Another busy week!

Hello from Walla Walla!

       Boy, do I have some stories for you!!! This has been quite the week!

  We share the car with another ward's sister missionaries. We get the car after P-day, Last P-day when we got the car, both of our CD cases were missing! We have no idea what happened to them! The other sisters said they were in the car when they got in the car that morning to pick us up, but when we got it, they were gone! So all of our CDs could be anywhere between our 2 areas. We still have no idea where they are and we are now music-less... :'( 

BUT! we were told by our bishop to go visit the F family. They are a part-member family. They are Polynesian :) it made me feel at home :). It was also super awkward though... The 19 year-old son opened the door, we asked if his mom was home, he said yes so we went in... the mom never came out... So it felt like we were in a house of a bunch of men and super uncomfortable (we have to have at least another woman with us to go in a home of men). But his brother/cousin was there visiting from California. He had A LOT of questions! He seemed pretty interested too! But sadly, he leaves to go back to CA today :( He wouldn't give us his address either so we cant send missionaries over to his house :(

        Friday was a rather interesting day... first off, we had interviews with our mission president at 9 am.  We had a nice little chat about faith... and then he looked at my planner... First of all, it is completely water damaged from when we had to walk in the rain. Then he looked at my plans and numbers and said "Wow! You need to act in faith more!"... We're working on it President... 

 But then! we had a lesson with Dan! He is 57 and is on oxygen and crutches for some reason that we are unsure of. We met him while knocking a week ago and he is so solid! The first lesson we had, he was very difficult and the "show me a sign" type of investigator. This time, his heart was way softened! He was more interested and participating more! He has a hard time reading the print in the Book of Mormon, but he said he would still read it everyday! We read some of the introduction with him then I asked him what it would mean to him if it was true, he said it would mean a lot and he wants to know. Then I said "When you know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone who holds his priesthood authority?"  then he said yes! But then we tried to put him on date but then he was like "No, I will tell you when I want to be baptized" so he's not on date yet :/ Working on it though! And then we had weekly planning... :/ I mean yay...

       We had the most intense dinner on the face of the planet on Saturday! They are in the mountains(aka the middle of nowhere!) we were having a normal conversation and then it somehow comes out that he use to be a stake president and now he teaches seminary. Sister B asked if he likes deep doctrine because we love it. Him and his wife both start laughing, we wondered why, then we had the most mind blowing, 2 hour conversation about the Light of Christ!  It was so intense! He said he learned all about it in DC 88. So I tried to read it.... it was so confusing I understood so little of it! They signed up to have us over for dinner next month, and I am so excited! I told him to write a book :)

       Sunday... Sunday was... fun... we walked for about 2 hours in fog so thick I could barely see past my face just to go to dinner... It was ridiculous! As we were leaving dinner they were like "Where did you park your car?" us: "We walked" them: "From where?" us: "...7-11..."  7-11 is like 4 miles away! them: "oh my gosh I'll give you a ride!" so we had them give us a ride to about half way because we felt bad for making them take us. It was actually pretty fun though! It was an adventure! 

This morning was nuts! We have to pay to do our laundry, but we didn't had enough quarters so now all of our clothes are all over our apartment to dry, we accidentally locked ourselves out of our apartment, and we ran out of soap... Crazy stuff! It's all good though! I have just learned to laugh about it haha. I hope all is well down south and I love you all!

Con amor,

Hermana Rebekah Williams  

Walla Walla is a little weird

Hello from Walla Walla!!

        This week has been... weird! I think Walla Walla is my favorite area though! Even though pretty much everyone here is weird but that makes it enjoyable! Everyone here dresses like they are in the 70's still with turtle necks, perms, and such but oh well! I love my bishop so much! He is so funny! He works at a retirement home and he was telling us about how he dresses up as an old lady and tries to see how long it takes his employees to notice haha. Oh Bishop G... We had dinner with the G's on Tuesday. We made them cupcakes :) We got a text a couple hours later from him that said: "Yum the cupcakes was sssooo good! I ate the whole thing! It tickled my taste buds and tummy because it was filled with so much love!! Also, Sister Williams, will you give a talk on Sunday?"... That sneaky man! Then we got another one the next morning that was like 5 pages long! I love that man!

       On Thursday we had exchanges! So I went to Oregon! AND!!!! I got to use some Spanish!!!!! Gas here is like the cheapest I have ever seen! In WA, it's like $2.30 and in OR its like $2.20... what the heck? Gas was like $4 when I left! But I was in Pendleton and it was like I was in the middle of nowhere! But hey! I'm happy I got to use some espanol! 

       Friday... Friday was an interesting day! It rained all day. So we walked in the rain... all day... Its ok though! We had an older couple come with us to a lesson (who, of course, was not home...) but they felt bad for how dripping wet we were so they took us to their house for some hot chocolate :) and then we had to go back out and walk forever... Brother S signed up to feed us that day, but we couldn't come over because he is a single man and his daughter is only 15. So he met us at 7-11 to give us our dinner. He felt so bad! He was like "I'm going to call your mission president right now to ask permission to give you a ride home!" He didn't have his number or I totally believe he would! He bought us Panda Express so it was all good! It was actually kinda fun!

