Monday Message: November 24, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving to all haha. i almost forgot about the whole holiday can you believe that? All up untill yesterday when Sis. Kirton told me that the turkeys were out in the back yard at home. i am so glad that i have someone who can give me updates through out the week it is great! The weeks have really started to speed up sometimes i dont even remember what day it is and then all of the sudden it is monday again! I am feeling a lot better than i was last week and the pain has gone away from my chest. everybody is a big help to me and i can see that they really care for me. Pres Mehr even has given me tips on what to do haha!

So I have a sweet experience that im not sure anyone else really caught but the spirit really touched me when we had our last branch counsel! So Pres. Kirton asked us ( me) to teach something to the Leaders of the branch so we chose to teach about becoming a self reliant branch and so we will work towards not having to use out of area tithes and offerings to run the branch. im not going to lie we have a ways to go but it is a goal and it is possible. But as we were teaching many of the leaders were telling us as missionaries about how we havent done our job and we havent helped them. This usually makes me upset and i have learned to hold it in ( really practicing humility haha) but this time i had to be bold and told the members that we are only here to help them do the Job that is really theirs and we are going to do everything possible to benifet the branch but that means that they must help too. i was told that i was wrong and we havent done our job but i just taught a little doctrine and then closed the lesson. then i didnt think much of it anymore and i wasnt expecting any apology or response, but then Sister Kirton stood up for us. She said (in my words because i cant speak the guyanese slang as good and you wouldnt understand) These missionaries are doing a great job. we have seen a low and now are seeing the high of attendance but we cant blame it on them it is blamed on us. as members we havent really done our part. Before ishe said she never realized how hard the mission is. but since her daughter has been out and she gets the letters of discouragement and hard ship but also the letters of happiness and success it has really changed her outlook on things. she said it is hard for these two to be here and we arent making it easier for them inless we help them. she almost started to cry i think and so did I! I am so grateful for her wonderful testimony and also her husbands. they are the so great and will always have a place in my heart. I do love this Gospel and i continue to learn everyday! i will never stop learning or reach a point that i know everything there is to know. everybody can learn and continue to learn. please study and pray. I love you so much and please be safe this week. i will do the same! 

I LOVE YOU!!!

love 

Elder Woodruff

Monday Message: November 17, 2014

Hey how are you doing? i feel like i dont ask any questions about back at home and i want to have answers haha! I hear the weather is freezing? guess what it is here in Guyana today! yupp Hott and Sunny haha sorry had to rub it in. But if it makes you feel better i really miss the snow and cold i want to snowboard so bad right now! Ive been thinking a lot about all the things that i use to do back at home and that is one thing that comes to mind! other than hunting and baseball of course! I played cricket with some young men this week and it just isnt the same. Baseball is by far the better sport out of the two, dont get me wrong though i do love to play cricket!

This week in church youll never believe me but we had 83 people and it was packed. i was so happy to see that many come. Pres. kirton says that usually happens around the holiday though and we will see if it stays. i sure hope it does! 

Can you believe that i have been in Guyana for almost 4 transfers now. doesnt seem like a lot but this is the longest i have been in one area! almost 5 months now close to 6 by the end of the transfer. i dont know if i want to leave or stay. some days i feel drained from the area and others i never want to leave! I do feel like i will be leaving the area though and idk if i want that right before christmas but we will see!

So dont worry about this next part everything is ok. I talked to Sister Thompson who is the new mission doctor and told her that i was having a hard time catching my breath and my heart was racing. Not anything really big just taking a precaution and she said to just take a rest for a day and see if it calms down! so i did yesterday and it worked. she also said she thinks it was just anxiety and that if it happens just to take a minute and breath and then go and solve the anxiety or stress. so i am fine and doing good! no worries! I hope that you have a great week and be safe! I love you! 

Love 

Elder Woodruff

Monday Message: November 10, 2014

Well this week is over! i dont know what more i can say about it! it was a pretty slow week with not much going on. we had an ok week of lessons even through the sickness. i dont know what it is but we cant go a whole week without one of us being sick! the forces of Guyana are getting at us haha! We have just finished week 3 of this transfer and i feel like it is slow. i feel like i will probably be leaving guyana this time or at least a change of scenary! we are doing good but it could be better. Obedience is a big issue on things. and if someone from the caribbean doesnt want to change they wont. but we are still working and trying to get past it!

Right now i feel like i am trying to teach three different things all from my companion, the branch and the investigators! I am working with the branch at trying to gain unity and work together to help them grow, but they arent realizing that it is their job and we are just the help. we cant do everything even though we try our best! The Branch Councel meetings that we have are so crazy sometimes. THey last an hour or more and nothing is settled or done. Sometimes i miss the structure of a bigger ward but then again i like to help them get to that point! I have seen this branch go from 85 members all the way to 26 and then slowly climb up to the 70 that we had yesterday! that is a big range. I also have like 3 callings that i fill in for people who arent there! i am a pianist, secritary/clerk/1st couselor, plus elders quorum teacher! i guess all those years of being a leader in the young men has helped me a lot! I love teaching but sometimes it is hard when they dont under stand the basics so we spend a lot of time on the basics! and i want to teach more than that. But it is good! 

Im sorry this week was so short. i also didnt take any pictures this week but i will do better at that! next week will be more! i promise! have a great week. and thank you for all of your prayers on my behalf! i love you! Be safe!

Love 

Elder Nathanial Woodruff!

Monday Message: November 3, 2014

So this week has been full of plenty ups and downs! Elder Mitchell and I were sick at the start of the week, and also the end! but we still forced through it and went to work. Guyana is great and i love it but it sure likes to make you feel bad throughout the days! i feel like it is really trying to get at me but i wont allow that to stop me! We have been really focusing on our Investigators who we feel are the Elect this week and many of them are on their way to baptism. and they have accepted dates! i am so excited to see them continue to grow. We even have an investigator who is from Nigeria and he is so ready for the Gospel the only part that is hard for him is when we talk about the priesthood being lost for the apostacy and he said that if he can just understand that it was really lost he will know everything else is true! I know that that will only come when he knows the Book of Mormon is true and so we actually found a Book of Mormon that is in his native language IGBO and it is coming for him. i cant wait to give it to him and see the converting power of the Best book ever!

So also today i have had a spiritual witness about the lord having a hand in all things! We were traveling to Georgetown for a Zone activity. We were almost out of gas and looking for a place to fuel up, but none of the gas stations had the gas yet for the day. We had pulled over for a split second to ask a guy about it and he just waved us on. We hadnt stopped for more than 10 seconds before we left. Then just a few miles down the road we were coming up to a turn and an on coming car was coming at us in our lane around the turn but instead of making the turn it kept going and crashed into a light pull about 20 yards in front of us and came to a stop side by side with us! by that time we had pulled over to the other side and stopped to see what just happened. I honestly feel like if we hadnt stopped to ask that man something the car would have hit us right at the turn. I feel the Lords hand so much in the work but never that much in protecting me. but now with this experience and the experience of falling of the balcony. I know that he is protecting his servants. I am so gratefull for the Holy Ghost and also the Lords Hand in all things.

So that was basically the week all wrapped up in one day! the area is good and growing from the little drop off that we had. I hope to see it come back to what it was with some more added! It will be great we will just see what this transfer and next transfer have in store! i love you so much! have a great week and be safe. Drive safe and dont text and drive and always wear a seat belt i believe that is what saved the two people today! Especially this holiday season. i want to see you when i get home! I love you!!

Love

Elder Nathanial Woodruff!