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| Me and my new comp! |
September 23, 2014 (NEW YORK STATE BABY!)
Hey Fam.
So a lot has
happened. haha I am now serving in New City, New York! SO CRAZY. There is only
1 English Sister area in New York State and I am here!!! I have seriously
wanted to serve here my whole mission, but I thought that I never would
especially because there is just one area. I was wrong. So my new companion's
name is Sister Rigby and she is from Rexburg Idaho. She has been out for almost
5 months! She is super awesome and I am excited to serve with her! This area is
seriously full of people who are prepared and ready to receive the gospel!
There are some pretty sketchy areas here and some pretty nice parts, so I get
the best of both worlds! (: There are trees EVERYWHERE here. I mean everywhere!
So it is going to be fun serving here, especially in the Fall. Speaking of
Fall.... It is getting pretty cold here. Sometimes it is really nice, but then
it gets really cold at night! People keep saying that we might not have much of
a fall... it might go straight into winter... So who knows! All I know is last
winter was crazy, so hopefully it won't be as bad this year! We have about 6
investigators right now and three of them are progressing! We are teaching a
Mom and her three daughters! They are so stinkin great! It has been really neat
to teach them! The girls are 14 and 10 years old, but they are always
participating in the lessons and keeping our commitments! They were referred by
missionaries in Louisiana because she went down there for her friend’s baptism
and she wanted to learn more. They were at church last Sunday for the first
time! So things seem to be going pretty well with them! The girls are even
praying on their own! So amazing! We have been trying to get in contact with a
less active and he was always busy or couldn't meet with us for some reason,
but FINALLY on Sunday night we just stopped by and he let us in! MIRACLE. At
first when we were talking to him he just kept saying that he is a religious
person, but that he doesn't think he needs to go to Church. As we sat and
talked with him and actually listened to what he had to say his attitude
towards church changed. By the end of the lesson he told us that he knows he
needs to come back to church! I kinda didn't know how to react at first...
hahahah I was like, uuuuhhhh yes! YES that is totally what you need to do!
hahaha So he said he will come to church this next Sunday and that he was going
to bring his mom and sister who are not members! Anyway, amazing things are
happening and I am ready to see the miracles that happen this transfer! It is
going to be a great transfer!!!
I have officially
been out for 9 months now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY COW. I seriously cannot
even believe it... I never thought I would ever hit my 9 month mark... and now
I have! hahaha It is so weird! I really feel like a just got out here... CRAZY.
So, last Saturday we got to help out
for "Passaic day of Service". I GOT TO GO BACK TO MY FIRST AREA. I was
seriously beyond excited about it! Definitely a tender mercy! I didn't realize
how much I missed the sketchy until I went back to my first area! haha I also
got to see a lot of people from the Paterson Branch! It was so good to see so
many people that I had the opportunity to serve around! I was so stinkin
excited to see Sister Valdez and the whole family! They are so great and I have
missed them a ton! We got to clean up the streets of Passaic and help weed! It
was fun to help out! Also, Sister Page and I are in the same zone! I get to
serve around my trainer for her last transfer! I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT IT! So it
was definitely a very busy week! (: I am excited to see how this next week
goes! I will be emailing on Monday next week... hahaha sorry!! We had a Zone
Conference yesterday so our P-Day got switched this week. I will probably be
emailing a little bit later on Monday's now though because we email at the
church here and the elders usually email before us! Well my favorite people, I
am so stinkin excited to be in this area and to get to work! I love being a
missionary and I am so grateful for the chance I have to be out here! Thanks
for all of your love and support! You guys are seriously the best EVER. I don't
know what I would do without yous!
LOVE YOUS
TO THE MOON & BACK!! WE GOT THIS!!!
Love,
Sister Woodland
P.S. My
new address is 249 North Middletown Rd. Apt. 4A Nanuet, New York 10954!!! WRITE
ME. (:
September 15, 2014 (Singled Out??)
Hey Hey Hey,
Alright. So I didn't think things could get any crazier... but they sure
did!!! Sister Trias and I were at lunch on Thursday with Sister McCready and we
got a call from the Assistants... We are being doubled out of the area! So
basically I am really just getting "singled out" of the area because
Sister Trias is already home. I have been with the Sister Missionaries in the
Princeton 1st Ward since Thursday night trying to get things ready in my area
for the two new sisters to come into. We found out that Sister Stout (one of
the sisters I am with right now) is being transferred so we now have to get my
things packed and her things packed and ready for tomorrow! We also are going
to have to say goodbye to people in both areas. So it is going to continue to
be a very busy couple of days! Part of me wonders if they forgot that Sister
Trias was leaving early... Because it has been kinda intense planning and
organizing the area without a companion! hahaha But everything is getting done
and falling into place! So I am not worried! (: Just have to use our time very
wisely today and tomorrow! I am excited to find out who my next companion will
be and where I will be serving next! It is like a whole mix of emotions! This
area definitely was a hard area, but I think because it was harder and we had
to work hard to find people to teach, it made me love this area so much! I have
been crying all the stinking time! haha On Sunday during Ward Counsel I told
them that I was leaving the area and that on Tuesday they would be getting two
new sister missionaries. Then during Sacrament Meeting the Bishop asked me to
go up and bear my testimony. I was grateful he asked me to do that so I could
share my testimony with the members and everyone that was there, but I just
cried through the whole flipping thing. haha I seriously was a mess! It was
definitely hard for me to leave my first area, but it has been so much harder
for me to leave this area. I know though that the Lord needs me somewhere else
now, so I need to just trust in Him and know that whoever I am with and
wherever I go is exactly where I need to be. And I know it will be. It always
has been! (: It makes me think of the Hymn "I'll Go Where You Want Me To
Go":
"It
may not be on the mountain height
Or
over the stormy sea,
It
may not be at the battle's front
My
Lord will have need of me.
