Week 10 - Carlos Paz - Feb 23, 2015

Bueno, What can I say about this crazy week..... ya se fue (it has come and gone)?

jaja  It has been a great week with a lot of moments to learn and to grow.  I have thought a lot about where I am in my mission and what missionary I want to become by the end.  It is a strange thing to complete half of your mission. It brings a lot of reflection that makes us better.  For that reason I am excited.  

I have realized that my letters home have been poopey and boring, so I will try to make todays mejor (better).  

This week, randomly some less actives showed up at the church who have not asisted (Attended) in literally 5 years.  They just showed up!!!! The ward directory did not have an address nor a number to call them so we were so excited to have them help us out in making our job easier.  We visited them in the week, and it was one of the best lessons I have had in my whole mission.  The spirit was so strong and it left a powerful impact on my week.  They told us how they were strong members and branch presidents various times, (even in Utah), but after moving to a new ward, they were tired and never went back to church.  However, the spirit always prompts us to do what is right.  We spoke of the Atonement and the blessings that are available and lasting as we pray, and keep our covenants.  Our cargas (burdens) are lifted and we are able to face the things easily that come into our paths (my new favorite scripture passage! Mosiah 24:12-16)  At the end of the lesson, after eating all of their sweets, :) we sang "Asombro me da" (I stand all amazed).  Everyone sang with such umph and power it truly was like we were bearing our testimonies together all in one moment.  Even though the Argentine voice is no so melodic, my heart was touched and moved by the song.  I will always remember that moment.  

We also had a conference with the Area President, Walter F Gonzalez, and he and his wife taught us so much about fe (faith), and doing the Lords work all at the same time.  We can baptize, retain, and reactivate all at the same time, according to our faith.  Enoch was a great missionary, but where did God send him to preach? Basically the most wicked city ever.  God said that Enoch was the cities last chance for repentance.  HOLY COW. What pressure. Yet, what happened in that city? They were literally lifted up into heaven for their righteousness.  

I may be here in "babylonia Argentina" but there are miracles just around the corner.  Lo se (I know).  Please pray extra hard and fast extra hard this week for all the missionaries here.  We need investigadors that will progress and be led to the waters of baptism.  Thanks for your prayers thus far. We feel them.  I know we can make it out of this rut.  

Bueno, what did I do for my big 9 month day????? I sat in my pension (apartment) the whole time.  Lets just say that I am now a "real" missionary.  I was stuck in those walls being sick.  Woohoo go me!

Other news for the week. I cut my hair!!!!! There are before and after pics on DB and also, Hna Dennis and I sing Dancing Through Life at least 20 times a week while dancing through the walls.  I am just grateful that I go to bed at 10:30 so she hasnt seen my CRAZY side that comes out at 11.  For sure we would not be friends if that happened.... haha

I am loving my time here.  Yes it is hard, and yes, it is worth it.

I love you all and miss you more than you know.  

Now please think about these lyrics from Anastasia and apply them to the Plan of Salvation. I am gonig to be such a weirdo when I get home.  I just know it.  

Heart, don't fail me now!
Courage, don't desert me!
Don't turnback
Now that we're here
People always say
Life is full of choices
No one ever mentions fear!
Or how a road can seem so long
How the world can seem so vast
Courage see me through
Heart I'm trusting you
On this journey...to the past

Somewhere down this road
I know someone's waitingg
Years of dreams
Just can't be wrong
Arms will open wide
I'll be safe and wanted
Fin'lly home where I belong
Well, starting here, my life begins
Starting now, I'm learning fast
Courage see me through
Heart I'm trusting you
On this journey...to the past

Heart don't fail me now!
Courage don't desert me!

Home, Love, Family
There was once a time
I must have had them too
Home, Love, Family
I will never be complete
Until I find you...

