Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Drum Roll Please!

drummmm rolllll pleasee......MARTA WENT TO CHURCH!!! With all of her little ninos. It was seriously the best experience ever!! After 14 sundays of leaving our house at 7 to walk super far and get rejected. We must have done something good this week, well really the Lord did...but she made it to church and loved it! I really hope that they all get baptized in September :) Thats the goal! Added prayers would be greatly appreciated. 

This week was good! We are working on finding, finding, and finding more people. We're kinda stuck in a time when people are just not lovin us...but we are thinking positive, setting high goals, and we will keep the work moving forward! Being a missionary is seriously the best. I highly recommend it :) 

We are still living in this crazy monsoon season...soaked every single day. Before the mish, I loved rain...even prayed for it...but here its just insane! because no matter what we keep on walkin. Well running! We just dance/laugh our way through the Rainy pueblo that is Santa Lucia. I love this area! We have Cambios (changes) in a few weeks so I'm a little nervous, but always gotta make the best out of every situation.

This week we learned how to cook super good food! Who knew that I liked to cook?! And no mom....we don't just cook pasta haha but good food! One thing is called pupusas, its from El Salvador...just a tortilla like thing with beans and cheese thats not really cheese inside but its good! The other is called canoas. Its a platano ( mas o menos a banana) fried with banane cream and cinnamon...delicious! I cant wait to show yáll my recipes when Im home. We will have Honduras themed dinners or somehtin! 

I have learned so much in this wonderful mission of mine and I cant wait to learn more. I really love being able to see the way that this gospel changes peoples lives for the better. If you have the opportunity to share it, share it! If you have the chance to give the missionaries dinner, feed them! (because the best thing next to a baptism here is food..) and If you don't know a lot about the LDS church, learn about it! There are so many blessings in this gospel just waiting to be had. I love this work and I love being a missionary. Thanks for all the love and support. Mucha amor por todo mi familia y amigos!

Hermanita Woods!


the pics look a little sketchy...but mmm mmm good!



Tuesday, August 19, 2014

I was born in '95 baby!

Hello everyone!! Running short on time again, surprise surprise...but here's an update! This week started monsoon season so every single day we are just soaked...and good ol Jazz lost her umbrella in the sketchy streets of Santa Lucia, so I just have been using a trash bag, but I bought an umbrella today finally! 

Thursday we were waiting for the bus and it started POURING RAIN! buckets and buckets. We had no coverage, jackets, nothing so we walked to a gas station a half mile away and got SOAKED! we were walking along side the freeway so water from the cars kept splashing up on us just like the movies...haha it was sweet! The other hermanas were all freakin out but I was just dancing and singing because I love rain...it'll be like this for the next 4 months wooh hoo! 

We went to the temple with our investigators and Marta and all her lil kids came. It was sweet! She finally left her house after thousands of prayers, it was a miracle. She loved it! She still didn't come to church...but we are making progress little by little. 

I wanted to tell you guys that I'm learning how to cook all the time. We always make home made tortillas and it's so much fun! It takes strength I tell you...so just remember in your nightly prayers to be thankful for grocery stores, ovens, hot water, ice machines, etc. haha we're roughing it out here but it's so fun!

We worked really hard this week but the people are just not lovin us for some reason. But that's life right? Some days are just rough but it makes the good ones great!

We're teaching two friends in English! One of the guys thought I was 25 and it didn't believe me when I said I was 19...I said "Yep, I was born in 95 baby!" hahaha it just came out that I said baby! My comp was dying laughing...so was I...tried to play it casually though. I guess it's better that I teach in spanish...haha

Thanks for al the love and support, I can feel your prayers! Please pray for Marta and her sweet kids, I absolutely love them. Have a great week!


Hermana Woods

Monday, August 11, 2014

Enrique is Baptized!!!!

Hola everyone, guess who finally made it to the waters of baptism??? ENRIQUE!!! Wow this day was seriousy one of the happiest days of my life. It was such a sweet experience and Im so thankful that I got to be a part of it. After 3 months, Enrique got baptized...3 times haha The first time, he kicked his leg out, then the second time, his arm and the thrid time was a charm! It was such a special day. I got to sing and I got all emotional of course, but it really was a sweet experience. He told me that I was his best friend, he loves us lots and lots and that he can't wait to be friends "para siempre" aka best friends forever...literally. I love this guy! 

I seriously love being a missionary, there is nothing better I tell you. Getting to be a part of watching how the gospel helps change people's lives for the better. It's amazing. We are working really hard and just seeing miracles after miracles. Mainly, Im just still so dang happy for Enrique! That's the main part about this week. 

Also we had transfers, but Im still with my comp in the same area!! I seriously cried when I found out that we were staying together for another cahnge because I love my comp and we love our area. We are here together still for a purpose and we are excited to search and find out the reason why we are still together. 

I have no time, but I love you all. Thanks for the support and for always keeping me updated with the real world. Shout out to my dad for having a birthday tomorrow!! wish this great man a happy birthday :) I miss you all but I love it here as well! Until next week, adios mi amiogs!


Hermana Woods!

Monday, August 4, 2014

Hard Work, Good Times, 4 months!

hellloooo everyone!! wow 10 days...it's been a while but I'm alive. This week was super different, hard, the happiest, a whole bunch of different emotions. First of all, I completed training and 4 months of being a missionary! I seriously can't believe it..I know it's not a ton of time, but I have learned so much and I just love being a missionary. Also, Enrique is getting baptized at 3 this saturday! I seriously wish you all could be here to see it. He's counting down the days and can't wait, just like us. It will be such a great day! Here's some highlights of the week and a half :)

Service project: one day we went to do service and it turned into 5 and a half hours of throwing an ax/machete thing at a GIANT rock for an investigator of the other Hermanas. We got to experience actual hard work and wow it was difficult, but also guys...it's so fun to use a pick ax haha and we were singing Taylor swift and Katy perry, and Dora the whole time so it was great!

Interview: we had interviews with the new mission president and his wife. they are so sweet! I learned a lot. I had such a sweet experience. The president's wife doesn't speak any Spanish and the other 4 Hermanas don't speak any English so I got to translate for them. Im so happy that I got to help and be a part of their communication. The spirit was so strong and Im thankful that I was able to be in a good enough place with Spanish to translate. I love spanish and I love being a missionary!

Cleaning the pila: hahah this is a good one. So we hand wash our laundry all the time right? Right. well the water was superrrr dirty so we had to take it all out and fill it up again with new water. We used buckets to take out most of the water and then there was dirt at the bottom and we didn't know what to do. We don't have a dust pan so we used a giant leaf to take out the dirt..clever huh? hahah just livin the live out here in Santa Lucia!

Gotta run, I love you all so so much. Thanks for all the love and support. I can feel it! Please pray for Enrique this week for his baptism. Can't wait to hear from you all! Until. next time mi amigos :)

hermanita woods! This first photo is of Jazzie doing her laundry!