Monday, October 18th 2010

I did finally get the money mom sent down through Western Union and I bought some way cool stuff with it. I'm way excited to come home. I never got Bro Weidner's letter about giving a talk when I get back, but I got mom's message, so I will plan on it. He wants me to talk on the Articles of Faith - hum . . . . . . .

I am pretty sure I won't be able to use the internet my last Monday here to email, so this will be my last time using the internet till I get home. Next Monday I will be going through a "how to get back into the world" training thing. But otherwise I'm still working and things are going way great. My companion from my last area just wrote me and told me that he baptized the two families we were teaching over there and wanted to know why I didn't come - since I was the one that taught them everything. And it look like that's what is going to happen to me again. We are teaching two families right now. But I will be gone before they are ready to be baptized. But hey, I started it, right. Well - I have got to go, see you all soon.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman.

Tuesday, October 5th 2010

Hi Everyone. This is Andy's mom. Below is Andy's letter from this week. We were able to communicate online yesterday trying to work out a way to get him some money. I had just sent him a debit card because his earlier one expired. Not confident that he would ever actually get the debit card, I sent it through the regular postal service anyway. And to my surprise, he actually did receive it, only to have it eaten/stolen at a fake ATM machine. So - we worked out a way to send him some cash through his Mission President. He only has 22 days left before he heads home and wants to buy some gifts/souvenirs. Andy will arrive back home on Wednesday night, October 27th. Dan and his family, and Anna will be in town to see him. After a short time here, he will head out to Denver and Seattle to visit with Maria and Robert and their families for a week. Then after Christmas Andy will head back to BYU-Idaho to start back to college. Thanks for your support, it has been a blessing to him and to us - we appreciate your prayers and your concerns. -Lots of Love, Laura

ANDY'S LETTER:
So - Mom, you asked me about the condition of my clothes. I don't really have any clothes besides church clothes. The clothes I brought for p-days are torn up bad - I super glued them together so they will last my last few weeks. My white shirts look so bad, and my garments are horrible. So the thing is, I don't really have anything to bring home to say the truth. I mean I don't own anything. I want to buy some clothes here because they're cheap and yea - some gifts. I could probably fit it all in one bag of luggage. So I'm not too worried about space. But now to my week;
So the week was pretty awesome, and why you might ask? Well it was general conference weekend. O-Yea! So that just made everything awesome. But besides that we went on an exchange Wednesday and that was way fun. We also had another special transfer, so now we have a new missionary in the zone. But he is not really new at all because he was the first kid I trained. :P, which is awesome. I love that kid so much. Also we received 3 referrals this week. One is an awesome family. So things are progressing really well in the investigator section. I just hope that they are already married. Why is it that nobody is ever married? But yea that was my week. I hope every one else had an awesome week.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, September 27th 2010

O-yea. I am super excited that I have a dentist appointment scheduled right after I get back home. lol. And new garments will be great - mine are dingy and raggedy. I don't actually think that I have gotten bigger because my weight is the same as it always has been. I mean there is no actual way that I could become fat walking all around all day in the scorching sun. So I would say that my waist is still the same and my shirt size is still the same. But now to my week.

So the week was pretty normal. Nothing super crazy happened. I am slowly but surely making really good friends with the ward members. So hopefully things will get better reference wise, and they will start helping us find people. Although this whole country still just cracks me up some times. For example. we ate at the stake president's house Sunday for lunch. My companion was talking to the stake president about boring stuff so I went and started talking with his wife and two of his daughters. And we hit it off way good and some how got started on movies and this new movie called Avatar. She was telling me how the main actress is a Dominican and she asked me if I have ever seen her. I said no because I had never seen the movie. And she was like "WHAT! You have never seen the movie?" Then she went down in her voice and said. ¨I have it over there¨ lol, like she wanted to watch it with me right then and there. The stake presidents wife! lol. But I playfully yelled at her. It always cracks me up how Dominicans know that we aren't allowed doing all these things but they still always try to get you to do them. And it's not because they want you to do something bad. It's because they want you to stay in their house longer and talk with them. lol.

We also had two baptisms this weekend. They were the brother and sister of a member, so that was cool. But otherwise the week wasn't too bad. We still aren't doing very good with contacting houses at all. But that's why I am trying to focus on the members giving us references. And that was my week.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, September 20th 2010

So this has been definitely an interesting week, but it seems like the time is flying by. I only have 5 weeks left and I'll be home. But, as for my week, I am in Villa Aura, as a Zone Leader and the capital is not treating me very well at all. The people here are mean. We go out and contact people and they don't want to talk at us. It's crazy. I haven't had a door slammed in my face my whole
mission, but now I can't say that anymore. I think it is all because I am in a really rich area. So the people most of the times are just maids that we contact. It's lame. So we only taught 2 people of all the people we made appointments with this week that were new. crazy crazy crazy. But hey things are going well. Sorry this is short - mom, you sent some really long emails. Talk to you
later.
-Elder Woestman

Monday, September 13th 2010

So this week was not very interesting but still had lots of results mission work wise. We have been teaching this young couple this week that has one kid that is like 1 and a half years old. And it's kind of weird because the dad is younger than me. lol. Man I'm old. But they are way sweet. The wife is the daughter of a pastor, but her dad left her and her mom a long time ago. She is way smart and it is way fun to talk with her because she asks great questions. But sadly I am leaving my area tomorrow. I am being transferred Las Caobas, Via Aura. as a Zone Leader. So that's where I will end my mission. This is officially my last transfer in the mission. So yesterday I said bye to everyone I know and all my baptisms. Tonight I am going to have a family home evening night with my branch president's family and the young couple that we have been teaching, and the fiancée of a guy in the ward and his family. So it's going to be a way sweet night. I already made cookies for it. But the week wasn't all that interesting besides me leaving for the capital. Which is good. You can tell Grandma W that it is not my fault that she hasn't gotten any mail because I actually wrote her like 5 weeks ago. The thing is that I don't think the mail is working any more - just normal for the government mail around here. But yea that was my week.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, September 6, 2010

There have been some problems with some of the missionaries this week - but my week was way good besides that. I spent the whole week in the capital, from Tuesday to Friday night being trained on a new way of teaching. And it was awesome. They actually taught us what the real purpose of teaching is about and how to teach people by the Spirit. It's kind of hard to explain everything that they taught us but it was all about learning how to teach people, not lessons. We now have to pray with everybody kneeling. Which I have only done on special occasions before, mostly just because nobody else ever did it and because the houses here lots of times don't have floors. They're kind of just made of dirt and concrete. But hey. I planned on wearing some holes into the knees of my pants before I came home. Otherwise we are just being a lot more patient with our teaching. Not just moving on with anything until the person we are teaching really understands what he has to obey and do once he gets baptized. But yea that was my week. This coming week every morning I have to teach my zone everything we learned at the training in the capital. That's about it for now.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, August 30th 2010

