START AT THE BOTTOM  :)

Feb 19^th

This week has been a great one!  I got transferred but I am doing well, Elder Davidson is my new companion I don't know if I said that last week.  He is from Sacramento.  We are going to baptize so many this transfer!  We have a few that we are preparing and then also have like 5 more to pick up this week!  It will be great.

This past weekend we had a baptism for Keith.  It was great I sent you a picture.  

This week we have a bunch of lessons with new investigators or people I knew from when I was here in the past either in YSA or from the family wards that had YSA's that lived with them.  We should have a really great week this week!

Thank you so much for the valentines stuff!  The lunch box is a little smaller than the one I tried last Sunday but it still fits just a little snug which is fine.  

I will write more next week I promise I don't have a ton to say this week. 

Feb 12^th

I am getting transferred.  :(  I don’t really want to leave but I know there is a reason even though I haven’t found it yet. I am going back to Murray to be in the Murray YSA again.  My address is

6426 South Silver Bell Dr.

Murray, UT 84107

I am excited but sad at the same time.  I know I am going to have to ride my bike all over half of the mission, I hope this snow goes away soon because of it.  

This week has been good.  We currently have 3 people on date for baptism.  All 3 for next month though.  I have to leave them all.  I will make sure though that I come back and visit some of my friends here after my mission.

We did some service this week of shoveling snow for people.  We just went to the church and dropped our bikes and grabbed shovels and went out to help people, then they can’t really tell us no.  We also went to the retirement home in our area and visited a few people there.  There was a lady there we were trying to baptize.

Feb 5th

This week has been pretty swell.  It is getting close to transfers though. :(  I feel like I might get transferred but I don’t want to.  We find out Monday night if we are or not. 

We have 2 people we are teaching that are preparing for baptism on the 23rd.  We are bringing Elder Guapo tomorrow to meet them.  I hope they can get married.  They both say they are "engaged" and that they just haven’t set a date.  So we are going to go set one with them.  It will be good.  

I don’t have much else this week.  

I love and miss you!

Jan 29^th

Dear Family,

Freezing rain is so cool!  This past week there was freezing rain and it made all the snow all shiny and it covered it, so that day you could pick up the layer and throw it and it just broke apart when it hit the ice and slid across it.  It was weird I don't know if I described it very well there.  I guess it hasn't happened in Utah since like 1981.  It all looked fake.  Then Sunday night it snowed, so that means I have seen snow every day since before Christmas.  It just hasn't left this year.  My companion and I both got sick Saturday and Sunday.  We worked through it Saturday because we had a baptism, and Sunday because it was church.  Elder Amundsen was sicker than I was, but we both had flu symptoms. When members started seeing the Elder A was sick on Sunday they asked why we were at church, then it got worse so around 3:30 we went home for the night.  Yesterday we stayed inside until after dinner too.  I felt like a slacker.

Saturday we had a baptism though!  Neshia, the one we are teaching with cancer, got baptized and confirmed!  I am so excited for them and hope she can make it another year so they can go through the Temple.  

We also went to the old folk’s home this past week too!  We went for Elders Quorum and Relief Society and then again Friday to go visit members of the ward there.  I like seeing them there it’s kind of like just going and adopting a grandparent.  There are a few people who come every week to the branch there for church that have never been baptized so we are trying to see if we can teach them.

Sunday night we got a referral for Nichole.  Our ward mission leader sent us a text and said that she showed up at church that week, we have been to his ward every week for like the past 5 weeks and the time we don't come is the time a non-member shows up.  He found her though and asked us to go by.  We did and she has kids who are baptized but, 2 years ago, at the time they got baptized she was in jail.  Now she sometime struggles with knowing there is a God she said her life is a tough and we know she is ready to be baptized she wants to know if there is a God and we told her if she asked in faith in prayer she would get her answer.  

Our other new investigator is Crystal; she was a referral from the Spanish elders who thought she was a returning member who just wanted us to visit.  We went by 2 weeks ago and she was sick.  She had us come back last week and told us how she wasn't a member and her fiancé who was sick with the flu wasn't one either and that she was interested and would ask him.  She said her siblings got baptized like 10 years ago and she chickened out because she was scared, she said though that now she sees why it is important and wants to make this step in her life and covenant with her Father in Heaven.

I love my mission and know it is where I am supposed to be in my life right now, every day I see things happen that I know I was meant to be here to do, whether it is someone we talk to or teach or someone we visit.  We see so many miracles and I get to see or be a part of.  It’s so amazing and I love it, I see my own testimony and conversion grow each day and that the things I am doing and the habits I am starting are ones that will be with me my whole life.

