Wednesday, August 13 - Week 51

Hey everyone! How was your week? I can`t wait to hear about and see pics of my new nephew! I hope he comes this week! Congratulations Christina on finishing your half marathon! What an accomplishment! That`s so crazy that Jamie is almost off to college! Time really flies. It`s been a pretty good week here. I am seriously dying of the heat, but we`re half way through August now. Well we`ve had to let go of a few people this week. It`s hard when you love someone and want them to progress, but they just don`t. But God has his time for everyone. Maybe they will have more of a desire later on. Our RS president went out with us this week to have a few visits with inactives that we`re teaching. Mariano and his family, and Maria and Santo and their family. We had really good lessions with both families and have a lot of hope for them. Both families have attended church since I got here. Mariano came on Sunday with his kids. We`re still working with his wife, she isn`t a member. Eva is still progressing very quickly. She couldn`t come to church on Sunday because she had a guy working on her bathroom and she had to stay in the house while he was there. But her daughters came! They really love the church! Melina also came! She has changed completely. I`ve been teaching her my whole time here and she`s always had a desire to come back, but wanted to come back with her husband. He has less of a desire though. So she recently decided that no one would take away her blessings and wants to come every Sunday. Hopefully her husband will start to come soon. We`ve also been working with a less active lady Estela. Her son has been on a mission in Mexico and gets back this week! So we`ve been trying to help her come back before he gets here. It will really help her to have him in the house again and motivate her to do the right things. On Monday we planned an activity for Emily and Johan to watch the Restoration video and invited several members that are friends with them, but I don`t know what happened. They didn`t show up. We called, they didn`t answer. We passed by their house, they weren`t there. So we`re going to have to plan it again. We`re going to visit them tonight to see what happened. But we watched another church movie with everyone that came and had popcorn. It was fun. Yesterday we found a great new family! I love finding families. They seemed really interested. We`re planning another activity with Ivelice for next week. We`re inviting lots of members and we`re going to eat and have an FHE with her and her daughter. She told us yesterday that she has plans to give up selling lottery numbers the beginning of next month (because she`s already paid for the month). Then she`ll finally be able to come to church again!! She seriously knows so much and is progressing a lot. She just needs to go to church. Anyways, that`s about all that`s happened this week. Mom, so glad to hear you`re getting better. Hope the headaches go away soon. (I asked Stephanie about the money they receive for living expenses)…So with our money, we receive 3800 pesos (about $90) every 15 days. We use it for food, transportation, other things we need. It seems like so much but we all just barely make it to the next apoyo. Haha. I`m using the last of my money to write you guys. Apoyo comes tomorrow. :) We don`t pay for rent, but we share our water with our neighbors so we pay for that every other month, but we get reimbursements of course. Well I love you all. Have a great week!

Hermana Woolf

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 - Week 50!

