Hello my favorite peeps!
So life has definitely been crazy! There has been sooooooooooo much going on! I am doing much better and just like you said mom, "losing myself in the work". I cannot thank you enough for saying that to me and helping talk me down! We all know I get a little anxious... hahaha Seriously though... only just a little bit! But I still have no word on my cyst and which surgeon/doctor I will be seeing for a consultation! I feel like whatever the decision is though will be just fine! I know that I am being watched over and that the Lord is truly helping through everything! SOOOOO.... I am not worried (werid, right?!) But really it is all thanks to you Mother! I have been really trying to lose myself in the work that I am doing out here, but for some reason I just haven't been able to REALLY lose myself. Being able to talk to you about what all is going on with my face helped me more than I even knew I needed help with! The Lord knew I needed to, just as President Hinckley's dad told him, 'Forget yourself and get to work". I NEEDED to hear that! After we were done talking I felt like a different person... haha My whole mindset changed and I knew that I needed to be focused on the things that I am doing here because.... well... I will be here for 17 more months! (: haha So thanks! You're the best mom!
Jersey weather has been NUTS! Like ridiculous... haha It snowed again on Monday and our cars were grounded that day so it was just a really fun P-day stuck inside! Then our cars got grounded AGAIN today because it snowed a ton again last night! Not only did it snow, but it has been raining all today! So everything is just turning into straight ice! It is quite fun walking in it though! (: hahaha I am actually not having too hard of a time with the weather and having to walk! I really like walking and getting more familiar with our area! We can talk to more people when we are walking and crazy things happen when we walk more than when we drive! My boots were a great decision though! I am soooooo grateful I have such good boots or I would be so miserable right now! On one of our walking days we were inside a building getting warm... and as we were getting ready to leave this lady started to talk to us. We decided to give her a card and began talking to her. She starting telling us all about her life. (People do that A LOT) But this sweet lady has been through soooo much! I just couldn't even believe some of the things she has gone through! It is always a humbling experience for me to learn about other people and what they have gone through! We shared a brief message with her about Jesus Christ and then as we were about ready to leave the building this lady gets up and basically yells to everyone in there that she is going to "leave with her Sister Nuns"!!!! hahahahahaha Awwww man! I couldn't stop laughing! I guess we get called Nuns a lot out here, but that was my first experience! I loved it! When we were all outside we were all hugging it out and a car drove by and honked at us. The lady turned right around and in her Joysey accent said, "DON'T YOU HONK AT MY SISTER NUNS! THESE ARE MY GIRLS!" hahaha It was serioulsy one of the greatest experiences! She was awesome! Too bad she doesn't live in our area though... Another experience we had was with one of our less actives. We got to their home and Tamara seemed like she was upset. We asked her if everything was okay and she told us that they weren't and that it had been a hard day for her because of her children! (We teach this entire family, but separately because they don't really like each other) We were directed by the spirit to have a different lesson than we had originally planned on sharing. We talked about adversity and trials. She was able to recieve a priesthood blessing from some of the english elders in our area and then we left! By the time we left she was smiling and finally seemed like herself again! We stopped by their home yesterday to check up on her and see if there was anything we could do to help her out. She then shared with us that when we came over last time it was truly a miracle to her. She told us that 15 minutes before we came the whole situation with her kids had just happened. She was feeling so down and so upset, but that we helped to lift her spirits and remind her that she can get through anything with God's help. It was such a neat experience to know that God was able to work through us to help her out because we had no idea what had just happend 15 mintues prior to our appointment! Tamra said that we were her miracle that day! It made me feel so good! I love being an instrument in God's hand! Being able to see how the gospel can help someone so much is seriously the best experience! The last experience I wanted to share was with one of our referrala named Erika! We have been trying to contact her for awhile, but just haven't been able to get things to work out! We finally were able to meet with her at Dunkin' Donuts yesterday (dunkin' donuts are literally EVERYWHERE here...). She is THE most prepared person I have met so far on my mission! She has most of the same beliefs that we do and when we told her our purpose for teaching her is to follow Christ's example and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority she told us that she had actually been thinking about being baptized and that all of the other churches she had been going to were not giving her everything she was looking for!!!! I MEAN COME ON! She is so ready! She told us she knows that God put us in her life for a reason! I was seriously just blown away... I didn't even know what to say! haha She is just so ready to recieve our message! The Lord is seriously giving us miracles! I love it!
I love being here! I finally feel like I am truly "losing myself in the work"! There is just such a difference from the way I was just a couple of days ago, to now! I wake up in the mornings so excited to get out of bed and share the gospel with everyone! I want to learn and grow and become more knowledgable for myself so I can be as prepared as I possibly can for these amazing people! This is the Lord's work! It doesn't mean it gets easier, but I have the desire to face each challenge, to struggle, and to face my fears! In Elder Holland's talk, "Broken Things to Mend" he says, "Brothers and Sisters, whatever your distress, please don't give up and please don't yield to fear. I have always been touched that as his son was departing for his mission to England, Brother Bryant S. Hinckley gave young Gordon a farewell embrace and then slipped him a handwritten note with just five words taken from the fifth chapter of Mark: 'Be not afraid, only believe' (Mark 5:36)." I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK! Thanks so much for your love and support! For your packages, email, and letters! WE GOT THIS!! <3
Love, Sister Woodland
P.S. Shout out to the Bradshaw Family! Thanks for the sweet package of Sunshine! I LOVE it soooo much! It made my entire week! I love you all so much! (:
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