Letter for August 25, 2014 - Mission Miracles and Realities

Querida Famila y Amigos,

I feel like a lot of what I talk about in my letters is who was at church and who wasn't. And maybe that is because Sunday is what is fresh on my mind but it also just because church is SO important. Before my mission my life pretty much revolved around my weekend activities. And well, that basically hasn't changed. My life still revolves around the weekend because Saturday is baptism day and Sunday is the Sabbath. Much of our efforts throughout the week basically focus on those indicators.

Last week was a miracle for getting investigators to attend church. This week wasn't quite as successful, but it was still very good. We had two investigators attend. One is a very old man that we literally carried to the chapel. Good thing I'm insanely buff. (Joke.) His name is Jonny. I think he will get baptized - as long as he doesn't die before ..... seriously.

We also had a less active come to church. We were really happy to see him because he is the first less active that we have gotten to come to church. There are SO many less actives here. Our area has about 50 on record. I don't know what there are more of in our area: crazy, starving dogs or less active families. I've been trying to calculate this but I just can't figure it out. I think there are an infinite number of both. We have gone into so many homes and kindly made the family and helped them find their Book of Mormon. We usually find it on some obscure bookshelf or somewhere. Then we dust it off and begin teaching. The thing is, dusting off an unread Book of Mormon is easy, it's dusting off an unnurtured testimony that is...well incredibly tough. 

Which brings me back to my first point: church attendance is SO important. The first three commandments we teach are pray, read the Book of Mormon and go to church. These three things grow testimonies and provide access to personal revelation. If an investigators does these three things they become a progressing investigator. But each Sunday that even a solid investigator doesn't go to church we don't count them as a progressing investigator for that entire week. It just makes me think about all the times before my mission I thought I had a good enough reason to not be a progressing investigator to God. So sad. :( 

This week we started teaching a new family: Rodrigo and Miriam Zepeda. This is how they were found: Rodrigo has a friend that has (now I don't know how this is possible but...) been to every religious service because he finds them interesting. Rodrigo asked him one day which church he should belong to and the friend told him to become a Mormon because our services are the best. I think this family is really prepared for the gospel. I'm excited to hopefully get to continue the story of their conversion in the coming weeks. Woop woop! 

So I've talked about her a little bit but Paulina is just the coolest. She is fifteen, has a testimony, wants to be baptized, buttt....her mom won't let her. Her mom has been softening little by little but she is still oh so stubborn. She bought a dress a couple of weeks ago and then last week went to church. We were ECSTATIC. She has come a long ways. And this week we asked her again for permission for Paulina to be baptized. She said no. For a lot of reasons that are all just really bad reasons. For example: going to church is one of the only things that she can leverage against her daughter. Cell phone privileges revoked doesn't work, groundings don't work, but her baptism and church attendance do so she doesn't want to give that away. It's a real bummer. We hope that her heart will soon be softened. 

Funny story though (her mom is a Jehovah's Witness so that is why I thought of this) there are a lot of Jehovah's Witnesses here. I didn't really know they existed but there are tons. And there was a day this week that every single person but one that I contacted was a feisty Jehovah's Witness. Now, I don't like fighting with them in part because I'm Amity and don't see the point but also because I don't think I know enough Spanish or Bible to hold my own in an argument. But my companion loves it. And is good at it. Every time after she's like ?I didn't mean to, they just provoked me? It's hilarious.

Even though we sometimes get people that like to fight with us, and people yell at us sometimes it really is a wonderful, wonderful thing to be a missionary. Two Elders in my ward are going home this next transfer (Sunday...ahhh!) and I just think that is so sad. I'm so glad I have about 16 more months!! There is no place I'd rather be than here in the killer heat of Puerto Vallarta. 

¡Te amo hasta la luna y mas alla!

Hermana Wood

Letter for Aug 11, 2014 - Zone Conference!

Dear Family,

Our week was really different than usual (the usual past two weeks... haha) because we had divisions with the sister training leader and zone conference! Its been a great week though. :)

I had divisions with Hermana Huchendorf first. She is amazing. She is the kind of missionary I want to be. I feel bad for not idolizing my trainer in the way I idolize Hermana H, but that's okay haha. Hermana H just uses her time so efficiently and so well. We taught a lesson like every second we were together and I just loved it. And then I had divisions with Hermana Vargas. She is probably the sweetest missionary ever. I learned a lot from her too. She is amazing. I really do love my companion though haha.

Zone conference was great too. It was all in Spanish so I could't understand all of it, but I could understand a lot. It was really awesome. Afterwards President Wagner pulled all of the new missionaries from our area (in Puerto Vallarta it is an area conference actually...I dont know why haha but that is why our zone conference picture has SO many people...because it is our whole area). Anyways, Pres Wagner pulled us all into a room and was asking us about our first couple of weeks. We were all doing okay haha, some more so than others. But it was pretty funny because we were talking for a while and it made Hermana Wagner really nervous (she was talking to our trainers). She was nervous because the last batch of missionaries from America all had crazy melt downs and President Wagner ended up having like 30 minute interviews individually because they were crying and wanting to go home. She thought that was happening to us, but it wasnt, we were pretty fine. But missions are hard. 

