Contact Information

E-mail: amy.woodland@myldsmail.net

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

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