Hablas Espanol?

When we got home from our trip to Canada the other day, this was waiting for us.... A big box!

And in that big box is everything we need I need to learn Spanish! I'm super excited! Ron already knows Spanish, so he'll be my private tutor. (Along with one of the missionaries at the MTC)...But I'm thinkin' Ron will be more fun!

Amen!

We are so excited about everything to do with our mission.  The revelation that we will be speaking Spanish during our mission was a very pleasant surprise.  I thought for sure I would be called to a Spanish speaking mission when I was 19, but was sent to Japan instead.   Now it looks like I will have my chance.   I am really looking forward to brushing up my Spanish and helping Kathy learn to speak it sufficiently for our mission purposes.  We might be able to get started studying this week.

A call from the MTC

A couple of weeks before we actually got our mission call I was getting the distinct impression that we would be going to a Spanish speaking mission. As I've said before, we really tried to not put our focus on any particular place, but I was feeling a definite Spanish vibe. If I would have said it out loud, I probably would have said somewhere in South America. Well, when our mission call came and we read Colorado Springs, I knew my "impression" was waaay off! Hello! You can't get much more "middle America" than south-eastern Colorado! So... the other day Ron and I were sitting on the couch, talking, and the phone rang. It was the MTC calling to tell us that even though our mission call didn't indicate it, we would be speaking Spanish in our mission. Also, they would be sending us curriculum that we should begin studying and we'll be skyping with a tutor right away. Ok, so sometimes my spiritual radar isn't turned off. Was this Heavenly Father's way of giving us a few days to wrap our heads (and hearts) around where we've been called, before tossing in the "learn Spanish" info? I'm thinking this is just another example of God's tender mercies. He gives us just what He thinks we can handle...and maybe sometimes just a little bit more to stretch us. We are blessed.

Attitude Adjustment

Through this blog I hope to be able to share our experiences, the ups and the downs, the good, the bad, and even the ugly. I want to be able to give you the reader, an idea of what it’s like to be in our shoes while we serve this mission. I will attempt to be as candid as possible while trying not to be annoying or offensive. I am about to reveal a not-so-attractive-bordering-on-ugly side of myself. Consider yourself warned. We filled out our mission papers and turned them in on June 7th. There were a lot of questions about things such as our health, work history, calling experiences, languages we speak, our financial ability to support ourselves while on our mission, prior missionary service, if we hold current passports, even our personal talents and abilities. They really want to know everything they can about the applicants so as to get a “good fit” for the assignment to be given. They also ask if there is any place in particular that we desire to serve. With much thought, we decided to leave that up to the Lord. We wrote on our application that “we will go anywhere and do anything that the Lord needs us to do.” That being said, I knew with all the talents that my amazing husband possesses, we would probably get our call to some exotic, little-known foreign country. But, we decided to keep an open mind and try not to fixate on any particular place. Hmm… We opened the big white envelope and read we have been called to serve in the Colorado, Colorado Springs Mission. Wait. What? I’ll admit my immediate thought was “That’s not exotic! That’s not little-known or even foreign!” I was ashamed of how I was feeling and I knew I needed a change of attitude. I got on my knees and asked Heavenly Father to help me to be able to see this assignment in a more Christ-like way. It was after that, and sharing my feelings with my sweet husband that I was reminded that we had expressed to the Lord that we will “go anywhere and do anything” that He needs us to do…and the “anywhere” He needs us to be is in Colorado Springs. Today I am humbled. Humbled that we are in a position to be able to serve The Lord. After all, it’s not about me anyway.

We have been called to serve...

We came home from our trip today and found this large envelope laying on our bed. It is addressed to Elder and Sister Ronald R. Williams, from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's our mission call! We arranged for most of our kids to be on Google+, (like Skype). We had Shannon and Dave on my phone, because they were on their way to Richfield. We also had Sonia on Ron's phone, and my sister DeeDee, on Google.

We have been called to serve in the Colorado, Colorado Springs Mission!

It was fun to be able to share the moment with our family when we opened our call. This photo is one Erin took of Christopher, with Ben, Tyler and Nathan, watching us read our letter telling us where we've been called. Isn't technology amazing??

Good News, Bad News...

Good news: We got our mission call today! Bad news: We aren't home to open it to see where we will be serving! Ron and I are still on our road trip and we don't know when we'll be home for sure... maybe Saturday, Sunday or Monday. I'd really like to be home by Sunday so we can go to our home ward. My friend Becki is teaching and I love her lessons! We'll keep you posted. Thanks for reading!