Jared Wood's Missionary Blog: Week 65 (Bakersfield 2nd)

Happy New Year from the great metropolis of Bakersfield! Elder Wood said they had to be back home by 7:00 on New Year's Eve to avoid any potential issues that evening. But, to lead with a spoiler alert, they didn't have a car on New Year's Eve anyway. That would be because they were involved in a car accident on Saturday evening. The good news is that nobody was hurt, the airbags didn't go off, and everything is fine. At least for the missionaries. Their car was not so fortunate (see photo below).

In more information on the accident, it was completely the other driver's fault. He drove straight through a stop sign and into the side of their car; another car nearby saw things happen and backed up their story. Additionally, the other driver was apparently in the middle of a DoorDash, but doesn't have a driver's license and speaks neither English nor Spanish. Elder Wood is still pretty sad, though. Partly because the lack of car means they're exclusively on foot for now. But mostly because this may mean that he loses his driving privileges, even though it wasn't his fault. He really enjoys being the driver (and, more importantly, not the one in charge of answering the phone).

In addition to car accidents, we did discuss other happenings. They're still working with several of their friends. Lupe, unfortunately, is back in the hospital after having another stroke. I thought maybe she was elderly, but he said no, she's in her 40s and has just had a lot of health issues. They did find some new friends when a couple contacted the missionaries asking whether someone could give them a blessing on their house, because apparently spooky things had been happening. Elder Wood and Elder Peterson were happy to dedicate the house for them, and additionally the wife asked them for a copy of the Book of Mormon and they were able to teach them a little.

This update is a bit long with a lot of events. Elder Wood has been wearing his trench coat sometimes now that it's cold enough (he likes his trench coat). And a member of his ward gifted him with a small stuffed llama in honor of the llama tie from Peru that Elder Wood wears most weeks. For Preparation Day this week, the district played chair soccer at the church, followed by a game. Elder Wood's Christmas gift, a two-player game called Splendor Duel, has been fun for him. I count it as a win that he says he's still struggling to figure out the best strategy.