THE HOPEFULLY NOT SO BORING ADVENTURES OF ELDER WILLIAMSON CHAPTER XXXIV

welllll.. basically our whole mission is changing now.. we all got our own phones.. sooo it's just like the states now.. it's super weird.. only one of the phones has a chip tho, so i basically just have an ipod, buttt... *we had zone conference, and it was super weird, cuz it's the last zone conference of the president and his wife.. sooo we all have our own phones, and we're getting a new president *also all of our senior missionaries are leaving, and we aren't getting new ones.. sooo they're gonna have to start sticking elders in the office to do those jobs *we we're all kinda sick again this week.. i slept for like 4 hours on wednesday, so i didn't end up going out.. and the two who did go out were back after like 2 hours cuz my comp was dying *i finally found some protein powder to buy, and it's pretty expensive here, and it probably won't do much, since typically people lose weight in this mission, buttt may as well try *ok ok, one day.. umm lets see.. sooo.. basically my comp and i are walking from a lesson, and we're just down the jungle road that we take to get to a far off part of our area, and somewhere along the way this random lady on a scooter pulls up.. and she just says something about her eye, and how we can give her company for a sec.. or something like that idk.. and her eye looks pretty swollen, but i'm thinking she's about to ask us to drive her home or something (people here are very trusting with their bikes) then she kinda drops her helmet into the road (cuz they mostly don't really wear their hemlets here but they a lot of the time hAve it with them on their bike).. sooo i go grab her helmet and hand it to her, and then she just goes "there's something in my eye, can you see it?".. i look at her eye, and sure enough there's a little bug on her eyeball.. so we're like "oh wow.. yah there's.. uhh.. something..".. so naturally she just looks at me (yk, with the eye without the bug) and she's like "take it out!" and i'm like "uhmmm" and she's like "can you not? just take it out?".. so i do a speed scan of possible reasons of why that might not be a good idea, buttt there wasn't reAlly any real reason not to.. sooo i was just like "uhhh.. ok".. so anyways i'm digging around in her lower eyeball, and she's just sitting there all casual, and i'm asking her if it hurts and stuff, and she's all nonchalantly "no no it doesn't hurt, get it out tho".. so a little later i pulled out a tiny bug covered in.. ummm.. eyeball juices? orrr.. ig maybe it's tears technically? i'm not sure.. but she just thanked us, and said something about how the bug was a tiny mosquito, and then she just kinda drove away again, and we kept walking... *this week we've had some really good lessons.. were still cycling thru people kinda quickly, because we're having a bit of a hard time finding people who are willing to make the trip to church.. hOweverrr.. we have one guy who walks an hOur uphill (on that same jungle road as bug in the eye lady, he's the reason we were out there) to get to church.. and he's getting baptized in like 3 weeks, because he is sooo elect.. he dropped all of his bad habits after our fiRst visit, and he is blasting thru the book of mormon.. and also he walks an hour to church.. uphill.. *we have another lady who is truly searching for the truth, and she's so awesome! she told us yesterday that sometimes satan comes to her in dreams, and she tells him "i know who you are, and in the name of jesus christ, i will fiGht you!!" so were working on getting her all the lessons and everything so she can get baptized *and another lady is literally already a member (meaning she comes to church every week, and she loves having us over, and she's already doing missionary work) she just hasn't been baptized, because she lives with her x-husband (cuz she makes all the money, and he has a lot of medical bills and can't support himself or live on his own).. sooo we're working on getting that sorted out *buttt anyways, things are getting super cool here! andddd that's all folks, thanks for joining us on... anyways.. have a good week, love you guys! moroni 10:32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

THE HOPEFULLY NOT SO BORING ADVENTURES OF ELDER WILLIAMSON CHAPTER XXXIII

this week i have made a rather unfortunate discovery.. you know when you are eating cheetos, or doritos, or takis, or any kind of chip that gives you "cheeto fingers"?.. welll apppppArently there is so much humidity here, that when you get cheeto fingers, the air makes the dust that is caked on your fingers start to get wet.. and then it becomes soggy.. and i didn't wait long enough to find out (i was too terrified) but i'm pretty sure that if i had let it, it would have just started dripping everywhere and making a sort of chip dust soup.. which now that i'm thinking about it, that might be super fire actually.. buttt i'm not sure i would trust a soup that is made from only chip dust and soggy air... *we went to a little garden thingy on monday *my comp thought he could beat up the ceiling fan on full speed with his head... ceiling fan 1.. comp 0.. *we watched an old man sit in a chair.. then we were teaching the family.. then suddenly a giant angry duck came to fight the old man.. the old man won, and the duck was thrown back outside *on this same day, i got some kind of rash thingy on my neck because of a cat ig? *a different day there was some kind of giant spider on my neck *i went on an exchange with elder townsend *got sick this week for a couple days, but not bad enough to not go out.. sooo i just spent a couple lessons asleep, or just in a different universe *at this very moment i have the hiccups *i watched a lot of gospel library videos and movies and stuff this week, and there are some really fire ones *we had stake conference, and it was super cool.. a ton of people showed up from other wards and everything, and we got.. 3 investigators i think? but that's the most we've had since i got here, sooo we're making progress!! anyways, that's all i got this week.. good luck, love you guys! alma 53:7 And it came to pass that he did no more attempt a battle with the Lamanites in that year, but he did employ his men in preparing for war, yea, and in making fortifications to guard against the Lamanites, yea, and also delivering their women and their children from famine and affliction, and providing food for their armies. what are wE doing to prepare for war? to build up our fortifications? to guard against that which we know to be wrong?...

