General Conference: "Like Being in Heaven!"

hellooooo! how are you all? tell me everything! :) my week was good - another one down!! :) it was hard, but i got through it!! the biggest highlight was watching general conference. all the gringo missionaries got to watch all four sessions in ENGLISH, and it was like being in heaven! it's so interesting to watch general conference as a missionary - i felt like i needed ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. at home, sure i'd have one or two talks i liked the most, but here every message felt like it was catered directly to my needs. and there were TONS of relevant themes! just goes to show the insane amount of spiritual strength we need as missionaries!

all the gringa sisters in my zone watching general conference!

(right to left) willes, brigs, me, jackson, and vasquez. 

we found a less active member this week! we were walking to meet with one of our other investigators, and i felt like we should go down another street. that made our walk a little longer, but we were able to contact this girl (who's about 14), and she introduced us to her dad - who has been less active for like 15 years! so, we taught them a short lesson and later were able to teach the dad and his wife. and they came to a session of conference this weekend!! so cool! i haven't had a prompting like that since i've been here, so i was like WHAAAAT?! misionary work. :)

we found a cool river! looks like the jungle. :)

another of our investigators, marialena, is doing well. :) she told us she knows our message is true! and her mom passed away this week, which is so sad, but also awesome because we got to teach the plan of salvation and really apply it to her circumstances! her daughter is special needs, so it's a struggle to get them to church, but she's progressing! :)

so, luz...who had the baptism date, remember her? her dad is refusing to sign her permission slip. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT to do. so we're going to be praying for her, because she wants to be baptized so badly! she has a testimony, and she loves the youth in the ward.

we did service in this house and they are HOARDERS.

ahhhh, they have so much stuff!!

this week had its hard moments. i was feeling low at one point, and i felt like nothing could help - i just felt alone. then i thought about the savior - how he's the only one who can make all things right, and he's really the only one who's going to get me through this cambio [transfer] and this mission. that helped a lot, and i felt better. i resolved to always keep a quiet, spiritual strength and not worry about the details of what my comp may be doing or not doing. it's hard, but i got this!

the big bug!!! for carson. :)

so sad i'm missing halloween. SO SAD!!! but it's okay, because actually everything's spooky here. :) cobwebs and stray black cats - i'm basically living halloween every day, and i love it. i'd just like to see a pumpkin - so, if anyone has the means to send me one before october 31st, i will pay you in soles. :)

also this week, we ate fried white bread. i'm going to die - it was a heart attack on a plate, but the lord watches over his missionaries. :) i love you all! keep being strong in the gospel! this week i've learned to trust in his promises to us, because they are sure!! we always having something to hope for in christ! pray every day, and go eat "in 'n out" for me! :)

hermana wood

More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's mom:
conference made me so homesick, haha - seeing all those images of salt lake and the conference center and the temple....it felt like being at home, and it was so weird to go right back to being a missionary. i felt like i couldn't do it, but i prayed for strength and it totally came!! so, this monday i am verrrry grateful to be writing and reading your emails. :) also, um holland's talk - my heart went flying straight home. i thought of you the whole time and truly how amazing you are! you carried me for 9 months and then every day after! i don't know what i'd do without you! also, the "ponderize" thing - i've sort of been doing that with the scriptures you send at the end of your e-mails, so keep them coming! :)

one more thing: i asked president if he thinks i should help my area or work on my relationship with my companion, and he said my loyalty is first to the lord! so, i should focus on missionary work, but also try to help my comp. so yeah, i love you so much - talk to you next week! i'd love pics every week from all of you - like in every e-mail from every member of the family! love you so much!

p.s. here are more random pics. sorry they didn't come sooner - these were sent to me by the zone leaders [posted here chronologically by date stamp: day/month/year]. but yeah, pretty cool! :)