The cool thing though about not really being able to speak the language that I've really learned this week is how humbled we are and how much we can feel the spirit. We talked and we all feel this way. It is SO humbling to not be able to communicate with people, and to have to rely on the Lord at all times. All of the Latins that I have talked to say that they prefer working with Americans because they are so humble. And it isn't because we are so great, it is because we really have no other option. It is also cool because every time I struggle to bear my testimony during a contact, lesson or wherever I can feel the spirit SO strong. Because really, I am not teaching anybody, the spirit is. Which is how it always should be, but again, with the limited Spanish we know, there is literally no other way to teach. I dont want to say I'm going to miss it...but there are aspects of this struggle that I hope never leave.

Well, only one investigator came to church. We went to so many houses and people 'weren't home'. I was really nearly in tears though thinking about some of our investigators. It's really sad, but God has a plan for them, they are now more prepared to accept the gospel later in life. This week is going to be really hard because we now have to find nearly all new investigators. This is going to be a week of blisters and hopefully of miracles. Good thing we believe in both here in Vallarta!

CON AMOR,

HERMANA CASSIE :)

Letter for August 4, 2014 "Eating Tips"

Dear Family,

Okay, I feel really bad about how I emailed last week. I was in such a rutt! But last Monday there was a P-day miracle! I just started feeling so much better. I know I´m not going to be fluent for a while but I´m just not going to let it bother me. Once I remembered how to just completely rely on the Lord I felt a million times better. And I started singing again. Now that I cant talk with anyone I just fill me head and heart with hymns to make sure I dont think anything negative. I just feel so light and I just have a renewed testimony of the power of the atonement! Yay! 

Earlier this week we were contacting and I handed a picture of Jesus to this girl carrying a bag of groceries. I told her we were representatives of Christ and that our message would lift her burdens (with horrible grammer so I´m paraphrasing). She immediately started to cry and talk really, really fast so my companion stepped over and was listening and talking to her. It turns out she had crashed her husbands car and was so scared because he would be mad at her and they didnt have money to fix it. Thats all I understood but I guess it was bad. So she said we could meet with her! We went to her house the next day and taught her about Gods love for her and how te gospel blesses families. She has three children and had her first when she was 14!! Her two daughters dont live with her and we dont know why. But she loves her baby son so much. So we have been teaching her and yesterday we tried to show her a video about the restoration. But we couldnt get their tv to work! Haha it was such a struggle. It took a really long time and eventually the best we could do was have it play in English. I can understand English (duh.) and my companion has seen te movie enough to know exactly what is being said. So during the movie my companion and I took turns explaining the story. Honestly, it was so powerful. It was such a great experience. The room was full of the Spirit. Her mom, who is very Catholic, could feel it and commented about but she was very unhappy to be feeling something telling her the Catholic church might not have the full truth. Anyways, it was just really great.

Okay, funny story. That actually isnt funny at all. We were planning a couple of nights ago when all of the sudden we hear this whisper at one of our windows. We were thoroughly creeped out. So we tiptoed like two people about to get killed in a horror movie over to the window and it was one of our investigators! It was Enrique. He came to ask us for forgiveness because he smoked pot. We told him that we cant grant him forgivness because its not our law, its Gods and he needs to repent to God. We were pretty sad though because he was on date to get baptized this coming Saturday. But then two days after that we had a lesson with Enrique and we did the thing I had been most scared to do: call people to repentence! While reading the Book of Mormon in the MTC I kept reading how the missionaries would´Call people to repentence¨ and every time I thought that sounded scary. But it actually wasnt scary. It was great. We were both really bold and direct but we told him that these were Gods laws, read him some scriptures and told him that he needed to repent and obey....or else dun dun dun.... No, but really it was just a really good lesson and he is now trying to be better. 

One last lesson story (writing is taking me too long today haha). There is this investigator who I love a lot named Abigail. She is just wonderful in every way. We gave her the lesson of the restoration in the chapel the other day. It was amazing. My heart was so full, and the spirit was testifying so strongly during the lesson. Especially when we explained the Book of Mormon. I knew she could feel it too because I dont know what it was but her countenance just kind of changed. So I told her that when she prayed and read the book she would feel this same feeling, the Holy Ghost, that would let her know it was true. It was great. It is so cool that we have access to the Holy Ghost at all times. This work and basically everything would be nothing without it. 

So last week I hadnt tried any gross food but this week....there have been a lot of moments where I was cursing my tastebuds. So I developed (and of course am still perfecting) five rules to eating gross food like a champ:

1- Go hungry! The hungrier you go, the better everything will taste. This is a scientifically proven fact by me.

2- Dont ask, dont tell. There is no political controversy over this rule here because it is so helpful. You dont need to know that you are eating the eyeball of a fish until after it is digesting in your stomach. Just dont think about it.

3- Drink lots inbetween. You can wash it out or swallow it like a pill if you need.

4- Spice it up. If you put enough chilis on you cant taste (most) of the nastiness. Shout out to salsa.

5- Strategize. Dont eat too fast, but dont eat too slow. And dont eat all of the good stuff first.

But bonus point and most importantly, SMILE and say thank you. Even if it is disgusting out the wazoo, youre still a representative of Christ. (But luckily for Chist, he liked fish enough to multiply it. Thats a weakness of mine Im trying to get over. Everyone here likes fish...ew.)

Yesterday my companion and I were a healthy dose of devastated though because none of our investigators came to church. Which means none of them are progressing. It was so sad. Church is SO important. The sacrament is really the most important thing we do all week. Church is ESSENTIAL. Ugh.

