Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Week 75 - New Investigators

Dear Mom,

Things are still all over the place like a roller coaster.

I think I'm becoming quieter.

My mind is just thinking about a billion things at once concerning the district, issues that really need support and help with, my future, my hermanas, the ward, our area, what I can do better, how I can fix and strengthen relationships here, how I can become more trusting again, and lots of other things.

[Rough week. Deleted paragraphs not for general knowledge. And now the good parts:]

ANYWAY, We went from having 0 investigators this week to having 3 new investigators, one of which has a baptismal date! :D We prayed to have 3 people ready for baptism in this transfer, and these 3 could be those people! All 3 of these investigators came from member referrals too! We didn't even have to do anything to get them! we just showed up and they were like "hey we have people to be baptized for you!" it was pretty great haha

I loved the packages! I got the one with the jones soda and all, and I loved it!! Especially the new Toad Suck shirt! It's so great! And I love the new GENTRI CD that you sent as well, thank you so much! I'm actually listening to it with Talbot right now haha It's really awesome! Have you heard it yet?

I love the new snowman tie as well! I'm wearing it right now! the snowman going to so many different places and different things happening to him is super funny!


The snowman tie

 Distribution Center package didn't come with last week's mail, so it should be in today's mail! I'm excited! :D



O and actually, we took Carlos to lunch this time haha he does so much for us that we decided to take him to eat! :) He actually works in Carlsbad, so he was really close.

Please continue to love me in all the ways you do! I love being loved haha :P [We always tell him that we love him beyond all reason.]

Con amor,

Elder Patricio Pie de Nubes


[Some photos of Elder Wockenfuss and Elder Sedgwick taken by one of the sister missionaries in their district and shared with us through her mom.]




Monday, July 11, 2016

Week 74 - Restoring Positive Relationships in Carlsbad, Hard 1st Week

Dear Mom,

So I have no idea what to think about this week...

Sooo I'm glad to be here in Oceanside/Carlsbad, so far the ward is great! But there are a few relationships that I need to help fix between some members and us. I didn't do anything wrong, but because of recent experiences, some members aren't very fond of Elders. But reparaciones are in progress! The member had us take the trash out for her, because I told her that I personally feel awkward when I'm not doing anything but others are helping out. So she gave me that to do! :) I also found out from Hermana Young that that member likes me, she said that I was nice. SCORE!! Progress is being made!

Hermana Young said that she loves the gloves! She didn't say anything about the crowns yet, but I didn't know that she got them at that point. I don't really feel unified in this district right now, but we're gonna fix that! isn't it interesting that ALL of my districts so far have had that problem? Maybe God's trying to tell me I'm good at fixing this problem haha I don't know, I don't want to be prideful about it.

[Struggles in his area at this time. Please pray for him.] I actually cried on Saturday morning because I felt alone with everything that happened in my transition here.I prayed for help in this time, and then I looked on my desk and saw the quote that Hermana Hawkins had given in her discussion a few weeks ago. "Be of good cheer, for the future is as bright as your faith." That helped to rekindle hope and joy. I can do this, God will never leave me alone.

I'm so glad that you loved the pics and the video! Carlos is so great! It's also wonderful to see the pics that ya'll LOVE the Chile Rellenos!! :D Reading your emails and seeing your pics has made my entire week!

I got to meet several members this past week. They were all good people! Some were English and some were Spanish. We ate with one English family who owned a guitar! Of course I got to play it for them after dinner! I played "When I am Baptized", "I Love to see the Temple", "Classical Gas", and "Three Wooden Crosses" for them. They much enjoyed to hear the music! They said that next time, they'll have some Mormon Guitar sheet music ready for me to play haha

I didn't take many pics this week, so sorry! But I did take a pic of the ocean sunset! enjoy!!



So there's been a lot of everything this week, I just need to focus on the good!

I'm also going on exchanges tonight with the Zone Leaders! I'm going with Elder Richards in his area! He was my Zone Leader in Temecula! So it's just the good ol' days again haha

Also, Elder Talbot is in my zone!!!!! We were beyond happy and excited to see each other!!! Friends reunited again!! :D

And Elder Sedgwick and I are doing this awesome workout program together, so we're not gonna be gangly spaghetti men for very long! haha :P

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

With much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

(E-Mail to Buddy)


We had someone from the Seventy come and speak to us at church yesterday! It was wonderful! His wife served her mission in Ecuador, and she's kept it over the years, so she was able to speak it perfectly in her talk. The area Seventy, her husband, was not able to speak Spanish, so we had translation devices for those who didn't speak English. But his talk was very good as well! I can't remember everything that he spoke about, but I remember that he mentioned how Elder Holland ordained him to the office of Seventy, and to be a Special Witness of Christ. At the end, he bore his testimony of Jesus Christ, and the spirit entered my heart with such a great force and it filled my whole soul. Wow! It's always good to be reminded that God still speaks today, and that the Spirit can enter into the hearts of men to testify of truth!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Week 73 - Temple Trip, Transfers, and More!



Dear Mom,

Yes, I am getting transferred to CARLSBAD/OCEANSIDE!!!! :D I'm soooo happy and excited!! And guess what? This will be the last time I move to a new area before I come home.... Think about THAT one for a minute haha I'm now on my deathbed :P ("Dying" is what we refer to when a missionary finishes his/her mission) Yes, I will still be a DL in Carlsbad! :)

I absolutely LOVED the wockenflockite photos!!! XD SO funny and goofy! I love the Wockenflockite names that you all have!! 

