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

Enduring to the End

April 13, 2015

Hello family! Thank you for your emails; I'm still waiting on that dating advice from Marnie and that marriage advice from Howard though. We just finished playing a Nerf gun war at the Leesburg chapel and are now starting a volleyball game. I bought a Nerf shotgun but it broke so I'll have to return that and get a refund. We had a part member family come to church yesterday have their own volition. During gospel principles the family went to the flare and asked us to follow them. They invited us over for dinner that night where the father told us that he wanted to get baptized. We set up an interview and several return appointments. He'll be baptized next Saturday!

I refuse to get Trunky. My companion and other missionaries are trying to force it on me though. I will endure to the end. Church was spectacular. There were about 5 or 6 non-members that we didn't have anything to do with coming! This ward is amazing! Everyone is a missionary here because almost everyone is a convert. We also had ward conference and the whole message was about conversion which everyone needs, especially the non-members. I hope everyone is still doing well and the newlyweds are all still happy.

Love you guys
Elder Willard

Marriage Advice

Hello Willard family on the isles of the sea! I am happy to report that Belleview Florida is flourishing. We finally got over this drought of no new investigators and I found some interesting people to talk with. We suddenly have referrals flooding in from many different members. General conference was inspiring as always especially in Portuguese in the priesthood session. I managed to find a brace for my ankle which is working very well. There just seems like there's so much to do and so little time to do it. My companion keeps making fun of me for my lack of time and he's laughing in the background as I dictate this email.

I've been asking a lot of people around here with the key to family success is things like that and they can give some worthwhile advice but I feel like I should probably stick with the church leaders. I feel like there were so many talks about marriage this time around but maybe that's just me. Last general conference in Palm Bay there was a Sister ready to leave the mission and she said that she thought every talk was about having kids and teaching them and I thought that was kind of funny until it happened to me. I'm not getting homesick or anything just yet but maybe I'm thinking a little bit too much about the future. I hope I don't end up like some misguided RM's and marry a sister that I met on the mission but after two years they're starting to look kind of cute. That wouldn't be too bad though right? If I could get some advice from Howard or maybe Marnie that would be great,
thanks.

I meant to ask a couple weeks ago for a copy of Jackson's talk. If Pres. Southworth thought it was the best youth talk he's ever heard than I would like to see it as well. I hope Jack is doing well and that he's not dating too much. I have some big plans for pre-MTC training when I get back. Nobody likes to be green so will try to avoid that. I am so glad that I will have a few weeks with Jackson for some one-on-one missionary role-playing. It's the time of your life so live it well.

I did get the book dad sent so that was good apparently the person that shipped it didn't send it USPS so the Mission office couldn't forward it so I had to wait till Thursday. It's an interesting read though I'm on chapter 7 I think.
I hope everyone is well and safe and sane. See you in a little bit!
Elder Willard

Riding Bikes

Hello Willard family! 

I have been doing really well here in Belleview. I feel like every day is just a little too similar to the last couple days though. The time is really flying by and hitting the two-year mark was kind of strange. The members here are still helping us as much as they can and for the last two weeks we've had more nonmembers brought by the members then we've been able to bring to sacrament meeting which is a good problem to have. We should be participating in a YSA FHE activity tonight at the church which will involve some volleyball and nonmembers/recent converts/less actives which will be awesome! Recently we've been kind of short on miles with the car so we been forced to bike for the last two or three days and I didn't realize how out of the habit I've got. My seat is really starting to hurt me but it shouldn't be too much longer, we'll start driving again. I did manage to pop a bike tire already. I think I'll have to wait until next transfer to decide what to do with my bike. I might end up going to an area where I'll need it so we'll have to play that one by ear.

