Homecoming

 From Mom: Frazier arrived back at SeaTac International Airport on June 3, 2015, just in time for graduation and Jackson's mission call. When we asked where he'd like to go to eat, he chose Dick's Drive-In. We stopped by an empty lot down the street for a family picture.

For many years now we haven't been able to collect everyone for a photo and Howard is missing this one. As the children get older it is so hard to be in the same state, let alone, country. But we are thrilled to have Frazier back. We love him so much.

Wrapping Things Up

Hey everybody, hope everyone is having a great week staying cool and enjoying the lovely summer weather.

We had a super solid week! We had a referral from some other missionaries that had been introduced to the church by a member friend, we met a great woman named Patricia who wants a moral church for her YSA children, and brought a part-member family to church who then invited us over for dinner! it's been kind of slow going this transfer but it's finally picking up and we are doing our very best to manage the blessings we are getting and having the ward help out as much as possible.

We’ll be going to the temple this Friday so I'm really looking forward to that! My sunburn from last Monday's outdoor mini-golf is finally peeling so that's a blessing. I don't like driving in the city very much, everything is just start-stop-start-stop except on the freeway and then it's like a race weaving in between cars, using my turn-signal of course. I've gotten used to the heat to a certain extent and I'm now concerned that when I am ready to retire that I might consider Florida as a good place to go, it is a swing state after all.

I talked with a bunch of people about shipping a bike home and it could cost $130 or more total because my bike is pretty huge. A sister I know sent hers home to Washington for $80 but sister's bikes are smaller. I think I might try taking it to a couple pawn shops and seeing what they might give me for it. There are a lot of them around so we'll see what we can do. Is $130 worth it? The bike is still in really good condition compared to others that I've seen and ridden.

There’s always something to worry about. I hope you guys all have a good week and please don't let another sibling get married without me being present.

Love you all!

Elder Willard

Finding Caleb

Here's the long story. We're told there will be a special fireside for non members, new members, and returning members Sunday night about a week in advance. We invite several recent converts and our WML (Ward Mission Leader) is willing to drive us all down in his mini-van. We had two commit but
while we were at dinner with our WML Sunday night an hour before the devotional we got a text from one saying he was ill so he couldn't go and a call that I missed from the other recent convert. We get in the van and start heading to pick them up and I listen to a voicemail from the other recent convert who explains that he can't come. I neglect to mention this information and we go try to pick him up. Right as we knock on the door we get a call from a returning member who has heard about the fireside from a recent convert and they both want to go. He says it's pretty far and it's a lot of gas so we tell him we are with the WML and we would love to pick up him and his recent convert friend. So we go merrily on our way. We arrive as they are singing the first hymn. I was told by a missionary I worked with that Caleb is in the new Smyrna beach ward and I see the missionary there at the fireside with his companion, an older gentleman, and a skinny young man in a suit sitting on a bench in front of us. I think nothing of it at first and then the realization dawns on me. Ta Dah!

I'm still a little taller than him and he's still driving the same old Prius. Everything is pretty much the same. They're selling their house hoping to move south, brother Farb is still designing boats, and Caleb still works hard. The elder I worked with previously mentioned that Caleb goes out with them at least weekly and when appointments fall through he wants to go to the park and talk to people. I told him Jackson's story about walking to the church through the beach and he thought that was pretty funny. Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. Spiritual giant right here

Well, I already talked about the highlight of the week, the rest of it is mostly biking. I got to talk with my buddy elder Hemsley on Thursday and he's still working hard, not trunky at all. I don't feel any different either. Hopefully I won't have to bike much these next two weeks. We've been biking for the last two weeks because the elders needed the car and I'm beat. Hopefully they have been conservative
with the miles but maybe we'll bike a little for fun towards the end of the month.
I'm so tired. I still need to plan and work everyday. That doesn't go away because you get close to the end of your mission. Everything is going well here and I got pretty burnt today while we went mini golfing. Still fun though.
Hope everyone is still well, and working hard. Take care guys

