Je sais que le livre de Mormon est vrai (11/25/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

Yes the title of this email is in French and I will explain it in a minute. This has been a really good week. I guess that this week was thanksgiving week, but it has really slipped my mind. They don;t celebrate it here in the Philippines, but last year I arrived her on Thanksgiving day, so we had Thanksgiving dinner on our first night here. I really do miss it, but I have been so caught up in the work of the week that it didn't bother me too much. I will be glad to celebrate it next year with my friends and family at home.

We had interviews with President this week though my interview will happen at a different time. Since we are with President almost everyday, he does the interviews for the office and APs after the interviews of everyone else. I missed the training of the APs since I had a training via teleconference with the Legal Department on signing apartment contracts. I learned a lot, though I have already signed up 6 contracts just based on watching Elder B sign them. We then had a health and safety training from Sister Barrientos. Time to start up the old 72 hour kit! We then planned out our skit for Christmas Zone Conference, since our original idea fell through. We are doing a version of the Christmas Carol about a trunky Elder Scrooge. I am... a tree. The zone decided that since we have both an Elder and Sister Wood, adding scenery "wood" be easy. I am excited! After modifying the classic tale for the skit, I get to become one with nature. Our dance is also coming along well. Itik-itik is what it is called, or the duck dance. 

G told us earlier this week that he was going to be moving. And he did, though it may still be in our area. We are trying to find him again, but it is not an easy task with out any specific address and no one knows him since he is new in the area. We will find him though, this week. We also finally managed to contact a referral we have been looking for for over a transfer, Ab. We found her with the help of a less active (Bro. S) and the barangay officials he is close friends with. And as we approached the house, everyone seemed to know exactly why we were there and Ab was waiting for us. So we will go back this Saturday, with Bro. S or his son as fellowshipper.

The Sims all attended church this Sunday, though none of the other people we committed to come were able to. we found out last night that Th has been sick for a few days, which is why she missed the baptism on Saturday and Church. M, one of my former investigators that the Sisters in our ward have been teaching got baptized on Saturday! The Sim family is set on December 28 for their wedding and baptism. Please keep them in your prayers.

So to explain the subject of the email, Elder M and I are going to start teaching a French guy. The Elders in our district found him, but of course they can't teach him since he only speaks French. Luckily, Elder M is from Quebec and knows french, so president has given us permission to teach him. So I am trying to learn how to testify in French. I can't teach, but i will try my best to testify so that the Spirit will testify to him that the message is true. 

Well that is about all I have time for. We have some things to look for today in preparation for Christmas Zone Conference. I just want to end with a word of testimony about the power of the Holy Ghost in testifying of the truth. There is no greater source for gaining knowledge, for it is so personal that nothing can take the witness of the the Holy Ghost. It will testify to all humble seekers of the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of all Mankind and that Joseph Smith was his prophet. That is what is different between this message that any other message, is that we can promise that an answer will come to those who seek. it has come to me, over and over.

Elder Ryne Warren Wood

Zone Activity Pictures (11/18/13)

(11/18/2013)

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was a very polar opposite of the past week. For me it is a testimony of the love of our Heavenly Father and the importance of being patient in all things.  Just as was told to the Prophet Joseph Smith when he was in Liberty Jail, all things shall give us experience and be for our good. Joseph also once said "Every wave of adversity has only wafted me closer to divinity". I can testify of the truthfulness of that, not just in the past weeks but throughout my mission and my entire life. 

We taught this week! We had six lessons, so almost more that the past two or three weeks combined. We had a good mix of investigator and member lessons and I have so much that I wish I could tell you about all of my experiences, but if I did there might not be an end to this email, so I will hit on a few parts.

First G came to church after we invited him and taught him once. he really came with the intention of looking at the job openings posted by the ERC, but once he got into class, that seemed to leave his mind. He participated in all the classes, although I didn't get to see that since I was doing a baptismal interview during Gospel Principles. He and one of the sisters investigators (R) seemed to hit off well and I think that R explained to him some things about church that he didn't understand. He loved the experience so much. But as we found out last night, he is moving this week, still in Laoag but not in our area. He still wants to be taught by the missionaries though. He is one the path now and the Spirit is moving him.

Next was the Sim. We taught them 3 times this week are are planing to teach them daily. They have been struggling to keep their commitments, so we taught them about repentance, and we could see the Spirit testifying to them of the importance of repenting and trying to do better. And they have been! They have been doing their reading and praying and are coming to church all 3 hours now. T has made sure that his schedule at work does not have him working on Sunday. The Sister missionaries in our ward told us that during Relief Society all the sisters in the ward were telling Sister Sim how much they love her and want her to have the blessings of marriage and baptism. There was lots of tears shed during that lesson they said.

