YAHTZEE

Heyo! 

This week was pretty good! In our district we played this really complicated missionary version of Yahtzee! I won´t get into the details, but throughout the whole week whenever we did contacts or had lessons with members or basically after we did anything one of us would throw a fist in the air and shout YAHTZEE! There was a complicated point system involved as well. It was good for our spirits I think, because this week we found a loooot of new investigators. Lots of families! We´re super stoked to keep working with them and keep playing Yahtzee. YAHTZEE

We had Conference with President Amorim this week and it was super inspiring. He is making a lot of changes, and at first I was like whoa no this is not how we do things. But then I had to get over myself and remember that I´m not the one receiving revelation for our mission, President Amorim is! So we went to work, changing the things he asked us to change, and we were truly blessed. I know that the Lord guides his servants. I am so grateful for the revelation we receive from our leaders, and also the revelation we can receive personally. We are members of a living church that is guided by the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Also this week I almost got my hand bitten off by a satan dog. We were looking for a house, and we walked past this dog that look like it was dead, but all of a sudden it started chasing after us and snapping at us! The screams out of Sister Parkinson´s mouth were UN.REAL. The dog was on a chain, but the chain seemed to never end and my life flashed before my eyes. So we were cornered at the end of this little alleyway and the dog decided to cool its jets, so I made a run for it. Bad idea. It was literally snapping at my bag and almost got my hand and it was crazy. The dogs in Portugal are actually insane! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you! 

Sister Wood 

The ladies eating ice cream. Me being a goof. 

Can you translate for me?

HELLO fam and friends! I hope you all had a great week, because I sure did! :)

We had transfers on Wednesday, and no one is shocked that I stayed here in Porto. I´m not sad! I love this area! Sister Da Luz left me, and my new companion is Sister Parkinson. When we got the transfer call we both FREAKED out. We got to do divisions together last transfer and it was the best and we were like dang, we´ll probably never get to serve together. But here we are! She´s in her fourth transfer but already speaks super well and is like, an amazing missionary. We just laugh all the day long.

I´m technically still a Sister Training Leader with another Sister though, Sister Jones. We live together. Four Sisters in the same house is way more fun. This transfer has already proven to be super good!

So at church yesterday we had a visiter from Taichung, Taiwan! She´s here to learn Portuguese, but doesn´t quite speak it yet. She speaks English really well though, so she stuck with us during church. Then during sacrament meeting she really wanted to bear her testimony, and she asked me to translate for her! It was a super cool experience because it just reminded us all that the gospel is perfect, it is the same in all the world, and the language of the Spirit is what is most important. The Spirit was so strong as she shared her love for the gospel, and I felt really blessed to be able to help her. It wasn´t a perfect translation, but that doesn´t matter. Thank goodness for the Holy Ghost is all I have to say!

I love you all and hope you have a great week! Beijinhos!

Sister Wood

 Fotos: The ladies.

SERVICO

Hello family and friends! 

One of my weekly goals is to write a better email. This is for you mom! 

This week was good! Every week is good, and every week is different. We did divisions in a city called Vila Real, and it was hotter than sin but also a wonderful division! I spent the day working with Sister Júmua, who is from Mozambique. She tried to teach me some African dances, and then later we braided her hair. I have never felt so white in my life! My new joke is telling people that I´m from one of the islands of Cape Verde. People don´t really know how to react, sarcasm doesn´t go over the same way in Portuguese.. I think I´m pretty funny. 

We did a Family Night with the Elders and two recent converts who are actually the two funniest old ladies I´ve ever met! We just laughed the whole time. Isabel and Maria Angela, best friends for life. Maria Angela is the lady who dove into the baptismal font when she was baptized. LOL.

On Thursday we went to a member´s house to give a little service.. we didn´t know what type of service it was, so we just went in proselyting clothes. But when we got there we discovered that we´d actually be sweeping up mounds of dirt and cemente from a house this lady is renovating. We weren´t exactly prepared, so she gave us some clothes to work in. We looked like middle eastern women, but it was wonderful to help this member out! 

