Grind time 3-14-2025

Hey everyone its my pday today haha we are going to the temple so our pdays Got switched for this week! I won't have one next Monday! Monday was so fun it was nice outside finally and so our district had a BBQ and played some sand volleyball and it was so fun haha. We biked around like crazy grocery shopping and going to the park to do it but it was worth it. From 6-9 that day we went and knocked on a friend we lost contact with and we met their dad. He's an older latino guy and we got to talking and he has such incredible faith. We started talking more about the covenant of Baptism and how it could bless his life and allow him to serve others more in his capacity as he really loves helping others out and we put him on date for the 30th of March and he accepted the date! It was so tender he started crying, this was our first time meeting him and now we are hoping we could baptize his whole family! Tuesday was great as well we had district council and that is always fun. I got to know more in depth the people in my district and their needs. I was talking to my companion and he told me he had a revelatory experience Monday night during his personal prayers where he just felt the desire to baptize more strong than any other time on his mission and he was just thirsty for baptism and that made me so happy. My goal is to turn my district thirsty for baptism especially since the zoneleaders and stlz are in my district and it would in return bless the whole zone. I love my companion he just gets me and he picks up on stuff so quick it amazes me and he sees that everything I do is with a purpose and intention and it's been a blessing. Plus he loves Kanye and is so funny. We had a lesson later that Day with our friend Ryan who has been taught forever that we put on date and it was an amazing lesson. He still has room for doubt his baptismal interview is on the 21st and his baptism is the 23rd. He said he will let us know the 20th wether or not he'll actually get baptized. We commissioned him to read the Book of Mormon and pray intently over the next 2 weeks and that we will call him every night at 9pm and follow up. He said he's down so pray for him. Wednesday was a hard day for me. I had exchanges with an Elder who kind of is just there he doesn't have a great desire to work hard and isn't very diligent. From the words of President he struggles to go all in so I did what I could and we grinded that day. We read for comp study a document called the vision to baptize trying to turn him thirsty for baptism and hype him up and then we hit the ground running. We went down south of our area biked like 30 minutes and went finding knocking doors and talking to people for 3 hours and we're getting rejected, yelled at, and made like no friends. We left the area went faster north east another intense bikeride and no one answered so we just went to dinner, and then our lessons canceled so we went back down south riding bikes like crazy and continued to go finding for another hour and found no friends. I felt defeated and all the whole while I had terrible allergies and my knuckles were bleeding. Everyone else in the district popped off, found people and put them on date when all I wanted is to help this Elder who has been out for 20 months see that hard work and diligence brings blessings and Joy. I felt defeated and then the zoneleaders and my companion chapped me and was like because of your efforts we all got blessed up and you still had an impact on that Elder despite the results. My companion then chastised me for putting blame on myself and I love him for that because sometimes I just assume responsibility even when people have agency and it's not ok. Thursday was a hoot and a holler but holy I'm tired, After Wednesdays exchange I was so tired my whole body was sore but my companion and I got right back to it. We hit the find grind again and even knocked on some red dots haha. We didn't have to much success finding but I remember being tired, thirsty, and far from home and so as we were knocking I saw a hose and so when the person answered their door they rejected our message and church invite but then I asked her If I can drink from her hose and I guarantee she has never been asked that before. I won't lie though that water was so delicious it felt like I was a kid again haha. I struggle a little bit coming from the city where I got so good and was finding 30 friends a week putting 5 on date and then coming here where its the suburbs and we knock a heck ton of town homes but the work Is the same! This area hasn't baptized in a year and a half and right now we are teaching right now we are teaching two Family's we knocked into, one is on date and the other wants to be she just got sick, and then our friend Ryan who is on date and so God's fingerprints are just all over this area and it shoes what a little hard work will do for ya. We had youth night with the young men and we went out with two junior's handing out flyers and they remind me of me. It's a scary thing. We had a good time but also when we were done passing out fliers I got them in a huddle and just dropped some life advice on them and the spirit was present..I love them so much haha. The youth in this ward are amazing! Besides all of that here is what I personally learned this week. To be salt is to bring out the greatness in others and that Is my hope and dream. To be a light on a hill is to shine before others and Glorify our father in heaven! Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. I have felt like I need to have a direct impact on others because I love and care for others so much and when circumstances arise it may not be possible but knowing that just being me, being an example and letting my light shine does more for others than I'd imagine. My companion helped me recognize that my light shines and I am who I need to be and I love that. This principle these past two weeks have changed my life. On the exchange I did what I could and let my light shine and acted as salt. I am in a zone that is not very focused on baptism and it pains me to see especially when the zoneleaders and stlz are in my district and God let me know I was there for a reason. I will be a city on a hill and a light for all to see and the salt of the earth to bring that greatness out of others and impact the zone through baptism. I'm going to the temple today I love you all keep reaching out to me It makes my day, yall are awesome andddd "Stay Sweet"-Elder Williams