Turkey day in the land of the llamas

Hello to my favorites! Happy birthday to KARINA tomorrow!!! Celebrating big time in spirit :)

There are lots of pictures this week and I think the pictures will tell a better story than the words. But we DID celebrate Thanksgiving here! Obviously the people here don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but some members spoiled us big time giving us a few turkey dinners. We did some cool family nights with them to help them remember their blessings because we are so so blessed. :) Ah

And I think I forgot to tell you guys, but Liliana will be baptized the 16 of the December because she wants her boss to be in her baptism and that's when her boss is coming to town. She is doing so so well! She already seems like a member ha. Cool story with her from the week . . . Growing up, her parents were really abusive and she has some major family problems. So these last few years she has had some terrible nightmares and it makes it hard for her to even sleep at night. About a week and a half ago she opened up with us telling us all about her fear of sleeping. We talked about a comfort blessing and Hermano Wilfredo gave her this blessing the next day. She has NOT had a single nightmare since the blessing. And she says that now she can't even remember her dreams!! The priesthood is so real and I am so grateful for it.

Juan carlos and Andrea are still progressing and now we are teaching Javier who is progressing a ton too! Lots more updates about them next week. Oh also Alexa is going back to Lima today and.. MY HEART. I will miss her so so much! This morning we had to say bye to her, and I felt like I was having to say a goodbye to a family member again. She told us she knows the real reason she came to Arequipa was to receive this gospel in her life. She thanked and thanked us so much for all we have done for her and how we have changed her life. I am so grateful for her and grateful for the change that she has made in my life as well. Ya more updates next week.

I love you all, have a great week!

Hermana wood

D&C 127:4

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Hermana Wood

& after 36 years... VAMOS Perú!!!

Whoa an eventful week!!

Everyone here is so stoked on life right now because after 36 years of trying.. Peru finally made it into the world cup!! Everyone has been wearing their Peru jerseys all week with flags hanging out of windows, banners, and a lot of parties.. its awesome ha.

We are doing well here! hmm what happened this week... We gave talks in church, we put on a big noche misional en la capilla, I taught the lessons in leadership conference, & with divisions with the other hermanas this week, we had 3 days of different companions. It was a busy one! Yesterday was one of the miracles this week.. God answers our prayers! We had ward council before church started so we didn't have time to leave and pick up our investigators before the sacrament meeting, and the members that were going to pick them up ended up not being able to either. But we called them and a few of them confirmed saying that they would be coming. Church started and no one was there. We were starting to get nervous like "dang, after all of our work this week no one is coming to church?" I know its a bad attitude, but we were just praying and praying that at least Juan carlos and Liliana would come to church. Sacrament passed out and still no one. Then I gave the first talk and during my talk I looked out to see 2 of our investigators, Omar and his daughter Sarya walking in and finding their seat. Then while hermana Poulson was talking after me, Juan Carlos sent a message saying "sisters, I'm here in the door of the church, can you come get me?" so after hermana Poulson's talk we ran to get him, and with 10 minutes left of sacrament meeting I felt a tap on my shoulder from a girl in our ward pointing to the door and asking if the lady standing there was an investigator. Looked to the door to see Liliana there. Miracle! Our Father in Heaven was pretty mindful of us in church yesterday and maybe he doesn't always answer our prayers in the moment that we want our answers, but he listens. and in HIS time he answers our prayers.

Our investigators are doing good and we are doing great! Hope you all have a great week and a happy thanksgiving. This thanksgiving, I´m GRATEFUL to be a missionary. Count your many blessings this week! Hasta pronto. :)

Hermana Wood

Helaman 5:12

 

Pics: corelacion with hermano wilfredo our mission leader last week, 2 of my other companions this week, and typical.... handstands :)

A Dream That is Gonna Come True

Hello to my favorites! (Happy birthday shoutout TODAY to sister kalli jackson!!) Espero que todos tuvieron una linda semana. :)

This week was a little slower, but it was good. Updates on the investigators.  Liliana-still the best. She is progressing towards her baptism date on the 25th! She threw away ALL of her tea this week and is ready to make this change in her life! Johnny and Estefano.. we are still teaching them, but they are just progressing real slow because Johnny is always working and we haven't been able to have a ton of contact with them. But we are convinced that with these examples of Alexa and Katy-they will progress!!

Mariela and her family-still doing good but just progressing slow too. They want to be baptized but they aren't really reading/praying like they should, so we have gotta help them have their firm testimonies before their baptism. Fam Aliaga-Luisa wants this!! But she is waiting around on her husband Holman and he is progressing a little slower. But still working lots with them.

Two of our new investigators from this week we are stoked about! Juan Carlos and Andrea. Juan Carlos is 25 and is super interested. His sister is a member in Spain and got baptized about 2 months ago. He lives here in Arequipa just with his brother and his cousin. We had the first lesson with him Tuesday, then another one Wednesday, then Thursday, and Friday and Saturday!! He already has almost all the lessons and the desire and all-he just needs his attendances at church. Ha in the first lesson he told us: "My sister had a dream that I got baptized and was a faithful member of this church, and her dreams usually come true." The brother we were with: "Soooo do you think this dream will come true?" Juan Carlos: "Yeah.. I believe so." Chevereeee.

