Fun Finding Activities

Last transfer we did some fun finding activities, to get our good name out there and invite people to learn about our church. We did a couple runs and also commentated an english a 3 on 3 basketball tournament with a famous polish rapper.

Transfer Review

Elder Kriser and I will be staying together for another transfer here in the Capitol!! I don't know if I ever described him. He is from Florida, there he lived on a big farm with his herd of cows. He has six sisters(5 older, 1 younger). He also went to BYU-Idaho for one year and did some sales during the summer break. He is a very loving, calm missionary, very in-tune with God and his will. It has been a pleasure to serve with him and learn from him, and I am glad that I have 2 more months to do so. 

We spent the last two summer months really gaining our contacts and finding lots of people who are interested in the restored gospel and started teaching them. Many of which express a good interest in our church and a desire to find the truth from God in their lives. These next two months should be filled with lots of teaching and baptisms. Also we have really gotten close to the YSA and some less-actives and part-member families in the Ward and it has been great to work beside them and be lifted up spiritually together as well.

At the beginning of the transfer I made a new friend. She lives on the Polish-German border and studied her in Warsaw. She had been investigating the church for a few years and she decided to take the next steps leading to her Savior and be baptized and confirmed. It was humbling to be a part of the process and to see the difference the gift of the Holy Ghost made in her life, after she made the big decision. Her testimony is strong and her spirit is bright. She is an amazing example.

Also, in the past four months there have been 3 different general authorities come to the mission. This weekend Elder Mendoza from the Area 70 came and shared his knowledge, advice and spirit. It was great because at Dinner, Elder Kriser and I sat next to him and were able to ask him some questions and the words which he spoke and the spirit which we felt were perfect. We are excited to implement his counsel into the work in helping to bring to pass God's glory," the immortality and eternal life of man."

So an interesting scripture he shared was Doctrine and Covenants 88:67 " And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things."

So let us all remember to always keep God's goal in our sight, because if we do and then lose ourselves in the service of those around us, we will always know what to do and will make it back to live with our Heavenly Father his son Jesus Christ again, helping our fellow brothers and sisters along the way. Life is amazing. Our divine destiny is true. Of that I give my word in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love, Elder Wood

Yes, I'm alive ;)

Sorry I haven't updated you all for so long and I really don't know what to say, or how to release my thoughts and summarize all that has been going on the past few weeks.

We had to take the missionaries returning home to the airport at 3:30 in the morning last week. That was kinda hard not because we had to get up early but because I had to say goodbye to all the sisters that were in my MTC group as we all came out into this mision thing together. It finally dawned on me that I only have 6 months left and that gave me some weird feelings because it's going to be so hard and say goodbye to everyone and everything. But yeah, not really gonna think about that anymore because I have way too much to accomplish before I come home and see you all again!

We also went and did some service work a community severely damaged by a massive storm this week. We did manual labor in gathering and burning fallen destroyed trees, cleaning parks and farm work from 8 to 21 for a few days but it seriously felt like a vacation from normal missionary work! ha it was so nice. Then a miracle, just by seeing how nice and happy we were all these super strong Catholics wanted to find out more about our church and read the book of Mormon so we handed out a lot with "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" and they said that once they read it all they would pass it to their families and other members in their community! It was so neat. Then the next day we went and helped a member of our ward on her farm and it really softened the hard, skeptical hearts of her family and neighbors. By the end of it all she was tearing up. We literally felt like we were in paradise :) The results in the lives of others of heartfelt service is amazing. Let us always serve others with selflessness and the pure love of Christ and look for the miracles, healing and increased love that follows.

Also, We will have 11 new great missionaries coming into the Poland Warsaw Mission tomorrow which we are super excited about!

Elder Kriser and I are personally are working with a lot of investigators who truly are desiring to come closer to Christ, We have about 9-10 legit investigators making progress with more than half of them coming to church consistently. They want to be baptized and progress according to the gospel but some of them are just waiting till the time is right so we continue to teach true doctrine and watch their confidence and faith grow each week. 

