Week 55-No one wears skirts like we do. NO ONE!!!

Hello, Everyone!!!

It's been another wonderful week!! I do have to get down to business because we don't have much time to email today!

I must start out with a pun that occured in our lesson with Kim last week. So there we were on her couch and her daughter brought over this Dungeons and Dragons-like card and showed it to her mom. The girl thought it was a bunch of pigs. But Kim said: "No, those are orcs!" So I said: "Hey, maybe we can start an ORChestra!!!" Oh, man. I have to say, I'm pleased with that one. xD It turned out to be a great conversation transition because Kim played the clarinet and was in an orchestra. 

Next, we went to Red Lobster to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!! It was so great. But then a guy we don't know (who is part of the church) bought our lunch for us!! He was sitting behind us and apparently we weren't supposed to know about it. #awkward!!! So, we of course were very grateful and appreciative. :) I didn't get to use our gift cards so I guess we have to go back!

I installed "old fashioned" blinds and mopped the wall for the first time at the Beacon House this week. Craziness!

And yes, we had to trade our truck in with the Elders and in exchange we got to ride... bicycles!!! Now, these weren't just ordinary ones. NOpe, they are BOY bicycles with super uncomfortable seats. And I happened to be wearing not the best skirt for bike riding. #scandalous!!!!!! Yes, so picture this, two out of shape sister missionaries getting high centered on these super tall bikes, then having to go downhill on the freeway, ultimately having to cross the freeway, so we could make it to the bike trail and get back to our apartment. Ahhhh!!! It was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. #jesustakethewheel. We were going so fast I thought the bike would tip over! And, to make it an even better fashion statement, I had to tie my big winter coat around me becasue it was unbearably hot. I had to ditch my purse becasue it isn't bike-friendly and stuff my pockets. xD So, that added a nice "cape" to this bike-riding fiasco. Yep, all 6 miles back to the apartment. And we rode a bit the next day. Ouch! Haha, it was pretty funny. But on a more spiritual side, I definitely had to rely upon the enabling power of the atonement, as I was praying we would be able to make it home and not die! :P I think that my 24 hours as a biking sister was plenty for me. I gained a new found appreciation for our truck!!!  They have a new car now, so it's all good. :)

We had an awesome lesson this week with Aubrey. Her friends are having a great influence on her, by the way. She's been reading the Book of Mormon every day for a week and has been liking how it's been causing her to have better days. Yay! But anyway, we taught her about Lehi's Dream and she was super happy because she got to color. She is very, very smart and we have to be very silly with her, while inviting the Spirit and teaching her about the Gospel. It is how I imagine it would be to have a lesson with my sister Ashley!!! haha, it was fun. She really liked the fruit, and especially the great and spacious building. She wrote "don't Let it Go!!" (referring to the iron rod) and drew Elsa in the great and spacious building. Very entertaining and she definitely wants a part of that fruit business. xD She was at church again and really liked it! 

Also, I must point out that Aubrey has the greatest TV remote ever. She hands me a Harry Potter wand and tells me to wave it at the TV. So I do and... it turns on!!! That's right, a Harry Potter wand TV remote! It changes channels when you wave it a certain way, and the same thing for volume. So. AWESOME!!!! xD

Also, Mom, I tried to line Reba up with a cute friend. SIster Nuremberg, a lady we teach out in Sawyer, has a cute male chihuahua named Cinnamon. I showed them a picture of Reba and they agree they would make great friends!!! :) 

You know how there's an embarrassing story with each companion? Well, here's the one for Sister Dunlap. So we went to get ice cream after dinner (don't judge becasue there is basically no ice cream in Marquette and it's been forever!) and I ordered what I thought would be a simple concrete that we could finish in the car before Institute. We also had Sarah with us. Well, turns out the strawberry shortcake flavor I ordered was actually a giant bowl full of strawberries, shortcake, and whipped cream!!! Totally NOT inconspicuous. So I had to bring THAT in to Institute. :P Oh dear.

