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