Ontario, California -September 24, 2014

Hey family,

I wish the weather was going to start dropping, but it isn't going to anytime soon.  They say not til November will it start cooling down.  It is pretty close to 100 degrees today.  So hot!  

There is a lady in my ward whose name is Naomi Reale.  Her maiden name is Low.  I guess she is a big soccer player.  In fact she is being inducted (is that the right word) into the hall of fame next year-so like a big soccer player.  I thought Darcy and Emmie would like that fact.  

Speaking of Naomi, we have actually been teaching Naomi's daughter.  Her daughter, Bailey, just turned eight and was baptized this last Saturday.  We went and got pictures but I forgot the cord to my camera so I can't send it to you.  But that was fun! Another person we taught got baptized, even though she wasn't counted as a convert.

Speaking about baptisms! Guess who is getting baptized this Saturday?   MANUEL!! He had his interview with our district leader yesterday and is doing really well and he passed! So everything is falling into place for that! We are super excited and so is Manuel.  And luckily this time, we don't have to work with Elders to plan it because it is all ours!  Happy for that.  In fact, I think everything is already planned and it has been less than 24 hours! No procrastination here! Be proud!  So in just a few days I will get some more pictures off to you!

Speaking of not procrastinating, we saw Sister Shaw this week with her companion.  They came over to just see how Sister Manumua and I are doing. I was good to see Sister Shaw.  She is so great.  I love her.  I wish we could be companions.  She is just always happy no matter what is going on in her life.  We need to hook her and Cameron up when they both get home! It will be perfect :) haha 

Speaking of marriage, we got to go to the temple this morning! Not for a wedding though.  That was so wonderful.  Our great Relief Society president took us and the sisters in the YSA branch.  We had a good sessions, then went to Mimi's Cafe for lunch.  I just love Sister Broadbent.  She is a great lady, but she told us she is getting released on Sunday.  I am super sad. I also love Sister Crowley! She is one of the sisters in the YSA branch and has helped me SO much these past 10 weeks.  She is going to BYU-Idaho and I am excited for that.  I am trying to talk Sister Shaw into going up there.  I think she is going to go to Snow though. haha

Well I hope all is well at home.  I hope you have a good week.  I will talk to you in a few days.  Oh and dad! I never told you, but the hotel you were at when you were down here, Doubletree, is less then .3 miles from where I live.  It is just across the street and down a little bit.  Probably less then 10 minutes walking.  Close to 5 I'd say.  Kinda crazy how close you were all day.  

Love you

Sister Woodward

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

Ontario, California -September 8, 2014

Hey family,

Well our week was pretty good!  The best part was that the three Costa kids (whose last names aren't even Costa....) all passed their  baptismal interviews!!!!!!! Yay! We are so excited.  So they are all going to be getting baptized this Saturday!  I am so happy.  It was crazy though...So here in Ontario, the church does the really STUPID thing for convert baptisms.

Remember when the girls where getting baptized and the missionaries told them that what ever day and time they chose worked because it was their baptism?  So I thought that is how it was everywhere. Every ward I have served in it has been that way.  Here in Ontario, the stake presidency wants to come to all convert baptisms, so they have told us all that EVERY convert baptism has to be either the first or second saturday of the month at 3.  The child of record baptism get the 3 and 4 saturdays-so weird that they have two and it isn't the first one of the month.  So all the baptisms that are supposed to happen for all the missionaries in ontario have to do it at that time at the stake center.  So our ward was supposed to have 5 this saturday.  For all 5 of those converts, the morning worked better for them.  There was stuff in the afternoon so it was super inconvient. Well you would think that because all of them could do it earlier rather then later, they would be okay with that. NO! not at all.  We had to call Monica and Manuel during ward council.  Monica was not happy because well this is her kids baptism, not the stake presidency and this does not work for them.  

So during Sunday school, our bishop called monica into the office to talk to her about doing it at three since we HAVE to do it then (which none of the missionaries like, or the ward mission leaders, or even people on the high council)  Monica told the bishop she had work in the afternoon and couldn't do it (really doesn't have work, but having other family plans on saturday afternoon isn't a good enough excuse)  So now the baptism is going to be at 11.  It was quite a process and made a lot of us stressed and unhappy.  yes we should follow the council of our leaders, but when all of the investigators couldn't do it in the afternoon and they wouldn't change it, they were about to lose 5 baptisms! 

