Building the Kingdom of Heaven

I should have known things were not going to end well when the Relief Society President introduced me as "Hermana Risso", the previous mission president's wife. Yesterday I attended a ward I have not attended very much. My husband had gone to his Lambayeque District for meetings with his counselors. This ward is close to our house and has some sister missionaries in it. Things went fine and smoothly until Relief Society. I was sitting with a sister missionary on my left side and a recently rescued (reactivated) woman on my right side. She and her family are preparing to go to the temple soon. Her 18 month old was very tired and a little out of control. I was trying to be nice and help her out, giving her pencil and paper to color, etc. Finally, the woman and child had to leave. There was nothing more we could do.


                                   We are official now! We have a welcome sign for our new
                                            missionaries. Our new assistant is Elder Perez.

Right at this moment, the teacher looked at me. In my mind, I was hoping it was not me she was really looking at, because I had no idea where we were or what we were talking about. Then she said, "Hermana Williams, would you help us and read the next paragraph?" I paused a minute and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm lost." The sister missionary at my side tried to help me, but she was obviously lost also. The teacher explained the page and paragraph and it still took us three tries to get the right one. I finally read it. No problem. It was short and not too difficult, although there were one or two words that I didn't know. She looked at me again. It got even worse! "Hermana Williams, what are your thoughts about that paragraph?" Because I had no idea what we were talking about, I really hadn't understood the paragraph at all. I looked at it stuttering, trying to figure out what it meant. Finally, I made some brilliant statement about needing to attend the temple again to do the work for others and then we would be blessed.


                                Edna and her newly set apart missionary son. She has two
                                children on missions now: Eric in Bolivia and Danny (daughter)
                                 in Chile. She is the Primary President in her new ward.

After I spoke, I looked at the page and the paragraph closer and realized that what I had said had nothing to do with what that paragraph was about. The sister missionary kept trying to reassure me that what I said was fine. Later, I related the experience to my husband and I said, "So basically for being nice and trying to help someone, I was able to embarrass myself. My husband replied, "And it won't be the last time!" I really appreciated his feedback!


                                                    Recent converts. Mother and Son. He dresses
                                                    and cares for his mom. She reads the Book
                                                    of Mormon to him. He is blind. Her husband
                                                    passed away just two weeks ago.
                                          

The Fourth of July really felt like a Fourth of July holiday this year. It is our third Independence Day in the mission and the last two we barely remembered it was a holiday in the United States. We had all the Sisters in the mission (there are 20 now) come to the mission home for a good old fashioned Fourth of July barbecue. The Fourth of July fell on a Monday this year which is our P-day. It was a fun privilege to have them in our home. They were so polite and very helpful. They insisted on helping with the last minute preparations and on doing all the dishes. It was amazing! They laughed and shared advice and war stories with each other. We had the traditional barbecue menu and two cakes for dessert, one for America and one for a sister who had her birthday the day before. The most fun part was that many of the sisters dressed up in red, white and blue. They were so cute! The Latina sisters were gracious to support "our" holiday and were excited to learn our traditions. The other great thing was that we were able to get a picture of all the sisters together. This does not happen often.

The Whole Group: Looking funny. . .

                                                      And Looking Nice!!!

                                               The Burger Master!

Lots of yummy food!

                                            Dessert. Star Spangled Cake!

Several months ago, maybe 6 to 8, I shared a story about giving a copy of the Book of Mormon to my hairdresser, who is a very nice, sincere person. He really seemed interested in it, but has made no effort at all to read it. About two months ago, my husband encouraged him again to read it and told him how important it is. About a week later, I went in to get my hair cut. I really did not want to talk about the Book of Mormon again. After we talked about the usual, how is your family doing, etc., I felt like I should say something, but I really did not want to! Finally I asked, "Have you been reading the Book of Mormon?" "Yes" "So what do you like that you have read?" "I like the teachings of Moroni about baptism." We talked about baptism and eventually I mentioned that I have a huge painting of Moroni in my office. I told him he should come with his family and see it and have a tour of the mission office and the church. Then he could even see the baptismal font. He seemed really interested and said he would like to, but needed to check with his wife.


