Youngstown, Ohio - February 28, 2018

Once upon a time in the land of Youngstown, Ohio, there lived two missionaries. Some members who will remain nameless decided they wanted to feed them one Thursday for lunch. Little did the missionaries know that the husband was sick with the flu, so they went over anyway. When they were eating the pizza that was prepared for them, they found out that the husband was the culprit, and he was the one that had prepared the food for them. They ate, didn't drink, and weren't merry and then went to go knock on some doors and nothing was wrong with them, until the next day that is. During their Friday Finding Frenzy, one missionary said to the other that he didn't feel too great, but they kept punching doors anyway. As they were driving to their dinner appointment on Friday, the one missionary that didn't feel well could really feel it. They walked into a nice home for sloppy joes on homemade bread, mac and cheese, cheesy potatoes, and some type of pie, but the sick missionary ignored all of that and went straight to the bathroom, and that's when the flu bug really started to take it's toll. As everyone was eating the wonderfully prepared food and having a good conversation, ZL2 was trying to keep the few bites of food down that he had taken. The members noticed there was something wrong, but couldn't quite put their finger on the problem. About half way through dinner, the not so good missionary asked if he could use the bathroom again because he really did not feel well at all. And then, as soon as he stood up, disaster struck! As the members were talking about how they thought he wasn't doing well, he was ignoring them and running to the bathroom so there wasn't any mess to clean up. He had made it a few steps, shoving the small children out of the way (there weren't really any small children, just put that in there to add some suspense), and that's when Sam the Stomach could not hold it in any longer! The rumblings and the tumblings were released in a very forceful manner, probably at world record velocity, and Morgan the Mouth and Harold the Hands could not keep Sam's anger back. He was going straight for the gold! Velma the Vomit shot out sideways from his hands and got on the walls, and then Sam the Stomach didn't quite get the gold, so he tried two more times with reduced effort and still didn't quite win the olympics. Dinner kind of ended right then and there and it was silent for a few minutes while the missionary went to the bathroom and the other missionary tried to keep his mouthful of food in his mouth and all his food in his stomach. That's when the members were finally to put their finger on what was wrong. Sister Rodgers gloved up like a champ and started to clean, and then the missionaries left when the sick one returned from the bathroom. Off they went to their apartment to go to sleep after that fun experience. And they all lived Happily Ever After. The End.

So that was actually a true story in case you couldn't tell. I typed that up on Saturday on our dumb phone because we were stuck inside all day long. I hope you appreciate it because it took a long time to type up and it's pretty good. No, I wasn't the one that sick, that would have been Elder Schwartz, but I sat in the same chair from about 8:30 in the morning until about 10:15 at night. Needless to say, it was a very eventful day.... I took a couple of naps, watched every single Bible video the church has made, wrote in my journal cuz I'm a few days behind writing in it, ate some food, took some more naps, wrote more in the journal, and mostly just tried not to get super bored, but all of that is super boring. So that was our Friday night after we had dinner because Sister Brown told us to go home because Elder Schwartz puked, and then Saturday as well because he wasn't feeling any better. Luckily for Sunday he was doing better so we were able to go to church and do some work then. 

It's been a sad couple of days. Haha not really, just some unfortunate things that have happened recently. Victor, our downstairs neighbor, is moving from our apartments. He got really sick of his apartment after only living there for a month because there's this weird ticking sound that apparently keeps him up at night and the management wouldn't do anything about it, so he's leaving. Luckily, he's just moving down the street so we are still going to be able to see him and he is doing great! He was at church again this week and he has been loving it. Loves reading the Book of Mormon, loves church, loves all the people there, so he's doing great. We went by him last Wednesday to make sure we could still come over that night, and then he made us come into his apartment and sit down and then he proceeded to talk to literally two hours. Remember how I said that everyone in Ohio talks a lot? Perfect example of it. We couldn't not get a word in, and even when we said we needed to go, he just kept talking. Gotta love it. But I really do love it here. 