Hey Fam! First of all, Mom I can`t believe what happened to you!! You had to get staples in your head!? That`s so crazy! Does it hurt a lot?? It`s really weird because this week I`ve actually been thinking about the family and I felt like something bad was going to happen so I`ve been praying for everyone a lot. Maybe it`s just a coincidence. When do they take the staples out? I hope you heal quickly! Wow 50 weeks. So crazy. I can`t believe I`ll have a year this month. My time is slipping away. I feel like I`ve learned a lot though. This week has been super great and packed full of experiences. So it started off kinda interesting. On Thursday we visited one of our inactives Jorge that has come to church a couple times. He said he`s been praying to know what to do and had a dream that he should go back to the Catholic church and took that as revelation. We tried the best we could to help him understand that the dreams we have aren`t always revelations and to keep praying, but I think he`s made up his mind. Sounds like he never really had a testimony, but got baptized to please the missionaries. I hope he can receive a true answer still. On Friday we visited one of our investigators, Sonya with a member that lives close and knows her a little. She lost her daughter a couple years ago and still has a hard time getting over it. Another religion taught her when it happened that she could see her daughter again after this life and she wanted to take her life in that moment to be able to see her. It`s really sad. She`s better now, but she still feels alone. So we taught that we are never alone and the member with us gave her her number and told her to call her at any moment that she feels alone and she`ll come over to talk with her. It was a really great lession. When we left, we headed over to Nefeti and Jesus, other investigators. Well there was a couple there from another religion coming to preach just like us. I really really hate these circumstances. It`s very awkward. They aren`t going to change their beliefs and we aren`t either so basically we`re just going back and forth teaching doctrine and sharing scriptures in front of our investigators. They we`re trying to prove that Christ was the last prophet and that there can`t be another prophet ever again. So we explained about revelation and that God still talks to his children and loves us so we need guidance. It was uncomfortable, but I feel like we did the best we could. I hope our investigators understood what we taught. We invited them to pray about it. In reality, we`re the only church that invites people to pray to know the truth because we know that God will respond truthfully. On Saturday we were fasting (here we fast from lunch to lunch not dinner to dinner. It`s SO much easier). But anyways, we went the whole week with no one offering us food or a drink or anything, but of course this always happens. The one day we are fasting, everyone offers us stuff. We got offered soda, crackers, juice, more food that I don`t know how to explain what it is. Anyways, it was hard because the people don`t understand and I feel like they are offened, but the fast means so much more when you do have to give up stuff because you remember better what you`re fasting for. We visited a couple of the recent converts and invited them to bear their testimonies in Sunday. So on Sunday we had a ton of people in church. Claudia, and inactive and her daughters, Emily and Johan, a girl we met and invited to church on Saturday that`s friends with one of the recent converts, and Eva and her daughters. When we did the consecha a couple weeks ago, my companion and another missionary and our RS president contacted her house. She`s the one I said that works for the branch president in Tamboril. So we`ve been visiting her and her family and she came to church on Sunday for the first time. It was so incredible: She got up and bore her testimony!!! It was awesome!! Everyone was so impressed! Then our RS president got up and she was so happy to see the fruits of going out with the missionaries. She got to feel for the first time, what we get to feel when we see people progress. It was a great testimony builder for her. Eva participated in all the classes and asked to have one of the principles of the gospel books that we use to teach the investigator class so she can study it. We have really high hopes for her! On Monday we visited Emily and Johan. Emily has had doubts about getting baptized so we decided to read the interview questions to them so they know what they will be asked if they decide to get baptized and so we could know what doubts they have. They have doubts about the gospel being restored to the earth and Thomas S. Monson because they`ve never heard him speak. Not because they don`t believe in modern day prophets, they just don`t have enough information about him. So we`re going to have an activity in a members house to watch the Restoration movie. Hopefully that will help them. But they believe in everything else. It was Awilda`s birthday (the daughter of Wendy) that day too so we went over and celebrated with them. She turned 6. We brought a cake and soda and I gave her my last glow up ring that you sent me Mom. She LOVED it. And all the other girls asked if I would give them one for their birthdays. Haha. But I don`t think I`ll be here for any more of their birthdays. We`ve been reading the BOM with a lot of our investigators to help them gain a testimony of it and they all seem to be in the Isaiah chapters right now. It is super hard to explain, but God has helped me understand things I wouldn`t normally understand. We had a ward council yesterday. The church wants to help members provide for themselves so it will help a few to start their own buisnesses in their homes. A lot of members are excited about it. Today for pday we went to the church with the elders and our mission leader and another YSA guy in the branch and played volleyball! It was really fun (maybe because my team won) :) And we got permission to watch a movie so we attempted to watch Frozen on YouTube. We couldn`t find one of good quality and it skipped all the songs, but I really liked it! It was really cute! But that`s about it. Finally! Haha. Super busy week. Oh and thanks for all the letters you all wrote when you were at the reunion! I loved them! But I`m running out of time so I gotta go. I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!!