One step at a time
One hope, then another
Who knows where
This road may go-
Back to who i was
On to find my future
Things my heart still
Needs to know
Yes, let this be a sign!
Let, this road be mine!
Let it lead me to my past
Courage see me through
Heart I'm trusting you
To bring me home...
At last!
At Last!

We are all here trying to discover our divine nature so that we can return to out Father in Heaven.  I cant wait for that moment.  Also, I cant wait to see you fools too. (listening to Darius Rucker or hootie and the blow fish-not sure which one- sing I ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU just brings the worst out of me at the cyber)

I am excited for my birthday.  I have had your packge now for almost a full week, and I have left in on the table to wait to open it.  I opened bonnies on my 9 month mark, and yours I will open on my Bday.  Thanks.  

Bueno. one last thing if my time doesnt run out.  

for my 20th birthday, I want to tell you 20 reasons why I love you.

1. Youre my family... I have to.

2. You kiss my boo boos you braid my hair, there is no mother that can compare.

3. You write me every week

4. You lead by example.

5. You love me.

6. You have raised me in the gospel.

7. You take me boating.

8. You hold me when I cry.

9. You just wanna have fun.

10. You dont let the little things bug you.

11. You send me packages

12. You like to play games

13. you are examples of faithful members

14. We are united. Welcome to the family

15. You like to eat like me

16. You worry and pray for me

17. You support me

18. You give me blessings-worthy preisthood holders

19. you are just as weird as me.

20. BECAUSE YOU ARE JUST THE BEST FAMILY THERE IS

sorry that was lame, I had to do it fast and without thought.  But its true I love you. Thanks for making these 20 years great.  I love you.

Hoorah for Isreal. Enjoy your week.

Hasta Siempre (Until Always)

Con amor,

Hermana Woolley

Week 9 - Carlos Paz - Feb 17, 2015

Yesterday we had a zone wide PDay.  So we are writing today.

first off, business

How is Mike Pratt doing? He came up in conversation this week.

Ok, sorry I have been uploading a  load of pictures so your letter this week yet again will be cut short.  DOnt hate me! 

I also had many elders from the mision who have gone home write me this week so I had to fill them in on the mission life.  Also, it was a given to write Laura a letter to wish her luck and express my love.  Also, I wanted to write Andrew Lambert , but... I wrote the wrong one. WHat is his email????

Bueno, news of the week... Annie called my comps best friends mother (aka Karen Jackson) and we made another connection.  que loco la vida.  Hna Dennis and I had so many opportunities to befriendsthe mision and now we are here together just trying it out for the first time.  

Package update... nothing.  We have a conference on thurday so I will know ifit has come then.  

WOW stop the clock. Literally. All my watches have died on me.  MAybe it is now because I am old in the mision and I never know what time it is, because my $3 watches failed me.  MAybe you could order some maore from teh website and send them straight here? who knows?

I am glad you are reading still. I was going to ask you last week where you are at! I am reading in Mosiah 4.

You should read a talk about faith called Fe en el Señpr jesucristo por Kevin w pearson.  or  Our Search for hapiness. I love them both.

S* update.  Still smoking, and didnt come to church again this week.  I think we are going to see how things work out.  It is so sad to watch your investigafdr undersatnd, yet not act all the way.  I know that as she demonstrates her faith by acoming to church, she will be able to overcome her smoking problem.  Pray evxtra hard feor her.  

EWWee are doing a lot of contacting and finding a lot of future investigaors.  POR FIN! I hope tah twe will ahve more success coming outr way.

This weeks ahve been the most fun, yet also the hardest... We have been through a lot together.  Her 6 months, Valentines day, and now my hump day and bday to come.  It is easy to be homesick when I am with her because we remember teh same things from home.  Pero bvueno.  I love you all. I guess its a good thing.  

