July 27, 2010

Dear Everyone ( I guess),

This past week has been an interesting week and there's a lot of things I want to include in the letter. I've only got an hour or so to write it, so I hope I can fit everything in.

I guess I'll start off with the Devotional we had last Tuesday. I can't remember who came and talked, but I can remember a few of his points that really interested me. Missionaries have a lot of rules, as I'm sure most people know. Some things you aren't allowed to say, other things you aren't allowed to do. I've never had problems with any of these, but some missionaries do. The most interesting idea from the Devotional was that those extra rules, which we don't like to follow, are there to give us extra blessings. By taking them as commandments, we are able to have greater rewards for following these extra commandments. Also, the idea was posed that as representatives of the Lord, Jesus Christ, when we extend an invitation to someone, for example, to pray or read the Book of Mormon, we are extending to them additional commandments, and along with that, additional blessings if they follow them. It's a kind of interesting idea to ponder about. It really makes you think over and ponder what you are going to invite people to do, and highlights the importance of encouraging them to keep those commitments.

My companion, Elder Lybbert and I had our weekly appointment at the teaching resource center (TRC). This week we had to contact doors in Spanish and set up our appointment to come back. Then at one of the doors we did, we came back and taught the first lesson about the Restoration of the Gospel. Our lesson was great! Both Elder Lybbert and I taught really well and the Spirit was really strong. At the end of the lesson, the man we were teaching stood up and said, "That was great. You two are going to be very powerful missionaries." That was a great confidence booster because you always go into teaching appointments so nervous.

We've started having Spanish only lessons with our teacher where he plays a different investigator for each companionship. Our investigator is Jorge', a middle-aged Spanish man who was an Evangelist, but one day on the way back from church his car was hit by a drunk driver. The crash killed his wife and two kids. Teaching him in Spanish has been interesting because there are so many things you want to explain to him; forgiveness, eternal families, the plan of salvation, but you only have a limited vocabulary with which to talk to him. It's really an amazing experience to try to teach to someone's needs as they try to find a way through their trials and tribulations. Even though it's only a practice, it often feels very real and it is really motivating to teach well.

Two of the missionaries in my District just left for the Guatemala MTC, where they will continue their studies before going out into the field. So our District is down from 14 missionaries to 12. We might actually have room to move around in our classroom, now. I will really miss the two Elders who left, though. They were great missionaries and I'm confident they will do a fantastic job preaching the Gospel in Guatemala.

On a lighter note, there were some interesting happenings in the residence halls this week. A few of the Elders in my District made a "Taser" out of disposable camera and an extension cord. Basically, it just shocked you and made all your muscles tense up. It wasn't really painful or anything. But it was pretty fun to run around the halls finding people who would let themselves get shocked and then hear them freak out when their arm went really tense. However, I assure you, the rest of the time we are diligent, hard-working missionaries.

Today was the first day the Provo Temple was open after being closed for the past little while. It was also my P-day, so my Zone and I all got to go. The temple is an amazing place. I love it so much. Whenever I go, I feel peace and the Spirit. Today was especially cool since the temple was filled with 19 and 20 year old missionaries. It's a sight I'm sure you don't get to see very often, but it was really an amazing place to be.

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that he performed the Atonement for us that we could be cleansed of our sins and have a chance to live with God again. I know that he loves each and every one of us and knows us individually. I am eternally grateful for his sacrifice and for the next two years I will do everything in my power to proclaim the message of the Atonement to these people so that I can bring them unto Christ.

With love,

Elder Wood

P.S.

Dad, I'm glad everything is going well. I'm doing well, too. I haven't gotten sick yet but a few people in my District have been sick, so I might be changing that statement soon. I'm sorry that Rebecca has had trouble sleeping. Hopefully, she'll sleep better soon. I'm sleeping pretty well here, but not the best I ever have. Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed at 6:30 a.m., though I haven't failed to get out of bed any morning so far. Hopefully, that will continue. I'm glad the reunion was fun for you and you had some time to talk with relatives. I'm sure you enjoyed that. I hope Rose-Ellen's Lasik went well. I'm sure it's a good thing Mom is with her to help her. It's also really cool that you could talk about Elias like that.

