Elder Woods

2011-07-09T08:55:00.001-07:00

speak to me in a language i can hear
humor me before i have to go
deep in thought i forgive everyone
as the cluttered streets greet me once again
i know i can't be late, supper's waiting on the table
tomorrow's just an excuse away
so I pull my collar up and face the cold, on my own
the earth laughs beneath my heavy feet
at the blasphemy in my old jangly walk
steeple guide me to my heart and home
the sun is out and up and down again
i know i'll make it, love can last forever
graceful swans of never topple to the earth
and you can make it last, forever you
you can make it last, forever you
and for a moment i lose myself
wrapped up in the pleasures of the world
i've journeyed here and there and back again
but in the same old haunts i still find my friends
mysteries not ready to reveal
sympathies i'm ready to return
i'll make the effort, love can last forever
graceful swans of never topple to the earth
tomorrow's just an excuse
and you can make it last, forever you
you can make it last, forever you

the last weeks

2011-05-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Don Hector Puitan Lopez and his scultures. Angel and the guatelaman valcanoes

2011-03-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

2011-03-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

2011-02-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Stuff from the past few weeks.

2011-02-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

this is my new neighbor. he is an absolute amazing person. based upon he is absolutely crazy and funny. he calls himself an inventor. he demonstrated to us his new invention the other day. it was a screw. a long 4 inch long screw with some nuts on it and a wheel bearing on it. (you ca not make this stuff up) that was it! he says it will suck on air and blow it out cold! we wished him luck in his endeavours. he is known to us now as the Scientist.

this is one of his roosters i named him ´little jerry´(from senfield) although my companion has never seen senfield so i am the only one laughing.

this is my best buddy in the mission. Elder Hutchings. we get along great. i have know idea where our conversation come from and where they are headed to, but they are always amazingly funny.

the most amazing food i ahave seen in 20 months. french toast.
Lake atitlan. one of the book of mormon cities is underneath the water.
3 Nephi 8:14

2011-01-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

not the greatest of pictures but the greatest of moments.

2011-01-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Santa Lucia

glad to know you are at home and safe

Thanksgiving Photos

2010-12-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

This is ElderAceituno. we had a lot of success together but for only one change. only 6 weeks with 14 baptisms. he went home back to Honduras a few weeks ago

I Believe

2010-11-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

When you change what you believe you start to change what you do!

i have started to think about all the possibilities that have been put into play in my life. i´m starting to realize for myself that if i just ask myself is that REALLY WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO BE THE TRUTH JAMES? all seems to work out perfect. may not be easy. but for sure the spirit is following my choice. painters work in paint. sculptures in clay or rock. fly fisherman work with feathers line water and many other things. businessman with the stock market, bonds, and things of the sort. while i as a disciple a misionary of the restored gospel, i work with the spirit. The Holy Ghost. the third part of the God Head

Las Delicias

2010-10-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

in the ancient area of El Baul. in the city of Sana Lucia Cotzumalguapa
about an hour from the pacific coast line. rich in mayan and spanish cultures. i have come acustome to the 90 degree weather. the mission work has been very well, at times almsot impossible. but with time and diligence the fruits have formed.
yes Brothers take it to GOD

Being stretched.

2010-08-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

a spiritual note. without pictues. the mission is full of memories(as you can kind of tell by the picture). life for that matter is too. to serve a mission is to live a small life. you can look at the pictures i have and say wow there is so much positive things happening!!! which is true and all these things are very very deep in my heart. those moments and photos are evidence of the fruit of a lot of work and growth. to think about all that has happened to me is a lot to deal with. i´m thinking about my life to come later on lately. i am a bit timid for it to come. i am completely free to soak in the gospel of the one who createdall things, who knows all things and suffered for all things. i can think of the most discouraging and hardest moments of my 26 years here on the earth. and all that i have experienced in the last 13 months seems to be the most difficult. the Lord has blessed me through the path i have taken. i have gained such a faith that i feel prepared for everything and anything. i feel completely different. there is no room for sadness in any form in my heart. i feel so optimistic about the future, even though a bit timid. i learned with out a doubt that my redeemer lives. that in him is the only hope we can have. in the words of the ´preacher´, vanity of vanities saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities;all is vanity. or in the words of the apostle Paul. the things seen are all temporal. the things which aren´t are eternal. that we may know, ¨that this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.¨ all our dreams and goals are more real to me than ever before. i just want to finish with this thought. from Jesus the Christ Elder Talmage said most likely our savior our Lord Died of a broken heart. we are here to become more like him. to be more unifed. we have all fallen short. but we can repair his heart.
this thought from Alma 28

And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men. And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life

we are unequal. we are not unified. but we can be. through his gospel. having a perfect brightness of hope. looking forward with one eye and one faith. healing his heart. go out and be stretched. experience life and help all his children be closer together.