Love
Elder Willard

Post Mother's Day Skype

Well that was a great Mother's Day! It was good to see everyone though I wish I had more time to talk with Marnie and Howard. I'm glad to hear Jack is still up to his usual mischief. I'm looking forward to the fateful reunion of brothers after three and a half years or so. Also having a little nephew will be cool. Is anyone not going to the

family reunion?
Things are moving kind of slow here right now but I'm sure I can change that. This will be my last bike week of the mission 🚴🏻 and it is also going to be flaming hot 🔥 with everyday in the 90's. We'll wear sunglasses, listen to rock music, and watch "fresh prince of bel-air". 😎

No worries though. We'll make these last weeks as productive as possible and get someone baptized! They still haven't told me when we get to go to the temple. I don't know much more to say than talk to you next week and stay safe! I love you guys

Elder Willard

Elder Clark visits

May 5, 2015

Hey everybody, sorry I didn't email yesterday, I forgot to tell you that Elder Clark from the Seventy was here and our p-day got moved to today. You must have been devastated not to have heard from me. All is well here in UPK. We had a busy weekend with stake conference and zone conference. I met a RM sister that served with sister fort in out in SLC. There were all sorts of great talks, mostly about the importance of the ward council and councils in general. Elder Clark talked to all the missionaries mostly about whatever he wanted. The missionaries actually asked him half way decent questions this time around. I asked him if elders should marry RM sisters and he said we would be waiting around too long then he looked me in the eye and said "you will never get married". We'll see about that. He didn't mean me specifically and he amended the statement. He told a lot of interesting stories about his missionary experiences and what he had learned. It seemed like he wanted to bring us up to his understanding of the gospel principles as well as other principles of missionary work.

We've been biking a lot recently and it has brought me back to my thinner more tanned self so hopefully that will last for a little while once I come home. I don't know when we'll skype because we still haven't talked to the sisters in our ward but it'll be sometime before midnight on Sunday. I want to tell Jackson that he should get Eccos for his mission shoes. Every other elder I know has them and that are super sturdy. They're a little pricey but you should be able to find some on sale if you look. Also the CTR clothing dress socks are really good I have some and I like them a lot. When are you able to get his mission call? I bet you'll go foreign like the rest of the family. I also hope Marnie gets to go on a mission and all the boys chasing her won't dissuade her. It is a wonderful experience and will help you change the things you didn't know were wrong.
I love you, see you soon.
Elder Willard

New area in University Park

So I'm here in a place called University Park with an elder that I served with out in Leesburg named Elder Vaifanua. He's from California with a Samoan family background. We're back to biking now in this lovely summer weather but thankfully we got the car this week! We have no miles but at least we have it😭

Being back in Orlando is pretty odd after being on the outskirts for so long. I don't like how often I see planes flying around, it is kind of distracting... But there are all sorts of restaurants and cool things to do in the city so it's pretty nice. I found out that we car share with my trainee Elder Doman! He's all grown up now and training another missionary. There are some really great members here but man there are a ton of kids! We couldn't hardly hear the sacrament talks for all the screaming😬not like our home ward at all👼 we have an investigator whose son has already been baptized but we're having a tough time with her because she's living with a boyfriend that doesn't want to get married. 🎶They say that breaking up is hard to do... But who knows.

I would still like to see a copy of Jackson’s talk if it exists. Hope everyone is well. Stay by the tree!
Elder Willard

Leaving Belleview

Hello everyone! I have some bad news, I am being transferred. After 5 1/2 months in Belleview they decided to kick me out. I am so sad to leave. Now I just have one more transfer to look forward to and everyone keeps teasing me about going home so that's hard. Hopefully I'll go to a great area and accomplish much good. We'll have a baptism in this area on Saturday if all goes well and I'm going to miss it. Oh well, the work goes on.

I am deeply concerned about the final transfer. I hope everything goes well and I don't get a bad companion. It makes a big difference! I think the companion I get after that is probably going to make a bigger difference. I'll stop thinking about that now. Don't know what else to report, hopefully everyone is still working hard and living the dream. Share the gospel! It the happiest pursuit ever.
Love you guys!
Elder Willard