Sweet, Sweet Tender Mercies

 

my companion, hermana garcia, and i

tracking in the jungle

this week, we began teaching a motokar driver named kevin. he was a referral from a member named jessica (kevin is basically her personal moto-taxista). funny story: while we were visiting jessica and asking if she knew of anyone we might be able to teach, kevin (a non-member) was sitting right there listening. jessica was really struggling to think of a name to give us. then, i said "hey! what about kevin?" and, we all laughed together; of course, the obvious choice was KEVIN! anyway, he accepted the invitation to be taught, and since we've started teaching him, he's already received his answer that the BOM is true! kevin asked how i came to know the BOM was true, and i told him that i felt an undeniable peace and confirmation in my heart when i was 12 years old. he told us that he has felt a lot of peace when he has prayed about the church and joseph smith, "just like you felt, hermana wood!" he's so receptive, and we are VERY excited for him!

service project

pig ears and skin (we did not eat this!)

this is heavier than it looks :)

in other exciting news, we watched the the general women's meeting of conference this week!! i was SO pumped and got everything set up for the gringa sisters to watch in english on the computers at the stake center. we were all settled - i'd been looking forward to this moment all week! then, picture this: the prelude music ends, the on-screen countdown ends, sister burton stands up, looks around at everyone in the conference center, smiles, and says "welcome" – then, POOF! the power goes out in the stake center! we were in total darkness!! all i could think was: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" (and, i might have said that out loud. ha!) eventually, we got it all worked out, and the broadcast came back on just as the choir was singing the last note of the opening hymn. sweet, sweet tender mercies. :) LOVE YOU ALL!

our zone leader drew a pic of all of us :)

hermana wood

More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's youngest brother:
thank you so much for mentioning me in your primary talk! :) i'm so touched! you're such a sweetie! how was your week? mine was good - pretty basic! it was sooo fast! i think that was because we had the general women's meeting this week; we'd been looking forward to the broadcast, and it was sooo good! guess what, i almost stepped on a tarantula this week! we were walking in the more jungly part of our area, and hermana garcia suddenly said "CAREFUL!!! cuidado!!" i looked down, and there was a tarantula right by me! EW! love you, goober.

i almost stepped on this little guy

More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's dad:
haven't heard, yet, about the extension. :( but, yesterday a bunch of ward members joined my companion and i, and we went out and knocked on doors looking for referrals. i did splits with the "missionary" twins in our ward, and we walked all the way to the cemetery at the end of our area! we actually went in and ate the mangoes that had fallen from the trees because of the rain storms. unfortunately, i think the mangoes might've been cursed with the spirits of the dead, because i had a tummy ache this morning. happy "early" halloween!!! LOVE YOU.