Hola Amigos

Hola amigos y amigas! This is super weird to be writing on a Friday but we went to the temple this morning and Pday is today :) I wont be able to write til August 4th or somethin..so I just wanted to say hi and give a quick little update.

First of all, Enrique is set to get baptized and even signed the papers so it's official! And wow, my heart was so happy when he made it official. He was prepared for us to come into his life. I love seeing how the Lord works differently with everyone as well. He's so close to the waters! Also, Marta is really excited to go to Church and all her kids and nieces and nephews are coming on Sunday and they're all really excited as well. We are seeing progress finally!

I met 3 people this week that speak English!! It's super nice because now my Spanish is good enough to where I actually prefer Spanish...isn't that sweet?! I keep stumbling over when English when I talk to my new friends, which is a good sign. 

So, the big thing this week was that we had divisions! This time I stayed in my area and hermana Rodrigues went to the other area...so I was in charge of all the lessons, the phone, the keys and everything. I was really scared because usually my comp starts everything and leads...but this time it was my turn to be the leader! and wow, as you can all imagine I absolutely loved it. I forgot how much I love to take charge. Okay, that sounds really prideful and kinda bad, but it was so much fun and I gained my confidence back. We had 8 lessons that day and met 20+ new people. It was a killer day and I learnedc that if I really work hard and Trust then anything is possible. I'm learning so much and I just love this place with all my heart.

We woke up at 4 this morning to go to the temple with our Zone, and it was such a great experience. I Love the temple! I love this gospel and I'm so happy to be a part of it in such a time when people need the light most. I love you all tons and thanks for giving me the best support system there ever was. Have a great week!!

Hermana Woods :)

pics: my favorite hermanas and bestfriend elder Mendoza (ZL), Me and Hna Rodrigues- my darling companera, and a watch that I made because my actual one broke...gettin real crafty in Honduras!

Baptism Coming Up!

July 22, 2014

This week was another great one!!! The fastest one yet because we have been workin really hard. I have 2 minutes to write because we are going to miss the bus and low key, I think I broke my toe playing soccer this morning so I need to get that checked out haha but life is good!

First of all, we got a new mission president and he is great! He's from Texas so we can speak English which is even better. and the best thing is that he let's us drink Diet coke! I had my first one today in 3 months and wow it was just great!!

So Enrique is set to get baptized on the 9th and he is so so excited!! I just love that guy. he's so precious. and he came to all of church yesterday, it was a miracle! Marta didn't make it to church though, some day soon, I just know it. 

the guy we were teaching in the barber shop, Wilson is set to get married on August 8th and baptized with his spouse on the 9th. we are so excited for that!! Almost after 3 months, they are progressing. Missionary work is the best work in the world. 

time for my typical line "gotta run, the ciber is closing" Everyone's yelling at me in spanish so get off haha so I gotta run. Sorry this is so short and with no pics. I'll write more next week! Love you all tons and hope you are all doing well!!

hermana Woods!

Wish I Had A Nickle

July 14, 2014
helloooo! So I literally only have 4 limperas to my name right now, and that's a nickel! We didnt get money today for some reason so it's an adventure for sure haha it's kinda fun to be absolutely poor in a crazy city. But don't worry mom, my comp is helping me out haha. Anyways, we went to the waterfalls again today! I wore better shoes this time and it was so much fun. We have a new zone, so it's fun to get to know everyone in the hour and a half trek up to the hike and then the water! Also I fell in the water and was in up to my stomach...but I wasn't even mad about it because I miss swimming haha. For those of you in summer... enjoy the pool, beach, Bear Lake, bathtubs and all!

This week went by insanely fast and was full of ups and downs. First of all, we found Enrique this week!!! It was seriously a miracle. We saw him and his white sombrero walking on the other side of the street and I ran over and was seriously teh happiest I  have ever been. I think I scared him cause I was smiling so much haha but I missed him! We had a few lessons this week and he wants to be baptized but the good ol scratch is workin hard on him so we are having some trouble, but I have faith!

okay, I'm not sure if I have told you all about this family but I'm going to right now! We've been teaching Marta (the momma)  Carlos (14) Enrique (12) and Gaby (17) since day 2 here..so it's been over two months. i love them so so much, they are so humble and just the sweetest. The mom, Marta, is scared to leave her house and hasn't left for anything in a very long time, this is the reason that she hasn't come to church with us. But last week her son went and had a great experience. So anyway, we had a baptism for someone in our zone this weekend and MARTA AND CARLOS WENT!! It was seriously a MIRACLE!! My heart was so happy, not only did she leave the house, but she got to watch a batutiful baptism. they are so close to the waters! They have become my family here and we are finally starting to see progress, the Lord is so great!

