Monday, June 30, 2014

Monday Message: June 30, 2014

Today is a special "Monday Message" because it's Nate's 19th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER WOODRUFF!! We sure love and miss you and are sorry that you are spending your day with the shingles! **Yes if you haven't heard, Nate has the shingles. And since they don't have the chicken pox vaccine there, the mission doctor quarantined him. He is bored out of his mind and we just hope he will get better soon!

Well week two in Guyana is in the books and i have almost spent as many days in the apartment as out of it! i think that Guyana is trying to kill me. it doesnt want me here at all! from the pouring rain the day i got here to the stupid shingles! i never knew that something so little as a small rash that i thought was nothing could turn out to be so painful! i am glad that i decided to call elder smith when i did and to get things figured out! i never knew that having to stay home as a missionary could be so boring. i thought every missionaries wish at some point was to stay home and get a little rest but i tell you what! its not anything that i ever want to do again! i would rather be out in the sun talking to people who want to punch me and spit on me than i would to be stuck in the apartment anylonger that i have to! i dont care if it is hot or raining and i have to walk through a flood. all i want to do is get out of the dang apartment haha!
So i want to thank you for caring so much about me and wishing me a happy birthday it has truly made my whole day so much better even though i have to go back to the apartment to be bored again i know that you love me and that you are praying for me! i love you so much! and i always pray for you!
I have to say that this will be a birthday that i probably will never forget haha! and probably the most painful yet happy one of my life. painful because of the shingles yet happy because of all the love that i have been shown! i truly love you and your support! i hope that you have a great week and please be safe!
So a little about my area! it is in the town of new amsterdam but we focus mostly on the outskirts of town! we have a lot of great people and they are so kind to me! we even had two baptisms on satudrday but i didnt get to go:( but it was great i heard! we have a couple more coming up and i am excited! the people are really accepting the only struggle is trying to help them read but it is giong good! so i am happy and i love Guyana it is great! I LOVE YOU!! and have a great week. i will try to get better and make sure i stay better so you dont hear anymore phone calls that you arent suppose to haha! i love you!!! I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!I LOVE YOU!!
Love your elder
Elder Woodruff

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Monday Message: June 23, 2014

Well i have made it to Guyana the land of many waters. and i love it here! it is a third world country of course but it is such a great experience! i have only been here for 5 days but it already feels like home! the only thing that i have to get used to is the good old bucket showers that i have to take and the smell of the trenches but it is great! i feel like i am on a big camping trip! the only thing is i have to dress up everyday ha! i love elder brown already and i know that we are going to have a lot of success together. we have two baptisms set for this saturday and then more in the coming weeks it is really progressing here and i am really happy and excited! 
So this week has been a long week for me but only because of the transfer and everything that went on! i ended up staying at the airport for 5 hours because while it was pouring rain and the senior couple that came to pick us up the husband left with the key to our car and so then we had the other senior couple bring the spare but when they got there they had the wrong spare so then we ended up waiting another 1 1/2 hours for the third senior couple to bring the right key so it was a nice waiting game haha! what a great first impression of guyana right? but it actually reminds me a lot about home minus the third world feel. the feilds and farm animals are just like home. but because we are below sea level it is super wet and muddy here and so there is always standing water on the ground! but it is great! i think that i will love it more and more as time goes on! the only thing that isnt good is i dont have as nice of an appartment like i have before but it is still liveable and nothing is wrong! i am happy and know that everything will be ok! im to blessed to be stressed and tonya always says;) i love you!  i hope that you have a great week and that you are safe! I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!
Love your Elder 
Elder Woodruff! 
ps my new address is: 
243 cedar courts
lamaha gardens 
Georgetown, Guyana 

just send packages and letters here because idk about the one for new amsterdam. but if it is sent here i will get it sooner or later but it will work!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Monday Message: June 16, 2014