We also had our amazing mission conference!!! It was a 6 hour drive down to Milwaukee (each way!!!) and we stopped to pick up the Appleton sisters on the way.And we stayed overnight in West Bend. It was actually really fun, but I was SO tired I kept having to drink soda to stay awake! The meeting itself was incredible. Our ENTIRE mission was there! All 250 something of us. It was so great to talk with my former companions and my friends! Sister Cutler compared it to how it will be when we are reunited in heaven. So great! 

We were supposed to have Elder Perry there, but he was reassigned last-minute. But we still had a couple of Seventy there with us. I was not-so-secretly anticipating ipads becasue I was sitting next to a giant projector. But, instead it was used for President Cutler's usual explanation of how eternal life= family life. This is his favorite saying. :) 

It was a really powerful meeting, ipads or not!!! haha, we were asked what things we might be envious of as missionaries and someone said "ipads!" Hahahaha. Anyways, the spirit was really strong. Elder Craig C. Christensen did most of the talking. I don't really have time to go in to detail about everything he talked about. Just highlights. :) First of all, we all got to shake their hands. Then they apologized for not being Elder Perry but that they actually have the same authority just different keys (see D&C 107) and since they were acting under Elder PErry's direction, it was almost as good as if he were here. :) Anyway, he had us stand up and share our favorite scripture about the Atonement in the Book of Mormon. It was so neat to see how many there are!!! He challenged us to think of a prophet who doesn't write about the Atonement in teh Book of Mormon. It was cool! Then he taught us in-depth about the Atonement. There are 4 aspects he shared: 1. overcoming physical death (fall of Adam) this is the unconditional part. 2. overcoming spiritual death (conditional) 3. the healing aspect 4, the enabling power. We always talk about the first 2 and not so much the last 2. It was so powerful and so amazing to learn about how the Atonement can heal us from ALL issues of life and give us hope, energy and vitality (this gives special meaning to D&C 121:7. Perhaps the Lord was trying to indicate this to Joseph Smith. It's an interesting insight, anyway). The enabling power allows us to do what we can't do through our own strength. As missionaries we are doing things Christ does and we absolutely need to rely upon this power. Can we convert a soul through our own efforts? No way, no how! So, I was very much inspired to apply the Atonement even more in my life, especially the last two aspects I mentioned, the healing and enabling aspects. I learned so much in this meeting, I can't really describe it. I know that I was definitely inspired to be a better me!!! One other thing that stood out is how powerful love is in this work, how it influences those we work with and how our missions change us because of it. I have definitely seen that!!! 

 Perhaps the greatest part of the meeting was the question and answer session. I asked a question about what their favorite references were about why we must act to allow the Atonement to work in our lives. It was really awesome to hear their responses, as well as President Cutler's. There were some other really great questions asked about how to repent with godly sorrow every time, and how to develop a better relationship with the Savior. His answer was found in D&C 68:10. Wow, was I inspired!!! 

Alright so the last bit of news is that Mary finally got her answer about the Book of Mormon!!! And, don't worry, it was a good answer. :) She had an amazing dream experience, very similar to Lehi's dream and Joseph Smith was there, inviting her to taste the fruit of the tree of life. Just to be sure, she asked for Heavenly Father to show her the dream again, in case it was a mistake or just a dream. So she had the same dream again!!! Amazing. She wrote it down and shared it with us. So amazing. As she put it, she doesn't do "warm and fuzzies." She knew she needed a more concrete answer than that, and this was her "baseball bat to the head" answer from the Lord. I can't really describe the joy I feel. I am so indescribably happy for her!!! Jack was also at church AGAIN, too! So happy for all these wonderful people. 

I absolutely know, with every part of my being that this work is true!!! I know that God lives and loves us! If we turn our lives over to Him He will work miracles through us. I love you all!

Sister Woods 

Week 54--Massively Marvelous Missionary Marathon!!

Hello, Everyone!!!!

Get ready, plan on doing a "brain vomit" and tell you all about the most incredible week I've had on my mission!!!! Yes, I'm fairly certain this is the case!!!!!!

