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