Chadron, This Is The Place

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, this was my last week in Crookston, MN and I'll miss all the people I met there. After a 10 hour ride in the transfer van, I made it to Rapid City, South Dakota. We stayed there over night because we had district meeting the next afternoon. After that we made the 2 hour drive down to Chadron, Nebraska. 

My new companion's name is Sister Pemberton and I love her to pieces. She is from Payson, UT and has been out for 3 months. She is so kind and excited to be about the Lord's business. She is a very hard worker and I love it!

I was able to meet a couple of the people we'll be teaching and it was great! We are meeting with a couple named John and Vicki and we had a very powerful lesson with them. They have been seeking for truth for a long time and as we were able to talk with them we discovered many of their beilefs are exactly the gospel of Jesus Christ and Plan of Salvation. They have a strong testimony of agency and they choose to make the best out of the trials they are given in life. Their faith in Christ is so strong and I'm excited to meet with them again.

I've had a good time getting to know the ward. They are so welcoming and kind. We had dinner with some members last night and they told us their conversion stories. It was so powerful to hear and I'm grateful to be a means for the Lord in bringing his gospel unto his children. 

I'm excited to get to know this area and the people here a lot better and I know I'll have a bunch of stories to tell you next week. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Williams

             Nebraska Sunset

 Sister Pemberton and Me--My last companion in the mission field!

 Last Photo with Sister Bowser! I love her.

 Last Dinner with the Desrosiers in Crookston! I'm going to miss them so much!

 One of our favorite people--Chanel!

I Mustache you a question. I still haven't lost my sense of humor!

The Hand of the Lord is Over All

Dear Family and Friends,

This was a great week full of tender mercies and changes! I went on an amazing exchange to Grand Forks! The Sisters there have a potential investigator to try named Aaron. He lived in a locked apartment building and we couldn't remember which apartment was his. Luckily a nice resident just happened to be coming down the stairs and let us in. Once there, Sister Hailes remembered which apartment was his.

We had the most amazing lesson with him that was completely directed by the spirit. I've never met someone who is so sensitive and in tune with the spirit as Aaron is. The Lord had truly prepared him to receive the fulness of his gospel. When we invited him to be baptized a giant grin spread across his face and he gladly and excitedly accepted. I loved being able to witness so many miracles and tender mercies of the Lord in the matter of an hour. He is so aware of all of His children and wants each of us back. 

We had an opportunity to travel to Bismarck this week and while there we had some extra time on our hands, so we decided to go visit some of the people I taught. We stopped in to see Renee Odenbough, she received her endowment in the temple a week after I left Bismarck. She was sitting right out in the front lobby. I asked her if she remembered who I was and she said," Of course, your Sister Williams!" She told us she was headed to the temple that evening.

Earlier in the day our mission president told us we would have to stay another night because the weather was so bad and that we should go to the temple while in town. It was amazing to see the hand of the Lord in all of this! We indeed went to the temple and I was able to sit with Renee and help her through the endowment session. During it she leaned over to me and said,"Thank you for helping me." It warmed my heart to see how much she had grown and to see the peace and happiness she had in the temple. It was a glimpse into eternity to be there with her.

We received an exciting phone call on Saturday morning informing us that we were both being TRANSFERRED! I will be serving the remaining 6 weeks of my mission in Chadron, Nebraska! I'm very excited to see what the Lord has in store for me there. I'm excited to be lead by the spirit to find those of his children he has prepared. I love this gospel. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I finished reading it from cover to cover this morning and took the promise given in Moroni 10:3-5

 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

As I prayed I had a confirmation that the things I had read, learned, and applied in my life were true. Not only that, but I felt strengthened and empowered. I know there is no greater protection we can obtain in this world than the truth the spirit reveals. I'm grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost and having him as my constant companion is one of the true joys of my life. I love you all so much! 

Love,

Sister Williams

I love to see the temple, I went inside Thursday! (sing to the tune of I love to see the temple)

 Today at 10:32 AM

Reunited with Renee! I love her so much!

 Ruby and me. She is a member who lives in Crookston! We are helping out at her French Birthday party today!
I love her =D

This is Aaron! He is amazing and knows how to follow the Spirit!

