Priesthood Power

Hi! Hello! Hope everyone is doing well. Our Father in Heaven keeps being so generous to us with many miracles over here in Primavera.

So on Saturday Virginia got called to the chacra because it was her turn for water... so Valentina's baptism was postponed and will be this week with Paty. But she passed her interview and is all good to go. :)

This week we had a cool activity with our district. It was a fireside for all the investigators and recent converts from our stake. A few of the recent converts were asked to bear their testimonies, talking a little about their conversions, and how they received their answers - Gisel being one of them. Just going to brag for a second about her... she is taking 3 courses in institute right now (mission prep, Book of Mormon, and eternal family), she has a ward calling, comes with us to visit our investigators, is sharing more Books of Mormon with her non member friends, etc. As she bore her testimony she was filled with tears as she talked about how the gospel has completely changed her life and how happy she is. My heart! It was a really special meeting. Also José received the priesthood! yay. 

Cool experience from the week: So in the beginning of January we received a referral from a returned missionary sister in our ward: her friend Bruno (21 yrs old). He was really kind and all, but not super interested. We got a call on Friday from the sister in our ward in panic mode saying that Bruno had an accident and needed a blessing asap. We were able to find an Hermano to go right away with us and we went straight to his house. When we showed up, Bruno was in his bed in really bad shape. He is a firefighter and while working, passed through a really bad accident and was having problems breathing and heart problems. He couldn't even walk without getting dizzy and the doctors haven't been able to figure out what is wrong. We talked about the power of the priesthood, the faith, and the Hermano, Jean Carlos, gave him a blessing. After our little lesson with him we invited him to pray Friday night and ask if this is the true church. Went back to visit him on Saturday with Jean Carlos. He was SO MUCH better. walking around, eating normally and everything!! Bruno was shocked. He said that only a miracle helped him improve so fast, and this was his answer that this church is true. He went to church yesterday and stayed the whole time.. 3 hours out of the bed and he was fine!! His baptism date is for the 17th of March! There is so so much power in the priesthood. We are so blessed to have it in our lives!

hasta pronto,

Hermana Wood

Mosiah 2:41

Pics: sebastian's baptism, way to stay alive in a tacna summer: water and watermelon. and the cutest family

The Sweetest Little Man

Espero que todos tuvieron una linda semana! This week was crazy. Lots and lots of appointments (which is really good), divisions, meetings, and its nice to finally breathe a little!

A few updates: the Roque fam is practically our family here. They have stolen a really special place in my heart and its been amazing to see their progress! Valentina (the 11 year old) will be baptized on Saturday! Then the next week Paty (the 19 year old) and the next week Maria Jesus (the 14 year old). They all want their own special days? ha but its alright because it works out better with their schedules this way. The ward has helped us BASTANTE with them. Even yesterday Maria Jesus was so stressed for her big final test this week and the bishop and his counselors went straight to her house to give her a blessing when they found out. I am so grateful for the help from this ward!

Yusara, Ximena and their fam have also been our other family here. It's crazy to think that a month and a half ago Yusara was completely inactive and now they are so motivated to be faithful, going to every church activity/meeting, praying and reading the scriptures everyday as a family, and inviting other families to their houses for family nights.. wow a huge change. 

An interesting story that happened this week. Tuesday I was getting over a sickness and felt weaker than ever. We had district meeting and I was just praying to make it through with the energy that I didn't have. After the meeting we had to take a combi back to our area. I don't know if I have talked about the combis here before.. maybe if you look up a picture of a Peruvian combi you can get a better feel of what they are ha. But practically it is our way to get around here. They are the buses without seatbelts that drive a little crazy with everyone standing up, and they can get pretty squished. Between my companion and I we were carrying about 20 Books of Mormon to our area. When we got onto the combi with our books and all, I was wondering "how am I even going to make it 10 minutes on this thing today..." I noticed a little man who got on the combi with us (about 60 years old more or less) watching me. I saw him whispering to someone sitting down, and within seconds the man sitting down moved and this little man (who should've taken the seat) told me to sit down. I told him no, the seat was for him, but he got a little mad and forced me to sit down in the open seat that he had freed up for me. After barely even being able to thank him, he hopped off the combi. I looked out the window to see where he was going, but he was gone... no where to be found. It was like he disappeared! I don't know exactly how it all happened, but it has had me thinking all week. I know our Father and Heaven hears and answers our prayers. Every single prayer, when we ask with faith! This was a huge tender mercy for me and I am so grateful for this little man that gave me the boost to keep helping others, like he helped me. ha

