Week 92 (02/25/2013) - New companion and upcoming sealing!

Hey family!

How are you guys all doing today? I love you all!

So, this week has been an awesome week! I got a new companion this last week! He is a new elder so I am his first companion and I am training again! His name is Elder Silva, he is from Quito, Ecuador in South America! He is awesome! He loves to work and was baptized just 2 years ago! Can you guys imagine that? He was baptized right before I started my mission and he is on his mission now! He's awesome though! I love working with him and he is excited to work and is full of faith! This last week we had a lot of new people come to church! The members are working a lot here and it is helping us to get a lot of new investigators that are really positive! I love it!

We are working hard with the Familia Parada Ortiz! On Saturday, the dad said that he wouldn't be able to go to church yesterday but he promised us that he would go next week! He has never been, but he always told us that he wasn't sure if he wanted to go or not! But now he promised us! Everyone pray for him to help him go this next week! I am excited for them I hope that they are able to be baptized in the next month or so!

My companion is awesome though! I will be training him and the training program lasts 12 weeks so I will be with him here in Gotera until the end of my mission! I will only have 3 areas???? Crazy! That's awesome!

So, guess what guys?! The Familia Chicas will be sealed in the temple soon!!! WOOOO my recommend expires at the end of February so I came to San Salvador (4 hours away) to have it renewed so that 1) I'm never without a current recommend and 2) so that I can go next month to the sealing! It's going to be so cool! I haven't heard the exact date yet, but the elders that are serving there told me that in March they are planning to be sealed! Yay!

Anyway family, that's about it! I love it here! I am happy and we are working hard here! Thank you all so much for all your letters and love! I love hearing from each of you and can't wait to see you all soon! I love you all so much!!!

Love,
Braden

Week 91 (02/18/13) - Baptism and the new house

Baptism of Lennyz Parada Ortiz

Elder Woodfield's current Zone

A picture of a semi-truck we saw the other day coming down the road! That is a normal sight here! They love putting lights on their cars! haha it's funny!!!

Hey family!!!

Hey everyone! How is good old Utah right now? Is it pretty snowy still?? Wow, its already going towards the end of February - time is flying! Winter is almost over, right? I don't even remember when it gets warm again...March? April? I just remember that on my birthday, I can normally wear shorts, right? Cool, though! Well, time is flying! It's crazy! Here is the exact same! It's been slightly windy lately, which is nice! But it is always hot! There are changes this week, so we might have changes! I am hoping for changes, but at the same time, I just want what the Lord wants! It will be good either way! More than likely if I am changed, this change will be my last area! And if I don't change I will probably stay here till the end of my mission! We should see though!

This week was great! We had a baptism for the Familia Parada Ortiz! The daughter Lennyz (pronounced lenis) was baptized this last week! She has been progressing well and wants to go on a mission next year. But her Mom and Dad and Brothers and Sisters are progressing a little slower. Several want to be baptized, they are just working through several problems and still have to wait a little bit! But it is good! They are really, really happy that she was baptized and they are working their way there as well!

So, also this week as I mentioned last Monday, we changed houses! I love the new house! We are living about 5 minutes away from where we used to live but the new house is so much more private and it is was painted just before we moved in so it looks almost like a new house! It's nice! haha

That's about all the new stuff for this week! We have been working a lot and just having fun! It's been an awesome change and I love missionary work! I love it here!!!

I love you all and hope that everyone is happy at home! It's going well here! Love it!

Love you all!!!

Love,
Braden

Week 90 (02/11/13) - Baptism of Hermano Julio Rivas

Hey family! 

How is everyone doing today? I love you all! Thanks for the emails this week! I love hearing from or about each of you! It's the best to get emails and hear how much snow we have gotten this year! It sounds like it has been the best snow year in several years!

So anyway, this week we had a baptism!! We are still waiting for the City Hall to let us know of the date for the Abrego Familia's wedding! But Hermano Julio Rivas was baptized! I got to baptize and confirm him! I love the picture that I attached. We are so happy and he looks almost mad! haha...he wanted to be baptized but he was sooooo nervous! He got there on time and was almost hiding in the corner! He said that he wanted to be baptized with no one there! haha but kind of bad luck for him, right before the baptism, the Relief Society and the Primary had an activity, so everyone was there! There were more people than normal at the baptism! haha but as he went under the water and came up, he had the hugest smile on his face! We went to the bathroom to change and I could tell that all the nerves were gone and he just felt peaceful! I am so happy for him! He is a lot happier now that the baptism is over and he is really excited!!

Anyway, so there are some pictures but this morning we changed houses! Our old house had some issues with the neighbors, they could see into our house! haha but this new house is a lot better! We are living above the house of a member in the second floor and it is really nice! There are some pictures attached of all our stuff piled up in the new house! I love it there! It will be a lot more comfortable and private now! I am happy about the move.

Good news! There is now a pizza place here in Gotera! Before there wasn't one! haha

Anyway, apart from that, I just want to let you all know how much I love you! I can't wait to be able to talk to each of you soon! I have so much I want to tell you all but it is so hard to get all my thoughts written down sometimes! But just know that all my memories and thoughts are in my mind and I will talk to you all really soon! Time flies!

I love you all! Thank you so much for the emails and the love this week! I can't wait to read all your responses for next week!!!

Love,
Braden

P.S. That is so cool that Dale is a Bishop and that Barry and Sharon were called as Mission Presidents! I am so excited for them! Tell me where Barry and Sharon are called to serve in!

I love you all!

Week 89 (02/05/2013) - Multizone and upcoming baptisms!

Hey Everyone!

How is everyone doing today? I love you all! Thanks for all that you do for me and for your love! We have had a great week here! We should be having a couple of baptisms in the next couple weeks! One this Saturday, Hno. Julio Rivas and then, the Familia Abrego got their papers in this last week! They should be getting married and baptized in the next couple of weeks as well! YAY! I love missionary work. It's great!

Sorry I didn't write yesterday! I completely forgot that I had to write you guys about that last Monday! But yesterday we had a Multizone in the morning with President and another zone! There were 48 missionaries there and it was great! We learned a lot about the need for obedience and how obedience leads us to faith! They talked about how as we are obedient, even if we don't know why we need to be obedient,  but we have a desire to gain faith and we love God, that through our obedience we can recieve the blessings of faith and belief. I realized how important obedience is! There are so many little things that require our personal obedience! As we work hard to be obedient to love God we can understand the principle! I will have to send you guys the talk! It's short but it is really good! Isn't it better to be obedient and to be going against the "norms" of the world than to be disobedient and have a destructive affect on our faith and on the blessings that God has for us? I love the gospel! I know that God is ready to bless us but that he needs us to do what he says! Leaving things behind and bettering ourselves everyday!

Also, this last week we have been working hard! I have started reading through Doctrine and Covenants this week! It is so cool! I love how much it talks about missionary work and the start of the church! The church is perfect! So many people want to destroy it and will do anything to take it down but God won't let it happen. We must truly look for a testimony of the Spirit and not of the world! I love the Gospel!

Love you all! I hope that everyone is happy and well! Keep reading the scriptures everyday! I love you all!

Love you,
Braden