Alexandria has my heart 2-24-2025

Monday was a very random day. It was president's day so we were going to go to George Washington's house but we had to walk over a mile to get there it was so packed so we made pizzas at the church. That night we had a member meal and then I did a baptismal interview for a Muslim guy from Morocco so that was cool. On the way back the tunnel to get back to our house was flooded and I was wearing nice shoes and a suite so I just took off my shoes and socks and walked home barefoot. My feet were frozen but my shoes remained clean. Tuesday was the most wack day on the mission so far. We had district council and it was amazing. For whatever reason the aps were there and they joined my district council so that was cool. One of the sisters in my district has been struggling with some of what I have been struggling with and it was nice to talk with her and help eachother out. After district council our little Sim card for our phones went out and was inactivated...no problem though right because we were given new Sim cards as a mission and was instructed when our Sim card stops working put the new one in. Problem is the new one hasn't been activated and we were in the dark. No Sim card, no reaching out to people, no wifi, no way to reach out to people. We had a baptismal interview that day for one of our friends and the zoneleaders were on an exchange with the aps so we just went to a McDonald's and called them on WhatsApp to get details across haha. We ended up being at that McDonald's for way to long making phonecalls over WhatsApp trying to figure things out, It was a mess. I had the biggest migraine of my life too but I bore things with patience it was a long day but I managed of course. That night we went to the apartment and down to the leasing office with free wifi and called some people over WhatsApp for a minute and then went to bed praying we'd figure stuff out tomorrow morning. We don't have a car either so it's not fun being unable to contact people. Wednesday we just went to the leasing office and did personal study and it was amazing. Nephi is literally me sometimes, We started calling people over WhatsApp and got some things figured out. The Sisters in our ward had our Sim card they got switched and things got mixed up and it was a whole mess but we figured it out and we got new Sim cards. It was such a relief and a miracle we could actually do missionary work now and be effective. We set a goal to find 8 friends and put someone on date and we did just that. We found 10 friends in fact and put 1 person on date. God is so good to us. We have a goal to find 30 friends this week and it will happen. We had dinner with a member I absolutely love. He always takes us out to 5 star restaurants and he's just so amazing I love him. He showered me with compliments and I told him I might be leaving next week and he was sad to hear that. He told me to take his number and if I'm ever in the area while on the mission or off to give him a call and he'll take me out. He's the best. After dinner we had a phonecall with a friend and totally put her on date and then sent her over to ysa. Miracles. That morning I felt prompted to reach out to the sisters in the district later that day and I followed through on the prompting and I'm glad I did because they were going through it. Sometimes being a Missionary is just hard wow but God is always there. Thursday was my companions birthday, He turned 19 and I got him right. Shoutout to culinary school I cheffed him up some breakfast and lunch. While cooking lunch we got a call from the sisters and the guy they were baptizing this Sunday just canceled right after they texted everyone in the ward about it and put together a program and that hurt..that hurts a lot. Fear is a liar sometimes. For my comps birthday he just wanted everyone to put people on date and the second person we talked to really wanted to get baptized and God put her in our path and she recognized it. What a miracle, The sisters in our district fought like a lion that day and put three people on date after all that happened and it warmed my heart I am awe inspired. It was also like the coldest day ever 15 degrees with fierce winds it was bad but we all went and did. My companion actually got free gloves from a member haha. We had a lesson with our recent convert Isha from Africa and when we told her it was my comps birthday she got so excited for him and started dancing it was the highlight of my life she was so happy. The Gospel has changed her life and I love her so much I am glad to have been part of her conversion and helping her get baptized and receive a temple recommend. Our friend we had in date for this Sunday canceled to and it broke our hearts her sister won't let her get baptized and it's the worst. Regardless we push forward and continue to minister and love and put more people on date. Friday was a long day. It was filled with so many miracles. I have taken a complete step back In everything I am having my companion doing everything and it has been so hard for me. At one point I had to teach him what diligence is because he has been struggling with some things and I had a prompting that he was lacking in that and didn't understand the principle of it. It was a hard conversation but I got to see him work with it and he did great! This has been the hardest thing for me ever to sit back and