Shinguards to Sandals: "This is God's mission, but the result is yours."

Hi all! This is Sister Wood's mom. I will preface this post by saying that Sister Wood's area was hit by the 2nd typhoon in a week. This last one was called, "Mario". She said it was really bad, but once again she was kept safe.

Sister Wood and Sister Shrack

Typhoon Mario

No Electricity = Study by candlelight

Magandang araw po!

I am so happy right now! Happy the fact that this part of San Nicolas has electricity. So I am sure you all heard about Super Mario that passed through here this last weekend. The funny thing is that we didn't get any warnings about it! Haha maybe since last typhoon nothing even happened. So Saturday morning we woke up at 5am to texts from our leaders saying don't go outside, cancel all your appointments and that there is a typhoon. Yeah we could definitely hear it outside, and my bed was drenched because of the leak haha. We stayed home all day Saturday. We had no electricity and funny enough, we still don't! It was the strangest day ever, but the storm was really bad. Water was coming under our door and in our windows because none of the stuff is sealed. Kinda hard to explain. We were all fine though! It started raining friday night way hard and didn't stop until last night. I couldn't believe that that much water could come out of the sky. Lots of trees got torn up and plants ruined. We were all just fine though! I think there was a set of elders more in the south though where their apartment was full of water up to their chest! All missionaries are safe! It wasn't super ideal timing though because we didn't get to visit any investigators on saturday and the weather was bad, so hardly anyone was at church! Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

So this morning we had a zone activity. We just got back from it. And funny enough, the sun came out right in time for it and it was so hot! I am so sun burnt. We did a bunch of things, but mostly I stayed outside playing basketball and frisbee. Us white people are fried. But it was a blast. It was combined again so there were a lot of missionaries there. It was the last zone activity for all the missionaries that are going home in October. Man it is coming quick. I am going to miss them so much! Hope you enjoyed all the photos. :) I am on a photo spree.

We also had zone conference this last week! I don't think I mentioned that. My last zone conference. :( It was so much fun though! President and Sister Barrientos were pretty hilarious and we all had a good time. We heard Elder Tate and Elder Dizon give their last training. That was kind of weird. All of the missionaries who are going home in October gave their testimonies and it was seriously amazing! That is what I wanted to kind of share with you all today was something that one of my favorite missionaries shared in his testimony. He shared a beautiful testimony and then said, "this is God's mission, but the result is yours." That phrase has been stuck with me since that conference. You know how everyone is always saying, "On MY mission," "Oh MY mission..." "I loved MY mission.." But, like this elder said, it isn't OUR mission.. It is His. This is HIS work. We made the commitment and choice to give up OUR life, to serve him and do HIS work. And it is hard. It is really hard, but then the thing that amazes me is that even though it is HIS work, it is HIS mission, we, his children, are the ones that receive the blessings. Isn't that incredible? Does that not show you how much Heavenly Father loves us? I don't know, that one saying, had a huge impact on me and made me really think about this mission. HIS mission. I am grateful that I have been given the opportunity to serve among such faithful servants that live so close to the Spirit. Testimonies of other missionaries strengthen mine so much.

The work here is still going strong. We are working pretty hard to find the less active people in our area! You know how I told you about how it is like a hunt and I would love to go on a mission to just find the less active people? Well that is still the same. :) We found so many this week! It is so great finding them, but at the same time it is really hard. You know why? Because we find these people that have gone astray. That need to come back to their Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Here is an example. We found this lady this week that we had heard of from a member. I was angry that we hadn't heard about her earlier haha. Anyways, it was a lady that had been the relief society president a long time ago. She has gone to the temple, but she is still single. I kid you not our lesson with her this last week was probably the most heart wrenching lesson in the world. I was seriously just so sad. To hear her story of why she turned away from the church. And, she told us herself that the bottom line of the reason she left was because of money. Ahhhh. I seriously felt sorrow for her. That something so worldly could take her away from the Gospel! We are going to do EVERYTHING we possibly can to help her come back. I told her we are not going to give up on her. Even though she said she has lost her testimony and that she doesn't want to come back. I told her we will go there every week because we are not giving up on someone who has made sacred covenants with Heavenly Father. I walked out of that lesson and told my companion that I learned so many things in that lesson. Teaching lessons I swear teaches you more than the learner.

We are continuing to work with the families that we have found. We actually found a new one! I love families! I love my family! :) My companion and I are doing really well. I know that President is inspired when it comes to choosing companions. I have learned so much from my companion. This weekend especially we had lots of time to sit and talk about life and kind of where we came from and why we are the way we are. Sister Servancia is so solid. Has an amazing life that has blessed mine!

Well, I want you all to know that we are doing great here! Time is still flying and it is scaring me! Haha. There are 20 new missionaries coming in this next transfer and I am praying that I get to train again for the last transfer of my mission. :) We will see. Whatever the Lord wants. I love you all. I love HIS mission. Thanks for all the emails and letters and loves. :)

xoxox

Sister Wood.

PS Just a random side note, the water we showered with (or dumped over our heads to bathe) haha was the color of brown pond water and you could literally see specks in it. Hey its life.