple.  I picked up Sister Seader and headed back home.  Just in time to unpack and go to Coordination.

Thursday, so apparently our apartment was pretty disorganized and cluttered.  So, Sister Seader went to work and cleaned a TON.  I helped too... but then I couldn't find where anything was.  haha.  We planned, and then we tried to see people.  We are at this period right now in the work where we just baptized some people... so now we have to go find some new ones.  Sometimes we ask, "okay what now??" and we have to start with the basics.  Tracting, trying potentials, seeking referrals, contracting, trying less active and part member families... basically, we have to pray super hard, ad then run around while listening to the Spirit and find new solid progressing people.  It takes a lot of faith and with 5 exchanges coming up.. the pressure is on.  Thankfully, we saw some really cool tender mercies.  I got a prompting to talk with Will's neighbor and she said that we could teach her, so we will pick her up in the future.  We taught Derek, and the Spirit prompted me again to check his car instead of going to the 'meet spot'.  Good thing I did.  This poor guy hit a low and had just injected with Heroin about 20 minutes before hand.  I slightly lectured the poor guy, 'aka called him to repentance' and said that he was beyond our help right now.  Until he takes the steps to get clean, we can't teach him.  Super sad... you can literally see the chains of habit and addiction that is ruining this guys life.  Even though he knows the Church is true and has the desire to be a good man.  It was just sad to see.  But, I think the boldness helped him.  We also went to Nadine's, even though we didn't plan to see her, we ran into her landlord.  She is the sweetest lady, but was just so tired and didn't have the strength to bring in her groceries.  Now she is interested in the Church and we will go teach her this Saturday.  By small and simple things, then we ran to go drive to Utica for MLC.

Friday, MLC was great.  Super powerful.  I learned more about the priesthood, and how the General Authorities work missionary leadership and how with new changes, how we are going to do thing.  The Spirit was there so it pumped us up...even though our legs are shaking because basically as leaders with these new exchanges, you kinda have to be 'a model missionary with a model area'.  ha ha right. We are perfect models of finding:)  I am secretly hoping to be released as a Sister Training Leader and train a new missionary next transfer.  That would be sweet!  But, I guess we will see what the Lords wants.  We had to drop things off in other areas afterwards, so we were stuck driving until 8 pm, for like 4 to 5 hours of driving.  Road trips will no longer be a problem for me.

Saturday, finally I was able to fully proselyte.  Yayy!  We worked and went tracting and picked up this couple, the Lockes.  They are a referral from a member and they are slightly interested, but also very stubborn New Yorkers.  But, they want their 13 year old granddaughter to be baptized and if we can get her, then we can get the Grandpa.  2 for 1 special!  So if it all goes well, Wednesday, that family will be coming to Church.  We then got some referrals from the members that we hope to teach soon in the future and tried less actives that I had never heard of before.  I met the Peckhams, super sweet and said that we could come back!

Sunday was Church. I love Church!  We taught a bunch of less active families after Church.  Nadine is thinking more about baptism, but she will take another month or two I think.  Also, I taught the Holis-Poley family, they are also known as the Holy Poleys :)  Super cool lesson!  We brought a member who is a relative and they have a ton of desire.  They work a ton, so we don't meet with them as often as they should.  It is hard with Church.  But, Brian is set to be baptized in April and said that he has seen changes in his behavior and attitude since reading the Book of Mormon.  That was great!  work in progress.

Now, it is going to be single digits this week.  YIKES.  Missionary work gets 100x harder when it is cold.  But, we will try our hardest.  The Church is true!

Go Bronco's!
Love Sister Kylie Williams