So to start out this letter I guess I should tell you that the conference with Elder Vinas rocked hard core. Thursday was the district fireside with him. and we were able to bring three families to the fire side. It was so awesome. Sadly though none of them are married and we are still struggling to get them married. Why is it that men never want to get married? It's stupid. Then Friday was the zone conference, and it rocked as well. We had our lil' interview with Elder Vinas before the conference and it has been confirmed - he is a human being. And it was all kind of weird to be honest because my mission president was in the interview and I always thought of my mission president as old and wise. But next to Elder Vinas he literally looked a heck of a lot younger and seemed a lil besides himself. He was the same confident mission Pres. that I had always known - but hey it was way cool. We talked a lot about my zone and I told him about the problems we had and everything. My zone doesn't have any major problems though, because my zone just rocks and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tomorrow through Saturday I will be going to the capital for four days. It's going to be crazy. Every zone leader and District leader will be there. Gotta run, will fill you in later - but hey that was my week.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, August 23rd 2010

Thursday the AP´s should be coming down from Santa Domingo because Elder Viñas, who is in the 70s, is coming here for a conference with the people here of Barahona. And the even cooler part is that I get to have a one on one interview with him Friday morning to talk about the mission work because I am a Zone leader. So I am way excited for that and a lil nervous. But I'll tell you more about that next week after it actually happens. I don't want to get ahead of myself.

So this week was way good. My first full week this transfer without something crazy happening. Today was way cool. For p-day I bought a huge tarp to make a slip-n-slide for the zone activity -which was way sweet. Everyone loved it. Plus the work is going really well right now. We have four people lined up that we are teaching to get baptized. Other than that life is pretty much the same as normal. The past couple of weeks we have been working a lot with our new ward missionaries, which is kind of rough because almost all of them are under the age of 17. lol. But that's how things work here because once you turn 18 you get a "real" calling. lol. But we have been working with them a lot and things have been going way good. They work their butts off and are reactivating tons of people. And - yea that was my week.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, August 16th 2010

Hi:
So I'm feeling a lot better. Mom - I won't let them do surgery or anything. And a rock came out Friday, and that hurt a lot. But now I'm perfectly fine. I was out and working Tuesday. So the whole kidney stone thing is hopefully over - although I doubt it, because my sonogram says that I have some still in my left kidney. But we will see how things go. I'm pretty sure I'll live though. But this week was way sweet. Friday my companion and I set up this sweet activity in the house of a member where we watched the restoration video. And it was only for the young men, because we are teaching the son of a member and trying to hook him up with some member kids so he can have more friends. It turned out great. Then Saturday we had another activity for our investigators who are older. We watched the same video but afterwards key members stood up and bore their testimonies of the gospel and it was way sweet. One of the investigators that we brought, named Elisa, loved it. She said that there was nobody that could ever keep her from getting baptised and going to church. But the problem with her is that she is married and her husband gets out of jail Wednesday (after being there for three years), so we will see how that goes. Today , Monday, we played basketball as a Zone. and it was way fun. But yea, that was pretty much my week.
Love You, Elder Woestman

Monday, August 9th 2010

Well - you won't believe the trouble I have been going through these past couple of days. lol. Now that I think about it, its kind of funny. But basically I have been in the hospital again, but this time they actually brought me out of the backwoods country area and into the capital. So now I officially know what's been going on with me. It turns out I have kidney stones, yeaaaaaaa. But I'm OK. It all started Saturdays evening after I ate a milkshake. Apparently milkshakes aren't good to eat if you have kidney stones, but I promised a member kid I would buy him one. So, why not me one too right. Well after that we went to an investigator's house and I wasn't feeling good at all. So I made my companion end it in the middle of the lesson. We walked down the street and I just started throwing my guts out. And I just lost all my strength. Well, kudos for the member kid because he was nice enough to run to the church and tell the president what was going on so he could come pick me up in his van. But in the mean time I was throwing up with all of the neighbors circling around saying how the white missionary was dying. Well the president came and they took me to the hospital. I lost all feelings of my lips and hands and pretty much went hysterical. That's when they pocked me with some needle to calm me down and take away the pain, because e it hurt really bad. But my branch here rocks. A member lady was holding my hand through out the whole thing. But let me tell you something - kidney stones are not fun!!! So they sent me home around 10 PM but then at 2 AM it came back and I went back to the hospital. From there the mission president had me sent to the capital, because the hospital where I'm at really isn't a hospital. It's really just a clinic. It was in the hospital in Santo Domingo that they found out that I had kidney stones. The other hospital was guessing colon infection. lol. But now it's Monday and I just got back to good old Barahona with some pain pills and something to help the rocks leave a little smoother. Basically I was told I am going to have to suck it up and be a man. lol. But luckily the biggest one is already out. And - yea that was my week.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, August 2nd

So this week was pretty awesome. I really worked my companion (lol), but yea he is now on his way home. So this week was way good. We had five baptisms this past weekend - and they were all way good. Two of them were 8 year olds whose families are members and just had their birthdays. But the others were ours. So that was way exciting. Also its going to be transfer day tomorrow and I'm staying put. Elder C is my new companion. He is cool. He was in my group of Dominicans that were in the CCM with me. So this will be a fun transfer. Also I just became a "grandpa" in the mission - one of the kids I trained is training now and the cool thing is that he is training in my zone. So I'll be his zone leader. So that's going to be sweet. My time's short because it was house cleaning day and I have to go get ready for a family home evening night.

Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday - July 26th 2010

I got lots of birthday cards, thank you and I love you. I got one from pretty much everybody.

So this week was pretty rainy - I'm not going to lie. It was pouring down rain three to four days straight. So now my shoes pretty much smell like rotten cabbage or pigs. You can take your choice, but hey what's new there? Wednesday we went to Neyba, which is a good two hours from our house, in a small van packed with like twenty people. It was way fun. There we bought our people lunch. Their living situation kind of stinks bad over there. They haven't had electricity for 8 weeks. They just got it this morning so now they're happy, but I don't envy them at all. Friday we had an intercombio with one of my district leaders. He is a way good guy. But it rained on us so we got soaked - and got to teach all wet. Good fun. This is my companions last week so I just hope that we still have a productive week. Wish me luck.
Love, Elder Woestman

Monday, July 19th 2010

So - I hear that transfers have changed to every 60 days in Cincinnati. The length of my transfers have not changed. They are still just for 6 weeks, but who knows, maybe they will change some day. Hopefully not till I leave though, because I kind of like my 6 week transfer schedule.
The past week was pretty tranquil. In fact I'd say that it was the best week that I have had during this entire transfer when it comes to just going smoothly. Tuesday we got our two new missionaries in that replaced the other two. They are way good missionaries. I knew one from before and the other one is way cool. Friday we did an exchange and I got to leave with a brand new missionary who has just been out for three weeks. It was way fun. He didn't know any Spanish what so ever but it was way fun. And then today for P-day we had a BBQ. That was a way blast. But yea that was my week. Truth be told this was a way hard week. My companion goes home in two weeks - and it's definitely getting harder and harder to keep him going.
- Elder Woestman