Jan 22^nd

Dear Family,

This week was a good week.  Well sort of, Neshia didn't get baptized and we are still trying to work it out and figure out when she will.  She is the one with cancer that is preparing to get baptized.  

We are trying to help our investigator Stefanie too.  She doesn't really want to live all of the church standards.  She is 17 and just moved here from Florida where she lived with mom and now she lives with Gma and Gpa.  She is a tough cookie but we think tomorrow night when we go teach her that she will either not invite us back or that she will decide she wants to get baptized, we are just going to lay it out and she can decide what she wants to do.
This week we went to the retirement/rehabilitation home in our area for Elder Quorum / Relief Society Wednesday morning, that was really different than I was expecting.  It was just people talking and giving a regular lesson but there was no excitement in the lesson and it had no participation but it was still fun to go and see and see all their faces light up when they saw the missionaries because I know they haven't in a long time.  We also helped a few people shovel their driveways last week and went around doing that.  We heard a storm is supposed to come in again this weekend.  Woowho...... I am ready for the sun to come again and warm us up more than to just 27 degrees.  It’s so much fun going house to house contacting people in 15 degree weather.  I just love it.  

How’s the weather there?  People keep me updated on the Seahawks and how they did so well till they lost this week, I think that’s what they told me.  I don't pay too much attention since I haven't seen anything this season.  Sometimes I miss being able to just sit down and relax and not have to worry about being somewhere or worry about what I am going to do for a ride or other missionaries doing something wrong or anything.  I miss only worrying about myself.  I love doing missionary work though!

Jan 15^th

Dear Family,

This week has been a good one. On Sunday Neshia was able to get interviewed for her baptism this Saturday. She has cancer but is so ready to get baptized, we had a lesson with her this week and she asked how long she had to wait until she could go to the temple and get sealed.  Then she asked what happens if she can't make it a year after her baptism.  It was so sad.  I know she wants it so badly so we are seeing what we can do if the First Presidency can give her permission early with her circumstances.  Please pray that all goes well. 

We are also working with Trisha to help her prepare for baptism on the 26th.  I pray that all goes well for her.  She is shady though.  We will have 1 or 2 lessons with her then she disappears and no one has a clue where she goes and she doesn't answer the phone or return our calls.

Jan 8^th

Dear Family,

My week has been very good; we are teaching a new person to teach.  He is going to be a tough cookie to teach but very good.  His name is Dustin and he is in his 40's.  He and his family live around active members and he met the bishop and said he wanted to start coming to church but he doesn't want to be pushed into baptism and since he says that we can’t invite him yet.   

Other than that my live has been good.  Very simple but good.  My new companion is Elder Amundsen, he is from Norway.  :)  He has this accent and it’s funny.  I like it.

Thanks for everyone’s Christmas cards and Christmas presents.  Sorry I don't have time to write back really.  I love you though!

Jan 1^st

Hey this week my companion is going home.  I hate sending missionaries home.  It isn't fun.  

This week we started teaching Stefanie.  She is from Florida and just moved in with her grandparents 2 weeks ago.  We have taught her a lot this week and it has been good.

I don't have much to say since Christmas we talked and a lot hasn't happened since then.  

Dec 18^th

Dear Family,

This week was great!! We found 2 new people who want to be baptized.  Neshia, she has cancer but is preparing for baptism on January 12th. And then also Tricia when I was with Elder Reid we taught her before she moved.  Then this past week she moved back.  She is preparing for baptism on December 29th.  Woowho! :)  Also we had 2 baptisms this past weekend. Thomas and Marisa got baptized.  Tricia is Marissa's mom.  They asked us to baptize them too so I got to baptize Marisa, and confirm Thomas during sacrament meeting.  It was a great weekend! 

This week should be another great one.  We have a few new people to pick up.  I am excited to keep finding those that are ready to accept the Gospel into their lives.  I know the Lord is preparing people and that I will find them here.

I just got my haircut at this member’s house.  He has a salon downstairs.  His name is Brother Cruz.  He is the best and you need to try it sometime.  He is funny, and let me try his hair drying chair.

Dec 11^th

This week has been so great!  So last Monday we had brought Elder Guapo with us and he showed them Family Proclamation to the World.  Tuesday morning we were with them at the court house downtown to get their marriage license.  Saturday they got married.  The ward pulled it all together!! :)  They came together and pulled a nice wedding out for our investigators.  They are such a good couple.  They have a 2.5 year old and 8 month old.  They are getting baptized on Saturday.  Whoohoo!!!!!!

We have been to a lot of ward Christmas parties these last 2 weeks. Like the picture with Santa you saw. 

I will find out where and when I will call you this week.

