July 25, 2017

Hey everyone!

That's exciting about all the boundary changes! Also congrats kelsie on going through the temple, I'm excited for when I'll get to go through with you:) We are so lucky to have a temple so close in alberta. It takes a lot of saving up for the people here to get to the temple. 

I'm struggling on finding the words to describe what it is like being a missionary. There are just so many ups and downs throughout the week but sister nowlon and I are usually able to laugh off everything pretty easily haha, it turns out we are a lot more similar than I thought. One minute everything can be going so smoothly, we'll have tons of appointments and potential investigators to meet with and members coming with us to those meetings and then the next minute everyone has canceled on us and the potentials aren't home, and our back up plans have fallen through haha so we just end up knocking in the rain, but then while we're knocking we end up meeting someone so awesome and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time and holy this is a really bad run-on sentence but that is basically what happened over and over this week haha. Street contacting downtown is always fun, this past week it started pouring and we got called drowned rats by this guy that we had run into twice already haha but it was all good because we are basically friends with him now and we really did look like drown rats. 

Some highlights of this week were lilly amber and Achol (young womans) were committed to be baptized on august 5th!!! I almost started crying when I found out. I just want the best for them and for them to all have such happy lives and marry good husbands. They are all such sweet, loving, funny girls and they have so much potential. We had our district meeting in bay roberts (which is an hour away, there is a lot of driving in this mission but when newfoundland is as pretty as it is I don't mind. This past week has been pretty rainy and foggy and it just looks so cool with the trees and the ocean) last thursday. So this transfer PResident Pratt is trying something new. He has 2 companions going around to every area in the mission. They are called traveling trainers and they were at our district meeting on thursday. We focused on the doctrine of Christ and how to use it in every contact. I've realised that a lot of the time I play down the message that we have to share when I'm talking to other people. I think I've been so focussed on teaching that I forget to really BELIEVE what I am teaching, and that, I know, makes all the difference.  

On sunday Lori, who is kinda a less active, gave a talk on charity and she did so good! Also while she was speaking, elder smith who is in the branch presidency, texted us and asked if I could speak after lori because the other speaker hadn't shown up haha so after lori, I walked up with my scriptures and gave a talk, which turned into just bearing my testimony basically haha. Chloe turners sisters were at church too on sunday which was so awesome! It was nice to see some familiar faces!

Today we went to Lester's farm (is that the name of the possum farm on the goofy movie?? I swear it is but none of the other missionaries know what I'm talking about haha) anyways we picked buckets of strawberries! They are sooo good. Our hands looked like we had just been apart of a murder or something after though haha, we may have been eating strawberries as we picked. When we come back to visit my mission in the future we have to come in the summer!

I love the people in st. Johns so much. We have 4 investigators right now, margaret, robby, keegan, and sammy, and they are all just so amazing. I love meeting with them and teaching them about new things, they ask such good questions. There is so much joy that can be found in missionary work and the more that I have come to accept that-that is what I am here to do the more joy Heavenly Father blesses me with. 

Love sister wood

July 18, 2017

HAPPY BIRHTDAY ABBY!!!!!!! Holy life would have been so boring without you haha. I can't believe that you are 14!! but at the same time i kinda can because you've looked 16 for the past 2 years. Just know that if I was home right now I'd be chasing you around and throwing you in the pool haha I hope you are having a fun day!!

I am starting to slowly figure out the people in newfoundland more and more each day haha. The first week I was just struggling to even figure out what they were saying haha but I am catching onto the accents and slang over here. They say "yes by" and "best kind" a lot,  I am not totally sure what exactly those phrases mean haha but "best kind" is kinda a response for how you are doing and "yes by" is just like a greeting or something. So other things that I have learned are, 1. everybody here has a pet and there clothes and houses are always covered in their fur haha dad you would love it ;) 2. everybody here smokes 3. everybody has crazy stories to tell 4. everyone has a really complicated past and they just need someone to confide in. it is crazy what people have been through and the saddest part is how common those things are for everyone around here.

So newfoundland is basically just like this gigantic national park! You would not believe how beautiful it is here! I find myself constantly wishing that I had my camera haha. It's so green and so hot and humid! Downton is supper cool, and the atlantic ocean is literally right there haha! Today we took a 20minute drive to capespeare which is the most eastern point in Canada!! which is so stinkin cool, but the coolest part was that we saw whale!!! so that was definitely a highlight of the week. 

