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