Barbecues and the atonement 2-10-2025

Monday we had our district activity and it was so fun. I was in charge so I cooked up an idea to go to a park in my last area I served and grill some food and play volleyball and it was so fun. The grills at the park were the dumbest thing ever. The grates were about 3x3 inch squares and they had an aluminum trash can about 3 feet tall that you put coals in and they expect you to cook food with a 3 feet gap between the coals and the grates it was ridiculous.The burgers wouldn't get hot enough to crust so it would just get warm and fall through the cracks of the grates. Luckily I bought a pork tenderloin and it was long so I could put it on the grates without it falling through and we just found sticks, bought lighter fluid, and made a fire inside the dumb trash can so the grill can do grill things. The food actually turned out really good haha it was fun. We later taught a group of 6 African brothers living together and it was really fun 2 of them are on date. Tuesday was interesting....district council was weird the sisters were sick and threw up, one of the Elders had a training on baptizing ourselves in baptizing and basically went off on a bunch of stuff unrelated to that, but it still ended up being good. I have been having deep internal thoughts recently but they have been productive and they involve the spirit and that's been cool. My comp and I taught this African guy who is 71 years old and he was so cool.He met missionaries over 20 years ago and he has been reading the Book Of Mormon with his Bible and he gained a testimony of it throughout the years. He told us a story how when he met us God basically told him to go home and so he did and he saw us sitting on his steps at his apartment and from there he met us and after we talked with him and left God told him that this is why he made him go home so he could meet us. I love how God literally brings people to us it's so crazy. He has never been to our services but he is coming this Sunday and we are going to put him on date!!! We also hit our finding goals but something really sad is our super elect friend from last week who we had 4 lessons with members and gained a testimony of the restored Gospel and was on date is now ghosting us it's really sad. She lives in a terrible environment her family is so toxic they are so hood and they are literally pulling her away it kills me inside. God has a plan though I trust. I have been studying acts in the Bible and to see the apostles and desciples suffer persecution and trial is so surreal and I will forever cherish being a deciple of Jesus Christ 40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 ¶ And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Wednesday was intense I don't even remember what happend for the most part but I remember my companion just struggling a lot that day we had a long comp study per usual but I have had a vision for him and the lord is helping him. Nothing makes me more happy than to see God in his life more. We had a church tour with a Muslim guy from a super rich small country near Sudan he said it's way more wealthy than Dubai which is crazy it was so cool. We got to teach him who Jesus Christ is,it was so special. We also had a blitz with the youth in our ward and the whole zone got involved and it was fun!! My comp has been studying the atonement and he was teaching the youth what he has been learning and it was special to sit back and watch him Grow. Thursday was the best day ever!! I had a zone leader exchange so I wasn't leading out my area and it was so nice to just chill and work hard and it felt like a vacation honestly even though we put 4 people on date and made 10 friends. That exchange was so good I just got to talk with the zoneleader about life, deep doctorine, and just talk overall. We ate at chilli's and just talked about the mission and the lords plans for us and we even had somone pay for our food for us. We still went out and found 10 friends and just had a great time together. We put a senior in highscool on date and he wanted baptism bad. We also had an amazing lesson and then we had the craziest phone call ever and put a family on date to be baptized thus upcoming Sunday in 3 days it was so crazy. I love being a Missionary. It was also nice because I got to talk about how I have been seeking revelation for my companion and he just honestly hyped me up the whole exchange and was talking about how much I have impacted the Mount vernon zone the zone I have been in my whole mission and how I make a difference and it's always nice to hear that from others and I give my Glory to God for he is my rock. During the exchange with my comp he had Sim for the first time in a minute because I have been restrained from the spirit to Give it to him and prayed about it and the lord told me on this exchange is when he will get Sim and keep it and it was a hard day for him. They made 12 friends and no reporting had been done and he about died but he has been prepared. Now that he is able to know Jesus Christ and have that relationship he is able to stretch himself even more as a missionary and have access to Jesus Christ's atonement. Friday what a crazy revelatory experience jt was zone conference day and I have been looking forward to it for so long. My companion met with President and was able to have life changing experiences and I extended a promise to him on Monday after we set up a meeting with President that this zone conference will be the most revlatory experience in his life and it was. I'm so proud of him he has grown so much. Zone conference genuinely was intense I learned so much everything that has been taking place in my life as far as the lords work and my future was put into play. President Mac Phearson dropped some crazy revelations on the mission and in our personal lives. He gave us a vision and taught us how to have vision in our lives it was amazing. He told us he felt God called him to this mission and that we were called to this mission to learn to be future leaders of the church...he spoke from the spirit and said "There are future mission president's in this room right now with us and the spirit just swept across the whole room it was so scary and so powerful. After that crazy intense zone conference we helped a less active part member move and it was awesome because we started teaching the non member and she was so cool she like wanted to read the Book of Mormon and stuff so that was nice. I also started to get sick which sucked but that night I just did accountability calls on my bed face down in my pillow but they were still good even though I was dead. My comp and I then had a really good talk and it summed up the entire past two transfers and he is a new man now its amazing to see, it's crazy the way the lord took me and showed me his vision for my companion and the role I would play in his life and to see the things that I have seen transpire it's incredible God is so Good and being able to see how my spiritual Gifts have been in my life and how to hone them in as strengths. Saturday wow I got sick and it sucked haha we basically confirmed everyone for church took a nap and then that same lady from last night was like I need help moving again and the funny thing Is I was feeling better so naturally we helped and taught her and it was awesome, then I died again and got sick when we got home and I fell ill again lol but I said a mighty prayer we would have friends at church. Sunday moring I was not feeling it but I started to feel better for church and we went and our super elect friend who Ghosted us came and she loved it so much she was crying the whole time and was like I am still committed to baptism, it's crazy because she aligns with our goal for the month and we have been praying intensively for it and she cane through!!! She even committed to coming to a baptism somone In our zone was having a family of three from Afghanistan and it was the most beautiful baptismal service ever!! Our friends 2 year old daughter was running around the whole time and it was kind of chaotic she wanted to go swimming in the font but it all worked out. Her mom who we are teaching was like "sweetie do you wanna see mommy get baptized" and her daughter was like "yes"!! Eventually her daughter started kicking a hissy fit and being super loud after the baptism before the confirmation so we had to walk out with them and I took her precious daughter by hand and led he out and now I want to be a Dad, She is getting Baptized though!!! So exciting. I love how as your companionship is able to be united under God miracles just happen. As soon as I got back home all of a sudden I got sick again it's crazy, It's like God magnifies my strength to do his work and when I'm "off the clock" I die again. This week has been incredible mainly because my companion is happy and all things have been made to an understanding through him who knoweth all things and I have a firm peace of mind and know I can do anything through him who strengthens us. I love you all continue to reach out to me I really appreciate the love and support and "Stay Sweet"-Elder Williams