Las Torres Semana 1

Imanaya! Imaina Callanki? That means hi how are you all in Quechua! (and I thought I would be learning spanish here.. there are lots who speak Quechua in my area)

I hope everyone had a happy week. I bet you can all guess where my new comp is from.. Argentina!! (Buenos Aires). I guess I just have something for the Argentinans.. my mom and other daughter in the mission are both from there haha. She is super alegre and a really hardworker. The members in our area are great. All super supportive, and have been helping us a lot. We still haven't met many new investigators, so there will be a few more updates next week. At church on Sunday I just happened to run into Jazmin, Mary, and Laura, my first converts from Selva Alegre. It was so special and made my week! Sorry for the shortest email, but talk to you all real soon!

Hermana Wood

D&C 61:36

Sorry these are pictures of primavera because my camera has had some technical issues this week. So youll see pics of my comp next week!

-investigators, converts, and members my last day at church

Goin Back to My Roots

CHANGES.

President loves throwin' me these curve balls I've realized. Going back to Arequipa to open an area, Las Torres, and train again! SO stoked. I started my mission in Alto Selva Alegre which is the area that borders Las Torres and shares the same church. So I'm super excited to see my favorites from Alto Selva Alegre again!

My companion gets here tomorrow and I still don't know who it will be/where she is from. Feeling so anxious and excited to meet her. All of a sudden things just got real for me as I realized she will be my last companion & this will be my last area. Time to go hard in the paint!

Tonight we have training for the new missionaries that are coming, tomorrow morning they come, and in the afternoon tomorrow we will finally get to our area! Sorry there is no time so I can't respond much, but tomorrow we have a tiny bit of time I believe to write!

Not gonna lie.. it broke my heart leaving Primavera! Realizing that I won't see these converts, investigators, and members for a long time made it a little hard to sleep at night.. But I know this change is what God wants and I am willing to trust in his plan!

Thanks for all the love, support, and prayers. Ustedes son lo máximo. Please keep me in your prayers this week as we are starting in this area from scratch! ha Have an amazing week!

hermana Madera

Yumar

Happy Monday!

A crazy week here in primavera full of lots of funny stories and miracles. (like always:) This is the last week of the change & it makes me so sad to think that I will most likely have changes.. my heart!

I think one of the biggest miracles of this week was meeting Yumar. On Friday we were contacting in a park and contacted Yumar who just moved here on Wednesday from Puno. He moved here looking for work, but doesn't know anyone, doesn't even have a place to live yet here, and is a little lost. He has always had a lot of faith, and just told us how he is relying on the help of God in this time of change. He is so so receptive. On Saturday, President Johnson came to Tacna and put on an activity for the converts and investigators. Yumar went and he loved it. President talked a lot about the restoration of the gospel, and it was powerful. Yumar is already digging up the Book of Mormon, was able to go to church yesterday, and he even found a job this morning! Real excited about him.

The Roque fam. is doing well. We postponed Vanina and Virginia's baptism for the beginning of May because they were having to work Sundays, but have now changed their schedules and will be able to attend church! Sorry not too much updates, have a happy week!

Matthew 6:33

Hermana Wood

Pics: My family (hna cejas and baptista) in multizone conference, hna naveros, Tacna arch with comp, and we ran into one of my investigators from Arequipa in the mall here in Tacna! 

Bryan Got Baptized!

Hiii!!  Hope everyone is doing well!

Well.. Bryan got baptized!! The adversary did everything possible to keep the baptism from happening, but it happened.. and Bryan is a member! For example.. about an hour before the baptism we were filling up the font when boom the power went out. No lights, nothing. Luckily some brothers from the ward helped us find some big emergency flashlights that we hung on the walls which helped a lot. We had to call all the members telling them there would still be a baptism and we were just praying everyone would still come.. but the members are the best and they came! After the second message, right before the ordenance, the power came back and the lights came on! Perfect timing ha. He had to be baptized a few times to keep his whole body under, but yes all turned out well. After, in his testimony, he shared how he literally felt like he was born again, and felt so clean. Super special. :)

Out of time today, but more updates next week. Que tengan una linda semana! xo

Hermana Wood

Matthew 19:14

pics: deep cleaning as a district, district lunch, zone volleyball, & one of the divisions of the week

Spiritual High

As Elder Uchtdorf said.. I am HAPPY to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

How amazing was conference? I feel so blessed to be a missionary in this time of great change! A super strong spirit-filled weekend. So many favorite talks and sayings that hit me hard, so I am just going to write a couple of the notes that stood out to me most:

-pure LOVE is the true sign of every true disciple.

-we are to be forgiving even when it seems that others may not want our forgiveness.

-success: going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm

-repentance is his plan, KNOWING that we will fail.

-Put exclamation marks behind the prophets teachings!

-"You think my dads a good guy at church? Hes an even better one at home" (this is 100% true with my dad, so I loved it)

-In our prayers, ask the Lord what we can do to act in the situation, rather than asking for him to change the situation.

-Spiritual impressions are life savers.

-BEHOLD the man.

-Save individuals rather than perform tasks.

-Be ONE.

-Want to know your purpose? Come unto Christ.

-Sadness? Open the Book of Mormon.

-Keep Christ as the center of our lives, in ALL things, in ALL places.

"Our heavenly father is constantly saying: "I LOVE you. DONT give up."

-The spirit doesn't force himself into our lives.. we are free to choose.

-By small and simple things, GREAT things come to pass.

-The little decisions in private, make a big difference. (use time wisely)

-Keep paddling to move upstream to our eternal goal.

-Say YES to the revelation we receive.

-Love love love love love everyone!!!

This is a gospel of pure love!

Oh how I love conference! So, that was a huge highlight of the week. Another fun story.. so Monday night we closed off the night with a family night, with a Book of Mormon message, with Brayan and a few other families. It went super well. After, and at 10:26 pm we were finishing the night with companion prayer. We had just kneeled down and the phone started ringing. I looked to see who it was and it was Brayan. We weren't going to answer because it was already late, but at the same time it made us worried to see Brayan was calling late, so I answered. The phone call went a little like this:  me: "Buenas noches Brayan, cómo está?" Brayan: "Hermana wood...... .... ..... yo me quiero bautizar. ya!" ya English version: Me: "Good evening Brayan, how are you?" Brayan: "Sister Wood.. ..... ... I already want to get baptized!" It made us so happy ha, he had received an answer clear as day in the family night that we had. He has his interview at 6:00 today and will be baptized this week! So stoked for him.

Thank you for all the love and support, it means so so much. I have the greatest supporters in the whole world! Go make it a happy, faithful week! xo

(Oh and as President Ballard invited us to do, go write in your journal about the sacred occasion it was to be a part of sustaining a new prophet!)

Hermana Wood

James 5:16

Pictures: Pday lunch with the other Tacna Hermanas. The sweet drawing Hermana Cejas made me after divisions this week. After helping Ximena clean her house this week, took advantage of pants and handstands! & my cute comp