Week 22 (5/17/10) Email to Family

Mom and Dad and Sam!
I'm feeling a lot better this week! This past week I worked harder than I have the whole mission, but that is not something I am not willing to do. My new companion has just over a year in the mission and this is his first transfer as senior companion. His Spanish is pretty much at the same level as mine is so I am basically senior comp this transfer. It's more responsibility, but I like it. He's kind of having a hard time since he has been here so long and the language is still a struggle for him and guys below him are training and all that stuff. Its really good though. I have a LOT more responsibility and I love it. I am able to do a lot more work and I am growing a lot more. I have felt myself grow a lot this week with the language and maturity-wise in the mission. I feel like I have been here a lot longer than two transfers. There are only 4 out of the 20 missionaries in my zone that have been in the zone longer than me and 5 of those 20 have less than or the same amount of time as me. I don't feel like the new guy at all anymore.
One of the Silva kids, Ronel - 9 years old, had a fecha bautismal con el Elder Sobré pero la fecha pasó y Ronel nos dijo que no mas quería bautizarse. Esta semana él me dijo que quiere que me se bautice. Sacamos otro fecha y su hermana mayor, Miriam - 23ish, nos dijo que Ronel no quería que el Elder Sobré le bautice. Haha. El tenía vergüenza también cuando le enseñamos con todos sus hermanos. Entonces vamos a enseñarle sólo. I have always felt a different kind of love for him like a little brother so it will be good to teach him and get him baptized. I didn't like how Elder Sobré treated the situation so business-like. It didn't really seem like he cared, he just wanted the stats. So that's two baptisms that should be happening for sure this transfer. Also we met Gabriel at church this week and he is a really good guy. I think he'll get baptized this traslada también. His friend gave him a Libro de Mormón 3 years ago and this past week he was going through his stuff and when he found the book he really felt like he needed to go to our church. The book had the bishop's phone number in it so he called the bishop and told him he wants to receive the charlas. The bishop told him to just come to church and meet us and we'll go from there. He's a way nice guy and seems very interested in finding out more. He seemed really humble and happy to be there. I gave him a folleto de la Restauración and he wanted a Principios del Evangelio to read before we meet with him on Wednesday at Hermano Cardozo's house. It will be great getting to know him and to see his progression. This transfer is looking like it is going to be a good one. I'm excited! Oh and today I went to the United States! YEAH! USA! I had to go to the capital to do a Declaración Jurada because my Passport says Matthew Paul WOODSIDE and my FBI Clearance form only said Matt Paul WOODSIDE. It was kind of a bummer because it took up most of P-Day but it wasn't too bad.
It was funny this week we were painting a school and it is the school my bishop's daughter goes to so he was there painting too. At one point we were painting side by side and he turns to me and says, 'Lastima de Elder Sobré eh?' Which basically means 'Shame about Elder Sobré huh?' We looked at each other for like a second and then we both just busted up laughing haha it was pretty funny. I like my bishop, he's a good guy. Its good to know that he knows how it was for me and that he cares how I'm doing. I am feeling a lot more comfortable here and I'm happy to get to work now. It was great talking with you guys last week. Oh and I made chili finally this week and it was AMAZING. The best chili I have ever eaten! We felt it the next day though haha. Especially since our stomaches aren't used to American food. It was great. Todo bien here. Statistically our week was pretty unsuccessful, but we met some good people with good potential and we are laying the groundwork for the coming weeks. It's gonna be good. Better look out! I gotta go but I love you guys all very much. Mom, make a tape to send me so I can hear your voices again:). Gotta go. Chao!
Love, Elder Woodside

