Wednesday, April 16 - Week 34

Hey! Thanks for your letters this week! I love hearing about what`s going on with everyone. Well this week has been pretty good. I`ve felt kinda overwhelmed these past 3 weeks in this new area because I feel like no one is progressing that we`re teaching. I just want to start completely over and find new people. But my companion has been working with all these people for a long time so I can`t just drop everyone. So I`m trying to help a little. We`ve talked about which people we could let go and have done so with like 5 or so. Also only 1 person had a baptismal date planned when I got here so I´ve been inviting everyone for specific dates. I know they all won`t work out, but everyone should know that baptism is the goal and should be working toward that. We`ve started contacting a lot too whenever we have time. I hate contacting, but it`s the only way to find people. We contacted this lady named Nefeti and have been teaching her each week with her husband and kids. They are super great. They know a lot because they have been attending another Christian church, but haven`t attended for 2 years. Her husband I think has the whole Bible memorized. Haha. He quotes tons of scriptures to us. I hope they progress. I like them a lot. I`ve had a few funny experiences this week. Lol. We were given a reference to teach a lady. We`ve gone a few times and it`s been fine. But this last week we taught about the Plan of Salvation. We started explaining the different kingdoms of glory. We explained in much detail how great the Celestial Kingdom is... that we can live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and our families and will have complete happiness. Then we started explaining the Terrestial Kingdom. She said, ¨I want to live there!¨ We were a little confused and again explained that the Celestial Kingdom is where we will want to live. We asked her ¨Wouldn`t you like to live with God?¨ She said, ¨I`ve never known him before. I don`t care.¨ Ha. Then we said, ¨And what about your family? You won`t be able to live with them in the Terrestial Kingdom¨. She said, ¨That`s okay. I like to be alone.¨ Haha. By the end we couldn`t even convince her that the Celestial Kingdom was better. She is determined to live in the Terrestial Kingdom... It was pretty funny. Another experience.. we were teaching this family that are recent converts. We were talking about the Book of Mormon and reading from the Introduction. I read the part where Joseph Smith says that it is the most correct book of all the books in the world. Then I began bearing my testimony holding up my book (which doesn`t have the title on front) saying that I know it is the most correct book there is. Then the man said to me with lots of excitement and curiosity, ¨which book is that!?¨ Hahaha. I guess I should be a little more clear when I explain things.. I thought he knew we were talking about the Book of Mormon. He was ready to accept and read whatever book I had in my hand though. Lol. Sometimes people can be so funny. Well this week I got to watch the Saturday Morning session of conference! I loved Elder Holland`s talk! He`s always my favorite. Wow his testimony at the end was so powerful. We had an FHE this past weekend with Ivelice and with the branch president and his wife, the mission leader, and another family in the branch. It was really great. We talked about the path we are on that Ivelice is in the process of baptism and will continue to make more covenants and we talked about temple marriage so they can aim for that. Then we had a huge feast! Everyone brought stuff. Rice, yuka, chicken, and cake for dessert. It was great. I hope she continues to progress now that her husband is gone. I got your letter Mom! Thank you! I love the bookmark and HLJ sticker!! :) So cute! I also got Robin`s announcement from Sister Pratt. I feel bad that I`m going to miss her wedding. Could you try to find her address so I can at least write her a letter?  I heard from Hermana Navas today. She said that Rubi has her interview this Sunday and hasn`t been drinking coffee so maybe next weekend she can be baptized, but will let me know. Oliver is going to church every week and reading his scriptures and giving up things in his life to be baptized! Ricardo has plans to get married and is praying about a date! Katherine is staying strong and received a calling. Esther is a seminary teacher! Wow seems like everything is so great there! Sometimes I wish I could still be there and see everyone and help the work there, but I know my time is now in Villa Gonzalez. I`m going to keep working hard and hope for lots of miracles. So Dad, it`s about an hour from Santiago (the ride always feels much longer though.) I would say the branch is a little weaker here. Not too many people in church on Sundays. But we`re trying really hard with the inactives here. So yeah Mother`s Day is in less than a month!! Can`t wait to talk to you all! I`m sure there will be a way to skype again! I`ll try to go somewhere with better internet connection this time though. Yeah we`ll be eating at a member`s house on Easter. They don`t even celebrate Easter here though so it won`t be anything special. Haha. They celebrate something called Semana Santa here. It`s like Easter, but it`s a celebration for the Catholics. We got to see a parade on Sunday. All the Catholics were walking in the street and there was someone dressed as Jesus. It was pretty cool. But every Sunday we switch off eating with two different families in the branch so we`re always fed! We really only eat with members on Sundays.  We have a washer but for some reason our neighbor uses ours too... a lot. Haha. so it`s hard to find time to wash clothes. But it`s fine. Wow sounds exciting about One Acts! And Jamie got an award! That`s so awesome! I hope they keep advancing! Daniel is engaged!!?? Man there are so many people I want to talk to but I don`t have their email or addresses. I`m so happy for him! Wow Jamie is having a yes day huh?? She`s more persuasive than me if you don`t even know what things she will ask for first! Hope you don`t get robbed of all your money! Hahaha. Well now that I`ve written a novel, I better go. Haha. I love you all sooo much! Have a wonderful Easter!!

Hermana Woolf