January 27, 2014 (I'm Alive!!!)

Hello my fav five!

     This last week has been a crazy one! I went on two exchanges back to back... We had a "Zone Transfer Conference" and then we had our Sister Training Leader Exchange the next day! I packed up some of my things and went to my first exchange and was put in a trio with Sister Hindman (who was in my district at the MTC) and Sister Jakins. It was a lot of fun and it helped realize things I need to work on to become a better missionary! The next day I went on an exchange with the Sister Houser who is one of the Sister Training Leaders and I stayed in my area for this exchange! I was sooooooooooooo nervous because I had to lead my area! I didn't have Sister Page there to rely on when I didn't know what I was doing... hahaha BUT I made it out alive! It actually went really well and I think I did alright at leading my area for my very first time EVER! This week was just full of lots of learning experiences! This whole mission is filled with lots of learning experiences!! It makes my brain hurt sometimes.... (; We invited one of our investigators names Jovette to be baptized and she said YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!! I was so excited I wanted to cry! hahah (Surprise) We are working with her right now on quitting smoking and drinking, but she said she is willing to stop! We told her that we would give up something as well because we know that giving up everything that she has done and that she is addicted to is not going to be easy to say the least! She told us she will think about what she wants us to give up on Tuesday! So this is going to be TONS of fun! Hopefully she doesn't make me stop eating sugar.... hahahah But I would do anything to help her! She is so great! I love her sooooo much! She really hates her entire family though and it is soooo sad! The whole family is in shambles. We are actually working with the entire Bosket family! hahah Jovette's Aunt is actually on date to be baptized on Feb. 16th! We are working with Jovette's mom and her mom's "finance" (baby daddy) Henry! Tamara is her mom's name and she is a Less Active! Henry is an Investigator and we are working on the law of chastity with them because they are living together! They have been together for 18 years!! They really should just get married already.... We're working on it though...! (: I love these people so much! I really am in the "hood" and everyone keeps telling me that! Everyone we go to teach asks me if I like the "hood" hahahaha I LOVE IT! It is my absolute favorite place ever! So this week has been really pretty good! I am getting better on not being so homesick and I am getting more and more use to being a missionary in Joysey! (:

     So to answer a few of your questions.... We do not get fed by very many people... I have only been fed once by a family in the branch and that was this last Friday! AND this poor families basement flooded and they have NO heat at all yet they still fed us! I love the Torrez family sooooooo much! Sister Torrez seriously just gives gives gives gives and gives, yet she won't let us help her.... She did finally say that they needed help drying her children's books that were soaked when their basement flooded! We are doing a service project for them tonight and we are all getting together and bringing our blow dryers and we are going to dry these books for her! It should be lots of fun! (: SHE IS FINALLY LETTING US HELP HER!! YAY! (: Some members of the branch are also going to bring some space heaters so they can have at least some heat in their home because they serisously have zero... I do not know how they even live like that... Now to the whole money situation we are given $165 a month for things like food, shampoo, and just like essential things! I didn't get that full amount for some reason, but I will be getting reimbursed for my luggage at the airport so that is good! AND I will be much better at managing my money! (: My perfume did make it to Jersey so that was a relief!!! hahaha Good thing we hid it soooo well (; I have recieved both of your packages so thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for sending them! I really appreciate it! When you send things to the mission home I don't get them for awhile because we have to wait until Zone Conferences to recieve that mail! It is probably a little safer to send it there, but I got this last package just fine! (: I still haven't heard if Marisa recieved her package or not??

     Anyway... I cannot remember all of your questions, so I will try to answer them more when I write a letter later today! Thanks again for everything you all do for me! I LOVE HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU!! I appreciate it more than you will ever realize! YOU DA BEST! (: I serioulsy have the greatest family! So don't worry about me out here! I am being watched over! (: I love this gospel so much! I love sharing my love for this gospel with others even when they really don't want to talk to me... (: haha I hope all of you have a great week! I am praying for each of you! I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK! WE GOT THIS!!! <3

 

Love, Your Favorite Missionary!!! 

January 23, 2014 (Pictorials)

January 23, 2014 (Random Email Time!!)

Hello again Family!!

