Gotta Stay Humble!!

Hey family and friends!

So today are transfers so I really don't have any time... But I love you all so much and I hope everything is going well!

So I got transferred to Humble Texas, (pronounced 'Umble'). It's just across the bridge of Lake Houston from Kingwood so I'm not too far away. I am sad I'm leaving Kingwood but I am excited for all the new adventures I'm going to have here! My new comp is Elder Setoki. He's from Hawaii and we are the same mission age! He's the DL here so that'll be fun! Elder Jake Osborne actually took my place in Kingwood 1st so that's kinda funny!

Some highlights of the week:

We were able to have a lesson with our investigator G* and her husband J*. They are the angry baby parents. (Refer to previous email). It went super well! We were able to answer their questions and they are both super interested in the church! It'll be great for them as they learn more and continue reading from the Book of Mormon!

Another highlight was our ward had a crawfish boil this last Saturday. One thing I've learned on my mission is I LOVE crawfish! So so good. We had tons of less actives and even lots of non-members and investigators show up so that was amazing! Such a great idea for the ward.

I found out I was leaving Saturday night so I said goodbye to members on Sunday. I sure have grown to love this ward and area so so much and I'm going to miss it. But I know there are people here in Humble that I will learn to love just as much. I'm so excited for the new opportunities I'll have and that I get to keep spreading this wonderful gospel!

Have a wonderful week everyone and I love you all so so much! :)

Love,
Elder Wood

Temple, angry mothers, and knowwwledge

Hey y'all! This week has been jam packed full of stuff so hopefully I can write about it all in at least a decent length ;p

On Tuesday we went and got ready for our church tour with Ryan our investigator. We cleaned and got it all ready and he texted us right before saying he would let us know when he arrived. But, then he never showed up... he hasn't got in contact with us since... We think he might have got called into the station but it's weird because he hasn't called or texted back yet still... We really hope everything is okay because he really is super prepared. That night, we were biking around and it was like 8:30 so we had a few more minutes to keep working if we wanted to be obedient and stay out till 9. So Elder Wolfgramm decided to knock this one house. As we were walking to the door I noticed a "baby on board" sign on their car. I immediately had the thought, “We're going to wake up the baby.” Sure enough, when the lady answered the door, she was NOT happy... she went on and on about how we shouldn't knock doors this late and that because we woke up her baby it's pretty much ruined her life. Now, I have siblings with babies and I get the whole ‘don't wake the baby’ thing. But, her reaction was a little too much :p We told her we were so sorry and that we wouldn't do it again and we left not really thinking too much of it because people yelling really is pretty common. But, the reason I told this story is because there's more to it later on, so 'FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL Z!'





















On Wednesday we were able to go to the temple!!! Oh, it was so so good! This is the first time I've been since I've gotten here on my mission because it got flooded by Harvey and they just barely re-dedicated it. It was so nice to go again. I have learned SO so much the last 8 months and I was able to apply everything I’ve learned into the session. The spirit taught and showed me so much and it answered many of my personal questions and prayers. I know that we have been given temples for a reason. They are one of the greatest things here on earth. The things our Heavenly Father promises to us are immeasurable to anything the world has to offer. I can't express how so very important it is we always keep our covenants and stay worthy for the gifts and miracles He so desperately wants to give us. He truly is waiting to give us all He has. We just have to be ready in all aspects in order to receive. If there are things in your life that are holding you back from receiving the light and knowledge you need or from seeing and participating in miracles daily, I invite you to change. Truly turn yourself towards the Savior. If you take the steps necessary to walk towards Him with faith, He will help you walk on water.

River crossing

The member who gave us a ride told us on his neighborhood app some lady asked where the 'guys with white shirts' live because she wanted to apologize. It was the same lady who yelled at us for waking her baby! We went and stopped by and she was super excited to see us. She said as soon as we left the spirit told her that she needed to love more. And that God had given her her child as a gift and so she needed to show her gratitude through her actions to others. So, we are going to go teach her and her family soon! It’s so so cool and I've never had anyone who yells at us try and find us to apologize before! She said she had been standing outside around 8 every night since then looking for us and that she drove around the night it happened for an hour looking for us. It's so cool how the spirit can touch and change people! :)

This week Elder Mills and I had to go to the dentist to get some cavities fixed. Curse you weak enamel... we had to get some information from back home because it was a new place for both of us so Elder and Sister Admunsen gave us permission to call our parents! Haha it was short and strictly for information only but still, two calls in one week! ;p

This last week it's just been getting hotter and hotter! Haha on Friday I had exchanges with Elder Mills and it was one of those work super hard all day, zero results kinda day :p There was a fair going on and we stopped for lunch and got some food from a Hawaiian truck so that was good! Haha but we were so tired and sweaty by the end of the day :p

Sunday was Mother’s Day! It was super nice to see my family! I love them all so so much and it was fun to see all their faces and hear their voices again! I love you so much mom!

