Doon sa kuwan sa malayo (5/26/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

The week of insanity has finally come to an end. I do enjoy being busy, the only problem is that in such an insane week we only were able to get one lesson in. It was with Al who is going to be baptized with his family on the 8th of June. Due to transfers I traveled, and traveled and traveled. I already talked about the trip to Magapit to drop off missionaries and luggage, and to Vigan. I then got to go to Santo Domingo before the new missionaries arrived and Vigan the next day. I actually went to Vigan twice in one day, once for missionaries and luggage, the other for furniture. We the office Elders have decided that we should get a larger truck or a trailer, but I think we will live with what we have. 

Kind of a funny story about the second trip to Vigan. I traveled with Elder Van Brunt and we stopped in Santo Domingo at the 7 11 for snacks. On the way in we got ambushed by a crazy white guy talking about everyone becoming Roman Catholic and burning like fried chicken at the Second Coming. We tried talking with him but he wouldn't let us say more than about 3 words at a time. We finally said we were in a hurry and we had to go, so he left. The security guard, who had come over by us after the guy did, told us that that guy is always causing problems there. We both shrugged it off. No matter what people say, there is nothing that can shake our testimonies if we are firm. I have had many people tell me we are wrong, that the Book of Mormon is evil, that Joseph Smith was a fraud, but they are merely words. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and was translated by the gift and power of God by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was called of God to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ in the last days. Nothing will ever change this knowledge and testimony.

In other news the names of new missionaries just keep on rolling in. We have got 10 more names for the  next several transfers and they just keep coming. I like getting to see the incoming missionaries and helping them get under way in the work of the Lord.  We also got to see the departing missionaries off at the airport. That was actually rather hard to do, especially since one of them was Elder Tucker, who has been AP since before I arrived. They had finished their time though and it is time for them to move on to the next phase of life. I don't need to worry about that though, it is still a ways off for me.

Thank you all for all of your prayers for all of the missionaries. We really do feel them and we need them. Keep doing all the Lord requires of you in whatever duty he has given you and I know that you will be blessed. Mahal kita. Mabuhay kayo lahat.

Elder RWood