July 28th 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

I am just going to say right now that the end of the financial month is not a fun time for the finance secretary of a mission. It is the time of the month in which we struggle to even just get out to work like usual. It is alright though. The Lord has called me to serve here in the office of the Philippines Laoag mission and I intend to fulfill that calling along with the calling to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel. Of course, that calling to teach comes first above anything else.

We did have a couple of great lessons in the past few days. One was to Jr. and S. They were first found by the office Elders in our area last year, but they stopped teaching them for some reason. We met Bro. Jr. a few weeks ago and he wanted us to come and teach his family again. They are only available between 1:30 and 3:30, so we went over to their home right after lunch after district meeting. They live in  a boarding house in Laoag City, so they are in very humble circumstances. They really missed the missionaries teaching to them. We talked about how God is our loving Heavenly Father and how He has given us prayer as a way to communicate with him. They have personal testimonies of the power of prayer and shared some personal experiences with prayer. We are going to keep teaching them on Thursday afternoons and are looking forward to extending to them the invitation for baptism and helping them reach that.

We also had a lesson with E and R on Friday. This time it was Elder VB and I that went to teach them since Elder B was having to finish up the month end fiance report. It has been over a week since we had been able to teach. We did a thorough review of the Apostasy and E realized herself that a restoration was needed to have the fulness of the gospel on the Earth again. We talked about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. They now understand what the Book of Mormon is and why it is important for our time. They both committed to read Moroni 10:3-5 and pray to know if it is true. We also invited them to Church and they really wanted to come, but they had something going on this weekend. They committed for next week. I then asked them what they are going to do when they know that the things that we have been teaching them are true. E brought up baptism, so we extended them the invitation to be baptized on September 7. They weren't to sure at first, but then Bro. Santos bore his testimony about baptism and they committed. I love seeing to power of the Spirit working in peoples lives as they accept the commitments that we extend to them and then to see them begin to change as the recognize and follow the Spirit. There is nothing else like it.

We have a mini transfer this week and we will have to see how much were are able to go teach and proselyte this week. We are hoping for plenty of time and we should be fine. I was reading in Alma earlier this week, in the beginning of the war chapters. i love what Mormon says when he is describing the cause of the Nephites in going to battle against the Lamanites. He says " and so that they might live unto the Lord their God". When all is said and done that is the most important thing that any of us can do. Live unto Heavenly Father. Live the way he would have us live and follow his commandments. By turning our lives over to his will we truly find our selves and can gain life eternal. I know that this is the reason we are here on Earth, to be tested and proven as to our obedience and faith. I know Heavenly Father loves all of us so much and has given us the way to return to him, even Jesus Christ. I know these thing with all my heart.

Mahal Kita! Kita Kits! Keep up all of the good work!

Elder Ryne Warren Wood

Photos!! (7/21/13)

Elder B and his Chef uniform ( birthday gift from us)

Dragon fruit

Elder B's Birthday with the other office Elders and APs

Mang Inasal with new missionaries and trainers

Kickball=stitches...oops!! (7/21/13)

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a crazy week this week. I have taught the most I have taught since I got into the office. We have been able to make some great progress with our investigators, including E and Sister R. With Sister R, we went to teach her on Wednesday with the first counselor in the stake presidency and his wife and it was quite the lesson. She opened up to us and now we know what her concerns are. President and Sister Rafada shared some great testimony and she accepted a baptismal date for Aug 31. The we could see the Spirit working in her as we testified. The same kind of experience happened with Ethel. As we used the scriptures to teach her about the Saviors Earthly Ministry and the Apostasy, we could see the understanding in her eyes. She could feel the Spirit and we are looking forward to our next lesson with her about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. 

I am running a bit late today. We had a zone activity, but we found out late and were unprepared for it. Then we had a bit of an accident and Elder B now has stitches in his eyelid. who knew kickball could get so rough. Anywho, I have so much that I wish I could say, but I have to get going soon. It has been a hectic week, but it has been one of the best weeks. It seems like I say that a lot. The Lord has poured his blessings out upon me as I have striven to do my best in doing his work. He loves us all so much and knows each of us personal. He is never far from us and he knows our struggles and trials. He sent his son to help us overcome all of the difficulties of life and with him nothing is impossible. 