Our new Mission President, President Thomas, is soooo awesome! aaaaannnd, HE SPEAKS SPANISH!!!!!!! :D :D :D we are all soo freaking happy!! At least all spanish missionaries are haha He is so great! I already love him, and am so excited for what he's gonna do!

This week was the best last week that anyone could have in an area!!



Monday: We had a bonfire/FHE at the Ang Family house! With smores! It was super great! It reminded me of camping back home, and of the bonfires and smores that we would make back home! So that made me super happy!


Tuesday: TEMPLE TRIP!!!!! :D Unfortunately, I was not able to do Granddad's work then, because I've never done my own family names in the temple before, so I didn't notice that I had to do initiatories first. Only Barzilla was able to get done. Elder Emerick did his endowments, because his initiatories were already done. Carlos told me that the next time the missionaries have a temple trip that I can call him for a ride and that we'll go early so that we can do the initiatories first. He's such a great guy! After the session, we went to the distribution center so that I could exchange my garments, but I also noticed there that the church is selling Spanish quads now!!!! :D and mini Spanish quads!!!!!! :D :D :D It took every fiber of my soul to not snatch one up! Could you get me one for my birthday please....or sooner? haha Mini tabbed spanish quad. He also took us to the Deseret Book store, where I found awesome music that I would like for my birthday, or whenever. and he took us to Jamba Juice, and he took us to eat at this awesome restaurant called Tip-Top. And he took us on the ocean scenic route back home. It was awesome!! We had such a great time with Carlos! He is simply the best person in history!

ROAD TRIP!!! :D

At the San Diego temple

"Emerick and I being awesome."
ME!!!
Del Mar Fairgrounds
We would feel at home there :P
Wednesday: Elder Emerick got a trainer call!! :D So I knew that I was leaving just from that! I basically packed up everything that day I didn't need to use for the week haha

We took our final pics after the DM


Our district! Plus a mini missionary!

"Cute" Praying Pic from PMG [Preach My Gospel]
Nefi's [Nephi's] family around the Liahona

Thursday: Elder Emerick had to go to a leadership training meeting, because he's gonna be the DL here now. So I chilled with another elder that I knew until they got out of the meeting.

I got be one of the last missionaries to hug President and Sister Kendrick good bye. Sister Kendrick was crying as she hugged me. I've NEVER hugged Sister Kendrick before, but she was leaving, and I'm like one of her children, so of course we hugged. We watched them get into their car and drive off into the sunset. It was weeeiiiird to not have them there anymore.

And then we went and took pics by the railroad tracks


"Your robot is done charging."




Friday: We got to meet with President Thomas for Zone Review!!! :D He was so awesome!!! He couldn't figure out how to work the microphone, so one of the AP's pushed a button on the side and he just laughed and laughed that he couldn't figure that out! We knew at that point that he was gonna be a great mission president haha

We ate with the Bernal family again, and she made me my favorite mexican food by my request! Chile Reyeno (or however it's spelled) I was so stinkin happy!!! I ate tons of them! And again, Hermana Bernal told me that I was her favorite and that she loves to see me eat all the tons of food that she makes! She says that she'll never forget me, that made me super happy to know that :)

Saturday: We got our transfer calls!!! For a while I was kind of expecting to get sent to Murrieta, which I really really did not want! I already spent last summer in the terrible non-mexican heat of Temecula, and I didn't want to do it again. But about 9:30, Elder Sedgewick called us. ES: "hey have you got your transfer calls?" Me: "No, not yet." ES: "okay. I'll see you on Tuesday." *hang up* Wait what???? So I call him back and made sure that I heard him right. We were both excited that I was going there! I was literally jumping for joy to be going to Carlsbad!!!! So many good things that I can't count right now are gonna be there!!

We had dinner with the Montiel family!! And they always make super delicious food!! And of course, I ate tons and tons of food there as well!! I continued to be the happiest clam in the world all day!!

The Reyes Family
Sunday: Hermano Reyes who is super awesome member, who loves batman just as much as I do, came up to me and said that he had something to show me. he lifted his wrist to show a super cool batman watch that he got. I commented how super cool it was, and I told him that I had a batman watch too, and then he took his watch off, handed it to me, and said "well, now you have another one" ....what??? O my gosh, thank you!!! "yeah no problem! It actually matches your suit better than it does me. So it's yours" :D 

Monday: July 4th, always an awesome day!! We had a ward party in the church parking lot with tons of american burgers and hot dogs and "sweet home alabama" with backwards ball caps. The Hispanic people know how to celebrate America! haha It was so fun!


Gomez family with Hermanas Kasen and Ingram



And we ate with Hermana Gomez who made us wonderful Hawaiian Bacon Burgers!! Homemade burger, cheese, grilled pineapple slice, and bacon on top. SO DELICIOUS!!! I ate 3 of them haha and we had Agua de Melon again!

The Marin Family
We went to the Marin family's house to say good bye to them as well, and they taught us to play a certain game called Sequence. ya'll should get it, it is ridiculously fun! At least I think so, mostly because I won haha

Well, that was a lot to tell! So I probably won't be able to email Buddy and Mary today! So sorry!!!

I also found out that I'm gonna be in Hermana Young's district again! and She's gonna be training again too haha what an interesting world haha

Please continue to write and email when you can, I love to hear from you all! :D

The Mariano Family

All the stuff that I'm moving with me haha
Loading the truck

With much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

PS You asked how I liked the Wild And Ferocious Wockenflockite Turkey tie... Well... let me just say... The Turkey beguiled me!!!


The Wockenflockite Patrick, King of Neon

Saying goodbye

Carlsbad missionaries