Byeee Zamacola . . . !

Transfers!!!! Yeah just have to say sorry for a million pictures this week, but I guess that's what happens when there are transfers in the mission. I am leaving Zamacola for Mirador! and I guess President likes pulling these fast ones on me, because I am opening this area of Mirador and going back to being an hermana leader... but the happiest news: my companion is Hermana POULSON!!! She is one of my very best friends and we are so stoked to get to work together!! She has been out in the mission for almost a year and is from Eden, UT.

We couldn't believe it when they told us we are going to be comps.. blessed! haah. Hermana Cejas will be staying in Zamacola and I really will miss her MUCHO! She is such an amazing missionary and I am so proud of her :). Mirador has the temple grounds so we will be able to see it going up a little more everyday! (blessed again) and it has more of the downtown part of Arequipa with the mission office and with shopping and business.

It was pretty hard to leave zamacola.. I get too attatched to these people too fast! My pencionista and her family have totally been my family in Zamacola and saying bye to them, the members, Mery, and a few other investigators was so sad. I do have to say, I think this past week was one of our happiest weeks in Zamacola! We had such a spirit filled week with some powerful lessons and a couple new investigators that are progressing. I am so happy that Hermana Cejas will be staying there to see the fruits of our work! I will be giving lots more updates next week!

Go have such a great week and you all better watch every minute of conference :) How lucky are we to have a prophet in the earth today? blessed again! Nos vemosss!

Hermana Wood

1 nephi 3:7

I think the pictures will explain this week better thank words.. xo! My pencionista and her family made me a going away bbq for the final supper. & I asked them if I could leave my mark in their house.. they said yeah so I did this to their wall! and Karen (who was inactive but now preparing for her mission) and her parents!

Hello to my favorites! 

Hope you all had una gran semana :) Not going to lie, this week broke my heart in lots of little ways! Saddest parts: we won't be working with Julia and Eros anymore... for now. Julia's daughter was here from Lima last week. She is Jehovah's Witness, and talked awfully about our church to Julia. Julia is so confused and sad and she told us that for now, it is better that we are not teaching her. Seriously broke my heart! To see that someone has felt the spirit so strong, answered her prayers, and been so excited for her baptism, and then all of a sudden-no more. Doesn't mean that the fasts and prayers for her won't stop.. I know she will accept one day!

Eros: threw us a CURVE ball and long story short, his baptism will be postponed for a few months.

But highlight of the week: Saturday we met Mery. She is 35, has 3 kids, works in a hair salon, and has never belonged to a religion (the first time I have heard in my mission that someone hasn't had a religion.. everyone is catholic here! haha). She is seriously an angel, so so sweet! She has such a good heart, and from the moment we met her I felt something special. We taught her about the restoration Saturday and she said it makes perfect sense. She offered the final prayer and said it was the first time she has ever prayed. EVER!!! Honestly it was such a sweet prayer that I think I will always remember. She is so humble and I really believe that she is ready! She came to church yesterday and we have another lesson with her today. It's amazing here in the mission how after the hardest days, come the greatest blessings.

I am so beyond grateful for my calling as a missionary! To be an instrument in the hands of the Lord is such an incredible blessing. This gospel is seriously the happiest news in the whole world! I love this great work and I love you all! Have a real happy week :)

&&Happy birthday shoutout sunday to the most beautiful mom in the entire world! 

Alma 31:30-35

Hermana Wood

Pics: We had multizone conference this week and I was able to see Hna Stoutttt! (ah I was also able to play the musical number and I have been playing the piano lots lately!) My cute companion, and my favorite Hermana Poulson. Santiago in his spongebob costume, he is the cutest. And my hair is growing and growing ha

September!

Hello fam!!!

Sending lots of prayers to Houston! Even the people of Zamacola here are talking about the flooding in Houston and it is such a miracle to hear that (my family in Houston)-you guys are all alright.

Hope everyone is doing greatThis week was good!