We went on exchanges this last week with the Warren Elders and the missionary that I was with is just fresh outta the MTC. We had a good day and had lots of fun. Forgot what it was like to be with a brand new missionary because it's been a while since that has happened, but it was good. We've been having a lot of lessons and a lot of people to teach, just nothing is really standing out as I type. So ya. I think that's it. Peace out✌

Love Elder Woodward

Youngstown, Ohio - February 20, 2018

Alrighty, here's the news for transfers: There is none. Elder Schwartz and I are staying together for at least another 6 weeks in the blessed land of Youngstown, Ohio. Still being zone leaders, still doing exchanges, and still doing missionary work. I kind of felt like I was leaving, but then Sunday afternoon that feeling went away and I figured I was going to stay, which is what happened. There aren't really a ton of changes this time around because there were so many that changed last transfer, so it's kind of just missionary work as normal.

We went on exchanges last week in New Castle PA with our district leader and had a grand old time. I was with Elder Meacham, and strangely enough, it was about 60 degrees and raining in the middle of February. Weather in Ohio is probably the craziest thing I have ever seen. It's only crazy because the next day it was back down to 30 degrees and snowing, so not a ton of fun. But when it was raining, we were out knocking on doors for a couple of hours and got pretty soaked, so that's what one of the pictures is. Us as soon as we got back to our truck to go get some dinner, and we pretty much look like wet dogs. Always a good experience. 

It seemed like a slower week this last week, but it's probably just because it's been one less day than normal since we emailed last. But we've been doing some finding like normal and had a pretty good week last week. We kind of had a strange lesson with Victor last Friday and he started getting mad at us for really no reason. We know he had a brain injury and he takes a lot of medications, but he was so mad because he saw something on tv about some polygamist in Utah killing some of his wives and he was convinced that all of Utah is that way, and then some other things like us not being able to give him a ride in our truck so he can go get groceries because he doesn't drive. And then we asked how his Book of Mormon reading has been going and he turned into a completely different person and was super happy about everything and kind of just forgot that that whole conversation had happened. And then he told us how much he loved us and how we could go by every night if we wanted to to see him, and then he came again to church on Sunday because we got a ride for him. Don't really know what all went down in that lesson, but we thought we might have to drop him because he was an angry man. But now all is good again and he loved church again. 

Kind of a weird story, but we found out the other day that someone we are teaching that we thought was an investigator is actually already a member, he just doesn't remember anything about his baptism. He had told us that he met with missionaries about ten years ago and went to church a few times, but they stopped going to his house and he didn't know why, and then we knocked on his door not too long ago. We ended up seeing his name on the ward directory and then found a baptismal record from ten years ago in our apartment and then talked with the Bishop from the time and he definitely is already a member. And so is all of his family. Kind of interesting if you ask me. But hey, we're teaching a cool guy named Demetrius Bryson and he's already a member! haha

Didn't make it up to Kirtland yet, but hopefully it's coming soon! Lots of good work is going on here and it's going to be a party being here for 6 more weeks!

Love, Elder Woodward

 

 

Youngstown, Ohio - February 14, 2018

Well transfers are next week and I honestly have no clue what's going to happen. This is the first transfer that I don't have any idea what might happen. For the most part, I've known what was going to happen each transfer as it got closer to it because I knew I was going to leave Tiffin when I did, I knew ahead of time that I was going to train in Lakewood, then I knew I was going to leave Lakewood. I was pretty sure I was going to train again in Alliance because there were so many missionaries coming out that transfer, and then I knew I was leaving when I did and I knew I was staying here until now. But now, I really have no idea what's going to happen. I could stay for another one with Elder Schwartz, I could stay here until I go home, or I could leave and go somewhere else. If I leave then I will have three transfers in another area, or I could have two if I stay here for one more. I keep feeling like I'm going to end up leaving, but I don't really want to leave Youngstown. There's lots of good members here I just love everyone here, so I will be really sad if I do end up leaving, but I don't know what's going to happen. I'd be fine if I go back to Alliance or back to Tiffin or if I stay here longer. But we will find out on Sunday if I get called and moved/released from being a zone leader.

Last week was another good week for us. I don't know what it is, but everything just kind of seems to blur together now that I've been out for a little bit longer. We had a couple of exchanges this last week which is always fun. It's always a good experience to work with other elders and learn from them. We also had zone conference which is good as well, but kind of a repeat of what MLC was, so not a ton of new information and mostly just gearing up towards getting smartphones in the mission. Since we have a truck, we also got to have the blessed opportunity to drive up to the city of Ashtabula right up on the lake to deliver some dressers to the elders that lived up there, and then we had to drive clear down to the bottom of our zone to do a baptismal interview. 