Okay, last thing! Jon Schmidt came and gave a concert on Sunday!! Woop woop! It was awesome. It was great because we got a lot of people to come into the chapel. And two of our investigators! We have a gorgeous chapel and there just arent enough opportunities to use it. Its great to get people comfortable in it. And the music was beautiful, even though Jon Schmidt suggested we buy a new piano.... Yeeeaahhh....cuz that is a priority. Haha, but it was so much fun! 

Its been a really great week! I love being a missionary and I love it here. 

I love you guys all so much! 

First Letter in Mexico - July 28, 2014 - Bienvenidos a Mexico!

¡Bienvenidos a México!

 I made it to Mexico safely!  

 

That is my companion, Hermana Vergara, and me at the Guadalajara Temple!! 

I don't even know where to begin. Everything this past week has been kind of really overwhelming and there is a lot to share.

I guess I will begin with my lovely companion.Her name is Hermana Vergara and she is from Pachuca, Mexico. She only speaks Spanish. Yay... She has trained two times before this: one Mexicana and one Americana. She is a great trainer, but she doesn't want to be training anymore. She goes home in December and she would prefer a more experienced companion. But she isreally kind, hard working and obedient: Just what we have been praying for! 

My first area is Puerto Vallarta. It is beautiful!! It is rightby the beach and so somewhere around here (where we dont go) there is a touristey place. But, just so you know about an hour ago I washed my clothes on a washboard with dirty water in case anyone got it in their heads that I was on vacation. This area is the hottest in the mission. I tried to count the number of times Sister Wagner told us we were going to die but I lost track at 12. It isnt very comforting when your mission presidents wife tells you you will die haha. But it is really hot here. People carry towels around to wipe their constant sweat. It is so hot and humid I sweat ALL THE TIME. Even when I am asleep, when I am in my apartment reading my scriptures, right now...just all the time. Haha, its great. I really do love it here. :)

We have six progressing investigators. (All but one was found and in process before I got here.) Here are a couple of them that I especially love.

Enrique is going to be baptized on the 9 of August. He is amazing and so happy all the time. He just smiles, smiles, smiles. But all investigators have their own challenges and his is he cant remember anything we teach him! He really loves the gospel and attends church, but he cant remember it all the time. But he has a family so I think that as he teaches his family they can all be a strength to eachother.

Then there are teenage sisters, Abigail and...I cant remember the name of her sister. They have a date for baptism in late September. Abigail is so sweet and kind. Her soul seems very soft...if that even makes any sense haha. She is just such a loving person with a strong desire to do the right. 

My companion's favorite investigator is Paulina. Paulina is 17 and very wonderful. She went to the youth activity last week and is very funny, smiley, and energetic. She has a strong testimony and wants to be baptized but her mom wont let her. Paulina wants to serve a mission when she is older. She is a great example to her younger brothers and brought them to church with her. 

Then there is 13 year old Ricardo. He is such a sweetheart. We were teaching Enrique on the street when Ricardo came over and was like, 'I have this book at my home and I want you to teach me more about it.' It was great. He actually got taught nearly every lesson about two years ago but he didnt understand and was too young I think, he just was a little too distracted. But he really likes the Book of Mormon and gets excited when he sees us. He is such a little gentlemen and I really hope he gets baptized. He would be a great member of the deacons quorum!

Here, I am really pale. I thought I was tan, but compared to all of these Mexicans I am incredibly white. Sometimes we will be at less actives homes or members or basically anywhere and people will ask if they can see my shoulder because they want to see the most white part of my skin. Also, they think it is hilarious that I can get a sunburn! Its kind of ridiculous, I am not the first white person they have seen so I dont know why its so weird but it is I guess. And I actually did get a little itsy baby sunburn the other day. 

We were teaching an investigator (Josue luis verde) and he lives in this really really humble (aka dirt poor..literally) part of town. There is no shade, no fans (there isnt ac but most people get their fans out for us while we teach them) and I just instantly sweated off all my sunscreen and burned.My goodness, it was like the coolest thing ever for our investigators.Josue is awesome though. So kind and so prepared for this message. 

I really cant undrstand very much though,and I can speak even less. It is a struggle and at times very lonely because my companion only speaks Spanish. Most people are very kind here though, but there is this less active lady named Hermana Mary who is just really mean and dark. She just lords it over me that their whole world leaves me out. She purposefully tries to say things (phrases, big words, talks really fast) so that I cantunderstand. And then she says slowly really mean things. Like, I am TRYING. It's really frusturating and lonely to not be able to understand or talk to anyone. Sometimes I just wish I had gotten called to English speaking Boise Idaho. But I even though I dont know how to do things the way of the Mexican culture and I dont know many things in Spanish, I do know one thing for certain and that is that this gospel is true! And I am going to share this message until I sweat to death underneath the Vallarta sun because this message is true, and it is for everyone. 

​

Con Amor,

Hermana Wood

Hermana Cassie and her MTC Zone. July 2014

MTC Letter for July 9, 2014

Dear Family,

Um, this week was pretty non-eventful to be honest. I don't really no where to begin. 

Our investigator, Gabriella, went on a three week biking trip to California. We were pretty sad because everyone else basically got to keep their same investigator for another week but we got a new one. We were sad because we LOVE Gabriella. 

But our new investigator is super super great also. Her name is Mariana and the guy at the TRC desk told everyone else their investigator was really a member, but he told us that ours wasn't so this time we are certain that she is a real investigator. Which doesn't change how we plan lessons or anything really because we always put our whole heart into it, but it's just really exciting. She asks really good questions. That are really hard to answer sometimes haha. But she is really sweet. 

