One Eternal Round

Hello Everyone!

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

The headstone for grandfather of Joseph Smith

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

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

Bro and Sis Knight and Sister Geary with Kylie 

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

My District

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

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

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

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

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

The Church is true.
Sister Kylie Williams

Walking in Sunshine

Hello!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a good week everybody!

Sister Kylie Williams

Rolling On

Hello Everyone!!

Toilets toilet toilets.. everywhere...

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

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

lots of rivers up north.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lodge, the Campus and Conference

Hello Everyone!

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I am grateful for my family and for my faith.

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

Love,
Sister Kylie Williams

North Country

Hey Everybody!

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

Sister Munoz and Sister Kylie

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

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

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

My new companion... Sister Geary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love you all,
Sister Kylie Williams

Finishers Wanted

Hey everyone!

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

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

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

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

Don

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

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

Brian and Sabrina Holis-Polley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Hand of the Lord

Hello!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be good!
Love Sister Kylie Williams