                                  Teaching with missionaries is such a great privilege.

For some reason I started to talk about the fact that we have a Heavenly Father and that he loves us, that we are all brothers and sisters and that he is my brother. I told him that this is why we are here in Peru teaching the gospel, because we want to help our brothers and sisters. I told him that this doctrine has always and still gives me great peace in my life. Because I know this is true and it makes me so happy, I could not stop the tears from running down my cheeks. He was very quiet and did not say much. I left knowing that he had felt the Spirit and hoped that it would encourage him to want to know more. Two hours later, my husband and I were eating lunch and I got a phone call. It was him! He said that his wife had said that would be fine and they would really like to come the next day. We set a time and he clarified three times the day and the time. I was so happy and so excited that they had accepted my invitation! I was very excited all day.




                                     Celebrating an office birthday with lasagna. Elder Wright;
                                         Financial Secretary (front right). I grew up with his
                                              Grandparents, aunts and uncles in Modesto:
                                                                    The Hamilton's.

The next day, Mark and I were so excited again and went to the office at the appointed time. My excitement turned quickly to depression, because they never showed up and they never called. About two weeks later, he called me and apologized and said something came up and that he had not had cell service and could not call. (This is actually very common here in Peru. People can only afford so many minutes and then they run out for the month.) The next time I saw him I mentioned something about the Book of Mormon and tried to show him, but it was obvious that he had no interest at all. The only good that came from this experience was that I understood for the first time the real rejection that the missionaries experience almost on a daily basis. How can you share something so precious with all of your heart and have your message rejected? It is a very difficult thing to experience.



                                           Father's Day, June 2016. We were finally able to
                                            sit down and eat at 4:30 after a double session
                                            Stake Conference and then interviews for Mark.

A week ago, we had another experience in total contrast to this one. We went to teach a really special family with two sister missionaries. This family has three children who are members, but the parents are not members yet. Their daughter is actually serving a mission at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. The two sons have not been very active until recently when the mother started going to church. The problem for the Dad has been that he works on Sunday in a bakery, but he was to the point that he was going to quit his job because he wanted to go to church. The lesson was on the importance of the Sabbath Day and Mark and I, along with the sisters, had the opportunity to share how living this commandment has blessed our lives. The father explained to us that he knows the gospel is true because he has already seen how it  has blessed his family. He has seen the changes in all of them. He had talked to his supervisor at work and told him he would be looking for a new job. This family is very poor and barely has enough money for food, but he was ready to make this sacrifice for the blessings of the gospel. The next day, the parents were in church with their youngest son and the father bore his testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.

As I thought about the contrast of these two experiences with two different men and a completely different outcome, I could not help but think of the words of the Savior in the New Testament. It says, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Matthew 13:45-46) One man in this story is not willing to sacrifice in order to have the gospel. The other man has found a pearl of great price and has humbled himself and is willing to give up whatever is necessary in order to obtain that pearl, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings of eternity.




                                            Recent baptism of a true convert. He bore his
                                               testimony of how grateful he was to have
                                                           finally found the truth.

We are in the middle of interviews. It is so wonderful to talk to the missionaries. I used to dread trying to talk in Spanish and it was really exhausting, but it is just truly enjoyable now and I do not even think much about talking in Spanish. I feel so blessed, especially because I can communicate so much better with these special sweet individuals. One thing new I am doing, that has been such a choice experience, is asking all the Latinos to pray in English. Of course, many of them are reluctant and think their prayers are not good, but because they are so simple and sincere, the Spirit is so strong when they pray. It reminds me of listening to a child pray. I have always loved listening to children pray, starting with my younger brother Tim (who said the best, most funny prayers) to my own children and my own grandchildren. My two sons always said really long and spiritual prayers. They loved to pray. This has always been a choice experience for me. Praying with the missionaries has brought back many fond memories and experiences.