We eat grilled cheese, pancakes, waffles, and hard boiled egg sacndwhiches to be american again.  We dont ahve tomato spup from costoc so we have to eat quash soup instead.  

the other pics are from eating ice cream sandwhiches, slumber party fro her 6 motnhs, the pension, our grilled cheese hearts fro valentines, and random selfies.  The girl is s*. Also, our asado fro pday de zona with a machete! I hope they all upload befroe time runs out. There is  a TONNNNNNNN (drop box) sorry, Im scrabbling.  and typing horribly. trying to lewt you know whats going on!!! MAybe just read hna Dennis blog becasue she is a good story teller too and will update you on teh fun things of the week.  Im not sure if she has a blog, but you should ask her paretns.  becasue my time is short. Sorry, 

Bueno, a quick story we were told this last week on preparation for teh temple.  It is about a construction worker who was converted.  Through all the meeteings, he was overwhelmed at how seriously the church was talking about  every detail of the work.  Every morning they started with a prayer.  It got him thinking.  Soon the authorities asked allt eh workers to fast while working on the temple.  Why would he fast, if it was not even his religion?  Well, he did, he fasted adn he got his answer.  Now he is a baptized member of the church and has his Libro de mormon laying on his tabel in his house.  The miracles are coming so rapidly in time for the temple dedication. I cant wait any longer.  

Well, my fingers are tired, sorry fro teh lame email. I promise ab etter one isn 6 days.

Love you all

Hna woolely

A story from her companions letter home this week:

Last Monday we didn't do much, Hna Woolley and I just watched Monsters University! So that was the highlight of the day!

...Well this week we have just been searching for people.  It has been a little harder because everyone here right now is a tourist! Its crazy! Everyone you contact is from somewhere else! So thats hard, and apparently the last 8 baptisms have been little kids. So ya apparently it is a tough area. But like Matt told me before my mission we can't let that mess with our heads. As long as we do our work the blessings will come. So Hna Woolley and I have been working on being more obedient. We are also doing more studies in the morning so we can be better prepared for the people that we come in contact throughout the day. We have been working on that.  I know that if we are obedient we will receive the blessings and have a baptism! We have already seen a couple of new investigators, and its because of this.  We have done a lot of contacting recently and so we will start visiting them to see if it will go any where. 

...

So like i said we had a scary experience.  Well it really wasn't that bad, it was just a little freaky.If it really was that bad i probably wouldn't tell mom haha. So Thursday we were teaching S* in an area called Las Colinas. Anyway S* likes to talk forever so by the time we were leaving it was a little dark and we normally try to leave before that.  As we were walking we were a little freaked out because cars kept slowing down right behind us and saying stuff. So when that would happened I would take a step behind my companion and have my fist ready. but... nothing ever happened.. haha. When we got to the bus stop there were two guys. One older like 40 and then one like 20.  I thought oh good at least there is an older guy. Well turns out he was a creep! haha so we stood like 25 feet away from the bus stop so we could see if they were approaching or anything. So I thought we were good. Well every couple of minutes this creep of a man would take like 2 or 3 steps closer to us. He was just getting closer and closer.  We were trying to call like everyone and their dog but no one was answering!! So Hna Woolley started pretending like she was talking to someone.  Every time the guy looked at us I would just give him an evil look like "don't touch my companion". hahaha (we had talked about the lazy eye that day. (You know like on Fievel Goes West) So I told her I was giving him the lazy eye and not to worry! because she was more freaked out than me!) So anyway this guy was approaching, and my comp had her pen in her hand ready to stab him, and then bomb!!!!! Heavenly Father answered our prayers and a taxi drove by and we got in and left!!! haha so ya thats when we almost died. haha looking back its decently funny but in the moment it was a little scary. haha

...

Friday we celebrated my 6 month mark by waking up and making pancakes (dont worry we have been running). Then we decided that night to make ice cream cookie sandwiches.  We bought a cake mix and then found what we could to make those cake cookies, and then bought some ice cream to put in the middle. It was soooooo good!!!!!  We even had a little sleep over in our kitchen/living room haha which was really exciting, but we did what we could to celebrate! haha

The famous Coocoo clock in Carlos Paz

Week 8 - Carlos Paz - Feb 9, 2015

Hey fellas!