2010-07-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

5th 6th and part of the 7th change!

2010-05-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well simply i have met many friends in the mission. its been amazing. this is an elder who got sick though he went home....but at any rate he´s fine now, he looks like McLovin

This girl got baptized a week after i left my last area. i only knew he for about 2 weeks. sad time Flies on the mission!

this is a family that i baptized. they sacrificed alot for the gospel, almost their house!

this is a picture me standing in my third area overlooking my 2nd area. behind that is the Lake Amatitlan. which maybe perhaps the waters of mormon!

This family got baptized a the week after i left my 3rd area. they were amazing. they were my favorite family to visit they were always watching the Latino Soup operas and i love them too. i never get to watch them all the way through only for about a minute or so. but at any rate they all got baptized minus the boy on the bottom right and the lady in the very middle. they were already members.

this family we found and they got baptized almost 2 weeks after i left my last area. or my 3rd area. it was hard to leave so many people i loved and miss their baptisms. but it was amazing to have been able to teach them.

this girl in the very center got baptized a week after i left my thrid area or my last area.(you can see a pattern here) she had moved from the states to guatemala. i actually got to talk in english for a change! she is a great person and amazing how her testimony grew when we where teaching her.

this is a fmaily that was baptized before i got to my thrid area. but i spent alot of time near them and doing things for them, i painted there house and did other things for them. in return they made lunch every saturday. they are very close to my heart

now i´m in antigua. this was on my birthday. these 2 were baptized, and are wonderful kids

i have dogs that live near my house now they come and visit in the night time. to bad they smell horrible so our visits are short, if at any

this was my district a few weeks ago. pretty much the same. but i have a new companion.

this guy was baptized a 2 weeks ago. we should have much more in the weeks to come

2010-03-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

as you can see i am doing really well. i hope all is well back in the united states. the tamales here are good but they consist of bones. i have been asking everyone here why they have bones. and have not come to a relavent conclusion. i just say to myself when in rome do as the romans do. and enjoy hurting your teach on the bones. other than that i am great. a little bit tired in the morning. i have sought permission from the mission president to start a book. and so when it was granted, i have commenced my first novel. but i may turn it in to a 3 act play we will see as time develops. oh yeah ants invaded my house. the casualties were many as you can kind of see. i was only stung once. the ants may have one of the battles but they lost the war!

24 de Enero

2010-01-25T10:25:00.000-08:00

2010-01-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

no need to worry the guns were toy guns which made for a great day of shooting other elders with plastic beebee´s. i am doing great, i wish everyone a happy new year. a year of progression! PLEASE!

the 2nd and 3rd change

2010-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

GUATEMALA 1st Change

2009-10-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

things are going amzing for me in Guatemala. i am having the happiest time of my life. until we meet again

Addresseseseses

2009-06-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

If you have to have to send me something. don't i'll be fine for at least 2 years :-)
Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 E
Provo UT 84604

Pouche service.
please use pouche service for sending me letters. if you are wanting to write me a letter, write it down, fold 3 panels evenly and tape it shut. no envelopes.
please use this service when sending letters.
Elder James Paul Woods
Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City UT 84130-0150
USA

if you want to send me a package
please use US Parcel post only.fedex DHL i will hae to pay an extra fee. then fill out a small list and amount the items cost that are inside the box.
Elder James Paul Woods
Guatemala Guatemala City Central MissionApartado 921-A Zona 9
01009 Guatemala City
Guatemala
Telephone 502-2331-8609

Called to Serve

2009-06-22T21:31:00.001-07:00

I LOVE MY FAMILY AND THE GOSPEL

2009-06-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

Today was the last sunday before i left. i woke up and went to go say goodbye to my nephew. the little guy is a hand full. but is so smart and funny. i love him as if he was my own son. maybe not quite as much but i love him a ton. i was taking him to his dads house. asking him what he thought about church. he did not know who heavenly father was. he understood we should love jesus. he knew who god was. but simple concepts LDS children know. it can be heart breaking to know someone you love who is young and innocent doens't know. usually i was upset by it. but i talked to him. i told him that we should grow up strong and smart. thats God's plan for us. we should learn about our selves and heavenly father. the more we know about those two things we can find happiness. i realized a huge blessing in my life. if i can teach the people in Guatemala as if i was teaching it to a child. and help them understand then i could be a great teacher. that is so often true in our lives. when things are hard they prepare you for the future. i told my nephew that today was a special sunday cause we had to think of heavenly father and our own dads. so he got excited and was saying "yes james it is special we need to get my dad a card. we need to stop at the grocery store." this little 5 year old told me how to get to the grocery store. he went inside and picked out a card. although his mom and dad are not on best terms and divorced. what a wonderful opportunity to show christ like love. so he got his dad a card. and such love was felt by anyone who can hear it.

