Week 88 (01/28/2013) - A simple, good missionary week

Hola Familia!

Como estan?!

Hey guys! How is everyone doing? I love you all so much! I am so hot right now! It's almost the hottest time of year! haha I wish it was snowing here!! Haha but anyway, enough about weather haha I always talk about weather! How is everyone doing today? I love you all!

This week has been so good! We have been working so hard with all of our investigators! We are getting close to having a baptismal date with the Familia Parada Ortiz! They are awesome people but the dad is a little bit hard to get to church! But we are going along with them! Julio has a baptismal date for the 9th and Hector Miguel has a pretty sure date for the 16th! We hope that all goes well with all of them! Keep praying for each of them!

So, yesterday our new Branch President wanted to go and learn where the members lived! So after church, we went with him for like 4 hours visiting a ton of people! Our Branch president is so cool! He is so nice, so humble, and extremely intelligent! He is a doctor but not just a normal doctor, some kind of specialist that I don't know what it is exactly but he is really, really smart! haha He is so loving and hard working! The branch is going to grow soooo fast with him constantly here instead of missionaries that change every 6 months! They are already responding really well to the new branch presidency! I'ts awesome!

So, it has been really quite nice to not have any other responsibilities other than being a normal missionary! It's awesome! We study a lot and have so much time to focus about each of our investigators! I feel focused and happy! I love it here! I have been learning a lot this week about a lot of different topics! We study a lot for our investigators and it helps us to grow too! I have a new favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon! It's 2 Nephi 4 - I love it! Nephi talks about how he just feels so laden down having so many follies and faults and he prays to let God help him! I love one of the verses (not sure what it says exactly in English because Spanish is a little different) but in verse 19 says, "I know who I put my trust in." I like that a lot! If we truly put our trust in the Lord and trust that we need him, and know that we are so imperfect but he still loves us, we can have the happiness that he talks about too! I love it!

Anyway, I have had an awesome week! I hope that all of your weeks have been just as good! Stay happy! Never forget how much I love you all! Stay close, remember to read your scriptures, and pray everyday! Without it, you cannot become all that God wants us to become!

I love you all!!!

Love,

Braden

Week 87 (01/21/13) - Released as Branch President - lots of changes!

Hey family!

How is everyone doing today? I miss and love you all!! It sounds like winter is pretty exciting up there in Utah! I love seeing pictures and hearing how everyone is doing! It sounds like it has been a really good winter with a lot of snow and cold weather! We have had a lot of fun stuff happen here! I love it!

So, this week we had a big change! They released me as Branch President! Sorry I didn't tell you all about it sooner! I knew I was going to be released yesterday, but I was told it was confidencial haha so I couldn't tell anyone! But yeah! Yesterday, I was released and they put in Presidente Ricardo Hernandez as President of the Rama! Everyone was so happy! It was so cool! So, this last week we have been doing a lot to prepare for the change! I wanted to leave the branch in a good state to be able to help the new Branch President! We have been cleaning the chapel, making lists of the organizations in the branch, sending emails to inform President Glazier of the changes and ordinations that needed to be done, making phone lists for the new branch presidency...lots of stuff! And then Sunday morning, President Glazier came to the branch and he did a bunch of interviews! We had Sacrament Meeting and he presented them, and me and my companion and our one counselor (he was also released), went and sat in the audience! It was fun! Then afterward, President had a bunch more interviews with members and he talked to the youth about missionary service! It was kind of funny because he was talking about how to serve a mission, you need to have a soft heart and a desire to learn, and then he said, "Come here, Elder Woodfield." So, I went and stood by him and (you have to know that what I'm about write is something normal that President does to leave a lasting affect in his lessons haha)... but I went and stood by him and he said, "Elder Woodfield has a soft heart and he isn't an example of someone that needs to do this, but to serve a mission..." He smacked me on the chest by the heart. "You need... *smack* to, *smack* soften, *smack* your, *smack* heart..." *smack* He hit me right in front of all the youth! haha it was funny! It wasn't necessarily to "hit" me, but to make the point that you need to soften your heart! haha president is really funny sometimes! When he did that, all the youth like freaked out! They thought that he was really hurting me (which it didn't really hurt) but they definitely got the point! They were all really excited and want to serve missions! It was a good lesson! haha

Then after church, he set apart the new Branch Presidency and gave a few members the Melchizedek Priesthood! He even interviewed and passed Hermano Miguel Angel for the Melchizedek Priesthood! He will be getting it in 2 weeks! It's going to be sweet! I love that guy! He is so awesome!!!