But ya, so after a day of driving on Saturday, we really weren't able to do much in our area because our zone is the entire stake of Youngstown. But on Sunday, our downstairs neighbor Victor came to church and he loved it! He really enjoyed it there, and he is doing awesome! We saw him a couple of times, and then we saw him on Monday night as well. And the best part was that he had read the Book of Mormon a little bit and he understood and remembered just about everything that he read! He seemed to have changed a little bit since he has started reading the Book of Mormon that I could tell, and then he even said it himself that he has felt different as he has been reading the Book of Mormon and he is thinking more positively about everything. He just is slowly changing, and it is awesome to see. We are probably going to try to get him up to Kirtland soon because he's just so awesome. And there's lots of other people we are working with and we have been finding machines lately, so all is good!

Transfers are next week, so remember that preparation day will be on Tuesday so don't forget to email me! Also, send all your guesses for where I'm gonna go. But I think that's it, hopefully this next week is more eventful so I have more to tell you about!

 

Love, Elder Woodward

Youngstown, Ohio - February 7, 2018

It feels like it's been only a couple of days since we last emailed, but so much good stuff has happened since last week. Callei was baptized over the weekend and it was so good! She is such a little angel and it was such a blessing to help her and see how excited she was to be baptized and confirmed. Everything went super well for the baptism, got everything cleaned even though I was almost attacked by a ginormous spider as I was cleaning the font. Ok, it was probably the size of a quarter, but it definitely should not have been in there when I was, and when I didn't have shoes on! But then after I freaked out a little bit, I shoved it down the drain and drowned the sucker, so we didn't have any surprise guests for the baptism. Callei's grandpa baptized her, a few people showed up for the baptism, and it was just a good day all around. So I got some pictures of it for you since I don't send too many pictures. And I'll send another email with a bunch of pictures with abandoned buildings like I told you I would. If I sent all the pictures I took, then that's all you would have got today because I took so many pictures. There was one abandoned building that I really wanted a picture of with the porch roof all collapsed and a sign on it that said "lease to own", but I don't think anyone is going to lease that place. But the sad part was we forgot to go back to the house to get a picture because we were driving when we saw it. But now you can't say I don't send any pictures because this week you got 8! Also, some of downtown Youngstown with all the big buildings that Emmie loves. Make sure to rub it in to her that I get all these big buildings and she doesn't. And the drawing was not done by me, but by one of Callei's sisters and then she gave it to me, so I hung it up in our apartment because it is so good and I honestly couldn't have done a better job. 

 

We got to go on exchanges with the Assistants last Thursday and Friday and had a jolly old time up there. Always good being with my favorite other missionary on exchanges, and we did lots of good work up there. We even had a really good week down here in Youngstown and were able to find quite a few more people to teach, so things are always getting better for us! We thought that we were done with the snow out here because it hadn't snowed in a long time, but then, out of nowhere, yesterday and today it has been snowing a whole bunch and when we woke up this morning there was about 3 inches of snow everywhere and it is still coming down. And it's supposed to be like this until Sunday, so we are getting dumped on out here. So when we got back to our area on Friday afternoon, we heard a knock on the door and our new downstairs neighbor was outside the door because he had some questions about the apartments for us. We talked with him for a little bit and helped him out in his apartment and talked to him about coming to church on Sunday which he said he would, and we found him a ride since he doesn't have a car. He just moved in from Warren, but we've developed a really good relationship with him, so on Monday we were able to go and start teaching him and he said he would read the Book of Mormon and still wants to come to church because he missed it on Sunday. He's a really nice guy, so hopefully things continue on with him. We've had quite a few appointments with people and we have been teaching so many new people and so many old people too! Things are going well out here.

 

Probably some of the best news for this last week came on Sunday. For one, our zone found 25 new investigators which might not sound like a lot, but it was definitely a good improvement and we found more than double the next closest zone in the mission, so we kicked some butt. Not that it's a competition, but still good. The mission hasn't been doing amazing with finding new people to teach, but we are getting better and finding more to teach so it's always good. 

 

I don't really know what else to say, so I guess this is it. 

Love ya!

Elder Woodward