One funny thing is how even though I haven't watched TV or seen a newspaper in a while, I know basically everything about the world cup. Every single time we go into meet with an investigator their personality is like 97% the outcome of the last soccer game. We spend like a third of every lesson discussing the world cup! It's pretty funny. :) I am routing for the Netherlands now that Brazil just got out. (Not for any reason in particular, I just have to have an answer). 

On Thursday my District didn't say a single word in English the entire day. It was horrible. But we all improved a lot. It was an overall good thing. Hm... que mas?

Oh! The new District arrived last Wednesday and I got to meet all of the sisters. They are all so awesome. I love them all so so so much! They are such delightful, sweet, happy people. But awkward moment of my week: I was specifically told to talk to one of them about modesty and it was the worst moment of my life. But modesty is important and it's better to let her know that her skirts don't follow missionary dress code here where there is easy access to alterations than in a foreign country. Maybe? I don't know. But overall, I am really happy they are here! And tonight we are getting a district of TWELVE elders!! That is insane. 

The 4th of July was really fun! We were kept in the chapel during the time that "Sister Underwood" was singing. We're pretty sure that was to keep us from the harmful exposure of the real world. Which I was totally fine with. We got to watch "17 Miracles" and that was really awesome. And then we got to watch the beautiful fireworks. It was cool. America rocks. We also had a devotional that night (I sat by Ashley Southard!) and it was interesting because there are people from all different countries here so it was kind of focused on America, but then it would awkwardly transition into something else. It was a good devotional though, it just seemed like a tricky audience to speak to haha. Also, we got fancy ice cream on a stick. Yay! 

On Sunday we had a "mission conference" during it they announced something that I am so grateful for: a new plan to help retain new converts! I have been really praying lately for the knowledge of how to make sure that when I am in the field I don't just focus on getting converts, but on getting true conversions. The retension rate in Latin countries is often really low and I wanted to try to prevent that. So my answer came during this conference! Yay! Missionaries now teach all five discussions through laws and ordinances BEFORE the investigator is baptized. And then the missionary does not turn the investigator over to the ward yet, but they teach every lesson again and regularly teach their investigator for a minimum of four months before the ward completely takes over. I think this is amazing. I think this will really help investigators to be more like the Anti-Nephi Lehites, who are one of the greatest examples of conversion in all of the scriptures. They were converted to the LORD and they endured all manner of affliction because of that conversion. There is no such thing as "mission accomplished" because baptism isn't the goal - exaltation is the goal. 

Oh, side note: On Sunday we have like a "movie night" where we get to listen to past devotionals or watch some select church movies. Anyways, during one of them Jaden Slade was there and he gave the opening prayer. I never said hi to him, but you can let his mother know that his prayer was outstanding. Super inspirational and all that good stuff that prayers should be.

Oh, and for our Tuesday devotional guess who came and spoke?? Neil A Andersen! Pretty cool, eh? It was funny because of course my District was excited to hear from an apostle, but we were were a little more desensitized than some of the newer missionaries because we have been SO blessed to hear from SO many apostles. Everyone was like "I'm so excited to listen to a talk by an apostle" and we were just like "I'm so excited to see what the spirit is going to teach me during this talk." We really were so excited to hear from an apostle, but it just wasn't the same as our first time, ya know? His talk was actually SO good. It wasn't anything he said necessarily, but the spirit was just so strong. He talked about the Holy Ghost and I really can't give you an amazing quote or take away message, but how about this: the gospel is true. Best take away I've ever gotten from a devotional. :) His wife, Kathy Andersen did say something that was pretty cool though, she talked about how cool it is that we have the opportunity to always have a member of the Godhead with us. At all times. Like, that is really cool. (And my english is really bad right now.)

I love the MTC but I'm just getting SO excited to go out into the field. On the bus today, we met an RM from Mexico and I kept making him talk about it haha. It just made me so excited. I just want to get out and go! I'm just SO looking forward to getting to share the gospel with people of Guadalajara. Eeep!! :) 

Okay, you know how when you're reading emails from missionaries they slowly start to evolve to a more missionary-esque way of emailing/speaking. Well, I am definitely not there yet. And this letter was even worst than usual probably so I'll just end with one of my favorite finds from personal study this week so you know that I actually am a missionary and everything. 

It's Alma 31:30-35. 38. I just thought it seemed like a very good missionary prayer. And I also loved the way he utilized the atonement. It is sometimes really hard to know how to utilize the wonderful atonement to the fullest extent in our lives, but Alma really uses it well. He asks for comfort and for strength. And then in verse 34 he asks for a miracle basically, we are all allowed to ask for miracles in our lives. God desires to bless us, but sometimes we just have to ask first. There are blessings that are predicated on us asking for them. And then I loved verse 35 "their souls are precious." What a great scripture. 

So there, did that prove I was a missionary? I hope so. Because I really love being a missionary.

Con amor, 

Hermana Wood :) 

Hermana Cassie and Hermana Riches - both heading south of the border to Mexico!

Cassie and her MTC District all decked out in red, white and blue for the 4th of July!

Hermana Cassie with Hermana Grenfell and Hermana Riches on the 4th of July atthe MTC.