I will still probably forget some things but that's okay!!! :) 

I should first mention that all the snowy ice has melted into a huge river from off the roads!!! That's right. I thought there might be some hydroplaning, but luckily there was not!! And now, the roads are all clear! Yay, pavement! Makes me feel more like a Nevadan. ;) 

Okay, ready? :)

Flashback to Monday evening. We had an amazing lesson with Jack! We asked him why he wasn't at church. It was one of those moments on my mission I've learned to develop and switch on my "charity glasses."  We really listened to what he had to say. I decided to play Nancy Drew and ask him about his feelings at church 2 weeks ago, at the temple,  at his baptism, when he received teh Holy Ghost, etc. Then I asked "how would you like to feel that way all the time?" He was quite surprised at such a notion! He goes to church, feels great, then loses the Spirit. That's what happens to all of us if we don't nourish our testimonies with prayer adn scripture study! So I had the opportunity to testify that it CAN be with him all the time. The purpose of the Gospel isn't just to show up at church, feel good, then go back to regular life. The purpose is change. It's to keep that light burning bright within you by the way we live, to be a beacon of light for others, to live a spiritual AND a regular life!!! It's just life. The BEST kind of life. And, believe me, I know the difference when I have and have not nourished that light. We ended up talking about the temple, receiving his endowment. We helped him see how much potential he has, how he's so close to where he needs to be and how much more Heavenly Father has to bless him with if he will draw closer to Him, just come back to church full-force and start preparing himself for a temple recommend. It was awesome.  It was a rare and splendid moment when he just looked at me and thanked me for inspiring him to come back, for bringing the spirit in, that my words are much more than just thrown-out words. He is inspired, he knows he wants to receive his endowment!! He told us a big change is happening soon,(hopefully while I'm still here) and he's at a crossroads in life right now. He went to church and loved it! We are still trying to help him apply the scriptures more to his life. Anyway, it was a rare privilege when I felt like an absolute instrument in the Lord's hands. He is that force behind my words. I'm so grateful I get to be a missionary!!!!!

Now for a humorous turn of events. We had a zone training this week. Well, there was a hilarious role play. That's how we get trained, you see. :) So one of the elders hid behind a chalkboard (which had a door drawn on it). His companion knocked and out popped an elder dressed up in a skirt with a spray bottle and a girlish voice. "She" was bleaching the walls and didn't want to take the survey the missionaries offered. Bahahaha!!!! It was hilarious!!! So, the story gets better. This elder gave the skirt in question, TO ME. That's right! They actually live with members and sisters used to live there so they left a bunch of skirts behind. Well, the plot thickens becasue this elder gave a talk in church on Sunday and I wore that skirt in his honor!!! xD It is pink and ruffly, in case you wondered!!!!!!!! Oh, and this elder is DEFINITELY not bad looking, in case you wondered about that as well! Not that there is anything scandalous about it.  It's just an observation. ;) 

We set 3 new baptism dates this week!!!!!!! That's right, you heard me. We have been INSANELY blessed. So I mentioned Jill last week. Well, we went back to see her and she's doing so awesome!!!! We taught the Plan of Salvation. She loves the Atonement, has seen it at work in her life, and eagerly accepted a baptism date for April 25!!!!!!!! So excited about her. 