so i left him and i had to fight back tears. not just for him but because of what the savior has done for us all. i love my savior so much. i love it when people convey their love for family and god through song. this song is for Aiden. i'll miss him so much.

i love music. i realized how you often can make awesome amazing music the more you understand yourself and culture. i noticed watching this movie and video of this band called Sigur ros. its truly beautiful music.

their music fits the wonderful landscapes of their home Iceland. i hear it and i can see where they get their motivation and feelings through their music. you can see their creativity and love flowing from voice and instruments. music is a thoughtful prayer to heavenly father. so this goes back to understanding and learning about ones self. learning about life, where we come from, and where we will go. the more we know about ourselves and about heavenly father the happier we will be. music is one way to show it. prayer is another. teaching is what i am attempting to do. hopefully i can convey the spirit to others. only hours away and i'll be a full time missionary.
thank you to my family. for all the kind words that were shared. thank you to the laughs and smiles. i will miss you.

Being Close to Jesus Christ

2009-06-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a blessing. I love the promises that are in my patriarchal blessing. they come true every time. As I was got done eating, the elders came over and read me a scripture. I am not one to except help easily but this made me feel so great. The help and encouragement i have received humbles me so much. I can't be more blessed. I can't explain how much I feel the saviors love. Some how and in some way the almost impossible task for me to leave is almost here.
I am called to serve the Lord. It is the greatest thing to happen to me in my life. Its the most humbling. For all those who have helped me in anyway possible (good and bad) i thank you so much. You are in my thoughts and prayers so often. i hope the best for you and yours. God Bless.

Guatemala Maps

2009-06-16T09:46:00.001-07:00

into the wild

2009-06-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

i love my failures as much as i love my tears. some how it has been hard to except things in my future because i regret the past. its a shame to let past failures and troubles slow you down. it seems easier said than done but how wonderful it is to feel the past failures be your strength. it is true. it is more important to feel strong than to be strong. i think finally tonight i am at peace with who i am and will be. i have been forgiven as i have forgave others. the confidence i have is based on my faith. as i leave in a few days. hellos and goodbyes are pleasantries but are no further than timestamps. i'll love you all at any point in time.

i feel so...

2009-05-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

comforted and happy

winning

2009-05-05T00:41:00.001-07:00

today i put my knowledge of the gospel into work. with help from the lord. i had 2 letters in the mail today. one from my mission president, the other from the VA. both shined the light on my future. possibilities of what may come in my life are great. i will be paid in full for my tuition, housing, and books. even though i'm not with the person i feel so strongly for, life goes on. i finally got time to do something i wanted to do for along time. i watched a movie i've wanted to see for so long. it was not like i read, but still the movie was better than i could imagine. at any rate this is how i have always pictured married life without kids to be like

oh how beautiful life is when you are in love. no matter if the person is accepting, unknowing, or totally immersed as you are.

Losing

2009-05-03T21:17:00.001-07:00

they say losing depends on how the person perceives it. how you handle it. when you take it and learn from it, no matter if you win or lose. the only difference in winning and losing is in how the outside world treats you.

when you win you can find joy
Alma 29:16 Now, when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy.

when you lose you can find joy
2 Nephi 2:25 Adam fell that men might be; and men care, that they might have joy.

when you lose its good to remember the ultimate goal
D&C 31:9 Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast.

when you win its good to remember the ultimate goal
Jacob 2:13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

As of tonight i feel like i lost my best friend in the world. i feel so very alone. but with a lose or win there is always one way to lean.

under the stones, water, and time are the words of god.

2009-05-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

i made a trip to Utah. to see friends and confess i had a pure longing for some one special. i came back with friends that turned out to be amazing. although my feelings of longing were not accepted. i know that in my heart they were pure. that for me, is good enough. i now know who i need to be. especially for the woman i will be with. i have known for awhile, but i didn't in the past. but i will make the best of what i have and will have. i realized on the plane ride back something that i will carry with me forever. i promise to my heavenly father that i will do my best from now on.
as i took off from Salt Lake the plane hit a ton of turbulence. finally the plane banked to onside very violently. if you can imagine the planes wings being on a 90 to 90 degree angle it must have banked to the right on a 110 to 70. it soon corrected itself but banked to the left then straight down. soon everyone was nervous. we had a bumpy ride the whole way their. now through many things in my life i have notice it took a long hard road to be blessed. from having my family learn the gospel. my mission call, my service in the marines, to finding someone to marry. all the way to the greatest gift of returning home to my heavenly father. it maybe a bumpy hard ride, it may even bank violently. scare or even bring you to feel horrible about yourself. it maybe long hard and disappointing. but the joys of getting to where you want to be or even back home to eternal salvation. it will be worth it.