Week Eighty One

I have no idea of where to start this email. I guess I'll give the big news first. My time here in Boston is officially over. Last night I got a call and was told I'm being transferred to Saco Maine with the one and only ELDER PETERSEN! I was so excited when I told President this would be our 4th transfer together. But this is not what the Lord intended. I received a phone call earlier this morning from a distraught President Blair. He said he had been up tossing and turning all night thinking about my transfer, and he told me that he had a very distinct prompting that I needed not be with Elder Petersen again. So he told me my new transfer. He said he got up and looked in the mirror in the middle of the night and the Lord told him I needed to go elsewhere. That elsewhere is Winthrop Maine. It's a little more populated than Colebrook. So I'm going into Colebrook v2, but as a Zone Leader with Elder Ricks from my MTC district at my side. I'm sad, but obviously the Lord needs me there for something. I know it's going to be very hard, but I don't think I could possibly face an area harder than Colebrook with the state it was in when I got there. Speaking of Colebrook that area is on fire right now. There has been a string of baptisms ever since I left! Including 2 people I taught. I was so happy to hear that! Anyways I have learned so much from this area. I have seen miracles wrought by the hand of God that have built my testimony. I called Abela this morning and told her the news. I heard a long pause and she just started thanking me so much with a shaky voice. She told me that she is eternally grateful for me and Elder Solomon for changing her life, and that she will always keep in contact with me. Then she started telling me all how her life had changed since I first met her, and I was on the other end of the phone holding back my tears. I know that I came on my mission to find that family. 

Anyways this week was awesome! It got hot this week. It was 65 degrees on Tuesday so we wore short sleeve shirts, and man I have missed the warmth. I'll be missing it even more here in a few days. We taught a ton of lessons this week too. Our friend Lenge came to church. We were just chilling in the pews after Sacrament started and out of nowhere this lil dude wearing a green jumpsuit pops up, and I realized it was Lenge! He finally came to church! He was straight balling😂 he was holding this red Bible that matched his shoes😂 

I love the diversity of all the people out here, and I'm especially thankful for the people from the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador, Congo, and South America in general. I got to live in such a melting pot of a place, and experience so many different cultures. The world is a beautiful place, and I'm excited to learn more about those cultures when I get home. Have a great week everyone! 

Week Eighty

Started off the week driving to Manchester on Monday night! We had a double MLC this month because we didn't have one in December! So it was a good time seeing a lot of the mission homies. I can't believe that we have all been out for as long as we have. It doesn't seem like I've been out for very long, but the fact that I'm still in my 3rd area may play a role in that😂 I think I'll probably have about 4 areas on my mission. Looking back on the areas I've served in, I'm thankful for all of the people and places I've been! Even Colebrook!

This week we had a ton of lessons! The highlight of it was getting to run from appointment to appointment! That's one of the best feelings as a missionary. Being a little bit on edge about the timing of everything, but also just happy to be teaching so much! Junior's baptism is getting closer too. I may or may not be there for it. Since they are able to move the port for his dialysis some logistical things may take a while, or could happen in a few days. I'm happy he showed the faith to get baptized, because after he showed that faith, the miracle happened! He literally followed Ether 12:12 and it worked!

Anyways this week was the Super Bowl and it got WILD up here! People were spazzing out in the streets the night of the Super Bowl. You could definitely tell when there was a good play or a bad play. Luckily they won so all will be well here in New England. After they lost last year, it actually made it harder to proselyte for a few days, because people were bitter.

We also had our interviews with the Mission President today, and I had a record breaking time of 4 minutes with President! Luckily we get to go out proselyting and teaching with him tonight! So that will be fun. ALSO it's like 55 degrees outside, and we went on a hike! I had shorts and short-sleeves on! IT WAS SO NICE! and tomorrow is supposed to be better. So I know it's going to be a good week. Anyways hope y'all have a good week too! 

Week Seventy Nine

This week was the most soaked I've ever got on my mission. This past Thursday we had exchanges with the Revere 4 Elders, and they crashed their car on Christmas, so they've been on foot/bus ever since. This past Thursday it was also a torrential downpour with like 50 mph wind gusts. So one of us had the car, and the other set didn't. I'm a good person so I let Elder Nielsen take the car since he's new to the area, and I know all the shortcuts around town.  So Thursday Elder Ramirez and I hit the streets of Lynn! Lynn has like no drainage systems so all the streets were borderline flooding from the melted snow, and rain. So we were trying our hardest to keep our shoes relatively dry. We had some appointments set, and the reaction our investigators had was so funny when we would show up to the appointment. At one point in the day, we had to take refuge in a Taco Bell. It was a wild day. We also rode the bus home, which was a first for me. The bus drivers are CRAZY! Let's just say Boston roads and buses do not mix. I can barely fit the Corolla down some roads.

We had zone conference this week too. It was all fun and games till I was just chilling and we got a phone call. So I stepped out to answer the phone, and low and behold it was Indian Bob. Our man Indian Bob was so interested in the Book of Mormon he reached out to us like a month later! So that was funny. I had to go grab Elder Solo and tell him that he called😂 It was good to see the boi since he's been gone!

This week has definitely been one that I'll remember for a while though. I hit my 18 month mark and now I'm just slowly running out of time. The mission has been such a blessing to my life, and I am so happy that I know I have found some of the people I was meant to come out here for. The Lord works in his own time, and sometimes he likes for us to learn how to be patient. I'll always appreciate the laid back lifestyle of New Englanders, and I'm looking forward to the next 6 months of this adventure!

 Father Westwood

Week Seventy Eight

This week was pretty great for missionary work. We had a whole nice week with no big events in our way, so we were able to just have some extra time to find people to teach! Finding people in the cold may seem like it's a lot harder, but everyone has more sympathy for you when you knock on their door😂 so a lot of people will at least let you in to talk for a little bit.

This past Thursday we had exchanges with the Lawrence Elders. We had a good time with them, and were able to find a lot with them too! This Friday we were getting ready to go to district meeting, and our Mission Presidents wife called telling us to call the Mission President. He told us someone in our zone had a medical emergency, and we needed to find a way for him to get all the way up to Freeport Maine. When President heard I had already taken a missionary there before, he elected me to be the driver. So I had to leave district council an hour early and take the long haul to Maine. It worked out though because his companion went on exchanges with mine, and all of our lessons still were able to happen! So I got to take another fun trip to Maine!

This weekend was pretty wild with the storm that came through. It snowed a little bit here, but then it started freezing rain instantly after. So now it's like an ice box outside! We got grounded yesterday, and since we live a couple miles outside of our area we kinda just freestyled and helped the sisters with their area! It was a good time though, and made me appreciate that we have warm months. 

Yall have a good week, and stay warm. 

Marthene!