Bittersweet

Well, I am feeling many mixed emotions as these 18 months come to a close, but more than anything, I am feeling so grateful to my loving Father in Heaven. 

Grateful for this incredible opportunity to serve is children of Perú. Grateful for an arm injury that provided a way out here on the mission:) Grateful to have the Church of Jesus Christ restored on earth today. Grateful for God's perfect plan of happiness. Grateful that families are eternal. Grateful for a selfless redeemer who knows me, loves me, and paid the price for me. Grateful for my weaknesses which humble me, helping me improve and come to better know my Savior. Grateful for God's infinite love. Grateful for the many times I have fallen to my knees in prayer, receiving HIS strength to keep pushing forward. Grateful for the Book of Mormon-the keystone of my testimony. Grateful for the rejections and doors slammed in our faces that have given me the opportunity to prove my comittment to the Lord-signs to me of the fact that God LIVES, and affirmations of the righteousness of my mission. Grateful to have the knowledge that I am a daughter of God. Grateful to have a prophet on earth leading and guiding us. Grateful for the coutless miracles I have seen-helping me gain my unshakeable testimony. Grateful to have the greatest family, friends, supporters, and examples in my life. Grateful for the amazing people of Perú who have changed my heart forever. 

I testify that this is the true and living church of Jesus Christ because our living Savior stands at the head. I can truely say that serving this mission has been the best and most rewarding decision I have ever made. I love my Father in Heaven. I love his son, Jesus Christ. I love all of you, and I LOVE the people of Perú. Amo esta gran obra con todo mi corazón y nunca la voy a dejar. Thank you for all the love, prayers and support these past 18 months. I am oh, so grateful!

 "Wrapped in the arms of my Saviors love,

  I feel his gentle touch. 

  Living each day I will follow his way,

  Home to my father above.

  I know he lives! I will follow faithfully.

  My heart I give to him.

  I know that my Savior loves me."

xoxo, see you so soon!

Hermana Wood- la misión Perú, Arequipa.

3 Nephi 5:13

Let Freedom Ring (Happy Fourth!)

Happy Monday! 

I can't believe it is already July? How is time passing by so fast! This week was so productive and really happy. Father in Heaven is so mindful of us and we continue to see bastantes miracles! 

So remember when I talked about Mary Luz? We have been teaching her mom (Octulia) and her sister (Rosario) and they are SO prepared. Lessons with them are the happiest, because the spirit moves us every time. They are loving going to church, and are really putting God in first place in their lives. In all of our lessons with them, they always ask in their prayers that we can keep visiting them forever. :) So sweet. They comitted to being baptized in July, the week after I leave, but I am just so happy they will be members real soon! Aldo is still great, but due to his busy work schedule it looks like we will need to postpone his baptism another week. 

We met Paty this week who is also so amazing! We were teaching her boss at work and he introduced us to her, saying she would be more interested than him ha. She is 28 and so cute. She loves to read, watch movies, and is just so... how do I say it... innocent. She seems like she's already a member, and after reading one chapter of the Book of Mormon, she knew "without a doubt" the book is true. Excited to see more progress with her this week!

About 3 weeks ago, I realized I wanted to read the Book of Mormon again cover to cover before finishing the mission. It has been the best read yet of the BOM (learning more than ever before), so good that I am already finishing it tomorrow. The Book of Mormon is POWERFUL. It moves me everytime I read it. Go apply it in your lives. love love love this book, it's the best ever!

So everyone keeps telling me I am dying (in mission life) & this week I was reminded of one of Jaren's last mission emails. Remember in 2006 the greatest game? when BYU was losing to the utes until 3 seconds left on the clock when Johnny Harline caught that pass in the enzone winning the game for the cougs? Well, I like thinking of that game and remembering it's not over till it's over!!! I know in the last few seconds of my mission life we will keep seeing big miracles. That is driving me mucho! Thank you for all for being the greatest supporters, have an amazing week! xo

hermana Wood

Mosiah 7:33

pics: hector is the best helper, the peruvian dogs, these little carts that everyone uses look straight out of nacho libre right? , views

Aldo put this into overtime

Bueno.. this week was really hard, but really good. I have a testimony that obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles! 

As it says in D&C 58:4: "For after much tribulation come the blessings". I've realized how in my mission the very best days usually come after some of the very hardest days. Tuesday I got sicker than I've been my whole mission. It was the weirdest thing and I won't go into detail, but the nurse said I would most likely be staying in bed for 4 days. Well, I was super bummed. I was just asking my Father in Heaven for the strength to get out & at least visit our investigators. I got a blessing the same day, and Wednesday when I woke up, I obviously wasn't back to normal, but I had energy and we were able to leave to work! 