Andrea: She is the total latina version of Megs!!! It's crazy how much she reminds me of Megs. They don't look alike, but like manerisms and all. She is 14 and her uncle is a member. She lives with her mom and brother. The dad lives on the other side of Arequipa but will be here at times and it's a real messed up situation in her house. Her mom has been to church a lot before and likes our church, but doesn't want to get married so that's her deal. Andrea already wants to be a member of our church and she is already digging up the Book of Mormon. It's so weird because I feel a super special connection with her, and like I have known her forever. That's something that is weird that I have learned in the mission. There will be someone I have never met, but can love them with all my heart after a day of knowing them. It's gotten me hurt a few times, but at the same time-it's the coolest ever. I love these people oh so much!! And we are so excited about Andrea.

hmm What else happened this week? Hermana Alais got transferred BACK to Alto Selva Alegre to finish her mission there because she only has 1 transfer left... CRAZY! & it's funny because we are her hermana leaders so I get to talk to her every other day on the phone ha blessed. :) She is the best ever. Also Hermana Howe has had some problems from an experience that happened in Tacna and came back with us again this week yay! It was a fun week with her.

Also, we had leadership conference this week and our mission is killing it! President got us so fired up and all the zone leaders, hermana leaders-everyone is so stoked to just be goin hard in the paint. haha Yeah that is pretty much what happened this week. I love you all so much, go make it a good one!!

xo

Hermana Wood

D&C 90:11

pics: Mariela and Karen, when there isnt room in the car: squish, and the pretty plaza and our area

Liliana!!

Transfers today but really happy news.. We are staying here in Mirador together yayyyy!!! We did not want to leave so we are happy with that.

This week was the craziest week ever & one of those that I feel took up like half of my journal. We were running all around Arequipa this week. From helping the Hermanas in Alto Selva Alegre find a new cuarto, to painting an elementary school in Chachani, to exchanges with the Hermanas, to a ton of service projects! ah ha . . . it is nice to finally breathe for a sec! We also got a new companion this week! Hermana Howe from Tuscon, AZ (ya I felt like I could spend the week with em carter a little;) haha she had emergency changes from Tacna Thursday and today she heads out to another side of Arequipa, so we were just together in a trio for a few short days, but it was real fun with her.

Ok so we have one of the best new investigators EVER. Her name is Liliana. She moved here from Lima 2 months ago for her job and she will be in Arequipa for 4 months. (we have luck with the ones from Lima) She is 28 and is living here by herself, and WOW she is so interested in our message. She went to church for the second time yesterday loved it. She felt like in every one of the classes at church she was just receiving more and more answers to all of her questions. And something so cool: Alexa sat by her in relief society and Alexa shared her testimony with her, her conversion process, and how she made the best decision to be baptized and how the Book of Mormon really changes lives. Wow, seriously the happiest thing as a missionary listening to your converts bear their testimonies!(also Alexa told us yesterday how she is already in 2 Nephi and she just started from the beginning of the book a week and a half ago :):)

Liliana is so outgoing and funny ha. In our first lesson with her she said that she has always thought "how cool would it be if one day we could all be angels" We talked a lot about God's plan for us and how we are here on earth to learn and progress but God wants us to become like him. And we are going to return to him one day. And she was just mindblown when we talked about this plan of Happiness. So we are really excited about her. Ha in the first lesson she brought out tea at the end of the lesson... we had to apologize and explain to her why we don't drink tea. She was a little confused but then said: "It's ok.. the next time I will give you coffee instead!!" so we ended up teaching the word of wisdom that same day ha not the first time that had happened. :) And her bap. date is for the 25th of this month! So yeah Liliana was definitely a highlight of this week!

People like her just make me so grateful for my missionary calling. The happiest and best decision I have ever made was to leave everything for a year and a half to come out and serve. If anyone is thinking of serving a mission.. just DO IT. You will never regret it. I know I'm not the same Hermana Wood I was 10 months ago, and I like that. It's the best coming to know our Savior better and better each day. I am so grateful to have a Savior and redeemer! And I am so grateful for his infinite atonement. I am so grateful for my trials-physically, emotionally, all of them, because they just give me a little taste of all that Christ suffered for, for us. I'm just really happy here and that's my little spill for today.  I love you all, go make it a great week!

xo

Hermana Wood

Alma 56:56

Katy and Alexa are Members!!

Hiii!!! This week was so happy!!!

The most special baptism EVER Friday. Katy and Alexa are members and happier than ever! There was such a special spirit in their baptism and they have some powerful testimonies. I feel so grateful to have been a part of their conversion. Alexa told us after how she has never felt so "clean". Alexa is 18 and moved here from Lima 2 months ago. She felt like nothing was really going right for her over there so she came to live with her sister Katy in Arequipa until February. That's when we came along to visit her. Katy's youngest daughter is Mikaela who is 6 years old. About 4 months ago she suffered an accident where Katy and Johnny weren't sure if she´d live. While she was in the hospital for a few months Katy prayed and prayed and said that if God saved Mikaela she would serve god faithfully for the rest of her life. That's when we came along. There are no coincidences!

My testimony of ths grows more and more everyday of the mission. Our heavenly father knows us perfectly and he is always there. I just feel so lucky to be an instrument in his hands. The baptism turned out so great, lots of members were able to come, Hermana Poulson talked, I played the piano and there was a sweet spirit! Sorry lots more updates next week, and my camera is taking forever to load so I will send all of the pictures next week.

Have a great week!

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Hermana Wood