On Sunday afternoon we went to go help the priests deliver the sacrament to a few people since there was only one priest there and I didn't realize how much I missed blessing the sacrament until I had a chance. One of our investigators went to New York early this morning and we are able to have a lesson with her yesterday over Skype and she was really impressed. She always thought the technology was kind of used lesson you know like old people do but she said that using Skype to talk about religion and reading the Book of Mormon helped her to realize that this is a gift from God. It reminds me of a quote I heard from Philo T Farnsworth who apparently invented television he was a member of the church in Idaho he said television is a gift from God and those who use it will be accountable to him. I thought that was a pretty intimidating statement but I like it a lot. It seems like most of my knowledge is coming from that John by the way CD collection I got at the beginning of my mission. On the gospel library under the Mormon messages section in the videos there's just more iMessage called the refiners fire. It's been out for a while but they didn't put it on the gospel library until a few days ago and I just love it. I've probably watched it 10-15 times. 

I'm really excited for general conference and will be weird because it's my last one but I'm sure there's going to be something to console me and my affliction. When is Mother's Day by the way? I'm looking forward to Skypeing being for that last time but I hope you guys don't just talk about how you're going to see me in a little while cause that's no good. I've been noticing a lack of mail over the past three or four months. I do hope that there's going to be some love shown here in the next couple weeks but hey I don't make the rules. I hope this email is long enough I'm using the speech recognition thing and I'm a little too lazy to put in paragraph breaks I hope you'll be able to determine the changes in thought but if not then that's okay too.
Thanks for the emails everybody. I love you guys!

Elder Willard

P-Day, Service, and Studying

I'm so sorry I didn't get my email to you! I kind of rolled my ankle last Monday so I got distracted even though I had most of it written. I tried to send it the next day but the wifi was down at the building we were at and that was the day we got new iPads so my draft wasn't sent. I know that's kind of a long excuse but please forgive me.
So there I was playing 21 with some other missionaries. Totally crushing with a score of eighteen and coming down with a rebound when my zone leader fell on me and I twisted my ankle like I sometime do. I took ibuprofen and iced it right away. I can move pretty easily now but it's all yellow and blue and there is some pooled blood at the bottom of my foot. I'll send you pictures soon. We did get new devices last Tuesday and they are pretty similar to the old only that they are a little faster and they have a lot of storage space. We also get an app called duolingo which is a language learning program.

I've been brushing up on my Portuguese just a little bit. I sent off a small package today for Dad's birthday. I hope the rest of the family doesn't mind that I got him something for his birthday because it really is a special occasion. You don't turn old (50) everyday. There is something in there for jack that I have been meaning to send for a while now. It feels like a long time since I've been to the temple. I've only been able to go three times I think and there will probably only be one more chance for me just before I depart. When I first got here we did temple service since we were so close to the temple. We'd just pick weeds and plant flowers and things that mom would love. Also Rototilling, which nobody likes. I really don't know what to do with my bike. I think it's a piece of junk but that's probably because I've had to deal with it for such a long time. I could probably send it home and make good use of it or if Jackson gets his call stateside and he wants a free bike I could just send it there!

We've been asked to study Preach My Gospel over again and I have been amazed at the amount of information that I have missed in past readings. It really is inspired. I love the quotes at the end of chapter one, Harold B Lee's especially. So if you remember that my companion out in Palm Bay threw my Frisbee
that you guys sent me while I was in Brazil into the ocean you'll be pleased to know that he replaced it finally last week and I have been carrying it around with me for about the whole week. Luck favors the prepared.

Spring break next week! I hope that you guys have something awesome planned to keep the kids working. Remember that Gordon B Hinckley said "too much undisciplined leisure time gradually wastes a life.” I am so grateful for the mission it has taught me so much. It has made me regret the time that I wasted in front of the TV when I could have learned to play the piano or get better at a sport or SOMETHING useful. I also regret not being nice to my awesome parents all the time. For being lazy and not learning as much as I could have. Learn from my laziness, young ones. Honor your parents. I wish I could go back and be a good boy at home. It would make life so much better if I had behaved myself half the time. Anyway no sense in lamenting. I'll just go read the psalm of Nephi again. Thanks so much for your patience and for the emails! You all are great! I love you!

