Finishing Strong! (Title by mom since Bryton didn't provide a subject line :)

Good day family and friends. I apologize for I not writing recently but I have just been busy trying to tie up all the loose ends and finish the incredible work that God has allotted me. There has been some crazy work going on.

I have been finding and meeting relatives in Wola Sernicka and Serniki and getting them started on Family Search and Introducing the Gospel through it. We will be teaching an amazing young family with 4 children this week:) I was able to present at the middle school there and will possibly present at the elementary school and help the teachers implement Family Search into the curriculum when students are required to make family trees. :)

Also presented in some high schools the past couple weeks, built up our english class and found some legit, young new investigators! We began a cool program by teaching from mormon messages. 

I randomly got some legit contacts and we are in contact with radio and television groups for me to be interviewed on regional and national channels to present my story and who we are as mormon missionaries! This is not an exaggeration. Pray for us pleeeaase. This would be huge for the church and work here. We are currently waiting for a response from Telewizja Polska which will be made tomorrow.

Also, I am working with a great friend named Daniel who is the greatest kingdom builder you could imagine, his wife is interested and likes us as well, he is 35 and has two awesome boys and he is really tying to find out if this is the true church of God. He left the catholic church 3 years ago and has sincere desires to find truth and follow Christ. He i so strong spiritually and temporally. Was the manager of the two biggest hotels in Lublin at one point. Now is the manager of some international factories and a resort. He is so prepared it's ridiculous.

We are implementing the European area plan in the branch so I am working closely with the new branch president providing training on the self-reliance/job search program and family history before I leave. These will add so much strength to the members branch.

He said we are his counselors until he calls some, so its been kinda interesting and a good learning experience to work with him.

Finishing Tomasz's recent convert lessons and self-reliance program which has been good, and teaching other investigators.

Literally more busy this last month then ever before in my mission. If the television thing takes root, it would launch The true Church of Jesus Christ and the missionaries in the public spotlight by the millions. pretty insane. it would be a game changer, I can't even explain how much. Please pray for us.

honestly, yeah I'm kinda stressed. I'm literally grinding to the last ounce of energy and my left eye hasn't stopped twitching from stress the past two weeks haha. If I didn't constantly feel the spirit and see all the good fruits that are coming into the lives of others, my life, and my family's I would think that I've gone mad. ;)

 I have needed to completely rely on Christ cause I can in no way do all this alone and as I've relied on him completely I have experienced and can testify of his grace.  He has lifted me up, built me up, refined and even carried me along the way to accomplish his will as his servant and pioneer.  

I love Poland and the church and people here and my Savior soo much. My only desire is to be His spokesman, bless and serve his people and build his church and proclaim the everlasting gospel the best that I physically, mentally and spiritually can in this mission, life and eternity. 

He has completely changed me and turned me into more of the  man I need to be for the next phase of my life. I have felt the redeeming and enabling power of the Atonement every day and would be absolutely nothing without it. I pretty much am absolutely nothing, less than the dust of the earth but I've learned that as I act in strict obedience to the teachings of the Savior and voice of the Spirit, guidance from the Book of Mormon and living prophets and apostles relying on the strength of my Savior to change and act in harmony with the will of Heavenly Father, true miracles and progression occur.

I love my mission, I wish it could in someway never end and but I look forward to seeing and serving you all.

I hope that all is well with you and wish you a joyful, peaceful, and productive week. God's grace is so real.

Love,

Elder Wood

Christ: The Oasis of Peace

This week really was something miraculous:)

We had a Christmas devotional last Saturday and we had a great turnout including a college kid from Bethlehem that we met playing ping-pong and a former investigator invited by a member who is now actively coming to church and investigating again! It was really neat to see one of our members reach out to a friend who was going through a difficult time and invite them to come closer to Christ. That friend is starting to see the hope, joy and healing that Christ and his sacrifice brings.

Also we met with a really legit kid who is very smart and already was wondering a lot that we lived before this life with God for a long time learning from him, we his children with the potential to grow up and be like him and then that there is eternal progression after death. It was incredible to confirm to him the truths that God has been whispering to him. He really lit up, the spirit was really strong and he believes that we are brothers sent from our Father to reveal more of the truth to him. He loves the Book of Mormon and the rich restored truths that it brings to connect the dots of his beliefs.

Also our friend Kacper got Baptized, he was going through a really hard time and experiencing a lot of stress but he said that last Friday night as he went to the Heavenly Father in sincere prayer, he received the greatest sense of overwhelming perfect peace he has ever experienced. He decided to be baptized the following week! He says he feels that everyday now, especially today as he came out of the waters of Baptism and knows that the Savior truly washed away all the sins and mistakes and lost years of his former life. In his testimony today he testified and encouraged all the investigators present to truly follow Jesus Christ by repenting and be baptized by someone holding the proper authority of God. It was so powerful and sincere. He is truly living now in an oasis of peace(as he describes it). 

I promise as well that if we all decide to remember Christ always and make and keep those holy eternal covenants with God we all can live in an Oasis of Peace, no matter what the current conditions are of the dynamic world we live in. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all mankind and that he truly lived and lives! The redemptive and enabling power which comes from his Atonement is very real and available to all and a desire to invite that power more fully into our lives is the greatest gift that we could give him this Christmas. I love him and I love all you. Merry Christmas.

with love, Elder Wood

1. Kacper's Baptism

2. My companion Lost his head ;)

God is Good

Everything has been going really well here in Lublin. It's just a big College town so it is really fun to meet and talk to the college students about the restoration of the fullness of Christ's gospel and our true revealed identity, plan, and purpose.

