August 12, 2013
Dear Family:
Hey! Will this weeks letter is going to be better than last
weeks ha. I still am not going to have near as much time as I did in Hemet. I
will give you a quick run down of the last two weeks. Monday Bro Reeves
got a trailer and brought me Cook and Hawkins all in his raptor to Riverside.
We also brought Elder Allen who was in Anza who is now in a neighboring ward in
Riverside. That night we went to Bishop Merrill’s house and taught a lesson to
the Silvas. They are converts of like 5 years, so it was a good first night for
getting doubled in!
Tuesday I saw Jessie Jorgenson from Roosevelt. I know him
fairly well. I am serving in the same ward as the Office Assistants (different
from the AP's). Here AP's just do trainings and are regular missionaries. The
OA's do all the moving and running around the mission. So it is kinda like
separated by the spiritual and the physical needs. We had a meeting Tuesday
morning at the mission office so we rode with the OA's. It was incoming day for
new missionaries and e-mailing the week before Skyler told me Jessie is coming
into this mission until he gets his visa. So the OAs left us here because they
had to run to the store to get a bunch of sandwiches for the new missionaries
and Elder Hawkins and I put a bike together. Then Jessie showed up so I got to
give him a hug. I didn't get to see Sister Graham (also from Roosevelt) because
she accidentally left her ID or something at the airport so her car had to go
back for it. But this last Friday I think they lost their phone so the OA's
took them a new one and talked to her for a little while. She knows who I am,
but I really don't remember her ha. I remember her face in her picture, but I
don't remember from what. Also we did a lot of biking.
Wednesday we also did a lot of biking. Our area pretty much
consists of a big hill. I am fine with it, most of the time I actually enjoy
biking it. Elder Hawkins hates it though, so it is hard to keep him motivated
to go up and down it.
Thursday I got your letter so I have a few questions.
Sharee, who is your new friend Kevin? You just talked about him/her, not really
giving any background. I dunno how I feel about them changing the parade to 5.
I am a creature of habit and enjoy long lived traditions, but I will get over
it. Other than that Longhorn Days sounds like it was awesome! Yes Mom after I
got to this area I was sad for like a day because I had Hemet going well for
me, but now I am starting to like this area a lot even though it is a lot
harder of an area. During the day we just tried to find people to teach and
weekly planned. That night the OA's called us and needed our help to go give
the sisters in Elder Spencer’s district a blessing. Sister Neilson is the brand
new one and was having some anxiety problems so Elder Spencer gave her an
amazing blessing. After that Sister Fia (S. Neilson's) comp asked me to give
her a blessing because she was having some headache problems.
Friday Dad should have gotten a picture text of me in front
of Roadhouse. Anita (Elder Spenser's
recent convert) took us all out to eat. That day I got to be a car missionary.
The OA's had to do a bunch of office work so they didn't need their car. It is
a 2013 ford fusion. It wasn't bad. I like the sport mode cuz you get to shift
instead of it being auto. It was just nice get a lot more done and not take
days biking up the hill. Also I found out Elder Haslem is from Vernal. He has
been out just over 3 months. I also heard that there are a bunch of protestors
at the Provo temple when the missionaries do their Sunday temple walk. That is
pretty stupid.
Saturday I don't have any notes, and I don't remember what
we did.
Sunday I got to meet a bunch of cool people at church. I found
out President Plocher (he is President Smarts 1st or 2nd councilor) is in my
ward. He is super cool. This church building has a real organ in it. So that is
cool.
Monday we went to Bishop's for dinner. We ate shark and it
was super good. He went with the young men deep sea fishing and that is what he
caught. It wasn't a regular shark though; it was just a spade head. It still
tasted bomb.
Tuesday we actually had some names to chase down because we
caught up with our ward mission leader who had been out of town. It is a lot
harder to contact people here. Hemet everybody is always home. It is also a lot
harder to get OYM's here cuz here people have a lot of money and just drive to
where ever they are going. After dinner we finished up our OYM's at a super
nice park and made some friends with some kids our age who were super good at
the guitar. Two of them played guitar, one of them sang really well, and then
the other guy played the cello.
Wednesday was Elder Hawkins B-day. We went out to lunch but
that is about all that we did for his B-day. That night we had dinner with the
Vance family. He actually knew where Myton was! But not Altamont. He sometimes
hunts around 9 mile, so that is why. That night we had a great meeting with
Bishop Merrill at the church. He is really missionary minded and wants to get
this area going. He is being a big support. He knows that this is a hard area
for missionary work so he is helping us work with the members a lot.
Thursday we had President interviews. It was what I needed.
Between meeting with President Smart and Bishop Merrill, all my prayers for the
last two weeks were pretty well answered. He gave me some good ideas for the
area I told me about the past of the area. He said they haven't seen success
here in a while. He also gave me some ideas on how to help my companion. That
night we were out finishing up our OYM's at a little shopping market next to
our apartment and met a pretty cool guy. He pulled up in a nice BMW blaring
some screamo music. Hawkins likes that kind a little bit so we were talking
about it and he overheard us. He came up and asked us if we liked that kind of
music and we started up a good little conversation. His name is Benton and he
is in the band Assuming We Survive. We talked to him about that a little bit.
He is the screamer for the band. They just got off of the warped tour. His band
is on tour right now but ended up having to leave because he thought he had
strep so he had to leave right then just in case he got the singer sick. Elder
Hawkins had him show him some music even though I didn't want him to. He showed
us his new CD that won't come out for another week or two, it wasn't half bad
though, however, it definitely drove the spirit away ha. After that we started
talking about his belief system. Then we got to teach him a little lesson. It
went ok.
Friday we chased the rest of the names the ward gave us.
That night our dinner cancelled and gave us money. I talked everybody into
Chilies and loved it! I got the same thing I always do on the 2 for 20.
Saturday we tried contacting part member families. I am
trying to wrap it up, it is the other elders turn. That night I met with our
new investigator Mary Ann while Elder Hawkins went and did baptismal interview
for somebody. I got to have a brand new missionary with me, so I really enjoyed
that. Elder Lunt from Farmington. We put her on date for the 31st, but then her
fellow shipper will be gone that day, so it is still up in the air right
now.
Sunday church was awesome. This ward is solid. We told them
about all the names we chased down and then they gave us more! I was excited.
Sacrament the talks were awesome and the same in Sunday school.
So some question from your last letter. Are their Elders
just in Altamont? Elder Hawkins knows the Langston family pretty well. I have
talked to Elder Langston’s dad quite a few times because his ward shares a
building with Fruitvale and Langston is in the Bishopric. Yes Mom you can send
pictures and yes keep doing it, I enjoy it. You can give my dirt bike to Ronny,
but I wouldn't put any money into it. Skylers brother and I took it apart and
the piston is shot. Jetson and I in Vernal one day went to the Yamaha place and
priced buying a new one and replacing it myself and for that much I could buy a
newer used one. Also what kind of cars are you looking at? Kia, Nissan, Honda?
There are a few cars from Nissan that are good, few from Subaru and Honda isn't
the worst, they make good dirt bikes though! I always thought that Dad would
buy something made in America? I have other things I have forgotten to tell you
about but I still need to write president a sentence or two. Love ya!
Elder Wood