     So we only got an hour to email this last Monday and normally we are allowed two hours so we get to have another hour to email this week!! I was so excited to find that out! YAY! (: So much happens every single day... it really just blows my mind! Time goes by so fast and yet so slow sometimes! This week is already FLYING by though! I cannot believe it is Thursday already...But thank you for sending me Hayley Ackerman's email! It is always helpful knowing that I am not the only missionary out here who has hard times sometimes... hahaha Prayer really is the best though! She is so right when she says that prayer always does work, we just have to be willing to look for the answers to our prayers! I have learned very fast that we have to have faith that the Lord WILL answer our prayers! That He is mindful of us! I have seen God's hand in EVERYTHING that I am doing out here! It just makes me think about the scripture D&C 84:88 over and over agian! (That scripture has been on my mind a ton lately) But it says, "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." THIS IS SO ACCURATE! I constantly feel angels all around me, bearing me up! I know that the Lord truly does protect me wherever I am going! I have been able to witness that a couple of times so far! So it snowed... hahaha like A TON!!! When it is extremely bad weather we either get a text that our cars are "grounded" or to basically stay inside. I was sort of hoping that we would get the text telling us to just stay inside for the day.... but we got the other text... hahaha Shoot! The Lord knew I needed to be humbled real quick! We bundled up and spent our Tuesday playing in the snow! (Or contacting... either way) We seriously were walking in a blizzard! It was awesome! Rough, but awesome! We went from door to door knocking on each one to see if we could talk to ANYONE, anyone at all, about the gospel! For the first 3 hours no one wanted to talk to us.... These New Jersey people don't quite know yet what they are missing out on... So we went back to our home for 30 minutes to warm up. We then went out again! People kept telling us that they did believe in Jesus Christ, but they were from some other church. They would also tell us to go home! One lady told us that we were crazy to be out in that kind of weather! We told her that we have a great message to share and he has to be great or we wouldn't be wondering around in a blizzard! She didn't really care... hahaha Oh goodness I love these people! We FINALLY had a sweet man let us actually come inside! Him and his wife were catholic I believe and really didn't want to hear the message we wanted to share with them, but they were very sweet! They were seriously the first people to actually let us in and just because of the kindness I wanted to cry! It can get extremely hard door knocking when NO ONE wants to hear a thing you have to say! A lot of the people here don't even open their doors to talk to us... hahah they just keep them closed and talk to us through the glass... That is always a good time! We made the best out of the day though! The snow was seriously up to our knees! No joke! It was intense! As cold as that day was I was sooooo warm! It was awesome! Definitely another miracle! I was having a great time playing in the snow while we would walk to houses though! We were able to teach 3 lessons that day and got into 2 homes! SWEET! We got a new investigator that day as well! See, the Lord really is blessing us! Even if it is just one person! Sister Page always tells me, when I get discouraged because no one wants to listen to us, "At least we are trying, right? The Lord knows we are giving it our all. We are doing what we are called to be doing." And it is so true! Even though Tuesday may have been a little discouraging I was so happy because we were really giving it our all and talking to everyone we possibly could! People thought we were crazy though...(: Missionary work is incredibly hard, so you have to make it fun!

     I really love you all so very very much! Thanks for everything you do for me each and every day! I love your emails and letters! I do miss you all like crazy, but I love what I am doing! Even though it is hard! (: Keep updating me on your lives! I want to be in the loop! If I am not in the loop I will probably just cry... hahahahahah I'm just kidding I really can't cry here anymore. People think there is something wrong with me.... (; (I get that from you mother) Ooooooh, SHOUT OUT, to Dad real quick! Thanks for being such a worthy priesthood holder ALL the time! You are such an amazing example daddio! I look up to you and want to marry someone like you one day! (like in a lot of days, waaaaaaaaay down the road) But anyway, you just rock! God definitely put me in our family for a reason! To help you all keep on the straight and narrow path...(: hahaha I'm just kidding! So you all can help ME stay on the straight and narrow path! You all are such incredible examples to me! I seriously brag about each of you all day everyday! I have a saying here, but it probably is really not the best saying to say... So I just say it to other missionaries and I will just say it to you peeps! Are you ready for this............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ "It's all good in the hood until someone gets shot!!" But seriously though... the hood is my favorite part of Jersey! The people in these areas are sooooo humble! They truly need God! The richer people don't want anything to do with us or God! Rude. Well my eternal family, I probably should get off now.... MAAAAAN! I LOVE YA'LL TO THE MOON AND BACK! But fer real dough! (: (I have to talk a little black beause those are the people I teach!) I am learning from them! I LOVE THEM! (: Remember, WE GOT THIS! Thanks again for your amazingness! MUAH! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

 

Love, Sister Woodland

 

P.S. I got a sinus infection..... Fun, right?! But don't worry about me! I am making the most of it! (: hahaha

January 20, 2014 (1 Month Down)

Family!