Week 21 (5/9/10) Email to the Family

 Hey familia! It was SO great talking to you guys yesterday!! I feel like the genie at the end of Aladdin right now. I'M FREE! Wahoo! Shoving Elder Sobré into the black genie's lamp and flicking him across the river into Uruguay. 'Itty bitty living space.' Chao! I'm with Elder Maxfield now and I am stoked for this next transfer. I'm excited. Elder Maxfield is from Salt Lake and is the middle of 5 boys. He's excited, I'm excited, I think this transfer is going to be a lot better. He's a really nice guy and as of now I think we're going to get along just fine. Last night after I called you guys, I went back to Hno Cardozo's house and we waited for Elder Sobré. His wife put the kids to bed and there wasn't really anything to do in his small house so we watched TV. I saw the last two and a half minutes of that Suns-Spurs game. It was intense for a bit there. I haven't seen basketball in forever! Anyway it was late and Elder Sobré hadn't showed up. I didn't expect him to be done saying bye to everyone until around ten thirty-eleven so I didn't think anything of it until it passed eleven. We waited longer and I asked Hno Cardozo what he wanted to do. He said lets wait a bit longer. He's got the cell phone so he could just call. I imagined in my head Elder Sobré sitting in the pench by himself packing, completely oblivious to anybody but himself. Hno Cardozo had to work at six this morning so he was already up way past bedtime. I told Hno Cardozo about the situation I imagined in my head and -its midnight now- we decided to go to the pench to see if my 'wild' imagination was correct. If not we'd head back to his house. We got to the pench and the lights were on. I rang the doorbell and Elder Sobré came to the door with a stupified look on his face. I just looked at him like "you got something to say?" He said 'you were sleeping.' I said "what? At Hno Cardozo's house?" No,' He said 'No, in your room.' He said that they took a remis to Hno Cardozo's house and it looked dark so he assumed I wasn't there and that they had gone to bed and when he got to the pench the door to our room was closed so he assumed I was in there asleep. And that was as far as his effort took him. Past MIDNIGHT. Pero, ya fue. A new day has dawned and for that I am happy.:) There is a lot of work to be done in El Cruce and its time to get busy. The future is bright. My zone is looking good too. It is really young. We will have three brand new missionaries. There's me, an Elder with a transfer less and one with a transfer more than me. We lost 3 District Leaders. Also there are a lot of Yanquis. I think we may be able to make a push for the zone activity to be ULTIMATE! YEAH! I really miss that rush that comes from playing some good Ultimate. Falling in love with it over and over again. Squeezing passes into tight spaces or just chucking it up because I know Pete will catch it. Playing games late at night whatever kind of games they be, if my brothers are there, I'm in. I sure love you guys. Our family rocks! *Whistle whistle click click* ¡Esah! I love you guys. I appreciate all of the support and love you guys give me. Chao for now until next week.

Love, Elder Woodside

Week 20 (5/3/10) Email to Mom and Dad

Hola Mom and Dad!
Not a whole lot to report here. Nothing really happened this week. A whole lotta nothin. We have a baptism coming up this week of a nine year old girl whose mom is a member so that will be good. Our other investigator, Marcelo, has been sick for a long time and passed away this week. He was 40-ish years old, divorced with two kids. It was a sad deal and I hope he accepts the gospel on the other side. It made me realize how fragile life really is and to enjoy every moment that I have. Also the member family that we spend the most time with, the Barrios, are having problems and the Hermana told us something about a divorce. That is a sad deal as well. I love the Barrios and it is really sad to see them struggling and that they are considering divorce. This has made me realize how fragile our relationships can be and how important it is to cherish the great relationships we have and to do what we can to strengthen them. Next time I email you guys, I will have a different companion. There really isn't anything to report this week, I wish I had some exciting story to tell you ha. Quizas next week. I gotta go. I love you guys!
Love, Elder Woodside
Hey Mom, I have another request for the next package...Taco Bell sauce! Either in packets or in a bottle, whatever works for you.:)
Les amo.

