Jamie's New "Du"

Jamie's SOOOO Cute Haircut!!!!

Season's Greetings! Love, Hermanas Nielsen, Williams, and Morlock! (The tree in the background has a bunch of different flags on it. So cool!)

Feliz Navidad! sometimes Spanish makes us crazy!

All of the Hermanas in my district when we first started out in the MTC. And now I'm the only one left... It's still cool though!

Christmas lights! It's pretty much the only thing that's reminding me that it really is Christmas time. The MTC is such a bubble. Definately doesn't feel like Christmas - but it's still great!

My zone as of... a few weeks ago? We're always getting new missionaries or sending old missionaries off to their missions, so it changes a lot. I think this is a pretty good picture though.

Me! Can you believe I'm a missionary? I am so excited to share the Gospel with the Peruvian people! And I love the necklace, Mom! Thank you so much! (I got so many compliments on my necklace that day too!)

Picture of Jamie's Zone.

Jamie's trio!

Me! We have a "Happy Holidays" sign on our door, so this me, on P-day with my lovely "Solo" sticker on my name tag.

So because I am a solo sister, I can be with (my) elders without another hermana having to be with me. I eat lunch with my elders and will teach with them, and because of this, I get a lovely "solo" sticker on my name tag so as to not freak other people out when they see this sister walking alone with 6 other elders.

Another pic of me with my solo sister name tag. I'm beautiful!

My new roommates! Hna Porter, from Mesa AZ, is on the left (and I guess she went to London with Ilarene!) and Hna Young is on the right (and I guess she went to high school with Ilarene!)

Everyone seems to be doing their own thing in this picture. It makes me smile.

Our district (minus Elder Abbott, who was still recovering from getting his tonsils out) right before they (the Hnas) left. We're crazy.

I'm cute, and silly and funny. I love being a missionary! (And I love that necklace so much Mom! You're the best!)

What can I say? We get a little crazy here at the MTC!

My hermanas and myself, right before they left.

Jamie's Letter Dec 24th, 2010

Wow!! So I must say that I've had a pretty good week. We had our Christmas program on Sunday, which consisted of each distrcit (there are 4 of us) singing a Christmas song, and then having one person from each district share a scripture. And I played the piano for everyone. That was a lot of fun. My elders sang "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and it was awesome! They just sang it out of the hymnbook (en español) and just sang the melody. But with the piano accompaniment, they sang so well. I love being able to share my talents with everyone. I'm so excited to share music with the people in Peru. Oh-and one of the Branch Presidency's wife's brought me some Christmas piano music, so that made me happy. One day after lunch, my elders and I went into an empty room where there was a piano and I played the piano while they studied. I just loved being able to play Christmas music. That's one thing that I miss about being home, is being able to play Christmas music other than what is in the hymnbook.

So on Wednesday, I received my travel plans. And I went to the travel office to see if these were for real, and they said that thay were!! So I'll leave SLC on Jan 5 at 11:00 am-ish, and I'll fly into Lima at pretty much midnight, Lima time. I'll spend the night in the Peru MTC there, and then the next day or so, I'll fly up to Piura (at least I think I'm flying...that's what I understood). I'm so excited to finally be able to start teaching real people!! So that was exciting enough as it was. Then, I had my district leader, Elder Wolfe, give me 2 package slips, saying that I had 2 packages. So I went to pick them up after dinner, and on our way there, he gave me 2 more. So I had 4 packages. Awesome! My hna comps and I took them back to our room. I opened up the first package, and there was this strange looking bag. I pulled it out, opened it up, and just about died! I cannot believe that you actually sent me Cafe Rio!!!!!! It definitely was the best food ever, and I probably helped make many missionaries jealous of me and my awesome mother. So basically, Mom, you're awesome, and I love you. Not just because you send me cafe rio in the MTC, but because you're just awesome. Don't worry, I shared with Hna Porter & Hna Young.

So I feel like a fun little ball in a pinball machine. Now, instead of working with Elds Wolfe & Harris, I'm now working with Elder Abbott & Hyer. I think this will be a good experience. I think they could use my help a little more. I kind of have a problem though, because to this point, I feel like I have taught my best lessons with the Elders...and I'm not going to be working with them. Oh well!! I've also become a better teacher too, I think. I'm glad that I am here. I know that wherever I am though, that it is the Lord that needs me there. I have no doubt in my mind that if I needed to be in Peru, I would be. But He needed me here, and I needed to be here. My Spanish probably won't be as great as those who do spend 6 weeks in the Peru CCM, but I have faith that the language will come eventually. I already know so much!!! I can understand pretty much everything that my American teachers say in Spanish now. If it's a Latino speaking to me though, I'm kind of lost. So the next month or so will be quite the adventure.

