January
6, 2014
Dear
Family:
I
am going to have to write fast! I had an awesome week! And I am already short
on writing time...
Monday
Elder Hammond and I went to Riverside to get him a Cali driver’s license. He
didn't renew his before he came out so he can't leave the country until he has
a new one. It was also his B-day. He is 19. We went to the mission office to
see some missionaries there. We went with Elder Cook and his new comp to
breakfast even though it was like 10:30. He seems to be doing well. After that
we stuck our head in the Tyler Mall, but didn't have time to look at anything.
We went and E-mailed and then went bowling.
Tuesday
we had DLC in the morning. That is where the zone leadership gets together and
figures out what the zone focus and stuff will be. We normally have one a week.
This one made two, we had to do this one because the AP's were coming. We
actually had our zone focus already done and they made us change it... but I
like this one as well. That day we found a new person to meet with but he
couldn't do it that day. Carlos Nunez. He is married to a member. We had to be
in by 6:00 for the New Year. All the Elders got together at a church and played
basketball and board games. That night the Hoyts had tons of food out they were
trying to get us to eat. We didn't fall asleep for a while that night. We could
hear all the stuff they were doing in the next room. Right before midnight I
asked Elder Hammond if he was asleep. He said no, I told him that was a good
thing because he would have gotten woken up. Bro and Sis Hoyt were in bed as
well. The cousins and TJ (son) went crazy with banging pots and stuff. It was
super funny even though I couldn’t see them. The next morning one of the pans
was all messed up. They have some fun traditions.
Wednesday
we had "Mission Wide Deep Clean Day" We weren't supposed to be out
until noon. We had two lessons that day. This week Elder Hammond and I
committed ourselves to work crazy hard. We haven't had a lot going on in this
area and we made a goal to hit the standard of excellence. The standard is
kinda like the mission goal for number of member present lessons, total
lessons, church attendance, OYMs, that Pres sets for everyone. If I was to go
back to Hemet that would be so easy now that I know what I am doing, but in
this area, it is hard to get. Pres. sends an E-mail with everyone’s names who
gets it in a week and it is a pretty short list. It all started on Wednesday,
but we didn't make a whole lot of progress.
Thursday
we met with Logan and his mom finally let us talk to her about him getting
baptized. She is having a hard time with it. We are making some steps and he
should be able to do it this month. Later one of the sisters in my district asked
for a blessing because she was sick. Her first name was Erika. It was weird for
me because the only Erika I had ever heard of was Erika Willard. Elder Hammond
anointed. I accidentally said Erika Willard, instead of Erika Tucker.... She
didn't like that very much haha. We had a lesson that night with Carlos. We
have a lot of work to do with him. After that Elder Hammond got stuck in his
seatbelt. I still haven't figured out how he did it. But he got pretty stuck.
He accidentally locked it so when he moved it would just get shorter and
shorter until he was about upside down. I thought we were going to have to cut
the seatbelt haha. I told him I would have to cut his foot off so the fleet
coordinator didn't get mad at me for damaging my car. He got out a little
faster then. It still took him a while to get all the way out though.
Friday
we met with Mellisa and Delphina. Veronica is in the hospital so she couldn't
be there. It was a great lesson. I only have 10 minutes left on the computer!!!
Saturday
We had a lesson with Mellisa and Delphina again to help them get to church. It
took all the scriptures and testifying we could muster. We helped Delphina
exercise her faith. She can't really leave the house but she has to go to
church. It took a lot to overcome it, but we got her committed to church. All
we had to do was get her a wheel chair. Wheel chairs aren't that hard to find.
I found like 6 in the ward. The problem was we needed a big one. After calling
people all day and a lot of prayers on Elder Hammond and I's part we got one!!
It was a miracle in itself. We didn't get it to us until about 10 Saturday
night. We also met with Carlos but he absolutely refused to go to church. It
doesn't help that the ward brings his wife the sacrament when all they would
have to do to get to church is ask their daughter for a ride. That bugged me.
We have a lot of resources in the ward for him, we aren't dropping him yet. The
lesson we taught him was crazy spiritual. I still don't know how he denied us
in going to church.
Sunday I didn't think we would get the standard. We only had
3 people at church and we needed 4. I did lots of praying. We worked way too
hard to have that hold us back. We got a tender mercy. A former investigator
stopped in. I texted the ZL's. They said if I get a return appointment with him
to count it so I did and by a ton of little miracles we
hit the standard! I am out of time got to go!!!
Love ya bye!!!
Elder Wood
