Photos (5/26/14)

Baptism of MJo

Baptism of MJo

Gonzaga Zone!

We really need to get potatoes today- Elder R (05/26/14)

Dear Friends and Family,

Whoa it has been quite the week! I will start with the best part of the week though, MJo's baptism! I have attached pictures from it below. It was a very nice, simple baptismal service. We had 5 investigators there (almost all of them are related to MJo or close friends). Bro Da, the second counselor in the Branch Presidency performed the ordinance. He has been fellowshipping with us a lot and is related to most of our investigators. Elder R and I also put together a musical number and sang. Good thing there wasn't many people there. Just kidding. It turned out really well and everyone felt the Spirit the whole time. 

We also found a few new families this week. We were finally able to make contact with a referral and ended up teaching the whole family. The Su family is awesome and have really been well prepared for the Gospel. There are 6 of them total, and the youngest boy reminds me of my little brother (Yes Ty that means you). He is just that goofy funny kid who makes everyone laugh all of the time. I guess every family has one of them. They are committed to baptism, but not on a set date yet, since Brother and Sister Su wanted to talk about it. We will be going there again on Wednesday and we will reextend o them a date for baptism.

On Wednesday we had exchanges with Sta Ana A, one of the district leaders in the Zone. I worked with the DL, Elder Ru, in Gonzaga. Elder Ru is hilarious! We had great success, especially in teaching to another family, out in Sta Clara. We have taught the mother of the family before, but this time, we also got the father to sit in on the lesson. We got him in because his wife told us that he had a question about what happens after Resurrection. Score! We taught about the Plan of Salvation and how God wants all of his children to have eternal families. They all agreed to a return appointment and we were going to go back on Saturday, but there was some extenuating circumstances that prevented us from going. Really sad, but there was nothing we could do.

We have also started to look for and teach more less actives. We have found some, and almost all of them have been less active for a long time. As in over 10 years. So we have some hard work ahead but we know that the Lord will soften their hearts and will open the way for them to come back and resume the path they begun to eternal life. Some of the reasons that people have for going inactive here just do not make sense at all to me. I know that God loves all of His Children though and never gives up on them. I never will either. It will not be easy, but to see them again enjoy all of the blessings of the Gospel will make all of the struggles worth it. That is where I find great joy and after the trial comes the witness. 

I know that this is the work of the Lord. I have never done anything in my life that is more rewarding and fulfilling than serving the Lord by inviting others to come unto Christ. I have learned that there is always more to learn and more to do and ways to improve. We are to become as our Heavenly Father and that requires constant action and faith on our part. It is possible in the end because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know he lives and he is the Only Begotten of the Father. He is the Way to our Father in Heaven. I look forward to the coming weeks and months and love eery second of this work. I know that we will all find great joy in doing whatever part we have been given in this work, no matter how small it may seem to us. Thanks for all the support and prayers!

Love,

Elder R Wood

Did you see those Huns? They just popped out the snow. Like daisies! (5/18/2014)

Dear Family and Friends,

Hmm. Where to begin for this past week? I guess with the best part of the week and of every week, the Work! Elder R and I were working hard this week to hit the standard of 32 lessons. We were close with 29, but the numbers don't mean much in comparison with the people that we taught and invited to come unto Christ. First of is MJo, who passed her baptismal interview yesterday and is going to be baptized on May 24. She is super ready and Elder D was really impressed during the interview with her. Well, she was coming to church and reading to Book of Mormon on her own before we ever met her. It is funny when we follow up on her reading and she basically says everything we were going to teach her or asks a question that is exactly what we were going to share. She is also referring lots of people to us, friends, family every one.

People have also began to refer themselves to us though members. The people who live around MJo and the Da family (Active Members), keep asking them if we can teach them too. We now have many baptismal dates in that area and 6 of our investigators from there came to church on Sunday (2 before we had even met them). They all just came in a group and loved it. One of them, CC, who we met last Sunday, just asked if we can move her baptism forward. We may consider it if she keeps coming to church. The Da family is really helpful also. Bro. Da is the second counselor in the branch presidency and he comes with us several times a week and they have also opened their home for us to teach there. June is going to be a big month in Gonzaga.