We went to visit Aldo with the intentions to leave him for a little bit, because he likes the visits, but has not been progressing. But, we had the best lesson with him and the tables turned... he received his answer that these things are true! He had been praying & asking if this is the true church & on Monday after asking in his nightly prayer, the answer came. He said that he opened his eyes seeing a bright light, as he felt a happy sensation and something strong in his chest. He studdered not knowing how to describe it, but he knows this was the Lord's way of telling him that these things are true. God answers prayers! Aldo has a baptism date for July 7th... miracle. 

We saw many miracles with our investigators this week, and it strengthens my testimony that God is so real and is so personally involved in each and every one of our lives! Oh and now my health is completely fine. The priesthood is real! I think that blessing I recieved on Tuesday was my lifesaver this week. As it says in D&C 121, the rights of the priesthood are inseperable connected with the powers of heaven & handled upon the principles of righteousness. The priesthood is such a blessing, and we are so blessed to have the priesthood restored on earth today! I am so grateful and humbled to be a missionary. 

Thank you for all the support and prayers, they mean more than you know! I hope you all have a maravillosa week! xoxo

D&C 121:7-8

hermana Wood

Pics: pday adventures with the other sisters, our area, & we love when the young women visit with us!

Arriba Peru

Happy monday! And a really really happy Monday for me seeing that baby Elena came.. so so happy for you Karina and Aaron! She is an angel! A few other shoutouts: 1. happy Fathers Day (yesterday) to the goat.. the world's best papá! Love you daddio! 2. birthday shoutout to Kaleb this week, I'm there to celebrate in spirit!

This week was a little slower with quite a bit of false hope from investigators.. but it's all good. A part of the mission :) This week we have planned to leave a few of our investigators to focus more on finding the Lord's prepared ones.. not that we don't have good investigators but most of them have just a few too many challenges keeping them from progressing. So it will be a busy busy week contacting like locas! 

This week Peru played in the world cup, and the whole city was going crazy with red, white, parties, everyone greeting anyone and everyone, and it was really cool to see how this game united all the Peruvians ha. Sadly we lost and everyone was really sad.. but still, made for some good memories and some good street contacting! 

Some really happy happy news I got this past week.. Remember our miracle, Verenise, from Zamacola? She got baptized on Thursday! Remember Zulma from Tacna (with the word of wisdom problems)? She got baptized last week! Remember Vanina from Tacna (Roque family)? She got baptized last month! And remember Maria Jesus from Tacna (also from Roque family)? She gets baptized tomorrow!! (now the Roque family is complete in the gospel-all will be members after tomorrow!!) I just wanted to thank all of you for your prayers for them a little while back.. the prayers were not in vain! I am so happy for each of them. really fun to get that news. I hope you all have a miracle filled week! Hasta pronto,

hermana Wood

1 nephi 17:13

pics: Last zone conference.. pic with my comp, hna johnson, and my family! (Im the great grandma, then hna cejas the grandma, then hna baptista the mom, and hna taylor the daughter haha) and feeding the llamas

Worldly Parties and Spiritual Parties

Buenos Días! Espero que todos estén muy bien. :) This week was very eventful. This month is the month where everyone celebrates the virgins so there have been full fiestas every day and night. Many times this week when we were walking back to the cuarto at night, I feel like I was stuck into Lehi's dream ha just gripping to the iron rod when everyone around us was in that "great and spacious building" with loud music, many drunks, loud laughing and all that. Lots of work to do here in Las Torres:) 

But this week was great! Whenever we fast, the week after is filled with so many miracles, but especially this past week. SO many miracles and tender mercies! We have an investigator named Aldo who is 25 years old, he has always kind of lived on the wild side & is into extreme sports, but has been passing through many challenges and is looking to change his life. Last week we had a lesson with him and a few members. We talked about the restoration of the gospel, and all of the members are converts and shared their conversion stories with him. The spirit was so strong it about made me cry! He said that he didn't know how to describe it, but he just felt so so good. So he felt the spirit too. And in this moment when the spirit was moving us all, I invited him to be baptized.. but he turned it down so hard. plot twist. He went on to give a hard no, saying how he is Catholic, and can't change his religion and all that.. which kind of shocked all of us. Especially after we have felt that he is so prepared! But yeah, he has his agency, so we can only do our part to help him. So 2 days later we had another lesson with him, and his attitude had totally changed! When we showed up, he was already waiting for us at the door. He has been reading the Book of Mormon everyday, and says that he gets that "good feeling" every time he reads, and every time he meets with us. Please keep him in your prayers, he really really needs this change in his life. And yesterday he was so willing to go to church with us! After church we asked him what he thought and he said "I got that good feeling again". Well that good feeling is called the spirit and it is so special. I love being a missionary because I get to feel that "good feeling" every single day, and share it with others! 