Hmm what else..oh this week we had two sleepovers with the girls in our zone, they are so fun! so, we're allowed to watch disney movies on Pdays! And hermana Cruz has Frozen and we wanted to watch it last night (but we're obedient and had to wait til Pday) so we set the alarm for 12am to watch frozen haha I don't remember watching it..but still did! In the morning at 6:30 we watched it again, in #spanish...good thing I have the entire thing memorized because there weren't subtitiles, but now I'm learning the songs in Spanish so it's fun.

life is still great here in honduras! Loving it here so so much. Miss you all and hope you are just loving life so much too!! until next time!

hermana Woods!

pics: waterfall, turnin up at the waterfall and teaching the Palabra de Sabiduria (word of Wisdom haha) and this is a fruit that I ATE!! It's actually super good, and yay Jazz for trying something new and scary haha

Workin Teachin Prayin

July 8th, 2014

Hola everyone!! This week was a great one as always :) We're just workin, teachin, preachin, lovin and learnin! You know, the good stuff. This week felt like a day it went by so fast! So on the 2nd I completed 3 months! We had a little fiesta and my comp completed 9 months too. Then it was the 4th of July! and for whatever reason, there were fireworks here too! I think is was a famliy just wanting to have fun, or maybe my gringo friend Bob celebrating haha but it was great. I <3 America! USA and central, and i haven't been to south but Im sure that's great too haha.

This week was pretty sad with our dear frind Enrique. We went to his house and his family wants absoltely nothing to do with us, and actually they were super rude and told us that he moved...we never did find him so we just don't know. He was doing so well though! I hope we can find him and help him out soon. His son Luis is progressing and always sends us texts with scriptures from the book of mormon.

Also it reminds me, we made coffee this week! But a kind that's good for you and not addictive. It's bien facil tambien! It's just 2 maize tortillas and you burn them so they are black and super black, crush it up, add hot water and sugar and it's good to go! It seriously tastes exactly the same. We almost caught our house on fire, but hey we were able to help people get over their coffee addiction. This Sunday one of the kids, Carlos who's 14 finally came to church with us after 2 months of teaching him, it was a miracle!!

I taught English again and we had a full class! i taught them I am a child of God because we learned the "To be" form. It was a sneaky was ot sneak in some doctrine hah. I love teaching!! Just funny how I have to know Spanish to teach English haha. Si or si I want to be a teacher when I'm home. I have my own whiteboard and everything and I love it. I also taught them the difference between Woods and Goods because no one understands the concept...

Everyhing is good here in Santa Lucia! Last night we helped cook baleadas on the streets and I was singing "Let it Gooo!" I got an audience and it was  so much fun! Also, Shout out to my favorite mom for sending me a package this week!!! I got disney music and sweet workout DVDs and life is so dang good. I love you all, thanks for the love and support and letters! Hasta Luego!!

Hermanita Woods

Pics: Our Happy 3 and 9 months pic, and the 4th! My heart is now in two places :)

Life is Gooooodddd!

Hello everyone! All I can say is that Life is Goooddd! I finally feel way comfortable here and I love the details in everything. I love that I get to drink water out of a little bag every day. I love how pretty my area is and how green/rainy it is all the time. I love that I get to help make baleadas and learn songs in spanish every friday. I love taking the sketch busses and talking to the workers that collect money. I love how people still whistle at me on the streets and instead of walking away, I give em a picture of Jesus. I love that I only speak in Spanish now and that I even dream in Espanol..I love Honduras and my mission!!

This week we were really busy! We made a goal with our zone to have 20 baptisms in our district and 40 for the month. We are doing a zone fast for 40 days (everyone takes a day a week) and we're reading the Book of mormon in one change. We are setting our goals high so we can start making more project and start helping people with their lives!

We are hopefully having a baptism every weekend this month and we have one for Saturday! His name is Enrique, I don't remember if Ive talked about him, but we're great friends. He's a grandpa and always wears a white sombrero. He wants to get baptized but has to stop drinking coffe, we are praying hard for him and need a miracle! His son Luis is also taking the lessons and reading, he had a lot of challenges, but he has faith!

I taught English class this week!! I thought we for sure weren't gonn ahave anyone come, but 8 people showed up and it was a miracle! We did introductions, and taught the alphabet. I decided that I really do want to be a teacher when I get home, I LOVE it! I had my own whiteboard/classroom and everything. but funny thing, I actually have to know Spanish to teach the English class haha it's super fun and a good way to sneakily show people the church and invite them.

So there's this car that always drives around with a loud speaker announcing activities in Santa and announcing fruits and random things they sell in the trunk bed. It's always a guy on a loud speaker like the ice cream man and i always say to my comp "Hermana, Yo Quiero hablar on the speaker and dice 'Libros de Mormon, tarjetas de Jesucristo, nosotros tenemos la verdad, tenemon clases de Ingles Sabados a las tres (that's my fave to say cause it rhymes haha) Iglesia is a las nueve domingos tambien, Tenemos bendicones en nuestro iglesia" cosas asi haha. One day I WILL get on that speaker. 

hmm what else to say. Oh bugs bugs and more bugs! I must be eating too many samitas (sweet bread with sugar on top...my literal favorite thing in the world right now) haha but I guess my blood is super sweet. I have about 20 bites and yesterday I turned into a ninja and killed 10 yesterday, on contact, it was sweet! I use bug spray like perfume, anti itch cream like lotion...and still get attacked haha. but as always, life is good!

