Week of Miracles Round 2 :)

These past two weeks have been incredible! :) We have been immensely blessed and I am so grateful! We have found a lot of new investigators who are prepared to accept the gospel. On Thursday we were walking away from our lunch appointment and two men (Daniel and Ricardo) called out to us. One of them wanted to know where we are from. We ended up talking to them for a bit and the wife (Fabiana) of one of them came out to talk to us too. It turns out they have talked with some Elders before and would like to visit with us. :) We went back on Saturday afternoon and were able to have a great lesson with all three of them and the oldest daughter (Leonela) of the couple as well. They shared with us that they have all lost their jobs recently and are going through a hard time. They want to learn more about the gospel as well as some English. :) To our great delight Daniel, Ricardo and Leonela showed up at church the next day!!! :) We are very excited to keep visiting them. I just love how Heavenly Father ALWAYS puts us where He needs us.

The amazing family that I talked about last week are still doing awesome!!! They officially made the plans with the government to be married the 27th of November! :) Melina has started doing a countdown for it. They are reading their scriptures and praying and doing wonderfully. They definitely make us happy! :)

One of the funny things this week was that a cute 6 year old boy asked us for our number. Hermana Randall and I were cracking up! He is this cute little man who was playing soccer in the street with some friends. They stopped to talk with us and we ended up giving them some church cards and pamphlets and stuff. The next time we came by he ran up to us and asked for our number. I asked him ´´what for??´´ He just looked at me and said ´´so that I can talk to you!´´ It was pretty funny...but anyways, a blessing from all of that is that we ended up having a lesson with the grandma of one of the boy´s friends. God works in mysterious ways. :)

A few weeks ago I mentioned that we had been served fish heads and cow intestines....this week´s experience beats it all. Mondongo- COW STOMACH. Yep...the lining of a cow´s stomach. I have no way to recommend this dish. BUT I am just grateful we get offered food. :)

Well loved ones, I love being a missionary!!! This is such a wonderful and amazing experience and words cannot express my gratitude to have such a privilege. I have changed for the better. My eyes have been opened and my heart touched in ways I didn't know could happen. I still have a long way to go but I know that my Lord is helping me and showing me how to be a better missionary and person. I love Him! I love His gospel! :)

Tengan una semana maravillosa! Les quiero!

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield

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) :)

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

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!

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

Dead Frogs and Working with Less Actives :)

Hola todos!!! :) Hermana Fry and I had an awesome week!!! We were able to teach a lot and on Sunday we saw a looooot of blessings with a lot of less active members who went! :)

These past two weeks we have been teaching a part member family. The dad is a less active member and the mom is investigating. She just had their second daughter about 3 weeks ago so she still hasn't been feeling very well to leave her house and go to church but she will soon! But her husband did go!!!! There were also a lot of others there. :)

I had a really cool experience in one of our lessons with a less active member. She was baptized about 14 years ago but hasn't gone to church in a long time. We were talking about the blessings of the gospel in our families and she shared how she hasn´t had good experiences or relationships with her family. We promised her that she could change that for her future husband and kids. I felt the spirit so strongly as I testified to her that the gospel is what has saved my family. I know with all of my heart that it is the wonderful protective power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I opened my mouth and learned as well as the spirit gave me the words. I heard myself explain that my mom learned every week in Relief Society how to be a better mother and spouse, that my dad learned every week how to honor his priesthood so that he could be worthy to baptize his kids, that us as children heard every week and sang songs about how to be more patient and obedient, that everytime we read The Book of Mormon together we could see the good and bad examples of families and follow the good things, etc. I know that it was the spirit teaching and it helped me to realized even more the HUGE importance of the gospel and going to church every week.

Soooooooo, also had a gross experience on Thursday. We were visiting a great woman who is trying to get fully active and go to the temple. She has the cutest boys- Jeremias (3 years old) and Octavio (9 months old). Jeremias always screams, ´´´HERMAAAANAAAAS!!!´´ and runs toward us to give us high-fives when we come. At one point during this visit Jeremias rushed us outside to show us his frog. To my horrid suprise he bent down at the nasty small river of sewage and other green smelly things that is in front of all of the houses in this part of town and STUCK HIS HAND DEEP DOWN IN IT. HE PULLED OUT A DEAD FROG!! (Not that suprised that it is dead...how could anything live after being in that???) Jeremias just shot us a big three year grin of pride and joy. It was nasty but we just had to laugh!

Anyways, I know that the Lord is hurrying His work! I know that there are a lot of people prepared to change their lives and accept that gospel. I am so grateful for my Savior. I know that He lives and is with us every moment.

Con amor,

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield :)

La Conferencia de Estaca!!!!!!!!

sooooooo, we have some pretty cool argentina pants :)

Most of my MTC district was reunited!!!!! Look how we have grown!! :)

During the open house part of stake conference :)

yep












Sooooooo, this week I experienced one of the best stake conferences ever! Seriously, I am so proud of these wonderful members and leaders here in Santa Fe! They are really trying to make a push in the missionary work and share the wonderful gospel truths with others.

The conference started on Thursday night with an absolutely amazing and super spiritual ´´musical show´´. There was a choir that sang incredibly well!! It was about the Plan of Salvation and touched on the Restoration of the Gospel as well. There were a lot of awesome songs, narration in between, and a slideshow and videos going on a screen behind them. The spirit was so strong! We were also really happy because a less active member that we found and started visting the past week went with us. :)

Then on Friday we had a ´´Capilla Abierta´´ (Open church) in our stake center. The church was open for 12 hours (10am-10pm) giving tours and showing people what happens inside. It was really awesome! The Young women, Relief Society,Primary and Family History center had all of their rooms set up with displays and music and members to explain what happens. In the cultural hall there was a big half circle of pictures and missionaries would guide the people looking at them and quickly teaching the lessons- The Restoration, Plan of Salvaction, Book of Mormon, Baptism of Christ, Temples, etc. There was also a table set up with a bunch of phamplets, cards, Books of Mormon, Family History booklets, etc. And in the hallway a member had prepared treats for everyone. :) Around 7pm a filming crew came and interviewed the Stake President. Supposedly it will be showing on TV for a week. Also he did an interview on the radio in the morning. Another woman who is into the newspaper put it in ads. IT WAS INTENSE. :)

Our whole missionary zone was there to help out. There were a lot of missionaries on the nearby streets to talk to the people and invite them to go in. There were some at the door with a big banner saying ´´capilla abierta´´ and other things. They were there to greet and write down names and directions. There were some who would guide the people through and others who would teach in the cultural hall. And finally, some elders were in the room with the baptismal font all dressed in white and explaing why and how we do baptisms.

This was the first time the Santa Fe stake has done something like this and I know that God is pleased with their efforts. We definitely saw a lot of blessings. There were some people who went through and felt the spirit and now missionaries are going to visit them. :)

That was the big event from this week but there were also a lot of other great things! Yesterday we were in the street when Hermana Fry started to contact a woman named Vanesa. She is here in Santa Fe to help her grandma in the hospital. We ended up going into the clinic to meet her grandma. We were able to share our testimonies and a little bit about the Book of Mormon with them. There was a sweet spirit in the room and I felt strongly that Heavenly Father is mindful of all of His children. Afterwards Vanesa said that she felt more relieved and uplifted from the hardship that is going on with her grandma. I am very grateful that we had the opportunity to be God's instruments and help them feel of His love.

I know that God lives and is mindful of everyone of us! I am so grateful to be a missionary!

Love you all!

Hermana Lindsey Woodfield