Now in Belleview

Well, it's spelled Belleview here for some reason. This area is huge! We have car full-time here but it's still not really enough for us. We don't have a lot of investigators at the moment but we have so many potentials. This is easily 3 times the size of my last ward and I can see it becoming a bunch of different wards soon. The concentration of old people is a little higher here than elsewhere so I am getting road rage on a regular basis. Just kidding, I am a great driver... the ward is super supportive of us and there are a lot of programs that help focus the ward members. So many of the members, especially the leadership are converts to the church and that makes all the difference. Such a great place!

We’ve already had some interesting experiences with finding. There was a couple that preached to us on their doorstep for probably close to an hour. They are "ministers." One went on a mission trip to Russia to share the gospel and found his wife who is Russian and she talks with a thick accent but we offered to help them paint and they accepted. We came back a few days later and used all their paint and then sat down with them for probably another hour and a half after the painting asking and answering questions. They say they're saved by accepting Jesus in their lives and it was difficult for the husband to accept anything else but the Russian wife was more than happy to read and pray about the book of Mormon. We’ll see.

There is a recent convert in the ward who mentioned in elders quorum about trying to join the police at which point my companion started laughing. Apparently he knows many members of the mob very well and has worked with them intimately. He’s a super funny guy and he takes the missionaries out to eat all the time. He gave an elders quorum lesson that was just a list of questions to foster discussion and personal experiences. It was great.

We had a lot of adventures on Sunday I don't think I can write them all down but we did get to visit a woman who has an 18-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old daughter who both have children of their own. It was a little awkward but the husband was a member and she had studied with the missionaries a lot and almost got baptized. She had had a miniature stoke and a ward missionary invited her to church and she accepted. We gave her a blessing and she said she couldn't help smiling all the way through it. Great lady. 

My new companion is Elder Langston and he is amazing! Super obedient and motivated to work. He’s only been out for 3 months but he is a great teacher and probably better than me at contacting people. We have seen miracles together and I love the guy I'll send you a picture of us. He’s just a little short but that's okay right Marnie?

Anyway, I love you guys, have a great week!

Elder Willard