Se bautizó Vanessa:)

Buenos días! Hope everyone is doing great.

This week was a real good one with a happy baptism for Vanessa! She got married Saturday in the morning, baptized at 2pm, and all the ward members threw her a fiesta that night in the church. She was SO happy and just beaming light! Now their family is complete in the church, and willing to keep all the commandments. She said as she got married, and baptized, she has given herself over to the Lord and is willing to do his will. With her husband, they said May 26th of 2019 they will be traveling to Lima to go to the temple.. next goal! So so happy for them:)

That was the biggest highlight of this week, and there were many funny stories of the week as well. Just one, to give an example.. we were contacting in the park one day and we talked to a sweet lady who is pretty sick, and losing her memory. (But it doesn't seem like it, she had a lot of energy) turns out she is a member of the church, but she moved a few years back, and with the move went inactive. She said she is in her last days, and feels like she is slowly fading away.. she doesn't remember much from the church, but she remembered something about priesthood blessings. She cut us off mid conversation telling my companion to put her hands over her head to give her a blessing. Uhhhh.. we explained to her we don't have this priesthood, but we could talk to another brother to help her out. She got mad and insisted we give her the blessing in that moment. again, explaining it doesn't work that way, she yelled at us saying "At least just put your hands on my head, I know you have power!!!!" Well, we ended up just saying a prayer with her, and it helped her calm down. But these are the things we see everyday. haha.

Well, things are going well here and it is so crazy how fast time is flying. I love love love being a missionary and I am so happy in Peru! Love this gospel, my calling, my Father in Heaven and Savior, and all of you! Thanks for all the prayers and support. Have an amazing week!

Week of Craziness

Enserio, una semana loca. But sounds like the week was even crazier for you guys.. Jaren and Megs, breaks my heart the things you passed through this week! Praying big time for you guys.

Many weird things happened this week like no water in Arequipa, some people very mad that we knocked their doors, some new interesting foods, but most of all.. a new companion! So there were a bunch of changes over here in our mission, but hermana Suarez went to Moquegua and Hermana Gentry came to be my companion. She is in her training, so I am sticking around training, but just a new Gringa companion! Hermana Genty is from California, and she is just the best. I totally feel like I'm just with one of my best friends from the Y as my comp. She is the sweetest and we get along great!

One of the miracles from this week happened the day hermana Gentry got here. One of our appointments fell through so we started street contacting. We got to a hill where the street broke off in 2 parts. We said a little prayer to know which street to choose, and listening to the spirit, chose the left street. Literally 5 seconds later, we ran into Flor. She is such a sweet lady and told us that her twin daughters (21 years old) got baptized in our church 5 years ago. Because of college studies, they have fallen away from the church, and Flor is so worried about them. She was also listening to the missionaries 5 years ago, but for some problems that she had with her husband, she didn't get baptized. But in these past couple years, worked out all the the problems with her husband and she is so receptive, willing to follow the Savior. We were able to have an appointment with her the next day and the spirit we AND she felt in the lesson was undeniable. Excited to see what happens with hermana Flor!

This week we did an area attack as a district in the elders' area. Usually in an area attack, we just take tons of pamphlets, and cards with Christ's picture, and contact like crazies. But this time we wanted to mix it up a little. A sister from my district plays the violin, an elder plays the guitar, the rest of the missionaries sing, and I play the piano, so we were able to find one of the keyboard pianos, and we went to a market playing/singing straight hymns. The missionaries not singing were contacting, and so many people stopped to listen to us, and agreed to listen to the missionaries. It was a fun area attack.

Other highlight of the week.. Vanesa passed her interview and is all ready for her baptism on Saturday! Also, all of her family from Lima (none are members) are coming here this week for her wedding and baptism as well. yayyyy.

This week we were able to meet a few new families & it has had me pondering on the difference of the families with the gospel of Jesus Christ & the families living without the gospel of Jesus Christ. The families really live SO much happier and united when they are based on the teachings of the Savior, and when the family takes over the highest priority of the parents. The adversary is attacking so hard against the families. It is so important that in our families we stick to the gospel basics that make a huge difference. Family prayer. family scripture study everyday. going to church together. serving others. and weekly family nights! I love Nephi's example. He always led with love and righteousness. He not only protected and provided for his people, but for his family as well. He wrote, in 2 Nephi 5:27, "and it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." LIVE the gospel of Jesus Christ in your families and you will live after the manner of happiness. The home is the most important place to learn the gospel. I often wonder.. how did I ever get so lucky to have a family strong in the gospel? so blessed. :)

I hope you all have a happy week! Remember, happiness is a choice, not some random event. :) Love you all!

Hermana Wood

Mosiah 28:3

fotos: area attack, pdays with gabyyy, misti

Sweet Graciela

I was so so happy to see all of your faces yesterday over skype, and another huge shoutout to my mamá! Happy Mother's Day to the most amazing mom in the world. :) I feel so blessed to be your daughter!!

One of the miracles from the week was meeting Graciela. On Thursday, we were out knocking doors when a lady passed us in the street carrying 2 big bins in one hand, and her grandson in the other. We offered to help her, and ended up following her to her home (which was about 20 mins away) carrying the bins. While talking along the way, turns out she was listening to the missionaries about 15 years ago and loved what she was learning. But she moved, lost contact with the elders, and hadn't seen missionaries since. She was so kind, and let us into her house when we arrived. We were able to talk about the restauration with her, and the same Thursday night there was an activity by the relief society for Mother's Day, and she came with us, and loved the activity! Testimony builder for me that God placed us on that street, contacting, Thursday afternoon for a reason. We have an appointment again with her tomorrow, so we are excited about that. :)

Vanesa is doing great and has all the papers ready to be married on the morning of May 26th and her baptism in the afternoon. Yay!! 

Thank you all for the love and support, it means so so much. You are all in my prayers and I'm sending my love from many miles away! Have a faithful week! xo

hermana Wood

Psalms 147:3

Pics: multi zone conference with my "daughters" and "granddaughter"! and our area

Poco a Poco

¡Buenas tardes! Hope you are all doing well and staying faithful. :) 

The work is picking up slowly but surely over here in Las Torres! We do have an investigator, Vanesa, who is awesome. Her "husband" is a member, and her kids are members as well (including one of her sons is a returned missionary). She has listened to the missionaries for a while, but she finally received her answer and wants to be baptized! The thing is that she just has to get married. We have been working a lot with her on her papers and all that, and her wedding will be the 26th of May (in the morning) and she will be baptized the same day in the afternoon. She was our big miracle of the week!

It is fun to be back in Arequipa and seeing Misti (the volcano) everyday. Our area is full of hills, and plenty of dogs.. but it is a pretty area. and really big!! The members here are so sweet and willing to help us.

Sorry for a short email, but excited to see your faces on Sunday over skype! Les amo!

hermana Wood

1 Nephi 19:9

Pics: misti, the food our investigators give us.. (impossible to not gain weight in peru haha:), and this statue that looks a little like Joseph Smith

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!