MTC Letter for July 2, 2014 "Salud, Dinero y Amor"

Querida Familia,                                                                                                  July, 2, 2014

 

I asked my companion what my caption should be for this week and she told me without hesitation, "salud, dinero, amor" because I sneeze so much here haha! So that explains the caption. :)

This week has kind of been an emotional roller coaster. I could have written you a novel by the end of Saturday! There has been a lot going on and it's awesome. But, like I said, an emotional roller coaster. 

We have a bunch of investigators now but two main ones: Gabby and Iris. Gabby hasn't been progressing and it makes us a little devastated every time she doesn't follow through with commitments because we can't figure out what we're doing wrong! I do feel like we are learning a lot and becoming better teachers but we just can't find a way to communicate to her specifically. So anyways, there is that and then just typical small stressors that have been building up. This week on Friday, Hermana Grenfell and Hermana Riches cried, well that basically set me on edge because I get overly sympathetic sometimes. So on Saturday my emotions were just rising and I was practicing teaching the Plan of Salvation with a teacher, Hermano Stallings. He was the missionary first and the whole time I was just getting so nervous. And then he said it was my turn to be the missionary. All of my emotions just overflowed and I CRIED. I was just like, "I don't know how!" I'm pretty sure I freaked him out. Afterwards we all had a good laugh about it though. 

So that started the week, but it all went up from there.The Elders have basically been begging us to let them practice giving us a blessing. So we finally took them up on the offer. Hermana Riches was first and it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen to watch Elder Price give her a blessing. The spirit was so strong and he said things that she specifically needed to hear. Then I got a blessing and it was completely different from Hermana Riches. Mine was all about helping my companions and sisters. Which was really cool, but not what I was expecting. 

Well, the next day I got assigned to be the Sister Training Leader of my zone. My voice pretty much squeaked when I accepted the assignment because if there was ever a time in my life I felt inadequate to do something, it was right then. But it was crazy because after that, everything changed. And it wasn't because anything changed it was because my perspective changed. I started noticing all the ways I could help the sisters in my Zone. They are all really great, but now I've realized that there are things they need help with that I can help them with. I just needed a chance to turn outside of myself and focus on others. This will be a great experience! We are getting more sisters in our zone today also so I am super excited!

Sunday is my favorite day. It is a spiritual refill. If there is ever something going wrong, Sunday makes everything better. During sacrament meeting my companeras and I sang "Beautiful Savior" we recorded it and I'll send it next week. It was beautiful and I could really feel the spirit while I sang it. I just love that song. And I love having companions who are willing to do fun things like that! :) I'm so blessed.

So we have a new investigator that will be ours for a while. Her name is Gabrielle and I think she might seriously be a real investigator. I LOVE teaching her. Every time we leave I just feel so good and spiritually energized. She is so easy to have charity for because she is so wonderful. She asks such sincere questions and tries really hard to understand everything. Yesterday she said a prayer and it was one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard. My heart just leapt with joy. I was so happy! Missions are the greatest thing. I absolutely love seeing people draw near unto Christ and find the sustained happiness that comes from the gospel. I am the happiest I think I have ever been every time I get to go into her home to teach her. 

 

 

So yesterday I got to go to SLC to get my Visa. It was really weird to go out of the MTC bubble and into the real world. We got to ride the frontrunner and the train. There were about fifteen of us. It was a really interesting experience because I have been to SLC so many times and I always look like a Mormon while I'm there but I have never stood out SO much. It's kind of weird how both vulnerable but yet empowered a little nametag can make you. And SLC is a peculiar place. Very unique. We boarded the bus and I was standing next to this guy with my companion and two Elders a little bit across the way. He had been looking at us in kind of a disgusted way and I knew it was coming but he turned to us and was like "are you crazy?" when we responded that we didn't think we were he went off on this like seven minute spiel about how God isn't there and he doesn't love us and how we are wasting our lives and on and on. At the end we just all said that we have felt God's love and know He loves him too and then ignored the rest of his underhanded remarks. It was an interesting experience, and not the first or the last of people who didn't approve of our religion. But, it being SLC and all there were the happy people in cars that would wave and be like, "We love missionaries!" "you guys rock!" So it balanced itself out. I loved being waved to, I felt like a celebrity! :) It just made me sad that that man sincerely didn't feel God's love for him in such an antagonistic way... if that even makes sense. But, fun thing that happened (it wasn't by me but I was watching it happen from a distance) two Elders and two Sisters were talking to a man who ended up giving them his contact information and agreeing to meet with the missionaries! It made me really excited to leave the MTC even though I really do love it here. There is just so much work to do!! 

Well, now you can see why this week was a bit of a roller coaster. But it was SO AWESOME. I love being here with all my heart and I love everything about the gospel. 

Hurrah for Israel! :)

Love always, 

Hermana Wood :)

Cassie's Letter for June 25, 2014 - The Spirit is So Strong Here!

 

 

Dear Family,

This was another excellent week!! It is so great to be here at the MTC. There is such a strong power and spirit here, it truly is incredible. It's basically like a lemon water cleansing diet for the soul. Seriously, it's awesome. Also, it has been double awesome lately because the new mission presidents were on campus today being trained! So the spirit-o-meter is just off the charts high right now. 

Okay, this week has kind of been slightly uneventful in a good way because we now have two teachers instead of one. Which means we have double the class time. So basically all I do is sit in class and try to learn some Spanish. Our teachers are Hermana Cabello and Hermana Rasmussen. They're pretty awesome women! We are lucky to have them.

