8.21.17
Hey
everyone! I hope you have had a blessed week. This week was AWESOME!!! Lots of
great things happened. I think the biggest lesson I learned this week is that
what we think might be a mistake might actually not be a mistake at all. I'm
telling ya, the Lord works in amazing ways!
It
all started last Monday. We had just prayed about where we should go to finish
the night. Now you have to know our car doesn't have a way to use our GPS so we
drive solely by memory. I turned down the road I was certain would lead us to
our friends house. As we were driving I remembered this house we had tried
earlier in the week. We flipped the car around and went back. The people didn't
answer but as we were walking away Sister Moore remembered how we had wanted to
try the house across the street when we had come the time before. As we for
closer I realized the lady was out there on her porch. Haha! Not only was she on her porch but she was on
her phone too. But a promptings a prompting so we walked up and said Hello. We
awkwardly stood there and she finished the call. As we talked with her she told
us how she had fallen away from going to church. She said it just wasn't for
her. She said there was only one time she has really enjoyed going to church.
She said it was when she went with her friend Margaret. She went on talking and
expounding on the fact that she really felt at home in her friends church. It
was just at that moment when our jaws almost fell to the floor. She said,
"My friend Margaret goes to the Mormon Church" WHAT!!! That's crazy!
As she said that I realized that we were there for her. She gladly accepted to
come to church with us and said she would begin reading the Book of Mormon. As
we got back to our car we were both shocked and amazed by how the Lord had
truly lead us to this dear woman. We were even more shocked when we came to
realize I had without a second thought taken the wrong road to get where we
were going. Or was it really the wrong road? I truly believe that many times we
feel as though we have made an insistent mistake. Maybe caused a few
unnecessary problems. Satan wants us to feel as though we are the worst and
that we have ruined everything. But our Heavenly Father knows us far better. In
fact I know he gives us plenty of room to make some errors. He definitely does
not expect us to be perfect.
I
remember when I started driving in the city. I felt like I had no idea what I
was doing. I became an expert at U-turns and figured out the perfect timing to
allow my GPS to recalculate. Something that in the moment seemed so time consuming
and really frustrating to an awesome driver such as myself became a very
humbling experience. It taught me to look at what the Lord was trying to
teach me.
Well,
needless to say, later on this week I yet again took a sort of wrong turn. As we
drove down the road I saw a woman walking her dog. I thought maybe we should
talk to her. I pulled over to figure out where to go and again the thought
came. We got out and talked to her and turns out she is good friends with
members as well! She said she would love to get baptized. It's definitely
something she had been thinking a lot about. Wow! Again the Lord had taught me
that my mistake wasn't going to ruin all the plans in fact maybe it was a part
of the plans. I am learning that nothing we can do will frustrate the work of
the Lord.
My
last experience happens just the other day. We were trying to get ahold of this
guy we had met earlier this transfer named Angel. I pulled up the contacts in
our phone and there was only one Angel so I called it. Before the person picked
up the phone I realized it wasn't the right Angel. A woman answered and she was
so excited to hear from us. She said she had moved away and lost contact with
the missionaries but would love to have home stop by. What a miracle!
I
think of the scripture in doctrine and covenants that says, "That the fullness
of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of
the world, and before kings and rulers." D&C 1:23
I
know that I am very weak but with the Lord I am strong. I am so grateful for
these amazing experiences that have reminded me of that. I really can't believe
that my mission is coming to an end. I feel as though it just slipped through
my fingers and flew away. I know I will always hold these amazing experiences
near and dear to my heart. I love my mission and I love the Lord. I know that
Jesus is the Christ. I know that this Gospel is true. I know that is has
changed me and I hope it will continue to do so. I leave this testimony with
you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love,
Sister Shelby Goudy
P.s.
Sorry this is so long. One last thing to add!
President
and Sister Huntsman always take the missionaries to the temple for a session
the day before they go home. This transfer will end the day the temple closes
for cleaning so they took us this week. We met at the mission office and went
to the temple. Got some pictures then went to the mission home for a delicious
Mormon dinner (Cafe Rio!!!). After dinner we had a testimony meeting. It
was so incredible to hear how our missions have truly changed each of our
lives. It was so sad to think that will be our last time in the mission home
though. Our last day in the mission field, instead of doing all that stuff (temple
and out to eat) we will get to go out and finish our missions strong. They will
send us out in a trio for the rest of the night. It will be so fun!
I love you all so much! I hope you have such a blessed week!