THE HOPEFULLY NOT SO BORING ADVENTURES OF ELDER WILLIAMSON CHAPTER XXXII

hi... *this week we've been rained on a ton *this week at smash burger i got a chicken sandwich *i did an exchange with my boy elder lewis over in pantoja *i also did an exchange with elder oyervides, who is brand new, and lives in my house.. that was super fun, he's a beast *having uber eats here is super dangerous.. especially cuz i have a ton of money right now (there were various problems with my mission money card, and basically i didn't get money 2 pay periods ago and had to use only personal money, whichhh meant i got payed double this last time).. annnd my card is the only one in the house that works for uber eats, so whenever anyone wants food, they just use my card and pay in dominican pesos (monopoly money) *this week i've been working on following spiritual promptings with exactness, and just dOing something i'm prompted to do, especially when it's inconvenient or doesn't make any sense.. i'm still working on the spEed part of it, like just doing it immediately, sooo usually it takes me walking past someone, getting pretty far down the road, and then having to say "ahhh great, we have to go back".. or like when i'm prompted to share a scripture that doesn't seem like it has anything to do with what we're talking about... howwwever.. every time that i'm willing to follow a little spiritual prompting (a ping) i'm getting the opportunity to show god my faith.. especially when i can't see whY i did something.. sometimes that's when it's the hardest.. maybe we send a text or call someone because we felt a ping, and it just seems normal, or even a little weird, but just because we can't see the whY never means that it was without reason.. as missionaries we do a lotta stuff that doesn't look to us like it was effective.. maybe we have to stop teaching someone because they aren't keeping commitments, or we talk to someone and they say they don't wanna learn about the gospel.. but god knows why that exact person in that exact time needs that.. soooo i wanna challenge you.. if your up to the task.. follow a ping today.. and if you feel like you don't get pings, prAy to get one, and when it comes aCt.. with speed and exactness.. don't put it off until you finish the laundry, or until you get home, or until.. idk.. just do it immediately.. and if you can't tell if it's from the spirit, ask yourself a question.. "is this from satan?" cuz if not, then what's the harm in doing it?.. just doooo it! that's all, have a good week, love you guys! mosiah 13:6-9 And he spake with power and authority from God; and he continued his words, saying: Ye see that ye have not power to slay me, therefore I finish my message. Yea, and I perceive that it cuts you to your hearts because I tell you the truth concerning your iniquities. Yea, and my words fill you with wonder and amazement, and with anger. But I finish my message; and then it matters not whither I go, if it so be that I am saved.

THE HOPEFULLY NOT SO BORING ADVENTURES OF ELDER WILLIAMSON CHAPTER XXXI

good day, how do you do?... *went to smash burger *kicked a metal thingy of sorts with my shin, and i think it got infected and stuff, so i might lose my leg soon *walked around in a pOuring rainstorm and found 5 people on monday *we got completely soaked, and my shoes are still drying (it's thursday) *we had some zone council *went on an exchange in the zone leaders area (my comp is the district leader, so i'll be going on a lot of exchanges this transfer (like 6)) *we found 4 people on the exchange *president is just really wanting us to find a ton right now, but that also means dropping people who aren't ready right now *we got soaked like 2 more times (apparently we're in some kinda drought tho) *but it's super crazy when the roads turn into rivers, and the rivers turn into.. ummm.. bigger rivers ig? *i'm just now on saturday connecting in my head how the wound on my leg got infected *this place is very dirty *so when everything floods, it turns into "poop water" (a term coined by my comp) *and then we have to slosh through it.. sooo i basically just walked through the most germ infested waters ever to be known, and it probably just seeped right into my leg *we also found the jungle that is in our area, so apparently this place has everything.. besides the beach, but that's useless to us anyways *also there is a gigantic cemetery here (the biggest one in the DR) have a good week tho, love you guys! mosiah 2:20-21 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another— I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