So, our old "investigator" Josue committed to baptism!! Yay! It was really scary asking him if he would like to get baptized. "Seguira el ejemplo de JesuCristo al ser bautizara por alguien de posea del sacerdocio del Dios?..." and then waiting for his answer...eek! It felt like we were proposing to him or something. It was really scary. But he said yes! ...That's basically the end of our story with Josue. He was going to be our new teacher but is instead going to main campus for a different job so that's the story with him. 

We got two new investigators though. Gabby and Iris. (They are really just our two maestras.) Gabby is from Mexico and her son who is thirteen got baptized a year ago. Her husband had a run-in with the law and might get deported. Also, they told their previous missionaries to never come back and talk to them because for some reason they offended Gabby's husband. Her life is really complicated. I just know the gospel would make it better. And then Iris, Iris seems to be so prepared to hear the gospel. She doesn't like a lot of things about Catholism and she gets so excited when we talk about how families can be sealed forever. She also already really loves the Book of Mormon. We have another lesson with her tonight.

For our Sunday devotional Sister Janice Kapp Perry and her husband came! They are really old and SO SO adorable. Janice Kapp Perry wrote basically all of my very favorite primary songs and I just think she is the coolest cat ever. Her husband is adorable. When he first got up to the stand he said, "It is an honor to be Brother Janice Kapp Perry." It was precious. Janice Kapp Perry gave such a fun talk. She sang us her family song which was adorable! And then she had us all sing a medley of some of the songs she wrote. The last song was kind of the EFY anthem but missionary style. The song for "As Sisters in Zion" had changed words here is the first verse that I had time to write down:

The Sisters of Zion are called to God's labor

We willingly serve Him with spirit and might

We go to the nations with truth everlasting

We teach of the Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ

And then when the Elders sang "Armies of Helaman" the lyrics had been changed to "we are NOW the armies of Helaman" it was AWESOME. The spirit was SO strong. Amongst the strongest I have ever felt it. The Elders next to me were crying. (I think it important for my pride to note that I didn't cry because I'm a cool cat. Just kidding, cool people cry too.) Anyways, it was just really great.

Our district likes to play kickball on Tuesdays with another district in our zone. We split into teams and it is SO much fun. My favorite exercise time of the week. :) We aren't allowed to keep score to prevent us from getting into fights but I'll just assume for the story's sake I was one the winning team. ;) I also caught a fly ball and got someone out. Yay for not being completely helpless!

This week is the anniversary of the day Joseph Smith was martyred so I've been reading "Our Heritage" and JS History. I know there are a mistakes Joseph Smith made that people like to point out sometimes to try and demean him and his message, but he really is an amazing man. I am so grateful that the restored true gospel was returned to the earth through him. He did amazing things for our salvation. (That sounded dramatic but I don't want to retype it. Don't make fun of me!) 

Also, I've been studying the Christlike attribute of charity this week. Wow! Charity is so important!! I mean, I always knew that, but I think I learned of it's importance on a whole new level this week. I really liked 1 Corinthians 13:1 it says something along the lines of "Though you may speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not charity you are as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." That's pretty intense, that if you don't have charity your entire message won't be carried to people's hearts, even if you are a great orator. You'll be like a tinkling cymbal! Like that image of a cymbal only making a small tinkling sound is so sad, it is not living up to it's full potential because it lacks charity, and because the cymbal lacks charity, so many people will not hear the beautiful sound the cymbal has to share. Pretty great metaphor.

And for my final paragraph... drum roll please.... Tuesday devotional! The best part of the CCM! We got to hear from Elder D Todd Christoffereson. And that is so cool, but if you can even believe it, it gets better!! We were in the presence of FIVE apostles at once!! (Dallin H Oaks, David A Bednar, M Russell Ballard, Russel M Nelson and D Todd Christofferson). It was INSANE. The spirit was SO strong. He talked about how every soul is great in the eyes of God. Which went along so well with me studying charity this week! Lovely how that works out. I don't have enough time to type up all my notes because I wrote like two pages. It was just incredible. 

Okay, well it feels like I wrote a lot so I'm going to say my adieus now. I love you! I hope you have an amazing amazing amazing week!! (My companeras always make fun of me because I guess when I get excited I say things in threes. Good thing we're a trio! I just say it once for each person! haha) 

I love you all so much!

Love always, 

Hermana Wood

Hermana Wood's First Letter - Amando la Vida!

 On Jun 18, 2014, at 3:43 PM, Cassidy Wood <cassidyw@myldsmail.net> wrote:
 
Hola! 

This week has been amazing! Overwhelming and crazy, but amazing. The first day I got there everyone just kept saying, "You've just got to make it to Sunday, everything will get better after Sunday." It was SO TRUE. The first couple of days were insane and super hard but somewhere during that sabbath day everything got a million times better. It was a sacrament meeting miracle! (It wasn't that they days were bad until Sunday, there was just so much new stuff to take in). Ever since Sunday, life has sure been looking up. People keep saying that the first couple days are the hardest ones, I don't know if that's true (and I don't really think it is) but if it is, then I am going to rock the next year and a half! :) 

I am in a trio and have two of the most wonderful companions on earth. Hermana Riches and Hermana Grenfell. Hermana Riches is from California and is actually the girl we had take our picture at the Provo temple! How funny is that! She is such a cheerful person and is such a good example of opening your mouth, she just talks to everyone. It's awesome. Then there is Hermana Grenfell who is from Kentucky. I don't think she has a single flaw, she is seriously probably one of my favorite people I have ever met. Ever. She is SO funny without ever being crude or mean and I basically just spend all day laughing. (We aren't light-minded, only light-hearted :) ) And she is also a super genius. She was originally put in Advanced (the two-week Spanish program) but got switched to Intermediate so that's why we're in a trio. And I am so glad she did get switched to Intermediate because I'm so glad I got to meet her! I just love them both. I got so blessed to have such amazing companions. 