A few sad things that happened this past week. Two of our recent converts just moved for unknown amounts of time. We  have heard from different sources that they will be gone for at least a year, but we have had no sure word from them. One of them just moved in to the APs area in Laoag and Elder T told me that they are going to teach her and try to figure out if she will be going back to Gonzaga soon. The other one went to Bicol on vacation, but now may stay there to finish school. One of our investigators is also getting ready to join the military, so his progression has basically halted. I know that the Lord is looking out for them and will continue to provide the way for them to progress.

Well that is about all for this week. Nothing very out of the ordinary has happened in a while. Which is a big surprise, since here in the Philippines odd things always happen. It is really beautiful here. Almost every night we see lightning storms of in the east and we almost always get to see the very beautiful sunsets. Yesterday I read Alma 30, and I love the part where Alma cites all of creation as evidence that God exists and loves his children. I know that that is true and that all creation happened for one purpose, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I know that we have a Heavenly Father, who every action is because he loves us. He sent his Son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins so that we may return to him. The way has been provided, but it is up to us to walk that way by obedience to the gospel. I know that the blessings of the gospel exceed our comprehension and that one day we will truly understand all that God does and we will all exclaim, "My God how great thou art!" Keep up the work you are doing and always look for ways to give more! Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Love,

Elder R Wood

"Hi, I'm an American. Do you need a ride?" (5/06/2014)

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week have been awesome and I will describe it throughout. And I will explain the title, since it is one of the craziest, coolest experiences that I have had on my mission. Right now we are all waiting for our bus to go back to Cagayan. MLC was yesterday and once again, it was amazing. The focus of this month is increasing expectations through faith in Jesus Christ. The mission here in Laoag as a whole is doing really good, but as President told us (quoting the President of the Philippines) "Good enough is not good enough". We had almost one hundred baptisms this past month, but we should be at almost 200. There is much that we have left to do to improve. We are really going to be pushing this month to have all of the missionaries hitting the Standard of Excellence by increasing and exercising our faith in Christ. One thing that I have learned on my mission is how powerful faith really is. There is nothing that is the will of God cannot be done though our faith in Jesus Christ. Elder R and I later gave the FHE lesson (almost on the spot) about how our faith requires work to bring the desired results. We are super excited for ZTM and the chance to pass the trainings from President and the APs on to the missionaries in the Gonzaga Zone

Our area in Gonzaga is doing great. We found quite a bit on new investigators this past week and some really solid potential investigators. One of our new investigators is a man named Al, who was taught by the missionaries years ago. He is now married and has a young family. He was excited to visit with us again and was wiling ti have us come back. But when we went back he had gone to town to get some stuff. We are trying to get to him again this week. We also taught the brother of an member, Vin, who has been taught on and off for several years. He is actually reading the Gospel Principles manual and we know that through the Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ he will come to know the truth of the things that he has read and become converted to the Savior. 

MJo is also making good progression towards baptism on May 24, She got sick and couldn't come to church on Sunday, but she is still on track to be baptized before the end of May. Currently she is about the only investigator that we have that is making good progress. We don't have very many investigators with baptismal dates currently. We have plans to go out to an area that has been worked in the past and is prime for the Harvest from the sounds of it. The last sisters were not allowed to go there since it is very far, but President has given us permission to go in the mornings. We are still working to get the work of the members under way. There are lots of priesthood holders in Gonzaga who are willing to work with us, we just need to coordinate with them better. We are looking to have big weeks for the rest of the transfer. 

Now for a story to explain the title of the email. On Sunday we were traveling to Laoag for MLC with the Sister Training Leaders. We got off the vehicle at one junction and went to get on another one to head to the place we catch the bus when some one walked up to us and said "Hey, I'm an American. Do you guys need a ride?" The man's name is Av, he is an African American from Portland, Oregon who is here with his wife for the rice harvest. He is an Army reservist and he and his wife drove us the 25 minutes to the junction at Magapit. He was super friendly. When we got to Magapit, we gave him a restoration pamphlet and he swapped numbers with the Sisters whose area he and his wife live in. Hopefully we will hear more about him next month and he will accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that God works in mysterious ways and that  he works through many different means to prepare His children for and introduce them to the gospel. I have seen and met countless people here and I know that God is constantly at work preparing them to receive the restored gospel. So to close, I just want to invite you all to take the opportunity this week to share the gospel with some one you meet for the first time. I know that as you do this God will open their heart and they will feel His love and begin their journey to live with Him again. This is his work and we are all a part of it. 

Thank you for all of the prayers and support!

Love,

Elder R Wood