         An amazing group of Elders going home. Missionaries are truly angels who publish peace.

I know I have said it before, but the easy part of serving in our callings, as Mission President and Wife, is to love the missionaries. The missionaries in our mission are obedient and trustworthy. We have total confidence in each one of them and their ability to find and teach the elect. We know we can trust them to carry our the Lord's work each day. In my last Sister Leader Meeting, we talked about the miracle of missionary work. In Preach my Gospel it says, "When you have faith in Jesus Christ, you trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments. . .You accomplish what the Lord wants you to accomplish. You help bring about good in your own life and the lives of others. You are able to do miracles according to the Lord's will."




                                          Missionaries preparing for another day. We study
                                           in the morning, work in the afternoon and see
                                           miracles in the evening. Our Mission Theme.

I asked the Sister Leaders if they believed that they could do miracles and not one of them raised their hands. Then I asked how many of them had seen a great change in the lives of individuals they have taught. This time every single one of them raised their hands. I bore my testimony to them that they have done and witnessed miracles. I gave my witness that all of missionary work is a miracle and the Spirit bore witness that it is. How many other churches can send out 18-26 year old young adults to live a whole bunch of strict rules and depend on them to do the most important work in all the world?! I only know of one who has been able to do that: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is because it is true and it is His gospel, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I wish with all my heart that everyone could see the miracle of this great and marvelous work and take hold of the pearl of great price.

"I am with you even to the end"

I had a Peruvian experience a couple weeks ago, when I went to the doctor to have a cortisone shot in my shoulder. I have had pain in my shoulder for about a year and thought that if I didn't use it a lot that it would get better. It did not and it has steadily gotten worse. It got to a point where it was unbearable, so I gave in to the encouragement of my husband to get a cortisone shot. He had done the same thing just a few weeks before. I have had them before in my foot and it had never been too bad or painful of an experience, but that was in the United States...


                                          Weekly District Meeting. Studying the Scriptures.

I finally made an appointment and the dreaded night came. Most doctors in Peru see patients in the evening. Sometimes they show up for the appointments and sometimes they don't. They make other plans and let the receptionist know that they will not be there. The only way to find this out is to go to the appointment. They do not give you a courtesy call to let you know that plans have changed. We had a missionary who had a tonsillectomy two weeks ago. He went the appointed morning at 8:00 am and the doctor was not there. They told him to come back the next day! Needless to say, many of our missionaries have wasted a lot of time because of traveling, sometimes 30-40 minutes, to a cancelled appointment.

                                           The New Crop! We are getting much smaller
                                                                      groups now.

Luckily (or unluckily) my doctor did not cancel. He determined from a short examination that I probably had an inflamed tendon and insisted that I get an x-ray before getting a shot of cortisone. Then I would have to come back for another appointment to see the results. Mark and I both groaned. Mark begged the doctor to just wait because it would only take 15 minutes to get the x-ray. We hurried the technician as much as we could and when we went back the doctor was gone.  For our second appointment, a week later, the doctor did not show up. We groaned again. Our appointment was for 5:00. They were able to get another doctor to come in at 6:00. So we waited and then waited for four other people who were ahead of us.


                                                                     Happy Sisters!

The x-ray did not show any problem, so the doctor suggested I get an MRI (which is another big hassle) and then have therapy. Once again we groaned. My husband was able to talk him into giving me the cortisone shot, instead of an MRI and therapy. This meant that we would have to leave and go and purchase all of the medicine and needed equipment from the hospital pharmacy. Most of the doctors here do not have their own office, so appointments are given in an examination room in the hospital. When doctors are done with their appointments, they leave very quickly. There isn't much else to do when you don't have an office nearby. My husband asked the doctor three times if he would really be there when we got back. He assured us that he would.



                                                  Happy missionaries!