I think that the highlight of the week was going back to Alto Selva Alegre for a day to have divisions with the Hermana Leaders. Whoa I miss my family of Selva Alegre so much! We were able to have a lesson with Mary and Laura, and Jazmin and to see that they are all faithful in the church makes me oh so happy. A cool experience-About 4 months ago Hermana Alais and I contacted a sweet lady, Milena, who works in a little book shop. We shared a message with her, and she said she liked our message, but she wasn't going to change her religion. We left her with a Book of Mormon, and told her we would visit her later on. We never had the chance to visit her again because when we went to the book shop she wasn't there, or the shop was closed. When we had divisions this week, one of the appointments fell through and we were close to that book shop. I told hermana Narbaez about Milena, and we went to visit her in the book shop. Such a cool experience! The first thing she said was, "It's about time you came back to visit me!" She was straight up with us and told us that she threw the Book of Mormon to a book shelf without the intentions to ever read it. Her daughter who is 18 years old found the Book of Mormon and read it. She read the whole thing. Milena told us her daughter was atheist before, but read the book and said now she can't deny the fact that God is real, and that he lives. Milena thanked and thanked us and is so interested in what we have to teach. We had such a great lesson with her, and the Hermana leaders are going to keep teaching her and her daughter.

The Book of Mormon changes lives. It has changed mine, and I am seeing it change the lives of others every single day! Eros and Julia are still progressing. Julia was with her family from Lima this week so we didn't have a ton of contact with her, but she is still doing well. We had contact with Eros every day this week and his testimony is growing so much! & We have a family night with him today and President Johnson is going to come, WOOT! ha. Neli was able to come to the church and she really liked it:) We had a chicharron activity of the ward this week to raise money so that the young women and men of our ward can take a temple trip! It was a great activity with food, soccer, volleyball, and more! We were able to meet 2 families of non members that came and we are excited to teach them this week!

Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. I can seriously feel the prayers everyday! Go have a happy week and find someone to serve! Favorite thing I read this week: "When others´needs start to matter more than our own, and when others successes are more exciting to us than our own, we are beginning to experience the kind of love that our father in Heaven and our Savior have for us. It is a love without dimension. It has no boundaries. No limitations. It is pure. It is infinite. It is eternal. Oh, how I want to have more of this kind of love for others." XO

Alma 29:9

hermana wood 

Pics: chicharron activity, My favorite little Jady from selva alegre, and happy birthday to Rafaelita :)

One year older and more Latina too!

Whoa thank you so so much for all the birthday love!! I feel so lucky and blessed to have the best family and friends :) 

My companion and pencionista have already made my day so special! Hermana Cejas decked out our room with notes and I got a wake up call from Hermana ALAIS. She got permission from president to call me from Tacna and she gave me a happy birthday rap hah. 

FAM-thank you SO much for the birthday package!!!! All of the notes especially, mean so so much to me. Too thoughtful! Sorry I am completely out of time, but I will give updates next week! (but Eros and Julia are progressing and doing great). 

Birthday shoutouts to MEG tomorrow and LEX Friday!! You deserve the happiest birthdays. Sending lots of love to Utah and Texas! Hope you all have a great week!

Pics: Our pencionista, mama Celinda, went to Cuzco and brought us back these shawls. "te amo gordito"-this picture is for Teyo (the chubby jokes live on!). Look how bad my handstand form has gotten ;). Misti showing off

"La fe es el poder, la obediencia el precio, el amor el motivo, el espíritu es la clave, y Cristo la razon."

XO

hermana wood

Alma 5

15 de Agosto - Happy Day of Arequipa!!!

Holaaaa!!! How are you all doing? 

This week was a little slower here but it was a good one. A lot of appointments fell through, so it was a week of lots of contacting. :) 

Julia is doing well! She is sick with the flu and couldn't come to church yesterday, so now her baptism will be the next Saturday instead. We have changes today!! Hermana Cejas and I will be staying in Zamacola together (woot!) because we are at the halfway point of her training. Sadly Hermana Alais was transferred to Tacna, out of Arequipa. Crossing my fingers I can see her again before she finishes her mission! 

