Hesperia, California -March 17, 2014

Hey Family,

 

Well that was probably one of dad's top emails.  I am going to print that one off and stick it in my journal.  It sure made me laugh cause it sounds just like dad.  It was great.  Thanks for making my day.  Dad's letters are just amazing! Let me tell you.  I hope those are going on the blog as well for everyone to see.  Mondays are my favorite day as well.  I never would have said that at home, but on the mission, it is how life goes.  And I HATE Monday holidays.  They are the worst.  Never would have said that at home either.  And once I get home, then it will all change back again.

 

Well I am sure that you are all just dying to know how my lunch with Sister Hobbs went.  It was so so so good.  I just love that woman.  She is amazing.  I met her at the mission office.  When we got there, my companion thought I was going to go to the doctors with her because I never mentioned that I was going to talk to Sister Hobbs.  So when we got there, President Hobbs pulled me into his office for a second and Sister Deputy and Sister Beagley left.  President just asked me how I was doing and then asked how Sister Beagley was doing with her health issues.  I told him and that was all.  Then I went with Sister Hobbs and we went to Chick-fil-a for lunch.  I guess that is her favorite fast food place, and President doesn't like it very much, so when she has someone else to go with, she loves it.

 

So we went and got lunch and then just sat and talked for about an hour.  It was good.  Sister Beagley's doctor's appointment was in San Bernardino, so they left 45 minutes before it started to make sure they got there on time, then she had the appointment, and then they had to drive back.  So it gave me plenty of time to visit with Sister Hobbs.  She asked me about everything pretty much-family, companion, investigators, the work, the ward-everything.  And I told her pretty much everything.

 

Well that was just for Monday.  Well on to the rest of the week-get ready.  It has been one long week.  So The housing coordinator, Elder Crahan gave our new apartment keys to the assistants.  They forgot and misplaced them.  So we had no keys.  We finally hunted them down and went to our new apartment.  We kept the keys to our old apartment to use the fridge in there.  We werent' getting a fridge until Wednesday.  So I told Elder Crahan that we had the keys and I also called the mission office to let them know that we had the keys and to tell Elder Bowman (one of the missionaries in the ward with us now).  Well someone everyone forgot that I had the keys-get to that later.  So for three days we were living out of two apartments about 7 miles apart-used up our miles real quick.  Also, since we were at a new place, we had to put together everything.  We assembled our table, chairs, and beds.  We had to unpack new dishes, pans, silverware, ect.  So we were quite busy with all of that.  It was okay because everything we have now is brand new.  Not worn down from 5 years of missionaries.  They are sanitary and clean and new.  So that is a plus.

 

Then on Wednesday the sister training leaders wanted to stop by.  They brought a ton of Sister Haupts food.  We were supposed to get it to her later that day.  So later we get a call from the assistants.  They want to know if we have any idea what happened to the Elders apartment key.  No one seemed to know and they were on their way up the hill (into the desert) and didn't have a key yet.  So we told them we had it.  We then got a call from Sister Haupt saying that she wanted her stuff the same time we were meeting the assistants.  So we ran home got all her stuff and met her as well.  We handed over the keys and food and went to our investigators house with plans to meet up with the elders in 45 minutes to split the area.  We told them how to get to the church and took off.  At the time we were supposed to be at the church, there were no elders, so we waited for about fifteen minutes.  We then decided to drive back to their apartment on the route I told them to take.  We got there and no one was home.  So we knocked on the neighbors door (she is a way cool member of the ward) and she told us they started walking to the church, but she had given them different directions.  So we raced back to the church and got there the same time as the Elders.  By this point, we had 10 minutes til dinner and had no time to do anything.  So we talked for about 5 minutes about a few things, and gave them a ward list.  I guess the mission ran out of supplies for this transfer so the Elders had nothing-no ward list, no area book, no supplies, and no phone-yeah no phone! Plus one elder was fresh off the plane so he had no bike yet.