Hermana Woolf

Wednesday, July 31, 2014 - Week 49

Hey everyone! Thanks for all your emails this week! Things are good. We had transfers today, but I´m staying in Villa Gonzalez with my companion another transfer. We found out on Friday that she wouldn`t be training, but I was so sure I would be leaving still since she only has 2 transfers left. I thought President would send someone new to start learning the area, but I guess there`s still more for me to do here... It`s pretty funny though. I told everyone I was leaving and took pictures and everything. It`s gonna be kinda awkward now going back to visit them all. Haha. Oh well. So I`ve recovered really well from the chikungunya. I still have a little pain in one of my feet (just like if I step on a rock wrong) but other than that I feel completely back to normal. It`s lucky really. There are a lot of people here that have had effects for a month or more now. Especially the older people. Their feet have gotten super swollen and no matter what they try, it won`t go down. So they have trouble walking. It`s so sad. But that`s crazy the percentage of people that will receive it here! The president of the country promised some big prize or something for whoever doesn`t get it. Haha. How will he know though? So when I was sick, all the missionaries in my zone still came and did the consecha in our area so this week we`ve been trying to contact a lot of them. One lady works for the branch president in Tamboril so that was cool to find out! So I couldn`t give my talk last week since I was sick so the branch president called me Thursday night to speak this past Sunday. I`m glad I still got the chance. I spoke on covenants. It went really well. This lady that`s inactive that we`ve been teaching my whole time here finally came to church for the first time! We went and visited her that afternoon and she said she loved it and wants to go to church every week. We always knew she had a lot of potential, that`s why we`ve stuck with her. She was just scared to go back after so long. But she remembered almost everyone and everyone was so welcoming. Now we just have to help her husband come back too. Also a few weeks ago I said there was a couple that came with their kids for the first time. Well the parents had to go to the hospital on Sunday, but the kids came on their own. We visited her yesterday and I don`t know what happened but she has changed completely. She left the church because she wanted to go to another church, but yesterday she was saying that she wants to come back to this church and wants to serve the Lord in any way she can, etc. I think it`s because on Sunday when she went to the hospital, she was there with her mom who has problems in her feet. They are totally black and the doctors keep cutting more and more back of her skin or something. It`s been going on for a long time. Well, on Sunday she felt something that her mom would be healed and since Sunday the blackness has disappeared and her feet are healing. She was crying telling us the story. I think it was a testimony builder for her to have that feeling before it happened. I hope she really does come back. Also, our investigator that married the guy from Spain told us this week that she finally wants to give up selling lottery numbers and come to church. I seriously forget she isn`t a member sometimes. She talks like she is. She was telling us yesterday that she wants to be sealed in the Temple and have a Mormon family, etc. It was really cool. I think she just needs time though. We`ve been reading the Book of Mormon with her and we`re finishing 1 Nephi. So we didn`t have our missionary activity last Saturday because there was a stake activity for the men for Father`s Day (which was Sunday). But we`re going to try to find another day to do it. Maybe next week. Not many will receive diplomas, but there are a few that worked really hard to get it and did everything they needed to. But that`s about everything for this week. Mom sounds like you have a ton of great kids in your seminary class! That`s great that you`re visiting each of them. And it`s so exciting about Chelsea and Bryce having a boy! Him and the little boy Squire will be best friends! Can`t wait to hear about my new nephew! Just 3 more weeks! Good luck with everything Melissa! (in case he comes early). And Happy Birthday Ryan! Have a great week everyone! I love you!

Hermana Woolf

Wednesday, July 23, 2014 - Week 48

This has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. Yes... I got the chikungunya... Man it was rough. I guess I spoke too soon in my last email because I got it that night (Wednesday). :( It started with a rash all over my body and a fever and pain in my feet and back. Thursday and Friday were the worst. I had a fever of 103.6 and I couldn`t sleep because of the pain. Then I got nausea bad. I couldn`t eat almost anything this whole week. On Monday I tried to get going and almost passed out so we went to the doctor but they didn`t do anything for me. Just told me to drink lots of liquids and rest. Today is the first day I`ve felt a little better and could leave my bed. My companion took good care of me though. And practically the whole branch came and visited me during the week. They were so sweet. Even random people in the street that I`ve never seen before are asking me if I`m better. It`s pretty funny. Everyone is talking about the rubia. I did lose like 8 lbs though! Haha yeah I know it`s not healthy, but just looking at the bright side. :) But that`s about all that`s gone on this week. Haha. Very interesting I know. So that`s really exciting about the investigator progressing. Every investigator has something that holds them back a little, but I`m sure the missionaries will help her through it. It`s good that you are going with them to the visits. It happens a lot that the people get attached to the missionaries and then when the missionaries leave, they stop coming to church so that`s why it`s so important that they have a friend to keep going no matter what missionaries are there. So what age group do you have mom for seminary? Did you get the freshman? I think they are probably the easiest to teach. It`s their first year and they are excited still to go to seminary and like to participate. Do you have anyone in your class that I would know? Wow that`s so crazy that Megan Dahl is off for her mission already! The time passes so fast! Wow Christina is going to run a half marathon!? I didn`t know she was training for that! That`s awesome! I love all the pics! I can`t believe how big Brock is! He looks just like Riley. Everyone looks so cute. You can`t even tell Melissa is pregnant in some of those pics! Haha. Well we have interviews with Pres Douglas tomorrow and we`ll find out if my comp is training. Next week I might be in a new area!! Crazy. Can`t believe I have 11 months already. Well I love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Woolf

