11.14.16 Week on Bikes

Hey there everyone! 

So this week the sisters and I made up a biker gang.  We took our car in the shop to get the bumper fixed and they weren't sure how long it would take.  So we asked the office elders if we could get some bikes thinking it would only be a couple of days.  We are still on bikes to this day.  It's been a lot of fun though. I don't think there's any greater way to strengthen a companionship then to stick them on bikes.  We've even got some great parables we have created from the whole experience.

We've been blessed in lots of ways from this awesome learning experience.  Like we had pizza four nights in a row which gave us lots of fuel to ride. We had a built in air conditioner because it's been kind of chilly and we've had some really supportive members come with us to lessons.  We've learned that Virginia is full of lots of hills but we've gotten really good at climbing them!

I think one of the biggest things we've accomplished while on bikes is being able to plan out our days more effectively. Usually our days would be from one end of our area to the other but that would be really hard on our bikes so we tried to focus on one specific area. It brought a ton of blessings! 

One day we were in this neighborhood and everyone we had put in our schedule to see we ran into one way or another.  We met a less active family who was super nice they invited us over for lunch this coming weekend. Also by being on bike, we were able to meet some really cool people that we wouldn’t have talked to being in our car. We didn't meet any new investigators but we planted a lot of seeds and made some really good friendships.   

By Saturday we were kind of sad we hadn't found anyone to teach so we stepped up our game and prayed really hard that we would be in the right place to find the one person who was truly prepared. That day we went to a lesson and she wasn't home but her husband was and so we started talking to him. One of the many things I love in Preach My Gospel is how it says, "Teach when you find and find when you teach.”  By doing that I have seen so many miracles and we have found some of the coolest people.  Her husband had many questions and truly desired to learn more.  It will be so cool because now we will have the chance to teach the whole family! 

One big thing I have learned from my mission can now be related in an experience we had on our bikes the other night. We were riding home on the blacktop side walk. When we got to a point in the hill all of the cars ahead had there lights shining so we could not see where we were going.  All we could see was the end destination.  We had to trust that if we looked forward we would end up where we needed to go.  As we kept pushing forward the coolest thing happened, the light turned green and the cars came closer to us lighting our path for just a short moment before it was dark again.  As we all got to the corner we related to each other what we had learned from that.  Each having a slightly different experience, we each learned something different.  It reminded me of our missions so much.

 We are each called to a different mission. Right where we need to be.  Yet each missionary in a mission will have a tailored experience just for what they need. That night I was reminded of how I have been trying to trust in the Lord.  Many times we can't exactly see what is right in front of us or what he intends for us.  But we can see the end goal which is exaltation and eternal happiness.  That is something I definitely want and I want that for everyone! The journey will be hard but the reward will be so great in the end.

I know that the message we share is one of hope and happiness that people truly want to understand more.  On Saturday we got the chance to go to mass with our friends Matt and Mary.  It was a really a symbolic experience that has truly shaped them into the people they are today.   One of my favorite things about being a missionary is that we are never here to take away from anyone's faith.  We just want to help them partake in the extraordinary gifts and blessings the Lord has in store for them. 

I know that this gospel is true.  I know that we truly can live with our Heavenly Father again.  I know that this life is to prepare us to live with our Heavenly Father.  He sent the most perfect guide into the world and he will never lead us astray!  I am so grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ.  I know that through him we can overcome anything!  

I love you all.

Sister Goudy 

The Awesome Threesome

Elders and Sisters

11-7-16 J.C.'s Baptism

Hi there everyone!

 The mission is treating  us well and we are learning lots! We've been working really hard to find people to work with. In this area we meet lots of people but a lot of the people here are super busy so we've been trying to get in with them again. We have some pretty unique lessons on people's door steps or over dinner. The other day we did a church tour with our friends Mark and Tommy. Tommy is Autistic he loves trains and is really good at sports. We get the chance to be his friend and think of creative ways to teach them the gospel.  On Saturday we did a church tour with them. To,my was really excited to lead us from room to room. I think his favorite room was the chapel. When I was in Warrenton one of the members said that the chapel is considered an ordinance room and for that reason I truly believe the sprite is always very strong there. As we sat in the chapel Tommy happily walked around while the awesome member that came with us played some hymns on the piano. It was really cool to hear Mark say that he feels we came at just the right time and that he has been looking for a good place for Tommy to find friends. After the church tour we got to go to the park and play softball with them. We made up a really good team.

