Week 14 (08/29/11) - New Investigators!!! The work shall move on!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Querido Familia,

How are all of you?? I love you! I hope all is well! Thank you for all of your emails and stuff last week! I know I write the same thing every week, but I really do love to hear from all of you! P.S. Derek I got your letter from right after I left! haha funny, huh? I don’t know why I didn’t just get it when I first got here but oh well! I actually got like 5 random dear elders, too! Oh well! Anyway! So crazy, busy, but very successful week we have had! We had divisions where my companion went to another area nearby. For one night, he traded with another companion who came to my area. My comp is the District Leader and he does this to help the other missionaries! But the companion that was in my area is newer to the mission than me! He can speak Spanish because his mom is from Mexico, but we had no clue what we were doing! It was pretty freakin’ sweet though because we decided to knock doors and look for people to teach and we found two people who were positive and wanted to learn more! This is like incredible for the 1 and a half we looked! 2 very positive people are a miracle from god! Yay! But then, the next day my companion returned to our area and we had a contact from the mission office that we contacted, and she was really positive too! Their names are Jhonny (20yo), Anna Maria (50yo), and her son Jose (20yo), and then a lady named Carla! All were really positive and wanted to learn! It is great! We are also teaching another family with a Grandma Maria, her two grandkids - Erasmo and another little boy - I don’t remember his name though! So many crazy weird names here! Anyway, we found them through a member reference.  But all are so positive and ready to listen and read and learn about God and Jesus Christ! I love it!

It is actually crazy because part of the reason Anna Maria is ready to listen is because her husband committed suicide about 3 weeks ago! She is so sweet, but sad at the same time! It is so cool to teach her the plan of salvation though! I love it!!!! Also with Carla, she is pregnant and her husband left her about two weeks ago! It was so sad during our first lesson when she told us! She started crying and you can just see the pain on her face! But we taught her parts of the plan of salvation - like where her baby came from and how her and her husband can be married and sealed forever! We are also going to show a video we have about a couple that had problems in their marriage and how the gospel and Jesus Christ can save it!

Another little spiritual experience I had this week! I was in the house of Familia Iraheta. I had felt guided to go there on a weeknight, which is weird because they are never there on the weeknights! But I just said, we can just say hi if they are there! Anyway, they were all home and all very sick! Lehi hadn’t gone to work and had a fever! It was terrible! But he asked us to say a prayer for him, and I offered to give him a priesthood blessing! We anointed him with oil and I gave the blessing (in English). It was a really cool experience! I felt guided to go to his house! And then for him to really need the priesthood, and my worthiness and ability to give the blessing, I dont know! It was incredible! I just had such a good feeling after I left his house! I really do know that this gospel is true! That the power of God is on the earth today! Missionaries are guided to help and teach those that need and want to listen.  I love it!

I learned this week over and over how missionary work is so much more than just teaching lessons! I have loved getting to know these people and working with them and praying for them! Will you all pray for them for me too? I am sure that your prayers would help, too!

Anyway, my week has basically been dominated by awesome investigators! I am sorry if it is pretty boring to read this, but I am definitely excited about it! I love missionary work!

Oh something funny is that I have been sick this week! I think it is about the same thing I had in the MTC - stuffy nose and cough! Nothing much but I do have to blow my nose a lot! haha

Oh! I had my first incident with a drunk guy yesterday! He came up to us and asked for money. We explained we didn’t have any we were missionaries and only carry the word of god! And he started to go off on his beliefs and how we weren’t really children of god (I didn’t really understand what he was saying he was so drunk!) But no worries! We got away! hehe didn’t even have to give him money! Drunk people really act sooo different than they would if they weren’t drunk! I am glad I have the word of wisdom in my life!!

Also, just something I wanted to tell everyone about the experience I had on the bus from 2 weeks ago haha I am glad worried everyone was so worried about me! It shows me you care! But after, I got over it about a day later. It became funny! So you can all definitely laugh! I am fine and am just being more careful on buses! :) No worries! haha love you all though! Thanks for caring so much!

Anyways! I am glad to hear that all is going well at home! I love you all! Hope all is well!

Keep me in your prayers! You are always in my prayers! I love you all!!!

Love,

Elder Woodfield

Week 13 (08/22/11) - Temple Dedication Week in El Salvador!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Hola (dad, that is how you spell it :)) Familia!

Como estan todo? I miss you all! I hope all is going well! Thank you for all your emails last week! I love reading all of your emails and stuff - It helps me to feel close to everyone even though I am far away! Something cool that Elder Eyring said was, studying and thinking about Jesus is one of the best ways to help relieve the pain of someone you miss. He was talking about those that have passed away and also people that are not with you and are away in a different part of the world. It was so cool to be with him this past week!!!