This week we had zone conference in Gander which is a 3h and 40minute drive from st johns haha a lot of driving. that was on friday the 14th which means... I hit my one month mark! crazy! All of the sisters in newfoundland (6 sisters)  slept at the sisters house in gander which was fun. sister cahoon from magrath was there and she is supper nice. zone conference was awesome. We talked a lot about how important it is to involve the members in missionary work and guess what... that means you guys haha. I know that if I was just at home rn reading this email, i would just read that last sentence and be like whatever haha but I am not, I am the missionary out in newfoundland telling you guys to figure how you can get involved in missionary work! Invite the missionaries over for FHE and tell them to bring one of their investigators, let the missionaries know what days and times you are available at to go to lessons with them. Getting involved in missionary work is really helping you live your temple covenants. 

some things that we learned at zone conference that really stuck out to me are:

1. "Taking the sacrament is like getting baptized again" is FALSE. the sacrament is not equal to baptism. baptism is a saving ordinance, it gives a remission of our sins, it is the gateway to exaltation/eternal life, it prepares us to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. A true statement however is "repenting is like getting baptized again". I've been looking at what I do to repent and I've realized that I need to work harder at truly repenting. The sacrament is, of course, still important. Constantly taking the sacrament allows the spirit to always be with us. It makes us more committed to change and therefore more willing to repent and so allow sacrament is not a required part in being forgiven it makes us more likely to repent and seek forgiveness.(3 nephi 18:11-12) The sacrament is a GIFT that strengthens us to endure:) and so why wouldn't you want to be partaking of it every week. 

Elder smith had asked me to give a talk this past sunday because there was a last minute cancellation so I prepared that saturday night and sunday morning but didn't end up giving it because we ran out of time in sacrament meeting haha the life of a missionary. We basically teach a different class every hour of church. There's probably about 40 people who come each sunday. There are no young men and out of all of st johns there are two yw who are baptized and one of them is moving to halifax on thursday. can you even imagine that abby?? Theres four other girls who come to church and yw activities though( i dont think they have any interest in being baptized though) and they are so so so awesome. There's amber(gr 11) Ushul(gr 10) lilly (gr 9) and jaz (gr8) and chasity and aelia are baptised. They are all pretty crazy haha but I love hanging out with them, they get attached to the sister missionaries pretty quick haha. Jonny and Jordan low got  back to st johns and I saw her on Sunday!!! it's so funny that she was a sister wood once too haha. 

We had an investigator who was suppose to get baptized on the 29th of july and it was going to be in the ocean because she is allergic to chlorine so it was going to be so cool! but she just recently got charged with assault haha sooo we have to wait until after she goes to court to see what we can do. apparently we are not the only ones working hard out here, the devil is working hard too. That is just one example, of many i am sure, of how the process of getting someone baptized goes haha. 

You've been asking a lot about my typical day haha and honestly there really hasn't been a "typical" day yet. We wake up at 6:30 workout till 7, get ready, daily plan at around 8, then do personal study and are out the door by 10 o'clock. We have lessons with investigators, street contacting, door step contacting, give people rides, companion study, 12 week training, check up on less actives, and then just other random things, and are back to the house by 9 and have lights out by 10. 

I love you all. I die at the pictures you guys send me! but in a good way haha so don't stop sending them! especially this week at the ones of kelsie and truman! AHHHH!! I love them! It sounds like barnwell days was another success except what the heck you didn't win the volleyball tounament!? haha jk we'll win in 2 years when I'm back;)

love sister wood 

July 11, 2017

Hi everyone! I feel like it's been forever since I have got to write. So I am in St. Johns right now at the church with my trainer sister nowlon, she's from calgary and is super sweet and super encouraging. Today is our pday so this morning we were playing basketball with the elders which was super fun haha they were all shocked that I could play. I love all of the missionaries so much, they are all just trying their best to do this work, and let me tell you it is hard work! haha I think I am finally starting to realize that this is all real. So rewind to last week, holy I can't believe that last week I was at the MTC, that seems like it was months ago. Tuesday morning we woke up at 4:30(which is not early at all compared to what most people have to do) and were leaving the MTC by 6. When we got to the Salt Lake airport it basically just felt like we were in a different MTC somewhere haha there were so many missionaries, and of course, so many members. There wasn't enough phones for all of us to call so I didn't get the chance to call home there, and I felt bad using people's cell phones because they were probably expecting that I was from the states. There were a few "firsts" for me on the plane to toronto haha. I got my fist mini pat down going through security and then I also used a bathroom on a plane for the first time, which went well until this old man walked in on me haha. He started trying to pull the door open and so I grabbed it and was trying to hold it closed while saying "Sorry I'm in here!" but I lost the war and the door went flying open haha good times. It was ok though because when I got back to my seat the guy in front of me was watching the new beauty and the beast so I got to creep in on that. I'd have to say that hands down though the best part of the day was us missing our plane to halifax. We joked tons about us missing a plane but it's definitely a lot funnier when I actually happens hahah. We got to the toronto airport and Elder doucette and I had no problem getting into canada but for the other US missionaries it was a different story. It took three hours for them to all get their visas! So elder doucette and I just gathered all the baggage and stood and waited. That's also when I tried calling people, but just ended up coming back to our pile of luggage a little depressed because no one answered. I asked troy if he had got to call home yet and he hadn't either so I gave him my calling card and he got to talk to his mom for awhile. When he was finished I decided to see if I had any minutes left, so I called grandma and she picked up!! she said she had just barely walked in the door haha blessings for sharing my calling card. That was really awesome getting to hear your voice grandma. So our plane was scheduled to leave at 5:45 but everyone didnt come out of the visa place until around 6:20 haha so we knew we definitely had missed it. We went to the travel office, and this is the best part, the window was closed with a sign on it that said "closed for the holidays" haha I guess canadian airports celebrate july 4th. So then we tried calling president pratt and the mission office and there was no answer, and then we started getting a little worried. We eventually did get help though and had to split our group up into two, 7 missionaries were catching a flight at 9, and then me and 3 others caught a flight at 9:30. The 4 of us got to our gate and realized that we were starving because all we had ate that day was literally almonds and pretzels from the previos flight haha and there were no food places by our gate so we ran back to this food court grabbed some burgers and fries and ran back (during which, my carry on bag strap broke, I am having good luck with bags hahah) ate the burgers in like 1 minute and got on the plane. I was in the middle of two men. one of them was rick scott who is a volley ball coach in dartmouth (dart-mith) and invited me to his games in the fall and said he'd get me in for free haha. I felt kinda bad when I pulled my greasy fries out of my bag, because they both were kinda just trying not to stare at them. I don't know if you're allowed to bring food like that on planes but I was starving so I didn't really care.