Next, we had to wait in line at the pharmacy. We needed to buy a needle, a syringe, gloves, lidocaine and cortisone. The pharmacist informed us that they had all of the needed supplies except for one. They just happened to be out of cortisone! My husband asked if it was possible if we could buy the cortisone at another pharmacy and they said "Yes" that we could. So we ran to our car out front and we rushed to the nearest pharmacy which was a couple of blocks from the hospital. Mark bought the cortisone without any problem (which was amazing) and we rushed back to the hospital. We ran back to the pharmacy and bought all the other stuff, then we ran down to the room where we saw the doctor, and you guessed it, he was gone! The receptionist assured us that he was visiting a patient in the hospital and that he would be back.


                                       Home Improvement Project. Building a little carport.

We waited about 15 minutes and he did come back. We sat down in his office and he began removing all of the supplies from the bag: A syringe, a nice huge needle, gloves and two huge bottles of lidocaine and cortisone that was all going to go into my arm. He assembled the shot and sucked up all the medicine into the syringe right in front of me as I watched. He didn't have the courtesy to do this in the secrecy of another room where I couldn't see the torture that awaited me. I started to get a little nervous. Next, he marked my arm with a pen. He slowly put the needle into my arm and kept asking me, "Esta bien?" "Si, estoy bien." "Does it hurt?" "Yes, of course! But only a little!" After about five minutes of injecting medicine, the doctor removed the needle and he was done. When we left the hospital, we really felt like we had accomplished Mission Impossible! The next day my arm hurt worse, but I tried to have hope. Gradually, it has been feeling better each day. It's not perfect like we hoped, but much less pain than before. I guess it was was worth it!


                                                    Tired mission president after a long
                                                    stressful day. Watering plants in crocs
                                                    and apron. What a sight for me!

It has been an amazing experience to witness the dedication of our missionaries. It has literally brought me to tears at times. Sometimes we have to insist that they slow down and take a rest.The other day, a missionary called me with symptoms of diarrhea, headache, weakness, no  appetite, etc. that he had had for about a week He went to the doctor and had some tests, A couple of hours later he called me with the results. About thirty minutes later I called him about his medication. There was no answer. In a few minutes, he called me back and said, "Sorry I couldn't answer. We were contacting someone." I talked to him about the medication and then hung up. I start thinking about this.  A missionary is told he is sick, then he immediately goes out and starts working. Sometimes we have to intervene and remind them that we are not supposed to "run faster than we have strength."


                                                  Sister leaders after Zone Conference

A week ago today, a missionary had an operation. The surgery was not until 9:30 at night. We kept waiting to hear from his companion that he was out and okay. At 10:30, my husband felt impressed that he should go to the hospital, even though it was past visiting hours. He changed his clothes and went to the hospital and begged the security guard to just let him go in for five minutes to see that the missionary was okay. She finally relented and Mark was accompanied by another guard to the room. When my husband got there, they were just wheeling the missionary into the room. The first thing the missionary saw after his surgery was his mission president thanks to the promptings of the Spirit.


                                          Four of these missionaries came in the mission
                                          field the same time we did: Elder Goff, Elder
                                           Hansen, Elder Lewis and Elder Lewis. Four of
                                           them came six weeks later: Elder Haddock,
                                           Elder Anderson, Elder Sheide & Elder Unruh.

We finished Zone Conferences last week. That is about all we lived and breathed for almost two weeks, but we felt like it was a success because we all felt the Spirit and we were edified. We focused on the Doctrine of Christ, Our Area Plan, the Missionary handbook (rules) and Family History Work. It is a proven statistic of the church that converts who go to the temple in the first year after their baptism are more likely to remain active in the church. So we encourage the investigators and new converts to record information in a "My Family" Booklet and then to go and do baptisms for these ancestors in the temple. Those who go to the temple have a life changing experience and want to have that experience again. This booklet has really simplified family history work and made it much less overwhelming.