Next is James and Christina. These are people that Sister Dunlap met on Base when we were on exchanges. Now, I can't accurately describe the miraculousness of meeting them, since I wasn't there, but I'll try. :) They were trying to move in and the sisters offered to help. It was actually a miracle that they even got the house. Their realtor prayed for them and they got it! I'm not sure this makes sense, but bottom line, they feel it is no small coincidence at all that we met. Well, we invited both of them to the Relief Society birthday activity. THey both were there and brought their 3 month old baby and 3 year old daughter. So cute!!! Well, as you might imagine, the RS women went crazy over the baby and we SO friendly and nice to both of them!!! Such great fellowshipping occurred. The bishop's wife came up to us and said "Hey, you hit the jackpot!!" :) Christina is super nice (So Is James), and actually has super awesome bright neon hair. So, she told us she's always felt judged and such when she went to different churches but she was SO IMPRESSED with how friendly and awesome everyone was. She felt loved! And they had a great time. (Side note we had a white elephant party and I got a giant cute stuffed monkey. But that's beside the point. :P) SO when we went to Base and taught the Restoration she was SO receptive!!! She felt really good at the church. By the way, she also is totally new to Base and was able to swap phone #s with some of the RS ladies. Sweet! Anyway, she readily accepted a baptism date for April 25th!!!! She and Jill can be baptism buddies!!! We think they would really get along. :) Anyway, we are so excited about her. James, her boy friend, was out of the room so he didn't get to hear most of it so we will keep trying with him. He seems cool, though, and I bet he'll join in next time and accept a baptism date. I've been able to learn throughout my mission how important it is to introduce yourself and be super friendly to new people!!! Fellowship is so important!!!! There may be such wonderful, fellowshipping individuals reading this right now, and I, in behalf of all missionaries everywhere, thank you!!! :) 

NEXT is Kim!! Whew, my wrists are sore from typing so much! :P Well, we met her on exchanges. Remember that week when I told you all that I was tracting forever until we finally found this amazing apartment complex? Well, this is the same one! AKA the promised land. This is also where Jill lives. Just sayin. Anyway, she is awesome!!! Also divorced and has 2 kids. But she also is part of a non denominational church, held off baptism becasue she wasn't sure which one was right, and LOVES the idea that she can know for herself, from God, that this is the church she should join. She ALSO accepted a baptism date!! Only, I meant to say April (the spirit prompted me to extend an  unplanned date) but ended up saying May 31. Maybe we can move it up or that's what she needs?? Who knows. I'm excited!!!!!! 

It's so amazing. I've never had this many baptism dates, and with such prepared people!!! It's so rare. Especially for this mission. I KNOW this is all Heavenly Father's doing. I'm really not sure why He's blessing us so much. I definitely don't deserve it. :) 

BUT it was also really cool to see one of our Powerpuff Girls (recent convert college students) come out teaching with us. She goes out with us most days, all day, which is awesome. But, she's been sharing her testimony lately (in Kim's lesson and Christina's!!!) and it has had such a powerful effect!!! Each time she does she become more and more confident. It's so neat to see it!!! Recent converts are the greatest. She is preparing to serve a mission, too!!! It can be reallly intimidating to speak up in lessons and it was scary for her but she did and I'm so proud of her! 

We had 3 investigators at church!! Mary, Aubrey and Bela. That's my record, in case you wondered. :) We were supposed to have 6 but rarely if ever do people show up on the first invite to church. So, I'm confident the 4 new ones will show up next week. I can't even believe it, 6????!!!!! Oh man. (: This is the exact problem missionaries want to have!!! Like I said, I'm being ridiculously blessed. 

It's so stressful and exciting all at the same time!!! Lots to keep on top of, especially because we are trying to see each of them twice a week. Please pray for the following wonderful individuals, if you feel so inclined!!! Bela, Mary, Christina, Jill, Kim. :DD 

I also might get to ride bikes this week because the Elders are sharing our truck with us (they got rear-ended and their truck is in the shop). SWEET I get to be a biking sista!!! ;) 

We also had the rare privilege of going to seminary to encourage these wonderful young men and women to pray about who they can share the Gospel with!! 

I'm also FINALLY getting a hair cut today!!! It's been forever. Today the fro gets chopped! :P 

We very excited about the progress of Mary and Bela as well!!!! We read Alma 32 with Mary this week. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but we really have like, NOTHING new to teach her. Seventh Day Adventists even have their own (slightly more complex) Word of Wisdom. They can't even eat pork. I think we bored her big-time in  trying to teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week!!!! Oh man. This will be interesting!!! It's only my first time being a senior comp and in charge of all these things. :o Anyways, all she needs is a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon!!! She is so close. We helped her see she does have one!! It's just small and needs more time to grow. She will get there, I know it! :) Bela is also doing great. She decided to move her baptism date back to April 11 so she can feel more sure about it and talk with her family. We had a double lesson scare this week (investigators must live teh Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity two weeks consecutively before they can be baptized!!!) becasue her original date was 2 weeks from Saturday. Phew. There is more time!!! I'm so excited for her. She is SO willing to keep all these commandments and is so prepared to make this covenant with our Heavenly Father!!!!! 

