The Best Sunday Yet!

giving away stickers in the street

this last area is a challenging one, but we are (sort of) finding people to teach, and it's the best! we're particularly excited for luz de jesus and her mom, rosmeri, to whom we were able to teach "lesson 1" this week. luz asked us before the lesson, "how long do i have to be receiving these lessons before i can get baptized?" i was like "yes! that's a great question!" haha. :) we invited her mom to be baptized, as well, and rosmeri said "puede ser" ("could be"). she didn't say "no," so all i heard was "yes." unfortunately, they didn't make it to church (because luz slept in), but hopefully they'll be there next week!

preaching the gospel

we have been trying to help another sister, nancy, come to church, as well. we decided to pass by her house with a member who lives nearby to pick her up this past sunday morning. nancy had confirmed earlier in the week that she was good to attend, and we were excited! but, when we got there and saw her watching TV and asked "hey, are you ready to go to church?" she said she wouldn't be able to go, because she had to watch her kids. (in my head i thought: "hence, the primary.") that really tore me up! after so few people (aka none) coming to church these last couple of weeks, i felt really sad. because sunday, in part, is when you see the results of your work as a missionary. and, we had zero investigators in attendance, despite our best efforts.

our pensionista bought us churros!

my eyes are red, because we watched the movie "17 miracles."

so, as i was sitting in sacrament meeting thinking about all of this, i really felt devastated. but then, i felt a hand on my shoulder, and i looked up to see rocio - a woman who had been baptized after i taught her the gospel when i served in this area six months ago - she was just standing right next to me with a huge grin on her face! she and her husband (also recently baptized) and her son (who we'd helped to baptize, as well) had heard through the grapevine that i had come back to iquitos, so they came to visit me. :) i threw my arms around her, laughing, and thought "god knows exactly what we need. he is aware of us." like spencer w. kimball once said: "god does notice us. and he watches over us. but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."

the best sunday yet! surprise visit by rocio and her family!!

i testify that what president kimball said is true, because i experienced it this week. sunday IS when you see your results - i count that blessing as the result of a long week of hard work, and i thank my heavenly father for sending rocio! LOVE YOU ALL.

hermana wood

More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's dad (after learning that our family dog, Tootsie, had passed away):
we are working hard and seeing the hand of the lord strengthening us. i'm going to need that now more than ever, hearing this news. i'm so sad to hear tootsie passed away and hope you can all just feel at peace about it. i'll try to do the same. i love you all so much, and i'm just glad you're all safe and healthy and well. make this week better than last, and always keep tootsie in memory! i love you, dad!

came across paintings while souvenir shopping for the fam

More from this week's message to Hermana Wood's mom:
i read something this week that i loved by elder uchtdorf: "the promises of the lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain." i trust that's true! especially the promises that the lord will hasten his work and that every living creature will resurrect one day. i'm so sad about tootsie, but i just hope you guys are okay and can hold up strong. i love you so much!!