Thank you so much for all of the Christmas presents! I haven't opened them yet, but I am looking forward to having a fun Christmas morning tomorrow. We're going to have a talent show/a firesire/a devotional, so I'm pretty excited for that. I'll let you know how it goes! This Christmas will be a different one, but I think it can be one of the best Christmas's that we have. Remember the Savior. He's the whole reason we celebrate this time. Without Him, I know I would be lost. I know that this Gospel is true. Have a wonderful Christmas!!
Love,
Hermana Williams

Jamie's Letter Dec 17, 2010

Hello!!

So this week definitely has been an improvement from last week! I am now working a lot closer with the elders. I have companionship study with them, and I'm teaching with elders now...are you confused yet?

So in the inner most turmoil of my heart last week (okay, not really-that just sounds fun/dramatic to say), I forgot to mention the fact that my companions (hnas morlock y nielsen) were scheduled to fly out on the 14th to the Peru MTC. We weren't sure if they were going to or not, because of visas and everything, but they did! And...who is left? Hermana Williams, the only hermana left in district 22C. So since then, I have become what's called a "solo sister" here in the MTC. What this basically means is that I don't really have a companion. I moved rooms (again) so now I am in a room with sisters in our zone that came in 2 weeks ago. When I'm in class, I do companionship study/teach/pretty much anything else we do in class, with Elder Wolfe & Elder Harris. They, essentially, act as my companions, although technically, a companion is always a sister (in my case-since I AM an hermana). I pretty much spend the whole day with my elders, but then at night I walk back to my room with the Hermanas that I'm in the room with. Basically I just have to make sure that I'm not alone. It feels kind of weird, not having a girl with me all the time. And sometimes I feel like I'm being "babysat"-only because I have to coordinate with different companionships when I'm going to be with them, and when my elders need to pick me up or drop me off. It's been fun though!

I have had a really unique experience here in the MTC. I started off like most people do-I had one companion. We shared a room, life was great. Then my companion left to Peru, and then I got stuck in a trio. I moved into their room, life was great. After that, my companions left to go to Peru, and now I'm alone. I've had all possible different companion experiences that I can have here in the MTC.

I really am so excited to be a solo sister. I get to work with the elders and help them in a way that I couldn't in any other situation. Elder Abbott got his tonsils out last Tuesday, and he has been struggling some-and I think I can be here to help him. I feel like I'm here now to help them. I think the Lord still needs me to be here in Provo. I did go to the travel office, and I asked them about my visa. They said that if it comes, they'll send me to the Peru MTC unless I only have a few days left in my training. I've decided that I don't want my visa to come just yet. Hey-if I'm here long enough I might get to see Cameron! I've told my district about Cameron and the fact that he's coming here. I'm so excited for him. Anywho, I don't know what is going to happen, but I honestly feel like I will be here for the next 2 weeks-ish or so.

Sorry this letter is kind of discombobulated. I have a bajillion thoughts going through my head at once. I love being a missionary. I love my district so much. I don't like thinking about the fact that none of them are going to my mission. It is so true that you love those that you serve. Elder Wolfe and Elder Harris have been so good to me too. I think they view me as an older sister, and they are very protective of me. Sometimes I forget that they are Cameron's age...but then Elder Harris starts talking about Star Wars legos at dinner and I remember quite quickly.

We taught in the TRC this past Wednesday. I taught with Elders Wolfe & Harris, and surprisingly enough, I felt like it was the best lesson I've taught while in a trio. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I finally go back to teaching with one hermana. My Spanish has been getting better too, because I feel like my elders speak in Spanish much more than the hermanas did. It was a pretty awesome experience.

Being here at the MTC during Christmas does have it's perks. On Sunday, we had the BYU Mens' Chorus come and do the fireside. It made me SO so so SO happy!!!! I didn't know anyone in the choir, but my heart was just so happy to hear music, and to remember BYU, and that it still exists! It was probably my favorite fireside so far. Music is just wonderful. It's amazing how music can heal the soul. Just a thought.