We went around Sunday night and left sticky notes for some of the moms in our ward. Hopefully it made their day a little better :)

Anyways, that's about it for the week, I love you all and I hope you keep on keeping on! :) say yes to new adventures! Especially gospel adventures! ;)

Oh also, we saw a Lambo this week. Just another day in Kingwood. ;)

Come on and Slam. Get Ready for the Jam.

Hey family and friends!

So for this week, our p-day is only until 2 because of our temple trip this week. So this might be a shorter one but I’ll see you next week family for Mothers Day!

Tuesday we were able to have a lesson with R*! It went so so well. We covered the restoration again just to make sure he understood and to answer questions. R* is literally the most prepared person I've ever met on my mission. Every single question he asked was right along with the lesson we were teaching. He said he was baptized when he was 5 but he didn't like it because he believed you should be baptized when you can choose for yourself. He also is super interested in coming to church and literally loves everything we've taught him. It’s almost unreal how prepared he is... I literally was sitting there teaching him and it was like I was in the MTC again because he was accepting everything we taught him. I am so so grateful we have this chance to teach him and be his guides on this journey. I know there is no way my own abilities could be sufficient to convert him to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I owe everything to the Lord and I am only a tool in his hands. I pray I can continue to earn his trust and help more people along my way.

Wednesday we were able to get in with a part member family who just recently had a new baby girl! My sister had a baby not too long ago as well so it made me kinda miss home but they are super nice. The husband grew up in the gospel but never really got a testimony. But he knows it's what his family needs and with this new life step with their baby, they can be really susceptible to the spirit so we are going to continue to work with them :)

That night we were biking home, and they were having mutual in the church parking lot and I heard the distinct, unmistakable sound of Star Wars music... Needless to say we turned around. ;) haha The priests and teachers were learning how to sword fight with lightsabers and they graciously let us join in :) haha So that was pretty cool. Got my Star Wars fill for the day. :)

Thursday I had exchanges with my district leader Elder Abbott. We had district training that morning and then we went out. We decided to go to Porter and try some people we had there. We don't go to Porter that often because the only way to get there on bikes is through the forest and there are packs of wild pit bulls and angry hillbillies with shotguns who don't like you trespassing on the trailer yard... but we went anyways. It was sprinkling a little but we didn't think anything of it. As soon as we got in Porter we went to try a referral we got and then it started to pour. And not the Utah evening storm kinda rain. Like torrential, almost hurricane, wind and drops as big as marbles rain... it was crazy!! We tried to pull out our maps because we had to find out where our dinner appointment was and it was going to be with President Hewlett and his wife so we couldn't miss it... none of our maps were working and it was raining so hard it was ruining our tablets and phones. We biked as hard as possible down the road trying to find some kind of shelter from hurricane Harvey's moody teenage daughter. We finally found a patch of trees kind of by where we came in by the Porter pass. We huddled under some trees and called Kingwood 2 for a rescue... We then waited for 20 minutes while K2 came. There were some guys under a porch by us who were drinking and they just kept laughing at us. Haha I guess we must have been quite the scene as two drenched, muddy guys in church clothes hiding under the trees. K2 arrived and we called Sister Hewlett asking if we should change or just come over. She said to just come so we did! Dinner was really great. It's super nice to get to know our president and his wife better and in a more personal way. They are super funny and so loving. I was joking around with the cashier and just talking and then president came over and told her that if she listened to the message I had to share, that it would change her life forever. So, we gave her a BOM and a restoration pamphlet. Hopefully she'll take it to heart!

On Sunday we had dinner with the A* family. I love their little girl! Oh she's just so so cute! She showed me her little garden and she had me help her water the plants. I just love little kids! :) haha I wish I was a kid still... being an adult is the pits sometimes...

Well, I'm excited to see you guys next week and I miss and love you! :)

Keep being amazing and keep reading the scriptures! :)