So, on Friday evening we all went to a stake center in San Salvador and President Eyring came! We were there for about 2 hours before President Eyring arrived. We were waiting and listening to area seventies talk as they set the spirit of the meeting! It was so cool to be there right before he came! They had us all return to our seats and sit and study, or just sit quietly for about 15 minutes, before the meeting. The spirit was so strong in this moment! I had the same feeling of peace and comfort that I get when I go into the celestial room of the temple! It was amazing!!!!  But then Elder Eyring came! He did not stop smiling the entire time that he was there in the meeting! He kept staring out at all the missionaries like we were all heros or something (I'm definitely not a hero! haha) but he talked to us and told us about how everything was going to be ok! He told us a story about President Hinckley and how every time the 12 got together with the prophet, the 12 usually brought very difficult news – like very sad stories about different parts of the world - but every time President Hinckley heard these things, he would smile and then look at the person that told the news and say “Everything is going to be alright.” I loved this! This can apply to all parts of our lives! It was so cool and so inspiring! President Eyring has a way with words that makes it so special! I loved it so so much! He also said that the Book of Mormon in the best way to heal your soul, to change yourself, and make yourself better. He said go to the Isaiah chapters in 2nd Nephi and study them. He said when you are reading the bom and you get to the Isaiah chapters and WANT to read them, then you will know that you are changing :)

Also, just one more thing that I noticed. We were teaching a family last night - it is the family of Kaiti, one of my first baptisms. It is her her mom and her little sister that live there, but last night the dad of the little sister (both the girls have different dads) was there.  They were all watching TV and eating. I was thinking about how similar that is to our family. I couldn’t help but think about our family and how we do this too! haha but they are very poor and have a tiny house.  I thought about how the mom works a lot to buy things for their family but still they have cell phones and things that they don’t really need. But anyway, I was just thinking... what is it that makes us happy? They aren’t happy, they have little that they own, and they are focusing on getting more for themselves, but they aren’t very happy? Is it the same with us in our lives? Are we always focusing getting more for ourselves? For our families? We always want more but we are never happy. President Eyring, on the other hand, is a happy person. He has the full joy of the gospel. I seriously never saw him stop smiling! He was such a happy and inspiring person! I learned so much from this experience! We really cannot be happy from the things of the world! We are in the same situation in our country as they are here and we have SO much more there! We really need to focus ourselves in the gospel. Learn of Christ - this is the only way we can have TRUE happiness in this life! Anyway, just a thought haha I have just been thinkin’ lots! I love you all!!

Anyway, thanks for all you all do! I love you so so so so much! Keep writing - I love your letters!!

Stay happy and strong!!

Love,

Elder Woodfield

Week 12 (08/15/11) - Another Baptism and the Temple!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Hello Family!

How are you all? :)  How is Ogden and India? and wherever everyone is! Crazy to think that people actually do stuff other than study the scriptures and preach the gospel! Sounds like it is a lot of fun! Seaside, go boating crazy! Haha Miss it all but definitely having my own kind of fun here! Kolby can probably confirm that! It is definitely a lot of fun to be a missionary but it is VERY different fun! We get SO much pleasure in playing a game of monopoly (card version) on p day! Love it! Haha Anything else you guys are doing that is fun????

So, we had a baptism this last Saturday! It was awesome! Her name is Gaby or Gabriela—however you want to say it! She is 14 and she is so little! People here are just tiny! I didn’t actually do the baptism, my companion did, but I got to be the witness! I have to say, even though I loved to be the one to baptize last week, this was so much more special to me! I don’t need to be the one that actually does the action—just take part in helping the person get to the point, help them come to Christ! I witnessed someone make one of the biggest and most important covenants in their life! It was so cool! I felt the spirit tell me that this is the true work of the lord! I am bringing people to Christ. I am helping others to have better, happier, more joyful lives! This is so cooooool!!!!! I loved it!

So I have been out in El Salvador for 1 month today! It’s crazy how time flies!!! 3 months of missionary service already! 1/8 of my mission is already over! Time is seriously flying by! I can't believe it! I can’t wait to help more and more people over the next year and 9 months! This is going to be awesome!

K so I just wanted to answer a few of the questions that I have gotten in my emails recently!

What do I eat every day?

I have been eating lots of very bland food! But it is still very good, very fresh, and healthy! They love to eat a lot of beans, and rice. They put shredded carrot into their rice a lot! And I have also had spaghetti quite a bit too! I don’t know why they like this so much! But they do! They love to put sour cream on top of their spaghetti, too! Also elote (corn) they eat corn off the hizzow!!! Crazy, crazy people! haha They eat corn, corn tortillas, tomales (corn dumplings), atal (it is like grits made with fresh corn), fresh corn ground and put into a pattie.... so much corn! Gotta love it!

