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