Hola familia y amigos

Is it September?!?!?!?! Weird! The cold weather here is quickly going away and the intense Argentine heat is settling in fast...I remember how fun it was the last time...bring on round 2!!! Haha, but seriously...the sunblock is going to need to be coming out fast. :)

This week was really good! I don't have a whole lot of time to write but I do want to share a cool experience. On Wednesdaywe were in our apartment studying when Hermano Davalo (the great member I wrote about last week) called us and quickly asked about where we were and what we were doing. He asked if he could give us a reference and continued to tell us about a man in the hospital near by and his family. He ended up just telling us to meet us there and he would go with us. So we quickly departed. At the hospital Hermano Davalo told us that one of these worried family members went to our church earlier looking for some kind of help. There just happened to be a member in the church who quickly called Hermano Davalo who called us. He told us that this man in the hospital, Fransisco, has been in the hospital for 2 months and him and his family are really depressed and worried.

We walked in the room to see about 8 worried faces look at us. We introduced ourselves. One of the daughters showed us the badly injured leg of her father that happened from a car accident. We explained that the Elders would come by later to give a blessing but we wanted to help out in any way we could right then. Another daughter grabbed my hand as she said something about saying a prayer. Everyone grabbed hands and looked at me expectingly. I thought in my head, ´´Well, I am not able to give a priesthood blessing...but I will invoke help from heaven with a prayer to a loving Heavenly Father for these suffering children.´´ I tried hard to let the Holy Spirit quide the prayer as I asked for help and comfort for this family. It honestly was a sacred experience and I am so grateful for the love and help that God shows to ALL of his children. We are staying in touch with them to see what more we can do.

Love you all! I know that God lives! I know that the only way to return to live with Him is through Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Have a great week!!

Hermana Woodfield

One Transfer More!!!

Remember this face??? My companion from the MTC! :) We were reunited for a day! Hermana Rasband :)

Hermana Fry and I had a family home evening with an Argentine asado (BBQ) :) sooo good!

One of the cutest girls!!! :) Reminds me of my great little sis :)

My district from the last transfer :)

They love their soccer!!!







This week is transfer week but all is well!!! Both Hermana Fry and I are staying in the great Santa Fe, Rural area. :) I am excited and grateful to be able to work more in the Lord's vineyard here. About 4 weeks ago our ward boundaries were changed and we are seeing a lot of blessings from the help from the added members. We are excited to keep helping it progress. :)

So our wonderful 14 year old investigator Leilen is working towards her baptism!! She has gone to church twice now and has friendships with the young women. :) The new difficulty we have though is that she is doing double schooling right now and can only meet with on the weekends. But we are working with that and she is progressing. ALSO, huge blessing! We were able to talk with her real quick on Friday and she said that she told her mom that she wants to get baptized and her mom said it is okay!!!!!!!!!! :) We still need to get the permision in writing but this was a huge step made. Leilen had the courage and the determination to tell her mom about her desires and Heavenly Father helped her mom to be okay with it. Like I said, we still need her signature but we are getting there. :) Big blessing!

I also want to share about one of the hugest examples I have seen of a member missionary. His name is Hermano Davalo. He seriously is such a great example for me! He always does family home evenings and invites the whole WORLD to go!! Haha, but really...yesterday there were about 22 people in his home. Some members and some friends. He does that quite often. I also always seeing him bearing some kind of testimony to his friends about the power of the Book of Mormon or the counsel from the prophets or how we should be prepared for judgment day. I just love how he is so open and willing to share his beliefs with everyone and introduce the missionaries to his friends. He just tells them straight out that this gospel has blessed his life and that he knows it will bless theirs too. :)

You know...this is the truth isn't it?? That God lives. That He sent His Son Jesus Christ to provide the way for us to return. That through His teachings we can not only find forgiveness and freedom from our mistakes but also joy and peace from knowing our purpose. If it is true, and I testify with my whole soul that it is, then we should be shouting it from the rooftops!! These people who surround us are our brothers and sisters and NEED what we have. We don't have to be weird about sharing the happiness. We can simply invite others to a family home evening or activity. We can share a favorite scripture. This great member Hermano Davalo is another great example that I have found of how to shine your light at all times and in all places. I invite all of you to do the same. :)

Well dear friends and family, I love you all and am grateful for the support. Have an awesome week!!!! :)

Con amor,

Hermana Woodfield

Feliz Dia del San Martin!!