Love and miss you all tons! Thanks for all of the prayers and support, I seriously can feel it. I complete 3 meses on Wednesday wooh hoo! Fin, Adios!

bummer, I have a ton of pics this week but this computer is broken again :( Lo Siento for being boring..

Hermana Wooooooddddsss!!!

Sister Missionary or SIster Jungle Chick?

Hi everyone, this week was an adventure once again!!! The answer to the question in the heading is Sister Jungle Chick haha. I seriously love it here so much. It's rainy season so every day we are just soaked head to toe! Last night was absolutely insane. I wish I could've taken a video, it was like a hurricane pretty much. Pouring rain harder than I have ever seen and lightening, thunder, all that good stuff. but like I've said, our house is at the verryyyyy top of the hill so we had to run up these hills (which turned into MASSIVE rivers of 2 feet deep at least) it was the craziest thing of my life, and so much fun!!

This week we got to go to the temple again, but with investigators! It was sweet!! we brought Michel, a girl who's 14, and an abuelo (grandfather) named Enrique, who is my bestie! It was so sweet, and the spirit was really strong. I got to sing again with another hermana and we just got up and sang Señor te Necissito and it turned out well. I also walked into the doors of a baptism and they announced to me unknowingly (and now  hna Goods will give a special musical number) happens all the time haha but its fun!

speaking of music...I accidentally told the branch prez that I could play the piano so I played the piano for a branch conference. It was on a keyboard and oh r}so rough. The meeting started an hour late so I was playing hymns for an hour straight!! My piano is absolutely awful, but by some miracle, it was alright. I love my little branch! We finally got up to 109 people at church, so that was a miracle.

This week there was a huge fiesta in santa Lucia and there was a dance in the main park. Hermana Rodriguez started to salsa in the street and I wanted to go over and start dancing with the people..but missionaries aren't allowed to. I had the idea to dance with someone and give them a tarjeta (a picture of Jesus or the temple) but we just decided that would not be the best idea haha. Also with the world cup going on here, it's always a fiesta!

So we're teaching Enrique's son names Luis and he has a problem with drinking, coffee, smoking, etc. the other day went to his house and he had his hand behind his back. And in spanish I said, show me whats in your hand, I know you're hiding something Mr! And it had a cigarette in his hand. he gave it to me and we put in on the ground and stepped on it. We said, muy mal hermano Luis, tenemos un importante leccion por usted ahorita! vamos!! and continued on to teach his a lesson haha it was great. 

I love the people here and I am so thankful to be on this adventure! Thanks for all the love and support. I can feel your prayers!! Hasta luego!

Hermana Woods :)

ps I went to the temple with my famila this week!! haha thanks mom for the cutouts ;) the other pics is of last night after the crazy rain and of Michel!

RollerCoasters and Cows

hellooooo everyone! This week was quite the rollercoaster, but it ended well! Here's my journal entry headings just to give you a taste of the week.

I Love to See the Temple!

Hna Woods and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Honduras is Heaven!

Pork is a no-go

Holy Cow!

Zone Conference...Im a missionary!

So we got to go to the temple this week, that's miracle #1! It was so great. I love the temple!! When we pulled up, fireworks went off and I just like to think that they were for us Everything was in Spanish..but I was still able to feel the peace and spirit that was there. I love that the church is exactly the same throughout the entire world. It is so true!

I got food poisoning this week...not fun. and I accidentally told a creepy old guy that I would marry him...right after we taught this family that we always do and usually its great. but the little boy kept hitting me with a toy car, head butting me, and swearing at me! I kept saying: muy mal, no no no. but he just thought it was funny. it was NOT funny haha. That was the day I got sick so hna woods was not a happy camper. 

We are teaching this other family who I absolutely love! They live in the tiniest little house and are so humble, they love having us over. We met them the first week and they all have baptism dates but have a hard time getting to church. (So does everyone here..) but we are working on it. We had 2 people come to church this week, that's another miracle!!

The other day we walked out of our door and there was a cow RIGHT in the doorway. Just chillin there...its our neighbor, hes great. but I was so scared!! I just said Holy cow!! and moved on.It was also pouring rain! as Its rainy season, so every day we just get soaked. and go through rivers basically. It is such the grand adventure!!

Oh yeah, I met 2 gringos in the grocery store this week from England, they were great! Its a funny story..they thought that we worked there because of our badges, so they asked hna Rivas where the hummus was...but she doesnt know english, so she searched for me in the grocery store and I went up to them...to explain that they dont hae hummus there, we're missionaries and we live here! then they helped me pick out hair dye haha it was great. 

one more thing, I sung at zone conference and an investigator meeting with 300ish people. I got up and was sooo nervous, which was weird for me. but I sang in spanish Yo se que vive mi Señor. The english part was good and the spirit was strong. I love the people here, and I love getting lost in the work!

Thanks to all who write me and support me, I can really feel it! I love you all and miss you tons! ps cant send pics this week because the ciber is closing in 3 minutes :( lo siento. Adios amigos!

Hermana Woods!