Well as you know this was my last week here in st lucia. i can say it was a bitter sweet week. i will miss my mission family but i wont miss all the stress and trials that i have gone through! i will say this i am not the little young missionary that came to the small island of st lucia only 4 1/2 months ago! i have grown so much and i know that i was sent here not to help someone but to help my self grow! the lord truly does know us and he knows what we need just when we need it! i know that he really must have wanted me to learn patience because that seems to be the thing that all my trials have taught me here. Also he has taught me to trust in him and others. we cant do it all on our own! we need help and strength from others! so i can say that st lucia has been a huge part in my life and i will never forget what i have learned here. but missionary work goes on elsewhere and i am off to the land of many waters to see what the lord has in store for me there! i am so greatful for this gospel and i hope that i can continue to learn and grow and by the time i get home i will be what the lord wants me to be! dont worry i havent lost my sense of humor or personality but i have gained so much more that i hope you will love! 
i hope that you have a great week and i love you so much! please be safe and do all you can to trust in the lord! HE WILL PROVIDE! I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!
Love your elder 
Elder WOodruff

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A few pictures from St. Lucia










Nate's Message: June 10, 2014

**It was a holiday on Monday so this week Nate e-mailed on Tuesday. He had a nasty fall this week off a 5 1/2 foot balcony. The doctor said he will be okay just has a concussion and is sore. He is getting transferred next week though which will be good for him. Guyana is where Elder Telga is so if he is able to see him every once in a while I think it will help him stay focused and not miss home so much! **

So you have heard about my fall but i will tell you more about it! so i was over at the sisters apartment with the district and we were cooking for the members that always feed us and the sisters have some cords by the railing where they can hang up the clothes! and of course i am the person who is accident prone and sometimes i dont think i guess! i was sitting on the railing and held on to the cord but the cord broke and i fell backward 5 1/2 feet. but i fell on my shoulder and head! it was scary cause when i hit i couldnt feel my legs for a couple seconds! but after a little it went to normal but my shoulder really hurt. but i talked to doctor smith and he said it could be a minor concussion and just bruises. he also told me my back will be ok just a little sore! but all will be ok just sore for a little!
So i just got my e mail from pres mehr and he told me my transfer already! he is sending me to Guyana and so i will be getting transfered this next week! so that means no more st lucia i guess! wow that caught me off guard a lot! but it will be great we will see what happens! i dont even know what to say! i love you so much and i hope that you have a great week! be safe and i promise that i will be safe as well! i love you! I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!
love your elder
Elder woodruff!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Monday Message: June 2, 2014

Well this week has been good and long. it is so hot here these days so it is super draining i wish for snow somedays but i know that wont ever happen but its worth the shot! So this week we had a lot of the members come out teaching with us and we taught modeste( the man who quite smoking in a week) with brother hippolyte. i still feel like he doesnt trust me just the way he talked but he loves elder fauchier. which is good and he really helped modeste and they hit it off instantly! they are a good match i hope that we can have him more often at the lesson. then we went to give service with a man named francis jackman he is a bee keeper he says he is online everywhere! but it was fun we went into the bush and helped him with his corn and he gave us a bunch of fruit and food it was great and the farm is so peaceful and nice to be at! but other than that our week has been slow all the people that we were teaching have just stopped! its like we hit a wall and nothing is going our way! it is stressful at times because i am the one who has to lead the area while teaching elder faucher the area. but he is learning fast and he now knows how to get around! our main goal right now is finding new people and areas because the parts that i have worked are exhausted and i am getting that way to! i just hope that we can find new people soon before i go insaine and lose my mind! who knew this could be stressful? i am surviving and doing my best. i just pray that i can be Gods tool and help these people! 
I am doing good here so dont worry about me! i am trying to be happy and the days are good and some are fast and slow but it is good. i have always been told i can do hard things and the other day i was looking through the nov. ensign that is Gen. Conf. and i came across the saying "You can do hard things" and i know i can! this is Gods test for me and i know i will recieve blessings from it! i have been told that the first 6 months goes by slow and fast and it seems hard but then the true test comes from the 6 month to 1 year mark of the mission. the hill gets harder and steeper but i just know that once i get over that year hump it is all down hill from there. i know it is bad to say but i do want to be transfered i dont know if i can handle this place any longer but i know that i can do hard things with the lord! all will be well! i am good! this is where i am suppose to be and what i am suppose to be doing! i love the Gospel! i love you so much and cant wait to hear from you! have a great week and be safe! always pray and read the scriptures! I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!
Love your elder
Elder WOodruff
p.s. YOU are amazing! i love you!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!I LOVE YOU!!!