My District is also great. There are four elders and five hermanas. Elder Price (from Montana going to GUADALAJARA!) He is also the District Pres., Elder Sheffield (from Logan going to San Antonio) He is 25 so basically he's a grandpa. Elder Taylor (from Idaho going to Satio Mexico?) and Elder Peterson (from Sandy going to GUADALAJARA!) He plays soccer for Westminster. They're all awesome people. LOVE IT.
 
Remember Gabby Cavo from Minnesota?? Well, I met her the other day in the MTC. She's going to the Texas McAllen mission!
 
We have an investigator named Josue. He is really awesome and really shy. It is such a great experience to teach him. We first taught him about prayer and how he is God's son. It was a good lesson for our first try. Then we taught him about the restoration. And then the atonement yesterday. So, the second lesson we gave him we got locked out of our room so we gave it in the middle of the street basically haha. It was a really cool experience though to "teach them in the streets" like that one scripture says haha. The first two lessons I was SO stressed. I really don't understand much Spanish and I can speak even less. It is quite frustrating to not be able to communicate your ideas to people. I left the first two feeling like an awful missionary. But right before my third lesson I was studying about the language of God or the language of the Holy Spirit. I realized how silly I was being that I thought I would be able to teach Josue more with my broken Spanish than the Holy Ghost would. So basically I just went in there with the whole focus on inviting the Spirit. Spanish-wise the lesson was awful, but the spirit was so strong. One of my hermanas started crying and I could tell Josue felt the spirit. It was such an incredible experience. I still wish I could speak better Spanish though. :)
 
On Sunday we got to listen to Sheri Dew speak! It was amazing!! She talked about the grace of God. And how grace is the power to do something you can not do on your own. Whether that means being cleansed from your sins or overcoming your weaknesses, grace and the atonement of Christ helps us with all of it. Christ suffered for our sins and iniquities as well as our weaknesses and shortcomings. Grace is an enabling power that has no mortal substitute. One direct quote she said that I loved was "The Lord rarely moves the mountains in front of you, but he will always help you to climb them." I don't think that paragraph did her talk justice, but it was just really great.
 
Also on Sunday we sang a song in Relief Society. It was just "As Sisters in Zion" but the words were changed. I guess a year ago Siser Janice Kapp Perry (the author of that song) came to the MTC and was so inspired she wrote some new verses. I can't remember them, but I remember really liking them. You should try to see if you can google them. :)
 
And then guess who spoke on Tuesday?? Elder M Russell Ballard!!! His talk was great although I personally liked Sheri Dew's talk better. But the thing that I loved was just being in Elder Ballard's presence. His spirit is so strong you can totally tell he has a direct line to God. I just couldn't help but think about what a great experience this was for me to be able to share it with my investigators someday. He talked on not being ashamed of the doctrine of Christ. One quote I liked was "Today's headlines will become history's footnotes, but the gospel of Christ will always be good news." How lucky am I to get to devote a year and a half of my life to learning, living and sharing that good news with people!
 
Spanish is still really hard and I am really grateful that I am not learning something harder haha. I would appreciate any prayers that would help me have the gift of tongues. I love my teacher and everyone here and I love being at the MTC. I am so lucky to get to represent this wonderful and true church.
 
I love you! Have a great week :)
Hermana Wood



 

my mission scripture.

Doctrine and Covenants 68:6 

Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.

farewell talk.

At the beginning of His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and called out to two fishermen, “Follow me,” He said, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Although this statement was originally said to the future apostles, Peter and Andrew, Christ has extended this important invitation to each of us: he has asked us all to follow Him. As we follow Christ, we become more like Him we glean and learn from His character as we come closer to Him.

The restored gospel enables us to become like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Our Savior himself showed us the path we must take to do so. He set the perfect example and asks us to become like him.

In Moroni 10:32 we are instructed to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him.”

Preach My Gospel outlines some of the characteristics of the Savior that we can strive to emulate in our own lives. These qualities are: Faith in Jesus Christ, Hope, Charity, Patience, Diligence and Virtue. I think it is important to note however that we don’t have to be perfect to come unto Christ, we become perfect by doing so.

One of my very favorite miracles Christ performed during his mortal ministry is a story found in Mark chapter 5, the story of Jesus raising the daughter of Jairus from the dead. This story so wonderfully exhibits many of the attributes we are instructed to develop in Preach My Gospel.

In this story, Jesus is traveling when he is stopped by Jairus, who pleads with Jesus to come and heal his sick daughter. Jesus comes with the man but before they get to her they are stopped by a servant of Jairus, who gives them the grievous news that the daughter is already dead. Exercising hope, Jesus tells Jairus to be not afraid, but believe. When Jesus arrives at the house to see the girl dead he announces that she is not dead, but sleeps. He is laughed to scorn. Jesus then took the damsel by the hand and said unto her, “Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.” The damsel then arose straightway and walked.

