Why do all the clocks show different times? (10/23/12)

Dear Family and friends,

Sorry to Mom and ABice that this email is not going to go directly to them as well as Dad. I'm typing this in the laundry room and I forgot the letter that has your emails.

So I have some exciting news. We found this out on Wednesday of last week, but I wanted to see if I could get more details before I told you. But I haven't so here it is. Bro. Stevenson who is over the Tagalog districts our our floor told us on Wednesday that our district has been selected to be a pilot district for a new idea that they are trying. Starting on November 5, we will be teaching lessons via Skype to people at the MTC in Manila in the Philippines. We were all so shocked that no one really said anything the entire time he was talking to us. He was also speaking in Tagalog so we were trying hard just to understand all he was telling us. We will be checking out laptops and teaching two or three times a week. We don;t know exactly who it is that we will be teaching or anything besides that fact that we will be doing it starting on November 5. I am so excited! To be able to talk to and teach native Philipinos and Tagalog speakers before we are there is going to be a great learning experience. We are all nervous of course and there is now a greater sense of urgency in our learning and teaching experience. This will probably replace our TRC teaching and possibly our other teaching, but we don"t know yet. I'm super excited and nervous and honored to be trusted with the piloting of this program.

In a week our branch/zone is going to be tiny. Three districts are leaving on Monday and Tuesday of next week and we won't get any more missionaries until the week before we go to the Philippines. So there will be a total of 18 missionaries for about three weeks. Chances of speaking in sacrament will go up by a bunch, which won't be a problem. I love sacrament meeting here at the MTC. Elder B and I were just called on Sunday to be the Sacrament coordinators, so it's up to us to prepare it and and ask people to bless and pass it and then we'll take it down. This Sunday was awesome. We saw Elder Bednar's devotional talk from 2009 called Recognizing the Spirit. He said that he is always asked how to know whether it is inspiration from the Spirit or just someones own thoughts. And the answer he always gives: Quit worrying about it! Be obedient, be a good boy or girl, work hard and have faith and the Lord will take care of us. He shared some stories form his life of experiences of not realizing something was a prompting till much later. Look up President Packers talk 20 Mark Note. I'm not sure If you will find it, but it is about one of these experiences.

I can't believe that I only have four weeks left here at the MTC. In just a few weeks I'll be getting travel plans and then heading to the Philippines! It's so crazy. I've learned so much but I still have tones that I need to learn. Time sure does work differently here in the MTC. Days last weeks and weeks last days. I love it here. the lord has answered so many of my prayers and I have felt the Spirit so strong. I have really come to love Elder B and all of the Elders in my zone. I doubt I would have been friends with any of them in high school, but here at the MTC they are my brothers. We have grown close as we have gone through tough times and good times. I'm so glad to count them among my close friends.

Thanks for all of your love and support. Thank you for your prayers for me and for all of the missionaries. The Lord hears them and answers them ins o many ways. I am grateful that the Lord has blessed me to have been among all of you that will read this email. God bless you as you seek and follow His will! Mahal Kita!

Mom and dad- thank you so much for your letters. THey really help give me strength. I love you so much! If i forgot to mention any thing, tell me so I cna make sure to tell you next week,
TWood- Congrats on getting to State! Sounds like it was a hard match, but you did your best!
A and MBice- Keep your heads up and turn to the Lord for help. Things will turn out.

Love,

Elder RWood
PS-All the MTC clocks are different!