My knives....I laughed really hard at the story you told me mom! But just tell Derek that he had better watch himself! My knives have minds of their own and if you don’t respect them or their owner you will all of a sudden find one of them in your bed when you get into it!!!!! hehehehehhehehehehehehe

Something cool about the language is that sometimes I can have complete conversations and don’t have to think about what I am saying! It is definitely coming! I am learning so many words SO fast! It is coming really well!

About my companion! I have been able to understand him a lot more! He is definitely not one of my best friends like Elder Shelton was! But It is getting better and better! I have just learned to laugh at his jokes even if they aren’t funny! Haha this keeps him happy and it always helps to laugh, right? Haha He’s a very good person and a good missionary, too! We have had a lot of success already! :)

Also I wanted to tell you all that the temple is being dedicated next Sunday! I have never seen a group of people so excited about an event before in my life! They are seriously so excited for their own temple to be dedicated!! Also, President Eyring, Elder D. Todd Christofferson and Elder Walker are all coming to give a special devotional to the missionaries this Friday! I am so excited to hear from him! This is going to be an awesome experience! I will definitely let you all know in my next email how things go!

Ok.............so story.................I learned a new word the other day..................It is “violar” can you guess what this means? It means to violate..............haha I also found out that there are gay people in El Salvador too! It’s not just an American thing................haha can you guess what happened???? I will tell you! I laugh about it now but when it happened, it was definitely a scarring experience!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH haha

So I got on a bus and the buses here are very tiny, short buses from the U.S. the bus had about 40 people on it and there was NO room to move or anything! You could basically stand without holding on and the people would hold you up! So, I was just standing there waiting for people to move, people smashed against me and all that, and then the bus went to a stop. After it had stopped, most of the people moved away from me a couple inches or so and everyone stopped touching me…except one person...in one certain spot of my body. I will give you a hint—it was in the front! I looked down and his hand was right there! He saw me look down and moved his hand into his pocket. Me being the naive little Mormon boy I am, think, “Oh well, that was definitely weird but he just didn’t realize where his hand was!” Anyway, the bus started moving again, still very packed, and he starts doing it again!!!!! I am still thinking, “Maybe he is just trying to stabilize himself and he doesn’t realize where his hand is!” So, I turned my body as much as I could away from him! He then reached even farther just so he could have his hand there! He then started to grab, not touch! And the worst part was, there was so many people that I couldn’t move my arms to hit his away! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Anyway, lucky for me, there was another stop about 10 seconds later and lots of people left! I then stepped about two feet away and then he stepped back (he was facing away from me this whole time) and reached back to grab me again!!!! I grabbed his hand and threw it away! AHHHHHHHHHH :( :(  Anyway, after that, he realized that I just wasn’t able to stop him and that is why I didn’t do anything about it and he stepped away like it was nothing................. ah...I literally ran off the bus at the next stop! I felt so violated! Ah! Hate it! Let’s just say that I had nightmares that night! But I’m doing better now! Definitely learned to pay a lot of attention to that particular area of my body when I am on a bus! And now, I don’t let anyone get within about 2 feet of that area anymore!

Anyway, thought that was funny! Hope you all laughed at my discomfort! It really is funny, but I think that I will probably laugh about it more in a couple months or so when I don’t still feel violated!!!! Haha

Anyway, Familia! I love you all! Hope all is well! I am doing well here! I’m just taking it a week at a time! I love you all!!!!

I love you all!!!

Enjoy the pictures! I think you should be able to get them!

Love,

Elder Braden

El Salvador

Week 11 (08/08/11) - "Home" and another baptism!

Elder Woodfield is doing great! Last week, him and his companion, Elder Encarnacion, sat down and had a little chat in Spainglish - Braden told him that he was feeling kind of inadequate because Elder Encarnacion was a little more demanding but in the end, his companion said he wasn't very good at encouraging elders but as an indication of a job well-done, he simply gives his trainees more tasks and responsibility - therefore, Elder Woodfield is doing a GREAT job and him and Elder Encarnacion really get along great! He is loving the people and the area. 


Here is his weekly update email and some new pictures! 


Monday, August 8, 2011

Hey Family! 

I hope things are all well! Things are good here! Just livin’ the life of a missionary, you know? So some stuff that has happened this past week! Wow it feels like it has been like 2 days not 7! Crazy!  So this week we got another date for a baptism! We will be baptizing her this Saturday the 13th! Her name is Gaby (Gabriela) and she is 13. We met her through a member that is about her age.  The first time we met her we explained baptism and she said she wanted to be baptized! Nice, eh? So this past week we have been teaching her all the lessons and getting her ready for baptism! Crazy, huh? It has been good! We also have another family - Family Iriheta (pretty sure I mentioned them last week too?) - but they are getting closer and closer to Baptism! They are all so nice! Everyone here is so nice! It is great!