It snowed a lot this week too.  But it’s not really that bad so far.  Hopefully it doesn’t get too bad.

I love and miss you guys!

Dec 4^th

Hello Family.

This week was such a good week!!! :) We have been meeting with Marissa and Thomas for just over a week. This last week we have talked with them about getting married to get baptized. They really want to get baptized and know they need too. We have been struggling with what to do to help them. Elder Sulski and I have never been in this situation. So last night we brought Elder Dahley with us who is a senior missionary and specializes in marriage and stuff. He is a lawyer and is certified to marry people and came with us tonight and read the family proclamation to the world and asked each what it told them to do there. They both said marriage. When he asked each if they wanted to get married to each other and they both said yes he pulled out an application for marriage. Filled it out and asked them if 9 or 10 would work better for them to meet him at the court house to get the marriage license. We met this morning to get that. Wooowho! :) We are planning a wedding for this weekend and then a baptism for them both next weekend! I am so happy for them.

We also are teaching Todd and it is great! I love missionary work and it is such a great week.

Nov 27^th

Hello!

This week has been great!! We found a new investigator named Todd this week on Thanksgiving night!!! He was the first door we knocked on and he met with us Friday and Saturday and then came to 3 hours of church on Sunday!!  Sunday while at church with him in sacrament a young couple came and sat in front of us! Neither of which are baptized and they have been coming to church the last 2 weeks! They are preparing for baptism on Dec 8th!  Wooooo!  :)

Other than that it has been a hectic week with transfers and moving into a new apartment but it has been a successful week!! Elder Sulski and I get along great!  It is so good!  Now that we cover less area it is nice to meet more of the members in each of our wards!

I don’t have much time to email today but I will email more next week!

Nov 20^th

Hey so this week has been really good! :) We found a few people and put them on date.  One little boy and his sister, their mom is less active but wants to start coming back to church and just got divorced.  She wants her kids to get baptized now that she has custody and dad doesn't have a say really.

We are also teaching a lady name Teri I think I told you about her last week, the one who came up to us at the duck pond.  She is great.  I am sad that I have to give everyone we have on date for baptism and Teri over to new missionaries because our stake is getting split.  

I have been able to serve people around our area the last few days by raking leaves.  It stopped snowing and there is a lot of sun now so it’s nice to ride my bike and not be bundled up because it’s freezing.  We have a mission 5k Run called the "Beat the President" run Thursday.  It will be exciting.  

It is sad to see Elder Reid leave.  And my new companion Elder Sulski will be leaving in 6 weeks in January.  It is sad to see everyone I know leaving but it is still going to be fun being his companion.  

I am moving to a new apartment the address is

1918 Ben Air Dr.

Taylorsville, UT  84129

We will have 4 missionaries in 1 apartment.  It has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  We will see how this goes.  It will be different.

Make sure you write that down for when everyone sends me Christmas stuff and make sure Santa knows too! :)

I am excited to see what this transfer brings we will be covering some of my favorite wards and getting to spend a lot more time in them specifically!!! I love this stake.  I have a lot of people I love here.

I miss you all.

Nov 13^th

This week has been great.  It has had its up and downs but all in all it was pretty good.  This week is Elder Reid's last full week. Next week is transfers.  We started teaching a lady this week her name is Teri and she is just out of rehab and looking for a change in her life.  She is a member but wants to come back to church and get the missionary discussions and it is great.  

It snowed this week for like 3 days straight.  It was a good snow.  Now it’s cold and I am glad I have gloves and snow stuff.  We started listening to Christmas music and it’s nice.

This week we started teaching that family and then they ended up deciding they no longer wanted to meet with us.  It was depressing a little but they have their agency so we are still looking for those ready to receive the Gospel into their lives.

Well I love you.  This should be a good week!

Nov 6^th

This week was a very similar week to last.  Except we found a family to start teaching.  The daughter has been to girls camp and young women’s during the week and we found out about her and went to ask her parents if we could teach her.  Dad said yes and asked his son too and he said yes also.  We went back and found out that her dad and step mom are both return missionaries who have fallen away.  It is sad but they are looking for a change.  Dad said he turned 40 this year and is looking for a change.  He said he wanted to sit in on our lessons so that maybe he can feel something.  I am so excited to teach this family.  They are so ready and I know that if dad isn't hard hearted he can bring his family back into the Gospel.  

This week and next are elder Reid's last full weeks.  Then he goes home.  It is weird to think I have been his companion for almost 3 months.  

This week should be a good week.  Tonight we have 3 lessons and we should pick up new investigator and have 3 more people with a baptismal date.  And pick up another 2 investigators tomorrow and help them to prepare for baptism.

Other than that not much is new.

I love you.

