Stand Out, Stand Up, Be Different

"Happiness Moments"

-For the life of us we can't go to sleep on time because before we pray at night, we talk about our day and what we want to give thanks for, and end up laughing for at least 10 minutes because of all the funny things that happened and how grateful we are!

-We went out to do member visits with a senior couple (the Youngs), and just a few minutes later.... RAIN. I don't think I have seen it rain so hard in my life. We were absolutely soaked, but couldn't stop smiling!!

-A taxi driver this week asked if I was from Argentina!!! Language break-through;)

-People always ask what my last name means... and this week someone told me that my last name should mean "white wood" instead of "green wood" because I am so white... hahaha

"True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, stand up, and be different from the people of the world. They are undaunted, devoted, and courageous."

-President Nelson

Sergio, one of the amazing people we are teaching, is working hard to change his life. He has a long and heavy past, but is determined to change. (We are also working with the Youngs (the senior couple) to help him have friends and feel comfortable.) In our lesson yesterday we were asking why he had such a desire to change. He pointed at the picture of Christ on the pamphlet of the Plan of Salvation, and specifically at the light that surrounds Him, and told us that he sees that light surrounding us, and wanted that kind of light in his life as well.

President Nelson has said that we are far more different from the world than we think we are. I encourage you all to magnify that light that you have, and to share it with all.

Don't be afraid to stand out, stand up, and be different!

Love, Hermana Greenwood:)

Drop in the Ocean

"Happiness Moments"

-Ana Julia got baptized!!!! (Cool little side story with her: all of her kids are members, and she has been meeting with missionaries for 8 months but has never felt the desire to make the necessary changes needed to be baptized. She said that what made her realize the truth and what gave her the desire to change was because she started reading the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has SO much power.)

-One of the missionary couples invited us over for dinner and then took us to the roof of the office building to see the AMAZING view!!

-We had a super fun family night at the Bishop's house with a recent convert!! (Spiritual message, charades, and bagels are the perfect family home evening combination;) )

-Hermana Vieira's birthday was a MAJOR success. (We ate enough food to last a lifetime)

-We decided to make pancakes and show up at the house of four of the hermanas in our zone to surprise them with breakfast!

-The rainy season is starting!!!! :)

-Hermana Vieira and I had a spontaneous pillow fight.

Today I want to let a couple of quotes and scriptures do the talking for me.

President Hinckley helps us know what to do when we have worries, feel despair, or feel weak --

"The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best medicine for despair is service. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired."

 D&C 6: 

32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching bone thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.

33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

As the brand Nike says, "Just do it." I think sometimes we second guess ourselves when we really shouldn't. "Never suppress a generous thought." -Camilla Kimball

D&C 108:

7 Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings.

8 And behold, and lo, I am with you to bless you and deliver you forever. Amen.

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." 

-Mother Teresa

I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful to be a missionary and to be able to be a drop in the ocean!

I encourage you all to go out and be that drop in the ocean for somebody else. I know that your influence is great!!

Love, Hermana Greenwood

Moroni 7:45

"Happiness Moments"

  

-Some members took us to Starbucks to buy us a milkshake and my companion felt so uncomfortable being in a place where you sell coffee that she started to hide her nametag with her hair.

-Weekly planning takes three hours and I have the hardest time sitting still for that long. So this week we decided to put some blankets and pillows on the ground to make things more fun ;)

-We went on companion exchanges and instead of studying inside our house, we decided to go up to the roof (where we hang up our clothes) to study! Felt like we were on top of the world;)

This week I just wanted to share a quick experience that I had!

We have been focusing a lot on helping as many people as possible get to church, and so everyday we did something for all the people that we are teaching to help remind them to come to church. We told them that something would come up to make it so that they couldn't come, but they needed to be ready, and that they couldn't let the devil win by not coming. By Saturday night we were very excited because 11 people were committed to come!!

And on Sunday morning, everything changed. We passed by to wake up the people and then passed by again to pick up everybody, went out with members, and did everything we thought we could to get them there. In the end, only 2 people came. We are grateful that these two wonderful people came, but were very disappointed and I was rather frustrated that the other people had let the devil win.

That night as I was writing in my journal, I was ranting about how frustrated I was that so many people let the devil win today... and the strongest impression came to me. The fact that I was so frustrated meant that I was also letting the devil win.

I have started doing a new exercise to focus on the good, and to recognize the difference between God's influence and the devil's. Every time I start to feel frustrated or down about something, I open up to Moroni 7:45.

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

By replacing my name with the word "charity," I am able to see what I need to change to feel the joy of Christ once again.

I am so grateful for the Gospel of Christ and for His infinite mercy. I am so grateful for the opportunity that we all have daily to repent, refocus, and refill our lives with hope.

May you all fill your lives with hope this week!!!

Love, Hermana Greenwood:)

Beauty

Mauricio's Baptism

 "Happiness Moments"

-This week I asked my companion how to spell "unbearable" in Spanish, and then she wrote my name on the whiteboard. :)

-Mauricio got baptized!!! It was such a miracle that everything aligned and he was able to be baptized and confirmed. One thing that was so touching at his baptism was when he shared his testimony. He got up and said, "I know that I don't know a lot, but I know that I feel good and this is right." 