Phew. Well, it's been an amazing week. I absolutely adore this work and the part I get to play in it, small as that may be. It's an amazing thing to be a missionary! Well, I definitely need to be done now, so I wish you all an amazing week!!!! 

Elder Perry will be here this Saturday!!! I'm so excited. :)

I love you all!!!!! :D

Sister Woods 

Week 53--Week of Wonders!!

Dear Family, Friends and everyone else!!!

Well, I think that a "heat wave" has arrived here in Marquette! It's been in the 30s lately! Which. Is. Crazy! It's practically shorts and t-shirt weather. No joke, I saw a guy running in short shorts this morning. #scandalous. There were two problems with that situation! 1. Shorts not long enough 2. still too cold!!! :) I joke with Sister Dunlap at times that we need to develop a "card launcher" so we can share cards from far away! That would be great. Keep working on that one, everybody! :) Although, in this case I think we would have slingshotted him some fleece-lined leggings! 

I gave a talk yesterday, (in honor of a certain Mother whose birthday it was!!!) about the resurrection. Now, this was actually only my third talk ever!!  Oh, a side note about how things work in the Marquette ward: so there is actually another building in Germfask that is still part of our same ward! But, they are far away so they get to "join with us" by watching our sacrament meeting. Therefore, our entire district got to see this talk! Oh man. The Elders were teasing me for "procrastinating" (I had to write the talk while they were playing volleyball because of the whole lack of time, super strict schedule and stay together issue. :) We were super busy this week doing assignments for zone conference and exchanges and such. So, I began my preparations early but it wasn't enough for it not to be considered procrastinating! haha. ANYWAY, it actually was a great thing and included a "Yooper joke." For those of you who are familiar with Joseph Smith's Standard of Truth statement (missionaries recite this every morning) you will understand my joke. For those of you who don't, here it is!

"The Standard of Truth has been erected, no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, and calumny may defame but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independent till it has visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear. Till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done!" Haha, yes, missionaries are an interesting bunch of people. :) 

Well, I shared that I have come up with a new meaning for how this applies in the U.P. Indeed, "blizzards may rage, snow may combine, wind may assemble, and daylight savings time may apply" but these faithful members of the church still show up to sacrament meeting! They amaze me. :) 

The ward really liked my talk and I got lots of comments. So, that's a great thing. It was neat to see I have improved lots in my speaking ability since my last talk!! Go, Spirit!! :) 

Actually, I want to share a few awesome things I learned as I was preparing for it. I love quotes! You all love long emails, right? :P Ha!

"The resurrection of Jesus is the most glorious of all messages to mankind" -Bible Dictionary

"Christianity is founded on the greatest of all miracles, the Resurrection of our Lord. If that be admitted then other miracles cease to be improbable." -Bible Dictionary. Love that one! It's so true.

Moroni 7:41. Read it! The hope of the resurrection is the essence of all hope in this world.

"The gift of immortality to all mankind through the reality of the resurrection is so powerful a promise that our rejoicing in these great and generous gifts should drown out any sorrow, assuage any grief, conquer any mood, dissolve any despair and tame any tragedy. Those who now see life as pointless will one day point with adoration to the performance of the man of Galilee in the crowded moments of time known as Gethsemane and Calvary. Christ's victory over death ended the human predicament. Now there are only personal predicaments and from these too we may be rescued by following the teachings of him who rescued us from general extinction" -Neal A Maxwell. Kyle showed me this one. It's awesome! 

Not to give my whole talk over again, but I have a strong testimony that living the principles of the Gospel, all of them, help us resolve those "personal predicaments." How cool it is to realize that because of the resurrection we really have very little to worry about! All the big predicaments have been taken care of for us! 

