Letter from 8-23-11

Dear Mom and Dad,

 

  I'm so sorry for not sending an e-mail or that letter last week.  As you guessed things have been a bit crazy here in SD, and there's so much for me to tell you, but some of it's probably going to have to wait.  But let me just say I've never been so stressed in my life, so to speak.

  Elder Kanuch and I have been way busy in our area, I've actually received about 10 times the amount of referalls here than I have my entire mission, mostly because we have the Mormon Battlion visitor's site (which by the way if you ever come here before I'm home you MUST go through, it's better than Sea World and it's FREE!!!!  If not we're going when we come back.) and because our Ward Council is FINALLY getting rolling.  When we're not contacting nonmembers we'll text members of the Ward Council and they ALWAYS have names for us to go visit.  It makes it easier on us, especially since we don't tract at all.  Good thing I never have to go through that little experience.

  Dad asked a bit about Elder Kanuch so to sum him up I'll say this.  He's Tongan, 320 lbs., going to play for BYU and he has one of the humblest testimonies I've ever heard. Anything else?  He truly cares about the people and you know he loves the Lord everytime he speaks.  On top of that he's one of the most selfless people I've ever met.  Already have an idea of what I can learn from him.  We get along pretty good, still have our ups and downs, but we're working at it.  Oh and he says "What's up?"

  Last Sunday we had an opportunity to teach an investigator, named Veronica, in the home of the 2nd councilor in the Bishopric and she is awesome!  She found the church through the yellow pages and the Church unemployment, but after meeting with our Bishop once she's been attending Sacrament meeting on her own for the past 3 weeks!  When we were talking with her on Sunday we invited her to read the Book of Mormon and she said yes right away.  We just talked about reading to know the truth for herself and not because we were telling her and she completely aggreed.  So, we're excited to see where she goes in the near future. 

  There's soooooo much more that I want to tell you, but I've got to wait a bit.  My knee has been acting up and that's been slowing me down a bit, but I love this work and there's nothing else I'd rather be doing at this point in my life.  You know, it's wierd sometimes admitting that parents are right, but ya'll are.  I love ya'll very much and miss ya'll dearly.  In just a few months I'll have been out a year and it doesn't even feel like it.  Still feels like I'm going to wake up tomorrow morning and fly to Salt Lake to go to the MTC.  I can't wait to show ya'll how much I've grown.  I wish you could see.  Give EVERYONE hugs and kisses from me, and I PROMISE I will send a letter this next week.  I know I've been bad, but that's something I'll still need to work on.  I didn't say I was perfect right?

 

Love,

 

Elder Sean Wise

Letter from 8-2-11

Dear Mom,

  My week has been pretty good, but it's been slow at the same time.  We've really just been focusing of contacting people, and unfortunaly not very many people have been home.  I've mostly just got pictures to send this week.  I did have an opportunity to really see how Priesthood keys were exercised within the church when we got to hear from Elder Ballard.  Oh and did I mention I got to shake his hand as well?  I don't think I'll ever wash it again unless I'm going to shake another Apostles hand.

  Give people my love.

 

Love,

 

Elder Wise

Letter from 7-26-11

 Dear Family,

  How has everyone been?  Things have been going great for the two of us here in the San Diego 1st Ward.  We've been spending a lot of our time contacting refferals we've received from Church HQ, The Mormon Battalion, etc.  But sadly not very many people are opening their doors or their hearts, so we've been pressing on.  I don't think I mentioned this last time by my new companion Elder Kanuch is Tongan!  He's from West Valley, Utah, but his mom is Tongan and he lived there for a bit.  So it's nice to have someone who stands 5 inchs taller than you and outweighs you by your entire weight, expecially in this part of town.  Things can get a little bit crazy...But in answer to a question Mom posed both of us are "senior-companions".  It's kind of nice to make decisions together instead of just having to follow the lead of someone. 

  But the ward is totally AWESOME!  I'll send some pics of one of the families in the ward, the Maun family.  They're from the Marshall Islands and they're our "missionary Family" A unique calling I've never heard anywhere else, but basically it means they make sure that the missionaries have a family to look to when they enter the ward and when we need some people to teach.  Their oldest son Wallace is meeting with the Bishop tomorrow to start his mission papers, but overall his family is amazing!  And the rest of the families in the ward are sweet as well.  We've got an interesting ward, one that I can learn a lot from.  There's a range of ages in the ward, and we get A TON of visitors every sunday.  It makes it a little hard to learn and remember who actually lives in the ward, but I'm trying hard.

  Well, my days in San Diego are going by fast.  Even with 70-80 degree weather, which is spoiling me by the way, we get out and about and meet lots of people.  We don't tract in the mission though.  Most of our finding is done through members or street contacting, I think since there's another religion that does tract, people are starting to get annoyed...hence my companion had someone pull a gun on them at the door before he found out they were missionaries before I got here, so like I said, an interesting people, but I love them. 

