Hey! Its so great to hear from you! And this is the second time this week! I got your letters on Friday Morning! They were so great to read, and will be such a blessing to have because I can keep re-reading them whenever I want/need to! So thank you!
So, I know I have said it before, but the mission is truly a roller coaster with the highest highs, and the lowest lows, and it changes so quickly! This week started out really well! My companion and I are talking again which is super helpful because we are actually planning and I know what is going on, and I have someone to communicate with.
So last Monday for P Day we went to the Sultan Palace of Jogja. It was pretty cool, but I had a hard time understanding what we were looking at because our guide spoke really formal language and a lot of Javanese, so even the fluent Americans couldn't understand, only the natives in our group. But there was an investigator with us that speaks only english and Javanese and she knew a lot of the history of the place, so she helped me out a bunch, which was super nice!
After the palace, we went and met with the Bishop and had family home evening at his house. We are trying to plan a time to watch the missionary fireside and do a special missionary fast with the whole ward to try and get members more excited about missionary work, because we really need their help and involvement to be very successful, especially here I think. SO, we have downloaded it translated into Indonesian and are just figuring out the last few details of date and time. I hope that this can help us get a few more investigators and member present lessons! It should help I think!
Tuesday was a pretty average day, we taught a few lessons but had a lot of last-minute cancellations and so wasted a lot of time, which was frustrating! But we did have our first Ward Mission Leader meeting that morning, which was nice.
Wednesday was pretty good. We taught a 13 year old that has made the baptismal commitment, so that is exciting! Then we taught an inactive member. Then that night, we taught two new investigators that we contacted the other day. They were receptive and I heard one of them say that he believed it was all true, which got me all excited. But when we left, my companion told me that what he had said was he believes all religions are true. I don't really see how that can be, but hopefully we can clear things up!
Thursday we had planning and then a lesson with an inactive member, then we had English class. Just before English class I started feeling kinda sick. By the end of English class I was pretty miserable. Then we helped the sisters teach a lesson afterwards to a nonmember. He is incredibly frustrating because he wants to Bible Bash, but he uses 3 different translations of the Bible to prove different points! Haha crazy! But I think we are going to have to drop him, at least for a while, because now he is trying to convince us that what he believes is true.
After that, the half hour bike ride home was miserable, and by the time we got home I wanted to die! I had a headache, full body ache, and fever.
Friday morning was more of the same, but I prayed that I could feel better to do at least a little work. Just when it was time to leave, I felt normal! I got through one lesson with a former investigator, then felt terrible again. I came home and slept most of the evening and night.
Saturday morning I was sick again, but the investigator from yesterday wanted to meet again. When it was time, i felt fine again, and we went to the church and taught him. I gave him the baptismal commitment, and I think he is really close to accepting. I think there is a reason I was allowed to teach him this week, and that something will come of it. Because it truly was a small miracle that I got healthy and taught, and right when it ended, got miserable again! Missionary blessings!
Sunday we went to church, but came home immediately after. I slept all day.
Today I got a blood test, and I have Dengue Fever. Also, my platelet count is down to about 73,000. I have had a fever of anywhere between 100 and 103 the last few days. So, because of the Dengue and low platelet count and stuff, the mission doctor wants me to spend a night or two in the hospital, so thats where I'm headed after this! Haha yippee, so fun! But I'm ok, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just pray for me to get healthy quickly so I can get back to work. President Donald will also email you soon and put you in contact with the mission doctor. But they assure me, I will be fine. They just want to make sure my platelet count doesn't drop any lower.
Well, I gotta go, but I love you! Thanks for everything, you are the most amazing parents and family ever!
Love, Elder Wood