Week 19 (4/27/10) Email to Mom and Dad

Hey Mom I got the packages! Thanks a lot! I loved them! AMERICAN CANDY WAHOO! I love my backpack, its just barely big enough for my scriptures and proselyting materials. When I saw it in the package it was like getting my baby back. I was also happy to fing my backup money-$10-and a pack of fruit smiles. The candy was amazing. The jelly beans and ducks chicks and bunnies were good because they are easy to share. I'm hoping to make chili some time this week.:) Dad- I got some good snap shots of a mangey perro for you.
I had a couple of good experiences this week. On Thursday I did intercambios (exchanges) with Elder Andros and on Friday I did intercambios with Elder Roeller. Elder Andros is in his 5th transfer and Elder Roeller is in his 2nd like me. Elder Andros can speak and understand the language, but he has some kind of minor mental or social disability, I'm not exactly sure. He has had some problems with companions not being very nice to him. I didn't have any problems with him at all. He's a great Elder and I love him for who he is. I love how he doesn't let other people get him down, he's really enthusiastic about doing the work and has a really good attitude. Anyway so with both of these Elders I had to step up and fill the leader role. Elder Andros and I taught the message of the Restoration to someone in the Berazategui area and I really felt comfortable with the language. I didn't have to think about what I was saying. I asked good questions. It just came. I understood what the investigator was saying and really taught him to his needs. After my day with Elder Andros I felt a lot more comfortable with the language. The next day I was with Elder Roeller and again I had to step up and again the Lord qualified me and helped me. The language came, I felt a lot more comfortable, and we worked hard. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the experiences I had with these two Elders. I was really a testimony to me that the Lord will qualify you for whatever he needs you to do if you do it. Once I got back with Elder Sobré and back to not really doing a whole lot, the language wasn't as easy as it was for those two days. I really got a glimpse of the future and I am excited! I hope in a couple weeks my new companion will be someone that is willing to work and we can do some work! Either way I will have more control over what we do - I will be the one that knows the area and the people - and we will do more work than is happening now.
I weighed myself a couple weeks ago and I'm still the exact same weight. That's great to hear that Sam is excited about the bike ride and that he clicks well with Brother Tipton. I know how that can be when there aren't any leaders that you really click with and when there are. I could go for some goodliness explosion right now haha. I'm not sure what time I will be calling on Mother's Day. It's not for two Sundays though so I'll let you know on Monday. We may be doing email in the morning next week so get you emails off on Sunday night so I will get them. Oh yeah and I got yours and Sams letters this week with the packages. I love Sam's letters. I loved his picture haha! I also got an envelope full of letters from Jim and Lisa's family to Zach. HA! Woops. Send me his address and I'll forward them to him. Oh yeah and what is Uncle Dave's plan for his possible Buenos Aires trip in May? I'm outta time. I love you guys and appreciate all that you have done for me and all that you are doing for me now. You guys are the best parents I could have ever asked for. I look forward to talking in a couple weeks. I love you guys! Tell Sam I love him.
Con amor, Elder Woodside

Week 18 (4/19/10) Email to Everyone!