But
if, by a still, small voice he calls
to
paths that I do not know,
I'll
answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I'll
go where you want me to go.
I'll
go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over
mountain or plain or sea;
I'll
say what you want me to say, dear Lord;
I'll
be what you want me to be."
I am so grateful for
change even if it is hard and I know that there is a reason I am being
transferred. I am ready to take on whatever is next! (: The Mini MTC we did
this last Wednesday night seemed to turn out pretty good! I think the youth
really enjoyed it! It was so much fun to see all of the missionaries dressed up
as people we contact on a daily basis! It was super funny! At first the youth
seemed a little apprehensive to talk to the missionaries, but they started to
get the hang of things and were having some fun with it! All of the ward
members we invited to play investigators said that they youth did really well
teaching them! I think it helped the youth understand more that missionary work
really isn't that hard. Being able to learn a little bit of what the full-time
missionaries go through made them realize just how easy and fun it can be to
share the gospel with anyone! (:
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| This was all of the missionaries in their "contacting clothes"! It was too much fun! They were really good and role playing! |
And just like that I will be in a new area tomorrow! Mission life is
always full of changes! And most of the time they are a little unexpected!
hahaha You have to learn to just go with the flow! (: I am going to miss
Hightstown so much! I am so thankful for everything I was able to experience
there and for the miracles I was able to see and to be a part of! I learned so
much in Hightstown with both of my companions I had there! I am ready though
for a change. I know that it is exactly what needs to happen right now! (: So I
will let all ya'll know where I end up next Monday! Part of me really hopes I
go back to the city... BUT I probs won't because I want to so bad! hahaha We
shall see! I hope you have a great week! (: Thanks for everything you do!
(:
LOVE YOUS TO THE MOON
& BACK!! WE GOT THIS!
Love, Sister Woodland
P.S. I LOVE FALL
WEATHER! I am so excited for the Fall here!
September 8, 2014 (Pictures.)
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| The Sculpture Museum! (: |
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| museum... |
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| It was seriously SO cool! |
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| We were a picture inside of a picture! |
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| Chillen on the farm! (: Oh... and my cowboy... hahaha |
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| I think this was my favorite statute! (: |
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| Most of the Zone! |
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| 9/11 memorial! |
September 8, 2014 (THE FINAL COUNTDOWN. Just kidding.)
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey.
So
things are still a tad bit stressful, but everyone is taking everything on like
a champ and things are working out great! (: SO MANY MEMBERS want to see us
because Sister Trias is leaving so we have been eating soooooooooooooo much
food. hahaha We have like 3 lunch appointments and three dinner appointments a
day. Too much food. It has been keepin us pretty busy. I ain't complainin. (:
We will be dropping her off on Thursday. :( I have been on exchanges since last
night with Sister Mortensen! She is an awesome missionary! She is almost done
training and she seriously just shows me up in everything she does! She is
great! We will be on exchanges with each other until tomorrow morning before
meetings because Sister Trias and the other sister will be at the Statute of
Liberty and won't be getting home until late tonight. It has been fun so far!
