BAGIO!! (11/4/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

It was a week never to be forgotten, mostly because of what happened on Thursday. It was Halloween, but it was a Halloween like I have never experienced before. Late Thursday afternoon, we had a Bagio move in. For those who don't know Tagalog we got hit by a typhoon. **Note from ABICE-NOT Typhoon Hiayan/Yolanda** And it was strong. It actually hit Laoag in the evening and I have never experienced wind so strong. The power went out Thursday night and didn't return until Friday around noon. It was rather difficult to sleep with the wind howling outside and throwing things around. We discovered Friday morning that the new Mitsubishi sign for the dealership being build next door got torn down by the wind. I am including a picture. The damage wasn't too bad here in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, but Cagayan got ripped by the storm. I traveled there Saturday to look at an apartment, and the damage there was bad. There were power lines lying the the fields, fields were flooded, houses and signs damaged everywhere. The biggest I saw was the damage to the arch at Lasam. It had been torn in half by the wind. I will include a picture next week. None of the missionaries were hurt, though some apartments have been flooded or damaged. President and Sister Barrientos were in Manila for the Mission Presidents Seminar with Elder Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, so us and the APs were the only ones here in the office during the bagio. 

This week was full of work in preparation for the transfer. I looked at 5 apartments and signed one. There are so many changes being made this transfer. President is opening up new areas, including one that has not had missionaries assigned to it specifically yet. The work of the Lord is moving so fast now. We have 29 missionaries to arrive tomorrow and 5 departing. I wonder what will be the next step in hastening the work? Only the Lord and his Prophet and Apostles know, but we are all excited to see it when it comes. 

So we had even less time to work this week with lock downs, but as the Zone Leaders noted, somehow Elder M and I had more lessons than the last week. Two of our past lessons have been to Al, our recent convert mission home security guard. And he taught us. We lest him reading assignments about the Fall of Adam and Eve and then Life On Earth and after one question "What did you learn from the reading?" he taught us both lessons. He understands so well what he reads and he sees and understands how it all connects together, like how he connected our life on earth with the gospel of Jesus Christ last night. It is amazing how far he has come since we began teaching him. The Spirit has truly worked in him and in his family. Every night we come to the mission home, he is studying in the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel and Gospel Principles. We actually talked with his temporary replacement Sunday night, since Al had the day off. We gave him the restoration pamphlet and then left two other pamphlets and a Book of Mormon on a desk for him. he texted us around 10:15 and asked if he could take them. Next time he is here, we are going to teach him about the restoration. 

That is the greatest thing about being a missionary, seeing the lives of others change as they become converted to Jesus Christ and his Gospel. I have seen it in members, less actives, investigators, and so many people. God loves all of his children and has given the way for us to come to a knowledge of the truth and receive all the ordinances that we need to return to live with him. His hand has been at work since before the world was and it will until all his children are redeemed. That is why he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to atone. That is why he restored his gospel in the latter days. There is nothing sweeter than the love of God and there is nothing that has more to testify of it. The Spirit will testify to us all of the truth and that will become part of us. It is part of me that cannot be taken or separated from me.

Mahal kita! Kita Kits!

Elder RWood