Love,

Elder Willis

October 2012

October 2^nd

Dear Family,

This week has been a good week.  We didn't find anyone new to teach but we do have this investigator we love teaching.  Her name is Princess.  (Real name, not a nickname. isn't that sweet?)  She came to church with us this week and she loved it.  She is a single mom with 5 kids.  It is sad but she is a hard working lady.  2 of her kids have special needs and one just came home from the hospital yesterday, he had been in there for months, I think about 7, he had something wrong at birth and they said he probably wouldn't make it.  He finally is home but had to have a tracheotomy.   She is from Louisiana but said that after all that has happened she doesn't believe really in the Baptist church so she is investigating others.  Yesterday she told us the Book of Mormon is so clear compared to the Bible and expands on so much more.

In other news I get to go to General Conference.  The Saturday afternoon session.  And we get to sit up front!

Next week is the last week of the transfer..... It’s crazy how fast time goes by.  I miss you all.

October 9th

This week hasn’t been much different.  We had a good week.  We found out we aren't getting transferred. It’s the first time in 6 months!

Nothing eventful happened this week sadly.  Our investigators are all still set to be baptized on the 20th and 27th. 

Sorry this letter is so short.  We had a busy day and are now going to the driving range with a member.

October 16^th

So this week has been alright.  Last Tuesday was great we went to play Frisbee golf, we went to Costco, and we also went to the driving range and DI.  Today we will probably do the same minus Costco.  

We are still working with a few people to get baptized soon.  But 2 of the ones we are teaching we think want to get baptized for the welfare which is sad because when it comes down to it they don’t want to live the commandments or make any changes in their lives.  

Other than that life is good other than Elder Reid getting the day flu yesterday and then me getting it last night, thankfully it is gone by today.  It sucks being sick on a mission.  We had to call other missionaries to get them to come over and go with me to my lessons so we could still go and then that’s when I found out I was sick too.  Now I am back.  If there was one day I wouldn’t get sick it would be p-day. 

This past week we didn’t do any service.  We usually try to do an hour or two but no one needed us this week sadly.

I love and miss you all!

October 22^nd

It has been a good week. We found a new family to teach by tracting. He name is Aurora and her son is Rueben. They are so ready for the gospel I love that they accept everything we ask them to do and they are finding out for themselves what we’ve shared with them. We asked them to read 10 pages. We come back the next day and they read 20. I love teaching them.

Other than that we have had a good week. I found this return missionary who is going to sell me his almost new bike. It's sweet too. It has disk brakes and it’s got the works. It's worth the money it is a bike I will sell or take home with me. 

At a garage sale this week I got a Canon A1 film slr camera. It came with 3 lenses and a power winder for the film and a flash and yeah for free. 

Other than that not much new. I got the package thank you! Love you.

October 29^th

My week was great! Of course it was since it was my birth week.  Thanks for the cards and the packages!  I love you all!

This week we are struggling to find new people to teach.  We know they are here but we can’t find them, but I know we will.  We hopefully will start teaching a new family tonight. The ones we have been teaching don't want to live commandments and then decide to either stop meeting or want to move their baptism date.  It is sad to watch them because you want to help but you can only help them as much as they want to be helped.  

We have been trying to do all we can and I know there is more to do so I won't give up.  

For my b-day someone took me to Texas Roadhouse for lunch! :) It was good! Then someone else bought me a cake and another made me a cake. Then Sunday night this family had me over for dinner for my b-day since they couldn't do Saturday and they made us tri-tip steak and twice baked potatoes and also deep fried ice cream for dessert.  It was so delicious.  

   

Love,

Elder Willis

Sept 11-25

Sept 11^th

This week was good!  We had a baptism on Saturday for Stephanie.  She is great and so prepared.  I loved getting to teach her the past 2 weeks that I have been here.  On Friday we took her to Temple Square and she loved it.  We took a tour of the "God's Plan for his Family" exhibit and it is great! You should see it if you come down here.  Then we walked around the Temple with her and her boyfriend as they have plans to get married in it in a year or so.  Then we went to the conference center and went to the top floor with the gardens and we got to look out at the temple and stuff with her.  

We have a baptism coming up this weekend too for Bradyn!  He is a great kid.  He is 9 and wants to get baptized.  

This week was good as well because we had a specialized training.  That was cool to go to and then also we get tomorrow to go to Ensign Peak and also this is the Place.  We have like a little mission field trip I guess but it’s all day!  It should be good.  

This coming week should be good!  I am excited for it and to go find some people to teach.  We are working on finding more people we have a few but we always could use more. 

