Week 23 (10/31/11) - Lots and lots of investigators!!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Hello everyone!!

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

How are you all??? Thank you all for your emails! I haven’t quite finished reading them yet but I will finish them after I email! It is like a bit of a treat haha I like to read a bit of them to see if there is anything crazy, but then I finish reading them later haha I am weird, I know! But I am glad that all seems to be good up there in Utah! Sounds like it is starting to get colder and colder! I love this time of year in Utah! I can’t wait to be cold again! haha as for Lizzie in India, there is definitely a different story there - desert and camels! Crazy girl :)

As for the week here, BUENO! It has been a crazy week full of work and people! We weren’t able to have Manuel's baptism this past weekend because he got a new job and had training! He had his baptismal interview this past Thursday and passed! But then he had to work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday allllllll day! So, we weren’t able to have his baptism this past week but we plan to do it on Tuesday night!! It is going to be cool! I really hope it all goes well! He will be calling us and letting us know if he can do the baptism tomorrow or not and I am hopeful that we can! Keep him in your prayers! 

As for other news! We have 7 other people that have committed to baptism! We have Patricia and Brian (I think I described them last week :)) but they live on a street that is very social and so every time we go to teach them, we find new people to teach! We invited Brian and Patricia to church this last week and they said they could come! Well, they also brought four friends to church as well!! It was cool! We had 10 investigators in church yesterday and all of them are really positive!! But anyway, Brian and Patricia have committed to baptism, as well as their neighbor that is 12 years old!

Also, the Martinez family has committed to baptism! They are the family of three. And they are really nice! Sandra, Sarai, and Mario! I was the one that had the chance to ask them to be baptized and I hadn't even finished asking “Will you be baptized?” and they were all shaking their heads really enthusiastically! I love missionary work! We have been teaching these two families for about two weeks and even though we cant speak their language perfectly, the spirit is teaching with such an amazing love and strength! Also, it helps to have members in our lessons! This last week, we had 25 lessons with members and only 2 without members! It is so fun to have members there to help us and translate our medium-level Spanish! haha

Also, we have one more baptismal date! Her name is Claudia! I don’t know if I have mentioned her before but she is the sister of a member! She is a little bit more difficult of an investigator than others! Sometimes, we will go to her house and she will just be plain and simple ornery and won’t want to listen! But she has been progressing a lot! Her biggest problem is that she is living with a guy that doesn’t want her to be baptized and won’t marry her! So we have to work on breaking that barrier down…as I say, make up or brake up! They either need to split up or get married!! haha

The Martinez family has a date for the 12th of November. Patricia and Brian and Norman (their neighbor) have a date for the 19th of November. Claudia has a date for either the 12th or 19th of November - she still hasn’t decided haha

But I am really excited about all the people that are changing their lives here! It is so cool to teach and see the power of the atonement work in their lives!  I love missionary work and I love that I have this opportunity to serve and to learn!

In other news! We have been working a lot with the bishop and ward council! My old companion didn’t like to work with them very much he always said that they were lazy... well, I just have to say that when you are working and serving them, they love to serve you too! Our bishop is really cool and works a lot! I love this ward!

Hmmmm… well, I think that is about it from this week! I know it is probably pretty boring to just hear about a lot of other people but it is really my life right now! haha I hope that noone is bored of my letter! I will try and do something cool this week or something deal?? haha Oh! And pictures! I am having a kid in our ward put them on a CD and that way I will have a back up and can send them with out fear! I PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE I will have them next week deal!???? I know it has been over a month! But patience is a virtue right?? An attribute of Christ?? :) haha

Anyway! I love you all so so much! If there is anything that I can do for you, let me know and I will do it!!!

I love you all!!!

Elder Braden Woodfield

Week 22 (10/24/11) - New comp and everyday life!

Elder Woodfield will finally (maybe) send pictures next week! :) 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Hello family! I love you all!

