A little bit of everything

Hello family! 

It seems like things are going really good! It was nutz to see those pictures of everyone haha. Scone Sunday sounds way fun too, keep up the good work. Maybe you could start a scone truck and make the girls run it though the winter! When you're a missionary you get filled with really good ideas like that one. 

This week was a rough one! Not morale wise, but lessons wise we struggled. Only 1 other lesson with an investigator, and 1 person let us in while we were knocking doors, but that's all! It's strange how things come in waves. For 2 or 3 weeks you just find tons of people and they come to you and every thing is great and you teach! Then for some reason, things settle down and things disappear, and with no change in work ethic or faith or effort, things just kind of stop. The highs and lows of missionary life are so huge. One moment you are on top of the world and then you just fall to the floor the next. Crazy! Seriously though, during these times that are maybe a little more difficult, you grow so close to the Savior. It's just a good opportunity to get on your knees and reevaluate, and get back up and go again! And even though this week the work struggled a little bit, I'm still so happy. Being a missionary does that to you! I'm just excited for one of these waves to come along that includes a baptism! 

Yesterday during investigators class at church, we had a really cool experience! The sisters' ami came who speaks French, then a man we met came with his daughter, they speak a tiny bit of French and mostly Algerian and Russian, and the teacher is American, speaks English and was baptised in China not even a year ago. Before the class started, I was very interested to see how it would all work out. We got some Russian and English and French speakers to come in and do the translation, and the lesson ended up being really spiritual and great! Being in such an international ward seems kind of difficult I think because of the obvious language barrier, but everyone speaks the language of the spirit, you know. If someone testifies to you, it doesn't matter what language they are speaking really, because they can feel the spirit that is there. It was a great experience! 

There is not a lot that really went on this week to tell you, so this one will be a little short! But I'm really grateful for you all and I love you! I'm pretty sure I'll be skyping on Christmas, depending on where I get transfered to that is, but it's gonna be great to see you! Keep up the good work and I'll talk to you soon! 

Bisous, 

Elder Wood 

Testimony of Jesus Christ

Howdy! 

How's it going? Good? Sounds like it! Sounds like Halloween was super fun! Halloween is super fun, but also is one of the worst missionary nights ever I think. From what I've heard, Halloween and trick-or-treating just started in Belgium like 5 years ago, so people love it. The day work was normal, but at night we went out to knock doors and the streets were full of costumed children who were already knocking all the doors. We finally found a door that was free, we watched for 5ish minutes to make sure no children came to knock it, and we went for it. The lady just opened the door and stuck out her bowl of candy, and when we awkwardly explained that we weren't there for the candy and we were there to testify of Christ and His Restored Gospel. She just made us take some candy and closed the door. So, needless to say little success was found that night, but we tried. 

Other than a fruitless Halloween, this week was pretty good! Remember A, the man from the email last week? He has disappeared. We think he is really scared of the spirit he felt and is avoiding us, but, its okay, because he still felt it, and the next time we or other missionaries see him, he will know of the spirit that comes with this true message of Christ. That was a really long sentence. We did find two other young men who we will be teaching this week though which was cool! One is C, who also didn't belive in God, but promised us he would pray and ask if God was there. Get this also, he has 5 student friends that are all members from Utah, and they gave him a book of mormon right before we taught him. What preparation, am I right?! The other is M, a spanish/mexican/congolaise high school student who accepted a baptismal invitation! He has great faith, the largest afro I have ever seen with my own eyes and a mustache to rival that of Pedro from Napoleon Dynomite. We're teaching him tonight, so hopefully all goes well! 

I was reading in John chapter 10, I think, when Christ heals the man born blind. I don't have my English scriptures with me, but towards the end of the chapter the healed man testifies to the Pharisees. He says that God doesn't talk with sinners, but Christ had healed his sight, and that if Christ had not been sent from God, he would not have been able to work such a miracle. It just made me think of the reality of Christ, because we see his works so much in our lives, how could he not be our Savior? Even if we only think about history, Christ is the greatest man who ever lived. All of times major events and discoveries and everything is based around the year Jesus was born. Probably the most treasured book in human history testifies of Him and his short 3 year ministry on the earth.  We see his church today, with 15 million members in just 200ish years, and how fast it is growing and all the good it does for the entire world, how could this not be His true church? How could he not be our Savior, and how could he not be leading this work right now?! There are so many evidences that He lives and is our Redeemer and that He loves us. What a blessing to be a member of His church! And what a priviledge we all have to be able to share this restored gospel with everyone. Being a missionary rules. 

Guys, I love ya. Keep up the good work over there in the good old US of A. Belgium does this crazy raining thing, we just call it Belging, because I've never seen it anywhere else. It's like, the thickest mist possible, but without being fog and without actually raining, it just soaks you the minute you walk outside, and from what I've heard, this is what it will be like for the rest of the winter. However unfashionable it may be, I'm super grateful for my Mr. Mac coat that keeps me protected and warm from this stuff. 

Again, I love ya!  I pray for you every day! Have a great week! See ya on Christmas! 

Elder Wood

"For with God, nothing shall be impossible" Luke 1:37