We got to halifax at 12:40 and everyone was by our luggage waiting for us! It was good to see elder larson, and president pratt is so amazing! We got to the mission home around 1:30am had some chile that sister pratt had made for us and then went to bed. The sisters slept downstairs and the elders slept upstairs. The next day we did some training, went for a walk by this beautiful lake that was just across the street from the mission home, I had my interview with president pratt that went really really well, and then did some door step teaching. That night (wednesday) is when I found out about Josh. Josh was always so energetic and always just wanted to have fun with his friends. I love that he got the heart and hustle award in high school because that describes him perfectly. He has a huge heart and I was blessed to have known him in this life. I'm praying for his family to feel comfort, I hope they know how much their son was and is loved. I love you Josh<3. I was pretty shocked and devastated when I heard, it was hard being here where no one knew him. I was really grateful when president pratt asked if I wanted a blessing, it brought me a lot of peace, I got to talk to dad on the phone after too which was really just what I needed. 

Thursday everybody started heading off to there areas. It was kinda sad saying goodbye to sister soucie and barlow but sister rodrigues and I got to go to the temple one last time together. Then she left to her area and I got ready to hop on another plane to st. johns. I got here around 11pm on thursday night. And finally met my trainer sister nowlon! shes from calgary haha! she's super sweet! I love her so much. 

A lot has happened since then but I'm running out of time, so I love you all! and yes I got your package mom, thank you!

Love sister wood 

ps. new mailing address is, 3 guernsey place unit #4 st.johns newfoundland Postal code A1E 0C8

 

Sister Wood and her Branch President and his wife

 

Sister Wood's District

on the plane to Halifax!

July 1, 2017

I think the most stressful part of the week might be emailing haha. Am I seriously getting on a plane to Halifax this tuesday!?! We started packing our bags up today and it just feels so weird, I'm pretty sure we were just unpacking them...

Last Sunday was pretty awesome. So every week we prepare two talks because during sacrament meeting two random missionaries get selected by the branch president to give a talk and so you can probably guess where this is going haha I was picked last week. But it really wasn't a surprise, you just can feel when you are going to get picked, so I was already staring right at president Samuelian when he called my name. I gave a talk on the atonement and it went well but what I'll always remember is the testimony I bore at the end. You know how we're promised that when we bear our testimonies that they'll be strengthened, I feel like I really understand that now. Afterwards President Samuelian pulled me aside and told me that while he was choosing the speakers the Lord said "her" and he said "but she's still here for another week" and the Lord said "I don't care, she needs to speak" I love how the president tells stories haha. He is seriously the most spiritual man I have ever met. I wish that everyone could just get the chance to have a 5 minute interview with him because it changes your life haha. He asked me if I had seen the email that he sent me but I told him I hadn't yet, so later when we got back to the residence I read it and this is what it said, 

"Sister wood, this morning as I was driving you came to mind. I have watched you as you have gently and kindly helped your companion. I have a feeling to tell you that throughout your mission the Lord will give you companions who will need that love, that kindness, that charity. I love the words of the hymn, "Lord I would follow thee". "In the quiet heart is hidden, sorrow that the eye can't see." If you desire to help and lift another, I promise that you will find "strength beyond your own". Even more importantly, you will be going to acquire more and more of the most rare and valuable commodity known to mankind...charity. I love you."-president