We also had to teach the lesson in 2nd hour and I gave the prayer in Relief Society. So, I participated actively in all of church!! #missionlife.

Okay, I had better move on so this email won't be a mile and a half long. Maybe just a mile is okay. :)

We also had an incredible zone conference! It was a combined zone conference, so that means Sister Dunlap and I weren't the only girls, haha! We got a new microwave. Yep, it was sitting there waiting for us on the couch at zone conference. :) Anyway, one thing I've been slowly realizing lately is the principle of raising my potential. None of us will be perfect in this life. But, over the course of my mission, I've learned that I can raise my personal potential, much more than I ever thought I could, by relying on and applying the Atonement in my life. I may never be that "perfect missionary" but I can keep making slow and steady progress! And progress is what it's all about. :) We may not die perfect but if we are found striving and struggling to stay on this path then we will stay on it for eternity and one day we won't have these imperfections. It used to really bother me that I have weaknesses but it no longer does. I can see my focusing on it as Satan trying to push me off the path. But, I'm never ever going to let that happen! :P 

*Pardon my overly-enthused missionary spirit for those of you who are reading this and thinking I'm totally weird! Because I am right now. My mission has made me so! :P*

So, I left this conference with not only a strong determination to give these last 6 months my all, but to do even better!!! Whatever that means. It was sort of a mid-mission crisis. I love my mission and I'm so grateful for all that I've learned so far. :D We had a cool training by President Cutler where he wanted us to answer questions about the Plan of Salvation, deep questions, using the scriptures. He told us that asking questions and using the scriptures is the key to obtaining personal revelation and that we can learn so much from doing that. I surely did! It was great. President is also very sneaky at asking for referals! He asked this one lady and she didn't even know what he was doing until it was too late and he invited the elders serving in that area to visit the person she said she was concerned about! Haha. :) Oh, and every time he talks about how eternal life is family life. 5 times per zone conference, haha. So, naturally, it was the Plan of Eternal Life rather than the Plan of Salvation that was discussed! 

I met the most awesome sister from Oshkosh!!! I actually was there in sacrament meeting when they announced her mission call. She's now serving in Appleton or something. But she played the violin!!! It was so fun to talk with her about Oshkosh and all the wonderful people there. :) I told her, we have GOT to work something out for next zone conference and play together!! So great.

I did try pasties this week! It's a "Yooper" food. Basically a pie crust filled with rutabega, potatoes and hamburger. Again, I need to find a better way to post pictures! Coming soon. :) As is the hat picture. Someone shared the gospel with his friend this week by talking about "the new missionary with an awesome hat that looks like a birthday cake." Oh dear! :P 

What else did we do? Well, we had a "blitz" exchange here in Marquette. This means that Sister Roylance and I stayed in Marquette while Sister Dunlap and Sister Kealer went out to Base (still in our area). It was crazy trying to get ready with so many sisters in our tiny, smoky apartment. :P It was really great! We found some awesome new people. My email is pretty long already so I won't get too much into that. But, suffice it to say, miracles occured! The small ones are the best kind. :) 

Oh, I forgot to mention what Sister Dunlap ate last week. It was pretty funny so I had to include it! She ate cheesy hotdogs and oysters for breakfast!! xD haha. I can't say TOO much, though, because I've been known to eat green beans and eggs for breakfast. 

We also found out we can do some contacting on the college campus so I'm excited and looking forward to that!!!

We also went mini golfing last p-day. More pictures coming, I promise!

Sometimes I hesitate to write about the awesome people we meet in case it ends up not working out, but I feel pretty darn hopeful about this one! So it was actually an awkward experience. We were following up with people in this neighborhood where all the apartments look exactly the same. I had written down this number, thinking we had taught this person but had just forgotten to write down their name. Nope! She answered and I asked if we had shared anything, thinking she looked familiar but she actually wasn't. Totally an accident but we went inside and taught her the Restoration. This lady is honestly the most prepared person I've met on my mission so far! She almost died twice and got involved in drugs and alcohol and has since went to rehab and joined a non-denominational church, because she was never sure which one was right. The whole time we taught she was relating with every single thing that we said, especially Joseph Smith! She is really looking for which church God wants her to join. I felt prompted to tell her that it was no coincidence that we met her today. She totally agreed!!! I invited her to be baptized and she said "Absolutely!!" and that we have no idea, but this is just what she's been waiting for!! It was so cool. :) I'm way excited. 