Como estan  todo? Me gustaria hablar en español por un minuto esta bien? Gracias! Esta semana ha estado muy bien! hemos trabajado mucho y tenemos una fecha bautismal por el proximo fin de semana!

Hey everyone! How have you all been this week? The rain here finally stopped! We have jumped back up to our 90 degrees with 100 percent humidity all day, every day! Yay!! haha I hear it has been fluctuating up there between the 70s and 40s? Cool cool! Sounds really nice! I want to not be a stinky sweaty person for a change! I have totally forgotten what air conditioning feels like! I was talking to my companion the other day and we were like, “what are we going to do when we get home?! We will go to brush our teeth and have a cup to go brush our teeth!” I was like “Woah! I used to be able to just use a sink and drink right out of the sink?? I had almost forgotten! Loco, eh? Anyway, as you can see, I am basically a true Salvadorian now! If I wake up and there isn’t any water to shower, I don’t worry, I just take a bucket shower. I am totally used to the noises that come through our non-existent front wall and it is all good! haha Wow when I first got here, I was like, “Are you serious?! This is so different! I hate it!” Now, it’s just normal! haha but I definitely miss the snow ;) send pictures, deal???

Anyway, this week was way good! To start out the week, we couldn’t leave on Monday but Tuesday we could! The rain had basically stopped so we could go out! But basically all week, we have just been working really hard to find new people and get the people we have closer to baptism! We have one guy named Manuel that will be baptized this weekend! He has had a lot of problems with alcohol in the past but now he has given it up! His family (mom and sisters) are all members and they have helped him a lot to complete his goals! We have also been working with the bishop to help him to feel comfortable and everything! Anyway, pray for all to go well in this next week yeah? :)

Also, we have found 3 really cool families! (Really, only one "complete" family with a man and wife but the rest are families too in reality!)  But one family is familia Garcia - Francisco and Karla. This couple just had their first baby 3 weeks ago! Grand new and so beautiful! But they are really good people! We just started teaching them this week! They seem really positive but we definitely need more time to tell for sure, right? :)  Also, we have another family, a mom and a son - Patricia and Bryan! They are really positive! We challenged her to be baptized in the second lesson and she said yes! We need to explain a lot to her but she really wants her and her son to be baptized! So exciting! Also, we are teaching another family that has a mom, a son, and a daughter! The mom’s name is Sandra and the daughter is Sarai and the son is Mario. They are really good friends with a member in the ward and we have been having him at our lessons. It has been a lot of fun! The mom is a little fed up with religion - so many people telling her what to do and so many people telling her different things. The gospel is good for her! The way the spirit teaches is by calming those confusions and helping her to learn and that is what is happening with her! It has really been testimony-building experience to teach her and her family! I love the gospel! I am so excited for this opportunity to teach and to learn! I love it!

Anyway, some random facts from this week :) Me and Elder Hammond (his full name is Steven Michael Hammond :)), have been doing a lot of talking! I have loved talking in English, not going to lie! You never realize how much you love a language until you can’t speak it for three months! But anyway, throughout the day, we only speak Spanish, but at night when we come back to our hous,e we speak a lot of English! It is really fun! We talk about stories from school, our girlfriends, and just a lot of fun stuff! He went to BYU-I before his mission and he has a girlfriend that is still going up there! I love having someone to talk about Lizzie! I love sharing stories and just laughing for a change! I still have a lot to learn about the Latino’s jokes and humor! It is a lot harder to understand! But yeah, it has been cool! I love my companion and he is already a good teacher! He is  really driven to do everything and he learns really fast, a lot like Lizzie (haha)! So it is very enjoyable to be around such a familiarly cultured person! haha It is nice!

So everyone, once again, I am a failure! I forgot my camera this week! You can be mad at me if you really want..... haha but I PROMISE that this next week I will bring it and send pictures, deal????

Anyway, I love you all so so so so much! I hope that you are all doing well! If there is anything I can do for you, let me know! I am always praying for you all! Thanks so much for your love and support here! I couldn’t do this with out you all! Thank you so so so much!!!! Thanks again!!

