So this past week in Melbourne.....

So this past week in Melbourne has been just great. In fact it has been so great that it is making me so very sad for transfers which are next week.  If I could have one wish it would be that I would get to stay here in Melbourne with Sister Tau for just one more transfer.  I do not believe that that will happen, but I can dream right?  Plus you just never know. 

So some of the things that happened this week are that 1) Roshanda and her children came to church this Sunday and I almost cried because I was so happy.  It seems that every Saturday something happens that makes it so that she can't come to church on Sunday, and this Saturday was no different.  We called her on Saturday night to make sure that she would still be able to come and she said that she had gotten into an altercation with the husband of a nineteen year old girl who was living with Roshanda,  and because he was then taken to jail and all of this drama was happening, she was unable to take her kids clothes to the laundry and get it washed in time for church. Sister Tau and I were so frustrated because something literally happens every week. So we were trying to think of a solution and then we came up with the idea to go over to her house at 6:30 in the morning before church and get their clothes and wash them at our place and then bring them back, and that's what we did, and it worked!  Albeit, with 4 small children and her being a single mother, she was 2 hours late, she made it and it was wonderful, and she plans on making it every week from now on.  Praise! 

The other thing that happened was that Jackie had a baptismal date for next Saturday, and she was just so excited for it, but the deal was that she had to come to church for all three hours this Sunday and she couldn't relapse back into her drug habits. Well, Sunday at church she informed us that she was leaving early because she was tired and when we asked her why she was tired she informed us that "the devil had gotten a hold of her the night before and she had stayed up doing drugs”. I wasn't too surprised, but it was really sad. We haven't told her yet that we'll have to cancel her baptism, because I think that she still thinks she's getting baptized, but I know it's going to break her heart. These things just take time and prayer and commitment and I don't know if Jackie is ready for all of that yet, but the encouraging thing is that she is a lot closer and stronger than when I met her 6 months ago and I know that she will continue to improve, it just takes time.  It's all about using the strengthening and enabling power of the atonement. 

Lastly, we have a woman in the ward who we visit and she is just awesome.  She served a mission in Colombia 26 years ago and is still doing missionary work today.  One such example is that she is allowing her nephew to live with her and has been slowly but surely sharing the gospel with him. He has always been kind and polite to us, but he has never expressed an interest in taking the discussions. Well about 2 weeks ago she texted us informing us that he wanted to take the discussions and had been reading from the Book of Mormon. Well, we met with him on Saturday and taught him the restoration and he accepted the invitation to be baptized. His sister joined the church about 5 years ago, and he said one of the biggest reasons he knows that this church is true is because of the change he's seen in her. He’s excited to learn more and I know that this will be such a blessing in his life. Member missionary work!  Yay! 

Anyways, all is well in Melbourne and I love this place with all of my heart and will be sad to leave whenever that may be. I love you all and I can't wait to see your smiling faces again here soon. Have a great week! 

-Love, Sister Williams 

I don't know if I mentioned this, but I got into a slight accident in a car wash, and this is my triumphant return to "Bubbles" after being too ashamed to go back for a week.

Everything is bigger in Texas.

Greetings from the Houston Heights!

Happy Birthday Sister Tau!

Hermana Miller and I at the party!

Just me!

Our District! I love them!

Sister Tau turned 22 yesterday!

Success!

Tau and I at the top of apartment building

The kebap! Sooooo good!

tracting fun!

What we do after a long day of missionary work!

Yay! our Bubbles friends didn't laugh at us!

 

Family!

I didn't write last week... I know I am the worst. I'm sorry.  But I'm doing it now! Repentance is real! Alrighty, so these past two weeks have gone by at the speed of light and because of that I can't really remember what happened. I am so lame. Have no fear though! I do remember 2 things that have happened in the past two weeks. So for starters there's Jackie. Do y'all remember Jackie? She is the woman we've been teaching since I got in the area and whom the sisters have been teaching since like 4 months before that. So she's been in the mix for quite some time. A little while ago, like 2 transfers ago, we set a baptismal date for Jackie and when the time got near she totally flaked and disappeared for 2 weeks and by the time we found her again it was past her date. So we have been hesitant to set a date with her again, because she obviously wasn't ready. But, in the name of progression we set another date with her two weeks ago for April 26. Yes that is in fact this coming Saturday. So we made her a reading count down calendar that leads up to her baptism, and we've been trying to meet with her as much as possible to help her keep her commitments. so the whole time this has been going on she just kept saying that she would leave her getting baptized on the 26th in God's hands, so if I’m being completely honest I really did not have faith that she would get baptized on that date. But, she came to church on Sunday and while we were talking to her she just mentioned in passing that she had invited her family and friends to her baptism!!!! As in she is still planning on getting baptized! Unfortunately we don't think she is quite ready yet, so we pushed it back a week, but that is such good news! Ahhh, the changes that happen in people are amazing to watch.