Monday, July 12th 2010

Soooo, this week was pretty sweet. Yesterday we had a missionary that wanted to go home and I can almost understand why. The missionaries he lives with pretty much are "sucky" missionaries - and, well, he blew up and decided to start packing his bags because he wanted to go home. So Sunday night we went to a member's house and she taught me how to make fish. Sweet right, now I know how to make a killer fish. But while we were eating we get a phone call from one of the missionaries who lived in the same house as the one that wanted to go home. We asked him if we could call him back because we were in the middle of something, and he said yea. He didn't say anything about the kid packing his bags. uhggg. So a half hour later we call him back, because we were just thinking that he was calling to report that they were all in the house right. Well he told us that this Elder was packing his bags to leave and was basically almost done now. So that was kind of frustrating because he should of said that the first time he called. So we call up the APs and call a taxi to head over there and pick the kid up to come sleep over at our house where we would hopefully fix things, since most likely there was a fight. So we get there and the other three missionaries are just messing around. I head over to the room where the elder is packing and he is just balling his eyes out. So I give him a hug and talk to him while my companion called up the president. We finally ended up getting a hold of the president, but not through his phone but by calling his wife and then she handed her phone over to him. It was ridiculous. Well the pres. talked to the elder that I had already calmed down and he was fine by then. The president told him that he was going to receive a new companion and the others were leaving as well and being replaced. So yea - crazy. Then we took a taxi back to the house and got to bed around 12:30 in the morning. But that wasn't all that happened Sunday. . . .

So Sunday during church our baptism that we had Saturday didn't show up. Well that's a definite no no. So I talked to his neighbor and it turns out that he was at his grandma's house watching some kids up in the freaking mountain, out in the boonies (lol) because his grandma got sent to the hospital and was super sick. So I went with the 1st counselor in his big dump truck (which he had at church) to go get him. lol. First we had to go to his house to get directions to his grandmas house, and from there we ended up having to follow this nice guy on a motorcycle up the mountain so he could show us where he lived. lol. But we got to a point where the dump truck couldn't go up any further because it was to big. So my companion and I had to get out and run behind the motorcycle the rest of the way because we aren't about to get on one of them. We finally got there and my baptism wasn't there (lol) but his mom was. So through his mom we got a phone number and called him - he was at the hospital. Well - luckily his brother walked in just as I called and he could leave without leaving his grandma alone. CRAZY. So - I ran back to the dump truck and we head back to church. Luckily sacrament meeting is last here, so he got back in time to receive the Holy Ghost. lol. It was one awesome day. Which then takes me back to Saturday. . . . Saturday we had a baptism. and it was way sweet. and basically the rest of the week was pretty much normal.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, July 5th 2010

Pioneer trek week? Have fun. I'm not to sure how you are all going to do, but I hope it will be a great experience. But, now to my week: It was way good. Nothing like crazy happened. Tuesday we did an intercombio with some other missionaries in our zone. Then Wednesday we did an intercombio with the APs. which is always fun. And then Thursday we had our zone conference with the president. That was way nice because it was done with our zone only, so we didn't have to take a long bus ride to have it. I think it's because my zone is so big now.

Lets see here what else. Well we also had two elders with parasites that were stuck in their house with diarrhea. . . . and then we had an elder that was stuck in the hospital with dengue. yuk!. but they are all OK right now. And that was like basically my week. We played baseball today and I am soooooo tired. But hey.

Happy 4th, Elder Woestman

Monday, June 28th 2010

Hi Everyone:

What to talk about. . . . Tuesday was transfer day. So Monday night we had 7 people sleeping in our house that is really only made for two. It wasn't that great for those missionaries because they had to sleep on the ground. But hey, such is life. Then we woke up to take showers Tuesday and the water left so we didn't all get to take showers. lol. Some had to leave to their next areas smelly. Then Tuesday we received missionaries and sent out missionaries at three different times: one time bright and early at 6am, one time at 1pm, and one at 5pm. And when we picked up the missionaries at 5pm it was pouring down raining, so we got soaked along with all their luggage while waiting for a taxi to come and send them off to their area. All in all . . . it was just to crazy of a day to explain.

Wednesday we went to the capital for the zone leader concilio [meeting]. and that was way good. But we didn't really get home 'till around 6pm, so basically we only got to pass by our investigators that got baptized Saturday. Then Thursday we held a zone meeting with the zone. I don't know if I told you but we now have 24 missionaries in my zone and we are the biggest zone in the mission as of right now - area wise that is. It takes 3 and a half hours to get from one side of my zone to the other, and I have to do it by bus. You'd think they would get me a car or at least a bike, but of course that would never happen (haha) but I have basically figured out that when you are a zone leader over 24 missionaries, everyone has problems. lol. One of the houses in my zone has been out of water and light for 3 weeks. And this was one of the new areas that I received, so we had no clue. We sent two new missionaries out there; a new missionary and his trainer. And when they got there they called us up and said that there wasn't any light and water. So I called up the old zone leaders of that area and they said that that house hasn't had light for three weeks. CRAZY. So I talked to the office and they should have everything fixed today. And that's just the tip of the ice burg. It's crazy down here now.

But Saturday we had 2 baptisms which was nice. And we have another one for this Saturday that's coming, so I'm way excited. Plus today we played basketball and it was way fun. and my face is pretty much beat red now (haha) but that's the life of a missionary that's just having way too much fun.

Love You,
Elder Woestman

Monday, June 21st 2010

Well I would love to sit and chat but I really don't have time right now. Tomorrow is transfer day, and I have 8 new missionaries coming into my zone, and 7 coming into my zone to sleep tonight to go out tomorrow to the capital. So basically life is pretty crazy. And basically my zone has doubled in size and then some since I started here last transfer. I started with ten, then I got 6 more half way through, and now I am receiving 8 more. So we are 24 strong now. But that's not all, we also have another whole new area that's like an hour and a half away from where I live. :P. so the zone hasn't just doubled in missionary's but in size. So say a prayer for me because I am going to be needing a lot of guidance to figure out how we can organize all this out.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

P.S. Dad, I love you, you are the best dad ever - and Happy Father's Day.

Monday, June 14th 2010

Hey everybody!!
Soooo. The week was pretty much awesome.

Tuesday nothing really happened, but Wednesday we did this sweet activity at the church that I set up. The theme was the "Restoration", and we had four members talk about different things; one talked about prophets, another Jesus, another Joseph Smith's First Vision, and another about the Book of Mormon. And then as the missionaries we did small activities after each short message. For prophets we blind-folded a girl and had somebody act as a prophet and set up obstacles and stuff that the prophet had to guide her through. For the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ we did a thing with the lights and had people try to read the scriptures with the lights off - meaning that without a prophet or apostles we can't fully comprehend the scriptures. We showed the 1st Vision on video. We had a big question and answer thing at the end. Tons of people came. We had a little under 50 people that weren't members that showed up for the activity. We had so many people that we had to go buy more food. :P. so that was sweet. And - out of that we received 10 referrals - which is just amazing.