Manuel was sick yesterday so he couldn't come to church or have  his interview.  We have to try and set that up soon to see if he is good getting baptized this week as well.  So I guess you will know next week what happens.  I will definitely have some pictures for you though!  

I got to go on exchanges on Saturday! That was definitely heaven sent.  And I got to go with my favorite SISTER SHAW!!!! Oh it was so good.  I just love that woman and she helped me out so much!! You don't even know.  She just sat and listened to me for hours (literally) Tell her everything that is going on.  And she told me about the things she was struggling with as well-many were the same.  It was so good.  I just love her and things are so much better for me now!  

That is about all that happened this last week.  Well obviously, lots more, but not much worth mentioning.  We had lessons with Manuel and the Costas.  We went to less actives.  We talked to people on the street.  We tracted a few doors.  It was a  good week.  We have a dinner appointment with a lady who used to be mormon but is now 7th day adventists.  That should be fun! She was so super nice.  We are excited for that!

Well I hope you have a good week.  Love ya lots!!

Sister Woodward

Ontario, California -September 2, 2014

Hey family!

Well I would assume that dad was writing that last email because there was some of his sense of humor in there.  It made me laugh.  And I did laugh when I heard that story about Elder Nelson, so I thought I would share it with you.  I am glad you enjoyed it too!  

Well I am pretty sure that Doubletree is actually in my area.  I cover most of the hotels right around the airport.  And we do like our air conditioning here in California.  No one likes the heat I have come to find out.  I don't know why so many people live here.  Everyone that has air keeps it cold.  Lots of people in Ontario live in older homes so they don't have air...those are not my favorite homes to visit.  So now twice on my mission, you have been in my area.  And how many times for Cameron?  Oh yeah thats right. None.  So that means I must be the favorite missionary :)

Well on to our week.  Things are going okay here.  Manuel came to church on Sunday! That was good.  Four weeks in a row for him.  He had an interview with President Hobbs right after church so see if he was good with baptism.  Normally our investigators just meet with our district leader, but because Manuel has been to jail a few times, he had to meet with President.  So we were a little afraid to see how that interview was going to go.  

It was about a half an hour interview and at the end, President Hobbs called us into the room with him and Manuel-never a good sign.  So we went in.  Manuel is still struggling with an addiction to smoking.  He has cut down from about a pack a day to 3 or 4 cigarettes, but isn't completely off them.  President told us that he didn't want Manuel to feel rushed and so he wanted to give him just a week or two more before his baptism.  President did say that everything else from the past is good and taken care of though. So as soon as Manuel quits smoking, he is ready for baptism! We are super excited about that.  Everything went fairly well.

Our bishop and President then gave Manuel a blessing to help he over come the addiction.  We walked out of the room and Manuel turned to us and told us he felt like he was glowing! We were so happy! I thought maybe he would feel discouraged or sad, but he didn't! He could feel the spirit! And strong too! We are so excited for him!  We can't wait.  I will keep you updated! :)

We also taught Isaiah, Victoria and Tatiana this week.  They have a baptismal date for the 13th of September!  We taught the Word of Wisdom and tithing and fasting.  It all went over pretty well. Isaiah said he had no problems with any of it.  Tatiana said she would try to remember.  She is 11 so understandable but she understood and said she would try her best.  Victoria on the other hand (12!!) told us she couldn't give up coffee or tea....are you kidding me? haha She is twelve.  So we are going to keep working with her.  I don't know if she will be ready for baptism.  We are hoping if she won't give it up, then at her family's baptism, she will realize it is what she wants as well, and then give it up.  So I will let you know how that goes.  We have 2 lessons set up with them this week.

We weren't able to meet with the Zunigas family.  They didn't come to church either.  So that is 7 weeks without being at church and 2 weeks without lessons.  (they cancelled yesterday)  We are thinking it might be time to drop them or at least put them on the back burner until they are willing to start keeping commitments, which is sad, but they aren't doing their part.  We can't do it all for them.  

Well I hope you have a good week.  Be smart and safe. 