Bear One Another's Burdens

Dear Family & Friends,

This has been one of my tougher transfers so far on my mission. It has been a great learning experience for me and I've been able to do a lot of self reflection. I had a great experience helping my companion bear her burdens  and I got to thinking about this scripture in Mosiah 18:

 8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

 9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

I love how our Heavenly Father has made it possible that as we bear others burdens not only do they become lighter but in the process we find help in the burdens we are bearing and it is an eternal round of help and love. I've come to understand the workings of God more clearly and I know he is always aware of me. What a beautiful blessing it is to understand we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who has a perfect plan in which we can return to live forever with our Father in our Heavenly Home. 

Our Prophet Thomas S. Monson states it beautifully "There are those who struggle every day with challenges. Let us extend to them our concern, as well as a helping hand. As we care for each other, we will be blessed."

I love you all so much have a great week!

Love,

Sister Williams

              Winter Siberian Sunset 

 This is Juanita.  She is a less active we are working with. She quit drinking coffee this week and is excited to come to church. I love her she is so spunky. I don't usually wear makeup and when I met her for the first time she asked how old I was. I told her 20 and she was surprised and said I thought you were 14!! Good to know my moisturizer is working. 

 This is Sister Joanne. She is a Catholic Nun and we go to her Bible study. She just finished reading the Book of Mormon and loves it. We have great conversations with her and she is a great example to me of love and a disciple of Christ. 

The Hand of the Lord

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope you all had a great Christmas, I know I did! It was so great to see and talk to my family and to meet my new little niece. I'm grateful for the love and support of my family. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for all of them.

Well, this week I've been so grateful to recognize the hand of the Lord in my life. I've been able to witness many miracles in my life and in the lives of others that have made it possible for the Lords work to continue in the way and time He needs it to. I love to set goals and make plans and I've learned many times over that I need to have the same plan as the Lord, otherwise it just won't work out. The Lord always makes sure his plan is fulfilled so we can either hop on board with His plan and have a fulness of joy or stumble around striving for something we think we want; when in reality it wasn't what we wanted at all.

Heavenly Father has a perfect plan and at its core and center is our Savior Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of this plan and for the ample opportunities the Lord gives me to deepen this understanding and to progress in the knowledge I obtain.

With the new year on the horizon I invite you all to set a goal for the year of 2016 to help you live a more Christ centered life. I'm excited to set a vision for who I want to become in 2016. I know it will be a big year for me and I know as I counsel with the Lord he will tell all things which I should do.

Love,

Sister Williams

 Dec 28 at 10:55 AM

We got to visit and have interviews with our mission president. I love the Hess' they are
such great people and I feel as though they are another set of parents. 

President and Sister Hess made a mission Logo and gave us t-shirts! 

Opening Presents on Christmas Morning

Presents! =D Thank you so much!

My favorite present! Thank you Lexi! <3

Sticky Buns for breakfast on Christmas Day! Yum Yum

The beautiful White Abyss!

More White Abyss...it is an abyss after all haha

Wonderful To Me

Dear Family & Friends,

This week we have the amazing opportunity to stand in remembrance of the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He has been testified of since the beginning of this earth by his servants the prophets. Isaiah prophesied of the birth of Christ.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Then we have the angels coming to earth shortly before the birth of our Savior in Luke 2:

 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

What joy fills my soul to know that on that day so many years ago my Savior was born. He came to this earth because he loves me and you. He came to provide us with a way to have eternal families, forgiveness, progress, comfort, and a supreme example for which we can model our lives after. 

I know that just as real as was his birth and death; his resurrection is real. Just as the world was being prepared for his first coming, in which he would provide us with the ultimate escape plan, the Atonement; the world is now being prepared for his return. But he will not be coming in swadling clothes but in the glory of his Father. He is coming to finish his work and he has asked us to be prepared for that time by living his gospel, using his Atonement, and modeling our lives after the example he gave us.  

I'm grateful for the opportunity to work side by side with the Savior in his work. I love him. I'm eternally grateful for his Atonement and I will ever exclaim these words:

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

I love you all so much and invite you to heed and harken unto the Savior's invitation to " Come, Follow me."

Love,

Sister Williams

             Christmas tree #1

Christmas Tree #2

 Stockings and I'm putting together a Christmas puzzle!