 

So we called their dinner and arranged a ride for them.  Then we called their dinner for the next day and got a ride for that.  We raced to our dinner.  The next day our district leader called us up and said that he was with Elder Bowman and had a few questions for us.  So we went back to the church and met with 4 elders-our district leader was their phone and their rides for a few days.  We talked about the ward and gave them a few names to focus on.  Then we ran off.  We had to go to a members home and get money for the elders dinner the next week and take it to the dinner they were having that night to make sure it got to them.  So just to make a longer story not so long, this was how our whole week was.  Missionary work was cut down because we were running errands for the elders.  On Saturday they finally got a phone and that has helped.  Now they can call their own dinners and rides.

 

Saturday was pretty much the best day of my mission! I loved it.  I got to carpool with Sister Haupt and her greenie down to Rancho.  I got to see Sister Morgan, my trainer, Sister McHood, Elder Seright, Elder Huntsman, and Elder Shapcott, my MTC buddies.  And I got to meet Elder Perkins and Elder Hiam from the 70 and Elder Anderson from the 12-nope not Elder Ballard.  Change of plans.  And I will tell you what-Elder Anderson is so funny! We were laughing the whole time. I had no idea, but he is a pretty hilarious man.  He talked about the atonement a lot and how it applies to missionary work.  He also talked about how most of us are close to 20 years old and how we have only lived one life, when in comparison, he is in his 60s so he has lived three lives.  He told us not to become complacent with who we are or what we do.  We still have so much time left to change and become better.  It is not too late, and it will never be too late.  We just have to keep trying and working on becoming better.  We can't just give up.

 

He also talked about state side missionaries.  He says that he knows most of us maybe hoped to go foreign, but didn't get to.  He said that the U.S. is the bread basket of the church. If the church stops growing in the U.S. then we are in trouble.  There are many places in the world where the church is growing so fast and will always be that way, but it HAS to keep growing in the U.S.  So many of the best missionaries (or who they think and feel will be the best) stay state side because it is so important that we are here and help the church to grow.  So that was cool to hear him say.  It was a good meeting.  I sure loved it and I got to see so many old friends!! I was happy for that. 

 

Well I am outta time.  I hope this week is good for you.  I love you all and will see you all in eight months!! yay :) and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I didn't forget-don't you worry!

Love

Sister Woodward

Hesperia, California -March 10, 2014

Hey

 

The weather down here has been in the 80s.  If it is March and already this hot, I am not looking forward to the summer at all. I just hope I hit Wrightwood (I know dad, they spell it wrong down here) or Big Bear during those awful hot summer months.  They say usually Hesperia will get some snow during the winter, but we got none this year.  We weren't even close to getting it. 

 

Well for transfers, both Sister Beagley and I are staying together for this next transfer.  Our ward is getting split though, meaning we will have 4 missionaries in the ward.  We have some elders coming in.  I know one of the elders.  He was in Rancho with me.  He is training though, so I don't know who he will get stuck with.  Our district leader is now our zone leader and our last district leaders companion is our current district leader.  Also, Sister Haupt is no longer a Sister Training Leader and is training for her last transfer-yep she only has one left.  She goes home on Darcy's birthday.  But she is now in my district. I am very excited for that.  It should be a good six weeks.  There is a sister that is leaving today and she is from Hyrum, so she will be heading back that way.  Her name is Cherie Davis.

 

Well we got transfer calls on Saturday and we got told we were staying together, which I figured because Heavenly Father has his way of letting you know what is happening beforehand. I got another call saying that the elders that were coming to our ward were going to take our apartment, and we were moving to a new one.  We live lots closer to the stores and the church, and since they are on bikes it works for them to live where we live.  So then we had to pack everything up and clean the apartment by this morning.

 

Well let's see what has happened this week.  We had a few lessons with our investigators.  Someone got sick again so Kenzii didn't make it to church.  3 of the last 4 weeks that has been the case-ugh.  We found out that our investigator, Gina, has a girlfriend.  So that shall be fun.  She loves meeting with us and learning.  She says it has helped her in her life and makes her want to be better.  She likes the Book of Mormon and finds is interesting and actually reads it (usually a problem with investigators) but she has a girlfriend.  There is always a hang up. So we will keep working.