      Nothing like after you give a talk in church your less active comes up to you and says "Were you nervous? You seemed nervous!" and then at the very last second, the Gospel Principles teacher leaves so you have to teach the lesson and then afterwards he comes up to you again and says "You know we are all brothers and sisters right? So stop being nervous!" and then like 3 other people approach you! This is why I don't like giving talks in church... that and my talks always suck...

       Sunday was just weird! After church, we had a lesson with our returning less active... instead... he told us all his marital problems and how he cheated on his wife and blah blah blah blah... Nothing like counseling a 31 year old man on marriage advice... then in the middle of it,  K-Mart announced over the intercom that the Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl and then everyone started blasting off fire works and then everyone came outside blasting air horns, running around with no shirts on and their chest and faces painted, zipping down the streets and flags, and such. And NO ONE would talk to us! The couple who did... turns out, they are already members! Not even the homeless man would talk! But then after dinner... everyone left... It gets dark at like 4:30 so it was like pitch black and no one was home or on the streets. We both had a creepy feeling all night like we were being watched. We knew we were going to be ok and nothing bad would happen, but it just felt weird. Neither one of us was able to sleep last night so we are both exhausted/delusional. Its all good though! We know the Lord protects his missionaries! 

       I have been thinking a lot about the pre-earth life lately! So I read the Bible Dictionary about it (War in Heaven is SSSOOO cool!) and then I remembered something. Since we are all here on Earth, we all accepted God's plan for us. Even all those who are not making good choices still agreed. Yes, they still have their agency, but my job is to help them remember that they accepted it! They are all my brothers and sisters and it's my job to help them! Hope you all had a great week and your week is great! MAKE IT GREAT!!!

Con amor,

Hermana Rebekah Williams

This is the area map for the Walla Walla wards.  I am in the 1st Ward and our area is gigantic!

Icy Walla Walla

Hello from Walla Walla!

        This place is... interesting... to say the least. Everyone I have met here is super weird. My ward is filled with old people and they all dress like they are in the 70's still. They all have a weird last names too. At Subway last week, we met a super white chick name Tshara. Although, I do think the Neuenschwanders in Wenatchee still take the lead (for weird names).

         I get so  tired by dinner! I guess, that's what being in a walking area does! But my area is huge! Like, my bishop lives 10 miles away... needless to say... we don't go to the bishop's house much. We walked by a dead, ran over dog yesterday with it's tongue out. It scared the crap out of Sis B. It was the most disturbing thing ever! Although, there are a lot of pretty rivers and streams and such. I like them when they are half frozen :) It rained, melted the snow, froze the snow, and now its just cold! It is all icy and such. I'm surprised I haven't fallen yet! We are trying to get out of the habit of stopping by a member's house and just suck it up.

       So remember those super awesome and solid new investigators I told you about... well... their dad apparently thought we were just going to go over to pray (which, why in the world would we do that?) and Hunter asked when we can come over for another lesson. His dad heard the work "lesson" and freaked out. And now, we are no longer anywhere near their house... :'( So Sis B and I drowned our sorrows in Baskin Robins ice cream in 30 degree weather. Ya gotta do whatcha gotta do!

         We have an investigator who has been an investigator for 2 years now. She can't get baptized as of right now because she is on medical pot... Pot is legal here so that makes it rather difficult. She has Fibromyalga (however you spell it) so she uses it for that. Sorry for the lame email again. My time is up and nothing really happening here. The area is really slow so we are doing a lot of finding! Hope all is well and I love you all!

-Hermana Rebekah Williams

Walla Walla

Hello from Walla Walla!!

         You all know how "super excited" I am to be in an English area? Well it gets even better... I am in a walking area! And it finally started to snow here... Its ok though! I made a snow ball for the first time! I like the snow crunching underneath my boots :). Sister B2 thinks it's weird how amused I am by the snow (she's from Salt Lake). She said she turns around and I'm like 5 feet back making a snow ball, haha!. I also go out of my way to step in the snow piles. Its not a lot of snow yet, but I still have fun. There are also a lot of rivers a streams and such that we have to walk over a lot... that are like half frozen. Surprisingly enough... I haven't fallen yet! You know what's really funny though? I am from San Diego and have not been in snow since I was like 4, and have descent snow shoes. Sister B2 is from Salt Lake and has been in snow like a million times. Her boots are from GoodWill... needless to say... she destroyed those shoes within days and is now wearing flats. I think its fun :) Sister B2 is awesome though! She is very silly and goofy.

         We have a less active who just moved into our ward, but we don't have her records. We went over there because she is a member, her husband is not, and they thought their kids are old enough to decide for themselves. Their sons are Hunter (16) and Kale (14)... and they are super solid!!!!!! They are true, honest seekers of truth! They were both so happy when we gave them each a Book of Mormon. Hunter was like "Well I'm going to read and pray about this, then I'm going to have questions for you" umm... OK!!!!! They both want to know so bad and it's awesome!!!!!! Totally going to be baptized!!! (As long as I can stay the whole transfer... sheesh!)

      Sorry for the boring and short email, but that is basically what happened this week. It was awesome being able to understand what was being said in church though! Bishop G is awesome (everyone here has a weird last name, I swear!). And I had to be home by 6 on New Years so not really a whole lot happened then either. Then weekly planning : /. I am mainly excited about the snow though :D

      Hope all is well with everyone down South! Love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

-Hermana Rebekah Williams

me and my new companion.  Sister B2