From Stephanie’s Mission President’s wife:
Chikungunya has hit epidemic proportions here.  Government estimates of those infected range from 400,000 to 1,00,000!  The dire prediction that one-third of the population will contract the disease has been changed to 40%-75% expected to contract the disease.  Imagine 75% of a population contracting a disease!  The absenteeism in businesses has had a huge negative impact on the economy, and it’s only expected to get worse. We’ve now had between 40-45 missionaries contract Chikungunya Fever.  As soon as they get sick, we encourage them to seek a Priesthood blessing. Fortunately, our missionaries seem to be in the sweet spot of age that recovers the quickest and with the fewest long-lasting side effects.  So far we’ve been very blessed.  As of now, even though we’ve had some very sick missionaries, we don’t have any missionaries experiencing long-term side effects.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - Week 47

Hey Fam! Glad to hear you all had a great reunion. It was kinda hard seeing all the photos, not being there, but I know I`m where I need to be. Sounds like you all had a ton of fun! The shirts look super cute. I like the idea about the gift of the heart. That will work out much better. It was always kinda hard to figure out what to give to a couple. Well it`s been a good week. It started with the strike, but it was more in the elders area, not in ours so we could still go out teaching. But unfortunately a couple people died. One of which was the sister of an inactive in our branch. He hasn`t come for a really long time and is an ex missionary and everything. Well he came this Sunday. It`s really sad, but also a big testimony builder. It just shows that in difficult times, it`s God that we really need. I think he`s figuring that out. I still haven`t gotten the chikengunya!! It seems like the whole world wants me to get it though.. Haha. They all say I`m next and keep asking me about it. I`m not gonna get it though. I`ve already decided. Lol. My companion and I went to Mao again this past Saturday for another baptism. We paid a member to drive us there and back so we didn`t have to stay the night again. It was good. We`ve had a ton of meetings this week. Ward council 2 times (because the first time hardly anyone showed us), a meeting with our branch president to plan the consecha this Saturday, and our meeting with the mission leader. The elders have been starting to play basketball at the church each Thursday because every teenage boy in the neighborhood comes so they are trying to befriend them to come to church. Well President wants us to start a volleyball team as well to help the teenage girls... We`ll see how it goes. The members have really been helping us this week! We`ve gone out with members like the last 4 days in a row for like 3 or 4 hours each! The lessions have been so much better. And guess what? I got to see Elizabett this week!! She was visiting here and so we got to teach her a lession! She has a baptismal date for next month. I hope it works out! So today has been an interesting day. We went and played baseball with our zone and another. Let me tell you. Playing baseball with Dominicans is a whole different ball game. Seriously every batter hits a home run. It was so crazy. We went and played at this baseball field in the middle of no where so when it was time to go, there were NO cars driving by to go to Santiago. And there were like 30 of us so we knew it would be hard. Well we decided to walk. I have no idea why because it would have taken us like 2 hours to get back I think. Well a huge construction truck passed by and said we could hitch a ride so we all jumped in the back! But it only took us a part of the way. So then we split up into groups. We were in a group of 8, continuing to walk. Finally a car came by so we all jumped in. All of us. My comp and I in the front seat and 6 elders in the back seat. It was so crazy! But he only charged us 200 pesos (50 cents each) to go all the way to Santiago. It worked out really well. Then we were eating at this place called Jumbo and an elder proposed to one of the sisters in the mission!!! Haha. I was like ¨what!?¨ But I guess they were dating before the mission for like 4 years and got called to the same mission and the sister is going home in 2 weeks and he doesn`t go home until December so he decided to propose now. Not gonna lie it was pretty uncomfortable because after proposing they couldn`t even touch each other. Not even a hug. Hahahaha.  It was pretty funny. But still. We`re missionaries! It just felt weird. Well transfers are in 2 weeks. I`m pretty positive I`m leaving. My comp only has 2 transfers left so she`ll either train or have another companion until she finishes. I hope I`m sent to a good area! I really have loved Villa Gonzalez, but it`s been a challenge. It`s hard not to see the fruits of your work. But in reality we have had lots of small miracles here, especially with the members. I feel like I can leave with a feeling of success even though I haven`t had any baptisms. Not gonna lie it`s been hard though. But, the Lord knows what`s best for me and all the people I`m teaching. Maybe someone will accept the gospel after I leave. Well I love you all so much! Glad you had a great week!