 

Sister Beagley got sick again these last few days.  Food that was supposed to be good for her is making her throw up, so we are headed to San Bernardino again today for another appointment.  While Sister Beagley goes with the mission nurse to the doctor, I get to go have lunch with Sister Hobbs, the presidents wife.  I am really excited.  She is just amazing. 

 

Have a good week and talk to you next week.

 

Love

Sister Woodward

Hesperia, California -March 3, 2014

Hey fam,

Well one more week gone.  This week went by really quickly.  I feel like I was just here a few hours ago, typing my email from last week.  But here we are again.  One more week in the transfer.  Next week I will let you know if either me or Sister Beagley got transferred.

The meeting with the Sister Training Leaders was good.  They just wanted to stop in and see how Sister Beagleys doctor appointment went.  They sat and talked for a while.  It was good.  I enjoyed it.  They are fun.

Well the doctor told Sister Beagley is was just gastritis.  I don't know if that is true, but for now that is what they are guessing.  She has another appointment next week.  The doctor put her on a diet and prescribed medicine for her.

None of our investigators made it to church.  Satan sure has his ways of stopping people.  I wish he didn't, but he does.  Only once in the last 5 weeks have we had someone come to church-that is frustrating.  But whatever.

Well I think that is all for this week.  I am out of things to say.  Thanks for everything.  Love ya lots.  I'll let you know about transfers.  Have a good week. 

Sister Woodward

Hesperia, California -February 24, 2014

Hey family,

Well 43 weeks down and 38 more to go.  Time is going by quickly.  Everyone always says that, but for the first 6 months of my mission, I haven't believed that.  But in 4 days I will hit my 10 month mark and I am really starting to believe it.  I hope you are all comfy because this might end up being a very long email.  Hope you are all ready.

It is weird that you are talking about spring, because for me, winter hasn't even come up.  I tend to forget it is the end of February.  It is great weather down here.  I hear that next weekend, we might get rain though.  Looking forward to that.

Well I am glad that the Woodward family is representing the ward well.  And by the end of the year, both Woodwards will be home.  Good thing that there are more ready to take our place (well not Woodwards, but just people in the ward)  I didn't know that Alexis got hers.  That is cool.  And Adam too! How cool.  I just got a letter from Grandma today, but I haven't read it yet.  Maybe she mentioned that in her letter. 

Well lets see what has happened in good ol' Hesperia this week.  My companion was sick a lot, so we spent many nights in the apartment.  We knocked on doors.  Met a couple of weirdos.  We had zone conference.  Our car got real dirty on the dusty roads out here.

We visited with Gina, a 17 year old girl.  She is pretty cool.  This was the first time we met her.  She had heard a little bit about the church.  We taught her the Restoration.  When we gave her a book of Mormon, she asked if she could read it even though she wasn't a member.  Her friend came in part way through the lesson and Gina said, "I am gonna find out if this book is true when I pray about it!!"  Then her friend wanted one as well.  She set up the next appointment so her whole family could be there.

We met with Jen this week.  She has 2 little kids and the member that is her friend has 2 little kids.  So we had 4 little kids running around  that made it a little bit crazy.  But we have another appointment with her tomorrow.  She wants to get baptized, but her dad is a very strict catholic and doesn't want to ruin the relationship she has with him.  So we are working on that.

We didn't meet with Kenzii this week, but she came to church with her 2 girls and stayed all three hours.  That was fun.  It was so good to see someone there.  I think she enjoyed it.  We are working hard with her and hopefully will have a baptism with her soon.  That would be ideal.

Love ya all :)

Sister Woodward

Hesperia, California -February 18, 2014

Hey family,

Well since today isn't p-day, our time is cut a bit short, so I don't know how long my email will be this week. I will try to type as fast as dad, but no promises.  I am glad that your week went well.  Sounds like everyone had a good valentines day.  My companion and I ate with a little old single lady in the ward, then spent the night in the apartment.

But the week was good.  We found a new investigator Kenzie, through a member.  We taught her a very basic lesson because she doesn't know much about religion.  But the member had already talked to her about the church and she was planning on coming.  She got sick and didn't make it.  But she is looking for a family church-two little kids.  She is basically golden.  We have a lesson on Friday with her.