  I guess to wrap up I'm inviting everyone to write down a list of non-members they know then go out this week and serve them or share your testimony with them.  What we do here as missionaries isn't inviting people to a club, or just to some other church, we're inviting people to partake of the Atonement of Jesus Christ by proper Authority and in the only way that can be on the face of the planet.  Members are the true missionaries and you have no idea the impact that you have everyday on friends and neighbors.  Pray for oppotunities to share the Gospel, pray to recognize those opportunities, and pray for the courage and faith to act upon those opportunities.  Help bring our Brothers and Sisters back home.  I love each and everyone of you and I pray for ya'll everyday.  I know that the Lord answers prayers, and that he knows us personally.  With the Lord on our side, ANYTHING is possible.

 

LLL

 

I love you,

 

Elder Wise the IV

Letter from 7-19-11

Dear Family,

 

  First off, happy birthday to Dad and to Grandpa Wise!!  I'm sorry I didn't include it in my last e-mail, things were busy that day.  Well, my new area is in the San Diego 1st ward!  I cover Old town, Downtown, all the way to city heights.  I'll let you do the research on what kind of area I'm in...needless to say I think the Lord is having fun putting my in interesting places.  My companion now is Elder Kanuch, yes the same one that I came out with.  We're getting along great, and we're having fun at the same time.  We're finding too that we've got a lot more in common that we previously thought.
  We're spending a lot of our time right now going back over refferals we've recieved and former investigators, just trying to build the area back up.  Something cool that happend the other day though was pretty cool.  We were walking back to our apartment after grabbing some food from down the street and we just started talking to a guy that was walking next to us.  We just started asking questions then Elder Kanuch asked him if he was religious.  After that question we got his information and permission to call him and stop by and teach him.  He soaked up everything and it's just further proof that the Lord has prepared people for us to teach, we just need to open up our mouths and speak.

  I'm kinda jealous of everything that's happening with the family, but I know I've got some work to do still.  I love each of ya'll and miss ya'll dearly.

 

 

Love,

 

Elder Wise

 

Letter from 7-12-11

But Mom, I'm not supposed to open mail on non-P-days!!!  Hahaha, the other elders wanted to know and I couldn't wait so I opened it, sorry!  Well, my birthday was good and I've got some more news.  I'm actually getting transfered tomorrow.  I'm a little bummed about not staying in the Hmong, but I think I'll be back soon.  Sounds like dad's been having an interesting time seeing the inner workings of missionaries throughout all the world. 

  Well,  I've had an interesting week.  My knee started acting up and hurting so I had to go to the doctor to find out what was wrong.  Don't worry, everything's ok, my knee is just being dumb.  I've got things to help now so I'm going to get back to work.  I don't have my camera with me, but I've got pictures of stuff that's happened.  Hmong has been coming along nicely.  I'm able to speak a little bit more, I'm going to ask President if I can continue to study it after I'm transfered.  I've gotta get going, I promise I'll send some experiences next week!

 

Love ya'll!

 

Elder Wise

Letter from 7-5-11

 July 5, 2011

Dear Mother and Family,

 

  Thank ya'll so much for the box and the digital picture frame.  I love ya'll soooo much and I'm happy to see all the wonderful things ya'll have been up to.  Mother, I wish I could've been there to hear you sing, I miss it A LOT!  Everyone, give each other big hugs and kisses from me, and I'll be greatful.

  Well,  this last week has been pretty slow.  We really didn't get much time yesterday for Independence Day, we had to be in by 6, but we got some work done.  I won't be able to see fireworks though for two years, let alone hold some, so I'll be excited for that.  I've got some pictures of another Hmong family that I'll send, but things are kinda wrapping up here.  I spoke with President Donaldson before he left and he said something along the lines that I'd be transfered, so I'm only looking at this as a little reprieve, but I think I'll be back with the Hmong at some point.  There's still a lot to do and I hope I can come back and work with them again. 

  Speaking of President Donaldson leaving, our new mission President is President Clayton from Utah! (go figure) But, the big news is that he's Elder Ballard's son-in-law...so follow the logic and you'll figure out that Sister Clayton is his daughter.  Crazy eh?  She's already said to expect A LOT of visits from him and in fact we have one later in July where he wants to meet all the missionaries so I'll let you know how that goes. 

  Well, I've got to get going, lots of things to do today.  I'll send the pictures with names.  Hope everyone is well, and I love and miss all of ya'll!!

 

Love,

 

Elder Wise

Letter from 6-28-11

Dear Mother,

  This past week has been pretty good.  Elder Insong and I have commited to making these last couple weeks of the transfer the best, so we've been trying our hardest.  We're a little sad that President and Sister Donaldson are leaving us this Wednesday, but we're excited to have President and Sister Clayton coming.  I'm looking forward to learning from him for the rest of my mission.

  Good news though, Martin was Baptized!  After months of deliberation he went to a Mission President's fireside and came up to us afterward and said he was tired of not making a decision.  I've also heard that he's been ordained a Priest and he's already gone to the Temple to perform Baptisms for the Dead.  I've been so excited for him since.  I'll send some pictures home as well as a video and pictures of me performing the Haka.  We did it I think a week ago for President.  But pictures are coming.  Oh, and tell Chris and Becky when they get home that I ran into Elder and Sister Woodbury out here.  The Church is a small world.  Thanks for all you do mother and tell dad as well.  Thanks for still teaching me.

 

Love,

 

Elder Wise