One of my favorite moments from this week was visiting a member who has recently passed through a family tragedy. We talked about the Plan of Salvation, and how God knows what is best for us and how to help us with our specific needs. I am so grateful for a Savior who loves us and knows us, and who overcame death so that we will too. I know that the plan Heavenly Father has for us is perfect. We felt the Spirit so strongly as we shared our testimonies with this member. We also ate Oreo's with her, laughed, sang hymns, and she gave me marriage advice. Not too shabby! 

All in all, I learned, or was reminded of, the importance of service this week. Whether it was helping a Sister out and braiding her hair, having family night with people whose families have already gone to the other side, helping a member with some house construction, or sharing a testimony and a laugh, service does not go unnoticed in the eyes of the Lord. I am eternally grateful for the blessing I have of serving a mission, and having experiences like these that teach me to be more like our Savior. All He ever did/does is serve us, so now it´s our turn to do a little service too. Helping each other feels good! 

 

Have a happy week! Loves! 

Sister Wood 

fotos

My mother accused me of sending shorter and shorter emails... there´s always next week, am i right? lol. 

This week was good, we met our new mission president and his wife, they kissed in front of us a few times haha. that was new. The work is starting to pick up in our area, we have one more week of this transfer and we are excited to just work super hard and give it our all! I am still loving my mission and i am so grateful to be here. I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

Loves, 

Sister Wood 

I´ve made it almost a year in this soccer-crazed country without touching a soccer ball... but today was the day. Just call me Cristiano Renaldo

ONE YEAR

Hello! This week was a good one. For real. 

So long story short, we haven´t had a real mission president for the last two weeks because there was a big change up and we are getting a different new president, Presidente Amorim. And he won´t get his visa until tomorrow, so we´ve been floating around up just waiting for his arrival! But, because we don´t have a mission president right now, last week Elder Teixeira from the Seventy and his wife came to Porto to have a special conference with the leaders in the mission. We also got to Skype Presidente and Sister Amorim. It was all SO COOL! Two important things I learned on this day are:

1) President Amorim is called of God to be our mission president. We´ve all been a little nervous about having a new president and seeing how everything would go, but when we skyped him the Spirit confirmed to me in my heart that this man is truly the Lord´s chosen servant for the Porto misison. I felt a profound love and respect for the Amorims, and I know that was the Holy Ghost telling me that they are exactly who Heavenly Father wants. I know that our leaders are called of God. 

2) Love the people. So we´ve been having a hard time finding people to teach for the last few weeks. We feel like we just keep running into all the people who do NOT want anything to do with us. We´ve been feeling a little lost, to be honest. But Elder Teixeira helped me regain some perspective. Elder Teixeira is Portuguese, and he knows and loves his country. As he bore his testimony at the end of our meeting, he broke down in tears and said, "Missionaries, DON´T give up on them. They are good people. They need YOU." As I watched this man, a servant of the Lord that I respect and sustain, tearfully express his love for the Portuguese people, his words pierced my heart. I know that i was called to this mission for a reason. The Lord has a plan for the rest of my mission, in this country and with these people that I love.

Portugal is where it´s at. 

Also, this week I hit my one year mark and I´m like WHAAAAAAAA. So weird. A year ago, I was probably crying myself to sleep in the MTC because I couldn´t speak Portuguese. What a weenie, am I right? Lolling at myself. This past year has been the most rewarding, tiring, fun, wonderful year of my life! I love my mission more every day. I feel like only in this last year have I truly learned the meaning of the Atonement. I´ve learned that Jesus Christ truly makes up the difference for my shortcomings, when I am doing all I can to be my very best. I love my Savior and I know that He lives, is aware of us, and is ready to help us when we reach for Him. I´m so grateful for the experiences I have had in the last year that have taught me this important truth! I love being a missionary. <3 

Boa Semana! 

Sister Wood 

Yet another week

Hello! This week was yet another week of my mission, and it was a wonderful week! I really have no reasons to complain. It´s true, we experience trials on the mish. But in all reality I feel like I gain so so much more than what I sacrifice. I am a happy camper! 