Tomasz got baptized last week and it was amazing. He is basically a college kid in a 50 year old's body. He has just filled with confidence, hope and joy as he has been able to repent and leave the anger and regret of the past behind. He has been finding great joy in sharing the gospel with others as well.
Besides that, the members here are really great, each week they organize something for the members and investigators and other friends to mingle and hang out. The branch has really caught fire and everybody is so hopeful and happy. I sometimes just sit back and ponder how good God has been to us here. He is a God of perfect love and miracles, let us all remember to be grateful for all of his blessings and all that we have. We will then be filled with light and love and be able to share that with all. God lives, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World and the Holy Spirit whispers that to us continually. If we just stop, and truly listen with real intent, we will hear Him every time.
I know that is true.
Love, Elder Wood
ps. If you want a Christmas card from me let me know be leaving your address... :)

​1. thanksgiving party at the chapel
2. Tomasz's Baptism

The Hope of Christ

Our week was really interesting. We had a lot of good things happen. We have 4 friends who are really increasing their knowledge and faith of the restored truths of Christ's gospel. One of them will be getting baptized this Saturday. His name is Tomasz and has a really amazing story which he said I could share.

20 years ago he went through a pretty rough divorce where he found out that his wife was cheating on him. In the result of the divorce he felt alone and completely abandoned. He recalled to us today an experience he had shortly after his divorce. He had some friends who had committed suicide previously so he decided that would be the path for him. As he was walking on the train tracks toward the end of his pitiful life with a train approaching just 200-300 meters away he said he heard a silent but penetrating voice which told him " Step off the tracks, return home, you will find your family, you will find the right path for your life."

He followed the prompting and for 20 years searched for his "family" and the true Path for his life that this voice told him. He testified today to us with tears in his eyes that thanks to Jesus Christ and his restored gospel he found his family and the Path that God wants for him in his life. He also told us that he knew it was the Holy Ghost which spoke to him that day, because of his favorite scripture is 1 nephi 4:6,7.  

"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth..."

It said it was the same for him in his life. 

The feelings of the spirit, tenderness and eternal significance of the moment are not describable. 

I feel inspired to share this story with you all and invite you to also listen to this voice. God loves us immensley and has a great plan, life, blessings, and family in store for each one of us. Do not decide to end your journey early and if you have a friend who might be thinking so please encourage them to also listen to the Still small voice encouraging each one of us personally to continue that search for Happiness and belonging. I truly love you all and the light, hope and joy that our Savior brings into the World. 

please watch and share the attached video and bring light to all within your reach this season. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=17&v=P_VRN7hcL_8

Love,

Elder Wood

our friend Tomasz 

Lublin!

I finally got the transfer call of my dreams! I am now serving in the best college town in Poland and also the region in which my ancestors come from. There have been many miracles so far as I am coming into contact with some relatives and been teaching some really great investigators. 

My companion is in his second transfer and is from Germany. He is awesome. I am impressed by his maturity, and his spiritual sensitivity. He is a very powerful missionary and very real. He thinks I am too crazy though ;) We make a good pair.

Tom is awesome, he is like a 20 year old missionary full of fire to help all people and stand up for Christ trapped inside a 40 year old body. He wants to be baptized. Along with our friend Kacper, he is in the hospital right now but we went and visited him and his friend was really interested and so they are reading the Book of Mormon together there now. His friend is kinda atheist but really wants to find out if God is real, and if he can come clean from his past so it was a really sincere powerful experience.

Our friend Michał met the missionaries 2 weeks ago as an atheist, last week he said he was now agnostic, 2 days ago he was asking all kinds of questions on how he can better feel the spirit and here God's voice. We aske him if he was coming to church and he said "of course, for sure I'll be there." He soaked it all in and it was great to see how happy he was! 

The members here are really involved and have good desires to build the kingdom.

The sisters in the district are also teaching a lot of great young college students. It is cool to see that true joy and light that comes into their life as the learn these very simple truths of who we really are as sons and daughters of a Loving God, where we come from, where we are going and the wonderful gifts and blessings that come into our lives thanks to his Prefect Plan. Please let us all remember our true identity and true to uncover more of it each and every day.

I love you all

Love, Elder Wood

Me and Elder Marx

Return to the Land of My Forefathers

Very quick. No, I did not get transfered. I simply was on exchange for a few days and spent some time in the town where my polish family comes from. Long story short the first person I spoke with was a drunk homeless man that accused us of being russian spies. The second person I spoke with was a young searchinng mother with her young daughter playing in the park who turned out to be one of my distant cousins. It was an incredible miracle and we had a great discusssion. We felt a kinly bond immediately and it was the same feellings that we feel when we stop and thinkk that we are all truly brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father. She invited me back when I am next in the area to meet with the family and discusss more about the plan. This plan is so true. God is real. Christ lives and his church in perfectness is restored once again upon the Earth.

elder furhiman and I rounding up the geese

elder kriser (my comp)

elder Curtis(from Toquerville)

New Terrain

Well, Have a lot to say but I will keep it short. My mission is a miracle. 

Lots of our investigators are making progress, and I am humbled at the miracle of change the Atonement makes possible. It has been neat to help the Branch president out in the reactivation of a few of the young solid priesthood holders.

Something exciting, I am now in a state to take the gospel to my long lost relatives from my polish line. I will be visiting the city from where my polish ancestors emigrated from and while be opening of some new doors and connections to the church with important people there while also be searching out my relatives.

It has been neat to come to know the mind of the Lord as I humbly sincerely pray for guidance and strength, study the Book of mormon, deeply ponder and pleadingly, desperately pray, then get up and work according to the answers he gives. Heavenly Father talks to his children today each one personally as we come unto him in sincere humilty. Of that I bear solemn testimony :)  Please pray for me to have the spirit and to follow the voice and will of the Lord. Thank you and I love you all

Elder Wood

me with some of the missionaries

Me with Tobiasz, aka, my Amulek​​​