     Can you believe that I have been out a whole month!!!! It feels like it has gone by sooo fast! Time really is so crazy on the Mission! We do get to email a little today, but not a ton! So this will have to be a shorter email! I AM DOING BETTER!!! YAY! (: hahahaha (what a relief, right?!) But serioulsy! Sister Page and I are getting a long great! I think I was having such a hard time because, well... I am a brat sometimes and everything was just so new! She is still crazy, but I love her! Also, the miracle that I wanted to share with you today is the fact that I have still been homesick and I was REALLY struggling at the beginning of last week. I kept praying and praying that I would feel better and know that I am where I am suppose to be right now! On either Thursday or Friday morning I was so over it! I was tired of feeling like I was feeling and wanted to be able to just get over it already! As I was doing my personal studies the thought came to me that I should get a blessing. I didn't want to ask to get another one because the week before I had gotten one because I was sick. I didn't want everyone to think I am, like g-ma would say, a "pansy". hahaha So being the stubborn person I am I just thought to myself that I would get over it. That as the days past by I would just have to eventually get over my homesickness! We started our companion study and our cell phone rang. I looked at it  and there was a message from Elder Murray who is my district leader. He asked us if we were doing okay. He said that he felt like something was wrong and just wanted to know if everything was alright. SERIOUSLY A MIRACLE! As I read the text to Sister Page I started to cry (surprise again) Sister Page had also been thinking that she needed a blessing as well!! It was so cool to see how the Lord really does answer prayers! He knew that we needed a blessing that day and I am so grateful that Elder Murray acted on that prompting! The Lord is truly helping me through everything I go through out here! I know that I couldn't be doing the things I am doing if it weren't for the Lord's help! I got to go to Ellis Island today to be trained on what we will be doing there! It was incredible to be so close to the Statute of Liberty! Awesome! I will send pictures and stuff next week! We have one baptism for Feb. 16th and hopefully two more! We had THREE investigators at church on Sunday and 1 less active! It was amazing! They are all so amazing! I love the people here! They are definitely crazy, but I love them! I love being a missionary! It so so hard, but I wouldn't change it for the world! We live in more of the city area and Jersey drives are SCARY! I drove for the first time last week and it was terrifying! haha We do have a pretty big area so we are not biking... It also might be because it is still pretty cold. Who knows... I am just grateful we have a car! haha Thanks for the letters! I appreciate them SOOOOOOOOOOOO much! It makes my day to look in our mail box and see mail! It really helps me to get through the day! Seriously I just have the best family ever! thanks for all your love and support! I know I say that like every email, but I really appreciate it! You could send packages to either address... I think our address is pretty safe, but if you feel better than you can just send them to the mission home! Sorry I don't have a ton of time to email! I have so much I want to tell you guys! AHHH! hahaha I will just have to tell you next week! I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK! I am praying for you every single day (like 29 times a day)! WE GOT THIS!

Love, Sister Woodland

P.S. One of the members of the branch came up to me yesterday at church and complimented me on my talk i gave and told me it was the best talk he has ever heard a missionary give!!! I was speechless... I didn't know what to say except thank you! He told me I was going to be a great leader of this church one day.... so that's terrifying... hahaha I told him that I sure hope not! hahahahaha shoot!

January 13, 2014 (First Week in Jersey!! (The Projects))

FAMILY!!!