So on Sunday we went over to the other Porto ward to see a baptism. Maria, this little 80 year old lady, was baptized. It was literally one of the most memorable moments of my mission, but not for reasons you might expect. So there we all are, watching the Elder get into the water, and turns out the water didn´t heat up. Baptism in icy water is not exactly ideal for 80 year old women apparently, so she became slightly reluctant to enter the water. But the Elder talked to her and explained that the water wasn´t that cold and that the baptism wouldn´t take very long, and that he would help her down in. She looked at him with a slight expression of disgust and said quite loudly "I got myself here, I can get in this water by myself!" And then she literally DOVE into the water. Exactly like a swimming pool. She dove! I WAS DYING. It was the best thing I´ve ever seen! Then the baptism continued, she was happy, and she danced with me in the kitchen afterwards as we ate refreshments. I LOVE the old ladies here. They are hilarious. 

I love my mission. The good and the bad and the funny and the crazy. I am so blessed to be a missionary in Porto! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Sister Wood 

A few pictures- Divisions and chocolate croissants (the reason I´m fat) and the 4th of July! 

 Chocolate croissants with Sister Parkinson

 American style feast!

 my first rootbeer since I got to Portugal

 Our friend Maria who gives lots of kisses

District bowling

Squirning

Heyo.<3 I hope everyone is doing good! I can´t believe that July starts this week. SO WEIRD. I´m just sittin here like whaaaaaaat. 

I´ll be honest haha, this week was kind of a trial of our faith! We got home every night, looked at each other and just asked, "What even happened today?" I think sometimes the Lord lets us squirm a little bit. Like it says in the scriptures, He tries our patience and our faith. But it´s all to help us grow and improve! Sometimes we just have to have moments in our lives where all we can do is trust in the Lord. We cannot do this by ourselves, we need Him always! Sometimes I think Heavenly Father is looking down at me and just saying, "Sister Wood, time to put a little more trust in me!" I´ve always been somewhat independent, thinking that I can do it myself, but a huge lesson that I´m learning on my mission is that I need the Lord in all moments. Not just sometimes, but all the time. It´s that trust in the Savior that helps us get up when we fall. I´m very grateful for the opportunities I´m having to learn this important lesson! 

Funny from the week, because there are always funny things that happen: Our ward mission leader, Irmão Vitor, is probably one of the most comical people I´ve ever met in my life. He´s 72 years old, really loud, and wears the tightest, highest pants I have ever seen. We invited him to come contacting with us the other day, and it ruled because he just literally talks to everyone. But the funny thing is that he likes to talk about a littler bit deeper doctrine with everyone. For example, baptisms for the dead, why the Sabbath day in on Sunday not Saturday, how we were all intelligences before being formed into spirits, etc. One time (on another occasion) he actually ripped his shirt open and showed an investigator his garments and shouted, "One day you´ll have this! You can never take them off!" We just get a little bit flabbergasted haha, but we had a lot of success that day! He´s one of the most faithful members I know and we are really grateful for his desire to serve. And also we´re grateful for the funny things he says and does. #blessed

That´s all I got, but I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you! Beijinhos! 

Sister Wood 

Camera effects are really nice. 

 We get this ice cream about once a week!  Not sad

Tchau Fluckigers!

And there goes another week! Sometimes I sit down at the computer on p-day and just say WHAT THE CRAP EVEN HAPPENED THIS WEEK. But, this week was definitely good. 

Today we had a big Zone Conference because the Fluckiger's are leaving!! We are sad! I didn't realize before my mission how much the mission president and wife would affect me. I love the Fluckiger's and am so grateful for all they have taught me! I know that the leaders we have in this church are truly called of God and receive revelation for us. I´m grateful for the perfect structure and organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know that the Savior is at the head of it all and I´m so grateful for that! 

I hope you all have a great week!

Sister Wood 

Pics for days. Don´t mind the slight sweatiness ... it´s my missionary glow.

 Divisions are fun!

 Chicken feet - I didn't like it!

 Zone Conference

Tchau President and Sister Fluckiger!

Little Baby Miracles

HELLO! 

I think that if Nephi lived in our days he would´ve said "little baby miracles" instead of "tender mercies". It´s the same thing, and this week was full of them! First week of the transfer is kind of crazy but it was also good. We went to Lisbon for a meeting on Tuesday, probs the last time i´ll go to Lisbon in my mission! #portomissionholla. The fun thing is that we don´t know when our new mission president will come because they´re having visa problems. His name is President Amorim, he´s Brazilian, but lives in Park City. I´m excited to meet him and his wife in a coming week! 

