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