"And the Record is True": Week 79

Dear Mary,

The weather has actually not been that horrible here! Which is surprising because of the major deep dish cleaning that you all did haha [Note: It's a family joke that when we do any kind of cleaning (the bane of our existence), terrible weather occurs somewhere.]

It is so wonderful to hear and read all the wonderful progress that is being made, and how we are all learning to stand up on our own. It's just great to see how God helps us when we need it the most!

My birthday was soooooo awesome!! I wasn't able to get the packages ya'll sent then, but I should get them today. We had a birthday lunch at the stake center here, which was awesome!! I got permission to invite the Spanish missionaries in Vista to come for the lunch! (Because I'm friends with all of them.) I made Sloppy Joe's for the main dish, and everyone else brought chips, buns, macaroni salad, soda, and Carlos brought an awesome cake! It was honestly the best birthday ever!! Carlos took a lot of pictures and some videos, I'll see if I can send them to you! [pics at the end of the post]

We also went to the Delaveaux family for dinner, and it was such a great time! They are a fantastic family!

We had dinner with the Crump family this past Thursday, and they are just a wonderful family! I ate with them once before, my first week here, and that was a good time as well! They didn't know that Mom had died until the Thursday that I was coming back, because Elder Sedgwick showed up to dinner with the YSA elders, and they asked where I was. Sedgwick said that I should be on the plane coming back this way pretty soon. Then that started more questions, because they really had no idea that had happened.

So they invited us to come eat with them and hang out this past Thursday, and it was such a good time! They seem to have taken a much greater interest and care for me since they found out that news. I almost feel like a part of their family, because they want to make sure that I'm okay.

I also found out that Sister Crump is an Ambassador for BYU-I, and so she can help me out with all the registering and everything. BLESSINGS!! :D

They also let me borrow their guitar, since they hardly use it. I'm really the only one the ever touches it, so they let me take it to the apartment to borrow :)

Thank you for sharing what you learned! It's so good to hear how it's all going! I've been reading about how the people of Limhi had escaped bondage, and it made think of how God expects us to do something after we ask for help. We can't just sit back and expect God to do everything, but through prayer and doing something, God can inspire us what we can do to overcome trials in our lives.

Thank you writing! I love to hear from you!

With much love,

Elder Patrick Wockenfuss

Yeah!!! We had to go to Vista to take care of something, and their Zone had just finished with their ZTM, so we went to the Yellow Deli with them! SO delicious!!

O yeah, we also got together then to eat at this place called ZigZag's Pizza before a baptism [on Saturday]!! That was pretty good food too!

Playing "If, Then". Everybody writes down a silly "If" statement and a silly "then" statement
and toss them into two piles. Then draw one from each pile, read them off, and have a good laugh!

hugs and sillies

Bunny ears!!!

Right after his face got smashed into the cake.
It's a tradition called Mordida (sp?), where the birthday person takes a bite of the cake
to see how big their piece will be. But as they do, someone comes up behind them
and shoves their face into the cake, getting a faceful of frosting!