     Oh my goodness! I miss all of you like crazy!!! So my new companion/trainers name is Sister Page. She is from Preston Idaho and she is crazy... hahaha I am struggling each day to get along with her. BUT I pray for her each day and for help from Heavenly Father to love her and to serve her! He has definitely helped me a ton because I do love her and feel more comfortable around her! I just have to take each day at a time! Things just keep getting better as the days go by!! This first week here in Jersey has been a hard one! On Tuesday night I was really light headed and feeling a little nauseas. I thought it was just because I was so exhausted and that I had so much going through my mind. We got settled into our new apartment and I couldn't even unpack that first night! I just went straight to bed. The next day I got up and felt awful! EVERYTHING around me kept moving and I felt sooooo nauseas!! We had our first Zone Meeting that day so we went to that and I was just hoping that I would feel better! BUT I didn't.... hahaha shoot! I was able to receive a blessing from my district leader Elder Murray and then we called the nurse. She is a senior missionary and her name is Sister Gilbert. She told me that I was extremely dehydrated and that we needed to get water and gatorade and stay in our apartment for the rest of the day! So we did just that. I threw up twice so that was fun! It was nice to get things more situated in the apartment, but it was really hard for me! I WAS SOOOOOOO HOMESICK! I cried lots that day... I just miss you people like crazy!! It was really hard for me to be in such a new place with a new companion and then on top of it all I really didn't feel well!! But Things are getting better as the days go by!! I pray everyday for the strength to not be so homesick in such a foreign place and let me tell you, IT IS FOREIGN!!! I am really doing a ton better now! I just think it was so hard because EVERYTHING was so new to me! Our apartment is okay! hahaha We live above to sets of apartments, but it is in a house.... Does that make sense?? Our land lady, Pat, lives in the basement and then a couple whom we haven't met yet lives in the middle floor, and we live on the top floor! We have a kitchen, a dining area, a living room, a room we do our studying in, our bedroom, and a bathroom! It actually has a lot of room in it! It smelt like a 90 year old women or man though when we first moved in.... so we got wall plug ins and now it smells like apples!! hahaha The houses here in Jersey are SOOOOO different from Utah and Idaho... It is hard to get use to! It is just all so different here! We are not really suppose to drink the water here because it is pretty bad... So we just buy water bottles and use those! I haven't seen any crazy bugs yet so that's a blessing! hahaha We have met a couple of people and I already love them all so much!!!! The first lady we taught is a less active and her name is Nancy! She thinks she has been resurrected so this is going to be tons of fun!! (: hahaha She told us that we are now officially in "The Projects"!!!! AWESOME! (: We really are though... Some of the areas that we have been are really sketchy... They have graffiti everyone and like gangs just standing in the streets! We went into an apartment complex yesterday to visit a lady named Veronica who is set to be baptized on Feb. 2nd!!!!! When we went into the building it smelt like weed, alcohol, and other drugs SOOOO strongly! It was almost overpowering... It took my breathe away! It was really dirty with graffiti on the walls inside and cigarettes and beer bottles everywhere! Even though we go to some scary areas! I fell so safe!! I really do! I know that I am being protected and watched over! It is really the coolest experience! I love that the Holy Ghost is guiding me and protecting me! So don't worry about me because I am safe here!! The people we are teaching are really so incredible! They have been through so much in their lives... It just blows me away! They also have sooo little yet they are so grateful for what they do have! It is such a humbling experience to be with them and to share the gospel with them! I LOVE THEM! I was sooo good to finally get to go to church yesterday!! We are in a branch because there are not very many member here.... Like hardly any! We will change that though! (: But me and Sister Page were asked to speak in sacrament! hahaha It was terrifying! My first Sunday out in the field and I had to speak! But I got so many compliments and in President Jeppsons new letter it talked about how the Branch president complimented me and my powerful testimony and how that was one of the best sacrament meetings they have had to far! It made me cry all over again.... hahaha I love the members of our branch! Everyone is so sweet and so welcoming! We also got to sing in Sacrament with all of the missionaries! There are 7 Sister Missionaries and 2 Elders in our Branch alone.... We basically make up the branch... hahahaha But we sang 'This is the Christ'. We also got to attend a baptism of a little boy! Church was awesome! So things are really going well here! I am doing much better so don't worry about me! (: I do miss you people like crazy, but I know that I am here to help these sweet people! They need the gospel! Thanks again for being such an incredible family! I just feel so blessed for being put in such an amazing family and I am so thankful for yours prayers and your love! It means more to me than you will ever realize!!! I am so glad that things are going well for you all!! I am so sorry that Lori's dad passed away, but we are so blessed that we get to live with our families for all of eternity!! GREAT JOB on your New Year's resolution Mom!! (: I love it! Tell Megan that she's got this! I pray for all of you each day (Like 8 times a day) hahaha (: Keep shooting those hoops b-ryce! You better be pro when I get home! Glad you are out of the house and doing something Mallo! (: Thanks for your sweet example to me Dad! You ALL are so amazing! Serioulsy! I've got the best family EVER!!!! (: Keep emailing me and writing me letters it helps me get through my days!!!! I NEED THEM! hahahaha Tell everyone else to email me and write letters too! (: Have a great week! LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK! WE GOT THIS!!! (: <3

Love, Sister Woodland

January 6, 2014 (I Made It to New Jersey!)

Family!!

