8 Months

A third of the way there. Doesn’t feel like it's been very long but it's only going to get longer.

We’ve had some troubles this last week. Eva, the little girl we were going to baptize was prohibited from doing so by her mother's boyfriend. The mom is solid but the boyfriend is super controlling. Who knows what is going to happen there. We will probably baptize her anyway in a little while.

I don't know if I mentioned it but we met an Apostle on Saturday. Elder Russel M. Nelson came to do a regional stake conference in Florida and our mission president asked if he could meet with the missionaries. We all shook his hand and had a good time but man! The missionaries ask stupid questions! What should I give my homecoming talk on? Why is 3 such an important number? Why is the creation story told is 4 different ways? Nonsense.

Next week I'll be able to send you guys some sweet pictures, but I would appreciate some in return.

Hope everything is well on the home front.

Elder Willard

Trio or Tripanionship?

Here I am in the only area where there are hills in the mission. It’s pretty great though, lots of investigators compared to Portuguese work and I am in a tripanionship! Let me tell you, it is so much fun! It is so easy to get along with three so it is such a blessing to go from the worst companionship to the best I’ll probably have.

The area is great as I said, we have people to teach and we are being invited in to teach just after door contacting. The members here are super involved with missionary work and they help us out a lot.

My companions are Elder Forrest from Utah who is very spiritual and he loves dirt bikes and Elder McBride who is from Colorado--kind of a nerdy guy and likes a lot of the things I like and is very well-versed in gospel topics. McBride is waiting for his visa to go to Brazil in Rio Grande do Norte.

We caught a rat last night after we saw him scurrying around in our house. I set a trap we had with peanut butter and I have a picture of me holding it by the tail. I'll make sure to send it on.

The work is good and the members are awesome, this should be an excellent transfer.

Hope you all are well!

Elder Willard

Transfers

We are both being transferred out of the only Portuguese area in the mission. This transfer was probably the hardest transfer so far.

I’m all packed up so I’m just waiting it out. Tired out.

Elder Willard

News for BYU-I: A Funny Post

President Cecil O. Samuelson of Brigham Young University announced in a press conference on Friday that starting in 2014, the university will officially be renamed Brigham Young University- Idaho: South Campus.

Samuelson said that the decision was made in an attempt to simulate the stronger feelings of goodwill, obedience, and moral superiority that exist in BYU’s sister school located in Rexburg, Idaho.

“BYU-Idaho doesn’t surpass us in academics, but there is something special there,” said Samuelson. “I mean, there has to be something special about that frozen tundra or nobody in their right mind would want to live there. We want BYU Idaho- South Campus to feel just like BYU-Idaho, with smaller class sizes, an expanded dress code, a stricter curfew, and that ambiguous sense of kinship they call the Spirit of Ricks. We think that these changes will create a more spiritual climate in Provo.”

Samuelson said that the administration has anticipated negative feedback from students, alumni, and others who will likely resent the banning of intercollegiate sports and stricter rules.

“People will always complain,” said Samuelson, “But once they understand why these changes are happening, they will stop trying to steady the arc, and will start trying to emulate the students at BYU-Idaho whose willingness to forgo flip lops distinguishes them as way more spiritual.”

BYU-Hawaii is expected to be renamed BYU-Idaho: Tropical Paradise in 2018.