Sister Leader in the "City of Palms"

bye, hija!

bye, mamita berita!

bye, pucallpa!

so, i was transferred, and i'm now in tarapoto, the jungliest part of my jungle mission, with my first gringa comp - hermana BRIGGS!!!! briggs is the sweet blonde whose "birth" i witnessed (when she was trained in pucallpa) more than a year ago! she is now my companion and will be finishing my mission with me this february (we'll actually be flying home to salt lake city together)! we are so blessed! also, i was called as sister leader, so lots of adventures ahead.

speaking of adventures, i missed my flight from pucallpa to tarapoto - lol (not my fault) - so i got to spend a night in iquitos with my bff, hermana SNYDER (a sister who i haven't seen since my first transfer in the mission over a year ago)!! all of those reunions were the best start to this week!!!

reunited after over a year!

(hermana snyder in iquitos)

TARAPOTO, "la ciudad de las palmeras," is a mountain city [356 metres (or 1168 feet) above sea level on the "high jungle plateau," aka the "cloud forest"]! i feel strangely like i'm in utah in the summertime!! but, the air is cool; in fact, it's the coolest place in the mission (which i'm very grateful for). also, i've become fast friends with our pensionista and all of the members - i already love everyone! and, two of my previous comps, osorio and garrcia, are here, as well! such sweet reunions!! being companions with a "gringa," though, is showing me just how low my english skills have gotten. it's hard to keep a conversation going sometimes, haha. also, there are no wards in tarapoto and no stake, either! it's just branches and districts!! but, i'm committed to see a stake here before i come home in february. :) i'm going to work my hardest to make that happen!!!

can you see the mountains in the background?

one funny thing: we were in branch council, and a muslim man came in who only spoke english (so hermana briggs and i had to translate for everyone), and he basically wanted the church to give him money to travel to the boarder of brazil and perú, haha. i was like "well, we can't help you financially, but we can give you as much spiritual help as you need!!" he couldn't speak spanish, so for the first time in my mission, i was in need of an english restoration of the church pamphlet (and there weren't any to be found). but, we were able to do some coordinating for him, and some members are going to help him out.

here's our branch presidente, jimmy.
excited to work with him!!!

love you all,
hermana wood

More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's mom:

found a chocolate store. we're happy sisters! :)

okay, so my house is like a hotel. i was shocked as soon as i walked in. and, every day i look forward to the shower i get to take at night - WE HAVE WATER PRESSURE! is this what it's like to actually shower? to get an idea: turn the sink on to the lowest it can be without turning it off. that's how my showers were most days in pucallpa, haha. so, i'm so happy! and briggs is the sweetest most amazing person ever. we are just so excited to work hard!! LOVE YOU.