Sept 18^th

This week has been great!  We had a good week and also were able to teach a few new people.  We ended up not having a baptism for the little boy we were supposed to, his mom ended up having him wait to get baptized because she wants him to go to primary more.  We are going to hopefully have his baptism the 29th since next weekend is the Brigham City Temple dedication and we have no church to confirm him in.  

I am so thankful to be able to have grown up in the Gospel, each day we see people who haven't had the chance to learn about what I know and I don't know where I would be today without it.  This week during church a lady talked about her son who is on a mission and when she told a few of his stories it made me think about what I would be doing today without the Gospel in my life and how many missionaries it would take before I accepted the Gospel and was baptized or how many times I would tell the missionaries no that knocked at my door or if they would ever knock at my door.  I am very thankful for the opportunity that I have to share it with those around me and come to know the truth and the blessings that the Gospel brings into our lives each day that we take for granted.  

We also ate dinner at another family’s house that had a missionary in Germany or somewhere foreign like that and I am also so thankful that I am stateside on my mission.  I know that I wouldn't be as motivated to work as hard if all day we didn't do anything but tract, or if we taught 2 or 3 lessons a week.  Those weeks go by so slowly so I have so much respect for missionaries that can go out all day and do that without losing faith or getting discouraged really easily.  

Did I tell you a few weeks ago that I met the new General Relief Society President? That was when I was with Elder Wilson.  She told us that we had a glow about us.  What a compliment.  :)  That wasn't to be boastful or anything I just thought it was a nice compliment she gave us.

Get This!!!

We hopefully will start teaching this guy this week named Matorious Jinx.  He is a guy that lives in an extended stay hotel and goes out each day and sells magazines door to door!  He is trying to turn his life around and some lady was courageous enough to share the Gospel with him when he shared his story with her.  Because of it, she interested him in what she had to say about the church.  He gave her his address and his room number and sent a referral on Mormon.org.  She truly understands that missionary opportunities happen all day long and we have to be receptive enough to the spirit to look for them and talk about it.  I am so thankful for her and hope that he stays there long enough we can teach him and baptize him.

Sept 25^th

This week has been great!! We have a baptism this weekend for Bradyn.  We are excited for it. He is the most ready 10 year old I have ever seen who wants to be baptized.  

We have found a few new people to teach this past week. Have found a little boy named TJ.  He is cool and wants to be baptized but his mom is kind of holding him back because she doesn't want to set a baptismal date because she feels like that’s too pushy.
We also found a lady who lives in an Extended Stay. We met with her after receiving this referral and asked her name and age and stuff and got to know her for a minute or 2 and then asked if she wanted to get baptized, she said yes and we invited her to prepare for the 20th of October.  She accepted.  We are going back today or tomorrow to teach her more.  
We also keep working hard with only the few people we have to teach.  I wish the missionaries had taken me out when I was still home.  I hope the new ones you have are good missionaries and obedient and are asking the youth to go out with them.  We get people to come with us to lessons and to just go find. We found that there is no better thing to get missionaries excited about missionary work other than bringing them with us to find new investigators.  We bring them tracting or following up on referrals.  It’s great. 

I am on lds.org and on the directory page. I think it’s funny how if you look at any other missionary in the stake, like Elder Knowles, you can click him and see a map of his mission and it is pretty big and includes 2 cities and you can see the ocean and stuff.  When you click me it shows me and my map. You can see each city and the freeway and a few major roads. Ha-ha and it’s sad to think that my mission is 5 miles by 5 miles. You can travel within it from any place to any other place within 15 minutes by car.

I don’t know if you had regular church this past Sunday but we had none. We had a temple dedication for the Brigham City Temple that got broadcast to our stake center.  It was so cool, I enjoyed it.  

Zone Leader

August 28th

This week has been so much fun! We keep finding people to teach.  Sadly tomorrow I am getting transferred.  I am going to the Bennion East Stake and going to be a zone leader there.

I am happy to go where the Lord wants me and do and serve the way he wants me to but I am also sad to leave this area.  I wonder if this area will be where I stay more than 6 weeks!  I have yet to do that other than my first area.  My companion will be Elder Reid.  I will tell you more about him next week when I find out.  My life is about to get a lot busier now. 

I love going out and sharing the gospel, Elder Wilson and I this week have done a lot of it and talked with everyone we could find.  We go to the YSA FHE's and talk and ask for referrals and also go to ward visits with the YSA's.  It is so much fun but I am going back to a family stake now.

I love you all!

The Gospel is true and the book is blue!

Love,

Elder Willis

Sept 4th

It has been a good week! We had a baptism this past weekend.  We are finding people to teach.  I am in the Bennion East stake so right in Taylorsville.  I like it here, the people are really nice.  We have a lot of apartments in our area full of people to go teach.  Most of them are shady places but they are ones that will be good to bring the Gospel too.