                                                        Zone Conference Activity

Many of our missionaries shared the special experiences they had going to Family Search and reading stories about their ancestors. One sister shared that she has never liked family history work. But this time it was different. As she read about her ancestors, she was touched by their hard work and determination and realized that she is where she is in her life because of them and what they did for her. There is a song called "Nunca Pense" (its in Spanish) by David Archuleta about Family History work. One line says, "Now I understand why I am here." Family History helps us to understand how we got to the point we are at in our life and to feel gratitude for those who sacrificed so we can have the blessings that we enjoy.

                                                       Zone Conference English Activity

We had Elder Carlos Godoy of the Seventy here in Chiclayo to reorganize the Victoria Stake. It was a great experience. Mark and I spoke Saturday night (Mark in Priesthood Meeting also) and then got to relax and enjoy on Sunday. I was about to write the counsel that Elder Godoy gave in my journal, but thought I would share it here. He talked about the reorganization of the Stake and said that this is a good time for us to reorganize things in our lives that need changing. He quoted counsel that Pres. James E. Faust gave about how to have a strong successful family. He shared 5 points: 1) Have individual and family prayer (He also added prayer as a couple) 2) Hold Family Home Evening 3) Have individual and family scripture study 4) Pay tithing 5) Attend the temple and give service there. He promised that all of these things will strengthen our families. These are all things that Mark and I have gained a testimony of in raising our family. I know that all of these traditions are a great blessing to families.


                                          Mother's Day Gift from my sweet, loving husband.

Sunday morning he gave counsel to the youth and to converts. Elder Godoy joined the church as the only member in his family when he was sixteen years old. He shared with us that he had a long ponytail and always wore black when he joined the church. It is very hard for me to imagine him like that now! The two things that strengthened his testimony were seminary and the scriptures. He was invited to seminary at 6:00 in the morning and did not want to go until he found out that his future wife attended the class. That changed his mind. He said that she was a girl that always made his heart beat very hard when he saw her. He felt she was a person way above him and she helped him want to strive to be a better person. He admitted that it has been that way his whole life. It was a sweet tribute to his wife.

                                       Mother's day fruit salad. The creation of my husband!

I need to pay tribute to the man I have lived with for 35 years. He has made me a better person. He has helped and supported me through the many challenges of my life. He is the most faithful friend to me that any person could have. He has never said anything bad about me to anyone else. His love for me is the pure love of Christ because he only sees the good in me and his love has never failed. I feel that I have been extremely blessed to have the eternal companion that is perfect for me. I will be eternally grateful for him. Yesterday was our thirty fifth wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe we have come this far, that our children are raised and we have grandchildren now. But what a grand journey it has been. Our life together has been perfect because we have each other and the gospel. Perfect does not mean there have not been challenges and struggles. It means there has been good and bad and the bad is what makes the good so sweet. We need the good and the bad to make our lives perfect. We we look back through the years, the hard things seem to fade and the good things bring has wonderful memories and great joy!



                                                  Thirty-five years! What a Journey!

Yesterday was a perfect day because we spent it together. There is nothing very exciting to do in Chiclayo, but we had a picnic and enjoyed the beauty of the earth. Our missionaries gave us the most special gift that we have ever received in the mission. They brought us a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a huge gold envelope full of notes from every single missionary in the mission! I don't know how they pulled that off, especially without us knowing about it. It has been very fun to read their expressions of love and congratulations. We were so touched that they would do something so thoughtful for us. Our assistants Elder Pacherres from Lima and Elder Wallce from Arizona are very loving, thoughtful people. We are so grateful for them.

                                              Thoughtful gifts from loving missionaries.

As we draw closer to the two year mark, I have felt many different feelings. I have felt that the last year will be the best because the second year has been so much better than the first. The other day I came across a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants 100:12.  "Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice: for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end." In that moment, I felt the Savior's love and His encouragement to keep going, and that He has truly been with us, and will not leave us alone. For a few minutes I felt enveloped in His love. Verse 15 brought me comfort also, "Therefore let your hearts be comforted; for all things shall work together for your good to them that walk uprightly." I know that year 3 is going to be another great year for us!

