June 24, 2013

This is from a letter from President Winn, the SLC Mission President:

Dear Br.& Sis. Woods:

I am happy to inform you that your son, Elder Woods, has been assigned to the Utah Salt Lake City Mission while awaiting his visa. We are an active teaching and baptizing mission and are excited that he will be able to spend valuable time practicing important missionary skills with us. He has been assigned to a skilled trainer, Elder Verges, and will have many opportunities to grow spiritually in preparation for his departure for the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission.

His mailing address is 1428 West 1650 North Apt. 703, Layton, UT 84041-5505.

Again, thank you for sharing your missionary with us in the work of the Lord.

Best regards,

Bruce R. Winn





And this is from a letter from Mitch:

Hola!

So here is the thing, I think I'm either going to die from lack of sleep or from frustration. I have never in my life done anything more hard, this makes me miss college no joke! I am in a limbo of whether I like spanish or not. haha but the spanish they taught me in the MTC did not prep me for all these different accents and ways people talk. There is sooo much slang and the people talk like MACH 5 it's crazy. I need to talk to you about my companions. I have two, I'm in a trio since I'm a visa waiter, they had to fit me in, my trainer is a fluent speaking spanish missionary from Cordoba Argentina. He has a Argentine accent, it is really different and he has been out 22 months so after he is done training he will go back to Argentina. My other companion who is new like me is from Florida, he is also a fluent speaker and he has a puerto rican accent which they drop letters off words and make r's sound like L's it's ridiculous. Most of the people here are from Mexico so they also have a more slangish and SUPER fast way of talking. I cannot explain how many lessons people look at me like I'm an idiot because I don't talk much and when I do it's super slow and sounds really gringo. I love the mission though, there is so much love here in Utah, people here treat us like Rockstars, there is a 90% chance everytime we go eat someone pays for us, or when we get groceries they buy those too. It's awsome and humbling. We only teach the latins though, and we have a spanish ward. It was so weird I stuck out soooo bad. I was like one of two people with blonde hair. and white skin. I feel super awkward around them and I just have to keep telling myself it will get better. I haven't cried myself to sleep yet, but It might happen one day. Also We sleep on three matresses on the ground all together. It's funny. They don't give the missionaries to nice of beds or you will never get up... because you will be dead from exaustion haha,

The first day I was here we went to down town Salt Lake and did "extreme" contacting. It was so fun, I love talking to people. Even though they either like you or... THEY HATE YOUR STINKIN GUTS! There is so much work here though and get this, so this last saturday we met a man named Pedro. I love Pedro, even though I don't fully understand him. So we planned a lesson and asked him to read a little. We then taught him yesterday and I recited the first vision in spanish and talked to him about Joseph Smith. I bore my testimony as best I could, we then invited him to be baptized and he said he believed it and could feel the spirit. So he is now on date for July. Not even a week out and we've found a soul! so happy. Also the Salt Lake Temple is in our mission so we get to go there sometime. I honestly don't know when I will go to Argentina but with Elder Verges (the argentine) I feel like I'm really close to the people. Also the puerto rican is named Elder Tapia just for future reference. It takes awhile to get used to all these spanish names like the prophets in the bible hahahaha I was like now turn to this chapter in Juan(john) and it made me laugh a little. Or like james is Santiago it's crazy how different things feel. I think I may be getting sick so let's hope not, but I have been coughing more then ever in my life it's awful! ugh. I'm proud of you all and hope that you guys are doing good. Also I will leave with this, latin culture is crazy but awesome. Soccer is life, everyone loves soccer no joke. our best resources for getting investigators to know church members and come to church is playing soccer. I am going to get pretty good. hahah I love it though. I have never eaten so much beans rice and meat. HEAVEN! I love you all and want you to do good. Remember to pray and stay humble because when you do that, your life changes, others lives change and you can witness miricales in all that you need!



Love you, Mucho amor para ustedes!



Elder Mitch Woods.



1428W 1650N APT. 307 Layton UT. 84041



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