Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Week 1 in California - Escondido

Elder Wockenfuss with President and Sister Kendrick


My Dearest Family,

So it turns out I do have a time limit on emailing each week here in the mission field, and actually on this computer I'm using too haha but it's all good! it'll teach me to type fast!

Thank you so much for the pictures! It really means a lot to me!

That's so cool that Katie is opening up more now in talking to this missionary!

I have had to use some of my money as I went from Mexico to California to pay for baggage fees and to buy some food, just to let you know.

The mission field is different, but great! I love it out here! I've been assigned to the El Norte Ward of Escondido. It's really great here! I love the people so much, even though I can't understand them. They always smile, and you can tell they have such a great testimony of the gospel, it's incredible!
The weather is pretty hot out here, probably hotter than Arkansas right now, which is crazy to believe, but true haha

My first Sunday here was really cool because it was Stake Conference, and Elder Nelson of the twelve was actually there! And my companion got to translate for him! So that was super cool! We didn't get to meet him or shake hands with him, but it was still cool to see him there!

My companion's name is Elder Garcia, and he's such a great guy! We're getting along really well! He actually spoke both English and Spanish in his home growing up, so Spanish is super easy for him.

We have got to do some teaching this week, not a ton, but we have been able to see several people and teach them. Most of the lessons have been in English so far, because the people that we've been able to see speak both English and Spanish, and I guess they wanted to be taught in English, so that's what we've been doing with them. We have taught one or two lessons in spanish so far, but my Spanish is pretty bad in comparison, and I can't understand anything that's going on. I can catch onto a couple of words, but very few and far between, so it's a bit of a struggle right now, but I'm gonna do my best to continue learning and teaching.

I did get the packages that you sent me, they were amazing!! :D My companion and I love it all! especially the jalapeno potato chips! (Do you think you could possibly send us some more? ;) ) I had my bedding provided for me, which is great! I use the InTune in addition to my meds. Thank you so much for this next package that's coming too! I'm excited to get it!

I can't say much more right now, because I have about 10 minutes left and I still have to write sister MacNeil.

I love you all so much!! Please continue to write, send pics, and email. I love seeing them!

With much love,

Elder Wockenfuss


(a few minutes later)

I was able to get a tiny bit more time. BTW Yesterday, I actually rode the most haggard, janky bike I've seen in my life! The seat was old and rusty ish and super high and uncomfy, the front brakes were completely shot, and there was only half of one of the brakes actually on the back (so basically not even there). So I rode through town on the edge of glory haha I actually destroyed part of my shoe trying to stop myself from smashing into my companion on that bike! Like the front of the sole is not even attached anymore! so I bought some super glue, and we'll what happens with that. So that's my crazy experience for the week!

hey mom, can you send me my other pairs of church shoes? Pretty please and thanks? haha

The members feed us almost every single night, so I don't go hungry at all! It's super great to get to meet the members that way! The food is incredible! I know the best cooks live in Morrilton Ward, but I think these members here in Escondido got lost on their to Morrilton, Arkansas :P

With Love, and a broken shoe,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

Monday, February 9, 2015

Last Day at the MTC

Dear Mom and family,

I´m actually able to email today since it´s my last day here at the MTC. Everything is going great! My district and teachers have told me that I´ve gotten so much better at spanish and teaching since I´ve started taking my ADD medicine! The other night, in a progressing investigator lesson, I actually spoke and taught more than my companion did! That has never happened before! My teacher was so surprised by that, that he stepped out of his investigator character at the end of the lesson to tell me how well I did. He told me I almost made him cry in the lesson too. So everything is going pretty well!

I´m getting pretty excited to go to California and start teaching people the gospel, but I´m also sad to leave the friends that I´ve made here. But I know that we´re all gonna be doing a good work! 

We had a testimony meeting last night with all the missionaries that are leaving this week, and it was truly an amazing meeting! I was filled with the spirit so much! Almost everyone shared their testimonies in english, except for me. I shared the majority of my testimony in spanish, because I feel like its more special to me now in spanish. I´m not sure why, but it is more special sharing it in spanish now.

I've had such a great experience here at MTC, I´m so glad that I've decided to come and serve a mission for God, and to help to bring others unto Christ. It´s been so amazing! I´ve become so close to my Heavenly Father in these past weeks that I´ve been here, and I feel like I´ve become more in tune with the Spirit since I´ve been here as well. I can feel the Holy Ghost guiding me, directing me, and helping me to teach and to do God´s will. Its been so great! I will never forget my experiences here at the MTC.

