Dear Family,
To start off, my address is the same as it was before. The two new Elders just moved into the apartment with us. I'll get a letter off to James today. I'm unsure of the address, so I'll just send it to you all in VA, and I'll trust you to get it into the right hands.
This week was a roller coaster. We had some really big highs and some pretty deep lows, but things continue moving forward as always. Emilio, the investigator who was doing really well has stopped progressing and is struggling with some of the commandments. We'll be continuing to work with him, but he has some large obstacles he'll need to overcome in the coming weeks. One of our other investigators is doing really well though. Zulma, the wife of an inactive member, has been progressing a lot and came to church yesterday for the second week in a row. Her husband still hasn't come, which is a wall we're trying to help him jump over. We'll see how that goes over the next few weeks. She received an answer to her prayer about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, which were her big doubts, and so she is all set up to continue progressing very well. I'm basically out of time to write. The other story I was going to include I'm just going to clip from my letter to President Trayner and paste it in here.
The other experience was, to the normal eye, very insignificant. But to me it meant so much. Sunday night we had a lesson with an inactive returned missionary. It was just a little disheartening after feeling the Spirit testify through us and then he just rejected the invitations given to him. He was resisting the invitation to solve his problems. Anyway, that's beside the point. During the course of the talk, his buddy came out from the house, began to back up his car, and ran over my bike. Rather than being upset about it, I just laughed since it was just a happenstance. The front tire got so bent out of shape it can't be ridden, but its just a bike after all, who cares. Anyway, I left the lesson with my bike on my back and a smile on my face as we walked over to the next lesson which we had set up nearby. After having a mas o menos lesson there we left. I was prepared to walk home and try to get back in time for followups, carrying my previous mode of transportation. I had a happy attitude in the moment, but I felt just a little alone. Here we were, walking home on a dark night with my companion, just hoping we'd get back in time for followups. Anyway, it was definitely a moment when I needed a little bit of uplift. I was on the phone with the Sisters answering some of their questions at about 8:50 when the zone leaders called twice. I didn't answer, but was planning to, when I was done talking to the Sisters. About twenty seconds later, as I'm walking down the street talking to the Sisters and carrying my bike, a truck pulls up next to me. Elder De la Fuente leans out the window and asks, "Need a ride?"
They had been in their area when they had received a prompting that something was wrong with us and that they needed to come and find us. So they started driving to our area and called us to try and find out where we were to no avail. Elder Vance drove around Cameron Park, no idea where he was or where he was going, when they ran into us, getting ready to walk home with a broken bike. We threw the bikes in the truck and they gave us a ride home. It was an evidence to me that God is aware of me. He knows where I am, and he knows when I need just a little miracle to lift up my spirits. After going so long without seeing a lot of outward success, it was nice to know that the Lord knew where I was and was willing to give me a tender mercy to let me know He's there and boost my spirits. I also thank Elder Vance and Elder De La Fuente for being worthy of the Spirit to respond to the Lord's call and offer me a mercy from on high. It may be called a little miracle because waters weren't parted and mountains weren't cast into the sea, but I don't think you or the missionaries driving the truck will ever realize how big a miracle and a testimony that was for me.
The Lord is aware of us. He is always there helping us. His tender mercies are always around us. It is often very hard to see them as we are caught among the storms of life, but I testify that He never leaves us alone. May we always feel His love.
And Mom, don't worry about the bike, I'm going to get the tire straightened out at a bike store today and everything else on it is fine, but I appreciate the concern.
I hope everyone has a great week, I will be for sure.
Love,
Elder Wood
