Friday, July 25, 2014

July 25, 2014 - Rat for Dinner?

July 25, 2014     Email

Hi,

I'm out of the hospital.  I just stayed over night.  I'm fine.  I was staying with an Elder with asthma problems.

On the way to the hospital we saw a woman washing a huge rat.  I assume it was for dinner.

Hey Priscilla you should tell my friends to email me. Let them know that I have replied to their letters.  How are you?

Love you

- Elder Colt Williams

July 17, 2014 - Survived My First Typhoon

July 17, 2014     email

July 12, 2014 - Catching on to what people are saying in Tagalog

July 12, 2014     Day 9     Letter

Hi Family! 

Still haven't gotten any mail from y'all or anyone else.  "I'm just a poor boy, nobody  loved me."

We taught a new investigator today and we did great!  It went very well.  (They are actually teachers but they don't speak English)  He asked what Mormon's believe.  So I gave him the first four Articles of Faith.  Then he asked about the Book of Mormon.  So I had him read a couple paragraphs of the Intro.  Then I invited him to read the Intro and Moroni 10 for when we teach him Tuesday. 

But the reason it went so well was I really got to know him before we started the lesson.  Once I started asking about his restaurant we were friends.  I do most of the talking during our lessons not because I know more Tagalog than my companion, he probably knows more than me.  But I catch on to what people are saying better and I can think on my feet. 

My companion's a good guy and I like him.  But he doesn't talk much and doesn't really want to socialize with the other missionaries that much.  Which is good 'cause it give me more study time.

For lunch yesterday we had fish and rice.  A full fish - head, eyes and all.  It was ok.  Most of the food here is actually really good.

Marshall, You still working out?  All the guys terrified of you yet?  They so much as talk to Priscilla alone you beat them up.

Priscilla, how are you?  Tell me about dance camp.  Tell me about life.  Tell all my friends to write me. 

Love you tons!

Elder Williams

P.S. Write me.

July 10, 2014 - Giving My First Blessing

July 10, 2014     Email

Hi, I'm on.

Everything's going great. 

Funny story.  We drove to immigration and the driver tells us the four rules of driving.
     1. Fill in the gaps.
     2. First come first serve.
     3. Busses r always right.
     4. If the bus is wrong refer to rule

#3. Soo true.  It's crazy but you never see accidents or dents. 

I gave my first blessing the other day.  One of the sisters in my district (by the way I'm a District Leader) was feeling discouraged, so I gave her a blessing of comfort.  It was super cool.  I prayed for help before I gave the blessing, and after I started my voice steadied and the words flowed out. 

How's everyone doing?  I still haven't gotten any mail from anyone. Priscilla tell all my friends to write me!

How are you doing Priscilla?

July 7, 2014 - Write me

July 7, 2014     Day 3     Letter

Hi Family!  We had a meal without rice!  For breakfast this morning we had pancakes.  There were delicious!  I could taste the sugar. 

Two of my missionaries skipped a big workshop orientation yesterday and their name tags have been taken away.  I need to stress exact obedience more.

I've been here half a lifetime and still haven't gotten a single letter from you guys or from any of the people who said they'd write me.

The food's pretty good.  I don't trust most of the meat, but I like rice.

We had 2 fire drills today.  Only a few people died (none of them mine) so I say we did pretty good.

Teaching our investigator went better than I thought it would.  We used a lot of sign language, but we have him an "Aklat ni Mormon" and he said he'd read it.  We teach him again today, so we'll see how things go. 

Weather's been beautiful.  Rains most days but it clears up and if there's a breeze it's bearable. 

My companion isn't big on socializing so we spend our spare seconds in our room.

I used lavender and breath on the Samoan who snores and it worked miracles.  So much quieter and sometimes not at all.

Haha, I gave some Samoans some peppermint and they almost died.

Write me!

Love, Elder Williams

July 5, 2014 - Checking in to the MTC

July 5, 2014  Letter

Hello!!!

I made it!  So after you left me at the airport, I walked in and ended up finding eleven other missionaries, four sisters and seven elders.   One of the elders had traveled back and forth a lot so we didn't have any trouble on the flight. 

The flights were super rough.  We had a lot of people who had flown a lot and they all said it was the roughest they'd had.  We got to our hotel around 1:30 am and had dinner at KFC.  I had chicken, rice and potatoes with fries.  The fries were good, but I didn't really care for everything else.  And they gave us all cake, which was awful.

5:30 am we drove to the MTC in the coolest, and scariest ride I've ever been in.  There are no lanes (ok, there are but no one uses them).  And they use their horns a lot.  But I didn't see a single crash.

We got to the MTC and the next five hours were checking in and welcomes. 

I've been made a District Leader which is cool but more work. 

Bed at 10 pm.  One of my roommates is the worst snorer.  He was reading the missionary handbook before lights out and I heard him snoring.  I look over and he's asleep, still holding the book out over his head.

Today we had a tour and different classes.  I can almost say a simple prayer in Tagalog.  We teach our first investigator tonight!  I don't know how I'm going to talk to them, but we'll see. 

Oh, I threw up yesterday.  Probably the smell/food/heat.  I miss the smell of Utah.

Love you tons!  Tell Everyone to write me.

Elder Williams

July 3, 2014 - In the Philippines

July 3, 2014     Email

I'm here alive and well.  I met up with 11 other missionaries serving in Angeles at Salt Lake so my flight was a piece of cake.  The flight was crazy rough which was super cool.  KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) wasn't that great.  I like it better in Utah.  It's raining here, and I need to get back to the hotel so I'll write you about my adventure in a letter. 

- Love you tons, Elder Williams