Well, another week has come and gone, and my fingers are already tired from the emails I have written.  Also, because I may or may not have a huge blister on my middle finger after treating myself to some french fries.  Ok here is the story.  So, there I was at the local faramacy weighing myself on their free machine.  and what to my surprise? I have lost 10 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So naturally, I decided to celebrate with none other than a fattening plate of sizzlling french fries.  However, after attempting to pull the golden rods out of the oven (because cooking them in oil on the stove woud be too fattening) The hotpad decieved me and I felt my fingers burn. There was no fluff inside the fabric to protect me from the heat.  So long dramatic story short, I held some ice on my fingers for a long while and now it hurts to type.  All for treating myself after losing weight.  Serves me right.

Bueno, PRAY FOR S*!!!!!!!  She is so great and even invited us over to her house for an asado.  The ZLs went with us to "test" us and see how we were teaching, and we passed!!! Phew.  They also gave her a blessing of health for her schitsophrenic (gpa woolley, I need your medical spelling check) issues adn to be able to stop smoking.  She just cried and cried from gratitude. But good news, She now is only smoking 10 cigarettes instead of 50! She is progressing.  She says that now the cigarette have a disgusting taste ever since the blessing and doesnt want to smoke it.  However, becasue she does not have complete control of her mind, she finds herself smoking every once in a while.  She did make me really sad though.  As we were at her house eating lunch, she went in the other room and smoked.  She came running back to us crying and said "what have I done?"  She promised to come to church.  She had her clothes set out on her bed the night before.  Yet, as we waiting at the colectivo stop to pick her up, she never came.  Also, the phone signal is horible so we couldnt get a hold of her.  We ended up showing up late to church and missed the sacrament.  Then, the lights went out at church and there was a huge hail storm.  It was like God was crying with me on the worst day ever.  I was so excited for her to come, but she never did.  Please pray for her.  She is praying for you each by name.

also, that awesome moment when I am typing you this letter in a crappy ciber with a storm outside and the power goes out and I lose half of my letter. Like ya go me.  Welcome to Argentina.  Sorry, I dont want a virus and I dont trust this place (all the keys stick and it is hared ot type words right..), so there will be no pictures to accompany my sick story telling skills.  And the letter once again, will be cut short. 

In church yestereday, someone told the story of their 2 year od son who learned the famous phrase here, "hermoso, hermoso".  He would point at himself and say "hermoso hermoso" or at his toy truck and repeat it again.  Soon they were the only words he was saying.  He finally wore the phrase out, and was normal speaking in conversation once again... until last sunday.  As the dad entered the room to see him playing, he saw the child holding a picture of the savior cradleing and hugging the children. The boy then said, pointing to the framed painting in his hands, "Hermoso hermoso".  I cried hearing this story.  Maybe because I know the main little chubster, but I think it is more than that.  Truly it is hermoso hermoso that we have a Savior who cuddles us and cradles us with his love.  I know he lives.  I know he is my King.  He gives me hope.  He brings me purpose.  Gracias a Él.  I am so humbled to be his servant right now, and I am loving working off my tail in his sacred work. His love is unfailing.  Turn to Him. After reading the last verse in Enos, I too can´t wait to meet my king and have him receive me with open arms.  He is the gift.  I love Him. I serve Him. I follow Him.  I respresnt Him.  What a joy. 

Hurrah for Israel!

Thats all folks, forgive me.

Hasta siempre,

Hermana Woolley 

Week 7 - Carlos Paz - Feb 2, 2015

Hola from Hna Woody as many say here.  Or the occasional Hna Wall-e too....

Thanks for the pictures I am not real good with tech stuff, but hopefully someone can help me print them all out. The ones from our family pics and my mission ones too.

