Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Upland, California -July 29, 2013

Hello there
 
First off, I totally called that Ian was the ward organist, and I literally laughed out loud when I read it.  That is really funny, and that is the exact reason that I refused to learn how to play the organ.  I never ever wanted that calling, and I will never ever want that calling.  So sorry you have Ian.
 
Well I am glad to hear that most of your days have been filled with fun.  I can't believe that you got so many kids to go and move chickens.  That is a miracle in it self.  So mom got stuck home with Zander and Gislene then? Lucky her.  My talk went pretty well.  I am so glad that I got that stuff about William Woodward.  We ran out of time to go to the library to look some stuff up, so Sunday mornings we were writing out talks...sounds normal right? But it went well.  I was able to fill up my time and time missionary work into pioneers and faith just fine.  We got a whole lot of compliments afterwards on them.  So that made me feel better about it.  Luckily I got to go first, which is my favorite.  hah That made it better.
 
I have not had anything too interesting to eat here...honestly everyone just feeds us tacos and hamburgers , and since beef is my favorite, I am just loving it.  But truthfully I am learning to like hamburgers...something I never thought I would say.  The worst thing I have had out here is a moldy hamburger bun.  That is as awful as it gets.  Nothing to odd or weird.  If I come across something yummy, I will get the receipe to you
My first day in the field Zach Tyler came up to me and introduced himself.  His brother was marrying a friend of mine and they told him to find me.  That was the last time I have seen him though.  I will keep an eye out for him. 
 
This week has been interesting.  The work was still slow, but some pretty cool things have happened.  I know I haven't really told you, but I have been going through some hard times.  Satan has been working really hard on me.  I didn't really tell anyone. I just kept praying and tried to deal with it myself.  Last week, in the library, the icing on the cake happened and I started to cry.  Luckily, the other missionaries were on a hike and no one saw.  I emailed a sister that I was in the MTC with and told her though.  The next day, she happened to be going on exchanges with my companion.  I forgot to mention to her not to tell Sister Haupt and so my companion found out.  She called me up that night and talked to me on the phone for a while.  The next night, she basically cornered me in my apartment and forced me to tell her what was going on.  I broke down and told her everything.  She was very inspired and told me some wonderful things. 
 
The next day Sister Haupt called the mission presidents wife and set up an appointment for me to go in and get a blessing.  We  went in just a few hours later.  The mission president and his wife (both who I love so much) were there along with my companions.  I told Pres Hobbs what was going on and he talked to me for about half an hour.  Then he gave me a blessing.  Sister Haupt wrote it all down for me.  Afterwards Sister Haupt asked to speak to me alone. The two of us were sitting in the presidents office and she told me about how she had a hard time at the beginning of her mission.  She had gotten a priesthood blessing from her zone leaders and in it it said that there were people here that she knew in the pre exsistence that she promised she would help through mortality and that she would meet them on her mission.  She told me that the night before, she had been praying and had received revelation that I was one of them.  She had known me in the pre existance and promised to help me through life.  How cool is that? She said she thought it was weird that we clicked so fast and so easily, and now we know why.  We were buddies before we came here.  Sister Haupt is just amazing and I am so glad she is my companion.  I really hate that I only have two more weeks with her.  I hope that before she goes home, I will be able to be her companion again.
 
Since I have asked people for help, and gotten a blessing, things are much much better for me.  Life is going lots more smoothly these days.  I can feel the Lord helping me through.  I know that my prayers as well as the prayers in my behalf are being answered and that things will be better.  I just had to have a few rough weeks and things are going back up now and I am very grateful for that.  I am so glad that I have Sister Haupt and that she can help me so much.
 
On Sunday, we went to Gospel Principals and there was a guy and his girlfriend in there.  He acted as if he were a member.  They both commented a lot and he was even quoting scriptures.  Afterwards we decided to talk to them.  Neither of them are members.  He was raised a member, but was ex communicated.  She has never been a member.  He told us he was going to call us to set up an appointment for the next week because they both want to be baptized.  She has taken the lessons before.  So we are excited to see where things will go with them.  It was a pretty awesome miracle!!
 
So this week there are lots of good things that have happened. It has been good and bad.  We are going to have a nerf gun war for zone sports so we will see how that goes...haha we do some crazy things in this zone.  I am loving it.  This transfer has gone by so quickly.  I can't believe it is basically over.  If it weren't for the extra week this transfer, this would be our last transfer.  I am very grateful we have another week. 
 
Interesting tid bit...every single night at Disneyland, they pull up all the flowers and plant new ones in there. Crazy huh? Who woulda guessed.  Lots goes on behind the scenes there.
 
Well I hope things are going well at home.  Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.  Thanks for everything, and I am still anxiously awaiting those pictures, along with many other missionaries :) haha
 
Love,
Sister Woodward

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