     I have officially made it to New Jersey!!!! Can you even believe it?! I can't....hahahaha it all feels so surreal! I was so glad I got to talk to some of you this morning and so sad that I didn't get to talk to the rest of you!! I hope things are going well for you and things continue to go well!! I just miss you all like crazy, but I am grateful to finally be out in the field! My mission President and his wife are the best!! They are so sweet and so welcoming! They had dinner ready for us when we got to the mission home tonight and it was soooooooooooooo good!! Home made food!! I have missed that so much! I am excited to find out who my companion/trainer will be tomorrow and also extremely nervous to find out too!!!! I can't wait to start serving and teaching my brothers and sisters of New Jersey!! There are no breaks out on the mission it is literally go, go, go! I am grateful to be out here! Pray for me though, please?? (: I LOVE YOU GUYS TO THE MOON AND BACK!! Thanks for all the love and support! I appreciate it more than you'll ever know!! WE GOT THIS!!! <3

Love, Sister Woodland

MTC Pictures

Companionship

Having as much fun in the snow as I can...

By the MTC world map

I LOVE the blanket!

I hung my stocking for Christmas!

I also LOVE all of the presents and things you guys have given me!!! <3

Part of my favorite people! This is some of my zone! I love them!!!

We got Christmas Lights!

This is me and my companions! Sister Porter is the red head and Sister Giles is the blonde one! The elders are in our district!!

We have fun in the MTC

The other two elders in our district

EVERYONE

Companions

Sister Giles

All the sisters in our Zone! 

The whole Zone!

Me and Elder Sinsel!

This is my Branch President and his wife!!!!

This elder bore his testimony to me on my second day here... needless to say we are best friends now!!!

This is Elder Vecchi! 

Me and Elder Mcbride

One of our teachers Brother Clancy

All of our district with another one of our teachers Elder Glancy!!! 

January 4, 2014 (Happy New Year)

Hello Fam (:

     This has been an awesome week!! So much has happened though.... I feel like time is just flying by here! Is it flying by for you guys as well??? I am continually learning soooooooooooooo much every single day even every single minute here!!! I still have so much to learn! I cannot even believe that I fly out IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS!!!!!!! Is that not soooo crazy!! I seriously cannot even believe how fast the time is going! It just blows my mind! The next time I email or write letters home I will be in New Jersey!! It just doesn't even seem real!!! Even though I have so many mixed emotions about entering the mission field I am so excited! I actually get to start serving my brothers and sisters in New Jersey! I have been preparing for this for forever it feels like!!! I cannot wait to call you people and to be able to actually hear your voices on Monday!!! It is so soon and I cannot even wait for it!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! So cool story for this week is we taught our last Investigator on Thursday and her name is Hely (pronounced as Hailey) but she is from Guatemala and is seriously the sweetest lady! On our second visit with her she told us that she wanted to read the Book of Mormon for herself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We didn't even have to ask her to do it! She wants to find out for herself if it is true!!! I felt such a strong impression to ask her to be baptized during this second lesson and kept putting it off because asking people to be baptized so fast really terrifies me... BUT SHE SAID YES!!! She wants to learn more about our church, but that she feels so strongly that she wants to be baptized and she wants her husband, Jose, to be baptized as well!!!! It was such a powerful experience!! After I said the closing prayer she told each of us that she admired us and our spirits! She said that she has never met someone who was so caring and really wanted to help her! It was such an amazing experience and I know that this is why the Lord has kept me in the MTC a week longer than usual! I needed to have this experience! I love being able to feel the spirit so strongly that I can feel a silver of what our Father in Heavens feels about them! This whole missionary thing is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hard, but I wouldn't take any of it back! I am grateful for each experience that I am having hearing because they continue to humble me and to help me learn and grow! I am grateful for the chance I got to prepare and be here at the MTC! I was reading my scriptures the other day (weird, right?!) but it is in 2 Nephi 26:33 and it says, " For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." I love this scripture so much!!!! We are all alike to God. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US! That just makes me so happy! I love this gospel so much and I am so grateful for the opportunity i have to share my love with my brothers and sisters in New Jersey!! 

     I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK!! Thanks for the tights mom!! I love them all and the are perfect!! Also thanks for the cute scarf! I wore it yesterday! (: And for the drugs!! I am still passing out the drugs! hahahaha I passed some out to out new district! The new missionaries that came in out wednesday!! I am finally not the newbie for just a little now.... hahaha but I seriously just love you all so much! I am so grateful for our incredible family and all you do for me and your love and support! It really means more than you'll ever know!!! My flight leaves at 10;00 am on Monday so I will call around 6 or 7 so just be ready!!!!! (: I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!! WE GOT THIS!!! <3

Love, Sister Woodland