The last experience is one that happened this past Saturday while we were on exchanges. So on Saturday I was with Sister Miller and Sister Tau was in the Spanish area with Hermana Coley. So we haven't been able to see Paula in a while because she takes care of her 85 year old mom and her mom's Alzheimer’s has gotten worse as of late, so she hasn't been able to go to church in a little while. Anyways so we went up to see her with the elders on Saturday and Paula ended up inviting us to a neighborhood party. We figured it would be a good finding opportunity so we went. Turns out, this party was put on by another church and we definitely stuck out, as Mormon Missionaries, from everyone else. Basically it was just this big neighborhood bash that they were doing to give back to the community. Everyone was super kind and welcoming to us, and except for like one guy, no one made a big deal about the fact that we obviously weren't a part of their church. Anyways, while we were at this shindig, I initially started pointing out the differences between our churches and there's. The biggest difference I could notice though was the music. It was super loud and because of that I tried not to listen, because I figured that it was something I didn't want to listen to anyways. But then Paula made us find a seat and sit down and listen. So, because we had no choice, we sat down and listened, and something great happened. As I sat and listened to this loud rock music and I watched the people jump around and dance and smile and have fun, I felt the spirit. I started listening to the words and the tune and watched how good it made these people and myself feel and I realized something. Just because we aren't from the same church and I know that there is more truth to be found, that does not make the truth that these people have found any less significant. I could see and understand how someone would want to be a part of something like this, whereas before I just couldn't understand why everyone wasn't a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That doesn't mean that I want them to stay where they are at, because that would mean that the happiness they feel right now would stop right there, and our goal is eternal joy. Eternal feels good. But it just made me more understanding and I was grateful for that, and I know that that was a lesson I needed to learn in order to teach others with more understanding. Anyways that was that.

So I haven't sent pictures in a long time, but a good handful is coming this week. Yay! I hope y'all have a wonderful week and a happy Easter! I love you!

-Love Sister Williams

 

April 7, 2014

Whaaaaaaatttt!!!

Can you believe that General Conference has happened again? For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a worldwide broadcast that happens every six months in April and October, where the General Authorities from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, including the Prophet and apostles, address the church in 2 day period. It is always a wonderful experience and this past weekend was true to form. If you didn't get a chance to see it you can go to www.lds.org and watch it. Also the talks will be posted on that same sight to read or print and study. I can't wait!

I learned a ton, and I know I'll learn even more as I go back over my notes and go over the thoughts and impressions I received during it. I can say that loving those around you was a huge emphasis, at least it seemed that way to me. But, the thing I wanted to write about today was prayer. I loved Henry B. Eyring's talk, the first councilor of the quorum of the 12 apostles, about how when we make righteous decisions and choose to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are justifying the hope of our righteous ancestors. I thought that was so cool. It just goes to show that the Lord answers every prayer in His own way and in His own time. We may not understand right then and there where He is going with things, but we will. It's all about perspective. There was one talk and the woman speaking said, "prayer doesn't change God's will, it changes me." That really is what it's all about. In the bible dictionary it says that most problems arise from forgetting the parent-child relationship we have with Heavenly Father, and forgetting the true nature of prayer. Prayer isn't about changing the will of God, but about securing for ourselves blessings that God already has in store for us. So much frustration and heartache could be avoided if we could just learn to develop a relationship of trust with our Father in Heaven, and trust that every prayer we have will be answered in a way that is better than we ever could have come up with on our own. The purpose of prayer, the whole reason why Heavenly Father doesn't just give us everything we need without us asking, because He already knows every one of our needs and wants desires, is to cause change. To help us develop patience and faith and trust and love and gratitude. To help us develop every Christ-like attribute necessary to return to live with Him again. As we hit our knees in humility and plead with the Lord for those things that we need, and then wait patiently and trust in the Lord and exercise enough humility to say that He really does know best, we can then sit peacefully while we wait and watch the Lord's hand as He works in our lives for our good and the good of our families. It is a comforting thought that the most powerful being in the universe wants us to be happy and is working alongside of us to ensure that we attain eternal life and eternal joy. Amazing. And the promise is, that regardless of what trials we may face in this life, if we make and keep sacred covenants with the Lord and are faithful to those through diligent prayer and scripture study, no blessing will be withheld. No blessing. He wants to bless us we just have to ask, act, and receive.

I hope that makes sense. Anyways, I loved conference and I hope if you didn't watch it, that you will. Have a wonderful week and love one another. It should be easy, you all are lovely people. See ya soon!

-Sister Williams