Wow, where to begin, this week was crazy and I don´t have a whole bunch of time to write it all out. It wont be as good as last week, and just scrambled thouts and stories.  I am pleased that you all enjoyed my last letter, I laughed pretty hard reading your responses this week.  Especially dad trying to be funny and saying jajajaja.  Good one on ya. 

Its true, Hna Dennis is great and we are just working our little tails off!  There is a new hermana that came to be an hermana leader se llama Hna Miranda de Cuzco, Peru. Si, she knows my dog´s name is Cuzco.  She has 15 months in the mission.  She is great, but I sure do miss Hna Mathews.  Also, did she email you about sending a package with a guy from highland? because I dont know the details on that.  NO, I have not recieved your package yet, but I will know at the end of tonight if it showed up yet.  I am not sure what else I want or need.  I think all is well!  Besides the scars I am going to have from all of the demos mosqiutos that are sucking our blood like crazy.  Can´t wait for winter. 

Bueno, S*, the woman we are teaching. Ya, she moved.  But she still lives in our area, but just really far away, so tonight we have plans to go make the trek to her house.  As for investigators that is pretty much it.. We are pretty dry in that aspect.  Our president told us that we should be finding at least one new investigator every day, yet, every companionship here in the area is struggling.  So, we had a special fast for that this week together with our Mission leader.  This area in this time of year is crazy, pero bueno. We know that God is a God of miracles so we are moving forth no más.

Noche de Hogar- We had a FHE with a whole bunch of members, menos activos y conversos this week en la capilla!  We had been filming them all in a video, and then we put them all together and watched it that night.  It was fun, but really stressful.  Of course, we had some technical dificulties, which made teh bishop really mad, but we adapted our plans a little and made things work.  You have no idea how bad I wanted Dad here in that minute to help everything salir bien.  Fix it feliz to the rescue! We mimicked teh mormon mesage about the mujer de Lot and not looking back.  Look it up and watch it. The message is great.  Then we wrote down some things we would leave behind in our lives, burn it with "Sodom and Gomorah" and look forward.  That is the picture of the fire behind us.  The others are at bridges, and at the church casa. 

La cruz- our fun pday with some of the jovenes del barrio!  We hiked to the 12 meter cross at the top of the mountain (1000 meters).  It is a hike really similar to the Y.  Steep and short.  We got up there, read some scriptures, snapped some photos.  As my comp was taking a picture of me, she said in English "HERMANA WE HAVE GOT TO GO!!!!"  Apparently, she saw a huge bolt of lightning in the sky behind me, and my hair was standing straight up.  We then basically ran down the slippery mountain to escape the rain and danger, but, we got soaking anyways.  I have never felt so wet and I quickly discovered that I hate having wet garments.  It was fun and the plaza area to start the hike was just like a little Park City with a ski lift and coaster thing and lots of little shops. It was so pretty to see the whole city from above. 

A day of walking- Saturday. NO ONE LET US IN THEIR HOUSE! Talk about being tired.  We literally walked allllllll day, and we did not teach a single lesson.  But, we contacted a full and got burnt while doing it.  Now we have a lot of future investigators who should be able to progress in the coming weeks.  It was hard though because we were fasting, so we were that much more tired.  Also, we didn´t have the excuse of contacting and asking for water.  Its a hard knock life for us.  It was memorable to say the least. 

M*- Our stud new investigator of 23 years!  We contacted him with a member accompanying us, and it was de diez.  M* wants all the good in his life, and had a lot of quetions for us.  Before we could even ask him for another appointment, he asked us when we could pass by.  We exchanged numbers and he is so prepared.  He has had dreams leading up to this moment, and he is willing to give it a try and find the peace and joy in his life.  The peace and joy that only God offers us.  We spoke with him for about 45 minutes outside of his house, testifying and beginning teahcing.  We are sooooo excited for the potencial he has to be a worthy preisthood holder and take his family to the temple.

It was a great week.

I love you all.

We are keeping busy.

Hasta Lunes.Hermana Woolley