I love you all!!

Braden Woodfield

Week 21 (10/17/11) - Floods in El Salvador! New Companion! He's safe!

It was SO good to hear from Braden again this week! He is doing well and working SO hard! He has a new companion from Idaho. They are stuck in their home for the next 2 days because of the floods through Central America. But most importantly, our Braden is SAFE. Read about what he's been up to! Another successful week!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Hola Familia!!!

How are you all?? I hear it is nice and sunny up there and 75 degrees, eh?? That sounds good! I hope that the weather is good in India as well!!! Here we have been a bit wet hehe but that isn’t important right now, I want to tell you about my new companion!!!

So this last Monday, we got home that night and were about to go to bed when President Glazier (the mission president) called our house to call me to be a trainer! He said we needed to be in San Salvador at 8 o’clock the next morning for a training conference! I was so nervous but so excited at the same time!!! Anyway, San Salvador is about an hour and a half away so we had to leave our house at 6:30 to get there on time!!! But, when we got there, we had a meeting with all the new missionaries, who had gotten there the day before, and all the trainers! They talked a little bit about the training program and we had a little bit of breakfast! Then, the new missionaries left (I still didn’t know who my companion was at this point) and the trainers had another meeting to get us all motivated and excited (not that I needed it, I was so excited!) After, we came back to our area and I finished my last day with Elder Encarnacion! The next morning, we left our house at 5:30 to go to Santa Tekla, where our Stake Center is, (that is where all the missionaries in our stake meet when we change companions). When I got there the Assistant to the President introduced me to my new companion! Guess what?! He is gringo! He is from Idaho!! Crazy, eh? I am assigned to serve with another Elder that. before the MTC, spoke absolutely no Spanish! I was like… hmm … OK! Sounds great! Let’s go and do this! You know?! I was stoked! But my companion is awesome! He is really nice, very loving, and works so hard! His Spanish is a lot better then mine was when I first got here, and he can understand basically everything. He is working so hard to improve his Spanish! I will send you all a picture next week! (I know, I know, I haven’t sent pictures for a long time but I promise I will get you all some soon ok?? I’m sorry!!! I love you all still if that helps!) Anyway, we came back to our area and we have been working hard ever since! Being Senior Companion is definitely a lot harder than Junior Companion…but being a trainer and a Senior Companion is crazy! haha Definitely keep me in all your prayers deal? We have been working hard and we have been learning so much! In the last 4 days, my Spanish has been getting better and better by leaps and bounds! I can teach hour long lessons without any problem understanding or talking, and I can have complete conversations about whatever else with hardly any problem. It is amazing to see how much the Lord has blessed me! I have had so much help! Thank you everyone for your prayers and your support!

So you all want to know something? There has been a hurricane in Guatemala this past week and because of it, I haven’t seen the sun since last Monday!!! It has been raining without a single pause since Monday night last week!!! Crazy, huh? And it isn’t just light rain, it is a lot of rain!! And there have been mud slides in the mountain regions of the country! (Please don’t worry we live in a very, very extremely safe spot!) But some of the members in our ward have had problems in their houses. Yesterday, we went to help clear out some stuff from the mud slides! It was crazy! They are just little ones, not like the gigantic ones, but they take out bushes and sometimes little trees! Also, all of a sudden, in the lower part of our area, a river started! haha It caused some damage and flooded some peoples homes! Because of all this damage, and more throughout the whole country, we have been confined to our houses for all of today and tomorrow! They said we could leave to buy food today and write our families and that is it! They just don’t want us being tempted to go and visit those people that are in the places that are having trouble I guess! So, we are going to be stuck here for a while! Can you guys help us pray to have the rain stop so we can go visit our investigators?? Good :) Thanks guys!! P.S. I am completely safe and I have never felt in danger! Our house is seriously one of the only parts that hasn’t had trouble! We are on high ground and our area has good drainage systems! I AM SAFE :)

Something funny - this week, I got 16 letters!!! I got this huuuuuuuge stack of letters this last Friday, and no one else got letters!!! I got all the letters from Lizzie since August 26th (I haven’t gotten any since the beginning of September) and I also got 6 dear elders! And a letter from Mom and Lizzie’s cousins! Let’s just say, I felt pretty special! hehehe I loved it! Thank you so so much everyone!!!