Elder Willard

Last 12 Weeks

March 9, 2015

Hey everyone we had a pretty great week here in Belleview. Me and my companion are going to be staying for another transfer together. The weather for the last couple days has been sublime. We have a lot of investigators to work with and we're feeling pretty blessed. I feel like I have things to write about but I just can't remember them. Maybe if you ask questions I would be able to respond but I just don't have the memory capacity for all this missionary work stuff. Glad to see that I will have another relative to look forward to when
I get back. I don't plan to count down the weeks too much. I want to make it as painless as possible.
Things are winding down. Got to make this last 12 weeks count.
Hopefully I can end in Belleview.
Thanks for the emails everybody,
Elder Willard

Visiting the ER

March 2, 2015

Oh hey family, you guys rock. I just wanted to let you know. The tulip festival picture was really funny. Marnie is still really cute but even more so then. Try to keep her away from the boys. We've had a tough week. Nobody came to church so we ended the week poorly. We did have a family that had been taught by sister missionaries in New York move here and make a media referral of themselves and then they came to a baptism of a child in the ward. Last week when we were playing volleyball my companion Elder Jurges dislocated his shoulder by swinging at the ball kind of weird. We sat in the ER waiting room for 3 hours for him to be seen and x-rayed. He then took off his shirt at the request of the doctor and as he did so popped his own shoulder back into place. We then waited another 2 hours for him to be re-x-rayed. A lovely time was had by all. We found out my last companion is being made a zone leader on his sixth transfer, but we all saw that coming.
The time is winding down. Love you guys!

Elder 

Conference with Elder Zwick

We had a great week! I think I forgot to tell you that yesterday we had a special mission conference with Elder Zwick and Mike Hemingway, director of proselyting worldwide... It was intense. All about iPads and using them properly. We have been working with our family of six pretty closely this last week. They came to our stake conference but all they talked about was ward councils. I felt confident though at the time that if the spirit

was there they would be able to feel it and they could get a completely different message. I hope that worked. We have organized for the family to come to the temple for a tour tomorrow and they are really excited. They're recent convert nephew will be helping them get there and we are stoked! The dad called us the other night and said he was reading in the Book of Mormon and as he finished a chapter he got the impression to call one of his nieces and invite her to meet with the missionaries. 

She responded that she would be open to learning so he called us at 9:50 to set something up. The niece's boyfriend then called our investigator and asked what the church's name was and where the church could be found and if they could go on Wednesday nights. As you can imagine, we were pretty excited about that too and we made it clear that he was acting under the inspiration of the spirit. They'll be baptized a week from Saturday! Other than that there's not much worth mentioning. We knocked on an old man's door the other day and as we were talking he fell backward for no apparent reason. We helped him up and went on our way. We are going to have 10 companionships together for a giant p-day activity today so there is going to be some intense volleyball! We received instruction that we can read emails from home any day of the week so feel free to send on.

Love you guys!

Elder Willard

Teaching Families

Well, we just came back from a very vigorous workout at a boxing gym owned by a member. I learned a lot and it was so much fun! The same Elder Richards that I was with in Palm Bay is in the area so we spent some time with him and his companion at the gym. The instructor says Elder Richards is really good and he learns quickly. It’s kind of funny, he would never hurt anyone or anything, not even a fly but he would be good at it.

We had the awesome family of six come to church again and they even brought two other kids with them that they were babysitting. They are so awesome! We read Alma 20 to 24 at a little scripture study thing while the kids were at mutual and he had the best insight. Lamoni's father had everything but he still said I will give away all my sins to know God. Just so prepared! We can't wait to baptize his family. Everybody knows them and they are really friendly.

We have a little pull up bar thing in the apartment and I use whenever I go through the door way and now I can do 5 in a row. We found an old record player in our apartment. For the longest time I just thought it was a table and we have all this Christmas music from MoTab that we can play on it. It's pretty awesome. Everything is going well and we are having success, take good care.

