Week 62 (Bakersfield 2nd)

Elder Wood and Elder Peterson are pretty happy this week; they have another friend who would like to be baptized. Charlene just moved to the area, and had been meeting with some missionaries in her previous location. She has now bought a house and is more stable and is ready to be baptized. Like Lupe, she wants to be baptized on December 30, and the elders are more than happy to figure out the logistics behind making them both happen on the same day.

In harder news, Lupe was in the hospital after having a small stroke. But, it sounds like she is doing better, and appreciated getting a priesthood blessing from the missionaries. They are wishing her a speedy recovery, and it sounds like she is well on her way.

Elder Wood would like to say thanks to those of you who have sent him a Christmas card in the mail. He says he has really enjoyed receiving them. He also has them up on their refrigerator, and says he plans to continue the tradition seen elsewhere of leaving them when he transfers away, so future missionaries in the apartment can enjoy Christmas wishes from people they've never met. Transfers are actually coming up this week (a shortened transfer period so everyone can get settled into a new location before Christmas). However, Elder Wood and Elder Peterson think it is likely that they will both remain in their current location, so he doesn't think he will need to move anytime soon.

For their Preparation Day activity today, the district enjoyed playing a game of Secret Combinations, a social deduction game where the players try to determine who is a Nephite and who is a Lamanite. This week they even brought props along that they'd found in their apartments - in the picture below you can see Elder Wood wearing the glasses/crown that belong to the player with the role of the King. He reports that a great time was had by all!

Spiritual thought of the week: "When you pay your tithing, you can know it's going to furthering the work of the Lord. I know that every time I come to church or go to the temple, I can say that I help keep them maintained and help build even more of them. God also promises in Malachi (3:10) that He will give us a blessing greater than we have room to receive. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty great blessing to me."

The district after a game of Secret Combinations

A bird photo, maybe a heron?

Another bird photo: The chickens in the street amused him