Well
It's been a really good experience training so far! We've become good friends, and we get along really well! When I arrived at the Transfer Meeting, I was really nervous to train, and I could feel that the Adversary wanted me to not train and tried to fill me with doubt and fear, especially concerning Spanish and just leading him in general. But once President Kendrick called out my name and I walked up to the front to greet Elder Bucko, all my fear and nervousness vanished. I feel confident that the Lord will bless us in this companionship, and will help me as I train. and to be honest, I would be perfectly happy if I was asked to train for the rest of my mission! It's a really great experience so far! We have had really hard days, but we're working hard and supporting each other through everything!
The members here are also really great in helping us learn Spanish! If you don't exactly know a word, they help us find a word. If we can't understand what they are saying, they slow down and emphasize what they are trying to say. So it's really good to have these members! Also, Sister Morgan and her family do attend the Spanish branch here. Brother Morgan is our Branch Mission Leader, and he speaks Spanish really really well. He served his mission in Columbia, I believe, and he's just kept the Spanish going! :)
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| "I love the weird swirly tie!!" |
We met with our Branch President (President Perez) and his family this past week, because they love to feed the missionaries after Transfer Meetings so they can get to know the new missionary in the area. At one point, we were talking about we were going to eat with another member that day, but she was willing to switch with the Perez family, because she had to take care of her daughter who had a surgery for a brain cancer she has, which upon describing it to me (I asked questions about it as well), it sounded far too familiar. I asked if it was called Oligodendroglioma. they confirmed that it sounded about right. They also told me about how she's had to go through many procedures and the family was really worried for her. By this time, President Perez and the children were hustling about the house, trying to get ready for Wednesday activities and all sorts of things, but Sister Perez was still talking with us at the table. I then told her the story about how Dad had died from that same cancer after a 2 year battle with it, but I shared my testimony about the Plan of Salvation and eternal families, and then I told her something that our family had found out around the time of his death. Just because my Dad is not physically here, that doesn't mean that his family responsibilities have ended. We are still a family even with this separation. He may be in the Spirit World now, but he still has a responsibility to us, and he is taking care of us, and keeping up his end. What I thought was amazing was that I could feel that the spirit created a little bubble around us at the table. Even though everyone else in the house was going every which way and trying to get themselves ready, I could feel the spirit strongly around us there at the table, and I could feel that she was feeling the Spirit, and it testified to her of what I had said. She looked me in the eyes with awe and told me that she had never considered that before, and that she was going to tell that to the dear sister who had gone to take care of her daughter. She told me that if I served in that Branch where that family lived, that I should tell that same experience to her.
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| "Tell Elder Thomas I love the tie!!" Elder Thomas is a missionary currently serving in Morrilton Ward in Arkansas. He wanted to trade ties with Elder Wockenfuss. An across-the-missions exchange. |
Please continue to write and email when you can, I love hearing from you!!
With much love,
Elder Patrick Wockenfuss
[A picture from Sister MacNeil with the Christmas tree we sent her. The Wockenflock tradition continues on in Nevada.]