Christian, It's too bad that my computer died, but other than the music, there was nothing on there I can't get back, so no biggie. I'm excited about the construction work you are doing on your house. It must be really cool and the leather couch is going to be sweet, I'm sure. The guy who is going to be in your basement has a brother who is in my District, by the way! Craziness. Elder Raines, right? Adios!

(Note by Mom: I don't know how to use the marks for Spanish, so you will just have to imagine that I got them in.)

July 20, 2010

Hola!

This has been an interesting week here at the MTC. Things are getting pretty hectic as we continue to practice teaching lessons, door contacts & other things (not to mention Spanish) but everything seems to be going along okay.

I've been working hard to learn the language, but I still feel miles away from being able to go out and proselyte in the field.

I only have 2, maybe 3 more weeks as District Leader, which is funny because I feel like I'm just really starting to get in the swing of things. I taught a lesson last Tuesday after the devotional which went over exceptionally well. I had actually forgotten I was supposed to lead the District Review of the devotional until I was walking back to the classroom, but I lead the discussion as best I could & it ended up great! I have since heard from many of the members of my district that it was an amazing and inspiring lesson, which lets me know that the Lord strengthened me, and the Spirit testified, because there is no way I could pull off a lesson like that just off the top of my head.

Speaking of the members of my district, today is a suspenseful day because on missionary is finding out if he is getting reassigned to another mission and another is finding out if he is getting sent home or not, both for medical issues. Hopefully they will both be OK and be able to continue to serve. I guess we'll find out later today.

Most people at the MTC complain about the food here, but I haven't had any problems with it. The food is basically the exact same things we got at the Cannon Center at BYU. I may have gained some weight since I've been here, but not in the way you think! During the hour of gym time we have here each day, I've been busting my butt and getting back in shape. I've already put on a little bit of muscle mass and have gotten my cardio back up. It's surprising what you can do in one hour as long as you commit yourself and work hard the whole time.

I had a pretty fun experience on Friday as well. A teacher (actually the RM guy from "The District" movies) invited us to play street contacts for his class. Some of us were chosen to be kind and receptive while others were, well to be frank, mean. I got to be one of the mean ones. As the teacher put it, "on a scale from 1 to 10 in obnoxiousness, you should be about an 8." So we had some fun with some of the missionaries by making fun of them and being rude. But come, who doesn't want to have a little fun when you've been given a license to be a jerk? We're told to love everyone all the rest of the time, so this was quite a treat, I guess you could say.

Anyway, I know the Restoration & Plan of Salvation lessons by heart in English now and we're teaching La Leccion del Evangelio Restauredo (The Restoration) en Espangnol for the first time this Friday. So that will be quite an experience. Hopefully, we'll be able to get by without too many slipups and be able to bring the Spirit. (Editorial note by Mom. I have a hard time reading Roland's tiny handwriting, so you will all have to forgive the probable Spanish translation mistakes!)

Now it's time for my mini responses to the bazillion letters that were in the box you sent me!

Dad: my companion is fairly certain that his Great Grandad isn't Jacob Lybbert, but the close proximity and name relation would lead me to suppose that they are at least somehow related. It is kind of crazy how you could pull out a story like that from thin air!

Sarah: You will be getting a letter of your own from me since you Dear Eldered me!

Mom: The Crunch bars arrived just fine and will be given out to my district when we complete our first English Fast this coming week. It'll be a period of 2-4 hours where none of us speak English. The candy bars will be a good reward for a "fast." We're going to keep lengthening the time so we eventually go a whole day with no English.

My asthma is doing fine in this heat, but coincidentally last night I had a nightmare that I had a super bad asthma attack and couldn't breathe. Kind of scary, but it was just a dream so it's OK.

