Open Thy Mouth!

moses 6:32

this last tuesday [at district meetings], i gave a training presentation on contacting potential investigators. i think they asked me to present because the other week we had 11 new investigators. i LOVE talking to these people!! knocking on doors, talking to them in the park, commenting on their dogs and then inviting them to church (it works). it's so important that we open our mouths or nothing will get done! so, that was my training message - probs more "mess" than message, but it was fun!! :)

(literally always opening my mouth)

our pensionista, deysi, sells food almost every day from her house

this weekend, my companion and i went to a baptism our sister leaders had, because president gómez was going to be there, and we wanted to invite our investigators. the sister being baptized was a woman i had helped teach on a recent work visit with sister montgomery (one of the leaders) about a month ago. i was shocked that this investigator was getting baptized so quickly! it pushed me to more hard reflection (kind of happens a lot here) about why the investigators we've been working with for so long aren't progressing at the same rate. i'll admit, i started feeling a little discouraged (even frustrated) that day, despite understanding that success isn't measured by baptisms.

tender mercy: later that evening, as we were walking to make one last visit, the mission president's car passed us! it pulled up to the exact house we were going to, and president gómez and elder uceda (of the seventy) stepped out of the car!! this amazing general authority extended his hand directly to me and said, "Hermana Wood!! A POWERFUL missionary." i've only met elder uceda once before, but i KNOW he was guided by the spirit to offer those simple words of encouragement - he knew exactly what i needed in that moment! pretty incredible to hear a member of the seventy tell you that you're "powerful" when you feel otherwise!! the lord knows us and is aware of how we feel, i testify of that.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

hermana wood

look who snuck in and crashed our father's day party :)

More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's dad:
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO THE GREATEST DAD I'VE EVER HAD!!!! seriously, thank you so much for everything you do for me and for everything you did to get me out in the field!! i wouldn't be the woman i am today without you as my father. i love you so much!!!