Hermana Woolf

Wednesday, July 9 - Week 46

Hey fam! It`s weird to think you`re all together right now. I hope you`re having fun! I want to hear all about the reunion next week! Ok first of all, I have the best parents in the whole world! I got the package today! It was PERFECT! Wow everything I wanted and more. I love the spurs shirt! And thanks for all the clothes (sorry that was such a hassle.) So thankful to have new garments! And an umbrella and bug spray! The little towelettes look like they will be great for taking on the go. Plus a cookie mix and candy and crystal light and not 1 not 2, but 4 different kinds of mints! Thank you! And wow the letters were so great! Not gonna lie, it felt pretty good to get like 40 letters! Everyone was so jealous. :) All the youth talked about Francisco? Haha. Which letter did you share with them? That was so sweet that they all wrote me. Several I don`t even know and they all said ¨can`t wait to meet you!¨ Haha. I wish I could write them all back, but I`m really grateful for them all. Jamie`s graduation card looks so cute! And thanks for sending Daniel`s invitation too! Wish I could have been there for the reception. Can you give me the email address of Sister Orme so I can thank her for bringing the package? Sounds like you guys had a great 4th of July. How I wish I could go swimming right now. It`s getting SO hot. I can`t imagine how August will be. Well it`s been a slow week. My companion got the chikengunya and was stuck in bed for 3 days... I`ve never been so bored in my life. Lol. Still standing strong! I think I will be the last one standing from the chikengunya. Literally everyone has gotten it. I guess I shouldn`t speak yet though... So we`re having ANOTHER strike here tomorrow. It`s actually all over the country this time. So we`re not going to be able to leave the house tomorrow. :( It might even last 2 days. Things are going really well with our missionary goal! The members are really getting into it! They are coming to US to ask to go out with us and give us references. It`s so awesome!! Everyone wants their diploma. :) Wendy (the excommunicated member that we visit) was really sad because she couldn`t get a diploma since she can`t be a visiting teacher or go on visits with us. But we told her if she did the other 3 things she could get one. So I`ve been asked to give a talk not this Sunday, but the next on service. If anyone has a good quote or any ideas, I would love to hear them! We`re finally going to have our consecha next Saturday. All the members have been notified to go out with us and the other misisonaries so I hope it all goes well. Somebody needs to send me a pic of Jaden`s missing tooth!!! And Kale at the piano!! Wow I can`t believe Sam Elmer is already done! That went SO fast! That`s so awesome Mom that you`re going out with the missionaries! It helps so much to have a member present. So in our lessons we use the Book of Mormon and Bible a lot but there are some really good scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants that I like to share. Here are a few...D&C 6:20, 36 ; D&C 8:2-3 ; D&C 9:7-9 ; D&C 14:7 ; D&C 19:16-19 ; D&C 20:37 ; D&C 58:42-43 ; D&C 59:9-15 ; D&C 90:24 ; D&C 97:8 ; D&C 100:5-8 (for the members) ; D&C 121:7-8 ; D&C 130:22 ; D&C 137:9. Well I love you all so much! Have a wonderful time in Virginia! I`ll be thinking of you!

Hermana Woolf