In connection with the Sim family is our new investigator, Th. She is the neighbor of the Sim family and they invited her on Sunday to sit in on the lesson. We taught the Restoration and she loved it! She is going to be joining in every lesson, so we have the interesting challenge to teach lessons that will apply to all the different needs, since that is going to be 2 long time investigators, 1 newer investigator and 3 recent converts in one lesson. With the Spirit it is possible though, as was shown last night. We focused on N and T and taught fasting. At the end of the lesson Th said she had never heard of fasting and wanted to try it. So we committed her to fast to know our message is true this coming Sunday and committed her to baptism on December 21.

Last quick notes before I close, we had an office meeting the other day and President basically told the APs and us that we are in charge of everything but food for Christmas Zone Conference. So we got to work and have planned out almost the entire thing. Super excited! And yesterday our zone began learning our folk dance for it, which is Itik-Itik or the Duck Dance. We also went sand boarding yesterday to close our activity and that was a blast! I will include a picture of our zone at the dunes. 

I know that this is the work of the Lord and that He is guiding and protecting all of his servants. My experiences are a testimony of that, as are all of the missionaries from the Tacloban Mission who are being reassigned due to Typhoon Yolanda. None are coming here, but all are accounted for and well. I love the Lord and his work. Nothing means more to me right now than my calling to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and he knows all of our trials, pains, sorrows and needs. Thank you for all of your love and support! Mahal Kita! Kita Kits!

Elder R. Wood

Photos (11/1//13)

Elder Oso, our office mascot ( Elder T's bear)

Driving in Vigan

The arch at Lasam after the Halloween typhoon

Home sick, Training Sick, Sick Sick (11/11/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

The title of the email sounds ridiculous, so I will get to that in a minute. It is how the other office Elders described my week. I want to start this one off by thanking everyone for the prayers and concerns for all the missionaries here in the Philippines. Luckily for us in Laoag, Typhoon Yolanda hit down in Visaya, so it is far from us. We did get some nice rain though, and I got to travel in it again. I love traveling in the rain. Is for fun. I know that your prayers helped protect those of us missionaries here in Laoag and that the people who were effected by the typhoon will be blessed by the prayers and faith of all those who keep them in their hearts and minds. Thank you all.

So this week was transfer week. And it was crazy! As transfer weeks are to be. I think I used that right. Anywho, I didn't do much with the actual transfer day itself (it helps when that is our p day). But it was with the Arriving and Departing missionaries that things got crazy. It started with the departing on Wednesday. My district had district meeting in the morning since we cant really swing it on Thursday and to combine with the other district means to have the entire zone together. Then we worked in the office until it was time to take the departing missionaries to the airport. Elder Bul and I sat in the back of Presidents van with the departing and I felt at first like it was my time to go home. Home sick. Then we ran a few errands and went back to the airport to pick up the arriving, only to find out their plane was delayed by an hour. When it landed, one of the first person off the plane was a returning missionary, who ran straight to his parents in tears. Homesick again. But it was gone when the new missionaries got off the plane

I love getting to see the new missionaries arrive every six weeks. They are all so excited and energetic about the work. They all come from such diverse backgrounds so it is awesome to see how they are all here with the same purpose, to assist in the work of the salvation of men. We all sat in Thursday night when the trainers and trainees found out who their new companions were. And I realized how much I miss being a trainer and want to have the opportunity to train again. Training sick. Then that went away as the power wen tout and I went with the APs to turn on the generator for the mission home.

I had a headache Friday and Saturday, but that is easily cured when you are traveling and just sit in an air conditioned car for 6-8 hours a day. It was raining pretty hard in Cagayan and some areas there still don't have power since the typhoon two weeks ago. Elder M drove most of the way, since he now has his license. 

One last quick piece of news for this past week. We didn't get out to teach because of transfers, so i am sad that I have nothing new to report on those I teach. But we had an awesome service opportunity yesterday. It was MLC and President asked Elder Bul and I to come up with some parlor games for the Zone Leaders and Sister Trainer Leaders. That was so much fun. Everyone was laughing so hard. I will see if I can send some video, Especially of President Barrientos, who could not stop laughing. It was great. 

Once again that you for all of the prayers and support you give to all us missionaries around the world. Sorry this letter is a bit odd. It was an odd week. At least I didn't have dengue. It was a great learning time and I feel that I have come out of it better. Maraming salamat po ulit sa inyong lahat!

Elder RWood

Typhoon-1 Mitsubishi -0

Elder Wood sent this picture with his family email from the Typhoon the week of Halloween. This is the sign from the Mitsubishi car lot behind his apartment building.

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