12.19.16 Elder Bennett of the Seventies conducted our Half-Mission Conference

12/19/16

Hello everyone!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

This last week has been such an awesome week full of lots of fun experiences! The weather has been back and forth from 20 to 50 degrees. We went on exchanges with Sister Hyer and Sister Hymas.

When we got up in the morning EVERYTHING was iced over. President said no mission cars on the road until noon so we got lots of lesson reports done. Later that night we went to try some of our referrals the stairs were covered in ice. We didn't let that stop us though we just walked down backwards so we wouldn't slip, ha ha. 

On Tuesday we had a half mission conference where we were visited by Elder Bennett of the 70! It was an incredible experience. He truly taught by the spirit. He said most of the things he talked to us about weren't the things he talked about with the other half of the mission. He related lots of amazing experiences from when he was a mission president in Russia. His daughter had served in that mission as well. It showed me that our Heavenly Father is truly aware of each of us. He said that when she got home she wondered if she had even helped anyone on her mission.

While Elder Bennett was serving there as mission president he told us that he ran into several people that had been touched by his daughters service. One of my favorite ones he had shared was a man who came into one of the church building one day with a crumpled up pass along card. The man said it really stuck out to him when he was passing by gutter. He said he took it home and cleaned it off. Then he went to the address written on it. I can not imagine how the missionaries must have felt as they passed that card out to someone who immediately crumpled it up. I know that it was such a great blessing to the man who found it though.

Elder Bennett reminded us that no effort is wasted when we are serving the Lord.  Sometimes we are just planting seeds and sometimes we are preparing a way for others.

I know that this Gospel is true and that it truly blesses so many lives. Heavenly Father knows when people are ready to accept it.

Yesterday we met a man named James he has been reading the Book of Mormon for years and he said he knows it is the word of God. He said we could come back and teach him tonight and I hope that now is the time he has been prepared for. We have so many friends who are doing so amazing!

Judith is getting ready to get baptized next week and she is so excited! We have Jack who has been meeting with missionaries off and on for over 25 years and right now he is praying about being baptized. I know that whenever their time is the Lord will make it possible for them to be able to get baptized. 

I am so grateful for this Christmas season that reminds us of our savior Jesus Christ who came into the world or each and every one of us. What a great blessing it is to have the fullness of the Gospel. I was reading in Mosiah about how the gospel truly changes people's hearts. I know that as we fully embrace it we will be changed for the better. I am so excited to see our friends lives changed as they take these steps for themselves! Thank you all so much for your support in one way or another so I can have this amazing opportunity. 

Love, Sister Goudy