Love you all

Sister Woodward

Sister Woodward and Sister Manumu'a

Ontario, California -August 25, 2014

Hey family,

Well first off, I am sure you are all wanting to know about the transfers.  I am  staying in the Mountain View ward with Sister Manumua.  It will be another six weeks...

I am glad that everyone is off to school again. Mom is probably super happy.  It also sounds like Camille and Adam are having quite an adventure in Iowa.  I can't believe that Ian and Rolando are seniors!! That is insane.  Holy cow.  In just a few months, they will have their mission calls, and be on their way.  

It is so weird that Amber is home.  I have been emailing her her whole mission and now she is home! No more stories or pictures.  I bet she did a great job though.  I just love Amber.  She is amazing.  

I would love to go see dad at the airport on Wednesday.  More then you know right now, but I would probably get in trouble for that, so I guess I better not. I guess the worst is they could send me home 12 weeks early.  At least I would be close to a full mission.  But I would like to keep those three months.  

On Saturday we had our mission conference.  Elder Russell M Nelson had a great grand kid born the day before and was down visiting the family.  He knows President and Sister Hobbs and asked them if he could come talk to the mission. So we all got together.  He also brought Elder Ketcher (the is probably spelled wrong) from the 70.  I think he just got called last conference.  It was really good.  Elder Nelson is just a funny old man.  Our bishop told us a story about him in Med school.  Elder Nelson and another kid had been asked to go to a summer class and then come back and teach all students the things they learned.  So one day they had a cadaver and were doing something with the lungs.  They decided to take a foot pump and connect it to the trachea from behind so no one could see.  As soon as the class got close to look, they stepped on the pump and made the lungs inflate.  He said there was one little nurse who got extra close and when it happened she ran out of the room and never came back! hahah so funny! Who would have thought Elder Nelson used to pull pranks like that?

It was good.  He talked about obedience and a few other things and then opened it up to a question and answer.  There were lots of good questions asked.  One of my favorite things he said was in response to a question about those little sins we all hold on to and even though we try, we just keep going back to them and how we can have faith and hope when we keep making the same mistakes over and over again.  His response was, "Once you stop making mistakes, you're dead"  Then he went on and explained that throughout our entire lives, we are all going to make mistakes.  Some will be bigger then others, but all make them none the less.  As long as we have a desire to change and are on the path up and not down, then you will be good.  Stop fretting over little things and thinking you aren't good enough to make it to the Celestial kingdom.  Keep trying and keep going.  It was really good.

We went back up to Mt Baldy this weekend.  We went from 9 to 4 on Friday so it was a full day! We were definitely tired by the end.  We just shoveled a whole lot more dirt, mud and rocks.  All day. But it was good and we all really loved helping out.  The people that live in Mt Baldy were very appreciative.  

That is about all that happened.  It was a slow week.  We met with monica and her kids this week and they all came to church.  We have a lesson with them today! yay!  Manuel also came to church this week.  We have a lesson with him today as well.  And the Zunigas family didn't come to church, but we have a lesson with them today.  Hopefully we can figure out what their hold up is an help them out.  It has been 6 weeks since they have come to church....AHHH

Well have a good week.  I will talk to you next week.  Have a good week.  Be safe.  Have fun here in Ontario dad!! It is the place to be! haha

Love you all

Sister Woodward

Ontario, California -August 18, 2014

Hello Family,

My trainer Sister Morgan flew home today.  And Amber goes home on Thursday! So crazy.  It was during Amber's farewell that I decided to go on my mission and now she is coming home.  I can't believe how fast time has gone since then.  Less then three months til I am home and less then 2 til Cameron is home.  Does he know what he is doing for school?  Has he even thought about it yet?  Does he realize he is running out of time??

Well this was a good week for us.  We were finally able to have a lesson with the Zunigas family.  They told us they weren't sure if they would be ready for baptism on September 13th and they haven't come to church in 5 weeks, so they are probably right. We have a lesson with them tonight and are going to talk to them about that again.  Hopefully we will set a date that they will feel okay reaching.  

We had a lesson with Monica and her kids this week as well.  They all came to church and loved it again.  They are doing well and are planning on being baptized on September 13th.  Monica has a few issues with the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity, so those lesson could be interesting.  She doesn't agree with them.  So I am not sure how she will react during the lesson as we teach them to her kids.  Hopefully she will be on board, but I am afraid she will raise some objections.  