Each of us are on a journey in this life, a journey to learn and grow and make our way back to our Heavenly Father. What a comfort to know that our Savior is with us. We just need to draw near to Him and He will draw near to us and we will be "encircled about eternally in the arms of His love." (2 Nephi 1:15) Another scripture that gave me great comfort this last week is D&C 98:18. After 23 moves, living in Peru and all the challenges of life, the thought that there is a mansion prepared for me and that I will dwell with my Father and my Savior, gives me such great joy. I know this is the Plan of Salvation and something I have known my entire life, but it becomes more and more important to me each day that I live and each challenge that I overcome. "Let not your hearts be troubled; for in my Father's house are many mansions and I have prepared a place for you; and where my Father and I am, there ye shall be also." What a wonderful thing to hope for! No matter what we experience in this life, it really will all work together for our good.

"How Beautiful Upon the Mountains are the Feet of Those that Publish Peace"

What does a Mission President's wife do? That is a good question! And one I have been asked many times. The interesting thing about being a Mission President's wife is that there are no set guidelines about what we are supposed to do. In most missions today, the President's wife takes responsibility for all of the health issues, and that is a big one! I had no idea the amount of ingrown toenails, sore throats, infections, parasites, constipation and diarrhea that missionaries get! Because of this, one of the most important things I do is to take telephone calls from missionaries who are having problems with their health. I give them medical advice, approve visits to the doctor and other tests, and approve the medication they are taking. I have to keep a record of each missionary's health on a site called Missionary Medical.

                                 Room check in Motupe. This city has a famous landmark, the

                                 Cross of Motupe. They say it heals people . . .                                                                      


It is amazing how being a mother of several children prepares a Mission president's wife to do this. Between me and my five children, we have experienced almost everything. When it gets to a point where I have exhausted very resource and the missionary is still not well, I have an Area Medical Adviser that I can consult with in Lima. These missionaries are experienced doctors from the United States and they are fabulous! I would not have survived without them. I have also learned  a lot through experience. I have learned about stomach infections, parasites, worms, fleas, constipation and many other fun and interesting things. It is amazing how much easier it is now that I have had almost two years experience. It still can be very stressful at times knowing that I am responsible for the health of missionaries and their lives when they are really sick. I have felt the Lord's guidance on many occasions and I know that he cares about the well being of each of His servants.


                                             Saying good bye to a wonderful missionary!

Another large responsibility I have is overseeing the Companionship Language Program. Every missionary in the world who does not speak English has been asked to learn it in the mission field. These missionaries have the help of the North American Elders - it is actually required. I interview each Latin missionary about their progress in English every three months. I give them encouragement and incentives to help them along the way. I give them a monthly writing and speaking assignment and they report their progress to me each week through an email. A few months ago only a few missionaries were really making any effort to study English in our mission and now almost every Latin Elder is making an effort. It has been amazing to see the culture in our mission change from one of not studying English to studying English.


                                                      Ward Cultural Dance Activity

I also spend a lot of time studying the scriptures and the Spanish language, when I have time, and writing talks and presentations. Writing a talk in Spanish takes a lot more time than it does in English, but it has gotten easier. We give a lot of talks! Especially in Stake Conferences. Mark and I do a lot of things together like attending district meetings, inspecting rooms, and holding the many meetings that are required. When we have leadership council each month, I am responsible for training the Hermana Sister Leaders in our Mission. It is interesting to me that I am training sister missionaries when I never served a mission, but I have found my experience as a leader has prepared me well to train them how to be effective leaders. I have also learned a lot through my study of Preach my Gospel and the Missionary Handbook. I also go work and teach with sister missionaries occasionally.



                                               Mark and I at a Viewpoint overlooking the
                                                                 Pyramids of Tucume.