We also are working with Jen.  She was left from the other missionaries.  She was struggling with a testimony of living day prophets.  The Davidsons (the coolest couple ever and awesome at missionary work) went to her house on Sunday just to visit.  They text us after the visit and told us that Jen is ready to get baptized.  We were really happy about that.  We have a lesson with her and the Davidsons later today.  Members are great.  All Jen really needed was to have someone other then the missionaries go and visit her. And then she was ready to commit.  She just needed support from someone in the ward. Once she got that and felt accepted in the ward, she was ready! Super cool! Members make a difference!

Well I am out of time.  We have zone conference on Thursday- 730 to 330.  so that will be long and cool.  I am way excited.  

And an apostle is coming in March.  It is Elder Ballard, although no one is supposed to know yet-I have connections. haha And it will be combined with the Redland mission.  SO I will get to see my MTC buddies and Sister Morgan! Way excited

Sister Woodward

Hesperia, California -February 10, 2014

Hey family

Well big news for today, I am more then half way through.  Yep that is right.  I have been out for 284 days and I have 280 days left.  Next thing you know, you will be heading to the airport to pick me up.  Just 6.5 more transfers.  It will go by quickly.  Just gotta make it through the summer...it is going to be SOOO hot here then.  I hope I am back in the valley by the time the heat hits.  

This week was good.  I enjoyed it.  We are still just spending lots of time with the members.  We are trying to get to know them all.  We still haven't been able to meet with our one investigator though.  She is totally flakey and that makes it hard to meet with.  We have had a few appointments set up, and they always seem to fall through.  That is rough.  This up coming week, we are planning on doing a lot of finding activities.  We know most of the ward now, so now it is time to find investigators.  I think there is a lot of work to do up here.  I am excited for it.

 

Sister Beagley has been sick for some time now.  So she is on a diet of sprite, Gatorade, saltine crackers and jello.  The only problem is that she won't stick with her diet, so every night after dinner she gets really sick and can't do anything.  Most of our evenings are spent at home.  Saturday she was sick the whole day.  We were stuck inside the whole day.  Our ward mission leader brought over missionary approved videos for us to watch and I did a 750 piece puzzle.  (all by myself and all in one day.  be proud) We eventually made it through the day. 

I get to go on exchanges this week.  I get to go with my favorite Sister Haupt and I am really excited. 

I got your package-finally.  It was great.  I love the Harry potter stamps.  Those are really fun :) Thanks a bunch.  And the clothes are also wonderful.  I love the blue skirt and I wore it yesterday. I am wearing the brown one today.  They are really comfy :) That is always a great thing.  So thank you thank you.  That was great :) I really enjoyed it all.  And thanks for Darcy's little message on the side of the box as well. 

Well I hope you all have a good day.  I hope Camille has a good birthday. I miss you all.  Take care of Maggie

Love Sister Woodward

Hesperia, California -February 3, 2014

Hi Family,

So to answer all the questions you asked me:  We didn't do anything to celebrate it.  There really is nothing in Hesperia.  We did some missionary work.  I should have gone and got ice cream or something at least.  Maybe on the 8th since that is my hump day.  There are quite a lot of Hispanics here. In fact the 5 closest people to me right now, are all Hispanic and are only speaking Spanish.  We do have a Spanish ward in this area.  I am not sure if it just one or two.  It is very different than rancho.  The houses are not as nice, there is no grass, just dirt, the wind blows all the time,  the people are a little more hillbilly, and more have them have less teeth. I am not sure how many ward are in Hesperia.  Maybe 8 or 9.  Our zone is split in two so I don't know how many missionaries either.  Maybe 30ish in all of Hesperia.  There are 14 in our zone.  I assume the other zone is the same.  The ward is a good size.  We followed Sisters in.  First time I have done that.  The apartment wasn't too bad.  The vaccum was broken so the floor was and still is gross, and the tub is DISGUSTING.  So I am planning on scrubbing that thing A LOT today.  They left a bunch of crap gross food that we didn't want.  Our first day there we took out three bags of garbage.  I am getting used to doing that.  It has happened in most of the apartments I have moved into.  My new companion has been out for 4.5 months.  So less then me.  Every transfer she has moved areas and got a new companion.  So I am her fifth companion and forth area.  Kinda crazy huh? Worse then me.  It is also lots colder in Hesperia.  