On Thursday we did an intercombio with another companionship, but I stayed in my area. And then Saturday was another crazy day. So Saturday we had a birthday in the zone. Because birthdays are always rough in the mission I made him a birthday cake. We snuck up to his house in the morning. and knocked on the door, and who was there? Just the 2 best zone leaders in the world with a birthday cake. :P. It was a pretty emotional moment. The kid almost cried, but luckily I caught it all on video. So I will never forget. But that wasn't the best part, so there are 4 missionaries in my house now right - and there is a problem that we have. We don't have a microwave to pop popcorn. So for the longest time we have been talking about taking the microwave from another set of missionaries in the zone. So . . . . right after the "Great Cake Birthday Celebration" we went and pulled off the "Great Microwave Heist". We sent up the other two missionary's first. They pulled the four missionaries in that house in one of the back rooms all slick like. Then the other two of us snuck up, walked into the kitchen, snatched the microwave, and ran out. In about three seconds flat. And then from the top of the street we called a taxi and went home. In the mean time, our other two missionaries left the house letting the other 4 missionaries see them leave with their hands empty. bo-ha-ha-ha. The other missionaries didn't even know their microwave was gone for another two hours - but we had the whole thing planned. We had talked to the APs. So they still think that some guy walked into their house from the street and stole their microwave and not us. lol. It was great. But sadly we forgot to take a video of that. Then Sunday was good. and then today we went to the top of a mountain to take some sweet pictures of Barahona and the ocean.

Till next week, Elder Woestman

Monday, June 7, 2010

Well, to tell you the truth nothing really happened this week. But let me see if I can remember some things. So Tuesday we went on an exchange with some other missionaries and I went up to Batey, which is another area in my zone. The whole day that I was there it was raining sooooo bad - so I was soaked the whole day. When we taught people we sat down on the ground or in plastic chairs (lol) because I was soaked. Some people may of asked me why I didn't have an umbrella. Well, I would of had an umbrella if I was in my own area by my own house. And since we can't look at the news and it was all sun shine in the morning, there was no way to know. But that wasn't bad - it was just fun. The bad thing was that I have been getting an ingrown toe nail. So when it rained I had wet socks and wet feet the whole day. Which didn't help my toe at all.

So today, which is Monday, I went to the doctors and got my ingrown toe nail cut out. fun fun fun. So my foot hurts pretty bad right now, and it's still kind of bleeding, because I haven't gone home because the Internet center is far away from the house - but on the way from the hospital. But yea, that was seriously the only thing that happened this week. sorry. Hopefully next week will be more interesting.

Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, May 31st

So this week was pretty crazy. So Tuesday we got to go to the temple, o-yea, which was awesome but the taxi drive was just crazy. We got to the capital and found a taxi and jump right in, thinking that everyone knows where the Mormon temple is. Well - not this guy. He must of been new. He took us up till we were ten blocks from the temple and said he couldn't get any closer because we ran into a street that was going the other way and it would take too long to loop back around. Well we told him to loop around or we wouldn't pay him. lol. Well, that was a bad idea because he just drove into the three lanes of one way traffic, put on his emergency lights, and started driving backwards, and yelling out his window "hey lady - can't you see I'm driving backwards here with my emergency lights on!!"¨ lol. Well - 6 blocks later and after almost dying 10 times we just decided to jump out and walk the next four blocks to get to the temple. lol. It was pretty hilarious though.
Wednesday was yet another crazy day. We got a phone call from the APs early in the day, at like 10:00, telling us that we were going to receive 6 more missionaries in my area. So we just jumped from 10 to 16 in one day - which is crazy. So we had to get all the new people into their houses and stuff. The only bad thing is that there is only like one area that could really have more than two missionaries in it, and that would be my area. But hey the president knows best. We are going to be rocking out over here in Barahona though.
Then what else happened this week. . . . . well the rest of the week till Saturday we spent showing the missionaries around. and then Saturday we had a baptism. o-yea! But before that we got caught in a bloody ran storm. We had to ask this guy on a motorcycle that just happened to be driving by to help us cross over this river that just happened to be blocking our way to our next appointment. And he was nice enough to do it.
Then we had the baptism.
Today we played basketball, and it was in the rain that we played because it has been raining all day. lame. Oh and I also took a shower today out in the ran on the roof because the lights and water left. So it just had to be done. I'm just roughing it.
See ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, May 24th 2010

So Aunt Sally passed away. Wow, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say, I have no real words of encouragement. I'm mostly sorry that I'm not there to help out with Grandma and Uncle Jimmers. Tell them I love them please, and I would of been there, but I couldn't, which is the worst part - not knowing what is going on and only being able to pray is hard.

As for my week, basically it wasn't half bad. We had the zone conference Friday with the president and it was ok. Not very interesting though. It was basically an older couple from the office lecturing at the missionary's that waste the money they get from the mission. So it was a long talk on that. Then there was a long talk on hygiene. And then a talk that the APs gave about becoming too comfortable in one's area and not working very hard. They were all necessary talks, but not that interesting because I'm basically one of the only missionaries that obeys the rules. Which is sad but sadly how the world works. It's amazing how many kids go on missions for the only reason that there parents made them, or they had nothing else to do, or it's expected of them. Then they come on the mission and don't work. I'm seeing more and more how that is as a Zone Leader, because now I have to deal with all of them. But my Zone's improving a lot.

Now to the crazy story of the week: So basically I got my phone stolen by a ten yr old kid and a 5 yr old kid. lol. They caught me off guard. lol. but luckily I was able to catch up to them and get it back. It was pretty ridiculous, lol. but yea that was my week.
- Elder Woestman

Monday, May 17th 2010

So the week wasn't that interesting, just crazy because it was the start of a new transfer. So basically, Sunday we got transfer calls and I am still in Barahona. But I have a new companion and he is way cool. But that just meant that Monday I was stuck in the house all day while my companion packed. yea. And then Tuesday was crazy. I had to wake up at 5:00 to get to a bus stop with my old companion and two other missionaries to send them off and get my new companion. So I send them off and have to get my companions luggage from another area because he is from my zone so he just meet me at the bus stop, and then we went to his house to got his luggage after wards. From there we took a taxi back to my house. Then we had to head up at 10 to pick up two more missionaries from the bus stop for two new missionaries coming into my zone, and then send them off with their new companions to their areas. Then back to the house. At 1 we had to pick up one more new missionary and send him off with his companion, and then at 2 we had to head out to work like normal. Let's just say I was dead tired when that day ended.