I guess that will be the spiritual message this week. I have been interested in psychology and human behavior for so long and so this quote has always been on my mind but then when Elder Sabin came and gave us some training he shared it as well. "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. … That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” Elder Boyd K Packer

It is truly amazing to see the change in peoples lives and the happiness, peace and joy they receive when they come to know that they are truly sons and daughters of God. They learn true doctrine from God himself through study prayer and revelation and cast of the philosophies of men,  then realize who they are, whey they are here, where they are headed and what potential they have, and the blessings and growth and development that awaits them as the follow the path walked of the Savior. We truly are joint heirs in Christ, he not only is our Savior, but our perfect older brother continuously, lovingly, encouraging us to follow him in our journey back to our Father in Heaven as more developed, mature, intelligent, purified beings. We are all here for a reason and we have so much to look forward to and work towards with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.The Church of Jesus Christ is on the earth again in perfectness and has all truth. Jesus Christ in all reality stands at the head and leads his church still today. I Know that and Testify of that in his name,  Jesus Christ, amen.

I love and miss you all

Love, Elder Wood

Don't have time to send a big email but know that everything is going well here in Poland and the Mission is really advancing, It is miraculous and amazing to be a part of it. 

One thought that I had in church this week. Work hard serving others and put God first and have faith and you will have a happy fruitful life. :) Like Prezydent Monson

1. Last picture with Elder Haskett. He got transferred out of the trio. Other comp didn't have missionary clothes because he was suppossed to have surgery that morning.

2. Zone conferences this week with Elder and Sister Sabin.

3. Honestly how we have been feeling the past couple weeks. So much work and meetings :) 

The Gathering

There have been miracles every day here in my mission. It really has been a miracle in my own life to have made it to the spot I have and been able to witness the things I have been a part of. For those of you that served missions, you know a little of what I mean, for those of you who have not, prepare to go or meet with the missionaries and then you will see ;)

Anywas, it has been soo busy here in the capitol, we have had many exchanges with different Elders and it has been crazy transitioning from the smallest teaching area in the mission to the biggest. My companions are Elder Kriser from Florida and Elder Haskett from LA. It is really interesting and a blessing to work and learn between the two of them. We have a lot of people we are working with including a few less-actives and recent converts. There is a new faith and fire here in the Poland Warsaw mission and it has been really cool to see God quickening the pace in gathering his sheep. We as missionaries are just like young sheep dogs finding the scent of the lost sheep and signaling to the master that they are lost and want to find their way back, and then we walk side by side with the Master to go out and bring them into the fold of safety and happiness.

This church is true, I have no doubt. I have heard just about every angle of argument,criticism and skeptisms but that does not sway me in my knowledge that the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ lives and directs his church today personally as he always had through a living prophet and twelve apostles. This Plan and the purpose of why we live, and why we have families is so much more than we can comprehend, but Our loving father in Heaven promises to reveal it to us little b little, sep by step. So I invite you to take that next step to figure out who you are in this plan and learn more about Jesus Christ.I promise it will bless your live and you will feel his light and peace come into your life.

He Lives!

sincerely,

 Elder Wood

1. exchange right before I left Mielec.

2. Picture with Samuel. he is the son of a member in Tarnów. we traveled there and did some some missionary work in this new area.

3. Stolica, "The Capitol"

4. The dream team. Elder Haskett "the Ginger". Elder Kriser "The Farmer".

MASSive Update!

Things are going great!! 

We had a miracle the other day and had sudden prompting to talk to one of our investigators at his work on the town square and we were prompted to leave immediately and give him a broshure about the plan of Happiness so we could talk to him about life after death in our next meeting that week. We had just returned from our sports Saturday and were finishing up some studies so we were still in our sports clothes, as we went to change we had the prompting that we must leave immedieatley and so we just wore our soccer clothes and slides ha, but we felt good about it.
But for some reason he wasn't there in his shop and so we felt kinda dumb so we wandered over to the other side of the side walk to get got some ice-cream to make up for it, and not feel so bad ;) But while doing so we made friends with the girl selling ice-cream. While we were buying our ice-cream it started raining so nobody else was buying anything and we had a good excuse to continue our conversation with her. She really opened up to us and told us her mom and gramma died recently and so we explained what life after death looks like and the plan and christ and she was super interested!!! We have another meeting with her today :) ha it was crazy,

One more, which was cool, we took a wierd route today on our bikes to go and set up some english and America presentations at some schools to get our name out and invite people to our english class and while doing so we passed one of our investigators on his bike, another one of our investigators about hit us with his car and riding our bikes out of the school parking lot we ran into another leaving school! 