The other thing I do is make a lot of cookies. We just finished interviewing all 150 missionaries the beginning of April, so I made over 300 cookies. It is a lot of work, but it is something the missionaries really look forward to. I am still a homemaker too! It is important to keep my husband well fed and happy. When I have extra time, it makes me very happy to serve my husband by making his favorite foods and dishes. I am also a sounding board for my husband when he is making changes. We plan and schedule everything together including multi-zone conferences, interviews, trips, and other meetings. Pretty much I do what my husband  asks me to do. Each mission is different and each wife is different. Some have more health problems and some have a lot of children with them in the mission field, so what they are able to do is much different than what I can do. It is really an individual thing.

Of course, I also make meals when misionaries come and go with the help of Edna and I train pensionistas, which is a lot of work. We train them every six months. The things I do are so varied. I like that every day and every week is different. And there is always plenty to do. I like, also, that it gets better and more fun every week. I am assuming that I will be able to just sail smoothly through and enjoy the last year!


                   
                               Mark had the privilege of baptizing a 22 year old girl, Stephanie,
                                    who looks much younger than that. She even has a baby!

When we hold interviews, I interview every missionary in the mission, just like my husband does. There are many wives who are not in a position to do this, but my situation allows me to do it. It is so much work, but always a choice, rewarding experience. We just finished interviewing all of our missionaries the beginning of April and they say the most amazing things. This time I recorded all of their words of wisdom so that I can remember them. A few of my favorite quotes are:

"Whenever things are tough and I feel down, I always find the comfort I need in the scriptures."

"If we are humble, obedient and doing the Lord's will, He can make us into what he wants us to become."

"I have always remembered the multi-zone conference when you taught us to search the scriptures diligently and since then I have always done it."

"I feel that when we watch and listen to General Conference, it's like we are up in the heavens, but then when it ends, we have to come back down to earth and to reality." (I love this; my feelings exactly. I am always sad when Conference is over.)

"I came to this mission to eat Hermana Williams cookies!"

"I love the message in the monthly newsletter. It always helps me so much."

Mark and I take turns writing a message each month. I don't think I have ever heard one other missionary comment about it. That one comment made it all worth it! If I know it is helping one missionary, then I can keep doing it! I have each of the Latin missionaries read a scripture to me in English. When I handed my scriptures to this same Elder, he began to thumb through them and he said, "Wow, I'm holding Hermana Williams scriptures!" They are so cute!

We have one small missionary (in size) who has a disability. He limps a little when he walks. I always worry about him and wonder how he is able to keep up and walk 5-6 miles a day. In his interview, I simply asked him, "Is missionary work hard for you?" His answer: "It's not easy, but it's not impossible." I thought his words were profound and I understood why he has been able to do this. I felt strengthened by his attitude. If we could all remember this, that when things are tough, nothing is impossible with the help of our Savior Jesus Christ. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13. I have thought about and pondered this scripture more than any other in the mission field. I even memorized it in Spanish: "Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece." It has given me so much comfort and encouragement. It is something we always need to remember.

A quote that has really helped me is by Neal A. Maxwell. He said, "The dues of discipleship are high indeed, and how much we can take so often determines how much we then can give." I put this quote on my wall and read it and pondered it almost every day the first year of my mission. It helped me to keep going at times when I was not sure that I could.


                                   Our "garden" with new table and chairs. We had a garden
                                      breakfast this weekend. It was so nice. The weather is
                                                much better and really nice right now.

                       

A little update on our house: it is great. We love it! All the air conditioning is fixed. All the repairs are done. It seems that other little things keep needing attention. About two weeks ago, they started constructing a house right across the street from us. It has been interesting to see this process, but a little inconvenient for us. They came and dumped 5 huge piles of rock for the cement and it is right in front of our driveway. It is very difficult getting our large car out of the garage. We are hoping the rock will be gone in a week or two when they start doing the cement work. It is a slow process and they work so hard! We love our little yard and we have planted lots of flowers that have been blooming. We have had (actually Mark) a few accidents with the weed wacker. Some beautiful orange flowers were hacked down and one of my rose bushes!

                                                          I "still" love my husband!!

                                                                Rocks! Enough said!

They have been making these forms for the cement for a

week now, all by hand. A very slow process.