Then Tuesday we had a Zone Leader's meeting in the capital. So once again I had to wake up at 5 and head to the bus stop. One four hour bus ride later we headed to the meeting. The meeting was good - a bunch of new stuff on how we have to do the new transfer. (Which is secret. haha) After that the rest of the week was pretty normal. Except for Sunday. Sunday was election day here and we had to be in the house by 6. But, I got sick early in the morning. So I spent the whole day in a hospital with an IV stuck into me. That was no fun, especially because I was in a third world country's hospital and it didn't look very clean. But it turns out luckly that it wasn't my apendix that was hurting which I thought. I just recieved my first parasite. lol. But yea that was my week.
Till next week,
Elder Woestman

Monday, May 10th 2010

Sunday was Mother's Day, so I got to call home. Nothing happened this week that I didn't tell my family. So for all of you readers of my blog out there, I am very sorry, but I think I am just going to go buy some ties. lol. later. :P
Elder Woestman

Monday, May 3rd 2010

Hi:
Saturday was the best day of the week - we had a baptism - and she is amazing. Her name is Vielka, and there was like a million people at the baptism as well - which was sweet (you know, support network). And the cool part of it all was on Sunday. When Vielka stood up and bore her testimony in fast and testimony meeting, saying how she knows the church is true and how grateful she is for the missionaries and how they have made her home a place of love and peace. O-Yea! so that's when it rocks to be a missionary!
Friday was way crazy. We had to do four baptism interviews, and all the interviews were in different places so we didnt even get to work at all in our area Friday because we were too busy doing interviews. I talked to the president about that and we are going to try to fix that for the next time.
Thursday we had interviews with the president that went way good, but my companion almost died. First of all, he was walking and a motorcycle almost hit him. But then he found out why the motorcycle was driving so fast. Right afterwords a guy with a shotgun came out shooting from around the corner. My companion was running. Luckily I wasn't anywhere close to him at that moment in his life. I was in Enrequillo relaxing on the beach. lol. Ok not really but we were on an intercombio and I was in a different area. And that area rocks! The missionaries' house is right next to the beach. I fell asleep that night with the sound of the surf crashing into the shore - it was awesome. However, that area was no fun to work in because half of it is in the mountains. And in order to get up there you have to climb these stairs - and there are soooo many of them. They're like the "Lord of the Rings" stairs of Mordor. But, yea, that was Thursday.
The rest of the week was pretty normal. Have a great week.
-Elder Woestman

Monday, April 26th 2010

So this week was a little crazy. Friday I almost got my hand cut off by some drunk guy with a machete. I was walking down the street, on an intercombio with a missionary in my Zone, and this drunk guy stopped us on the side of the street. I had my book of Mormon in my hand, and the guy was like "this isn't a bible! Give me that book", and he tried taking my book. Well I just tried to walk away without giving him my book. So he pulled out a machete from his pants and told me to give him the book. When I tried giving it to him he swung at my arm almost cutting off my hand. So, scared to death, I threw the book at him and started walking the other way. Well then the drunk guy's brother came out and started yelling at him. So the drunk guy came running back after us to give us my book. My companion took the book because I didn't even want to go near him and we left. After that I have come to realize how important to me my arm is - and how much it would suck to loose it, but yea, that was the most interesting thing that happened this week.

Also in the mission field we are having problems with missionaries using the phones too much and abusing their internet privileges. So now every companionship has a time limit for use the phone to call other missionaries. It's a little sad but has to be done.

That was the week. Next Saturday we should have one baptism. One fell through because she didn't go to church but the other one is still going to get baptized this Saturday. o-yea! But that's it.

Elder Woestman

Tuesday, April 20th 2010

I was unable to write you all yesterday because I had a meeting with the mission president in the capital. All the Zone leaders had to head up there, which was kind of lame because I didn't get a p-day. And I had to ride in a bus for 8 hours once again to get to and from the meeting - but what can a man do. And this letter may be a little small because I have another meeting in like 30 minutes.

So the week was pretty awesome. We have found two amazing investigators - finally - and they both came to church Sunday. It was awesome. And after church we took them to the baptismal font and I asked one if she wanted to get baptized. She said she felt ready to be baptized the first moment we knocked on the door. Haaaaaaa, so that was awesome. And the other one accepted a baptismal date as well. So they will be getting baptized on the 1st of May. Which is awesome! But yea the rest of the week wasn't that interesting. . . yesterday for the conference we talked about this seminar that the Pres. had with his area authorities. It was basically about how we had to work with the book of Mormon and with members and stuff. It wasn't really all that new of stuff, but it cleared up quite a bit of questions that a lot of us have been having about how to use the Book Of Mormon correctly. But yea - that was pretty much my week.

Elder Woestman

Monday, April 12, 2010

So Barahona is basically one of the coolest places in the world. My branch is the bomb. At least it has been showing how "bombalishes" it is these past few weeks. We had 2 more baptisms this week, and the mission leader set up everything again -. which was basically amazing. AND it's freaking cold here every night because I'm right by the beach and I LOVE IT. I'll have to take some pics and send them to my mom to post. It makes me just want to jump right in there and go swimming since it also gets way hot during the days.

But now to my week. So Monday night we did a family home evening night and it was sweet. It was with one of my first baptisms of the the first week. Then Tuesday we got a surprise visit by the APs, and it went way good. They wanted to do an intercombio with us. So they went to the district meeting that we had to go to for one of the districts in my zone - and I'm going to have to say that that was by far the worst district meeting I have ever been to. lol. So afterward I had to talk with the district leader and set up a few basic rules. We will see how it goes. I will call him tonight to remind him of everything before tomorrow. Then after that we ate and left with the APs. And it went really well, our APs rock. They work their butts off.

Then lets see here. . . .Wednesday we had a long day. We had a million lessons set up because we left with the APs and we weren't expecting to have four people working in our area Tuesday. So we contacted a bunch of new people and set up a bunch of new lessons, so Wednesday we taught 12 lessons (ya!) which was way good. Then Thursday we had our Zone Conference with the President and I gave a little talk on the importance of using the Book Of Mormon and how we can use it to find the people that the spirit has prepared to become members of the church. I didn't think it was half bad, but I kind of got stage fright. I didn't think I ever had a problem with talking in front of people but my leg just wouldn't stop shaking. Oh-well. And then lets see. . . . Friday was a normal day. Saturday we had two more baptisms. And that was my week. Awesome!

Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, April 5th 2010

Well, I am now a zone leader. Monday night I said bye to everyone in my old area and got photos with them and everything. Then Tuesday bright and early in the morning I headed to the transfer chapel - where I had to wait two hours. Then I had to go to the bus station, and because we got to the bus station late we had to wait there for three more hours to get a bus. But after all of that I finally was able to get a bus to my new area - Barahona. The bus ride took 4 hrs. lol. but I occupied my time pretty well I thought. I slept for the first two hours. lol. but then I woke up and became a missionary again. I was sitting next to a teenage girl so I started talking to her. I noticed at the beginning of the bus ride that she was read, which is a little unusual because not very many people read here, especially not for fun. So I started talking to her about her book, then I brought up the Book of Mormon that I happened to have on my lap the whole bus ride. I told her all about how awesome of a book it is. And then she started talking about the after life. So I taught her the Plan of Salvation as well. And it was a way good way to pass the time in the long bus ride. Before she got off I gave her my Book of Mormon and she promised to read it. So who knows...... maybe one day down the road another missionary will find her and she will get baptized. A man can only hope right.
When I got to my new area my companion was waiting for me. He is a missionary that I have meet before. He was in my zone when I was in Bani. He is a good guy, but he can't walk very fast which is kind of a little rough because I am a fast-paced type of guy. But o-well. I got to Barahona at 6 at night. We went to the house, I dropped off my stuff, and then we headed right back out to visit the key investigators that we have. Then we went back home. On Wednesday we had to head to the capital again for a zone leader meeting with the president, so we had to wake up early and take the four hour bus ride to the capital again - way fun. But the meeting was good. I learned a little bit and then we had to take the bus all the way back home again. And we were late once again to the bus station. So we didn't get a bus till 3:45 and then we didn't get home till like 8. It was a way boring day. Plus we had two other elders sleep at our house with us that night because they couldn't get to their area because it was so late.
Then Thursday was our first full day. We started it off with my first zone meeting as zone leader - and it was good, We basically just copied everything Pres. Almonte told us and told it to them. Then we did a bunch of contacts and a few lessons. On Friday we taught all of our lessons and did the baptism interviews for our two baptisms that we had Saturday. Then Saturday we had two baptisms - but they weren't really my baptisms because I didn't teach them anything. lol. They were the other guys who's spot I took. But that was still cool. Also Saturday we got to watch the afternoon general conference session. But the bad thing was that I had to watch it in Spanish. The pres. gave a new rule saying that all missionaries had to watch it in Spanish. And I'm not going to lie. It was not a good general conference for me. I could understand just fine. It was just hard for me to stay concentrated. And Sunday was the same.
Now that I have a week in my area I can see that I have much work to do because even with my limited time, I was still able to manage to get better numbers than everyone else in my zone for the week. And I say I and not we because my companion is kind of a bum. I always thought that ZLs were supposed to be better missionary's, but this guy is one complaining slow fool. So pray to give me patience please.
Elder Woestman

Monday March 29th 2010

So how is it going. I am just going to start with my week.
Yesterday we received transfer calls and I am leaving my area. I am going to Barrahona and I am going to be a Zone Leader in Barrahona. When I got the call I was told that I am going up in the world. But in my opinion being a trainer is still the best. And although I have already trained three missionary's I can't lie. I was kind of hoping for another one. lol. But I guess a man has to move on. Elder Bednar said that God gives you a position until you feel comfortable and then he takes you away from it and makes you feel uncomfortable again so that you can learn and grow in a new area - and I see how that works. I think I know who my new companion is. I know his name, but there are like three Elders with that last name. But it should be fun. It's way in the campo and I hear it's super hot too. o-ya. lol. But basically this week was pretty normal all in all. It was the last week that I was with my kid so I made him make all the decisions the whole week. We didn't do to bad at all. The numbers were like cut in half from last week, but hey he is learning right. lol. but basically yea. nothing crazy happened.
Love Ya, Elder Woestman

Monday, March 22nd 2010

Hi Everybody:
So this Saturday we had a baptism. The girlfriend of a member got baptized. It took us forever to teach her everything and then to get her to quit her job, but she is now finally baptized. Yesterday, which was Sunday, I almost died again. It seems to be happening more and more now that I think about it - these near death experiences. But what happened was that we were in a member's house eating dinner when a girl came running in saying that there was a fight going on outside. So Gisela walked out there and I followed her and then when she got to the road, because we were in a back alleyway sort of thing, she turned around right away and ran back to the house telling us to get in the house. Some guy was wasted waving a gun around. So we had to wait in the house for a while for things to cool down. But things would probably only get worse, right. So we made up the decision to leave and with a prayer in our hearts walked really fast through the streets till we got to our house and all ended up really fine. lol. The funny part was my companion's face the whole time - lol - poor kid. I don't think he has ever been through anything like that in his life. Now - what else. So Tuesday we had interviews with the president. He said that I would be finally leaving my area. I have been in the same house for 9 months and I feel like it is time to see new places. But the bad thing is that my bishop said that he was going to call the president to make me stay for another transfer because he doesn't want to loose us. But I don't think that will work.
That's all that really happened this week - you know; work, work, work, and a lil bit of sleep. lol.
Love Ya,
Elder Woestman

Monday, March 15th 2010

So this week was pretty decent. Actually, way-dang sweet would be more like the correct word usage. All because we had 13 investigators go to church, and now I am not talking about kids or anything either. Those 13 people are all 18 yrs and older. It was awesome. But basically we have had many people that we have been teaching for a long time without any success at getting them to go to church. So throughout the week we talked to all of them and basically told them that we couldn't pass by their houses anymore unless they came to church because as missionaries we have to focus on people that will take our teachings more seriously. My companion and I basically started contacting like crazy thinking that we were never going to talk to those investigators again. Well . . . what ended up happening was that they all came to church Sunday and now we have a "million" people that we have to keep teaching. Which could be way good, because it will keep us busy and maybe we can baptize them. But we will see as the week goes on. But yea, that was basically my week - saving marriages seemed to be the focus of the week though. Also we set up a baptism for Saturday so hopefully that will go through smoothly.

Keeping in touch, Elder Woestman

Monday, March 8th 2010

So the week was pretty sweet, but not very interesting at all. Nothing really crazy happened, but it was good. Tuesday was district meeting day. Wednesday we had an intercombio with the Zone Leaders and it was way good. It was a basic day but the ZLs are sweet. A day of much wisdom stealing. I'm not usually around people that have more time than me in the mission so that was nice. And these ZLs are going home in 4 weeks.
Thursday we had a great lesson with this one guy. Basically we have been teaching this family but the dad was never there and didn't really want to talk to us. Well, we finally caught him in his house and convinced him to listen to us. After talking to him he committed to say family prayers every day and he even came to church Sunday - so score! That was awesome.
And then Friday we had another sweet investigator guy that we were able to talk to. He read everything we asked him, but this time it looks like it will be the mom that could be a problem. Usually it's the other way around. But we can work with it. Then Saturday we had a reactivation thing at a less-active member's house. It was basically a family home evening night with tons of members. We like to "attack" our people with love hereto bring them back to church. It's pretty much a great idea.
Today we went to the botanical gardens and got to meet up with a bunch of greengo tourists. lol. Plus, I got to translate for a bunch of them, because they were absolutely lost. lol. and yea that was my week.

Love, Elder Woestman

Monday, March 1st 2010

So this week was pretty crazy. It started out like pretty much every other week, but it was unlike any other week. So first of all I started this week with one companion and I ended this week once again with a different companion - the same companion that I trained and then got taken away from me after 5 weeks because the President wanted him in the office. So after 3 weeks I now have him again as my companion - and I am finishing training him. lol. But now I will explain the HOW this came to pass. So it all started Tuesday. It was a pretty normal Tuesday. We had our district meeting, and then we went out after lunch. But right as I sat down for the first lesson the phone rang. Now I usually don’t pick up the phone. I just turn it off, but since it was the beginning of the lesson - and when I looked at it and realized the APs were calling, I thought it might be best to pick it up. They ended up saying that we had to go back to the house because they were going to come and pick up my companion - and that he had to prepare an extra pair of clothes because he was going to spend the night at the office. So - last week they took out my last companion I was training, but was put into the office, from the office and put him in another area. So we figured that my present companion would be called in to work in the office because they were the only two that knew how to do the baptism stuff on the computers. So . . . after my companion left I had an intercombio with an elder which was way awesome because he was my first Zone Leader (so we had a blast together). Then Wednesday rolled around and we headed to the office to pick up my new companion. So we got there, and we were about to leave when Pres. Almonte walked into the office. Now I’m thinking that he didn’t know that my companion had came to the office. Because he did not appear very happy. And he didn’t know all the stuff that my companion was there to help out with. The office missionary has been in the office for like 6 months except he only really did stuff with the houses. But right after the Pres. yelled at him he turned to my companion and said that in 2 days he was going to come to the office and in two days I was going to receive my new companion – one I had before – one I really like and the rest is history. The next day which was the Thursday, after a zone conference, the APs came to the house and dropped off my new companion and my old companion left. But what is still super sweet is that Saturday we had 2 baptisms, and they were the first baptisms of my new companion. So I was still able to give somebody I trained his first baptism.

