Four score and 7 months ago…

Kelly Wood

Well 4 score and 7 months later in still in Bell Gardens! I am still loving it here and am thinking about just moving my records here🙂
It’s now to the point that the homeless people all know me and yell “GUERRAAAAA!!!!” (white girl) it’s a pretty good time ha! But yeah other than an occasional run in with the law life here has been pretty smooth!
Just kidding but we have definitely been seeing some miracles here! It was so crazy because last week we were about to go home but we had wanted to make one more stop. When we went to try and get to the house of our member there had been a REALLY bad accident in between us and where we needed to go. We didnt think we would be able to make it to her house but we decided to push through the crowds and EMTs and went to knock on her door. When she opened the door she looked so scared but then let us in. As we sat down she burst into tears and told us how she has a son who is a heavy alcoholic, with out papers who often drives to her house drunk. When she heard the crash and then the sirens she tried to get ahold of him but expected the worst and had just gone to the bedroom sobbing. She said that she started to pray and just asked God for help, for anything, and then we knocked on the door.
More recently, all the Spanish speaking missionaries were asked to sing “Grand Eres Tu” ( How Great Thou Art) for a Spanish fireside. This song-in spanish has become my absolute very favorite because the words are so special to me. Well when we went to go sing I went straight for the back wall in between some other sisters who stand over a good 6 ft tall haha. Once I was carefully hidden in the back and the music started, I sat there with other missionaries singing about how Great Our God is, I realized how small I really was. Idk, maybe it was because I was surrounded by “sum biggin’s” as grandpa would say😂 but I really for a split second just felt so small. I felt so individual singing about something-someone- SO BIG. And idk for just one split second I felt so loved. I just felt like God let me know that yes I am small, yes I am just one of the missionaries, but he let me know that knew me. And it was so special.
I swear it wasnt any more than maybe 2 seconds but I got to thinking that sometimes God speaks to us in these grand ways, like sending to missionaries to the door in a time of crisis. But a lot of times it’s just those 2 seconds of pure wonder. The Come Follow Me this week had a quote that I loved so much which said, “Heavenly Father is more boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive”
HOW COOL!?

I’m so grateful for my mission
I am so so grateful to be here, to have the people I have in my life!
Sorry not much funny or exciting I’ll write one next week!😂… maybe lol
Love Ryenne

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Published by Kelly Wood

Small town girl. Lover of stories. Believer in God, family, America, and in finding beauty in both the past and the here and now. I grew up alongside my five siblings as our parents dreamed and worked and picked themselves up time and again while creating their small business . Interestingly, I married my high school sweetheart, who now co-owns his own small family business with his brother- the same business that he grew up in, working alongside his dad. We have five kids of our own (who are pretty cool, if I must say so myself), and both understand the grit and determination it takes to build our own dreams. I feel honored to share our story here and join my parents and brothers in their desire to create a welcoming, positive spot – where we can share stories and resources for those wanting to make memories with the people they love the most.

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