THE HOPEFULLY NOT SO BORING ADVENTURES OF ELDER WILLIAMSON CHAPTER XXX

how'sss it goin.. *we finished it off in cambita by saying goodbye to everyone, and having some good lessons with people *annnd now we're here in los girasoles (i'm in the capital now) *ok ok, i live in a residential area in an apartment *we have wAtEr pReSsUrE *we have a real washing machine *our desks are flat instead of slanted *my shower puts out water *my bEd is nicer for some reason *the other elders cleaned it sUper well before we got here *this used to be a sister area, so we live in a sister house *the mirror in the bathroom isn't broken *we have a basketball court like 3 minutes from our apartment *this area is super interesting tho, cuz we're in the residential area, but we teach in the ghetto *buttt i haven't seen any shootings or anything yet, so it's probably not that bad *there are some really cool people here tho, and we're about to make this area pop offff *also, since we're in the capital, we have regular restaurants *the first thing we did after getting here, was smash burger (and they go on every pday apparently, sooo.. basically i'm about to get used to this, and then my next transfer is gonna hurt (i'm here for now tho)) *soooo i'm basically just in a states mission now.. sorrrta *when i saw president at transfers he kinda hinted a little bit that i was going to the capital to be a little closer to real doctors and stuff, in case my body decides to die again at some point *i got my cards and everything, so i'm no longer just using coins to buy everything anyways, that's really all, i think, probably.. have a good week, love you guys... ether 12:29-30 And I, Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted, and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith; For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove—and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith go move mountains

THE HOPEFULLY NOT SO BORING ADVENTURES OF ELDER WILLIAMSON CHAPTER XXIX

*we went to muchas aguas.. it's 2 hours walking, but we hitch hiked a lot of the way there and back.. and then we did 2 more hours walking once we were actually there too *it's pretty cool, and everyone who goes through my area always has to go there, so now i can say i went right before leaving *yah so there's supposed to be transferrs news again this sunday, so we'll see if i actually leave, or if i stay for a 5th transfer *we had a "mission tour" which was just a regular zone conference, but with elder gabarett and his wife there.. he's some kind of 70s guy (mayyybe the area 70 president? i think someone was saying that? *we always get sick after the food at zone conferences which is super fun *we went to a surprise birthday party for a member, that wasn't exactly planned super stratigicaly, so it was a lot of rolling dough into tiny football shaped things to make "domplin" (sort of a dumpling soup?) and then throwing them into the giant pot over the fire.. and playing with the three crazy kids there.. and then playing with a bunch of random kids who live in the little neighborhood thingy sort of? that's around the house we were doing it at.. and then a lot of waiting for the member who's birthday it was to show up.. whichhh didn't happen before we had to be home, but it probably turned out well *we had a baptism on saturday.. first one of my mission.. it was super cool to be able to find someone, teach them all the lessons, and then watch them be baptized *we got transfer news, and i'm leaving for the first tlme.. going somewhere called duarte? so this will be interesting anyways tho, love you guys, have a good week! 3 nephi 14-15 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

THE HOPEFULLY NOT SO BORING ADVENTURES OF ELDER WILLIAMSON CHAPTER XXVIII

dodadooo.. dadodeedooo.. *played a lot of games with kids this week *i'm super poor, but i have like $2,000 or so built up in coins, so i've been using that *had an exchange with elder macdonald (which will probably the last time that ever happens) *i have been finding maria cookies in my clothing pockets all randomly *at first i thought it was my comp playing some kind of lazy prank on me *turns out the same thing was happening to him, and he thought it was me doing it *sooo we connected the dots like the geniuses we are, and realized that the only person with maria cookies is elder macdonald *and then also realized that he wasn't doing it consistently or anything, he had just done it all at once, and it took me like 5 days to realize that there wasn't someone just sneaking cookies into my pockets as i was walking around, they were just in my pockets when i was putting on the shirt *so anyways we made this connection finally, on the day that the other elders had to go to the capital *perfect day for retaliation *soooo we looked in the pantry for possible methods of getting him back *beans (probably too messy).. more maria cookies (pretty good, but overused).. dry oatmeal (super funny, especially if we put it in the pockets of his dirty laundry, and then he washed them, and then it turns into legit oatmeal.. again too messy) *so anyways we decided on dry corn (like popcorn kernels) *we put them evvvverywhere.. on top of the ceiling fan in their room (when they turned it on it rained corn).. in his shoe (just one of his shoes).. one in his deodorant (just one kernal).. a ton in his shirt pocket.. a ton in his pants pocket.. in his thingy of vasoline.. in his jar of shampoo (it's a mason jar full of shampoo, idk either).. some on his bed (but under the sheet, so you don't know till you lay down on it).. annnnd one maria cookie on his pillow just for good measure *so the point is, if i wake up dead one of these days (it was probably elder macdonald).. (probably not even on purpose, but because he took whatever prank he's gonna do back, way too far, and i end up suffocating under a giant pile of salamis or something *we also had a war with a gigantic bug that looked like a lobster mixed with a cockroach (see google photos for a video of me yelling at it, and us torching it to death) *we've had some super good lessons this week too tho, we're really growing this area (right as i'm leaving, which is how it should be, like leave it better than when you did be done finding it (i thing that's the boyscout slogan or moto or something (i'm not super sure, i think i'm still like a star or pear scout or something))) that's all tho.. love you guys.. do something christlike this week... alma 62:49-51 But notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before him. Yea, they did remember how great things the Lord had done for them, that he had delivered them from death, and from bonds, and from prisons, and from all manner of afflictions, and he had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies. And they did pray unto the Lord their God continually, insomuch that the Lord did bless them, according to his word, so that they did wax strong and prosper in the land.