Throughout this one story alone, Jesus exemplifies so many of the attributes we are instructed to develop. Hope, when He accepted the plea to heal Jairus’ daughter. Diligence, when He persevered after the servant told Him it was too late. Patience and humility, when he was laughed to scorn. Faith, when he performed the miracle. And charity and love when He took the time from what I’m sure was a busy day to heal a young girl. It means even more when we look at the time in history he lived in, when young girls were not of very much worth to the world. But to Christ, he treated the young damsel with compassion and charity, the same as he treated any other.

I really do love that story but, of course, the greatest thing Christ did during His mortal ministry was perform the atonement. In Alma 42:15 it says, “and now the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.”

This scripture helps us to understand the necessity of the atonement in balancing the laws of justice with God’s desire for mercy. It also helps us understand what a crucial role Christ played in the plan of salvation. Christ performed the atonement for us, something no one else could do. He did this so that we can be redeemed of our sins and live in God’s presence one day. Christ performed a saving work for us that we simply cannot do for ourselves.

As we are trying to become Christlike, how can we take our knowledge of what Christ did for us through the atonement and use it to help inspire us to better our own actions?

One way we can approach the spirit of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice is through doing family history work.

Our efforts in family history work approach the spirit of the Savior’s atonement because we are performing a saving work for others that they simply cannot do for themselves. Performing priesthood ordinances for those who have died allows us to become more Christlike because in a sense we are becoming a savior on Mount Zion for our ancestors.

Family history work is so important. Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness enables family relationships to continue throughout eternity. As we perform family history work, we are being missionaries to our very own ancestors.

As many returned missionaries will tell you it is a rare privilege to baptize or help bring an entire family to Christ because binding eternal families in Christ is what our gospel is all about. Family history work allows us to experience this joy and help bind our very own eternal family to Christ.

One quote that I love ties together the spirit of family history work and it’s actually from an inspirational Hawaiian movie it goes like this: Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.

The True to the Faith manual outlines three basic responsibilities we have in doing family history work. They are:

1. Receive the temple ordinances for yourself and help immediate family members receive them. 2. Hold a current temple recommend and attend the temple as frequently as circumstances allow. 3. Gather family history information so you can help your ancestors receive the blessings of the temple.

First, we must receive the temple ordinances for ourselves and help immediate family members receive them. Part of our responsibility in family history work is to raise the living as well as the dead. Prioritizing our family over other worldly things is so important and cannot be overemphasized.

Second, hold a current temple recommend and attend the temple as frequently as circumstances allow. I think the youth in our ward are such a positive example of this. Many of them go to the temple every week and they all testify how it improves their day to day lives and strengthens their testimonies. I know that for me going to the temple helps me feel at peace while I am there and it also helps open my mind and heart to promptings and feelings from the holy ghost.

And finally, we must gather family history information so we can help our ancestors receive the blessings of the temple. This is typically what we think of when we talk about doing family history.

A quote by President Henry B Eyring says, “When you were baptized, your ancestors looked down on you with hope. …They rejoiced to see one of their descendants make a covenant to find them. Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands.”

As we complete these saving ordinances for our ancestors we help to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of [our ancestors].” Family history allows us to become more Christlike as well as giving us the opportunity to be missionaries to those who have gone before us.

Whether it is working on your own temple ordinances, doing family history or searching out God’s children in Guadalajara, the gospel allows various ways to magnify Christ’s atonement in our lives. It is my prayer that we will each find our way to respond to Christ’s invitation, “Come, follow me.” And it is my testimony that God sees us as he saw Jairus and Jairus’ daughter, as individuals as great work.

you only get once chance.

temple endowments.

We are purple matchers! 

On February 22 (exactly one month after receiving my mission call) I received my temple endowments.  During this day where I made sacred covenants with the Lord I felt my testimony strengthen in a way that was more dramatic than any spiritual experience I had previously had. The temple truly is the house of the Lord. The temple isn't weird, it's wonderful. I have never felt so close to my Savior than I did on this day. Throughout the process of preparing for a mission, this has so far been my favorite part (including opening my call, so this is a big deal). The temple is a wonderful, wonderful place. 

opening my call.

This was probably one of the greatest moments of my life. (I say that I lot, but I sincerely mean it this time.) It was exciting beyond words to open my mission call. And also, incredibly embarrassing because I cried, which isn't a normal display of emotions for me - especially in public!

Before I opened my call I was filled with anxiety, excitement, anticipation but most dominantly, I was filled with peace. I knew I would be called to just the place I was needed. And it's not even about the place, it's about the people and even more than that, it's about the Lord. I really didn't care where I would be serving, because ultimately, I would be serving the Lord.

(Of course, when I read that I was going to the Mexico Guadalajara Mission I instantly decided it was the best mission ever.) :) 

the big announcement.

Remember when this happened?





I feel it is appropriate to start this blog with this post because this announcement really is what has brought me to this moment. I have always wanted to go on a mission, but this announcement made it so I was able to go on a mission so much sooner, which I am so grateful for.

I can't even explain the rush of bubbling excitement that I was filled with as this announcement was made. I am so grateful for this revelation. This announcement was made my senior year and before I graduated high school there were over one hundred mission calls from my graduating class! Now there are more sisters than ever serving, which is amazing. I am so grateful for this announcement and the opportunity it has given so many more people to serve. But I am even more grateful for the increased number of people who will be able to hear the gospel because of this incredible announcement. I love this church. I am so grateful for modern day revelation and our wonderful prophets and apostles.