Oh, and those sour Twizzler things you sent me were delicious. Please send more when you are able to. Thanks for the box and all the love & candy!

Nathan: Congratulations on the 10 year anniversary! Kind of crazy that it was that long ago, though. I was only 9 or 10 when you got married. it's weird how I can still remember some of it (and all the sunflower stuff). Thanks for the advice on how to make the most of my mission. Maybe you should teach at the MTC because those are the three big bullet poings all my teachers have been hitting ever since I got here, haha. It was got to get some advice from you and maybe next time I'll be able to write you back in Spanish!

Christian: The three days of permamettings were kind of stressful, but now that I'm in the swing of things it's not too bad. I still have permameetings on Sundays because of the DL thing, but those ones are smaller and not quite so rushed and demanding.

Rose-Ellen: So far my comp is great! He lives in Moses Lake, went to Yakima (if that's how you spell it) Valley Community College and his ward is in the Spokane Mission (same as yours, I'm guessing). The Spanish is coming along well & I seem to be a little bit ahead of the curve in my district. I guess now I need to beware of pride, haha. I haven't gotten sick yet at all, so I'm grateful for the awesome immune system I'm blessed with. I'm grateful that I don't have any health problems potentially in the way of me being able to serve. Natalie and Becca seem to be doing well. It's too bad they probably won't remember me when I get back, but that's OK because I'll still be their favorite when the know me again. How did your eye surgery go? Which method did they end up using? Hopefully the one that allows you to heal quicker. Have any funny Becca/Natalie stories? Hope you're doing OK as a part time single Mom for the Summer!

Anyway, I think that's all for the week, except for one last thing. Maybe Dad will know the answer to this, otherwise if you could, try to look it up for me. My other teacher, Hermano (Franklin) Ortiz, is from Honduras and I'm fairly certain he's like Honduran royalty. According to him, his whole family is in politics. People "know" his family in Honduras. He had trouble adjusting to being unknown in American and plans to return to Honduras and be President there. Oh, and he's loaded. His clothes are way expensive and he has a couple of super expensive watches. So, i'm curious as to the story of his family. If you could find out or like print of the Wikipedia article and send it to me, I would appreciate it.

Alright, well, that's it for now. I'm officially 2 weeks into the MTC and getting into the swing of things. Thanks for the letters and the package and please send more!

Love,

Elder Wood

P.S. We get new missionaires in our zone tomorrow, finally! We won't be the noobs anymore.

First Week in the MTC

Well, I have officially reached my first P-day, and I am also just short of a week here at the MTC. The experience has been great, but its definitely a lot of work. The first day arriving here was quite hectic, but somehow through the madness I was able to get situated and met the rest of the missionaries in my District. My companion is Elder Brock Lybbert. Dad would probably like him because he's from an area in Washington near Tri-Cities, Moses Lake. We are getting along well as a companionship so far, but its only the first week, and people don't really like to be confrontational early on. I'm sure something will come up that will cause a bit of tension, but I'm confident in our ability as a companionship to effectively sort those issues out.

As you might already know from the letter I sent to you ( I don't know if it's gotten there already ), I am the District Leader for my group of missionaries. So far it hasn't been too much work, besides a bit of organization, some meetings, and picking up everyone's mail each day. However, it might get a bit more difficult starting later this week because I am conducting interviews with the senior companions in order to see how the missionaries are meshing together. If any issues come up with that, I might have a bit more of a job ahead of me. I am excited for the opportunity I have to serve my fellow missionaries, and I know that the Lord is strengthening me as I try to fulfill my leadership duties as well as my regular duties as a missionary.

My teacher for class is Hermano Maughan, who is perhaps the greatest person on this earth. He served his mission in Argentina and he is a wonderful Spanish teacher. However, more important than his ability to speak Spanish is how well he knows how to invite the Spirit. His stories and testimonies are very moving, and the Spirit seems to follow in every lesson that he teaches. Even when he speaks in Spanish, saying things we don't really understand, the confirmation of the Spirit is felt by everyone. He recited the Joseph Smith story in Spanish, and even though I didn't understand every part, I know that what he said was true, and I hope to be able to bear testimony as powerfully as he can.