But anyway, it was a week full of lots of exciting events! It's exciting to be a normal missionary for a bit! Everyone thinks that I will be getting changed at the end of February now that I'm not the Branch President so, we'll see!

Also, this week my companion and I got really sick! I woke up in the middle of the night and was throwing up and then we were in the bathroom allllllll dayyyyyyy long! haha it stunk! We got sick Thursday night, Friday morning, and we didn't leave the house until like 6 o'clock Friday night! It stunk! But we are doing a lot better now! We think that we ate somethimg that was bad! haha but we are doing well ;)

Anyway, I love you all! I hope that you are all doing well! Stay happy everyone!

Love,
Braden

Week 86 (01/14/12) - Familias and heat

How are you guys?! I love you all!

Sorry I'm writing so late today! We got here and then all the missionaries wanted to go and celebrate a birthday, so we went and ate at this one place called Buffalo Wild Wings! It was really good! It was like a nice version of Wingers! I ate chicken strips with spicy sauce and really good french fries! I loved it!

So, I am so jealous of all of you! You guys get to hang out in the cold! It has been EXTREMELY hot lately! Like over 110 some days with a bunch of humidity! Crazy how different the temperatures are! Anyway, all has been going great out here! So, as you have all noticed Elder Fitzgerald and I have been together for about 3 months now! And guess what?! Today they told us we will be together another change! That will be so cool! I love working with Elder Fitzgerald! We will defenitely be hanging out after our missions! I love it.

Anyway, this week has been really good! We have been working hard to get the Familia Abrego their paper! I hate papers haha...but it's in the process still! Then, we have Miguel Angel's son that is progressing well! He should be ready by the end of the month! Then you have Julio Alvarez, he's awesome! I don't know if i have mentioned him before! He is an investigator that we found a long time ago but then just disappeared  We never could find him in his house! But one day, we were passing by and there he was! So we started teaching him again and he is really positive! He has a lot of desire to learn and come closer to Christ! I love them! But then we also have the Familia Parada Ortiz! They are awesome! They were a reference from a member! They have a cool story!

The mom, Maria, told us the other day that for some months she has been trying to put her life in order and put Christ more firmly in it. She has been reading a lot of the Bible, but she didn't know exactly what to do! Then she said that one day she prayed and prayed and asked God to send her someone to help her and her family, (her daughters were really rebellious  and she said that she dreamed that night that 3 guys would come to her house...the next day Guillermo (a member in our branch) took us to meet them and my Companion, Guillermo and I all went to the house! We walked up and taught them and they accepted us! Ever since then, they have been progressing a lot! The only little problem is the Dad. He really likes what we teach he is just a bit shy and hasn't gone to church yet! Make sure you all pray for him to help him come to church! I love that family! They are so cool!

Anyway, I love my mission! I love all of you! Thank you all so much for emailing me and sending me letters! I love getting letters! You guys are all the best!

Love,
Braden

Week 85 (01/07/2013) - Lots of pictures, Christmas package, New Years, and success!

A picture of Miguel Angel's ex-wife and 3 kids! The oldest son is 10 years old and we are going to be baptizing him at the end of this month! 

Me and a giant leaf I found on the ground!

Me opening my chocolate orange christmas morning! I think its funny how asleep I look! haha 

Me and the Choir I directed haha so funny I do not lead well! haha I learned in the MTC

My companion and I watching dishes with Miguel Angel's ex-wife

Braden opening his Christmas package...

Braden's picture to Lizzie :) "Kissing" under the mistletoe!

Hola familia! I love you all!

How have you all been? I hope that all is going well up there in good old Utah! It sounds like it has been absolutely cold up there! haha I love the cold! I am just enjoying it so much sitting right now underneath the air conditioner! It's great! It has been extra hot here lately! I have been sweating to death! By the end of the day, I get to my house and my hair is just completely frizzy from sweat and humidity! haha it's great!