Hey everybody! It is really hard to send you all a good email so this week I will send everyone the same thing, see how it goes. These past couple weeks have been the best so far. Its still a constant adjustment but I am feeling more comfortable. The Spanish is still a struggle but I am still making progress. This week it rained 4 out of the 7 days. It rains a lot, which normally I would love, but when a lot of the streets are dirt and I have to walk around in it, its not as great. On Tuesday we waited over an hour for a colectivo (bus). Elder Sobré and I have been getting along better and I have felt a lot better. Time has gone so fast. Its April. April. Holy smokes. It doesn't really seem weird until I really think about it. School is almost out at home. I have been away for over 4 months. This week, 2 days ago, we had our first baptism, Maximiliano Calio. My first Sunday here, Maxi came to church and that was where we met him. He had his doubts as most people would, but it has been amazing to see him progress and to see the change in his life. At first his progress was slower, but when he started to actually read from the Book of Mormon and pray about it he took off like a rocket. It has been great this past month especially to see him develop his faith and gain a testimony of his own. This week on Wednesday he told us he wanted to get baptized this week. We got everything ready and it was perfect. He is so much happier than he was before and it has reaffirmed my testimony of the happiness that comes from living the gospel. It is hard at times, but it is always worth it. Maxi is a great kid. He is 21 and he says he is looking forward to serving a mission himself in a year. It has made me really happy to see him change his life and be so happy himself. It makes me excited to be able to be here helping other people find this peace and joy in their lives as well. I have also realized how little we actually do. We just pointed him in the right direction and it was all up to him to make the decision to read and to pray-to exercise his faith. It is ultimately up to the people to choose for themselves whether to sacrifice a little time and a little effort to read and pray. It is a sacrifice but it is absolutely worth it. I made a goal on January 21 to read the whole Book of Mormon by April 21 and I finished last night. I love the Book of Mormon. I prayed about it and I know that it is a true book and will bless anybody's life that will take the time to read and pray about it.Food Craving of the Week - Taco Bell!Funny Moment of the Week - Its getting cold here and its becoming time for chocolatada (hot chocolate). I don't have a tea taza to drink it from so when we went to the store I bought one. It was a Disney one with Mickey and Goofy and Donald with race cars. It was pretty legit. Oh and it cost ten pesos which really isn't much but here it is. Anyway we got back to the pench and I wanted to try it out so I washed it and holding it by the handle I shook it the get the water droplets off and the cup broke off at the handle and the cup flew across the room and shattered all over the place. Haha it was pretty funny. I'm sure glad I payed a whole ten pesos for that!That's all for this week. I love you all and hope everything is well with you. Until next time, chao.Love, Elder Woodside

Week 17 (4/12/10) Email to Mom

Mom! Its good to hear that Sam got to spend some time with some temporary brothers. The weather has been pretty crazy here too. Cold one day, hot the next, mix in some occasional rain and wind-sounds a lot the same as yours. I'm excited to get your letters. I love Sam's letters, they always make me laugh and sometimes I need a good laugh. Still a no on the packages, unless we go to Adrogué for some unplanned reason, I won't be getting a package until the 28th of April. This week was a lot better than most. I've really been trying to focus on being a better companion and having more love, patience, and humility and I really felt better and we got along better. Something one of my MTC teachers told me is sometimes you have to forget about the work and focus on your companion. Then you can do the work more effectively. Its still tough but this week was better than it has been. I look forward to talking with you guys! When is Mother's Day? I'm outta time gotta go. Love you Mom! Tell Sam I love him! I sure love you guys!
Love, Elder Woodside 
Next package request-taco seasoning and my lego stormtrooper keychain-unless it is being used.

Week 16 (4/5/2010) Email to the Family

Conference was amazing! I LOVED it! I did get to participate in conference but I still want the ensign. I hear we don't get it for like a year in english here. Also I want a pair of earmuffs, one of the ones that goes behind your head. Its starting to get cold here. I hear the winter is brutal here. I am not looking forward to it. I don't like the cold. Nothing really new here. Same old, same old, still waiting on your package. I sent Sam a letter today. I wrote it over a week ago but haven't had a chance to send it. I sent four letters, one to Aditya, Maren, Scott, and Sam. It cost me 52 pesos. That's about 4 dollars a letter. I have yet to receive any packages. I'm waiting for the office people to go pick up my package and then I have to wait til our next meeting in Adrogué which is Thursday so I'm hoping they get it before then otherwise I may have to wait weeks more. We eat lunch with the members about every day. It is rice or fideos (noodles) with some kind of meat and some kind of sauce that's usually very similar every time. At night we order pizza a lot because its delicious and only 16 pesos- 4-5 dollars. I eat cereal in the morning. I eat copos de maiz or copos de arroz normally. I go through a lot of milk with cereal, oreos, and pudding. :) I'm outta time now so I have to go. I wish I could chat with you guys all day, but I can't. I heard I only get 40 minutes to talk to you guys on Mother's Day. 40 is better than none though. I sure love you guys and think of you often. I really enjoyed the messages in conference this week. The gospel really blesses families and has really blessed our family. God has really been good to us. Mom, you should get a tape going for me. :)

Love,

Matt