Our address is 
1258 Pitchfork Rd.
Murray, UT 84123

Send all my mail there I am going to work on writing letters back to those who wrote me because I don’t have tons of time now and we were told we aren’t allowed to write letters unless it is p-day.  It’s sad but I will obey if that is the rule.  

My new companion is Elder Reid, he is from the ATL.  Just north of ATL…Ask aunt Julie what stake she is in.  

We have a baptism coming up this weekend! And then on the 15th as well.  I am excited.  The 23rd we don’t have church because of the Brigham City Temple Dedication.  

I will write more next week.

I love and Miss you!!

Love,
Elder Willis

July 31st - August 21st

July 31^st

This week was a good week but it was slow.  It is harder training than I thought it would be. Surprisingly though I can tell that I am being blessed with a lot more patience because I know I don’t have as much as I have had to use.  Not saying my companion is bad but that I have to show him how to do everything. Which is why I am the trainer but I feel bad for Elder Gomes if this is what he had to go through with me.  I hope not.

This Sunday was a long day!  First we spoke in a sacrament meeting.  Then went and sat in a Sunday school class and taught parts of it with the teacher.  Then we went and taught a combined relief society and elders quorum and then switched with the sisters half way through and taught combined young men and young women.  Then we took a 20 minute lunch and went and spoke in another sacrament meeting.  This Saturday we are hopefully taking our investigators to Temple square. 

My address [has changed however I may be moving soon. I will know on Aug 29^th]

6100 S. Mt Vernon Dr.

Murray, UT 84107

It’s where it’s at.  Our landlord is the nicest man ever!  We have the whole downstairs too.  When I get older, I want to have the missionaries live with me. 

This week we are working on increasing our teaching pool.  It is a struggle sometimes we only have 4 apartment buildings in our area so we have to rely on the members a lot to help us with their friends and neighbors because a lot of them have had missionaries knock at their doors before.

We have been stopping by the young men and women this week and challenging them to write their testimony in a Book of Mormon and give it to a less active or nonmember friend.  It has been working great they all accept the challenge and are excited about doing it.

Other than that I love you guys.  The new mission is great.  I love doing the Lord's work it is the best.

August 7^th

This week has been very stressful.  Our area is not doing so hot.  We go out all day and talk to people and ask for referrals and then go contact them and no one is interested.  It is sad.  We contacted 13 referrals this week and all of them were nice but not interested in us teaching them or their kids.  I don't know if these people realize that them not allowing their kids to learn and be baptized that they will be held responsible for them later on.  D&C 68:25.

 I have been so stressed out this week with being a trainer.  It is so much harder than I imagined.  My companion feels homesick and depressed and complains all the time about everything.  I try to be happy and keep a smile on my face.  It is so hard though, the Lord is really testing me now.  It isn’t that he isn’t a great missionary, because he has potential to become one, but sometimes he gets very depressed.  I stay positive as best as I can and look forward to the future.  He has so much potential to become a great hard working missionary and I know there is a reason he is here.  I also know there is a reason why he and I are companions; we have things to learn from each other.

I love doing this work though no matter how much of a struggle it is at times.  People’s lives are being blessed even when they don't accept the Gospel with us at the door, we planted a seed and it will grow.  As long as their neighbors will nourish it for us and keep inviting them and befriending them and sharing what blesses their lives. 

August 14^th

This week was such a good week!  We are starting to teach more and found a few new people to teach.  I love when you find the people who are prepared to hear about the Gospel.  So 2 weeks ago we spoke in a ward and I said that I knew people were coming to church who hadn't been baptized and no one said anything to us.  Sunday night we went to someone's house and she told us that this kid who came to her house every day comes to church every week and isn’t baptized and get this… his dad who adopted him is in the bishopric!  We work hard and we are finding some people to teach. 

Yesterday we ran into a guy who just wanted to try and make us want to go home.  He was Catholic but didn’t even really believe what the Catholics teach from what he was saying to us.  He told us he was an active Catholic too!  He told us he had a movie he wanted us to see that would make us not believe anymore and all this stuff, I bore my testimony to him and he even then tried to tell me I was wrong.  I was kind of ticked but I didn’t let it get to me, we left him be. 

The other day we went to a BBQ at the park.  There were over 200 people there and we talked to so many people.  We found this new guy to teach too.  He comes to church almost every week too with a neighbor.  He says he is homeless but he reads the Book of Mormon and we are excited to teach him!

We are doing great though and the transfer has 2 more weeks left.  My companion is staying now too he changed his mind.  I am so happy; I didn’t want him to go home. 

