(email to family)

Howdy yall.  Elder Meyer and I had a super good week.  Hope all is well.  We are going to a Battle Ship today with President Crawford in La Porte.  Anyways,  We have an amazing investigator named Olegario.  He is getting ready for baptism on the 18th and wants to go on a mission!  I am so excited for him.  Every time we meet with him he just eats it up.  He was so ready for the gospel.  Now I would like to share some spiritual experiences.  We were out working on Thursday and everything fell through.  So, we decided to just knock a few houses before lunch.  Before we started I said a quick prayer asking Heavenly Father to give us someone to teach.  The second door we knocked a lady named christine answered the door.  She was really busy cleaning, but listened to us for a little.  She had just lost her job and was looking for a new one.  And she was looking for a church to go to.  It was awesome.  We gave her a Book of Mormon.  And said a prayer for her.  We then set up a meeting with her on Tuesday.  This next story occurred on saturday.  Every appointment fell through and it was about 6:15.  We were just going to head to dinner, but for some reason that just didn't feel right.  So, we kept thinking and thinking and then we had the thought to try a referal that we have been trying for the past 6 or 7 days and he has never answered the door.  So, we went and right as we got to his house he pulled up in his car.  He was in a rush and we set up an appointment with him.  Point is if we hadn't of listened to that prompting we wouldn't have been able to come in contact with him and would have probably just dropped him.  Okay last, but not least.  Sunday night we were out trying people and again everything seemed to be falling through.  So, we again tried a referal that we haven't been able to even talk to and there was this guy trying to move this big couch, so we offered help.  Well he accepted.  We moved the couch and right after started talking to his wife.  And, his wife has been looking for a church and hasn't been able to find one that was just right.  It was amazing, we set a return appointment.  I know that the spirit leads and guides all of our actions.  We should not ever call anything a coincidence because it is always the spirit.  I love this work.  I have been blessed in so many ways from it.  I thank all yall for the prayers.  It meant so much to me when I found out that yall always remembered me in family prayer.  Prayer is an amazing thing yalls prayers have definitely blessed my life and others.  I pray for yall every night and morning.  I hope all is well.  I love yall.   

Elder Willden

PS.  I figured yall would like to hear a little bit more about my companion.  Well, he is from Alaska.  He loves band.    He doesn't really play sports, and sometimes gets on my nerves because he is always complaining about how his back hurts or his kneck or his wrist or his pinky.  But, I realized this is just pay back for all the complaining I did at home.  Sorry about that haha.  Anyways he loves to work hard and is a good Elder. 

 (email reply to dad)

I have definitely been learning a lot about the priesthood too.  Its amazing the trust our Heavenly Father has in us to give us such a great power.  Sounds like yall are doing well.  I have been super busy.  We had the best week number wise.  We found 9 New Investigators to teach and taught 20 lessons.  I was really happy about that and want to do better next week.  I have found that as you excersise faith and endurance, through the lord's mercy he will pull you out of the darkness just before you break.  He has definitely pulled me out.  I love my mission so much.  I was reading in my journal last night and I have noticed how much I have changed.  I was a know-it-all.  And, I was pridefull without knowing it.  I have changed a lot of things.  I still have pride as everyone does.  But, I am trying to control and eventually get rid of it.  Pride as we know is the downfall of all men.  We see it even today.  I love your example to me and mom's example.  I will always keep all yall in my prayers love you!

Elder Willden

(email to mom)

sorry I forgot the cord for my camera so no pictures this week. I will have to send them next week.  Love you too!  How is Jesus the Christ coming.  I just finished Christ trial and Judgement.  It really disturbed me the condemnation the Jews put upon themselves by saying let it be on us and our children.  It truly did fall upon them we see that in history.  It is also amazing what christ went through.  He loves us so much.  No man could suffer as he did without losing his life.  Honestly we cannot comprehend what christ went through.  A demensional mind like we have cannot understand a demensionless concept.  I love you and hope you know you are in my prayers every night.

Elder Willden