Ok I thought the people were celebrating here lots for the day of Peru, but no... this week is the day of Arequipa and the people are going ALL OUT. Flags of Arequipa everywhere you look. I love it! Soy arequipeña:) ha. I will have to send lots of pictures next week. 

Verenise was super busy with her job this week so we were only able to have 1 lesson with her. But she is doing well! Neli was the highlight of this week. We found her contacting and she is about 70 years old. She lives with her husband, daughter, son in law and granddaughter. She is catholic, but from the first lesson was super interested in our message. We were able to visit her a lot this week and she is so sweet. Her baptism date is for September! Sorry for such a short letter, but I will update you more next week. Go be faithful and have a great week! :) xo

2 Nephi 22:2

Hermana Wood

Pics: happy birthday gabriel! Last district meeting with this district, tamales, bolivian food from my pencionista, and gaby buena from selva alegre sent us the yummiest alfajores mmmm

A Week of Eros, and Celebrating Arequipa

Hello hello! Hope everyone had a great week. :) So much happened here this week!! 

August 15 was a day of celebrating in this whole city. Music, flags, food, and all to celebrate the day of this beautiful city! Last p-day we went to the plaza and watched a big parade with music, dancing, animals, and it whoa it was an experience - I have pictures to send! There was a parade even to celebrate the virgins this week because just about everyone here is catholic. (but we are changing that!) 

Our investigators! Update with Julia.. pretty sad. She has some bad back problems and when she went to the doctor this week, they told her that she needs to have an operation done on her back. She told us that she knew of someone who had this operation and they passed away from the surgery. Julia's health is not the greatest, and she is terrified and she is worried that if she gets this surgery done, she won't make it out. She cried and cried this week. . . we cried too, oh my heart! She is having some financial problems as well, and is barely getting by right now with money. Her faith is really being tested. Because of all the problems that popped up this week, her baptism will be postponed for a little longer. Keep her in your prayers! (please) :) 

Ok EROS. Es lo maximo. His grandpa, Hemano Tohalino, is in our ward and Eros just moved to Arequipa 2 weeks ago to study. He is 18 years old. He is catholic, but is looking into other religions. We started teaching him last Sunday and had a lesson with him just about every day! He has the best questions and whoa his testimony is developing so quickly. He already is set on being baptized the 2nd week of September! We are so stoked working with him because not only will he be a member, but he can totally serve a mission in a year and bless the lives of so many others. ha :) The goal! 

Verenise: she is doing well, and we have still been teaching her, but the dad of her daughters (they have been separated for about 4 years) all of a sudden just came back into her life and is not a good influence. He is an alcoholic and doesn't treat her well. The adversary always seems to work like this when people are starting to learn the gospel. She is so sweet and needs this gospel in her life! Especially for her daughters too. 

We found a family this week from contacting! When we first found them they told us they were Catholics, and didn't care to listen, but when we returned to their house the next day, all of a sudden they were interested. Juana is the mom. She has 2 daughter and lives with her mom, Julia. The dad was working when we taught them, but we shared the plan of Salvation and there was a spirit so strong. Juana is so interested now and we have our next lesson with them Tuesday. :) 

Neli: She has knee problems and has been in bed all week because she hasn't been able to walk. So she can't come to church right now. We have been teaching her in her bed this week and praying and praying that she can get better. 

Ah there are 2 gringos that just moved into our ward!! An older couple and they are the sweetest. It felt SO good to finally speak a little English yesterday in church ha but my grammar was so bad and I can only imagine how my grammar will be in another 11 months.. shoot ha. Yeah there were a few problems that popped up this week with investigators, but we have been seeing the Lord's hand in the work each and every day here. I've said it a lot, but our God is so loving! I know that he isn't just an idea or a feeling. but he is real. He knows each of us personally and he loves us. Remember, pray always. read always. & go to the temple regularly! Gotta always keep up these celestial traditions :) 

Talk to you pronto,

Mosiah 27:14

Hermana Wood

p.s. Happy birthday shoutouts to 2 of my favorite little studs, Ry and Cato!!

Pics: companion made me a cute sign, eros and his grandpa at church, avocados are heavenly here, ricotto rellenooo