This week we did a lot a lot a lot of finding. Sometimes you just have to find all new investigators! It happens! We saw some serious little baby miracles though. For example: a couple days ago we were on our way to a lesson. Sister Da Luz was talking on the phone and I was just walking behind her, probably singing something. I have this new habit of just singing and whistling ALL THE TIME. I annoy myself sometimes. But i´m getting pretty good at whistling. Anywho, as we were walking I saw this lady coming toward us. I usually would´ve just let her walk by because Sister Da Luz was on the phone, but the Spirit prompted me quite clearly that I should stop and talk to her, even though my comp wasn´t exactly ready to contact. OKAY Spirit, let´s do this. So I stopped her and we started chatting, and soon Sister Da Luz made her way over to us. We said a prayer with her, and she started crying. She then explained to us that she had just had a really hard day and was praying for strength, and then we stopped and talked to her. She was so grateful, and so were we! It was a little baby miracle for all of us. I´m so grateful that the Spirit directs us so we can help Heavenly Father´s children. I love missionary work and the blessing I have to be here! 

Have a great week everyone! loves and hugs <3 

Sister Wood 

 Porto is so pretty!

 Sister Fluckiger and me with my birthday pastry

Another transfer come and gone

Olá!

Yeehaw cowboy, I can´t believe we just finished another transfer! Time just keeps going faster. I will be staying up here in Porto with Sister Da Luz for one more transfer and we´re stoked! Basically this means that I am now in the Portugal Porto mission for sure. Cool! 

The last week of the transfer was nice and normal! It was good. It was HOT. I may have to start taking two showers a day, one in the morning and one at night. It is hotter than sin here! And it´s just gonna keep getting hotter! But we just eat ice cream and go on our merry way so it´s all good. 

You know what I love? CHURCH. My testimony of the importance of our Sunday Meetings (all of them) has grown immensely on my mission! I know that we can receive personal revelation as we go to church, participate in the classes, and partake of the sacrament. Heavenly Father has given us all the tools to stay on the path, and church is a huge one! I´m so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, truly the Savior´s restored church on the earth. I know this church is true! 

I also love the members here- especially these ones! We had a little birthday/going away party last night for me and the elder that looks like Harry Potter who is going home. Don´t mind the sweatiness on my part! Black people can take the heat better- at least that´s what they all tell me haha! 

I love you all and have a great week! 

Sister Wood 

Don't Bring Me Down

This song has been playing in my head all week. It´s been getting me really pumped, and we had a great week! Every week is full of challenges, but we went to bed on Sunday night content because we truly gave it our all! I love being a missionary. 

Our investigator Rui was baptized yesterday and it was fabulous! He is so cool and has such a strong testimony. President and Sister Fluckiger came to the baptismal service- no pressure- and it turned out great. Lots of members came and we had a big ol´ lunch afterward! I love missionary work. I love seeing the Lord´s hand in the lives of our investigators, the members, and our own! I know that Heavenly Father loves us and gives us opportunities to learn and grow. Sometimes we learn things the hard way, but when we succeed I know that the Lord rejoices with us. I´m so grateful for His patience with me, because I have a lot to work on! But I know that as we truly put our trust in Him, He will walk with us on our path. I love this gospel and I know that our Savior is Jesus Christ, and that He lives! 

I love you all, have a great week! 

~Sister Wood 

... and now, lots of pictures! 

 Divisions are fun!

 Sister Da Luz

I love my comp! And this is our friend Amelia. She works on a farm and is super funny. Also Portuguese people don´t smile in pictures! 

The Night Bus(es)

Hello friends and family! I hope you are all doing well! The last couple weeks have been full of crazy things but also really good. So many learning experiences up in here. But that´s why we are in this mortal life, am I right? 

So in our area we are all about riding the bus. We ride the bus SO MUCH. It´s because we live in the boonies and our area is might large, so the bus has been essential. There is one special bus, which I like to refer to as the Night Bus, that is especially exciting. It is two buses put together so it´s massive, and in fact I have only ever ridden it at night. And let me tell you, it is like taking a roller coaster ride home. So much falling on people. So much slaming into the side of the bus. It is RIDICULOUS. I particularly suck at riding buses because for some reason I have no balance in Portugal. One time on a division I straight up fell on a lady sitting on the bus... she just laughed at me and was "nope, you can´t do that!" 