Tell grandma Jeannette that Harold Brockbank is my ward mission leader.  He was in their ward when grandpa Bruce was bishop right before he passed away.  He also knows aunt Joy.  Small world huh?

I love you a lot and miss you too.

August 21^st

Wow this week has been sad, it’s been happy, and it’s been full of miracles!  Last Friday I got to take a trip to the SLC airport... :( My companion decided to go home.  It was a very sad and stressful day.  Then I went to breakfast with President Moffat.  Still not knowing what would be happening when I got back in my area.  I got to the mission office to find 2 Zone leaders there that I barely knew.  Then the assistants showed up, and then my zone leaders showed up.  Then we had a big meeting with everyone.  Basically one of my zone leaders went to another zone to fill the place of another zone leader who became assistant to the president.  Then I am now with Elder Wilson my zone leader working with the Young Single Adult Stake.  So for time being I am a zone leader, at least until transfers on the 29th.  It is weird because we cover half of the mission and it’s a huge area.  It’s so much fun though. 

So onto the miracles.  Every day it seems like we have seen them.  Saturday we had 2 baptisms and then we went out to work and couldn’t find anyone to teach.  Finally at 8:45 we felt impressed to go to this apartment building by our house.  We found this stairwell and went to the top.  We knocked on one door, they didn’t answer.  We turn to walk down the stairs and see this guy who just went into his door.  We looked at each other and knew it was him.  Went and knocked on his door. 

It went like this. Knock Knock Knock.

"Hello."

"Hello we are representatives of Jesus Christ; will you follow his example and be baptized by someone holding priesthood authority?"

"uhhhhhhhhh, no"(not in a rude way though)

"What would be holding you back from joining his restored gospel f you knew it was true?"

"Well I am a Christian."

and the rest is history we had an appointment to come back and he wasn’t home.  We will find him tonight.  He is ready and by the time we left his door he said he would be baptized if he knew it was true.

Sunday at church.

We went to have 2 confirmations.  After the first we found out the second guy was nowhere to be found.  We called him and texted him and nothing.  We had to go to his house with a member and still not there.  We got the member to drive us to his moms and finally found him.  In the end he got confirmed and also got the priesthood right after church.  It turned out he just slept in because he lost his phone the night before. 

Yesterday

We are on the way to dinner.  I said wait turn right and go down that street lets go talk to this one house.  In the past when I have gone there no one has been home.  DJ was this person’s name.  He is 18 and opened the door and asked us in.  We went in and turns out he isn’t baptized but said part of his extended family is.  He said if he found out the Book of Mormon was true he wanted to be baptized.  Perfect.  Set up a time to come back tomorrow I think.

So basically though, on the 29th I find out what happens.  I got the package! Thanks so much!  Elder Wilson and I love the bread.  I don’t live at my house currently so anything that is sent there might take me a day or two to get from the time that it arrives in the mailbox.  I will try to write people back when I have time.  It might not be for another week. 

I love you and miss you so much!

A few more weeks...

July 10th

I had an excellent week this week.  To start it off last week we had dinner at a Filipino families house.   She made me some lumpia and adobo chicken.  

Then when we were talking I told her about how mom’s side of the family is and they took us downstairs and hooked us up with rice and soy sauce and shampoo and everything!!   She told me I could have pancit noodles too if I wanted to make some and when I said yes she gave me a sad face... she said “unless you want me to make it for you!!”  That topped it off.  I was such a happy boy all week eating chicken and rice for lunch.

We didn't teach much but we did find 2 families this week to teach.  Both of which only speak French so I need to brush up on my French plus we have to bring a fellowshipper because I don't know any gospel words.  It will be fun teaching them.

So in our new mission we had a conference last week and found out a lot of things new.  Not only do we get new planners and the 2 new SLC missions are the only ones who get them right now but it has so much for us to do... and so much for the ward mission leader and his missionaries and this mission secretary to do.  The month of July here is called the Month of Perfection.  I don’t know if you have it there too but the wards have to contact every household (members, nonmembers, less actives, …everyone) within each ward boundary.   They have to find out who lives there and about them and report.  It will be good for us.

We found out we will not be using bikes in our mission. We will soon cover 1 to 3 wards.  If we had bikes then we would get way too much work done and not be able to talk to as many people who are out and about.

We also no longer get to go to the temple once a transfer. :(  I am sad about that one.  We now get to wake up at 630 instead of 6! That’s a plus.