So far, learning Spanish has been a challenge, but the Lord has helped make me equal to the task. We have learned how to conjugate regular verbs, subject pronouns, and how to pray and testify in Spanish. I seem to be picking it up fairly quickly, and for that I am grateful. I cannot wait for time when I can speak Spanish fluently. It is truly a beautiful language, and I am eager to use it to further the work of the Lord. So far, this is my testimony in Spanish. I'll translate it afterward so that everyone can understand it.

Tango un testimonio de Jesucristo. Testifico que Jesucristo es nuestro Redentor y Salvador. Sé que somos encontrar la vida eterna a través de la expiación de Jesucristo. Testifico que Dios ama a usted y todo las personas de la tierra. Sé que las familias pueden estar juntas para siempre. Sé que podemos por medio del Espiritu Santo que José Smith fue un profeta de Dios. Sé que Thomas S. Monson es un profeta de Dios oy tambien. Sé que El libro de Mormón es un otro testamento de Jesucristo y contiene la palabra de Dios. Testifico que el Libro de Mormón es verdadero y contiene la plentitud de el evangelio de Jesucristo. Sé que esto es verdad al sentir de el Espíritu Santo. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.

I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I testify that Christ is our Redeemer and Savior. I know we are able to find eternal life through Jesus Christ. I testify that God loves you and all the people of the Earth. I know families can be together forever. I know through the Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God today also. I know the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and contains the word of God. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this is true through the Holy Ghost. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Anyway, now that I've said all that I want to, how is everyone doing? Has Utah been interesting for your visit? And how has the planning for the reunion been going? How is Allison and the rest of the grand kids? You should have a letter that has my address written in it by now or soon. Be sure to post that on the blog and then encourage anybody who wants to write me. I'll send pictures next week. Thanks a lot and write back soon! Oh and dearelder.com is great for writing me letters.

Elder Wood

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July 10, 2010

Dear Family,

This letter will again be short, but there are a few things I forgot to say that I needed to. First, if Mom would be willing to go buy me a pair of jeans (bootcut preferably) and send them to me, I would be very grateful. We're supposed to wear them during service activities and I don't have a set. So, that would be very much appreciated.

We have started learning Spanish and I can now offer a rudimentary prayer entirely in Spanish. It is remarkable how much you can learn when you are guided by the Holy Ghost. I am quickly adjusting to my role as District Leader, and through the Lord strengthening me, I am able to do more than I ever would have been able to on my own before.

I know that God loves each and every one of us, and knows us individually. I am grateful for the love He shows to me, as well as the love He manifests to everyone by listening to their prayers and the sacrifice He made in sending his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. I know that we all have the opportunity to live with Him again, and that there is nothing He desires more than for us to be with Him.

Again, a larger letter will follow after Tuesday with questions for the family and more information about my situation here at the MTC. Until then, know that I love you all and I am very happy and engaged here at the MTC.

With love,

Elder Wood

First letter, July 9, 2010

Hola! This letter is short and I'm sorry, but time is sparse here and you'll be sure to get a longer letter soon. My P-Day is on Tuesday, so you should have one soon after that. To summarize my first 2 days here at BYU . . .

I am a District Leader and a Junior Companion. My Companion is Elder Lybbert, who Dad would like because he is from Washington--Moses Lake to be more precise, just an hour outside the Tri-Cities.

My MTC mailing address is:

Elder Roland David Spencer Wood
MTC Mailbox # 271
TX-MCAL 0908
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, Utah 84604-1793

For now that's all I have to say, but you will get much more on my P-Day. Say "Hi" to the family for me, I love and miss you all.

With love & Care,

Elder Wood

P.S. I am expected to leave for Texas on September 8th!

Off to the MTC, July 7, 2010

First Trip to the Temple Pictures