Anyway, I love you all!! I hope you are all doing so good!!! I miss you all so much and I pray for everyone every morning and night! I am excited for a couple months when we can talk on Christmas! If there is anything I can do for you all, please please let me know! I am here to do anything for anyone! I love you all so much! Stay safe!!! (especially Lizzie the Explorer over there doing all her crazy adventures in India! haha)

With Love,

Braden

Week 20 (10/10/11) - Another baptism! Carlos!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Hola familia!

What´s happenin’?? I am in kind of a rap mood haha there is rap music playing in the place I am writing this email! And that is what inspired the "What´s happenin’" haha stupid I know! Anyway, how is everyone? Everyone loving the fall weather? (Apart from Lizzie I guess, who is still in the crazy land of Asia! Crazy girl! hehe) Anyway, I totally miss the cold weather! I want snow!!! Or at least less than 90 degree weather! We will be partying it up on the ski slopes the winter I get home, deal? Sounds good! And Derek, don’t worry, we will be partying it up on the lake wakeboarding before you leave on your mission! 

So guess what????? We were able to baptize Carlos this week! Crazy eh eh eh? He is 18 years old and we were teaching him along with the family of 4 we baptized the week before conference! He wants to go on a mission and we are preparing him for his mission and everything! It is cool the ward already gave him the priesthood and he is a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood!! Cool, eh???

Some other things that have happened this week! Elder Encarnacion is leaving the area this Wednesday, so he has been saying goodbye to all the recent converts and the members of the ward and they have all been asking to feed us! For about 3 days now we have had at least 2-3 dinners! Don’t worry, mom! Whatever weight I lost will be back in no time at this rate! haha It is all really good food, it is just so much! You can’t say no and you have to try and finish the food or else they get offended! So, several times I have been barely shoveling in the last few bites in!

In other news, we haven’t had water for 4 days now??? I have no idea what happened to it! I think they just like to torture the missionaries! They said something like, the “bomba” broke? Bomba means bomb... but I think it is slang for pump. Anyway, long story short about, 100 houses haven’t had water for a few days! We have been taking baths with our drinking water! So exciting! I have been paying about 1 dollar for each bath I take the past few days! Haha funny, eh??

Well that is about it for this week! I still don’t know if I am going to be trainer yet. I will probably find out tonight I am or not! I will let you all know next week! Also Mom, I got my package! I forgot to tell you last week! I got it a week and a half ago on Thursday! Thank you so much for my sheets! I love them! Also thank you all for the Dear Elders (Lizzie mainly this last week, I don’t think I got any from anyone else last week but thanks everyone for the ones you have sent in the past!)

And pictures.... I just pulled out my camera to put the pictures on and Elder Encarnacion said that he tried to send a picture and it deleted the pictures on his memory card (only 2-3 pictures that were for the mission office nothing that cant be replaced) So...... I am going to wait! Maybe I will have my friend in the ward send a few this week! I will try! Anyway, I hope that you are all excited for my pictures for when they can be sent!!!

Love you all! I hope you are all doing awesome! I pray for you all every night and morning! Keep me in your prayers!!!

Love,

Braden

Photos and video fun of Elder Woodfield!

A sweet convert in Braden's ward in Lourdes, El Salvador (they watch out for the missionaries!) sent us a few photos and a video of Braden. He made papusas with their family - he's in his element!

Enjoy!

Braden making papusas!

Look at that handsome missionary!

Out and about in the city!

Braden and Elder Encarnacion.

Week 19 (10/03/11) - Investigator Review and GC!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Hola Familia!

Como estan????? Espero que todo es bueno! I love you all! I am glad to hear that General Conference was good for all of you! What were your favorite talks?? I got to watch all 5 sessions! They show them in the churches through Satellite or Internet, depending on the church! The only thing.... they are in Spanish! haha I understood when I was focused and was able to take lots of notes! But I had a hard time staying awake… sitting in a dark, hot room listening to something that I couldn’t understand if I didn’t give my full attention! haha So I was riding the bull a bit, you know, the head bob when your trying your hardest to stay awake but its a worthless fight? haha Well, let’s just say, I took a couple needless bathroom breaks just to wake myself up! haha chivo eh?? (chivo is cool/sweet in Salvadoranio) Anyway! I loved it! And I can’t wait to get the written versions in Spanish and English so I can read them and get more out of them!

This past week has been a pretty normal week of missionary work! Lots of appointments and lots of work! We are teaching new people and will be having baptisms throughout the month! One person, Carlos, is a person that we have been teaching along side the family of Erasmo. He is so awesome! He came to the baptism this past week and said that he wants to be the next one baptized! He already has a strong testimony and wants to go on a mission! (He is 18 right now) We have been teaching him for a few weeks and he will be baptized this next week! Also, we have been teaching a guy named Manuel, he lives with his family who are all strong and active Mormons (the two daughters went on missions and the mom works in the temple), but he is not baptized yet because of problems with alcohol! Well, about a month ago, with his family’s help, he gave up alcohol and asked that we start teaching him the lessons! It is cool to see how, now that he doesn’t drink, he wants the gospel! I love it! He will probably be baptized the 15th ish :) Also, we have a family, Family Orellana. The kids were baptized about 2 months ago (before I got here), but the parents couldn’t be baptized because they weren’t married and they needed to have a divorce to be married! Well the divorce is about finished and they will be married and baptized! I love to hear their comments! They have such a strong desire to be baptized and go to church! I love it!

Also an update on a few people we were teaching in the past... It is sad but we can’t baptize a few people! Jhonny - we were teaching and he was really positive! But then all of a sudden he just stopped being at home when he said he was going to be! We went to his house every day for almost 3 weeks and he was never home! We had to drop him… Hopefully Missionaries in the future will be able to find and teach him!  Also, Familia Iraheta - they haven’t been progressing and we were just wasting time there so we are going to give them some time to think and try again in a couple weeks! I hope that they receive the gospel! I really do love them so much!!! Also Karla, she is the lady that her husband left her, well he came back! That is great news right?!? The only problem is that he works all day long and we can never teach him! We don’t want to baptize Karla without him because then we would be baptizing a lady that would just be inactive and go to church with her husband (that is the type of person she is - super super receptive of the gospel but loves her husband so much!) but we are going to try and teach him. But if not, the Lord will prepare a way for both of them to receive the gospel in the future! Anyway, I thought that you would like to hear about them! I didn’t want to just stop mentioning them! Keep praying for them for me, k? I love them all so much and I hope that they have the opportunity to receive the gospel and go to the temple someday!!

Anyway - something cool! This probably going to be my last week being Junior Companion! We have changes next week and Elder Encarnacion is going to leave to another area and I will more then likely be the Senior Companion of this area! Also, there is a rumor going around that I will train! If that is the case, all I have to say is I am nervous! haha training means that I will be not only Senior Companion but I will also have a companion that is brand new in the mission field! (most likely a native from Guatemala or Honduras) but freak! So fast! haha I am nervous but I know that the Lord will help me if that is the case! I will find out next Monday If I train or not and I will let you all know! It might not be until Monday night after I write though, so it might be two weeks!

Anyway! Crazy stuff!! haha I love you all! I hope that all is going well and that everyone is safe and happy!

I love you!!!!!

Love,

Elder Braden Woodfield

P.S. tell James congrats! That’s freakin’ awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

San Salvador Temple Dedicatory Prayer!

Hey everyone! 

I got this from my president in his email today and thought you might like it! It is the dedicatory prayer of the El Salvador San Salvador temple! President Eyering read this in English, and then Elder Cristofferson translated it! Each temple has its very own dedicatory prayer written specifically for the people that will be blessed by the temple! It was written by President Monson too! Cool, eh??? Anyway! It was just a really spiritual experience in August and I wanted to share it with you!! Hope you enjoy it!

San Salvador Temple Dedicatory Prayer

O God, our Beloved Father in Heaven, Thou great Elohim, we come humbly unto Thee in the name of Thy Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to dedicate Thy holy house. Acting in the authority of Thine eternal priesthood, and in the name of Jesus Christ, we dedicate this the San Salvador El Salvador Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unto Thee and unto Thy divine Son. Wilt Thou accept of it as the offering of Thy sons and daughters who love Thee and who seek to accomplish Thy purposes. Our hearts reach to Thee in gratitude for Thy wonderful blessings upon us. With the completion of this house Thou hast given to the Saints of El Salvador every blessing of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are grateful for the restoration of Thy Holy Priesthood through Thy Prophet Joseph Smith, which will be exercised in this, Thy house. We thank thee that the prophet Elijah was sent to restore the keys of salvation and exaltation for both the living and the dead.

We thank Thee for the inspiration given Thy servant in selecting this property on which to construct this sacred building. We thank Thee for all who have worked so diligently to obtain the permits authorizing the construction of this house, and for all who have labored to bring about its completion.

Now we dedicate unto Thee and Thy Son this beautiful temple with all of its facilities and furnishings. We dedicate the grounds with the vegetation growing thereon which add beauty to this structure. We dedicate the temple from the foundation to the figure of Moroni which crowns its steeple. We dedicate the baptistry, the initiatory ordinance facilities, the endowment rooms, the celestial room, the sealing rooms with their altars, and every other part of this sacred house.

Wilt Thou watch over it and by Thy divine power preserve it from the elements of nature and any evil hand that might be inclined to deface it or defile it in any way. We ask that no unclean thing shall enter the portals of this Thy holy house. May it be sanctified to all who come, and may there be no inclination on the part of evil men or women to violate the sanctity of this temple.

Bless those who will preside here, the temple president and the matron, together with their counselors and assistants, and all those who serve here in administering the ordinances of Thy house. We pray that Thy Saints may gather here to carry forward the work of receiving their own ordinances, and offering these ordinances to those beyond the veil of death that Thine eternal purposes may be accomplished.

As we dedicate this temple we also dedicate the chapel nearby, its grounds, and all of its facilities. May all who use it recognize that building as a house of worship, a house of learning, and a house of sociality. May they keep it clean and attractive as a structure dedicated to the accomplishment of Thy work and the fruition of Thy purposes.

We likewise dedicate the ancillary structure with all of its facilities and furnishings.

We pray for Thy blessings to rest upon this nation of El Salvador. Touch the hearts of those who govern, that the people may be blessed with freedom and opportunity. May peace reign in the land.

Prosper Thy work in this land. May the gospel message touch the hearts of people throughout the nation. May they come into the waters of baptism, and remain faithful and true unto Thee. Bless Thy servants, the missionaries, and preserve them from harm and evil.

Bless Thy faithful Saints throughout the world whose consecrated offerings have made possible this holy house. Open the windows of heaven and shower down blessings upon them.

Now, with grateful hearts, we dedicate and consecrate this hallowed structure and its surroundings to the accomplishment of Thy will and the fulfillment of Thine eternal work. We pray that its influence may be felt throughout the land as a light upon a hill. We ask it all in the name of Him whose redemption has blessed the human family and opened the way for Thy sons and daughters to go forward in eternity, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.  

I hope you enjoyed it!

I love you all!!!

Braden