I can't believe it is already December! This means I get to have my first call home soon (I will send details when I get them). So how is everyone and what are the plans for Christmas? Is everyone going to Canada? What are the plans, etc! I know this goes without saying, but make sure you send photos of the first Canadian Christmas.
I have not heard any updates on Cami's Botswana trip. Is that happening? when is it? what part of Botswana? etc
Well before I forget it sounds like you guys were wondering about the worm picture? No, we do not eat that very often. That was actually my only time so far, but it is seen as a delicacy to most. The story behind it is that when my companion came here the ATM ate his card, we were at the end of the month with little money, AND there was a movement in currency, so long story short is we really had close to no money for food for the week. We usually spend 200 rand per week per person on food, but this week we pooled our money together and we only had 120 rand for the 4 of us for the week. They couldn't get money transferred in time so we took on the challenge and surprisingly ate very well through Friday. Saturday was ruff and Sunday we literally had no food. We weren't sure how we were going to make it through the day, but the Lord provides...definitely not how you would always expect. One of the members in the ward randomly gave us this gift of a bag of worms (which is very generous). SO...that was the dinner for the night and we made it to the next day when we had money again. They weren't THAT bad, definitely not what I would choose to eat, but I have definitely had worse here.
In other news I was able to go to Transfer meeting this week! My companion needed shots so we went to transfer meeting! First of all the mission presidents wife came up to me and said that was a nice photo we sent her? Wasn't sure what she was talking about until I looked in the transfer news and saw a photo of my companion and I (I attached the photo). It is our "missionary competency check list" that I had to complete since I'm a greeny and then we took a photo and sent it in as a joke...but now its in the transfer news. We also got a new shipment of sister missionaries. 1 from Utah, 1 Idaho, 1 Africa, 1 New Zealand. (sister missionaries are assigned to Botswana their whole mission, which is SWEET!) that takes us to 8 sisters for the whole mission.
Elder Robinson and Elder Alder (both in my MTC group and both the best missionaries in the world) got the transfer of a lifetime! They went to the same flat up in a zone called north east. it is Jungle and is said to be the best place in the mission. They have waterfalls, wildlife, and crazy diseases in their area! (they even have to take a daily pill so they wont die!) I am so jealous.
Oh as well, I saw your Canadian friends. They are really nice people. They took a photo with me and said they would email it to Elder Robinson's father (long story, but I didn't know your email off my head) so you can get it from them. They are currently organizing a YSA branch here. I found out yesterday that the YSA that I am serving in was the first YSA in all of Africa! That was an interesting fun fact.
Speaking of emails though. I need to know my Gmail email address to give to other elders,so If you know it can you send it to me? If you don't know it can you check in my password vault and it will be in there. I don't need the password, just the address.
So I'm a little bummed that I'm missing the Keller Nativity this year. That was my favorite activity ever! The Nativity is the best, and it blows my mind how much planning must go into that activity.
We had a Christmas party for the ward this past week. It wasn't nearly as exciting as even picking up after the nativity, but it was still enjoyable. Although no investigators came we had quite a few recent converts. And 2 of the girls in the family I just baptised even did a performance which was way good. It is exciting to see so many of the recent converts getting involved. That was one thing that worried me to death when I got here because the 4 months before I got here the missionaries baptised 27 people. Out of that 27, 4 were still active when I arrived (not OK). So I wanted to make sure I built onto the 4 and not the other 23. So far it looks like I am adding onto the 4. I feel that I have done a pretty good job at converting the people to the gospel and not to myself. Yesterday Brother Peter who was baptised about 2 months ago bore his testimony. I actually wasn't present to hear it (long story) but I heard it was the best! Brother Johann and Sister Sbongile are so excited to go to the temple in a year! And we are planning on taking a group of old members to the temple to be endowed in the coming weeks.
Yesterday I was able to attend a different Testimony meeting. The YSA testimony meeting and it was a memorable one for sure. One of the last testimonies was a girl in the ward who had a tragic experience about 2 months ago. It is pretty tragic so I have not shared it till now, but I might as well give a summary of it. Two months ago her mom was at home (considered a pretty safe area), when someone broke into the home, robbed the home and beat the mother in a very tragic way. He then left her to die as he set the house on fire and left. Another miracle is that she was able to get out alive and is now doing well. The reason I tell this story is because this girl gave her entire testimony on gratitude. Just small things in life that she is grateful for.
The Branch President got up after her and told about as much of the story as I just did and then explained how miraculous it is that this girl is still expressing thanks in his life. He expressed how easily we find excused to get down or think that we have all these trials in our lives. We are always complaining and never look to the positive of a situation. Whether it be as small as us having a test come up, or were hungry because we had to fast, or we don't want to read because we are too tired, or its too cold outside. All these little things tend to always do a very good job at making us look at the negative of a situation. When if we simply look at the positives and express thanks and gratitude we will be so much happier.
I personally have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful for all of you. For your prayers and support. For the support of the family in allowing my to come on a mission. I am thankful for the ward I grew up in and the people that were able to shape me as I grew. I am thankful for the gospel and the love that the lord has for each of us as his children. I am grateful that he has blessed us with the Book of Mormon and modern day prophets and the guidance they give us. I am thankful for the opportunity that I have to share these blessings with others and to see the blessing and happiness that comes into their lives as a result. I (and mom) are grateful for the safety that the Lord blesses his missionaries with as we do this work. The first week of my mission I was convinced that I would die in Africa because I was this rich white kid thrown into the middle of a poor township in Africa. But I have been able to see countless miracles on how the Lord protects his missionaries and I can honestly say that I do not feel the least bit threatened anymore. I am grateful for a loving family and the membership they have in Christs church. I am grateful for the temples and know that our lives will be blessed more than anything else as we point our actions toward the temples.
I would continue, but I will be kicked off this computer in a few seconds.
Thank you for everything family
Love
Elder Williams
PS: mom yes I am safe. Do not worry.
PSS:
Momma lama,
About the phone call home at Christmas...Dad asked about this as well. I do not have as many details as other missionaries at the moment. Some of the other missionaries in richer areas will actually be able to skype home. That of course is the dream, but for now if you guys could just work on making sure we will be able to hear on the speaker phone that would be nice. Our greatest technical difficulty is always finding a loud enough speaker.
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