I´m not sure if I've told you or not, but I have to be ready to leave the MTC at 2:30 tomorrow morning, we leave at 3, and our flight leaves mexico at 6:05 tomorrow morning. I´m not sure when I get to the LA airport, but I´m pretty sure that we get to San Diego at 11:45. I´m not sure if I´ll be able to call you at the airport to tell you that I´m making it to the mission okay, cuz I´ve heard rumors that we can do that, but I´m not sure. But if I can, I will definitely call you.

Yo se que El Libro de Mormon es verdadero, y es el palabra de Dios. Yo se que Jose Smith es un profeta de Dios. Yo se que Jose Smith transudo El Libro de Mormon mediante el Poder de Dios. Yo se que Dios es muy amoroso a todos personas en el mundo. Yo se que el Evangelio de Jesucristo es solo camino estaramos en el Reye de Celestiál.

I love you all so much! Please continue to write and email when you can! Tell everyone in Morrilton of my love for them as well. The next that you hear from me in email, I will be in the mission field! :D

With much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Exit photos from MTC

Here are some exit photos from the Mexico MTC, e-mailed to the family. Don't they look so happy and excited to have a part in helping the gospel of Jesus Christ to flood the earth? They all head out Tuesday morning.



Friday, February 6, 2015

Week 5 at the Mexico MTC

Dearest Family,

Thank you so much for all the packages that you sent me! I loved them so much! I'm sure that you know without asking that I did share what you sent me with my district, and they all love you so much too! They think that you´re the greatest ever! :)

Now about the ADD (Not ADHD, ADD): My teachers have been noticing that I've been falling behind and not doing so well on learning Spanish and learning how to teach, so they wanted me to go see the psychologist (Sister Brown) here at the MTC. I went a few days later and talked with her, and we were talking for a good while, I'm not sure how long I was in there talking with her, but at the end of our talk, she determined that I had ADD and started explaining to me the reasoning why I wasn't doing so well in class and not doing as well as I wanted. She explained the difference in how an ADD mind worked versus a non ADD mind, and she talked to me about starting me on a certain medicine that would help me in those aspects. So she got your number from me, called you that day, and the next day started using the medicine. O MY GOODNESS!! I started seeing changes just hours later! In days previous, I'd had much difficulty teaching when we would practice in the classroom, and when we would teach lessons. For instance, a couple of days ago, one of our teachers lead me and my companion into another room to teach. Hermano Chan (the teacher) and I were the missionaries, and my companion was the investigator. When it was my turn to teach a principle, it was so hard for me figure out what to say and how to teach it. But the next day when we did it again (this was 3 to 4 hours after I had taken the ADD medicine), I was able to grasp onto a concept and run with it! I could ask questions that helped the investigator think. I was able to teach clearly, and I was able to teach about that principle. That night, during class, we were supposed to practice teaching about certain things. (One of us would be a missionary, and the other would be the investigator, then we would switch), and when I was the missionary, I was able to ask questions, I could teach the lesson I was supposed to, I could help the investigator! Other days when we would do this practice teaching, I couldn´t do it. It was so hard to think of a question to ask, to think of something to say, but the day that I started taking that medicine, my thoughts were way more organized, I was way more focused, I could learn, I could teach, I could speak Spanish! This was most definitely an answer to prayer! I have praying and asking God to help to be able to learn and teach better than I was, because I knew I wasn't doing well. I also fasted this past Sunday for help in these things. And I do believe that our prayers have been answered! I can´t express how happy I was that I was able to teach and learn so much better now! Others in my district have even noticed and said how so much better I´m doing, and how much more focused I am. They are all so happy for me! Thank you so your prayers and fasting, and for saying yes to the medication haha It works so great!

Thank you for telling me about home, and for sending pictures of Katie's drawings, I really do miss seeing them. I always love hearing about home, and how life is going! Today is my last P-Day here at the MTC, and I´m not sure when P-Days are in my Mission, my next p-day may be in a couple of Mondays from now, but I´m not sure. But I will email you as soon as I can. I leave here this upcoming Tuesday morning at 3am, and my flight is at 6:05am. Elder Emerick and I are literally the only ones that are going to Carlsbad this transfer from the mexico MTC, But almost everyone else in my district is going somewhere in California.

Thank you for all that you're sending to me! I love getting things from you guys! It makes me happy to see that there´s something in the mailbox haha.

I'm glad that Jones and Tulvey could go give Buddy a blessing, they're great guys! Could you ask them and other missionaries to email me? I miss talking to them.

I love the gig bag you got for my 12 string! It´s awesome! :D 

I love the pics! please continue to send pics!

I love you all so much! 

Much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss