I am serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!!! I have been called to serve in the Argentina Rosario Mission for 18 months. Here are my stories, thoughts, and feelings about my adventure!
Sister Woodfield
Monday, October 27, 2014
SEMANA DE MILAGROS. WEEK OF MIRACLES.
Oh my dear family and friends!!!!! I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU ALL! This week was absolutely amazing! I am being completely serious when I say that it was one of the best weeks of my life. There were soooooo many moments were I just felt overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. Soooooo, want to know why??? :)
The biggest reason is an amazing family, Jose, Melina, and their daughters Amy, and Ema. Get ready, I have a lot to write. :) Okay, it all started with the older brother of Jose- Leo. He and his great family were less active when I got here but are active now and doing GREAT. They are such wonderful people and I have gotten really close with them. They have been wanting to have a new start in another house so this past Wednesday they moved to a different part of Santa Fe (reassuring me that they will be going to the ward over there and that they have plans to go to the temple before the end of the year). Anyways, Tuesday night they sent us a message letting us know that his brother (Jose) and his family would be moving into their house. And get this, they also said that his girlfriend Melina wants to get baptized. Okay. Sweet! :)
Wednesday morning we went over to meet them and see what we could do to help them with their move in. We got to the house and immediately met some of the best people I have ever known. Jose is 21 years old and was baptized when he was 12 but stopped going soon after. Melina (his girlfriend) is 19 years old. They have two SUPER CUTE girls- Amy (3 years old) and Ema (1 year and 8 months old). We walked in to see a completely empty two-roomed house with falling apart walls. They don't have much but are super happy to have their own house. We had a great visit with them. Melina told us that about 3 years ago she met some elders who taught her a few things. She listened to them but didn't keep going with it. However, in between that time and now she has talked a lot with Jose's mom (who is a member) about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the church. SHE READ THE ENTIRE BOOK OF MORMON. And the gospel principles book. And a bit of Teachings of the Prophets. She said that where she was living before there isn't a church or missionaries and she has been waiting to be able to learn more and go to church.
We were not even in the house for TWO minutes when she bursted out, ´´I have just been waiting for someone to offer me baptism!!´´ We were speechless. I just stared at her with the hugest smile I think I have ever had in my life. Haha, I couldn't believe what was happening! They also informed us that Jose wants to receive the priesthood and they have the goal to go to the temple and be sealed in a year. Music to my ears. :) After we finished the visit they walked with us a little ways and stopped to buy us juice. Then Jose shook my hand quickly leaving a wad of money in it and told us to take a taxi to our next visit. Before I could even comprehend what he did they walked away quickly. Our mouths were gaping open!! Here was this very young family without a lot of possessions giving us juice and money???? In the words of Hermana Randall, ´´Okay, here is a baptism, temple marriage, and a beautiful family that gives you juice and money!´´It seriously was such a direct and huge blessing from God. I just feel so privileged to be here and know them and help out in whatever way that I can.
Melina wants to get baptized as soon as possible buuuuuuut they aren't married. We explained that they have to be married first and without hesitating they agreed and said they would make the preparations and do it in November. With the government here it takes about a month before you can be married soooo right now the plans are to have the marriage and baptism at the end of November. :D
They just make us so happy!! On Sunday morning we wanted to stop by their house to make sure that they had gotten up and were getting ready for church. Our church service starts at 9:30 so we thought that if we passed by at 8:45 there would still be time to help them get ready and everything. We knocked on the door and only waited for 30 seconds before a man across the street shouted out to us. He told us that they had left walking 20 minutes ago!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whaaaat?? So we headed out hoping to catch them on the way...nope. To our surprise and delight they were in the church when we arrived patiently waiting for it all to start.
Can you say MIRACLE?? BLESSING?? The day that we met them I felt a wonderful peaceful and joyous feeling...and writing about it just makes me want to cry. Haha, I just felt that meeting them has been something that I have been waiting for and that God has blessed me immensely. The pure goodness and humility of this couple is incredible....Jose doesn't have any church shoes and Melina hasn't ever owned a skirt. We were able to help her out with the skirt but haven't been able to help Jose with shoes yet. He didn't like going without them but he went anyways.
Okay, I could go on for hours about them. I love them so much!! Pero. bueno. Basically we saw a lot of miracles and blessings with them and with other people. I don't have a lot of time to share the other things but I will try next week! Just know that Santa Fe is being extremely blessed right now and I am SO grateful to my Father in Heaven to be here to see it! :)
Let us all press on in the work of the Lord!!! Have a great week! Thanks to those who read this veryyy long email. :)
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Woodfield (or ´´Woofy¨ as Amy and Ema say) :)
Monday, October 20, 2014
Fish heads and cow intestines
I am very VERY happy and grateful to say that the family of Jose (the man who passed away last week) went to church yesterday. They have only recently started being active about 3 months ago and we were slightly worried that the death of their dad/husband would be a hard blow and tempt them to stop going to church again. We visited them during the week and gave them brownies (well....the best form of brownies possible) and were very happy to see how Heavenly Father has given them comfort and peace with this trial. The spouse informed us that it was hard but she was at peace and would keep going to church. We were worried more about her son who had seemed angrier with what had happened but he showed up on Sunday as well. I am so grateful that they love God and trust in Him and His will. I know that His will and timing truly are the best and if we willingly let Him take control we will find true peace and joy.