Elder Woestman

Monday - February 22nd 2010

So my week definitely has had a change for the good. The last week wasn’t too hot for me because I was stuck in a rough place as a district leader and a companion. I had to make some decisions, and I didn’t like at all how the last week went. So Monday night I pulled everybody in my house (which is 3 other missionaries) one by one up on the roof and we all had a special interview. lol. But it went really well. If there was one thing that I think I have learned from arguing with my little brother Ben, it was how to get people to believe in everything I was doing, and that it was really best for everyone. lol. Even if I really had no clue what I was doing. lol.

The week was way good after I had those interviews, because the house really changed afterwards. Everybody is now working together to bring the Spirit together. And, as long as everyone is working to uplift each other, we can’t fall right. Tuesday was a pretty normal day, except that it was transfer day. But nobody in the house changed, but we already knew that from Sunday night. Even though everybody Sunday night was hoping that they would be able to leave their companion. lol. We are horrible.

Then Wednesday we had a zone meeting. It was good. I got to meet up with my old trainee elder who had moved to the office. He is awesome because I have been looking for a tape player to tape my mission life right. But the one I was going to get for Christmas got stolen in transit. So, he found one in the streets for like 5 bucks, and bought it for me. He is awesome. But then he also told me about how he got in trouble the Monday before last, because there was a missionary going home that was living in his house. And the members threw a party for him so he ended up getting home late and the President got angry. He told me that he might be leaving the office because the President said he couldn't have bad missionaries in the office. And that’s what ended up happening. But he isn’t like that, he is just not a very strong person in the mission yet. I told the President that he took him away too early. But hey, the pres knows best right. But then the funny thing is that he is now in the zone of Boni (lol) - and Boni is basically my "family meeting spot". Everybody I have served with spends time in Boni. And at this moment I have two elders I trained in Boni. Even my trainer in the mission is there.

But Thursday - well the APs showed up and decided to do a surprise intercombio [mission companion splits] with us to check up on our teaching and everything. They have been doing that. But of course I was stupid. Or let’s just say I wasn’t acting very wisely, because we taught one lesson with one of the APs (the other AP went with the other missionaries in my house) and afterwards I told him that he was teaching bad. Which was true, but I guess I probably shouldn't of said that (lol) but the thing was that there are rules when you go on intercombios. They are written in the “Preach My Gospel” manual. The manual says that if you go on an intercombio into somebody else’s area you are not there to teach but to testify. So I asked the AP if he was there to teach us how to teach and he said no he was just there on a regular intercombio. So I told him that if he could only testify then it would be better because he doesn’t know my investigators or anything. Well something happened that I didn’t expect at all. The AP almost started crying. So then the whole day was just awkward - if you know what I mean. So yea. It was kind of ridiculous. But I fixed it all by the time the day ended with him (or so I thought). Then the next morning the APs called and said that they wanted to do another quick intercombio with us Friday. So we went to the church a little before three to be there when they got there, and their truck came rolling up. But the crazy thing was that they were not in their truck. Pres. Almonte was in the truck. ahhhhhhh. lol. So he told us to jump in and we went to our first lesson - and it was a way good lesson. The president definitely knows his stuff. The lady we went to teach had a question about the Tower of Babel and the President just gave her the sweetest explanation of the Tower of Babel I have ever heard in my life. lol. Afterwards he looked at my companion and I and said that he felt a great spirit with us both. o-yea. lol. So, yea that was my week.

Oh - also Saturday I had another baptism. So that was way good too. However, the lady decided to take a deep breath when she was under the water though, so that wasn’t very good but hey…. And then our first counselor in our Ward had a baby Friday and that was announced Sunday, so we went and visited him Sunday after church and gave his family the sacrament. So that was cool. But yea, that was my week.

Keep Smiling,
Elder Woestman

Monday - February 8th 2010

What a crazy week!! This week started out like any other normal week. Monday we did the sweetest Family Home Evening night in the world. We went over to Basilia's house (not like you know who she is) - but she and her family are investigating. And she rocks. She is the one that has a daughter that we just found out has TB. Which I don't know much about but I hear it kills - which is no good. But she is getting treatments and is supposedly getting better. So please pray that that keeps up. The night was the best; we watched the movie "Together Forever" - which I feel is a really good movie. Even if it is not meant for people that live in a third world country, because everything in that movie looks so nice. Plus they eat like Thanksgiving every dinner that they showed in that movie. I kept thinking in my head that that is not really what its like in America - but it really is. But she and her family loved it. And we also made sweet brownies. So that was great fun.

Tuesday we had interviews with the president. And then that's when the week just went all down hill. In that interview the president told me that my companion and I had to go to the office the next day. Then Wednesday the president stuck my companion in the office and now I am with another companion. And I'm kind of really upset because my companion was the best companion that I have had in my whole mission. And I didn't just get any other companion. The president pulled me into his office and sat me down - and basically my companion almost got sent home and now I am re-training a different missionary that goes home in 6 months - who has been a total "bucket" and I am suppose to teach him how to be a man. So this is basically the most important thing I can do on my mission, the president said. Because this will affect my companion's life forever. What a responsibility!

But yea that was my week. So, now I have been waking up way early to make my companion pancakes so he will wake up on time, and a bunch of other things, but hey....
Love You,
Elder Woestman.

Monday - February 1, 2010

So first thing is first. We have this old guy in my ward down here that is probably one of the funniest old people in this world. And it's all because he talks with this shaky groggy voice - lol - and he totally acts like the basic old guy. But we were teaching him and his daughter, and right before we left he gave us candy. lol. But my companion kind of looked at it, and because the old guy thinks my companion doesn't know Spanish he said (while using huge hand signals) "that's something that you eat." It was so funny. But maybe I'm just out of it because it doesn't really sound that funny on paper. But trust me, it was funny.

