Wonderful To Me

Dear Family and Friends, 

Well folks, I've come to the end of this chapter of my life. It has been an honor bearing the name of my Savior Jesus Christ these last 18 months. I've been able to be shaped and molded into the person my Heavenly Father needed me to become during this time. It has been miraculous to see the Plan of Salvation in action. I have loved witnessing the Atonement of Jesus Christ change the lives of all those I've been able to bring the gospel to. I have witnessed the personal restoration of so many individuals including myself. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I know he lives.

Last night we were teaching a less active member and as the lesson progressed he got more confused. He even started saying false doctrine about the nature and character of our Savior Jesus Christ. I was grateful for this opportunity to bear strong testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ. Through this experience I learned I indeed know my Savior Jesus Christ. I know he is the Only Begotten Son of our Heavenly Father. I know he lived a sinless life and accomplished the Atonement. Jesus Christ, his Atonement, and His gospel are the only way to return to live with our Heavenly Father. It is the only way to truly progress in this life. It is the only way to have everlasting peace and happiness in this life and in the life to come. I know this is true. I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's church restored to the earth through his chosen prophet. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and it is true. I know Thomas S. Monson is God's chosen prophet on the earth today and he holds all the keys of the priesthood that allow us to receive the ordinances and enter into those saving covenants with our Heavenly Father. 

I love you all.

Love,

Sister Williams

            I'm milking a Cow!!

                 I'm making butter!

 I found an ancient artifact under my bed from the lovely Sister Mansell!!

                        Awesome District!

 The Meisman's, they are such great people and I love them. 

                        Sister Raben: I love her!

                  The Russell Family: love them!

 This is Susan, one of our investigators!

 This is Brother Sumption: he is awesome and super funny!

Best Letter I've received from Calvin Landis! He wrote on the other side " How do you like my stationary? It's free! See you soon!" Love that man!

18 Months...

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, this week marks 18 months in the mission field!! I can't believe I've been out this long, it feels like only yesterday I was walking into the MTC. I've learned and grown so much and I'm very grateful for these experiences my Heavenly Father has allowed me to have. This week was really great and we were able to work really well with our ward.

We started teaching the fiance of a less-active member who is working to come back into the church. Her name is Shannon. She is very excited to work towards baptism. She was telling us a little bit about her background and I admire her faith. As she was growing up her family was very anti-religion, but she yearned to be close to the spirit. She would hide a bible under her mattress and read it in secret whenever she could. She has been searching for truth for a long time and she has finally found it!

I'm excited for this final week I have to serve the Lord full time with all my heart, might, mind and strength. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Williams

        18 MONTHS!!!    MY MISSION IS COMING TO AN END MARCH 4TH.  

I finished my knitting project!

This is Whisper and Sweetgrass they are the daughters of a recent convert.

I found out Godwin received the Priesthood!!  I'm so happy for him!

         The Rabens Dairy Cow

 A pregnant Hermancha Goat

I Spy Mount Rushmore!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, this week has been crazy full with appointments, training meetings, and mail! I received my flight plans in the mail this week and it feels all too real that I will be returning home in just a few weeks. I had my final Zone Conference, at which I bore my departing testimony. I was grateful for the opportunity to bare my witness of our Savior and the Plan of Happiness.

We found a new investigator this week thanks to some awesome members who are preparing their friends to receive the gospel.  Her name is Susan and she is very open and wants to learn more. We talked about the Priesthood power being restored to the earth through Joseph Smith and she loved it. When we told her that anyone holding the priesthood on the earth today can trace their line of authority back to Jesus Christ it just clicked for her. I'm excited to continue teaching her.

John and Vicki are doing awesome! Most of their questions and concerns have to do with social matters like the churches stance on abortion, voting, and welfare. They asked great questions about being sealed in the temple and wanted to know where the closest temple is. They are reading from the Book of Mormon together and praying and I look forward to meeting with them each week!

I had the opportunity to go to Mount Rushmore today and it was breathtakingly beautiful. As I reflected upon it my heart filled with gratitude. I know those men were inspired from the Lord to help in obtaining the freedom of this land. I'm grateful to live in this country where I can worship my God freely. I know the Lord has a Plan and nothing will ever stand in the way of it rolling forth. I'm grateful to have an active part in His plans rolling forth. I love you all so much!

Love,
Sister Williams

              Me, the flags and the heads! Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota

                California Represented! It's absolutely beautiful here!

         Mount Rushmore in all its glory!  A humbling, peaceful place on this earth.