Things are going well here and I am more grateful than ever to be a representative of my Savior. Love you all and praying for you always! Have a great week. xo

hermana Wood

Alma 56:47-48

pictures: A few of the divisions, because this picture of a few of virginas daughters makes me happy: valentina, genesis, and ruby. and chicken feet.. the classic plate here.

Weekly from Primavera

Hola! A couple updates from Tacna this week:

-We are now teaching Ximena's uncle, Jorge, who is awesome. He has lots of questions, is so humble, and ready to learn. He accepted a bap. date in the first contact before we even had taught a lesson, and he said he wants to make this change in his life. He is diggin up the Book of Mormon, and with the lessons we have been able to teach, he is progressing real fast. We are excited about him!

-We have been teaching Zulma for a few weeks (29 years old) and she is also great. She has already come to church quite a few times, and wants to be baptized. It's just that she has a coffee addiction, and she drinks a lot with her friends. She is a police officer and works night shifts, so it has always been the coffee that keeps her awake. All of her friends are alcoholics, and she is willing to even find new friends to change. It hurts me to see how hard it really is for her to drop these weakness, but she is doing every possible thing to overcome the addiction! She has the gospel library app, and she tells us that every time she has the cravings for her coffee or a drink, she prays, or pulls out her phone real quick to read a church talk or scripture. And it is amazing how much this weakness has humbled her in these past few weeks. Just please keep her in your prayers because the adversary wants to work harder than us!

-The Roque family is great and they all seem like members. it was Paty's birthday this week (their 19 year old daughter) and the YSA group from our ward went to her house and surprised her with cake and a little party! We were at her house when they showed up and literally 14 of the YSA kids from the ward came to support her. It was a surprise for us too! But just shows that the ward is helping us so much. 

-This week was real humbling, but I'm grateful that the Lord loves me enough to break me down a little each day, just to refine me more into the missionary that he wants me to be. I know that on my own I am nothing, but with his strength we can do all things. I love Nephi's example when he was bound up with the cords. He prayed not so his circumstances would change, but he prayed to have the strength to change his circumstances. I am so grateful for my Savior, and for his strength that keeps me going every day! hasta pronto,

1 Nephi 7:17

hermana Wood

photos: a really fun family night, the dog that wanted to study with us in the park, our area, sebastian<3, and sport night that we put on as a church activity

Jose and Ximena are members!

A really really good start to February! Lots of pictures this week and I think the pictures can explain better than words.. but José AND Ximena were baptized!!!!!

Some really happy days for them. Their testimonies were priceless after their baptisms too, how they have this new light in their lives, feel so clean, have a new start, things like that. Super special.

Something that my companion and I did this week was a "gratitude week". In all of our prayers this week, we just thanked. Didn't ask for anything. In our personal prayers, companionship prayers, prayers with members, investigators, everyone-we just thanked. And I recommend you guys try it-for at least one day try it out! It helps us realize how blessed we really are, and it was a cool little experiment.

Sorry out of time, I hope you all have an amazing week-keep staying faithful!

xo

spanish homework: "Si la vida se vuelve difícil de pie, arrodillate."

Alma 26:12

Hermana Wood

Fotos: Last pday we made empanadas with our pencionistas kids, and chocolate mouse: after a full morning of being rejected we bought these to help us feel a little better :) ha joses baptism, ximena and her mom and her aunt.. long story this picture ha, the taxis here, and you cant see it very well but under the french fries is mondongo.. aka cow intestines. We eat it all the time here