Ahh, miracles are happening!

Everything else is going great with our other investigators, especially Mary. Well, most of them have been out of town for spring break. But anyway, She was at church again and we watched the Joseph Smith movie with her this week. She really likes comparing things with the Bible and how the persecution that Joseph Smith and the early saints faced is similar to what the prophets faced in the BIble. She is so cool! We think she has the seedlings of a testimony!! Still working on it, though, of course! 

One more insight before I close. I have absolutely loved reading about the Savior's experience in Jesus the Christ, both in Gethsemane and on the cross and all the horrors that happened in between. It's kind of painful just to read about it, but one thing that truly stands out to me is the pure confidence that the Savior displayed. Even amidst scourging, and vicious taunting and humiliation of the nastiest and hightest degree, he remained silent. Such pure confidence!!! In fact,I think it's the greatest example of confidence that the world has and will ever see. It inspires me to no end.  

That's all for now!!

Love,

Sister Woods :) 

Week 52--Another Week in Marvelous Marquette

Hello, Everyone!!!

This will be a short email, I think!!! Not too much to report on. Just our AWESOME investigators!!! Well, it's actually spring break this week and last weekend so lots of our amazing investigators are going out of town! Except for Mary, who has a later Spring Break because she's a history teacher and has a different schedule. She went to church AGAIN this week and thinks the Book of Mormon is true. Why? Because she's AWESOME! And she reads and prays about it! :) Anyways! There is lots of success happening here in Marquette! 

I got an awesome hat this week #thanksmom. I asked Sister Dunlap if it looks funny and she said "No." But, no joke, as soon as I walked outside people drove by, pointed and laughed at me! Bahaha! xD It's purple and awesome (see picture. JK I tried to send one but this silly computer won't let me!) and I'm told it looks like a Barney hat. :D Sister Dunlap has an awesome hat too, that she thinks makes her look like an Eskimo!! There are some interesting hats people wear around here. :) 

So, one of the service activities we do here is volunteer at the Children's Museum. We get to play with iguanas, a creepy snake thing (a skink), and turtles. I also got to clean a fishtank last week at the Beacon House (ick). We cleaned stairs this week. I've never done either of those things before!

Oh man, I'm boring myself! :P This was just one of those weeks where we work our hearts out and tract. I'm learning lots and am getting more and more used to being in charge and learning the area. So this one time, we were trudging through a ton of snow, (we were far away from the truck) trying to find this former investigator lady and we were about to give up and go somewhere else because we had been tracting all day. Well, the Spirit prompted me to keep going and what do you know, all of a sudden we began to find much success in a new area, one missionaries haven't tracted before. We were able to teach lots of people and it was sweet! Oh man, the miracles are happening and will happen, but it takes some diligence on our part and it often involves waiting up till the last second! Heavenly Father is pretty smart in doing this. Otherwise, how would our faith grow?

I celebrated my year mark by getting a cello!!! And Culver's. Haha, well actually I got the cello last Monday and took it in to get adjusted so I could actually play it on my year mark. :) The piano lady/ music director in the ward now knows about it so I've got a gig coming up!! I'm also giving a talk next week! It will be dedicated to a certain Wendy J. Woods because it will be her birthday that day!!! Happy Birthday to a fabulous, sassy and most wonderful parent!!! ;DD Love you tons and tons, Mom!!! 

Should be a great week this week. I've got zone conference, a blitz exchange in Marquette, and a talk coming up! 

I know that living the Gospel can resolve almost, if not just about every single challenge or concern in life and provides that ultimate solace, drive, and confidence we need to achieve our full potential. I love this work! The Gospel is great and it changes lives!! 

Love,

Sister Lacey Woods