We will be covering both of our areas for a little. Sister Mortensen is Spanish
speaking sooooo.... I just smile and nod when we talk to people... hahahaha So
at the moment we are just working on getting the area ready for the next
transfer and Sister Trias to go home. Our area is doing okay right now. We have
about 5 investigators and 3 of them are new so we are just trying to get to
know them better right now and figure out how interested they are in learning
about the Restored Gospel. I really want to be out contacting and finding new
people to teach, but I also know that we need to balance things right now and
make sure Sister Trias is ready to leave. So I am trying to get all of the time
organized and ready so that we won't be as stressed with all the things that we
have planned for this upcoming week. We are doing a "Mini MTC" for
the youth for all three Princeton Units. It was Sister Trias and my idea like
two months ago and I guess our ward really liked it because they wanted to do
it and asked if we could figure it out. So that is what we have been doing. I
hope it turns out well and that it helps get the youth more excited to do
missionary work. The youth will be coming to church in missionary attire and
will head to the Chapel where they will be assigned a companion (hopefully from
a different Ward), then they will be taught for 10 minutes about Church
attendance, another 10 minutes about prayer, and another 10 minutes about Book
of Mormon. Missionary companionships will be teaching them there. They will
then be assigned an investigator (who will be someone in the ward we have asked
to role play a random person). The youth will get a piece of paper with the time
they need to see their investigator and a brief description of who they will be
teaching. When they aren't teaching their investigator they will be in the gym
contacting one of us missionaries. We will be random people. Like some
missionaries are going to be "the hood guys", mom and baby, door
contacts, business man, etc... Whichever youth companionship can hand out the
most mormon.org cards
at the end will win! Then the 1st counselor in the mission presidency will talk
for a few minutes about missionary work at the end! It should turn out good and
be fun! I just hope the youth really enjoy it! (: We will be asking for
referrals after as well from each of the youth! (: I send you pics of it next
Monday! So, the time that we aren't planning for that or with members, we are
outside contacting and door knocking and trying some less actives! We haven't
seen too much success yet, but I know that we will! (: I just have to keep
having faith in my Heavenly Father and working hard! Even though missionary
life can get really crazy at times, I love it so much! I really wouldn't want
to me anywhere else, doing anything else! Even during this crazy time! (: I
love this gospel so much and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be out
here!
I hope
that you guys have such a great week! I LOVE YOU ALL TO PIECES. Seriously. I am
just so grateful for each one of you! Let me know if there is anything I can do
for yous...even if I am across the United States! (:
LOVE YOU TO THE MOON &
BACK! WE GOT THIS!
Love, Sister Woodland
September 3, 2014 (Pictures)
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| We went to this sculpture museum... It was SOOO cool! I will send you more pics next Monday! |
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| The whole Zone! (: |
September 3, 2014 (Craziness.)
Hey Fam.
Sorry
I wasn't able to email yesterday and of course on Monday because of the
Holiday... Our Zone Leaders decided to do an in zone transfer conference
yesterday! I am serving in Princeton with Sister Stout right now! She is an
awesome missionary and it has been fun to serve with her for a little bit! She
has only been out for about 4 months. That makes me feel old! haha It has been
a crazy few days and it will be crazy until the end of the transfer... So
Sister Trias has her departing missionary Temple Trip today so her and another
Sister are at the Temple now and then they will have interviews with President
later today. I will just stay in Princeton...No one will be covering our area
for a little... So hopefully no one really needs us... hahaha We will be
helping out tonight with a young women activity though! They are going to be
doing a missionary scavenger hunt and they wanted the missionaries to help out!
So hopefully it goes well for all of the young women! Tomorrow Sister Trias and
I will be planning for the next week and this next transfer because she won't
be here next Thursday to help plan. So it will be a long day of planning and
organizing the area! I actually really like Thursdays now because I am so much
more effective when I am organized! (: I decided last week that I am becoming
more and more like Mom! (: Which is a good thing, don't worry mom! haha But I
realized that I have to have things clean and neat so that I am not stressed
out. I organize and clean like Mom too.... and when other missionaries things
are dirty I just want to clean for them... haha It's a struggle sometimes.
Anyway... These next days before Sister Trias leave are going to be crazy! I
know that the rest of this transfer is just going to fly by. I will have to go
on another exchange on Monday because the departing missionaries will be going
to the Statute of Liberty and then when we drop Sister Trias off at the Mission
Home, I will probably be with Sister Stout and Sister Insong and we will cover
both of our areas for the next couple of days until transfer conference! So
yes.... There is too much going on in such a short amount of time, but I am
ready to take it all on! hahaha Well.. I guess I don't really have that much of
a choice, do I? Shoot. (;
Other
than the stress of everything going on all at once... We were able to pick up a
new investigator this week as well! I actually haven't met her yet... Other
missionaries found her when we were doing a district blitz in our area! We have
an appointment with her tomorrow night! I am super excited about it! (: We have
two people that we have met this week that have asked us to stop by later so we
will hopefully be seeing them sometime this week or next week! Things keep
moving right along here! It is always good for me to see that there are
prepared people everywhere. We just have to take the time to find them. And it
will be in the Lord's time and not ours.... which has been hard for me, but I
know that He knows better and that He is constantly aware of all of us. We just
need to have the faith to trust in Him. It reminds me of the verses in Proverbs
3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine
own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy
paths." I love the principle of Faith. It has helped me so much throughout
my entire life and especially since I have been out on a mission. There is
definitely a reason that Faith is the first principle of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. (:
Anywho, I am glad that things are going well back home! It sounds like
everyone is starting to settle back into the school and work routine... hahaha
(: Thanks for all of the love and support! It means so much to me! YOU GUYS ARE
THE BEST. I hope that you have a great week! (:
LOVE YOUS TO THE MOON
& BACK! WE GOT THIS!!
Love, Sister Woodland
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