So this French family is so cool!  She grew up on the Ivory Coast.  Well, actually both families did.  One is a mom and a son(14) and a daughter(7) and they love learning about the Gospel.  So much so, that they ask us to come back every day.  It is great!  We showed her the Restoration DVD last night and she told us that she believed he was a prophet and would be baptized after she talks to her husband.  Her son said the closing prayer and he prayed to know that the Book of Mormon was true and that what we came and taught him about were messages from God.  I love this family even though we have to have an interpreter.  But I know the Lord puts people where they need to be.  Out of the whole stake the ward they live in have about 4 people who know how to speak French fluently and went on missions where they spoke french whether it was Africa or France or Canada.  They all love to fellowwship these families.  Fellowshipping is the key too.  I learned that on my mission.  Every investigator and new member needs a friend, a calling, and home and visiting teachers.  This is so essential because without a friend they don’t know anyone when they come to church.  Without a calling they have no need or don’t feel as important when they come to church.  And without home teachers there is no Gospel being brought into their home by someone else.  I love seeing them converted to the gospel instead of being converted to the missionaries.  So if you are ever asked to fellowship a family or anyone don't turn the missionaries down, step up and do it.  It is so much fun!  It may seem a little more work but when you do the Lord's work everything in life seems to work itself out in your own life.  In fact, maybe you could ask the missionaries if you can help fellowship someone.  I feel like I should challenge you to do that.  I know the Lord will also put someone in your path who needs you specifically if you pray for an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone you know.

I love you so much.

Love,

Elder Willis

June 17^th

I found out last night that tomorrow morning I will be transferred back to Murray... Sad.  But I am getting a son!  Elder Willis is going to be a Dad!  Tomorrow I go to Murray to a new stake, right next door to my last stake and my first stake, it’s like in the corner.  I think that there are still people in Murray that need to see me.  But I get to go and get my son from the mission office tomorrow also.  I am excited to do that and serve others.

Other than that my week went great!  The work here in this area is picking up and I am happy with it enough to leave it with Elder Conley and the new companion he gets. 

Oh so yes we had a run in with the cops this week.  We came to the church on Saturday to use the restroom.  We felt inspired to walk around the building for a minute.  Then we felt like we needed to go in a few rooms, so we went in the library and then the family history center.  As we went in the family history center it was dark and we walked in the room as Elder Conley came in behind me a guy popped out from behind the door and booked it out of the room and down the hall.  We didn’t know what to think at first so we looked around the room to see what he was doing.  Nothing was gone but we found a lighter and some spit on the ground.  We thought this was fishy so we took 15 to 20 minutes searching the building to make sure he left.  As we were leaving we saw him walking and walked back in the church so as we followed him a cop drove by and stopped in the turn lane and looked at us so we flagged him down and told him what’s up.  He called for backup and 2 more cops showed up by the time he got out of his car.  They went with us into the building holding their guns.  We showed them where we found him the first time and he searched the rooms all around it.  He found the guy hiding in a dark room in a corner behind some chairs and he pulled his gun and started yelling at the guy. "Freeze!  Get your hands up.  They put him in hand cuffs and interrogated him.  The guy kept lying to them.  (We were in the hall listening with a bishop who was in the building also)  so the cops started making fun of him too "Oh we have a fibber"  and all this stuff, it was kind of funny.  Then they searched him and found some cigarettes and stuff but nothing illegal.  He wouldn't tell them what he was doing or why there was spit on the ground.  They said they thought he might have been doing heroin or spice some other kind of drugs.  They kept him in hand cuffs and called his dad and his dad asked the cops if they could charge him with something and send him to jail and they said no and made the dad come get him.  He was like maybe 18 or 19.  But yeah so this took an hour or so of our Saturday to protect the Lord's house.

Other than that I am excited to start a new adventure back in Murray.

Love you guys!

Love,

Elder Willis

July 24^th

My green companion’s name is Elder Elliot.  He is from Oregon.  The great NW is doing great things to me I tell you!  We are in the Murray, Little Cottonwood stake which has Fashion Place mall in it.  We go to the food court for lunch sometimes.  Other than that the week has been great we found some people to teach and to share the gospel with.

We found a family this week.  They have 2 kids, ages 8 and 5 years old, both boys.  I am so excited to teach them.  They were literally prepared.  The Spanish Elders tracted into them and they have a quad already from the father’s friend and then the mom asked for her own too.  They pray and read every night and everything.  They asked us where they needed to go to church before we could even invite them!  It was so great to see a family so ready to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ into their lives.

We are on bikes now and I still have my red bike. "Bullseye" is what I call him after like the horse in Toy Story.   We live in this member’s house and he is like the nicest guy you could ever meet.  He always asks if he can do anything for us and is always asking to go on splits with us or do anything for us.

I am back in the same district I was last time I was in Murray.  Elder Jackson is my district leader again, it’s crazy but it is so fun.

I love and miss you all.

Love,

Elder Willis