Keep on seeking for those who are ready to hear the gospel and keep praying to have missionary experiences of your own! Mahal kita! Kita Kits!

Elder Ryne Warren Wood

July 14, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

And we're back, live from the Philippines Laoag Mission office during email. WE are emailing a bit early today because our house is currently being sprayed for termites, which we discovered earlier this week and have been waiting patiently for our landlord to take care of. Apparently the apartment has had problems in the past and the landlord thinks the construction going on behind the apartment has caused the termites to go on the move again. It's not too bad, just by the back door over the kitchen sink and counter.

This week, as the week after transfers has been a great week. We have been able to get back on our normal Schedule of work and we hauled in lessons this week. Elder B and I got 16 lessons this week. The most I have ever had in the office is 10. 160% efficiency yeah! There is still room to get more and we are looking at having an even better week this week, with at least 20 lessons. We have been able to get to more of our investigators this week than in any previous week. We were able to get to E, Ni, the Sim family, Nanay R and a new investigator Mo. It was a great week. For our lesson with E we brought Bro. Ss, who is a less-active that lives in the next Barangay. WE asked him to come with us and then planned the lesson with him. He was super excited and jumped up after our lesson to go get ready, even though the lesson was not for another hour. It was a great lesson with E and we were able to help her resolve one of her concerns, about how baptism would effect her marriage. And she brought it up because of things Br. Ss said. PERFECT!

I am going to start training for finance this week and in the coming weeks. President told Elder B on Saturday to have me watch what he does and explain it to me. We are going to start doing that for 30 to 45 minutes each day for office work, since the work I have to do in the office is simple and quick. I am over apartments too currently, to reduce the amount of stuff Elder B has to worry about. It is only a temporary thing, so I'll still be doing it as finance. I still have at least two transfers till I have to take up the role though. 

We had ZTM this week and it was all about using the missionary daily planner to its full capacity. I'm really glad that that was the topic. It is something very basic, but is something that I have needed reminding about. I have started applying what Elder M and Elder A, our awesome Zone Leaders, taught and I can see the difference already. AS missionaries we are so blessed to have so many resources given to us for our work. Just as we are blessed as members of the Church. WE know about so much that others do not, like the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants and a living Prophet and Apostles. We are so blessed to have the restored Gospel and it is our duty to take that to all those who are kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.  We are so blessed to live in this time and to know what we know. Let us all do all we can to help others receive those blessing too.

Well it has been a great week, and so much has happened but I'll leave it at that. If you would like to learn more, feel free to email or write me. Keep up the faith and bee strong! Mahal Kita! Kita Kits!

Elder Ryne Warren Wood

There and back agian...and again (7/7/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

The week is over. It was long and hard, but it was one of the best weeks of my mission. There is never a dull moment during transfer week, especially when you have 28 arriving missionaries! Yeah!! There were moments of utter chaos and insanity, but it is part of life and it is something that we learn to live with and love. We have currently broken even on this transfer, with 28 missionaries departing and 28 incoming. Only 8 of the 28 leaving went home, the rest went to the Baguio mission with two of our zones. Basically we lost 28 Elders and got 20 sisters and 8 Elders (numbers are approximate). Among our new Elders was Elder B! He was in my district in the MTC almost a year ago but returned home. He is back out now and it was great to see him. Elder VB and I were the first missionaries that he saw and the look on his face was priceless. Man that was awesome. And his trainer is Elder T, who was his companion in the MTC! Crazy world!