Now to something more interesting. So I was living in the same house as Elder "E" who I trained and Elder "H" who I am training right now. But Elder E. left us and went to Ocoa. Which is basically the best place in the whole mission to live. It is the only place in the mission that actually gets below 60 degrees and they have a hot water heater! How sweet is that. So yea, we were just a big happy family living together and now one of my "kids" has gone to rich-vill. lol. What else.... so also we had 7 investigators go to church Sunday. That was awesome. This one lady we are teaching is probably one of the coolest lady's ever. I don't think I have ever seen her frown and she definitely has a reason to. She has a daughter that has some sort of lung disease. But yet she still looks on the bright side of everything. Sunday she asked me what she had to do to be a member. So hopefully that will all go well. I'm really excited for her.

And this week we have also been teaching a lot of Haitians. So I have been trying to work on my Creole; which is not an easy language at all. It's a mix of French and different African languages - and it's not coming very easily. But I kind of just want to learn how to read it is all. So I'm working on that.

Last event of the week: Well one of the guys in my house called up the president and wanted to go home. So Saturday night I talked to him for like 2 hours on the top of our neighbors house. It was great fun - but not really. It was a great experience though. But yea, that was my week.

Elder Woestman

Monday, January 25th 2010

So this week was something I would call freaking awesome. Yea something like that - and I will start with Wednesday. Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the 12 apostles came and talked to a small group of missionaries from the east and west missions in the Dominican Republic and I was in that small group, front row baby. And it was awesome. A little not what I expected seeing, being the first time in my life ever seeing an apostle up close and in person. And I half expected the sky to rain fire and an angel to come or something like that. lol. But unluckily - it didn't happen, but it was still an awesome experience. He did a question and answer session with us. And at the end I got to shake his hand. At first I was thinking that I would never wash my hand again, but then when I woke up the next morning I took a shower and with out thinking washed my hand. But yea, that was my Wednesday. Now to the following days of the week. Well actually nothing else really happened this week besides Friday. Friday we had an activity where we invited all of our investigators to the Church to watch the "Restoration" video. That was pretty sweet. We popped pop corn and made juice and afterwards we did a spiritual message about Joseph smith. So that was good,but yea that was my week.
Elder Woestman

Monday - January 18th 2010

In response to my mom's question - I actually know all about the earthquake in Haiti, probably more than you guys. That's all anybody talks about here. And I have investigators who have had family members die over there. It's kind of messed up and sad. The earthquake happened Tuesday. And yes, I felt it. But I am OK.

As far as my experience goes, my companion and I were teaching, or more or less trying to convince this inactive brother to go back to church when it struck. I was sitting on a bed with my companion because there wasn't any seats besides the one the other guy was sitting on - when all of a sudden everything started being distorted around me. At first I thought it was my companion moving the bed, but it stopped, so we just continued. But then it happened again and I wasn't sure what was happening, but after like 10 seconds it stopped. Now I have never been in an earthquake before so I had no clue what one felt like, but now I can never say that anymore, right. After the second time the guy's wife came running in telling us that there was just an earthquake in Haiti and that their biggest hospital was destroyed. And that was how I heard about the earthquake in Haiti - and how I had my first experience with an earthquake. It was pretty uneventful for me but I would never want to be a Haitian as of right now. We have this investigator that we are teaching that is from Haiti and he, as of right now, has lost a grandpa and they can't find 8 of his brothers and cousins. Which probably means they are dead, they just haven't been identified. Which is really sad.

Other than that, my week was really good. My companion and I are really getting to know our new area and all the members are pretty sweet. Also Friday we had a really good activity at the church. We did a BBQ and we were able to get 11 of our investigators to go to church - which was dang sweet. We played games and everything. Then we also ran into these four Jehovah Witnesses that we started teaching, and they are sweet. 3 of them practically memorized the booklet that we gave them which doesn't happen everyday. So I hope our teaching them goes good. Till next week. . . .
Elder Woestman

Monday, January 11th 2010

So I now have my new companion and he is The Man. He is half Chinese and whenever we walk around all the little kids always yell "chino" at him But he is sweet. He has black hair. In high school while he wasn't on the chess teem, he always went to the chess practices and, he is a computer hacker. Pretty much the biggest nerd ever. And I think that is why we are getting along sooo well. lol. I'm just made to be good friends with nerds and he is a way righteous guy. But the week was sweet. We worked hard but nothing really super interesting happened. Tuesday was transfer day and that's when I meet my new companion. And that day we had nothing planned in my area because everything was new. We have a white washed area, meaning basically the other missionaries have left us nothing to work with in our area. But we hit the ground running. We found the mission leader and his son showed us a bunch of members and then another member took us around to a bunch more. So the first day we were able to meet a ton of members and less actives. Then Wednesday we painted a lady's house that we set up the day before, which was awesome that we got hooked up with that service opportunity at the very beginning. Hopefully that gives the members some more confidence in how hard we want to work so they will let us teach their friends. Then Thursday we spent the whole day contacting and teaching. Friday we did the same and I did some baptismal interviews, because I am also the district leader as well as training. Which is a little bit harder but all good. Sunday we had two dinner appointments. lol. My companion wanted to kill me at the end for making him eat so much. It was hilarious. But yea, that was my week .
Stay Warm Up There,
Elder Woestman

Monday, January 4th 2010

So I was walking around the other day and I saw this guy. He is a member of the church, goes to church every Sunday, and I have been to his house and all, but never really inside of it. It's a pretty small house but everybody's house is small here. So, he told me to come to his house the next day. So we went over there, but we got there early. He is usually ready for us, but when I got there he wasn't there and the door was open. So I figured he was in the back, which he was but I almost cried from the site that I saw. He has a sister that lives with him. And his sister was on the bed, the one and only bed that they had. He was on the concrete floor curled up in a ball using a piece of a mattress as a pillow and a towel as a blanket. He is first of all probably the most humble guy I have ever meet and just seeing that moves a man. It makes me want to be a better person.

But now to the rest of my week. So this week was really good. We have some really good people investigating and getting ready to get baptized. We have these three kids, 16 and 17 years of age, that are going to get baptized this Saturday and they are awesome. They live right next to each other and help each other out to do everything - to read, to go to church, to do everything. And I am really excited for them. Then we ran into this inactive family and started teaching them and a few of the other people living in the house. We got them to go to church this Sunday with their whole family. And we were able to set baptismal dates for the younger siblings of the family that haven't been baptized. They are going to get baptized on the 23 of this month. We are still teaching a family that is going to get married this coming week and then baptized the following - hopefully. They are progressing really well. But the sad thing is that tomorrow is transfer day. I am going to be leaving my area so my companion is going to have to finish teaching them. But the good thing is that I am only moving to the area right next to mine so I will be able to go to the baptisms. And the way dang awesome thing is that I am going to train again. So that will be the third person that I will be training. So that will be way fun. I've pretty much spent 3 months being trained, 3 months not, and 9 months is what I will have after this missionary is trained. I love training new missionaries. They are so ready to step it up with me. Old missionaries are just lame and don't want to work. They just want to play and mess around. But yea - two more missionaries got sent home as well this week. That seems to be happening more and more these days. But the week was sweet.

For the 31st we were stuck in the house. So we stayed up till midnight and then watched the fire works that were going off all over the place for a while then we went to bed. I'm really excited for this coming week.
Love You,
Elder Woestman