From Nelspruit, South Africa

Dear Family

I didn't get too many updates from this week, but your list of questions is good. Listing it like this makes it really easy for me to answer the questions have. I will do my best to answer the questions in the time that I have.

First of all I was really excited to hear that the new temple is going to be built so close to our house. We had a lesson with the "happy clapy" white family we are teaching and they asked us why it is that we have these temples. "I mean, temples are only in the old testament and the old testament is a thing of the past". First of all, no. It is not only in the old testament, it is all over the bible, and 2 when did the old testament become something we dis-regard? The great apostasy did some bad things to peoples view of religion! Every one now days is forming their own opinions on religion rather that taking a minute to ask themselves what God wants of them.

Mom and Dad both mentioned the family that is struggling in your ward. I don't understand this sometimes. I see people every day who struggle with not being able to adjust and not feeling totally accepted. It makes me wonder why they don't just fellowship each other? In a perfect world....

Last comment, make sure you are good to the sister missionaries in your ward!

Now to your questions:

How are things going with you? When is the next transfer? Do you think you will be transferred:?:?

Things are very well. I still love Nelspruit, but I do think I will be transferred this transfer which will be on the 20th of September. I am a little worried about this though because there is no way I can luck out 3 times in a row and be sent far from the office again. I will almost definitely be in the crowded townships around the office in less than a month. But only the Lord knows!

1. How are you? Is life good? Are you happy and feeling rewarded for your service to the people of South Africa?

Happy. Yes. Yes, I still feel like the biggest reward I get for my service is for myself. Kind of Selfish, but It is amazing how much Missionaries learn and grow IF they faithfully serve. Although I do feel highly rewarded when I hear from families that I have helped in my last areas. I have received 2 very meaningful letters from families I have baptized in my last areas. I mailed one of them to you about a week ago so let me know when you get it.

2. Are you still reading the Book of Mormon in a topical way? If so, what are you studying now?

Not really. I have gone back and forth with studying by topic and reading it front to back, but I have decided to go back to reading it straight through. I had a goal to read it 4 times front to back on my mission, and I am still on track to do so. One of my biggest struggles with learning the Book of Mormon is remembering WHERE certain things are. The reason I decided to read it front to back multiple times is so I can not only master the structure of it but to learn from the parts that I previously thought were non eventful, and otherwise would have skipped over.

3. How is your mission president’s wife doing? Did you follow my suggestion?

I think they are doing pretty well. I have not really dealt to much with Sister Omer lately, but I have been dealing very closely with President Omer lately. We have had A LOT going on in our district (new senior couple, Elder Onsongo needs his wisdom teeth out asap, Elder Stewart is flying out on Wednesday, the Kanyamazane branch leaders are inexperienced so we are working closely with them to provide training, the list goes on and on). Last time I spoke to her though she seemed to be adjusting pretty well. There is still a lasting shock that you never really get over when you come to Africa, but over all they are getting into the swing of things.

Now my new task is to work very closely with this new senior couple to make sure they feel needed. It is very easy to get into a new area as a senior couple and not have a clue what to do, so I have made sure they they get to know the people in the branch and have plenty to do. Their name is the Nickels from Tennessee and they are on their second mission. The first was in Kenya and was much more 3rd world than Nelspruit. They are weird as anything, but very nice people and we are becoming good friends. We are having a large family home evening tonight together.

4. How is the work going? How are you enjoying the ward / branch? (I like stories of individuals you’re working with – either investigators or church members. )

The Nelspruit branch is amazing. There is about 40 at church each week, and most of them travel more than an hour and a half to get to church. They are very dedicated and support each other. We have the richest of the rich and some that do not have enough money to feed us. The branch loves us and we love the branch. We have a wealthy family in the branch called the Smiths and they have a son on a mission right now in Durban South Africa. They are SO trunky for their son. They are a very nice family but I get the impression that I do not settle to well with the family. They live two hours away and they are used to missionaries coming very often and spending the whole day there where she can make us American food, and get them pretty much whatever they want. I was not really keen on the idea of wasting entire days by hanging out at their house, so we have only been there once. Funny thing about a mission, sometimes the missionaries that follow the rules, comes across as the one that is not "cool" and does not care. Other than that though, people love us.

5. As you’ve been serving your mission have you had any thoughts come in your mind regarding your life’s mission? Either way, don’t dwell or let the thought distract from where your concentration should be, but just wanted to know.

Only 10 min left! I talked a little about this in the letter I just sent to Carly (because of the essay), but one thing that has stuck with me was something President Poulsen told us in a Leadership meeting up in Botswana. He said that we as missionaries are the cream of the Lord's crop. As leaders in the mission we are the cream of that crop and the Lord will expect a lot out of us even after the mission. He said that if we do not rise to positions of influence in our communities we will be "missing the mark". It is something I have thought a lot about, but not too much yet seeing as how my mind is on other things.

6. What have you learned from serving as a district leader?


Patience and Love. I have had an unusual last two transfers as a district leader. I have had to deal with an ab-normal amount of companionship dis-unity, Technical things (broken cars, sicknesses, switching of senior couples, struggling branch in the other area, emergency transfers, etc), small amount of dis-obedience, etc. Through it all the two things that I have had to learn is having patience with those I serve, and Loving them for who they are. The biggest thing as a leader is to love those you serve enough to get their respect. If you have their respect, leading is a piece of cake. Without it, you will not lead.

Well those were the questions from your list. With my 5 min left:

-South Africa is having a large trash man strike right now. "whats a trash man strike? does your trash just stack up on the side of the road?". NO, this is a T.I.A. Trash men go in mobs through the streets and through the trash cans and trash all over the streets. Those huge metal bins that businesses keep their trash in have been dragged into the middle of streets. The other day we saw this group of guys blocking off the road with the trash! Then 2 days ago they blocked off a road with huge rocks and burnt tires in front of a government building. It is pretty crazy. There is ALWAYS a strike going on in Africa. Apparently this goes on every year, and this year they want an 18% raise!

-had cow stomach again

-we had Mormon helping hands this week

Got to go!

Love you all

Elder Williams

PS. Carly, I sent my responses to you via letter. I sent one through normal mail and the other through fast mail. I am doing an experiment to see which is faster. They are the exact same thing though, but let me know the exact days each of them get to you.