Hermanas Greenwood & Vieira

This week there were moments that felt like an eternity and moments that passed faster than an un-interested Mexican running away from us in the street.

I just wanted to share one of the most well-known scriptures and invite you all to really apply it in your lives, "...men are that they might have joy."

Some days we may feel like that will never end, and others we never want to end, but there is beauty and joy to find or make every day.

"If there is beauty, we will take it.

If there is none, we will make it."

Never forget our loving friend, Jesus Christ, who is there

to help us find or make the beauty and joy of every day. :)

Have a good week!!

Hermana Greenwood:)

Press Forward

Trip to Polanco

"Happiness Moments"

-Running out of gas in our apartment and having to play the hokey pokey in the ice cold water of my shower. 🎵You put your right arm in, you take your right arm out (...as fast as you possibly can;) )

-Going on companion exchanges with my last companion was a good time!

-I am learning more Spanish and forgetting more English with my cute new Latina companion. :)

Visa Renewal Trip

As I hit a year on the mission, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on this amazing past year that I have had, and the wonderful six months that still lie ahead!! I wanted to share a few motivating and inspiring quotes that I have come across and that have been shared with me lately. :)

Costco Pizza

"The decisions you make today will determine the decisions that are available for you to make tomorrow."

"Live only for tomorrow and you will have a lot of empty yesterdays today."

"The task ahead of you is never greater than the power behind you."

Exchanges

I am so grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Happiness and the ability that we have to share it DAILY.

Time for a Run

2 Nephi 31: 20: "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

Let us all press forward. :)

Have a great week!!!

Hermana Greenwood:)

"I have a work for thee"

Started her birthday with Hermana Carter

"Happiness Moments"

-Because I am about to hit a year, I got to go to Polanco (a super super nice part of mexico) to renew my visa!! We then walked through a super fancy mall and went to Costco!! I felt like I was on vacation ;)

-The Lord really likes to keep me on my toes!! We are currently in the middle of the cycle, but we just had special changes!! I am still in my area, but me and my adorable new companion Hna Vieira are now covering two wards and serving as sister training leaders. The Lord has given us much and we are super grateful and excited to get to work!!

Ended her birthday with Hermana Vieira

-I TURNED 20!! A lot of wonderful members and missionaries made my birthday wonderful yesterday with cake and crepes;) I also feel very blessed to have received a package from my mom and many notes that many of you sent me. I haven't finished reading them all, but I feel very loved. Thank you!!!

This past week has been full of surprises, mainly with the random changes that we had. But I am so grateful to keep learning and growing with a new companion!!

Birthday Cake!

As I had been thinking a lot about all of the changes and what I could do to be the missionary that my loving Heavenly Father wanted me to be, I felt a little overwhelmed about all that was ahead of me, and then I read in Moses chapter 1. 

Birthday Crepes!

As I replaced my name in the scriptures, I realized that God really does have a work for every single one of us to do, and that revelation is the key.

"There are some things we cannot learn from a book."

 - Sharon Eubank

"If all you ever learn is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, you will not know very much."

And then Joseph Smith encourages us to "grow into the principle of revelation."

Maria and Irma

Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed because we don't know if we are really receiving revelation, but never get frustrated. 

Boyd K. Packer said that we shouldn't worry if we are doing something wrong, "It may be that you are not doing anything wrong, it may be that you have not done the right things long enough... you cannot force spiritual things."

Another happiness moment =)

The Lord knows you perfectly, and as long as we are following the teachings of Christ, we will know what work we must do, and we will receive revelation.

HAVE A SPLENDID WEEK!!!

Hermana Greenwood:)

Great Worth

Laura's Baptism

"Happiness Moments"

-Companion exchanges with the lovely Hermana Reyes from Chile was a BLAST! If you ever want to laugh so hard that your stomach hurts, spend some time with her! :)

-Zone Conference was INCREDIBLE.

-LAURA GOT BAPTIZED. She is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She went through so much to be able to enter the waters of baptism, and her baptismal service was so touching.

Laura was baptized by her son

-I got to go to the temple this morning! The peace that is found in the Lord's house you can't describe. I feel so blessed to have the temple so close.

Today I just wanted to share a quick quote and scripture about lifting others and the great worth that we have. 

President Monson said: "...it is well for us to remember that each of us is a partner of our Heavenly Father in helping to lift individuals toward eternal life." 

Hermana Greenwood with Laura

D&C 18: 10-17

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.

13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!

14 Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people.

Hermanas treated to pizza!

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

17 Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation.  

We are partners with our Heavenly Father, so go forth and share your goodness with others!! Lift where you stand. All those around you are in need of YOUR help. And as we stay close to the Spirit, each of us can be an answer to prayers. Your worth is GREAT in the sight of God. 

Have a wonderful week!!

Hermana Greenwood:)