This week we had a great lesson with Bernardo, who is a less active who is returning to church and his wife Laura who is investigating. We talked about faith and how it is like a seed that, with work and diligence, can grow into a sturdy tree. (Alma chapter 32) We asked them if they have felt their seeds of faith growing. Laura shared that she has felt more peace with our visits. Bernardo shared that in the four years that he has been less active they have had more problems but when we started visiting he felt more desires to change and reach the goal of an eternal family. I know that this is the spirit testifying and helping them to feel the truthfulness and importance of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love their family so much and we are working hard to help them progress. I know that God wants them to progress even more then we do and He will help us find the way to help them. :)
Last week I shared about my fish head food experience. This week brought with it another new dish....cow intestine. I honestly was scared but my brave companion grabbed a piece, cut it in half, and boldly put the other half on my plate. I couldn`t just let my very new companion show me up on trying the local food... haha, it actually turned out pretty well. :) If anyone one wants to try it, I recommend it heated up with lemon juice squeezed on top. :)
I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior! I know that He loves and knows each one of us personally. :)
Have a great week!
Con amor,
Hermana Woodfield
Monday, October 13, 2014
What a week!
What a week! On Wednesday I said goodbye to Hermana Fry and went to Rosario. We had an awesome meeting with our mission president (such an inspired and good man!) and then met our new companions. My new companion is Hermana Randall from a city close to Las Vegas, Nevada. She is an awesome missionary and can already speak the language really reallyyy well. It is amazing for me to see how strongly the gift of tongues is working in all of us foreigners. I am very excited to be able to work with her! :)
We have had a great week but something sad and intense happened too. A dear family in our ward has been struggling and fighting to help out their sick dad. The dad isn't a member and the wife and grown-up children have been less active for a long time ago. About 2 months ago they started going to church every week and being very involved. I saw their testimonies grow a lot as they grew closer to the Lord. The dad was in the hospital for a long time and we would go visit him. This past Thursday his health worsened and early Saturday morning we recieved a message that he had passed away. We called and found out that the funeral would be in the family`s home that day. We felt the need to go and support them. It was one of the saddest experiences I have ever had. The whole extended (mostly non-member) family was there and they were all in mourning. When the man came to close the casket there was a lot of screaming going on and tears were flooding down everyone's faces. The room was thick with pure sorrow. My heart seriously broke for these people. I am very grateful that we were able to be there to support and love them in this hard time.
The whole thing strengthened my testimony even more about the plan of salvation. I know that these people will be able to see their lost one again. I know that God has a perfect plan for all of us. I know that death has a painful sting for the ones left behind...but that they joy and hope of the power of the atonement of Christ is so much more powerful!!! He was resurected after the third day! We will be able to do so as well!!! I am so grateful for that comforting knowledge.
On a different note, I received something on my food plate this week that I have never received before. A fish head. Yep. That was a first. It´s mouth and eyes were looking up at me...it was quite the experience. I am just grateful that we receive food. :) We will see what this week brings... :)
I love you all! Have a great week of October! The weather here is quickly turing hotter as we prepare for the summer.
I know that God is preparing all of His children to recieve the wonderful news of the restored gospel. I am so grateful that He send His perfect son to provide the way for us- how to live in this life and how to return to be with God in the next. :)
Con amor,
Hermana Woodfield
Welcome Hermana Randall!
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
General Conference and Transfers!
Cooking with Hermana Fry!!
Argentina has a lot of great graffiti :) haha
Soooooooooooooooo, once again transfers have hit. And change is in the air! Buuuuuuuut, I am not leaving my dear Santa Fe City. Hermana Fry is!!!!! Don don don!!! I will miss her and am very grateful for all of the wonderful time we have had together!
Early this Wednesday morning I will be heading to the mission home in Rosario to meet my new companion from the MTC! :) I have been given the great privilege and humbling opportunity to train again! I feel a little nervous but I know that this call comes from the Lord and that He will help me to fufill it.
Okay. HOW AWESOME WAS GENERAL CONFERENCE?!?!?!?!?!?! Mind blown. Heart warmed. Spirit flooded. It seriously was amazing. If any of you didn´t watch it I personally and strongly invite you to do it. These wonderful messages were inspired from God and are the most recent scripture and instruction that we have from a loving Father in Heaven. I was definitely touched and find that there is a lot for me to improve upon and implement in my life.
This past Monday we were invited by the Young Women´s President in our ward to participate in a family home evening for the young women. We prayed and prepared a lot to be able to share the right message with these dear young sisters. We felt impressed to talk about the full-time mission and searching for guidance and answers in General Conference. We didn't have a lot of time but we felt guided by the spirit and felt good about what we shared. A few days later a young woman named Luz who has recently started being active in the church told us that after our message she went home and asked her mom if she could go on the mission. The answer was positive and she now has that goal!!! Hermana Fry and I were very happy and humbled to learn that we were able to be instruments in the Lord´s hands to help at least one young woman receive this goal. :)
There were a lot of other blessings this week too but I am out of time! Just know that God is helping Santa Fe to progress! I love it and am excited and grateful to be here! And help out someone else to love it too. :) Stay tuned to find out who I will be training! :)
I know this church is true! I love it so much! I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ!
Con amor,
Hermana Lindsey Woodfield
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