The funny thing is that sister rodrigues and I pick the hymns for sacrament meeting and we chose "Lord I would follow thee" for the closing hymn:) probably not a coincidence. Lately the word DESIRE has been popping up a lot and having charity is something that I definitely desire to have and if on my mission the definition of "success" that the Lord has for me is, not the amount of investigators I help to convert but rather, the amount of companions that I help, then that is the type of missionary I will strive to become. Lord, I would follow thee:)

Sunday night President and sister lords came and spoke to us. He focussed on, in D+C 121, the sentence "many are called but few are chosen. Everyone in the MTC and in the mission field have been "called" but the difference between being called and being chosen is that we walk with God. In verse 25 we learned that we are not walking with God when are hearts are set upon things of the world. And so we need to have BOTH feet in the mission.

After the devotional we had to say goodbye to two districts in our zone and two of our roommates. People just come and go so fast here at the MTC and it kinda hurts my heart a little bit haha but thankfully there is something to always be excited for. 

On monday we had the most AMAZING lesson with Brother Ales. I wish I could have recorded the whole thing and sent it to you guys. It took up 6 pages in my note book and it's kinda impossible to summarize but some things that really stood out to me were

-everybody gets to be resurrected because it wasn't their choice to experience the 1st spiritual death(being born and leaving God's presence) the first spiritual death came because of Adam and Eve, but we will pay the price of our own sins if we do not repent(come unto christ), if we do not repent this will be the second spiritual death, When Christ says on the cross "My God, my god, why hast thou forsaken me?" that was HIm experiencing the 2nd spiritual death, Christ really hast felt the pain of everything that we could ever feel.

-in john 19:30 when Christ says "it's finished" He is not saying that the Atonement is finished, but He is finished paying the price for sin because he continued to suffer like he did in Gethsemane for us on the cross.

- We are told to exercise faith in Jesus Christ but we pray to our Father and not Him because Heavenly Father blesses us with the gift of the Holy Ghost, and with the Holy Ghost we can endure to the end

A question that I had while we were learning about the atonement was why did Christ have to suffer / atone instead of Heavenly Father just extending mercy or suffering himself? And I found my answer in Alma 42. especially 42:15. It goes law then God then us, but that is just kinda the answer I got so it might not make sense haha

I also learned that every time I have broken my fast that is me breaking a commandment with God and Christ had to suffer for that...that was not fun reflecting on all the times i have broken my fast early haha sooo I am going to try and not do that anymore.

Tuesday was possibly the most spiritual day of my life all because of the devotional. TEN APOSTLES WERE THERE!!!!!!! Like holy cow!!!!! I re-freak out just thinking about it. Sister soucie and I sang in the choir and on our way over we walked right by elder Cook and he said "Hello sisters"!!!! Singing in the choir was so amazing. Tuesday was the 173rd anniversary of Joseph smiths martyrdom and we sang "praise to the man". I can't wait to meet Joseph Smith and hug him and say thankyou. I loved being able to sing that with all the apostles there. There was elder ballard, elder holland, elder Christopherson, elder bednar, elder oaks, elder renlund, elder rasband, elder stevenson, elder anderson, and elder cook!!!!

Elder bednar spoke to us and I was dying first of all. I just couldn't believe this was happening but then I remembered that I really should be listening haha. He bore his testimony of joseph smith at the beginning something he said was, "If you are ever at a loss of what to say, testify of joseph smith. He talked about "The word" and how one thing that the word represents is christ and also how it is the seed that we need to plant in our hearts. And so we need to be planting christ in our hearts. I love that. 

On wednesday we got to host(helping new missionaries come into the mtc) and it was super fun. WE also ran into elder stevenson which is pretttty cool. sister soucie and I got a little teary eyed seeing the families saying goodbye to their missionaries but that is exactly what we were told not to do so we had to pull it together haha. 

This week our teacher has been pretending to be an investigator that she had on her mission and we have been teaching her lessons. The investigators name is brynn:) When she said it at first I just kinda grabbed my necklace(thankyou for the necklace christy). I'm so grateful that Brynn knows what is true and that she is probably doing the same thing as me right now:)

Last of all HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! I'll admit that i'm a little sad today just thinking about the raymond parade and rodeo and tubing at the lake but it turns out that there is a "stadium of fire" thing that byu does for July 4th but they are doing it today! haha so we will be celebrating canada day too!:) Also all the girls loved the eatmores haha thanks mom.

I can't believe that i'll be in halifax next time i write! wha the!!! crossing my fingers that all goes well and that i love my trainer! I am so excited to meet president pratt and his wife!

Love you all so much!

love sister wood