Ontario, California -September 15, 2014

Monica, Tatiana, Sister Woodward, Victoria, Sister Manumua, and Isaiah

Volunteering at Mount Baldy

Sister Woodward and Sister Respecia

Sister Woodward and the Ebmeyers

Sister Woodward and Grandpa Newman

Sister Woodward and Maddie

Apple Valley, California

Hey family!

Well it is wonderful to hear that everyone is having such pleasant weather, except for me.  Today at 830 in the morning, we were already to 90 degrees.  This whole week we have been close to 107.  At 9:00 at night, it is still 90 degrees.  I think someone said it cooled to a whole 75 degrees by 4 in the morning....Ridiculous! I am so tired of the weather!  The cool season can't come soon enough.  And so yep we are always running the air conditioner because if we don't it gets to 100 degrees in our house.  But we have it at 80 while we are gone.  Kinda crazy!

Well as you have seen, the Costa's got baptized!! So great! It was a wonderful day, but quite a week leading up to it, ending with me not liking the elders in our ward very much.

So here we go again: So last Sunday the Costa's all passed their interviews and we started planning their baptism.  We set 11 on Saturday at our building aside from that.  We then got a text from our elders on Wednesday saying that they were hoping to have a baptism at the same time.  We figured, well a combined one, that is fine.  Come to find out, they thought ours was at 12 and wanted to do theirs an hour before.  Well in so many ways that would have screwed us over.  First, we already had everyone invited to the 11 oclock one.  Second, there is no way the water would stay warm for the hour in between and there wasn't enough time to empty and refill the font either.  So I don't know what they were expecting us to do.  Whatever

Later I was talking to our ward mission leader planning the baptism and he said that Keith (the elders investigator) hadn't even had an interview yet.  He probably wasn't go to get baptized.  So we started planning the whole thing.  The elders were convinced he was getting baptized.  So I asked the elders to find someone to give one prayer. ONE PRAYER!!! That way Keith knew someone involved in the program.  You would think they could find one person to give a prayer! ONE!  So on Friday, I text them to see if Keith was for sure getting baptized and if he was, if they had found a prayer yet.  They told us he was getting baptized and then for us to find someone to prayer.  

Oh I was annoyed at them.  I had done EVERYTHING else so far, while they did nothing and I gave them one small job to do.  So I text back and said No.  We have found everything else down to the refreshments, you can find a prayer.  So they said  Oh we tried, but nonmembers can't give prayers at baptismal services!  Well duh they can't elders!  Just like with sacrament.  A sacred ordinance is being preformed.  Plus I knew at least 40 people coming to the service, so how hard did they really try? Not very hard.  In the end, one of the elders just gave the prayer because they couldn't find anyone else.  Okay. Done with that.

So Saturday morning, we showed up to the church.  Brother Santamaria was there filling the font.  We told Monica and her kids to get there at 10:30 so typical mormons, they showed up at 11:05.  So we started a few minutes late but it all went really well.  The spirit was there and it was a good service.  Tatiana had to go under three times because her legs kept popping up.  

The confirmations were great too.  We had three different guys from the ward confirm.  It was the first time confirming for one of the guys.  The spirit was super strong.  Monica was crying through it all.  We were crying through it all.  It was good.  Then Sister Manumua and I both were speaking yesterday.  Thanks to the confirmations, our talks didn't have to be too long.  They went well.  Mine was on strengthening the home. 

Manuel came to church yesterday.  He is still doing well.  One day soon he is going to be baptized as well.  We are still working with him and encouraging him.  He is a good guy.

Well I think that is the highlight of the week.  We did go to a full on tongan party last night.  One of the girls in the tongan ward just got home from a mission in Texas.  They invited us. Holy cow! Talk about a TON of food.  And not my favorite type of food.  Lots of fish, mostly raw, and octopus...that was interesting!

Well have a great week! Love you all

Sister Woodward