HAPPY VALENTINES DAY MOM.
Thank you so much for the amazing letters and the package I got yesterday from you Mom and Dad. I really appreciate them so much. I love hearing about what's up at home and I love the little thoughts of the day kinds of things that you guys include in your letters to me. Your support has been so amazing to me. I love you guys so much. I pray for my awesome family every night and day and hope that through my hard work and obedience, I can help them receive blessings at home. I'm really sorry to hear about Troy and his allergic reaction to his medicine, I've been there buddy. I know it probably sucked but I'm just glad that you're better!
Troy Ryan and Sarah- Thank you so much for your letters to me this week guys. I loved them and it was so great to hear from you all. Ryan I remember the day President Wright told you about POW, and I've actually been abiding by that principle since day one. Thank you for reminding me about it. I'm glad that you did. It helped me get back on track whenever I was a little distracted during this week.
Well I leave Monday morning for South Carolina finally. I'm so excited to finally get out there and to start really inviting others to the things that have changed my life tremendously. This week has been so great for me. It was even better than the last week I had at the MTC! I've seen so many old and new faces. I finally got to see Elder Fisher on Sunday at the Sunday Devotional. I was sitting all the way at the top and he was all the way on the floor in the front and I could still make out his face from so far away. My heart pounded when I realized it was him. I went over to him as fast as I could so that I could just grab him and tell him how much I love him and how great of a missionary he is. It was so great to see my best friend a few more times before leaving the MTC. I'll see him one more time at the next devotional and then I'll have to wait for another two years to hang out with my buddies again. Elder Fisher will be a fantastic missionary and I'm so proud of him and his choice to sacrifice his life to help other families be together forever. I also have been seeing Elder Jones around the MTC too! I love seeing my friends here. It's such an amazing example of how the Atonement can change people's lives for the better.
So this week has had it's ups and downs. It's not that it was really sad or hard, but there were times it got difficult. Even though it did, I made the best out of everything this week, and I've really learned how to be patient with myself. I did become slightly frustrated at myself because I taught a lesson that didn't go very well. But I realized that I've only been a missionary for a week haha. I took a step back and looked at myself and made sure that this week that I would have patience with myself, my lessons, and Heavenly Father. This week Elder Rodriguez and I have had the privilege to teach a real investigator! His name is Chad. He is one of the most awesome people that I've ever met. He has been a proclaimed atheist for a long time and has recently come to the conclusion that maybe there is something or someone watching over him. He served 6 years in the air force and is currently working in an aviation metal factory in Orem. We've loved talking to him so much. He is an amazing person. He's served our country, loves animals, and I see alot of myself in him at times when we have had our conversations with him. The best part about being with him is that we really haven't even taught him a lesson at all! He is really just interested in meeting a lot of missionaries so that he can really see what this Gospel does to it's members. He's so smart and observant and he definitely sees how different Elder Rodriguez and I are. We've had really awesome and deep conversations with him. Last night when we visited Chad, we had amazing talks just about life and other normal things. At the end of our visit he told us, "I had a terrible day today. I even thought about not coming in and just going home because I felt really alone and down on my luck. I am so glad I decided to come talk to you guys today. This is something I really needed and it was really cool of you guys to show me how much you like talking to me and how much you care about me. This has been great" I'm so glad I made his day. I just want to be his friend and be an example and representative of Christ so that through my example, he can soon come unto Christ and know how much our Heavenly Father loves him. He's really looking into it and he is making amazing progress to Christ. I love that guy so much and I'm really sad that my last visit with him is tonight.
I know that if I just show some people love that it can help them feel the love that Heavenly Father has for them. I know that Jesus Christ would do the same thing and just be Chad's buddy, and help him whenever he needs it, and that's what I want to do for him. He doesn't really want to be taught lessons and he really wants to only receive lessons when he is ready to decide what he wants, and that's okay. I want him to feel loved and I would do anything for this guy. He is truly one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. I know that Heavenly Father is working with all 3 of us and I know that it's not just coincidence that I was referred to Chad. Missionary work is a work of love, compassion, kindness, and charity and it is 100% real.
And yes I can call you on Monday!!!!!! My flight is at 7:10 AM out of Salt Lake, so I will be at the airport around 4:30 AM. Once i'm settled in the airport I will call home! Expect a call from me at around 5 AM or a little after. I'm sorry it's so early but it's the only time I can. I can't wait to talk!!!
Love you all so much. I pray for you every day.
Love
Elder Bills