                President and Sister Hess--wonderful mission presidents!

        Sister Pemberton and me enjoying Mt. Rushmore!

 President Hess loves Valentines Day so he gave us all red roses.

 I got hit in the face by a tumble weed! Just kidding, but the wind was so intense we had to go in early.

 Road Trips! We went to Gordon, Nebraska on official mission business and also to Rapid City!

 Look! I found toilet seat covers again!!

 FLIGHT PLANS!  It's for real--I'll be home in 2 1/2 weeks!

Endure to the End

Dear Family and Friends,

This was a windy week down here in Nebraska. We did a lot of Less active finding using our ward list. One of my favorite parts of missionary work is feeling like a detective trying to find these people and find out their stories and how I can help them to feel of Heavenly Father's love again. 

We met a less active this week named Alyssa. Her father recently passed away and she moved back here to Chadron to be with her mother. As we met with her we talked about the Plan of Salvation and prayer. She told us it was really comforting to have us there and she wants to work on coming back to church. I'm very grateful we were led to her and I'm excited to continue meeting with her. 

We were able to meet with John and Vickie again this week and they have such a special place in my heart. They are so genuine and real about their Faith and struggles. They love to reach out in love and they are some of the most Christlike people I've met. 

I've been very impressed by the examples I'm surrounded with of "enduring to the end". Our District Leader, Elder Hansen, is one of these examples. He's been out about 8 months and he has faced a fair amount of adversity in his life. When he was 14 he was in a rodeo accident where he was trampled by his horse. As a result about 70% of his body is now metal. He is in pain almost always and needs to have a very risky surgery soon in order to extend his life. Despite this personal hardship and pain he goes through his days with humor and love for the work. His desire to serve the Lord is stronger than any mortal pain or fear. I'm grateful for his example of having an eternal perspective. 

Enduring to the end is an essential step of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I would say it is the refining step of His gospel. I love how it is explained in the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 31

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

I know that living the gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed the only way to happiness and joy in this life and eternal joy in the life to come. I love living this gospel and I love my Savior Jesus Christ.

Love,
Sister Williams

Snowy, Windy, and Cold--trying to find Less-actives in the Nebraska flatlands!

 I call this Snow Poop! It is what builds up around your tires out here in snow country!

                 Funny photo hehe =D

Truly Converted unto the Lord

Dear Family & Friends,

Wow, this has been a miraculous week! I love it here in Chadron, Nebraska. Many of the members here are converts to the church. As I've gone around getting to know them I've had the privilege and honor of hearing their conversion stories. Their experiences are so powerful, but it isn't so much the miraculous way in which they found the gospel that is powerful. Their stories were powerful because of who they have become because of the experience they had. They all are truly converted unto the Lord and it is evident in the lives they lead. 

In 3 Nephi 7:21 it says: "As many as were converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed." 

When you are truly converted unto the Lord it shines through in everything we do and say. We have been teaching a few people this week and already these individuals are converted unto the Lord and it shines through in their actions. 

Ariel is a ten year old who is working towards baptism. She comes to church by herself. She has such a strong desire to know if the Book of Mormon is true and is praying and reading to know if it is true. I'm grateful for her example to me of diligence and courage. 

Clayton is a college student. His Mom and sister found the gospel in Wyoming recently. We met with him this week and followed up with how his reading of the Book of Mormon was coming. He had read the first ten chapters and when we asked how he felt when he read he said, " I feel honored to read this part of history." We talked about the Plan of Salvation and he has such a personal understanding of Christ's Atonement. 

We met with John and Vickie again this week and I just love them. They are a marvelous example of being truly converted unto the Lord. The Spirit teaches them when we are there and continues to teach them when we leave. Their testimonies of prayer and of the healing power of the Atonement are powerful. When we were there Vickie told us, "Everything you have taught us is what I already believe." It is an honor to witness as  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16). 

Part of the Plan of Salvation is knowing that we lived as spirits with our Heavenly Father before we came to this earth. It was there where we learned and accepted this plan he created. The evidence that we chose this plan is that we are here on earth and have obtained a body. We are truly the children of God and this knowledge has brought so much comfort and peace to my soul. I'm honored and privileged to labor among my brothers and sisters in helping them to know by the spirit who they truly are and what that means for the rest of their lives and in the life to come.

I love this gospel. It is only through Jesus Christ and His gospel that we can return to our Heavenly home. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Williams

We stopped at Coldstone for a sweet treat with the Sisters after our exchanges in Rapid City, SD!

MOTAB represented at the Chadron Library!

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!