Manuel came to church as well.  He stayed all three hours and we had a lesson with him after church.  He has a date for September 6th and is excited for that.  He will need to have an interview with President Hobbs instead of just our district leader.  We will see how that goes.  We are trying our best to fit all the lesson in the next two weeks which is going to be a struggle.

We get to go back up to Mount Baldy this Friday.  We are excited to go and help up there again.  Our bishop announced it in Sacrament and that was the first we heard of us going up.  So that was a surprise.  But the whole Ontario stake has been asked to go up and help that day.  There should be a lot of people.

Elder Nelson is coming this weekend to Upland, so he is having a conference with our whole mission.  Not with Redlands this time though.  We are all excited for that.  It should be fun. He seems like a cool guy but also quite intimidating.  Also transfers next Monday so I will let you know what happens.  Crazy that it is already here again.  So look forward to that next Monday!!

Love you all and have a good week

Sister Woodward

Ontario, California -August 11, 2014

Hi guys,

Last Monday our zone went hiking up in Mount Baldy.  Well we drove to trail head, walked for maybe 15 minutes and drove home.  There was a sister in the group that was complaining and demanding that we had to be home by 10 so she could get to the rest of her p-day.  So by the time we got there and the time we had to drive home, we didn't really hike.  It was kind of ridiculous.

As we were up there, a lot of people had been telling us that the trails we had been hiking on were all flooded the night before.  We thought, oh cool. what a nice story, but nothing else of it.  Monday night we got a text from our zone leaders saying that on Sunday night because of the rain, Mount Baldy had flash floods, and mudslides.  A few people were even killed and so all day Tuesday we were going up to help with the clean up.

Long story short, our zone leaders complicated everything with the rides because they are 18 year old boys and dont know how to organize anything!!!! but we got up there.  It was crazy.  I don't know how we missed it the day before.  Sister Manumua and I got assigned to a house where the mud had broken in the back door and was at least 4 feet deep.  It was thick, heavy and filled with boulders.  It was a lot of work and in the time we were there, we barely made a dent.  There is so much to do.  All the other missionaries in our zone were assigned to different homes.  They had camera crews, newspaper reporters, bulldozers and other heavy equipment trying to help.  If you google the local paper here, there might be pictures and a few missionaries quoted in there.  I think we are going back up this week to help again.  President is switching off each day which missionaries are going up.

Thursday we had exchanges.  I stayed in my area with Sister Soleta.  She is from the Philippines.  We had a fun day.  It was good.  We had so much set up that we didn't even have time for lunch.  That happens quite often in this area.  

This last week we had 2 lessons with Monica and her kids.  They are all excited to get baptized.  We have another lesson with them this week. One of our lessons we taught the plan of salvation.  I wasn't sure how much they even understood.  They didn't say much during the lesson.  Later that day, our zone leaders text us and told us they ran into Isaiah when he was out walking their dog (Imagine that.  a 15 year old boy walking the dog)  They said that Isaiah had told them we had a lesson earlier with them.  He then went through the whole plan of salvation.  They said he got it all right.  So I guess he did understand it all.  Pretty cool.

Saturday night the Sisters in the YSA branch text us and asked if we could find a ride for an investigator they had found who should be in our ward because he is almost 31.  We had our RS Pres and her husband pick him up.  His name is Manuel.  He came to sacrament meeting and loved it.  Both speakers did a really good job.  We then went with the YSA sisters to his house for a lesson at 4.  He read part of the book of mormon since he last lesson.  I guess he took the lessons a few years ago and was all ready to get baptized.  He then got in trouble with the law and couldn't be baptized.  He decided to completely clean up his life and take care of everything before he found the missionaries again.  So he is all good now and a few weeks ago, he saw Sisters Crowley and Buck on the street and asked them to teach him the lessons.  So we set a date with him for the 6th of September.  We are excited.  He is too.  It is going to be good and he is so ready!  He can't wait.

So it was a good week overall.  We had fun and even found someone new to teach! YAY! I love this area and I sure don't want to leave in 2 weeks. I hope President lets me stay. 

Well thanks for everything.  I hope you have a good week.

Love you all

Sister Woodward