I'm so glad to hear that things are going well at home. My prayers will definitely be with Grandpa Williams and Uncle Cam. Prayer is amazing. There is so much power in prayer-I think it's something that I took for granted before coming on my mission. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission. The gospel is amazing. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. What better way to celebrate Christmas than by serving him.

I love you all.
Hermana Williams

Jamie's Letter Dec 3, 2010

To my dear wonderful amazing family and friends and anyone else who might read this:
This week has been a different one. Working in a trio is kind of different from just being in a companionship, but it's still good. I've officially been on a mission for ONE MONTH today! Kind of crazy! I only have 17 months left to change the world! (If my visa comes in time for me to do that...) As far as my visa is concerned, I don't really have any idea what is going on with it. I went and asked the travel office about it on Monday, and the lady there wasn't very helpful. It was slightly discouraging. I don't know if this will be the case, but I've sort of shifted my thinking to be that I will just spend my 9 weeks here. I'm officially half way done with my MTC time anyways (the people who came into the MTC with me and went English speaking are out in the field already!) I'm not worrying too much about it though. If the Lord really needed me in Peru right now, he would provide the way. As I am here right now, there must be something else I need to learn, and I'm going to try and take advantage of everything the MTC has to offer. My companions got their travel plans (again). Right now they are scheduled to leave on the 14th of December, but we aren't really counting on them going. On days that aren't fast Sunday, we get to watch Music and the Spoken Word, and that is a real treat. I take whatever music I can get here.

They do have some Christmas lights put up and a small nativity in the "courtyard" here. Every time we go back to our residence halls at night, I see them and they make me so happy. Right now the only real Christmas music is when we sing in class. I hope we start singing Christmas songs in Sacrament meeting this week. They just make me so happy. You'll have to let me know how Christmas goes this year. I'm sure it will be different, but I'm sure it will be just as good. Christmas is really about remembering the Savior and His Sacrifice for us.

I've had some cool experiences this past week. After transitioning to a new companionship, I had a rough time the first couple of days getting my personal and language study time in, just because I wasn't sure how my companions did things (since they were companions before). Finally, on Sunday I decided that I needed to just buckle down and do it, even if they weren't. On Monday, I spent an hour going over 5 verbs in Spanish that I've gotten confused (poder, poner, pedir, pensar, y perder). Later that night when my teacher came in and started speaking Spanish, I felt that I could understand 95% of what he was saying, even though he wasn't necessarily using those 5 verbs. The Lord really does bless us when we do all that we can do. I feel like I can understand probably 80% of the Spanish that is being spoken to me (granted, I'm not in a native country...I think if a latino were speaking to me, that number would be significantly smaller)...I can understand what I read just about as much too. I know that my Spanish will improve too once I get to Peru. For now, I'm just trying to use it is much as I can. We're supposed to teach the message of the restoration in Spanish this Wednesday...we'll see how that goes. I know it definitely won't be as good as it would be if I could teach it in English, but I know it'll still be good, and the Lord will help me.

We also had a cool experience teaching in the TRC on Wednesday. The lady we were teaching was named Donna, and she had been investigating the Church for a couple of weeks. She had gone to Church on Sunday, and had some people talk about the Word of Wisdom in Sunday School. She liked her coffee, and she smoked, even though she had tried to stop. We talked a lot about the Atonement of Christ and how it could really work in her life, how it is through Christ that all things are possible. We used a scripture in Mosiah 24:13-15 (go look it up) and related her addiction to afflictions. It was such a powerful lesson. We could feel the Lord's love for her and the Spirit was so strong. And even though she was pretending to be an investigator, it felt SO real! I feel like it was definitely the best lesson we've taught as a trio. We're still trying to work things out as far as teaching goes, but I know the Lord will help us if we ask.

I love being a missionary and studying the scriptures. Even though I've only been out for a month, I know that I have changed from the person I was before. I have more trust in the Lord that He will take care of me and those I love. I know that I'm doing what He wants me to do, and it's just amazing.

I do miss you guys, but I know you're being taken care of. You should write down the blessings the Lord sends you, and then I can read about them when I get back! I am so excited for what I get to do! Sometimes it doesn't seem like I'll ever get out of the MTC, but I know that I will end up in the field, teaching real people and invite them to come unto Christ.

I love you.
Hermana Williams