Week 33 - Exchanges, Blood Moon, and Adventures in Chess

Dear Mom and family,

These past few days have been very hot! I've been told that it [won't] start getting cooler until mid to late October...great... hahah I'll live as best I can :)

So this past week, I went on 2 back-to-back exchanges! The first exchange, I went with Elder Talbot (A newer missionary) into his area. And then the next day, I grabbed some clothes for the next day, then I went with Elder Richards (our Zone Leader) into his area. So I didn't sleep in my own bed for 2 days! it was still a pretty good couple of days though, we learned good things from each other :)

The Noche de Hispanidad was awesome!! :D It was super cool getting to see all the different kinds of dances from the different countries! The food was also really great!! :D It was just an awesome night! There were several people there that weren't members of the church, and some of them are actually going to a family home evening tonight with some members :) So the work is progressing here :)

And just wanting to let you know, I do read all the articles that you send me. I take some time in my personal study to read them, and I love reading them!

Also, one day, we felt adventurous and we created a new version of chess! Sounds just like me doesn't it? All the ridiculous stuff I would do with Troy back home, I'm starting to do here, just slightly different haha In the last game that we played, my castle got ravaged so hard core! So battle worn!

Thank you so very much for the music and the ties! I love it all! Elder Ellsworth really loves the caribbean steel drums CD, and he listens to it pretty much every day haha

One thing that I thought about that I want for Christmas is a 2016 "Batman: Arkham Knight" Calendar. I'll try to think of more stuff later haha

Did ya'll get to see the Red Moon last night? I took some pictures, and it's pretty awesome!

Please continue to write and email when you can, I love hearing from you!

With much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

P.S. I took a bunch of pics of the moon, and this one I thought looked like a good Halloween/spooky night type of pic. (See pic) Then I gave it red lighting, since it was a red moon night, and it was already changing back. I think it looks awesome haha

Getting artistic

I took pics of the ties you sent me! :D Love them!!

Week 32 - Christmas Tree, a Real Discussion, and Mixed-Up Grammar

Dear Mom and Family,

I LOVE the Christmas tree!!! :D I keep it set up on the corner of my study desk, so that way I always see it (*See Pic). I had been thinking about how I would keep up with the traditions, but you sent the solution right to me haha :)

I also really really loved the ties too!! I totally forgot to take a picture of me wearing them, but I'll send pics next week :)

This week, on Wednesday, we received a referral from a guy who just came back from his mission that day! He had also set up a lesson with him for us for that next day. We were excited for that! So the next day we went at the appointed time, and the referral let us into his home for a lesson. We sat down and we discussed the restoration with him, now I say "discussed" because that's what it truly was! We didn't just relay information to him, we didn't just ask a couple of questions and moved on, he didn't just sit there and listen and we didn't have to drag words out of his mouth. But rather, it was a real discussion! We talked and discussed about it all, sharing our points of view, relating to the scriptures, being very kind a loving as we spoke, and the spirit was definitely there! He turns out to have a lot of very similar beliefs that we have! So we were happy to hear that :) That's our miracle for the week! haha :)

I'm still not entirely sure what I want for Christmas, it's hard to think haha What can a missionary get for Christmas that he doesn't already have, and that's approved? ...I'll have to think on that one haha

I do want to ask if you could send a postcard or something to one of our Zone Leaders? He's a great guy, trying to do the best he can, but he never gets any mail! The only piece of mail that he's gotten was from the hospital giving him some sort of report from when he was sick. So I just want to spread a little bit of love his way :) Maybe a post card about Toad Suck or something haha maybe the water tower? I'm not sure haha But his name is Elder Dillan Richards. I'm sure it would make his day! :)

I love you very much! I love the emails and everything that you send to me! Please continue to write and email when you get a chance!

With much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

* O yeah, and I gave out the first of those copies of the Book of Mormon that you gave me :)

[An excerpt from his e-mail to Mary]

This week I've been studying about the doctrine of Baptism, but I've learned anything new, but just simply reminding myself of the promises we make, and the importance of those promises :) I also learned some about Brigham Young, a little about both sides: Brigham the prophet and leader, and Brigham, the Father and husband. It was good to read about how much he truly loved his family and just how important they were to him. and he loved the saints as if they were his own family. He never raised an angry voice to his family, and he always gave time to the children of the saints, he never brushed off what any child (or anyone) said as foolishness or not important, but on the contrary, he gave his undivided attention to anyone he was talking to, and made them feel important.

