Training in Yakima
What an incredible week. The week started off so hard we worked day and night for the first 4 days and didn’t teach one person. The Cherry Season just started here so people were saying don’t come back for another 3 months. There was every reason to turn back and give up. Elder Gaeta and I knew things would happen if we kept working we where bound to have something happen. It came to Friday after a very Spiritual meeting with the President Lewis that things changed for us. We came home and had an amazing lesson with a family and Saturday came and the same thing we started to see people who wanted to hear the gospel. We had one family Ernesto and Isleda who had their family over and Ernesto was testifying of the restoration to His mom and dad. The week made me reflect on a scripture in 2 Nephi chapter 33, "3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.”
I have never felt the Love of my father in Heaven as well as my Savior so much as I feel it now. I know he cares for us and is always there for us. I had so many prayers answered this week from my loving Heavenly Father. I know he hears our prayers and is always there with his arm stretched out ready to help us if we cry out to him in prayer. I love my savior Jesus Christ I am grateful for the opportunity to feel of his love every day. I hope we all can remember how merciful our Heavenly Father has been to us this week and remember the blessings he has given us.
I love you all! Have an awesome week!
Elder Woodward
Wow my last transfer....
It hit me so hard today in the morning I realized I have only 6 weeks. I have never loved something so much as much as I love the mission. This is the hardest time of my mission by far but, I am loving it so much. I have never gotten so close in prayer every night.
Your letter is such an answer to my prayers. Trying to get an area started is really challenging. I loved what you said how Satan does not want us to have Peace or Joy. I have been studying a lot about joy and peace. A talk that has helped me so much is "of things that mattermost" by President Utchdorf.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/of-things-that-matter-most?lang=eng
It talks about how when the stresses of life come into life and we lose sense of what the gospel is we should slow down and focus on the simple things. The gospel really is so simple and so many times we worry to much when we try putting all these crazy lists and tasks in our life. We need to remember to slow down and focus on the simplicity in Jesus Christ. I love how simple the gospel is and how much we are blessed by doing the little things well.
I love you so much! Have an amazing week!!
Interviews with President Lewis in The Dalles
The Dalles is going good. There is no branch, no ward and actually no members as well.... This is my 3rd area like this. Definitely really hard but President Lewis interviewed me this week and helped me a lot with knowing that I have truly been called here to this area. I know we are going to need a lot of faith here. We are teaching a family actually right now the Barajas family. They accepted a date for baptism so we are very excited to start to see the work progressing here very shortly. I am honestly truly grateful for the many struggles I have had in my mission. It honestly has not been an easy experience and the hardest thing I have ever done. Tons of tears and a lot of late nights talking with Heavenly Father wanting to know what he wants for these areas and these companions. I have loved my mission so much and am grateful for everything it has taught me!
Love you all!
Love,
Elder Woodward
Training in Yakima
Hello!
The Dalles continues to stay beautiful. I have been praying a lot lately on how I could increase my Faith. Yesterday a talk was given in Sacrament and answered so many of my prayers. He mentioned 5 things we can do to increase our Faith.
1. True Obedience
Focus on being obedient to the small things
2. Humble Prayer
Don’t just pray to pray but pray to talk to Heavenly father. Ask Him what Lack I yet? What is one thing I can do today. Then Listen to His answer. At the end of the night report how he did on that.
3. Serious Scripture Study
Don’t read to read. Read to Learn. Learn something each day in your study
4. Selfless service
Pray and look for ways to serve those who are in need.
5. Genuine Fasting
Fast for those weaknesses, sins, and trials ask for his help to overcome those.
I truly know that these 5 things can help us become more faithful servants. I know we can pray and ask God which one he would have us work on. Then nurture our faith and watch it grow. I love this topic of faith so much because it is truly how Heavenly Father works with us. I love the opportunity we have each day to choose faith and serve our Savior each day.
