Monday, January 12, 2015

I am staying in Ximeno - Long Beach

Greatest district of Elders!  Half are leaving to head home tomorrow.
What’s up family!!!! How’s everything going?? This week was great! Pretty hard, but a good one for sure. So to begin, I will say the transfer facts so as of now I am......... staying here in Ximeno Long Beach and I am now a Sr. Companion! Whoo!  My new companion is Elder B.  I don't know a whole lot about him other than the fact he served a couple months in Peru, but got sick and has been here in Cali for like 2 months.  So, that's what happened with me! My whole zone and district got completely changed up sadly! Three new greenies are coming here tomorrow from the Mexico MTC! So it’s gonna be crazy here.  Ha-ha. I am excited for this new start and change that's about to happen, but I am going to miss Elder A** a lot! He was an awesome companion and really knew how to work hard and love the people here.

So, this week was one full of trunkie missionaries all packing up getting ready to leave and not a whole lot of success teaching and finding.  However, we still had some :)  So with P** (the miracle find up on Signal Hill) Elder C** and I taught her on Tuesday while our companions were at the temple. It was a really good lesson, but she really didn’t' show a whole lot of interest.  In fact, I only recall her really talking to us like two or three times. Ha-ha   We would ask her questions and try our best to get her involved, but she really didn't know what to say.    Maybe she just needs a little warming up before she opens up to talking.

Just like mom makes at home!!  Yum 
Later on Tuesday night, we received a text from the zone leaders with a referral of a girl they had contacted earlier in the day while walking in the street.  They said we should go by and meet her, and that's exactly what we did.  Her name is L** she is 25 and has a little girl and she is a miracle find! When we got to the door she came out and was so happy to see us! She told us she has lived her whole life blaming God for her problems and for never being there for her in her hard times, and also that she was tired of blaming God.  A couple weeks ago she decided to try to get God back in her life. The missionaries contacted her and she knew that was an answer to her prayer, and that's why she was so happy to see us finally! We had a really good lesson with her and her answers and participation were perfect. She knew what we were talking about was true and she accepted a baptismal date for the 31st of January!  However, with being here in CA all houses and apartments have locks and so we didn't get a chance to visit her again.  Our last lesson fell through because we weren't able to get a hold of her to invite her to church.  So we are going to have to move her date to the week after since she wasn't able to attend church.  We have dropped a lot of people so we don’t have a lot of solid investigators to teach right now, but I guess that’s what we are going to do this next transfer is to find and Baptize!

The week flew by so fast and when it was finally Sunday, I couldn’t believe it! Elder A** gave a really good talk in church and we had our investigators, R** and A** come to that!  The drought of nobody at church has finally been broken! Whoo!

Down a few pounds!!
I’m a little worried now since all the older missionaries are now gone, it’s now up to Elder T** and I to be the top Ximeno branch dogs... This means doing all the dirty work (aka translating, speaking in church, etc.) ha-ha.  That’s probably going to happen, but it will be good for us. So Sunday night was the missionary despedida for all those Elders going home. Last night was a really hard night for me and also a really good night! It was hard because ALL of my friends have or are leaving tomorrow to return home. (Elder Pecht) you don’t count you left earlier. Everyone is now dead.  Halford, Allred, Campbell, Tucker, Williams, Schooff, Taylor, Robinson and many many more and it was hard because that’s the only generation of missionaries I know out here so I am back to square one of making friends again. Ha-ha.   Last night was also one of the best nights because I saw everybody from all my previous areas!!! I saw T** (my recent convert) and all the families of Whittier and Compton that I have grown to love so much. Also investigators like J** from Whittier and people I never thought I would see again.  Words cannot describe how happy I was to see all of them! Especially T**. He started to cry and was thanking Elders Beck, Halford and myself for bringing him the gospel and for how it has changed his life in many ways. He has been struggling up in Whittier, but last night really boosted him up. The mission is awesome!! I can’t even describe how good it makes you feel to see people again you have taught or have come to know and love.  It’s amazing!!  I can’t wait for my despedida, a year from now, so I can call them to come down and see them all again!

Well that about summed up my week. I’m doing really good and I am very nervous, but also excited for what’s to come in the future. Tomorrow is a new day so pray and wish me luck as a Sr. Comp! Ha-ha   I hope you all have a great week and stay safe!!  Love you all,

Con mucho carino,
Elder Woffinden



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