Family!!! And Friends!!!
So, I just want to start off telling you that this week has been soooo much better than last week! I can't believe how much the Lord has blessed me and answered my prayers in helping me feel more comfortable and happy here! He is truly amazing, and I know that He understands and has already felt everything I am feeling, and He knows what I need to feel to learn and grow, and also to humble myself and to heal and become stronger!
Thank you all for your emails and love! You are so amazing and I love you all! I am really sorry that my emails are often quite short and lame, I run out of time quickly here because it takes seriously like a half hour to load the email website! The internet here is...sub-par...but at least it is here! This time of reading your emails is one of my favorite parts of the week every week, and I will try to tell you everything. If I can't get to it all, I will write and send a snail mail. I have already sent one about 2 weeks ago, so hopefully it gets to you soon!
So this week started out pretty slowly. You already know about playing futsol and stuff last Monday. But, after that once Prep Day was over, we went back to the house because Elder Wiradi was feeling really sick. We stayed there the rest of the night and he laid in bed miserable. Then, Tuesday he was still sick. We only left the house once for like a half hour to go to the INdoMart to buy a few groceries so we had some food to eat. Then it was back to the house. Again, he spent the whole day sleeping, so I had a lot of time to fill by myself, stuck in a little house with not much to do. So, I spent a lot of time reading the Book of Mormon, Preach My Gospel, and the Conference talks edition of the Liahona, which we had in English, which was wonderful! THis time was really actually a blessing, because studying the scriptures and conference talks helped strengthen me so much, increased my testimony, and brought me closer to Heavenly Father. It also gave me a lot of time to think about what I am doing here, what I want to accomplish, and how I can best do that. And, while I spent a lot of time thinking about family and home, it was in a good way. I did not feel homesick, just grateful for the immense love that we have, and how close our family is and how much I appreciate that. ANd I know that my feelings of homesickness really were not for anything other than wanting to see my family again, and those feelings only came because of how much we love each other. I don't miss wakeboarding or any of that stuff (ok maybe a little, but not really) but I truly miss family because I love you so much! But that is also why I am here, is to honor you and to love all of my earthly family as well, since we are all brothers and sisters as children of Heavenly Father. I'm sure that sounds mumbled and jumbled, sorry, figure out what I was trying to say cause I don't have time to go back and edit it. But I really do love and miss you! But it is in a good way, and I am not miserably homesick anymore!
I also got some time to exercise, which was nice. It is amazing how much work you can do with footwork with just a jumprope and sidewalk cracks. Thank you whatever that class at Weber that I did with XC was called. Oh, and if you thought I sweat bad at home, you should see how bad it is in 90 degrees and 100% humidity! And, I got to iron shirts and pants and stuff.
Then, Wednesday he was still sick and it was more of the same all day stuck in the house, except that day we didn't leave at all! More study, pondering, exercising, and whatnot. And actually, long as it was, I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot from what I read and from what the Spirit taught me! I think it was a little bit of an answer to my prayers to have that time to myself, though I hope I wasn't the reason my comp got sick! haha!
While we were home, I had bought some strawberry jelly and peanut butter and bread at the store on Tuesday. I have never had a peanut butter and Jelly that tasted so good in my whole life! Haha it was just the simple taste of home that I needed!
Thursday, we sort of worked, though we spent a lot of time resting at the church because Elder Wiradi was still pretty sick. We taught one inactive member and English class, and that was it. But after English class, all the missionaries in Jogja (the 4 sisters and E. Wiradi and I) went to a sate place (barbecued skewers) to celebrate the 4th of July because it was the closest thing to a barbecue we could get. And Sister Sheffield bought some brownies, so we had those to celebrate too. It was simple, but was actually really fun!
Friday we went to Solo by train for PLD (zone conference). We met and interviewed with the new Mission President, President Donald. He is really cool and I really like him! Then we went and played futsol as a whole zone which was really fun!
Saturday was PLD, which was really cool and I learned a lot and felt the spirit so strongly! I just want to become the best missionary I can be, and I need to constantly be improving, because I have a long way to go! Then we took the train back, and by that time it was night.
On Sunday, we had 4 of our investigators come to church, which was awesome! After, we went to Sister Maria's house for the rest of the evening and met with her and her niece and son, who are investigators who came to church. SIster Maria told us that they really liked it, and that she would really like for them to get baptised! So would we! So hopefully, and I really do think it will happen!
Today was P-Day and we went to the beach with Sister SHeffield and her companion, Sister Suryani, and one of their Investigator families. It was a lot of fun, but took a long time! But I got some beautiful pictures! Too bad we couldn't get in the water, but just hearing the waves crashing and being on the black sand was really nice!
Well, I really do need to go now! Sorry I can't send pictures from here. When I fill the memory card, I will back it up onto another one and send the card home. IN the meantime, I will try to send a letter with some printed pictures every few weeks!
I love you and miss you, but I am also coming to love Indonesia and the wonderful people here! I know this work is the Lord's work, and I am so grateful to be a part of it!
I love you!
Love, Elder Wood
