Week 16

7/18/16

Ahh, so much to write, so little time. Hello peoples, i hope that you are all doing well. I have been having a pretty adventurous week. I had my first decent crash this week, my back wheel is no longer centered left to right, but the work out here is totally worth it.

I have ran out of time this week. but I know that the Lord loves us all individually and will send both trials and blessing that we need. I have seen both come my way, even as a missionary, but the progression that we get from it is far greater that what we thought we lost, or what we had to sacrifice.

I hope you all have a great week, i will send more stuff next week.

---Elder Wood---

My Companion made some no-bake
Peanut Butter cookies

Run out of counter space?

Just use the washing machine!

Week 15

July 11, 2016

I got transfer calls on Saturday morning. Both Elder Palmer and myself are staying in Ochi, and the Ochi Sisters are staying the same as well. As i typed this, i realized that i need to get pictures of all 4 of us together.

This week was pretty good, i have tried out several different mangoes, and fruits that i didnt even know existed. Still loving the work.

As i continue to do this wonderful work, i realize how important it is for us to be out here. This will change not only their life, but their eternity. I am so glad that I am out here. I hope i will be able to do all i can to help bless the lives of those here in Jamaica.

We were also able to meet our new mission President on the Wednesday. President Pearson is awesome. I cant wait to get to know him more.

I know this was short but I gotta go. No baptisms are planned for this week, people have gotten busy cause of the summer.

I wish y'all the best,

---Elder Wood---

"Jellies" coconuts that have good milk and meat.

My first "Jelly"

Fourth of July in Jamaica

7/4/2016

Another glorious week has gone by, unfortunately my companion and i had to spend two days in our house. We both got sick and might have been contagious so we were home bound for two days. I wish we would have been out there. This is the Lord's time and i want to be the best the Lord can make me.

Ragae's baptism has been put on hold for two weeks (i just need to tell you guys when it has happened :) ). Hopefully we will continue letting the work grow and flourish here in Ochi. It is one of my dreams to be able to have a temple built here in Ochi so they can continue growing closer to the Lord.

I wouldn't want to be doing anything else right now. I am so glad to be out here. I wish everyone the best.

Do what is right,

--Elder Thomas Wood--

My companion with a rash on his arms

Surprised to get a Walmart bag in Jamaica

Mangos a member gave to us

Week 13

6/27/16

Things happened.

The End.

This week has been a spiritual overload. We had 3 times as many lesson this week as we did last week. One of my goals before i leave Ochi is to have people scheduled for baptisms every week because the work is truely something special and i hope that i do all that i can to bless the lives of the people here. The sisters had a baptism on Saturday (the waves were pretty big). It was great to have another come into the fold. Ragae will have his bapstism this Saturday. My current companion is Elder Palmer, he is from Washington. I still dont have pictures of us together yet. I am so glad to be out here on a mission in Jamaica, I know that this is the best decision of my life (so far).

Wish y'all the best,

--Elder Wood--

Week 12

6/20/16

Whoops, almost forgot about this email.

This week has been a strange one. We had a trade-off and we went from Ochi (Ocho Rios) to Mo-bay (Montego Bay) for a full 24 hours. That was interesting. We had a pretty full sacrament meeting. I gave a talk on service and home teaching.

We had quite a few appointments fall through on us this week but i know that as we plan better and do all that we can that the Lord will bless us while we are doing his work. 

I am out of time to email, so i wish you all the best. Time to go do the Lord's work because it is such a blessing to be out here. I hope that all will come to the knowledge of the Fullness of the Gospel, and i need to do my part.

Wish you all the best,

--Elder Thomas Wood--

One of the many cruise ships

The Countryside

Beautiful Jamaica

 

Week 11

June 13, 2016
So much has happened this past week.  I will try my best summarizing it in 20 minutes.

We have a golden investigator.  He is a 16 year-old (looks like he is 25) and he LOVES the Gospel.  He is recognizing the Holy Ghost in his life and keeping all of his commitments.  His baptismal is the 25th of this month, we only met him like a week ago.  Ragae is awesome

We had a baptism on Saturday.  It was Aliema, she is in a fairly active family and I am glad that she has made this step.

We floured the Branch President's wife yesterday because it was her birthday.

The terrain in Ochi is quite hilly but much more capable to ride up.  Just need to make sure I regularly replace my brake pads.

This is so awesome and I love doing the Lord's work out here,  I hope to continue blessing the lives of Jamaica while I am out here because we have a Father that truly loves us and I want to recognize His love and have the Holy Ghost in their life.

Love you all,
--Elder Wood--

Week 10

6/6/16

I wish I could say that my transfer went off without a hitch, but the hitch was that the bus that I was supposed to get on, left 15 minutes before the bus I rode got there.  The Assistants to the President then drive me from Kingston to Ocho Rio (Ochi).  We then taught somebody and apparently an investigator that was sitting in was pranking me and was actually a Returned Missionary.

Elder Palmer is now my companion.  I do not believe that we have pictures together yet (soon).

The bike made the journey with me.  I still have the same bike.  This area has hills as well, but they are more ride-able.

As of right not the teaching pool is really dry, but we are doing a lot of finding.  We are in the Ocho Rio Branch.

We get a new Mission President on the 30th.

Elder Palmer is from Washington state.  I have no idea what the population of Ochi is, but there are quite a few white people because of it being a tourist hot spot.

Wish you all the best,
--Elder Wood--

Riding in Style (me on my bike).

Another picture of my "awesome" bike.

Beautiful view in Ochi ... and my eye.