6 weeks!!!

Where has the time gone?  Williams Choro is in his 6th week in the MTC.  He is ready to go to Nihon (Japan).  Very excited....but must be patient!  He is learning so much in the MTC.  He says that their schedule is so crammed with things that he just doesn't have time to write anyone.  He says he barely has time to write in his journal at night.  Mom says, "Good!"  That is the way it is supposed to be!  Our family has a couple of sayings that we use often....."Suck it up!",  "We're Williams!  That's why!", "You are going to have fun whether you like it or not!".  They all sound a little rough.....but we smile every time we say them because they have personal family memories.  So Steven got a little "Williams Family" talk from mom on Thursday.  He is tired, exhausted, and wondering why everything has to be so routine and scheduled.....So mom told him...."Suck it up, Williams Choro!  You're a Williams!  That's why!  You are going to have fun there at the MTC whether you like it or not!"  It changed his attitude....as far as I could tell from his emails!  It brought smiles.

Elder Williams is really enjoying the Japanese language.  I think he is trying to teach it to us, but we love hearing all he is learning and he says that Eigo (English) is getting so hard for him to write.  He enjoys all of his teachers and says that they are so helpful and kind.  He is in the choir singing bass and loves it.  We are musicians, but not great at singing!  I am so happy that he is singing and really enjoying it!  Singing lifts the spirit and brightens a gloomy day.  We often sing out loud in our home and it sounds like howling wolves, but it brings joy and happiness! I probably shouldn't share the howling wolves part!? :)

Next Monday there will be some sister missionaries from Japan come over to the MTC.  They will be there for 2 weeks, just like the English speaking sister missionaries, then they will travel back to Japan with the Elders to begin their missions.  Steven says that they are so excited to meet them.  He and his companion were able to Skype the other day with a member in Japan.  He said it was awesome.  He learned that saying "you" to a person is rude.  You need to call them by their name and add san.  Her name was Yoko, so he referred to her as Yoko san.  He says that he is going to need to work on remembering names!  

He injured his ham string "showing off" (his words!) to sister missionaries.  He did the splits and his ham string popped. Yes, Steven can do the splits!  He is very flexible for a big guy from martial arts.  He is a first degree black belt and during exercise time he goes through his forms so he won't forget them because when he gets home he will continue in his testing for second degree black belt.  He went to the doctor and all is well.  He was just sore for a few days.  

Williams Choro and Bills Choro....hey...isn't Bill short for William?....I just noticed that!  Anyway, they have teaching appointments scheduled this week.  4 will be in Japanese and 1 in English.  He is very excited.  He has had quite a few teaching appointments while in the MTC and has loved every one of them.  I received a note from one man who said that it was great fun getting to know him.  

12 missionaries leave for Japan on February 10.  8 of them will be in the Nagoya Japan Mission and the other 4 go to the Fukuoka Japan Mission.  They are all very excited!

I may have shared this before, but feel it is a testimony of the wonderful Spirit of missionary work!  Steven shares, "The MTC feels oddly like home!  I think that is Heavenly Father's way of letting me know that I am doing the right thing".  How true!  The Gospel is HOME!  When you are doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place, you will feel like you are HOME!  I pray that Williams Choro will share that with the wonderful people of Japan.  Steven loves his family and is so excited to share The Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people so they can know that families can be together forever!  Not a day has gone by in Steven's life that he has not told each of us that he loves us. He says that he says it each night before he goes to sleep so we can know.  We do the same.  Families are forever and we are eternally grateful for that knowledge and our family strives each day to live for that great blessing!  

Keep up the Great Work, Williams Choro!   This is Steven's MTC haricut.  They do not do flat tops, so he said the man cutting his hair said he would get as close to a flat top as he could without breaking the rules!  Steven was happy!

Email day!!!!

Steven says that they are learning at the MTC at an accellerated pace.  It is awesome!  Elder Bednar came and spoke to them the other evening and he gave out over 200 phones to all the missionaries.  He said, "I know what you are thinking!  Don't you DARE call home!"  They were given to the missionaries so they could text him questions that they wanted him to answer.  How awesome is that!?  Technology shared by an Apostle of The Lord!  Steven said that it was awesome to be taught by an Apostle.  

Most of the elders in Steven's district have gotten the flu bug that is going around at the MTC.  Luckily he hasn't.  Steven is a hand washer and I am sure that is helping him not get the illness!

Here is a photo of his district he sent.  

Our Stripling Warrior! Dec. 2013

Williams Choro

Provo Temple

It is COLD and snowy in Provo, Utah.  Williams Choro (Elder Williams) loves it!  He and his companions got to go and walk around the temple grounds on their p-day.  The temple is closed until January 6....so he is excited that it will open before he leaves for Japan so he can attend a session in it.  He says that he is ready to go to Japan!  The "food is starting to repeat itself here at the MTC". He says that he loves the crinkle cookies though because they remind him of home and when we make them. That is the Williams in him!  It's all about the food! ;) He will be heading to Japan in no time!  He is sending home a video of him sharing his testimony in Japanese.  I know it will make me cry!  Happy tears!

Merry Christmas from the MTC!

Here is a photo of Steven's district in the MTC.  The elder behind Steven to his right is his companion, Elder Moulton.....from Texas.  Steven says that he is very respectful and kind and feels humbled to be his companion.  What more could a mother ask for?!  One of Steven's teachers in the MTC sent us an email and included this photo.  She says that he is doing a great job learning the language and tries to do better every day.  She shares that he is a great example to all those around him.  She is grateful to us for sending our son on a mission.  

Christmas was a difficult day for Steven, but I am sure he kept busy and enjoyed the visit from General Authorities.  He did not get to call home due to the number of missionaries in the MTC.....over 2,000!  They each got 20 minutes to email home throughout the day.  Steven took the time of 5:30 am (Provo time).  That is 4:30 am here....so needless to say we were not able to email back to him.  We did email back and forth on Tuesday though....his p- day.....until Jan. 3, then Thursday becomes his p-day.  It is great to feel of his spirit and feel his testimony growing each day!  

Steven shared that the two shirts that turned pink in the wash were cleansed miraculously.  When he got up the next morning he noticed that they were both white again???  Prayers are answered!

In the Doctrine and Covenants 4:3 we read....Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work.

I found this...."We all owe a debt of gratitude to the missionaries that brought the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ to someone in our family tree.  The desire to serve God is for past, present, and future missionaries, who are willing to wear the badge that identifies them as a defender of the faith.  Truth is treasured in this quote: In this family we serve missions."

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Notice....no sister missionaries in this district!  Steven says that they are bummed about that....but are getting along just fine.  Also, no elders from Utah in this district. They say that that is a first!  The elder to Steven's left, just in front of him is Elder Bills from Idaho.  He shares a room with Steven and Elder Moulton and the elder behind Steven on his left is Elder Schuh and he is from Brazil. He is Elder Bills comp.  Steven shares that they all get along great!