The Dalles is some of my favorite times here in the mission. I feel like all the mysteries of a mission and the gospel are finally unraveling and everything is becoming clearer little by little. I am really trying to become a better person everyday. I have never loved my mission so much. Talking about the hand of the lord in our lives is something I have been praying so much for I have been trying to right in my journal more. The things I write now are how I saw the hand of the lord in my life that day. There is so much going on in my head right now with the mission and all this stuff. I am excited now to just focus 100% on my mission and giving my heart to the Lord. I want is to leave the mission with no energy, just every ounce of energy left I want to give it all to my mission.
I Love you all!!
Elder Woodward
The Dalles AKA Most beautiful place on earth
My Companion Elder Gaeta
Hey Everyone,
Crazy week Elder Gaeta and I arrived in The Dalles on Wednesday. These are going to be the greatest last 2 transfers ever! The Dalles is beautiful we can see Mt Adams and Mt Hood, the Columbia River runs through the city and it is so green! Elder Gaeta is from San Diego down by Chula Vista. He is super cool he’s a convert of about a year and he is a professional BMX rider. Like x games in all. Needless to say I have one of the coolest companions possible haha. This area is awesome were pretty much starting this area over. There is so much to do so its going to be awesome to work all day everyday.
This week I was studying in Alma 5 one of my favorite chapters. One of my favorite verses is Alma 5:14,26
14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
These scriptures lay it out super simple. Have we been changed yet? Are we new people? If we have, then are we continuing in faith to become better each day and feel of this power everyday. I love these scriptures so much. They are so important to us that we can know that this is how true happiness happens nothing in the world can bring you as much happiness that the gospel brings. I love this gospel so much I love this opportunity all of us have on earth to be changed and become better each day.
I am excited to read more of those scriptures that you sent about the importance of our own personal conversion and continuing to reconvert ourselves always so our testimonies grow. I think that is the biggest thing I have learned here on my mission is the importance of conversion. Something I have learned as I think about it more and more is the price of conversion. It is so easy to say I want to be converted to this gospel but when we truly want to be converted, God will give us opportunities to grow. I love that part of it thinking about my mission. I have never had a harder time with investigators dropping us and things like that. I remember that when I was in the MTC I prayed and told Heavenly Father I wanted to grow and have experiences and every time I go through a trial I remember and even though its hard I try to thank him for the opportunity to change. I love you mom thank you for everything you give me and for your example of enduring with love and patience love you.
I hope everyone has an amazing week
Love,
Elder Woodward
A portion of Sister Lewis Blog entry
Picture sent to me on my FB from the Cobb Family. This family is always so kind to the Missionaries watching over them and feeding them!
So we got our transfer calls this week. I have been released as a ZL and now get to train (be a Dad). I loved being a ZL and excited to be able to be a trainer again. I am so excited I am going to the Dalles Oregon. So you know what that means? I get to have people pump my gas for me and NO SALES TAX!
We had an awesome week! I found out on Wednesday that Marta Ceja was going to be baptized on Saturday! I was so excited to hear about it. Saturday as we were driving down they told us that the baptism was possibly going to be cancelled because Marta didn’t know if she wanted to do it. The missionaries talked with her and she was saying how she didn’t know for sure if this was the right thing for her because of things that had happened in her life. She finally decided that she wanted to do this and follow Christ and be baptized. It was an amazing service the talks were awesome. There was one talk a lady gave and she talked about how at times there are other voices that will tell us were not good enough to do something or that we may not know everything. She spoke about how important was to know this is not the voice we need to listen to. We must listen to that voice that invites us to come unto Christ to do the good in life. After she was baptized tears ran down her face because she knew she was doing the right thing and following Christ. It was an awesome week and I am excited for transfers and to train a new missionary. I believe he is a native from Mexico. Time is going so fast and I know I have more work to do, I love my mission and I am so grateful for it!
Love you all!
Elder Woodward