Yesterday Argentina remembered the death of a prominent man who helped Argentina gain independence- San Martin! :) The only difference that I saw was that there were more people on the sides of the street selling choripan (like a hot dog but with sausage)...but I'm not sure if that was for San Martin or because there was a big soccer game going on. BUT anyways, feliz dia del San Martin! :)

This week went well! A huge blessing is that Leilen is progressing a lot! We were able to visit her twice and she is reading in her Book of Mormon and praying every day. She also walked all of the way to the church BY HERSELF on Saturday to go to a young women's activity. :) then she went with us to church on Sunday and took her scriptures and a pen with her. I am just sooooo grateful for te love and acceptance the young women of our ward have shown to her. It really makes such a big difference!!! I invite all of you to find out who the missionaries of your ward are visiting and to get to know them and help them feel loved and comfortable at church! The work goes sooooo much faster when the members are there along the way too. :) We definitely have some work to do with her situation though. She is worried that her parents aren't going to let her get baptized and now she has more school and we can only visit her on the weekends. I know that if we keep working and praying the Lord will provide a way for her AND her family to make this important step. :)

Other great side note! Remember the family from last week's email??? Well, we had our lunch with them! It was great! The mood in the house felt so much better after they had gone to church on Sunday. AND they went again yesterday and asked for another lunch with us this week! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!! It is amazing how the light and peace of Christ enters in our lives when we take steps towards Him and do what He asks of us.

I thought I would take another moment to share some more of the Argentina culture. :) Something that has always fascinated me is that they thoroughly clean their sidewalks. Seriously, not just a little sweeping...they bring out the bucket and mop it! And this is about a 3 times a week thing. I'm sure they would think we are gross in the States for not doing it. Haha, other fun fact- yogurt comes in a bag and is a drink here. :) Sometimes we have it with cereal. It is really good!

Well friends and family, another week has come and gone. Time just flies by! Love you all! Have an awesome week!

Con amor,

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield

A Great Week!!

We had a great week! There are two great experiences I want to share. :)

First of all, a great 14 year old investigator went to church yesterday!!!!! And after a lot of explaining about baptism and the necessary authority to do it, she accepted a baptism date! We are also going to try hard to teach her parents too. The whole family needs to become members! :)

But something I absolutely loved about yesterday was how quickly and lovingly the young women of our ward reached out and welcomed her. We arrived at young women's kind of late but immediately they all smiled and welcomed her. By the end of the class they were telling her to come to activities, asking for her phone number and facebook and then whisking her off to the next class. She didn't even look at us as she walked off with the other girls to the Sunday School class. It was great! Seriously, it made me so happy to see the love these wonderful girls so freely shared to this stranger. It definitely strengthened my own resolve to ALWAYS be a friend and helper to the new people or the ones who are trying to come back. It is sooooo much easier and effective when there are friends to help along the way. :)

Bueno, other experience. Saturday morning one of our plans fell threw and we were on our way to our plan B when Hermana Fry said that maybe we should go visit a less active man that lived relatively close. We first tried our original plan b but they weren't there and so off we went to this less active member. When we got there he opened the door chuckling a little bit. We asked him if his wife was there (so that we could go in and visit him). She wasn't there but it just so happened that his mom was there on a visit! We went in and his mom (an active member that is living in another area) told us that she just knew we would be coming to visit that morning.