Other random stuff that has been going on:

We cleaned our house this morning! It was great because it has been getting dirtier and dirtier! I finally can stand to be in my own house again! haha I even cleaned the light switches off! I felt like I was Kalee haha. I was also tempted to wash the walls (they have a bit of dirt on them... well a lot more then Kalee would ever let in our house) but I decided not to, I really don't care all that much! Not when in like a month I wont be living there anymore! (more like 3 months or so) but you get the point! 

Also I am getting more and more used to the country! Things aren't so strange and uncomfortable anymore! I am getting used to the random fireworks that churches let off (totally random I really have no clue why they do it!) I am also getting used to all the random churches having religous concerts and stuff that keep me up! and just all of it! It is feeling more and more like home! (or maybe I am just forgetting how good home really is! Be grateful! :) )

But guess what everyone! 10% of my mission is already over! That is 1% of my life spent on a mission! Crazy ,eh? Can't wait to be home, but at the same time this is really a cool experience! I love you all! Hope you are all doing well!

So I attached some pictures! I hope they are in this order when you get them! but I'm sure you can figure it out! I'm sorry I really haven't taken many pictures because I haven't wanted to take my camera anywhere! but here’s a few!

First is the temple of San Salvador! Dedicated August 21!

Second is my first pupusas!

Third is me and my companion!

Fourth is me and my companion with my first people baptized!

and Fifth is me and the temple of San Salvador!

Enjoy!

Love,

Elder Braden Woodfield

Middle: Bryant, 13, and Kaeti, 11

with Elder Woodfield (left) and Elder Encarnacion (right)

Week 10 (08/01/11) - Two Baptisms!! El Salvador.

Monday, August 1, 2011
Hey everyone! I love you all!

So second week done in El Salvador! Crazy Crazy! Lots of things have happened this week! I am starting to be able understand pretty much all everyone says to me! theres just one problem, Slang. There is SOOOOO much slang here! like they have slang words for everything from dog to how to ask you how you are feeling! I don't know! crazy crazy crazy! all is good though! They language will come! It is very frustrating sometimes though especially during lessons! I have things that I want to say but just cant! I cant wait until I am just fluent! hopefully by October or so right!? This week we have been teaching a lot of people! We are teaching a new family, the father is a member but isn't active, and the wife and three kids arent members, they are so cool! The Iriheta family is their name (Names here are so hard! everyone has at least 4 names and they all go by different ones so I just call everyone by their last names and stick a hermana or hermano in front of it! haha)  But the best part about this family is that the dad speaks english! love it makes it so much easier to teach him!

My Baptism's, This last saturday we had two baptisms! ones name is Katy and the other Bryant! we were able to baptize both, I know I mentioned in my last email that we may not baptize Bryant, but we were able to finish the lessons and teach him! It was really cool! I loved it! I messes up the names though haha I swear! it's really hard! but Its ok, they are baptized and have that ordinance for their salvation :) 

Some other things! I know that I said I was going to send pictures this week but I forgot my camera! The reason being that I didn't understand what my companion was telling me! we went to play soccer as a zone today in another city today, I thought that after soccer we would be coming back to our house and then going to email, but we came strait here to email! that's ok though! I can send them next week! I have the pictures of my companion and they people we baptized on there! its sweet!

Another story! well not really a story, It has been raining for about 4 days strait now! this last thursday it started to rain, and it has been raining off and on since then! before that it would rain about once every two days or so but it has been raining so much! when it rains here it RAINS! it rains so much that the streets turn to rivers! they have a lot of drains and stuff throught the city but it just rains so hard! During one rain storm the water was about 4 inches deep in the road! crazy! also today while we were playing soccer, it started to rain! it poured so hard! the field was like filled with water, but we just kept going! haha by the time we stopped some spots had an inch or 2, crazy crazy!

My companion, My companion is a very strong missionary. he has been in the church for about 7 years but is really really strong in it! I have a hard time sometimes with how he acts.  to put it simply he reminds me a little bit of Brett from work! (Although he doesn't call me dumb, swear or anything like that don't worry!) but he has an attitude, and is a little bossy! But he is a good guy! he teaches me a lot! I can't say that I would be best friends with him, but I definatly love him as a child of God :) Dont worry about it though I know that it is only going to get better with him! the more I can understand spanish the better we are going to get a long :)

Well i'm going to end this email now, and try and send a few individual replies to each of the others

I love you all!! Hope you are all doing really well!

Love

Elder Braden Woodfield