watch everything go down watch him and wait for him to do everything and it is so hard It. I watch as he crumples and then it allows me to teach him a princible and it will finally click. Amidst it all we put two people on date and found 10 friends. An aspect of leadership I have come to know but dislike a lot is giving all responsibility over and let go of the shopping cart and it kills me because I loveee working and I basically have to stop working in order for others to stretch themselves and I am not use to that I sometimes expect people just to do but sometimes people have to be forced to do and fail. I thank the lord everynight that I was raised to be diligent and have that attribute. I have seen miracles flow from it and have seen my district grow in that attribute and I leave each and every one of them. Saturday was another crazy long day for me. I have just been piling letting my companion do literally everything. He made the whole schedule and I did nothing. I watched him and there was so much wrong with it but I went with it and as we went throughout the day he came to know for himself and I saw him Grow in diligence through his failures and was able to lift him up and support him. My companion literally put somone on date over the phone just him and the spirit and he felt like a failure. I learn to align my will with Gods everyday learning to lift him and encourage him like bro you are doing great. I have been dying inside not being able to work or do anything I just follow my companion around in silence and let him lead me. I have learned so much from him and training and white washing district training twice that I am in awe and honestly really nervous for transfers. I won't go into details but something is going to go down and I have anxiety for it. Since I havnt been able to do anything for the area I have been in tune with the district and wow I am in awe every day. The Sisters have been going through it so I'd like search ponder and pray and find resources to energize them spiritual and it was all so divine. The Elders have been catching the vision to baptize and putting people on date every day and I am just amazed. The Sisters called and their baptism that just got canceled is back on and they were so excited!! They had an amazing lesson with him and he became thristy for baptism haha. There has been so much stuff going on this past week and I am so exhausted from doing nothing I hate it so this email will be mediocre at best. I am happy to say though that amidst all of this we made 30 freinds and put somone on date every day this week and God has blessed us as we have been going through this. It's been real. I am preparing my companion for training or for a lazy companion based off of what president has said and it's been an intense process. Sunday was a fun day we had two friends at church and I got to chat it up with some of my favorite ward members and talk about how much I love them and they love me because I am getting transfered next week. It's so sad for me but, after church we played basketball with all of the relief society president and bishops kids in primary and they are crazy I love them all so much I felt like a little kid again. For dinner we finally had a member meal and I was so happy. We were with an amazing family too and we joined their family home evening and had an amazing lesson on effort. The lord loves effort. My companion taught it and he is internalizing the princible and helping others in the process. It warms my heart to see. I love Nephi so much I resonate with him. I called the companionships in the district and the sisters and both of them were like "Elder Williams I wish you could be my District Leader for the rest of my mission" That humbled me....I am changed...I had ward members come up to me saying I have impacted their lives by just the way I conduct myself..One ward member gave a talk in sacrament meeting how when he had us over for dinner in December he had interviewed for a big job he has been trying to get for a while and I prayed that night at the dinner table that he will get that Job tomorrow and he did and it changed his life. God is a God of wonder. I am in awe everyday at the way he is able to allow me to be an instrument in his hands. Everyday I have no idea what will happen or what specifically I am to do and I lay it all out there on the alter and align my will with his through pure effort and love he has changed me...I now know what it must be like to be Ammon and his brotheren in Alma 26 I am nothing as to my own strength but everything in the strength of God. I love being a Missionary, I love my companion and have seen his whole life change! I love the Lord, and I love all of you. I won't deny that everyday hasn't been hard but I love it. I also fail everyday and I love it because that allows God to change me. I love everything but everything is hard and I love it!!! One thing I have come to learn on my mission is daily repentance and a constant effort allows you to align your will with God's and receive revelation every single time. Something President has said in my second transfer is put your foot on the Gas and let Jesus Take the wheel. The lord loves effort is one of my favorite quotes ever. Go lift somone up today and show the lord you love him and give your all to him. I love yall and miss you all! Feel free to send me an email. "Stay Sweet"-Elder Williams