Fun fact of the week: Did you guys know Jesus was Peruvian? Ok not really but some of the members were trying to convince us that this week by saying that in many of his pictures, he is always wearing the red and white, resembling the Peruvian flag. The funny part is that they were dead serious.. hahah it really cracked us up. They told us we were just that much more blessed to be serving in Peru:) haha.

I hope you all have an incredible week! Go make a difference and give some life to everyone :) Les amo con todo mi corazón!

Hermana Wood

D&C 103:9

Pics: our area, peru has turned me into the dog whisperer haha, the chavez fam, se han robado mi corazón mahonry y yadhira<3, and happy birthday to the cutest pencionista!

Mari Luz Miracle

Well, I got my last transfer call on Saturday that said I will be finishing things up here in Las Torres with Hermana Gentry! SO STOKED. This week was full of miracles. Every day I feel a little more humbled and grateful to be a missionary. 

So short on time so just gonna share 1 of the big miracles: So our cute pencionista, Norelis, is the young women's pres. and she gave us a referral about 2 weeks ago. There is a 17 year old from our ward, Mari Luz, she has 4 siblings, and is the only member of her family. Norelis told us how awesome Mari Luz is and said how we need to visit/get to know her family. She gave us Mari Luz´s phone number but didn't have her address. So we have been calling and calling, but she doesn't answer. We were thinking last week, oh we will just talk to her at church to plan a time to visit her, but she didn't go to church last week. But literally my comp and I everyday of the last 2 weeks have been calling her, praying for her, and talking about how we need to get ahold of her. So a few days ago we went to visit Graciela, but she wasn't home. Our area is huge, and she lives at one of the limits of the area. We literally have to hike up and over a few hills to get to her house ha. We left her house thinking we would go visit a different investigator, (because we don't know the area well where Graciela lives) but when we were about to hike that hill again, we both got a really strong impression that we had to stay on Graciela's street. so.. we just started to knock doors of that street. After about a half hour of knocking doors, a cute teenager opened up the door saying she was a member of the church. Us:"What is your name?" Her:"Mari Luz".. my companion and I looked at eachother in shock... what!! Such a tender mercy! She invited us to visit her family, and yesterday her mom and sister came to church with her! Real big testimony builder for me.. that God answers prayers, and that when we are led by the holy ghost, we see miracles. 

It has had me thinking that we really are so blessed as members of the church to have the gift of the holy ghost. To guide us, warn us, comfort us, testify of truth. We have heard the voice of the Lord if we have listened to the holy ghost. Our loving father in Heaven knew that this life would have many trials, hardships and that we would have many questions, temptations, and weaknesses.. so I know he has given us the holy ghost to protect us and to guide us. Always ask in your prayers for the guidance and help of the holy ghost and live worthy/keep keeping all the commandments so that you can all recognize and follow the impressions of the holy ghost. :) That's my little spill for today.. love you all, have an amazing week!

D&C 11:13

Hermana Wood

Gaby mala brought us KFC whoa so kind, little mahonry stole my heart, and my cute comp

--

Hermana Wood

Se bautizó Vanessa:)

Buenos días! Hope everyone is doing great.

This week was a real good one with a happy baptism for Vanessa! She got married Saturday in the morning, baptized at 2pm, and all the ward members threw her a fiesta that night in the church. She was SO happy and just beaming light! Now their family is complete in the church, and willing to keep all the commandments. She said as she got married, and baptized, she has given herself over to the Lord and is willing to do his will. With her husband, they said May 26th of 2019 they will be traveling to Lima to go to the temple.. next goal! So so happy for them:)

That was the biggest highlight of this week, and there were many funny stories of the week as well. Just one, to give an example.. we were contacting in the park one day and we talked to a sweet lady who is pretty sick, and losing her memory. (But it doesn't seem like it, she had a lot of energy) turns out she is a member of the church, but she moved a few years back, and with the move went inactive. She said she is in her last days, and feels like she is slowly fading away.. she doesn't remember much from the church, but she remembered something about priesthood blessings. She cut us off mid conversation telling my companion to put her hands over her head to give her a blessing. Uhhhh.. we explained to her we don't have this priesthood, but we could talk to another brother to help her out. She got mad and insisted we give her the blessing in that moment. again, explaining it doesn't work that way, she yelled at us saying "At least just put your hands on my head, I know you have power!!!!" Well, we ended up just saying a prayer with her, and it helped her calm down. But these are the things we see everyday. haha.

Well, things are going well here and it is so crazy how fast time is flying. I love love love being a missionary and I am so happy in Peru! Love this gospel, my calling, my Father in Heaven and Savior, and all of you! Thanks for all the prayers and support. Have an amazing week!