My sister Deb and my brother-in-law Troy were able to come visit us for a few days. It was really fun having them here. They loved our house and said it was like a resort! We talked a lot, visited the pyramids and had a picnic at the beach. They attended a Stake Conference with us also. They enjoyed seeing the Buhos (owls) in our neighborhood. Troy especially seemed to enjoy this. Everywhere we went, he found Buho souvenirs, so now I have a small collection of them! Deb kept busy worrying about all the stray dogs. She had to check and make sure they were healthy and not starving. We were just relieved there were not many cats or she really would have had a nervous breakdown! We taught them to play Brian and Megan's card game, Nine Hole, and had to stay up until 1:00 am one night so that Troy could keep trying to win. He finally did the very last round we played the night before they left. It was a relief for all of us. It was really fun to have them here and we were sad when they left. If anyone else would like to come, they gave us great reviews on the food and the accommodations!

                                                                                                            Out to eat at the preppy place!

 

                             
                                                        Fun day at the beach!

"The Comfort of Jesus"

                                               Deb is a Sudoku Champion. We got her a
                                          wooden Sudoku game for her birthday and she
                                                         got to work on it right away.

Since posting my last blog, we have learned that the owls in our neighborhood are not baby owls, even though they are very small. They are full grown and are called "Burrowing Owls." That is why they hung our in the field behind our house in holes they dug under the sidewalk rather than being in nests or trees. It has been interesting to watch them. They have moved on to bigger and better things. We see them around the neighborhood but not in the field anymore. They really like some bags of rock that have been in the park for several weeks now.




                                           View from our apartment where we used to live.

                                                 View from the front of our house.

We went on a trip to Jaen to do interviews, visit rooms and visit a ward there. Our trip to Jaen was one of the most fun I can remember in a while. I have finally lost my fear of speaking Spanish and am communicating a lot better, so I feel like I can interact and be part of the conversation. Before, I was like a little fly on the wall, just listening and observing, but not really a part of anything. It was hard sometimes and not very fun at all. But it is much better now. We decided to take all the missionaries in the Jaen Zone out to eat at a burger/ice cream place and they were so excited! It is called Sabor y Miel (Flavor and Honey) and is our favorite place to eat in Jaen. Elder Pacherres told me on the way there, that all of the missionaries had been extremely happy and excited all day because they knew they got to eat out together that night. It takes so little to make these missionaries happy. They sacrifice so much all the time. It is fun to do these little things for them.



                                                   Beautiful scenes on the trip to Jaen.

                                                        Los Assistentes! We love them!

         A fun dinner in Jaen with the Zone.

                                                                               The view from a missionary's room in Jaen.
                                   


I had the most beautiful experience teaching with two Hermana Leaders the other night. We went to visit a family that has been through a tragedy and has suffered much. We taught three women of three generations; a daughter of 25 years, a mother and a grandmother. The mother's husband was murdered 7 months ago. She lost her husband and her daughter lost her Father. It has been extremely painful for them. They have struggled with feelings of anger and hate and have had to learn to forgive. What a wonderful experience to talk about the plan of salvation with them and to feel the spirit of hope that has come into their lives because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was able to share my feelings about my marriage and the temple. I told them that my husband and I know that our marriage is for eternity and that it is the most important thing to us. I told them of the peace I feel in the temple and the love I feel for my husband every time I go there. When I finished they all said, "How beautiful!"

This experience made me think of the words of Abinadi when he said: "And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their (the prophets') feet!

"And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace.

"And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever!

"And behold, I say unto you, this is not all. For O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people; yea, him who has granted salvation unto his people:" (Mosiah 15:15-18)

This gospel is a message of peace. I bore my testimony to these sweet sisters that the gospel is true and that every blessing is possible because Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. I assured them that He knows their pain and that He will be there to succor them. If only every person on the earth knew this, then everyone could have this peace "which passeth understanding." This is the best thing that a Mission President's wife has the privilege to do: To be a missionary and a representative of Jesus Christ and bear testimony of Him.