Rain

Hello hello hello!

This week, I had some wonderful experiences! Also a lot of rain!

It's official: I have now survived my first hurricane (Named Joachim,

don't ask me to pronounce the name because I have no idea)! Which, due

to me being more inland, just meant a TON of rain and no sunshine for

the last week straight, and heavy winds/thunder and lightning for a

few hours. I'm still counting it as "my first hurricane" though!

As of today, I've been out for two months! This has honestly been the

fastest two months of my life. It's definitely been challenging, but

it has also been SUPER worth it! I'm so grateful for the opportunity I

have to be out here!

Back in August, Elder Hill and I found this woman named Ann, who

seemed super happy to see us and told us to come back later as she was

about to go to work. Well like a week later, we went and visited her

and it seemed like an alright lesson but after that, we just couldn't

seem to schedule a return appointment for the longest time so she

kinda fell on the back-burner until last Saturday when I felt like we

needed to call her. So I call her up and we set up an appointment. She

then proceeds to tell me that when we first found her, she had

literally just finished praying to God for guidance in her life when

we knocked on her door. Not only that but when we called her up that

day, she had again just finished praying for direction. So we met with

her this last Tuesday and taught her the Plan of Salvation and when we

told her that she is a daughter of God, that she lived with Him before

she came here, and that she can return to live with Him again, she

told us that she had personally felt and believed that her whole life

but never told anyone because she's baptist and they don't really

teach that doctrine. She also told us about all of these amazing

miracles she had experienced in her life and asked us if she needed to

be baptized again because she felt like the Spirit had been telling

her that she needed to for the last couple of years! So she's now on

date to be baptized at the beginning of next month. It is truly

amazing the ways that Heavenly Father prepares his children to receive

His message!

Another example of this happened on Friday at our appointment with

Lucie. We taught her the Word of Wisdom (along with a few other

commandments) and it turns out that she's been keeping the Word of

Wisdom already because she finds drugs, alcohol, and smoking to be

disgusting and she hasn't had tea, coffee, or even caffeinated soda,

for the last 13 years because she hates how caffeine makes her feel

when she has it. Once again, it is so wonderful the ways that the Lord

prepares people to receive  His words.

Speaking of His words, conference was AWESOME! I received so much

insight and revelation for my life (some of it won't be used for 22

months (like Elder Hales' talk, which was awesome), but still

fantastic nonetheless). I noticed a lot of the talks were on preparing

for exaltation and being worthy of the Holy Ghost and using Him as our

guide in these last days. President Monson really laid down the law

during the Priesthood session (both literally and figuratively), which

was awesome! It was hard to watch the very end of his Sunday morning

talk though... I'm super excited to see the three new Apostles give

their first formal conference talks as part of the Twelve in six

months. I think Elder Stevenson just might become one of my favorites,

judging off of his testimony (I also recall liking his talks as

Presiding Bishop).

I feel so honored to be able to have this opportunity to bring His

words to His children. This Church and the Gospel that it teaches are

true. I know it is. There is no way that it isn't. I've felt the

Spirit confirm this to me over and over again these two months and I'm

excited for the 22 that I have left to labor here in His service.

I want you all to know that I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Sam Williams

Washington DC North Mission

11700 Falls Road

Potomac, Maryland 20854-2823