Anywho, back to the good stuff! We have been learning a lot about the law of opposition the last couple weeks. We have taken some large blows to the work in our area, and also had some incredibley rewarding successes. The more bitter the bitter, the sweeter the sweet I guess. One thing that I´m learning more about is putting all my trust in the Lord. We had one day last week where literally everything was going wrong. EVERYTHING. Plans were falling, baptisms were falling through, investigators were disappearing, lice decided to pay us a nice visit (maybe I´ll talk about the lice issue in a coming day-it´s still too fresh in our minds at the moment) and in general we had a crappy day. We sat down, kind of defeated, and said a prayer. We basically just told Heavenly Father everything we felt and asked for His help because we were a little lost. Then we picked ourselves back up and went on with our day! As we were walking to the chapel, we contacted a guy named Rui. And let me tell you, he was the answer to our prayers. He is the definition of elect! He was the tender mercy Heavenly Father sent to us. It was a testimony builder for us that the Lord is aware of our efforts, even when it seems that everything is just going to the pits no matter how hard we try. And when we trust Him and ask for His help, He will bless us in the exact moment we need it. It is necessary to taste the bitter in order to appreciate the sweet, and I am grateful for this concept that I am learning. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, and when He lets us struggle it is for a purpose. I know that His plan in perfect and that His hand is in our lives! I love this gospel. It is the reason that I can pick myself back up when I fall! 

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Sister Wood 

...no pics... I forgot....

My Island Vacation

Hello family and friends! This week was super good! Tiring, but we saw lots of tender mercies this week. We got to do divisions on the island- Madeira! For those of you who don´t know, Madeira actually means wood in Portuguese. Badabingbadaboom. It was way fun to do a division, and the island is super beautiful! We found some really cool people to teach with big families and it was a huge blessing. It was like a missionary vacation! 

We´ve been seeing lots of progress in our area too! This week we finally found this kid who was marked for baptism and then DISAPPEARED. Literally. But we found him! His name is Taison and he´s super cool. He didn´t get baptized because he didn´t feel worthy, so we taught him about the Atonement and how it is sufficient for all of our sins. It was a powerful lesson and the Spirit was so strong. Just such a huge peace entered the room. Heavenly Father loves His children and He wants us to come unto Him. He is ready and willing to guide us back! 

It was great to talk to my family yesterday! I hope everyone had a great Mother´s Day and gave their mom a little more love! I´m so grateful for my mom! And my whole family. As I meet more and more people on my mission, my gratitude for my family deepens so much. We are so blessed to know that families can be forever. The gospel is what brings true happiness to families! 

I love you all! Have a great week! 

Sister Wood  

Pics- division with Sister Stocks in Madeira and last p-day with President! 

Ist Transfer in Porto

Olá! 

First week of the transfer in Porto was great!! It has been raining cats and dogs so we´ve been wet all week. The rain is different here, it doesn´t just come from the sky above. It literally comes from all sides. I want to buy a full body rain suit but I think President would frown upon that. Also it makes my hair very voluminous, so that´s cool! I love Portugal. 

We had a week full of meetings and interviews with the President, so we stayed nice and busy! I always love interviews with President Fluckiger. I love President and Sister Fluckiger! We also had Stake Conference that was super powerful. Elder Moreira of the Seventy spoke about now is the time to act! We can´t procrastinate the day of our repentance, much less the day that we more fully magnify our church callings, apply the words of our modern-day prophets, and be examples for the world of disciples of Jesus Christ! I´m so grateful for the path that the gospel gives us, and that we know exactly what is expected of us. Heavenly Father has not left us in the dark like so many people think He has. He has freely given us the recipe for happiness in this life and for eternity! He is just and merciful and just wants the best for us! 

I hope you have a great week! Love you all! 

Sister Wood 

Pics: High school chums serving in the same zone (and my hair gettin cray), and just a cute Porto sign! 

 New Area Porto!

Elder Bianucci and me