We talked for quite some time. This man is having a LOT of problems with his marriage and it is really sad. They were sealed in the temple but especially these past few months have been fighting and having a lot of difficulties and are at a breaking point. We were able to share a talk with him that we had printed out to share with someone else...but now we know that God had planned all along for us to share it with him. We were all crying during the lesson and the spirit and feeling of love that God has for this man and his family was really strong. He said he was looking for direction and we promised him that if he went to church that Sunday he would receive his answer. We prayed hard afterwards that he would go. And to our complete delight, in the church we saw him AND his wife and daughter!!!!!! He came up to us afterwards and shared that he was very grateful for what we did and that he feels a lot better. He said that it wasn't coincidence that we just showed up when his mom was there too and that we just happened to have that talk printed out...he said that all of that was his answer. He then asked us if we wanted to return this week to have lunch with his family. :) It was so great! I am very grateful that Heavenly Father uses us as instruments to help his children feel of His love and that He NEVER forgets them. :)

Well, love you all! I know that God lives and that He is our Father! I know that missionary work is sooooo important! We need to help everyone learn of who they really are and that Jesus Christ lived and died for us so that we can live again with God and our families.

Con amor,

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield

Knocking a lot of doors . . . . .

Well my dear family and friends, the Lord's work is progressing!!! It is amazing for me to be able to be part of such a marvelous work and a wonder! The life of a full time missionary isn't easy but it is so fulfilling. I may not be able to see a sea parted or live through a night in a lion's den but the things I am experiencing and the opportunities that God is giving me is building and shaping and molding me into something better.

My testimony has grown immensely and I am grateful for all of the hard and good times that helps it to do so. It is a privilege to be part of the Lord's team and do what I can to help more of my brothers and sisters know that God EXISTS. And not even far away- HE IS HERE. He is with every single day and in every single thing that happens. I know that He loves us. I know that everything He does is to help us gain eternal life- to be able to live with Him and our families for forever. I love Him!

Sooooo, Hermana Fry and I are working hard. This week we were able to find more people! We taught more lessons in this past week then in any other week of my time here in Santa Fe. I am so grateful! We have had to work hard and knock a lot of doors but the Lord blesses us through the perseverance.

A really cool experience we had is that we found a less active member! We prayed about where we should go and the fourth door we knocked a woman answered with a shocked expression. She told us that when she was young she went to church but had stopped a long time ago. We were able to have a good lesson with her a few days later and she said that she feels like she needs to go back to church. We will keep working with her! :)

Okay, I want to take a moment here and stress the importance of family history work. This past week I had quite a few experiences when I felt like the Lord was telling me to do more to help out all of my ancestors who are waiting for US to help them. I know that the missionary work here on the earth is just as important as the missionary work for those who have already passed away. They need us and we need them. We need to find them through family search and do the saving ordinances for them in the temples.

I KNOW that the Lord is hurrying his work in all aspects. One of them is the family history work. I want to ask a favor specifically for the members of my own family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)- please send me some stories of my grandparents and great grandparents and some pictures of them. I would love to find out more about them.

I know life is crazy and busy but please find a few minutes to send me a favorite or important story about them that you love. :) I would really appreciate it. I extend the invitation to do family history work to all who read this! Use the church website ´´family search´´ and find out more about and help out your own family. :) Here is a great video. Please watch it. :)

https://www.lds.org/church/news/help-break-familysearch-indexing-record-july-20-21?cid=HPTH071714335&lang=eng

Okay, love you all! I am so grateful for all of the love and support I feel! Thank you! Have a great week!

Con amor,

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield

Time is passing faster and faster . . . . .

With my new companion! :) Hermana Fry! and Presidente y Hermana Zanni :)

Just siiiiiiinging in the rain! with a friendly dog :)

Check this out! during the world cup there was a lot of crazy stuff...

Sometimes it gets a little muddy..

With Ana and Julieta- two of the Zanni kids! So cute!

Teaching our English class!