Elder Willard

Loving Belleview

February 9, 2015

Well, we had a pretty decent week, involving a lot of driving off road and through 4-wheeler trails in a Chevy Cruze. We have this awesome member named Rosa who is always helping the missionaries out with food and soap and stuff. I feel jealous for whoever got to teach and baptize her family because she doesn't know everything but she knows what she knows and she is determined to live it. She is converted. Anyway she has been struggling with transportation until recently when she fixed her truck and now she wants to come out with the missionaries twice a week. She has already come to 3 lessons and she does so wonderfully. She has a lot of life experience so she can relate to almost anyone we're teaching. She is a real champ and is bringing people beside her family to church with her.

Our family of six is still on a roll! We met with them yesterday and read from the Book of Mormon. We discussed the "for the strength of youth" pamphlet and bobby said the funniest thing. We talked a little about dating and marriage and he said he wants his oldest daughter whose only 14 to marry a Mormon boy! When we closed with a prayer the girl whose 10 said "thank you for letting us have the Mormons over," Bobby corrected her after and said "they are the missionaries, we are the Mormons." AHHHH!!!!

Anyway, Belleview is a wonderful place and I am so glad to be here.

I love you guys all so much, stay safe and stop letting Marnie grow up!

Elder Willard

After Howard's Wedding

February 2, 2015

Hey everybody, thanks so much for all the new email. I really love the pictures and everything. Good luck to the happy young couple! We had a great week! We had 9 @ sacrament and a lot of really awesome returning members. We had so much to do with the families here and we are so excited for this week. Sorry I don't have a ton of time to email unfortunately. Thanks for everything and I love you all!

Just kidding I have some more time. We had an amazing week! I have a new companion named Elder Jurges who has been out for 6 months. The families we are teaching are doing phenomenal and we are so excited for them to get baptized! The mom told us they were on a date night on Friday and she had to keep kicking her husband under the table to get him to stop reading the Book of Mormon. He knows it's true and he's told us a couple times now he wants to be a member. I am super bummed about the Seahawks, but that's okay our investigator family are all patriot fans so I'm excited for them. That's so great that the wedding worked out and I'm excited to meet my new sister in law! Hopefully she'll be present when we skype in May!
We're having a good time here in Belleview!
Elder Willard

To the Temple!

Brother Herzog: the regional representative for public affairs in the Southeast United States for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We went to the temple last week and it was amazing! We have to go super early in the morning but it is totally worth it!

The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing is a crazy place full of million dollar cars that we got to go see for free because a member works there. Sick!

I'm sorry to say that on Sunday night January 25th 2015 at about 8:27pm I was pulled over going 60mph in a 45. The cop wrote me a ticket for violating a traffic sign and it's going to cost me $166. My bad.

On the other hand we had the absolute best Sunday ever. The miracle family of 6 came to church and the kids got really involved and they had a great time. Our familia Latina came to church. A friend of ours going to the army came for the first time. A long time investigator on the edge of being dropped came as well! We were running frantic the whole time but everyone showed up on time and it was a really amazing sacrament meeting. This ward really is amazing.

My companion is being transferred on Tuesday. He's been here for 6 months. We said goodbye to everyone he loves. He is a hard-working missionary and he'll do well wherever he goes.

We are going to play volleyball today with the other missionaries and I am super excited about that. I'll see if I can get some pictures to send you guys.

I love you all so much, have a great week!