So this week we have had a lot of good experiences! We had a fun New Years! On New Year's Eve, we went to a family's house and just had a really calm, fun night! We played charades and ate tomales! It was fun! Then, we went back to the house and drank some cream soda! haha not going to lie, I didn't make it to midnight! I fell asleep at like 10:15! haha I'm lame, I know. But I will be more alive next year! haha

Then, throughout this week, we have been working hard! We've found a really cool family called the Familia Koreas! They are so cool! They absolutely love the BOM and are reading a lot of it! They haven't been able to go to church yet for a few problems that they have had with family visiting from the States but they really want to go! But we are also teaching Miguel Angel's son! He has been to church about 8 times now! He really likes it and should be baptized at the end of the month! It is fun to teach! We have been having a lot of success here lately! Thank you for all your prayers! They are working. I am really grateful that we have been led to find so many positive people! I love it!

Anyway, that's about it from this week! I sent a bunch of pictures this week! I hope that you like them all! Thank you all so much for my package I loved it so much! It is the best package yet! I loved the book and the tie and all the candy! WOOO! Thank you all so much! I love you all!

Thanks for everything, family! I love you all!!!

Love,
Braden

Week 84 - Happy New Year! Christmas party, release date, and the Spirit

Hello Familia!

I love you all so much! This week has been such a good week! I love Christmas! It is amazing to be able to think of Christ and His love for us! I love Him and see His hand in every moment!

This week has been awesome! We did a lot of stuff! Monday night, as I told you guys on Tuesday, I had 4 dinners! I ate so much food and it was awesome! Tuesda, I talked to all of you and then we went and gave a few presents to the leaders in our branch and visited a few people! Then Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we had to help and organize the Christmas dinner! The dinner was on Saturday afternoon and we had a few things that we did! First off was a Santa Clause! A lady in our ward made a Santa costume and then my companion was Santa Clause! He walked in and all the kids like freaked out and were all excited! We gave them each a little present! My companion made a good Santa Clause but everyone knew it was him because of his Gringo accent! haha but it was fun! But then we had a little nativity presentation where the youth of our branch put on a little play. My companion and I were 2 of the wise men that came to him! It was fun! (By the way, we have pictures of all of this but we have to get them from a member because the day was so crazy, I couldn't take any pictures!) But anyway, then after that the youth sang a bunch of Christmas songs they put together! And guess what?! (Mom, you're not going to believe this). I was the Director of the little choir! haha I directed them and everything! haha funny right? Anyway, we had very little time to practice the hymns but they did a really good job at it! I loved it! It was really fun but also a spiritual activity! We ate chicken sandwiches (a Salvadorian classic on Christmas!) but it was just a lot of fun!

I loved talking to each of you this last Tuesday! You all look so good! It was great just to chat and get to say hi! I hope you all loved it as much as I did! I found out for sure when I will be going home! It's not like my official release date but it is a week before like you thought it was! I will probably be home like the 16th of May! Like a week after Mother's Day, right? I don't really know! haha but all is well! But let's not focus on me going home, haha let's live every moment and make the best of it! There is still lots to learn here and as well after I'm home, right? haha

So, I'm not too weird, am I guys? What do you think? Was a really weird on Skype this last week? haha Dont worry I'm not too weird!

So, I had a kind of cool/sad experience last night! We were visiting a member family, just stopping in to see how they were doing and they were kind of having a fight. They are a young married couple but have been having problems in their marriage. It was a cool expecience to be their Branch President and be able to help them. The Spirit truly does testify and help his established leaders when others are in need! I got to talk to them for about an hour and a half about their lives and did my best to help them! It is a work in progress but I feel like the Spirit was there to help them and guide them! I love serving and helping others! Without the Lord, I wouldn't be able to do any of these things... I was thinking afterward, I never thought I would be able to council anyone, let alone a married couple, and I feel that the Spirit helps and guides us when we are in the situation that is necessary.

I love the gospel! It has blessed my life so much! Truly the only lasting joy in this life comes from the gospel and principles that are taught within it. All the most important things that we have are given to us by God. He is our loving Heavenly Father and is our guide in every aspect even if we don't realize it! I love learning of Him - know that he wants to help us in every way!

I love you all! I hope that you are all nice-n-happy and are having a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Love,
Braden