Honestly, I don't even know if I am the one steering my bike anymore, I am just peddling like a madman! haha just ask Elder Hansen, literally we flirt with curfew at 21:30 multiple nights a week and after we get out of our meetings we have a few kilometers to travel with like 5-7 mintues. Thats one of the moments I believe where grace  (divine means of strength and help) kicks in. It's insane! We always have strength for one last dead sprint at the end of the night. We really love the bikes we have here, only four bikes in our entire mission, makes a big difference. So grateful. ha, on our way to meetings or teaching appointments sometimes we will ride a circle, zigzags or stop for a minute and next thing you we know there is somebody that were are teaching or somebody that is willing to find out more!
Pretty much all the people in our free english courses are between 17-23 which is way cool. A few of them now have Book of Mormons and 2 of them are new solid investigators!

We also play soccer every saturday on this awesome turf field with our new youth friends from the sports middle school, david( one of the members who plays soccer) is going to start bringing his friends too.
Literally we walk around Mielec after giving presentations in about every school now and we are like celebrities, the youth usually call out to us or we say hi to them and then we just end up talking for like 15-30 minutes about who we are and what we believe, ooor go get food with them. ;)

We have been working hard and things have been improving.

Miracle!!! One of our friend's, who is studying about our church, her mom offered to take us on a bicycle ride through the woods last pday so we did that for a few hours with her husband, went to the ice-cream factory with them and ended up gathering mushrooms with them as well, I think we can now safely say now that she accepts us! ;)

The less active family were able come to church last week as well and they are coming to FHE tonight! they are so amazing are like 30 and have a 4 year old son, they got married in the temple in england bout 5 years ago....

Continuing to work with David, it is cool to see his knowledge and confidence in the gospel grow. btw, he is a stud, has the most swag in the world.

But yeah, things are good, 
 I was thinking what we could do to teach better and help people understand the gospel and all I could think of was the members and all of their talents especially their daughter Ev, because she is currently away from us in California. Her testimony, support, wisdom and common sense(not to mention her language skills) really help us in inviting others to learn more about Christ and come more fully unto him. ;) but yeah, you members everywhere have so much power and believe it or not, missionary work is really up to you, YOU ARE NEEDED. Don't fear, only believe.

anyways,one more thing. We tried something cool as a companionship a few days ago, we tried substituted our names and situation into the first verses in the Book or Mormon that we all have read about 1000000 times and it was sooo cool! It worked and made sense and we got so much more insights that we never have before. Definitely one of the ways our Loving Heavenly Father can talk to us. We encourage you to try it. When you read the scriptures substitute your name, and setting into the story, and you will find it easier to receive confirmations to your your prayers, answers of why things in the past might have happened and personal tips for the present and future. 

I know the Book of Mormon is the words of Jesus Christ and contains the fullness of his gospel because it brings all of us closer to him to live in harmony, peace and happiness with his teachings in all aspects of our lives. And as we do, we come to know Him and his Father, his perfect grace and his infinite Atonement. I know and promise that is true. I've felt it. He is real. He lives.

Love, Elder Wood 

p.s. it has been a while since I sent pictures so these are from the transfer, more will follow

1,2. some meals (we eat a lot of potatoes and kielbasa)

3. Wishing off Elder Toone.

Pictures!

1. Elder Hansen, the most ordinary lookin guy with the most extraordinary talents and skillset. ;)

2,3,4.Our english/America presentations

Our p-day ride through the forest with the parents of one of our investigators.

1. Welcoming former comp. Elder Groseclose into the district.

2. This is us at the MTC. ha flashback

3. before the bikes we had to track down these old fashioned buses.

4. What Idaho and Poland are both famous for...