Elder Willard 

Busy Working

Beloved brothers and sisters of the Willard family, we have had one of the most blessed week of my mission. We have been the busiest I have ever been. There is nothing I could attribute this success to other than the lord's hand in our work. We received a media referral with a bible request. We delivered a bible I had purchased for $5 at "the rainbow bible book store" and also showed a Book of Mormon. We explained the difference as we taught the restoration to him and his two older daughters 14 and 12. We were invited back Saturday to meet the wife and mother. We brought our young men president and his daughter who are part of one of the greatest families I have ever seen. She is about the same age as one of the girls. The lesson was one of the most surreal, spiritual, and powerful lessons i have ever been a part of. He went through the reading assignment that we left him reading verses that he didn't understand and those that he had marked. He had read 3 other chapters in addition to 3rd Nephi 11 we left him.

They had met with his nephew who only a year and a half ago joined the church and who lives in our area. They have similar backgrounds and beliefs and he was able to answer many of the questions he had. After a near-perfect lesson the family of 6 committed to be baptized March 7th. The father of the home said the kneeling prayer at the end to ask if this is the way his family should go. He called us after the lesson to ask what chapter in the Book of Mormon he should read because we had neglected to leave him a chapter. This is the most prepared family I have ever heard of. This has been one of the most exciting and inspirational weeks for me. I am so grateful to be here in Belleview with Elder Langston.

The only problem now is that he the father of the family has a big Patriots tattoo on his arm...

We have been taken care of in every way you could think of. We did some farm style service. Picking up rotten fruit and branches. We have had a member meal every day this week. I still have $70 on my mission card of the original $140 for the month. We are getting so many referrals and exciting teaching opportunities here I can't even stand it.

I love you all so much, stay safe!

Elder Willard

The Best Area

Hey everybody we had another fabulous week, we have a family on date for baptism in February and we were busy as could be every day. That’s the way we like it. We are keeping on our investigators and they are keeping their commitments it is really encouraging. We have had some really cold nights and I think the cold really can compare with back home because for some reason it doesn't dry out as much. The humidity remains and that makes everything a little colder. We are going to the temple here in a few days so we are looking forward to that. There’s this old guy in our ward that's only here for the winter and he drives in a really unsafe manner but he has offered to take us to the temple at 7 in the morning. Personally I would rather drive but hopefully, prayerfully we'll survive.

We are being taken care of in every need here in Belleview. It really is the best area that I have served in so I’m excited about that.

Thanks for the e-mails. I love you guys,

Elder Willard

Lots of Pictures

We had another solid week! Nobody came to church though, due to a heavy case of agency. I can't really remember what happen this whole week but I’ll do my best. Our recent convert that we baptized last month has a daughter that we have been teaching and she is a really wonderful girl. She has a little girl of her own that's 1 and a half and she is adorable. We set a baptismal date with her for the end of February and we were all super excited. She has a lot of challenges to overcome but we know she can do it.

On the last day of the month we got a call from a member in Georgia who said her cousin has cancer and would probably only last another two weeks. We went to the home where they were expecting us and had one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission. We talked for a little while with the mother's parents who happened to be there. It turns out he was 60 pages from finishing the Book of Mormon for the third time. We explained blessings, the authority, laying on of hands, and the rest. The girl we were sent to see was not conscience but the parents wanted a blessing as well. They sat on the coffee table in the center of the room holding hands while my companion blessed the mother after which I gave a blessing to the father. there were tears flowing from everyone's eyes but mine as the couple both testified that the individual and respective blessings had given them a great measure of peace and assurance that god knew and loved them. The mother managed to hug my companion as we left and we'll see them in a few days to visit the daughter. We made it home with .3 miles left for the month.

Thanks for all the gifts that have been so useful. I love all of you guys, have a great week!

Elder Willard

Pictures:

There’s a park near our place that put up a bunch of lights. There’s a tiny little lake they call Lake Lillian.

My companion was in an interview so we went outside of a complete stranger house on New Year’s Eve at 8 o'clock and played UNO on her garbage can. Like you do.

Matching ties!

I got a package from my companion's girlfriend before he got his so I rubbed it in a little.

Awesome banana spider that we found while cleaning up for a recent convert.

Our humble offering to a 12-year-old on her birthday is clearly not very inspiring.