Howdy everyone!

So as you can guess from when this is going out, my P-days are Mondays. I am at the city library currently as we don't get our iPads until the end of our first transfer (so in like 5 weeks).

I suppose I should let you know where I actually got assigned to as my first area shouldn't I? Well my first area is in the Silver Springs zone, College Park district, and my area is the western half of a suburban town by the name of Laurel, Maryland. Laurel is located in the northeastern-ish part of the mission. It's been pretty nice here pretty much every day but today. Fortunately, the entire Silver Springs zone is a driving area so we have a car.

Also, for any mail or letters, just send them to the mission office. We don't check our apartment mail box at all.

My trainer's name is Elder Hill from Layton, Utah. He's been out about 13 months. He is quite an awesome missionary (and person) and is a really good trainer. Actually, me getting assigned to him further shows to me that Heavenly Father is really the one in charge here simply because Elder Hill's experiences thus far on the mission, have been able to ease my mind a lot involving several of my concerns. It's been rather interesting serving with him though because we are whitewashing the area (meaning we are both new to the area and therefore neither of us know the area at all). Also, he has been biking for the last 13 months so the drive from transfers to our apartment was "interesting" to say the least. (I also am not allowed to drive until the end of this six-week transfer).

We are sharing our apartment with two other Elders. One by the name of Elder Archibald, he's from Pleasant Grove, Utah and is on his last two transfers (he acts super trunky but is actually dedicated to enduring to the end), and his trainee Elder Bentley, who is from Caysville, Utah, and was actually part of my MTC district. They are the missionaries over the Laurel East area. We have a lot of fun, but also work hard.

We have a Seventy in our mission currently on a mission tour so we get to go to an eight hour meeting tomorrow. It should be a good meeting. The next day, we have a six hour specialized training meeting (one of two I have to go to before I can get my iPad/driving privilege). Those combined with the zone/district, leadership (my companion is District leader so he had to go to a special meeting), and transfer meeting last week means that for better or worse, I've only had one whole day of appointments/proselyting. Come Thursday, we will hopefully actually get into the full swing of things.  

Though on Friday, I did get to tract out my first street. That was pretty exciting. Thankfully the nerves of knocking on a random person's door went away after the first few times. Fun fact: apparently as a bit of a game, every elder out here has their own unique knock. Not so fun fact: the "shave and a haircut" knock is apparently indicative of a prostitute. I learned this after I knocked on someone's door with that knock. Fortunately, they weren't home... Needless to say, I now use a different knock :P.

For this transfer, our mission is reading through all of the Gospels in the New Testament. Thus far, it has been a great experience to be able to re-read the accounts of the Savior's earthly ministry and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so. Meanwhile, I've also almost finished reading M. Russell Ballard's book "Our Search for Happiness" (great book, I highly recommend it, it's in the missionary library), and am at Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon (the allegory of the olive tree).

I love the people here so much. Although I've had a few of those "I'm not interested so I'm going to tell you to go away then stare at you hostily through my screen door as you leave" moments. I can just feel the love that Heavenly Father has for each and every one of his children. I just hope that I can be able to adequately be able to project that love in my teaching. I know that this church is true and there is nowhere I'd rather be right now than out here on a mission. I love this gospel and the peace and joy that it brings to us. I also know that the Book of Mormon is true and that each time I've read it, I've grown closer to God by reading it and following it's counsel.

With that, I close for the week.

Sincerely,

Elder Sam Williams