Our oven doesn't work and we wanted to make brownies so we tried to do brownie pancakes...nailed it! haha. not.








Another week in the life of an Argentinian missionary has flown by!!!! It just keeps getting faster and faster!!! But I am trying to live everyday working hard and using the time how my Heavenly Father wants me too. :)

Soooooooo, Hermana Fry and I are working hard! We have been trying to find some new investigators and we have definitely seen a lot of blessings. A week ago we felt impressed to knock a door...actually it was a voice machine thing (haha, I don't know what it is called in English but we talk through a box in front of the house). A lot of the time the people answer the phone box thing and tell us that in that moment they are not interested. But this time was different!!! The woman, Maria, heard the name of the church and came to the door! She said that her husband was an active member when he was little but hasn't gone in a very long time. In that moment she really was busy but told us to pass by another day. Soooo a few days later we went back. She answered the door with tears in her eyes. She didn't tell us exactly what was her health problem but she was distraught and we were able to talk with her some about the Atonement of Christ and how he knows exactly what she is going through. At the end of our time together we told her that we were going to give her the Book of Mormon. She looked at us with big eyes and an open mouth. ´´Seriously, you are going to give it to me? For ME? My own copy??´´ She took it and held it close. She told us that she would start reading it that very night. :) She is really busy this week doing medical studies but we were able to meet her husband in the street a few days ago and he also told us that after all of the busyness with the medical stuff he would like to visit with us. Sooooo. Miracle. Blessing. I really just LOVED how she treated the Book of Mormon like the precious word of God that it is.

Also, things are going well for Alejandra and her step daughter Diana! They both want to get baptized but Alejandra is still struggling with the getting married thing. She already had plans to get married next year and the change to do it now is a bit hard. But we are working on it! Diana, however, CAN get baptized soon! I just love her! We visited her Tuesday and she showed us that she was reading in the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi chapter 4. Then we visited us Saturday and she was in chapter 9!! :) She remembered her baptism date and told us boldly that she had already told her dad that she is going to become Mormon. :) haha, so she is doing well!

Another change! Our ward is bigger now! Yesterday there was a change in ward boundaries and we now are bigger with more members! We are very excited about this. Our cute little ward has been struggling with having people to fill callings and I know that this change was heaven sent. :)

Well, all is well here! I am once again being reminded of the power of the Gift of Tongues. Hermana Fry doesn't even have two weeks in Argentina and can already speak and understand really well. Her first Sunday here she was already giving a talk in the Sacrament meeting. :) Haha, She is great and I am blessed to be able to be with her!

LOVE YOU ALL! Have the best week ever!!!!

I know God lives! I know the power to act in his name is found in the priesthood. I know the Holy Ghost will lead and guide us if we do what he tells us. I know Jesus Christ was resurrected and because of that all of us will do the same someday. I know He loves us and helps us!

Con amor,

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield :)

New Transfer! : )

I HAVE A NEW COMPANION. :) Her name is Hermana Fry and she is fresh from the States! I went to the mission home in Rosario on Wednesday with the other trainers and had a meeting thingy with the President and then met our new comps and had lunch together. She is awesome and can already speak and understand Spanish really well. I am excited to be with her and see what we can do here with the Lord!

A bunch of last week was doing all of the stuff for transfers but it was still great. I am getting to know the area and the people better. We had a great lesson with two of the stepdaughters of our great investigator Alejandra. They are Diana (16 years old) and Milagros (14 years old). Diana was very happy to show us that she had already read a lot of the Book of Mormon. In the end of the lesson Milagros asked us if she could have her own copy so that she could read it too. OF COURSE. :) So this family is doing well! We just need to help get Alejandra married and then we are good to go! :)

Sorry this email is a bit shorter but know that all is well here and I will share more about the miracles we are seeing next week! :) I know that God is our Father and everything that happens in this life really is to help us be better people and more like our Savior Jesus Christ. I love you all! Have an awesome week!!!

Con amor,

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield