Week 53 (05/28/2012) - Baptisms, Mail, and PARASITES?!

Lots of pictures this week!

Beautiful few of San Salvador at night! On divisions.

His poor companion came straight home and fell into bed before they could even start their evening planning..."Oh the life of a missionary!" 

This week's baptism of Max and Jair :)

Our cute Elder Woodfield with his package from Lizzie this week! 1 year mark!

Hey family! 

I love you all!!

 

So all is well here in El Salvador! I love you all!

 

This week has been awesome! We had a baptism!!!! WOOOOOOOOOO The two kids were so excited! Max and Jair! It was really fun to be able to teach them and help them be baptized! The bishop baptized them both! It's always a good experience to be able to see a baptism! I hope that you all have a chance soon!

 

Also, I wanted to congratulate Kortnee for going to the temple. That is really cool! As Mom told me before I went in, it is definately a different experience, but it is the right place to be! I feel a spirit so strong every time I get to go in! I always want to be worthy to go!

 

So, some cool announcments this week! Are you all ready and excited??? I finally got parasites! It's been bound to happen and not going to lie, it's an exciting experience! Luckily, the parasites aren't bad at all. I don't even feel very sick (another missionary is extrememly sick with parasites and can't even leave the house for the need to go to the bathroom!) But I'm not bad at all! I just thought I would let you all know! But no one worry, I just have to take a series of medicine for a week and they're gone haha gotta love living in a foreign country! haha 

 

Today, we finally got mail!! WOOOHOO!! It's been about a month since we've had time to go to the office and get mail! I got a letter from Lizzie, a couple dear elders from Lizzie, Lizzie's package (thanks Lizzie! I love it!), and Kortnee's announcement! That sounds so awesome! You both look really good there!!! Have fun at your open houses with my cardboard cutouts! hehehehehe (you better have one there!)

 

Other than that, this week has been pretty good! My companion is a bit lazy because it's his last change but all is good! We're still working hard! I love it here! We are teaching a lot of good people still and we are looking for even more! We are trying to look through the members! They are so much better then knocking doors!!!

 

I love you all so much!!! Thanks for all that you are all doing for me! I love you all!!

 

Love, 

Braden

 

P.S. Grandma, I love your letters! Keep sending them! I am so sorry that I haven't had much time to write you back, but just know, I love the letters and I love you!

Week 52 (05/21/2012) - Temple Visit and Baptisms!

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Elder Woodfield celebrated his year mark last Friday, May 18 - halfway there! We are excited to have him home with us but so proud of him!

Elder Woodfield's Zone with another Zone at the Temple last Tuesday!

Hey Family!

Hey Kalee! Happy Birthday! How is it being one year older?? Do you feel any different? haha you've got to love all the same questions that everybody asks every year! haha but Happy Birthday! I love you Kalee! 

So, it sounds like you are all getting really excited for the wedding and all that jazz! Sounds fun! You should take some pictures of the yard and send them to me! If there is anything I can do here in El Salvador, just let me know! haha I love you all! I bet it's super exciting being there and all! It's exciting for me and I'm 2000 miles away! haha

Anyway, so it's been a good week here in El Salvador! We celebrated my year mark! Woo!! We didn't really know what to do so we just went and got an ice cream! haha but it was really tasty! I got a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of pistachio chip! Mmmm! Also, this week we went to the temple! That was awesome! I really enjoyed being there! Every time I go to the temple, it doesn't matter what for, I just feel like my batteries are charged! (Which is funny because I remember the first few times I went I felt sooooo drained after!) but it's just great! EVERYONE should go to the temple at least once a week up there! There are so many temples so close! Kortnee, make sure you go every single week! Start a good habit! Also, Lizzie I'm super happy that you are going every week as well! Keep it up!

So, also this week, we have been teaching a youth, his name is Maxamilian! He's 12 years old and he was actually baptized before, but because of faults in the records and all that stuff, he has to be rebaptized! Crazy, huh? It is actually suprising how often it happens! But he will be getting baptized with his little 8 year old brother, Jairo, this Friday! EXCITING! BAPTISM! It's not necessarily a baptism from someone we found and taught from the beginning, but there is always such a strong spirit in baptisms! I'm excited! 

As for our other investigators, we are working with a lot of people, but it just seems that we don't have quite as positive of people here in San Marcos! But don't worry! We still have faith! No one will be able to stop the work from going forward! (As Joseph Smith said haha) Anyway, we're still working hard and doing all that we can!

Well, other than that, we're just doing lots and lots! I'm learning a ton from my new companion! God has blessed me with good companions! I was thinking back, and each of my companions has had different strengths and I have learned from each of them! I love being here and serving! 

I love you all! Make sure you all do your family nights and scripture studies and everything! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love,
Braden

Week 51 (05/14/12) - Tranfers and a new companion!

Hey everyone!

How is everyone doing today?? How is life in Utah? It looked like it was getting nice and warm up there! Don't worry, still 90 degrees here! haha It did rain last night! That was so good to get to talk to you all last night! Thanks for all being there and all being so happy! I loved seeing you all and you all look so good! Mom and Dad look really happy and good! Kalee all patched up haha but good. Britny and Luke really good, and Anslee reached out to me! I'm going to be her favorite uncle, sorry Dylan! But Kortnee has a real ring! WOO Lizzie as beautiful as always! Derek looks good too! We just have a nice happy family! haha

 

Thanks again for all being there and talking to me! I loved it!

 

So this week has been a good week! As you saw yesterday, we had changes/transfers this week! I got Elder Coy as a companion! He is a Guatemalan and only speaks Spanish! I'm teaching him English though! I hope to teach him a lot in the 6 weeks we will be together! I love him though! He is really smart and comes from really humble and difficult circumstances in Guatemala, but he is a really good Elder and friend! I've loved talking to him and getting to know him! I'm sick of Gringo companions haha no one understands us when we want to teach! It's really good with one Latino and one Gringo because there are just a lot of good traits in both of the cultures! But its good! We have been working really hard this week as well! It's kind of hard though, because we haven't had baptisms in a while, but we are planning for some the end of this month! We have a few people that are progressing really well but are at the "turning point," I do believe they say, like the point at which they could progress or could not, you know? But anyway, that's where we are at!

 

Other than that, it has been a pretty basic week! I got to talk to you all yesterday! Something I wanted to tell you about was the reason I was late to talking to you guys yesterday. We went to visit an inactive family (inactive for like 2 years). We taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel and Joseph Smith and everything and it was really cool! We asked them a lot of questions that made them really think! I felt the spirit really strong! We are going to be going back sometime this week to teach them again! I think that we can get them to come back to church! It will be good! 

 

Anyway, if there is anything I can do for you guys, let me know! I love it here! I am having a lot of fun but working really hard all at the same time! Stay close! I love you all!! 

 

Love,

Braden

Week 50 (05/07/12) - Rainy season begins!

Hey family!

How are you all doing?? Here, the rains are about to start! Woo! haha It has been sooooo hot! I can't wait until it is a little bit wet to cool things off! It has been nice though, because in the mornings, it has been really cloudy and not super hot! 

Yesterday was Fast Sunday! Woo! It's definitely been different fasting here in El Salvador! It's really hot and you get really thirsty by the end! But I love fasting! There is just such an awesome spirit about fasting. I love it! Last night, we had a really cool lesson with the husband of a recent convert! (He was already a member, just his wife was baptized about 4 months ago) But this last week, he caved into a drink... He's a very good guy and knows that he shouldn't drink but he just had a bad day or something! Well, he felt absolutely terrible about it! And we went last night to talk to him about it! Even though he has already been a member for a long time, we retaught him about repentance and it was awesome! We taught him about the process and the blessings that come from it! He started crying through part of it! It was just so cool to see the power of the atonement take affect and start to lift off the burdens of sin! He is going to continue the process of repentance! He wants to get the melq. priesthood so he's going to turn his life around! 

Before I forget - two things! Next Sunday, I will be on the computer at 4. I didn't know that you had church so late! So we will just get on after sacrament, deal?? Also, we are going to the temple this month! I don't know when but it could be next week or the week after or the week after (yes, I know that is about every single week in May, don't say anything smart, Kalee! haha) But yeah, one of these weeks, I won't be writing you guys on Monday. It will be another day of the week, deal?? Deal! I should know more details this week.

So! Also this week, me and Elder Paulsen did divisions with the Assistants! In case you didn't know, the mission organization is like this - Junior Companion, Senior Companion, District Leader, Zone Leader, Assistant, Mission President.  So, we were with the 2 missionaries that are like the best teachers and most loving! Let's just say, it was sweet! I learned so much from them! We visited some people and he just taught me so much by his example! They are so humble! It was fun!

That's about all that we did this last week! We did find a new person thats really positive though! His name is Edwardo! He is 20 years old and is really really interested in the church! We're working with him a lot! We are planning his baptism for the last weekend in May!

Well, I love you all! I hope that all is well at home! Thank you all so much for all your emails! I can't wait to talk to you all this Sunday at 4 o'clock!

Thanks for all you do!! And thank you so much for the package Mom, and everyone else. I loved it! And so do all the neighborhood kids! They all LOVE the candies! haha

Love,

Braden