One of the adventures that was part of the week was riding from the Airport to the Mission home, on the back of a jeepney full of luggage, in the pouring freezing rain. We needed to have a jeepney for the missionaries and a jeepney for the luggage and Elder B, Elder A and I rode on the back of the luggage one. It started raining as we left the airport parking lot and two minutes later it was dumping buckets and we were soaked to the bone. It was handy though, since we could help the new sisters get inside the mission home without getting anymore wet ourselves. I love new missionaries. They are so full of energy and enthusiastic about the work. The important thing is to stay that way for the duration of the mission.

The reason for the title of this email is that we went to Aparri an Buguey and back again, again. Just over a week later us four office Elders made the trip again, though this time it took two days, since we got a late start on Friday. It was a long yet enjoyable trip. The other Elders here in the office are awesome and it makes the time go fast when you are in a truck for over 10 hours.

On Thursday we did personal study with the new missionaries and I learned a bunch from Alma 34:8-16. This short passage is of course about the atonement and why it is central to everything Heavenly Father has planned. It is through the atonement that repentance is possible and we can return to life with God when this life is over. We have to prove our selves by exercising faith unto repentance so that we may be encircled by the arms of mercy. Christ has already paid the price for our sins. That is the more excellent way talked about by Moroni in Ether 12. " In the gift of his Son God hath prepared a more excellent way". I know that Christ is our savior and that by his infinite and eternal sacrifice we can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. All else in the gospel hinges on this fact.

Keep up the faith everyone and keep looking for missionary experiences. Mahal kita!

Elder Ryne Warren Wood

The board is set. The pieces are moving (6/30/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

It's Transfer Day!  I thought the Lord of the Rings quote was fitting for the day, though the transfer board has been set since Friday. It is the largest transfer in the history of the Philippines Laoag Mission. We have 8 Elders departing, 20 becoming part of the new Baguio Mission, 34 incoming missionaries, 9 new areas, and lots of movement of missionaries through out the mission. Luckily for me and the other office Elders, we no longer have to stand around the bus station and help people get transferred, so we can get an almost normal P-Day before we have insanity the rest of the week. Yeah! I love transfer time though. IT is great to see the new missionaries and sad to say goodbye to the departing, but it is part of the moving forward of the work. 

In preparation for this transfer day, I have done a ton of traveling. Everyday this week except for Monday and Saturday and Sunday we were traveling to deliver furnishings and help get apartments ready. We went all the way to Buguey on Wednesday, which was an adventure involving lots of dead ends, including one on a half completed road where we had to reverse for about 1 km  before we could turn around. Then on the way back at about 8 pm the van hit a rock and got a flat tire, we were convoying with the van and truck, so we all helped change the tire. That took a while. And then after two days of running on 10 hours of sleep, we all had the chance to have a normal rest and then we celebrated Elder H\'s birthday.

Last night we finally got to see the World Wide Leadership Training Broadcast "The Work of Salvation". It is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to watch it again and I encourage all of you that have seen it to watch it again and if you missed it watch it. Right now! I love how it is all about working with the missionaries and how we all have a part in helping in the work of salvation, in the work and glory of our Heavenly Father. I really liked the stories that were shared in broadcast, like President Monson's story about the little town in Canada where the faith of the members moved the work along so fast that the went from meeting in a little rented basement to a beautiful chapel in just 2 years. All of the stories are so inspiring and motivating. President Barrientos has really been pushing working with the members more for a while and hopefully now the members will start pushing too. I know for us missionaries in the Laoag 1st ward we have had a great increased amount of support from the members in the past weeks. Our new ward mission leader is really awesome and the work in moving along.

I again want to encourage all of you to watch the broadcast again and think about what you can do to apply and follow the teachings and council given to us by the Apostles and the Prophet. I know that the Lord will bless us as we do our best to move his work along. As Elder Andersen said, "This is His work and He will not let us fail". I know the the principles taught come from our Heavenly Father and that by following them we can all help move the work along. I just heard President Barrientos say we had 97 baptisms in the mission in the month of June. Just imagine how many more are possible around the world as members and missionaries work together. Good bless you all as you assist in His work! Mahal kita! Kita Kits!

Elder Ryne Warren Wood