Thank you very much for the [genealogy] Fan chart!! I love it! Is there a way that you could send me how we're related to all these famous church people?

(An excerpt from his e-mail to Buddy)

So something I discovered this past week, is that Spanish grammar is starting to creep into my englishness. I'll just be speaking English with someone, and then I won't remember how to say something in English, or I'll just use Spanish grammar format to say English things. For instance, last week, it was breadsticks, and I said "Stick of bread" instead of "breadstick." and sometimes when I'm typing my emails, I won't remember how to spell some English word, like a moment ago, I forgot how to spell "creep" haha so Spanish and English are just kind of fighting in my brain right now haha we'll see what happens to me. maybe I'll become crazy and won't be able to speak anything hah :P but probably not haha

Week 31 - Uneventful Week in Temecula, But in Reno with Sis. MacNeil is Another Story

Dear Mom and Family,

This week hasn't been that exciting. We still haven't been able to meet with our 2 investigators, but we're still going around sharing the missionary work message, and it's coming along good! :)

When we took that District pic, we had like a million different cameras going off at once, I had no idea which one to look to haha But the elder that is 2 over to your left (not including the back) is my comp, Elder Ellsworth.

Yeah, Hermana Sipple! I knew her for like 2 or 3 weeks! One day in the MTC, I was just getting some food, and I saw this Sister Missionary was across from me, so I did the standard introduction stuff, ask your name, where you from, where you going, and then she told me "Oh, I'm going to the North Little Rock Arkansas mission!" I paused for a moment as those words registered in my brain. Then I looked up at her, "What! O my gosh! That's my home! If you ever come across the Wockenfuss Family, that's my home! Their[they're] the best!" I didn't really think that she'd remember, but she did! Awesome! :D [She is currently serving in Danville]

Could ya'll send me some of my music from home? I need some more variety haha Could you for sure send me my Art of Motion CD? and whatever else that you think that I would like to hear that's approved haha

I also kinda want my paintball gear haha Cuz we have some P-Day Activities that I could use it for, and before I left for my mission, Elder Jones promised that he would come out here after he was done with his mission and take me to play paintball, since I did it for him. haha So if it's feasible, could I have it? If there's a concern for luggage space, I'll just ship it home before I leave haha

Zombie NERF is getting to be so much fun! We're coming up with so many different ideas for how to play, and we are so excited for it! :D

Sorry for once again, not having very much to say, seeing as not much happened. Hopefully next week! :)

Please continue to write and email when you can! I love hearing from you all! 

With much Love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

[Here's some of the highlights from Sister MacNeil's mission that she shared with us this week. She is Elder Wockenfuss' girlfriend, and is serving in the Reno Nevada mission.]

They had a baptism this week and she sent pictures!

"My companion, me, Angie, and a member, after her baptism."

"Me, My companion, and Cy (our investigator, he is jewish, in his 70's, and loves to joke) at Angie's baptism,...Cy told us after seeing Angie get baptized "I can do that" :D"

Week 30 - Missionary Work, The Fatburger Challenge and a NERF game

Dear Mom and Family,

This week wasn't all that exciting. But we found out that Elder Ellsworth and I are staying together for another transfer!! :D Happy day! haha

We haven't been able to meet with either of our investigators this week, but we've been sharing a message with the members about doing member missionary work, and how to open their mouths to share the gospel. It's been going well with that :)

Also, yesterday, Elder Martinez (an Elder in our district) and I did the XXX challenge at the Fatburger Restaurant!! :D we had to eat a burger that was 1.5 lbs of meat in half an hour! :D and we did it!! It was awesome! So now we have a certificate saying that we did it, and our picture on the wall of the restaurant haha I accomplished something! :P

Also, last week we had a super cool game of NERF on P-Day, which we're doing again today haha we were basically playing zombies, where only 2 people start as zombies and the rest of us have to survive with our NERF Guns. it was so much fun! :)

From left to right:
Elder Maloney (Capt. America), Elder Yancy (Groot), Elder Wockenfuss (Batman), Elder Kesler (the TARDIS), Elder Heath (Wolverine), and Sister Nelson (Hulk)

They are ready for some fun!

Other than that, nothing else really happened. I wish there was more to say!

Please continue to write and email when you can, I love hearing from you!

With much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

P.S. BTW, I LOVE your scarf!!! you have to wear that all the time!! :D

The awesome scarf! Neon paint splatters!

[Found this next photo posted in the California Carlsbad Missionary Moms group on Facebook. Don't know who the other elders are yet, but once I find out, I'll share. Most likely taken at the transfer meeting today.]