Well this week was interesting.  We didn't get left many miles on our car, so we walked a whole lot, which wasn't fun because it was SO cold-well cold to what I am used to, not what you are used to I guess.  I am used to 80s with no wind, not 40s with a strong cold breeze.  We met a lot of the ward.  That is most of what we did this week.  We just met the members.  We called basically the whole ward list and called them all to set up appointments, whether they were active or not.  That was fun.  We made a lot of phone calls. 

Tuesday was an adventure.  So this area is already super different then my last area.  And I was still getting used to it.  So at about 9 at night Sister Haupt and Sister Price came over (the Sister Training Leaders) just to say hello.  After they left, we realized we left the phone in the car.  So we grabbed the keys and headed out there.  I didn't bother locking the door because it was so close.  We have the really dumb screen door that everyone in California has.  You can't see in the house, but whoever is inside can see out perfectly.  So we ran back to the house, and the screen door (metal) wouldn't open.  So luckily I had the keys, except the door never was locked.  So we sat there for a minute twisting and turning and doing everything we could to try to open the door.  Nothing worked.  So next we called our district leader to get permission to call the girl who lived in there before us so that we could see if there was some secret.  We called Sister Wood and she told us that nothing like that had ever happen to her before.  Then we called Sister Haupt back.  She told us to find our manager.  If she couldn't help us then to call her back and they would drive back to our house (15 minutes) to help us open the door.  If we still had no luck, then we could spend the night at their home. 

We went to our managers apartment-she is about 80 and all the lights were off and it was about 945 at this time.  So we didn't want to bother her.  We called Sister Haupt back and they said they were on their way.  We waited for about 10 minutes when two Elders showed up.  One was Elder Eppich and the other was his companion who I forgot the name at this time.  They are the zone leaders for the other Hesperia zone.  We weren't sure why they were there, but we didn't care either.  We were tired and cold.  The two elders then tried everything they could think of to open the door.  They pulled and twisted.  They tried to card the door.  They even tried the windows, which were lock.  Then Sister Haupt showed up.  She tried everything she could think of. Nothing wanted to work.  So then Elder Eppich remembered he had a crowbar (yes a crowbar) in his truck.  They ran to their truck and came back singing, "zone leaders to the rescue" while caring a crow bar (I am sure our new neighbors love us).  And for the next 10 minutes they pried our door open.  Come to find out that the handle had broken.  So it would turn, but the little latch thingy, doesn't turn with it.  So basically they just broke the handle to our door. We got  in and everyone went home.  But don't worry mom, we still have 3 other locks on our doors.  We are safe and sound :)   The Elders showed up because Sister Haupt thought they were our zone leaders and called them.  I guess they live closer to us then our actually zone leaders live so it worked out, and they were the ones with the crow bar. 

In church yesterday, they called on us to go and bare our testimonies first.  That was fun and unexpected.  I was planning on it because he helps gain trust, but definitely not planning on going first.    We will also probably be talking in church sometime soon.  Also someone spread rumors that the ward was getting new sisters along with elders. There are not elders in the ward.  Just us.  So all week we have had to go and explain why there are no elders (every time we make up a different reason because we really have no idea)  I just hate the person that thought it was a good idea to tell everyone that they elders were coming because we hear about that non stop.  Every one is now asking when they are coming and I answer, "well not for at least five weeks.  We have this thing called transfers...."  Oh it is a party.

But our bishop is a hoot.  I think his family has like 25 chickens and is pretty disappointed in my lack of knowledge about chickens.  He thought that having a chicken farm, I would know everything.  He wants to tour so I told him if he ever made it to Logan, we could work that out.  He is a lot of fun though.  He keeps us laughing.  We are going to get along great with him. 

Love ya

Sister Woodward