Later that Saturday sister Hyer and I got to go back to Warrenton for our friend JCs baptism. It was so cool to be back there and remember all the cool experiences and Miracles we saw. We found JC the week that our mission had a goal to find 300 new investigators and at the same time the ward was having a 40 day fast. It was incredible one of the members that was moving out gave us a referral  for one of their friends. We went over and they were super nice but not interested. We asked them if anyone had moved in recently  and they sent us over to Lindsay and Denie. The awesome mom and daughter who love reading The Book of Mormon together. We asked them the same thing and they sent us over to JC.  It was so incredible to see how receptive he was from the beginning.  At the baptism his two kids sang amazing grace with the sisters.  It was an all around awesome experience.

On Wednesday will sister Nenneman was on exchanges with the sisters.  Sister Roberts and I got to go teach the achievement day girls how to do hair. They were so excited to see us and we had a ton of fun learning with them. As we were leaving we talked to one of the members and he was telling us about his neighbor who he felt would be really open to learning more. Turns out it was the same person sister Roberts had been looking at in our area book and wanted to go try her. I know that we are truly being guided in the work and that we truly could not do it alone. It's really interesting to see the days when we are just following the schedule and the other days when we are following the spirit. It makes a huge difference.

I am so grateful for this chance I have to serve here and to learn new things it's been a great experience. I am so grateful for the restored gospel and the happiness it brings. I know that this gospel is true. I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Goudy

P.S.: Presidents birthday was this week so we made a rap for him.

10.31.16 Halloween 2016

Hey everyone!                                                  Halloween 2016

We had a really great week this week and a happy Halloween! A couple of highlights were we put our friend Charles on date for baptism. We found out JC, one of my investigators in Warrenton, is getting baptized. So Sister Hyer and I will be going back this weekend for it. We are so excited! We had a great turn out at Trunk-or-Treat. And we had two of our investigator at church this Sunday!




We've been working with our friend Mark and it's been so cool to see him progress. We started by doing service for him and the other night we got to go to dinner with him and his son. We are going  to be doing a church tour with the them this week and then hopefully they will be coming to church on Sunday.

Our friends Matt and Mary came to Church on Sunday! It was awesome! They seemed to really love it and the members really reached out to them. One of the members invited them over for dinner next Sunday. They are making lots of new friends. We had dinnerwith them this last week and they made us a really good pot pie. I never knew how missionaries ended up with more than one dinner but this last week we had two in one night!

Trunk-or-Treat this week was a hit! We had three of our investigators there. It was a Chili cook-off. We dressed up as the three littlepigs. It was so fun!!!

This Sunday we talked about Elder Holland's talk about home teaching. I didn't realize how important visiting and home teaching were until I came out on my mission. I have decided that really all you need to do is just be their friend. So that's definitely something I want to be better at.

Hope you all have a great week and a Happy Halloween! We aren't allowed to go out tonight and so we will be going to the church soon to watch 17 Miracles with our zone.

Love you all!

Sister Goudy

Dunford donuts from the bakery in West Jordan, Utah.  A taste of home!

10.24.16 Chopped down a Tree . . .well at least we helped!

Hey everyone!                                              10.24.16

This week has been a blast! We did service for our friend Mark and he let me chop down a big chunk of his tree. I had exchanges with Sister Hyer and Sister Lidell. We ran into our friend Rachel and we had a lot of fun finding.  

I'm learning Spanish! There is one neighborhood we go to and at every house we ask them how to say something. They usually get a good laugh out of us. I'm super excited for Halloween because we have our wards trunk or treat! It will be a great way to meet lots of people. For Halloween we will have our p-day and then meet together as a zone for a missionary movie. We aren't allowed to go out probably because we'd just end up with a lot of candy. Ha ha.

Friday afternoon we went over to our friend Mark's house to help him in his yard. It was a really cool experience because the week earlier we had been trying to figure out how we could help him. When we went over for his lesson he wasn't feeling very well so sister Roberts asked him about some bags of bark he had in his yard. We asked if we could help and he was so excited! When we came back he had us help him cut down his tree. It was awesome! I don't think I have ever used an ax before.

Since there is three of us they did exchanges a little bit differently they are only going to take one of us at a time. It was cool because I got to just watch and learn from them that way. They were getting ready for their friend Sarah's baptism. It made me really excited to help our friends prepare for baptism. We set a goal as a zone to put one person on date for baptism a week. I think it will be a good goal for us because we have found a lot of people but we are struggling to get past the first lesson. 

We hadn't heard from our friend Rachel for a long time so one night we felt like we needed to go by and see her. Right as we were walking up to her apartment she was walking out! It was perfect! She was so excited to see us and said she was planning on coming to church on Sunday. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks we will have a lot of solid people we are meeting with every week.

Today, we went to the historic Balls Bluff battlefield right on the border of Virginia and Maryland. We went with all of the sisters in our zone.  It was a lot of fun. We walked right down to the Potomac river.  Then afterwards we had Chick-Fil A for lunch. It was a lot of fun.

Zone Sisters

I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve the Lord here in Virginia. I know that this gospel is true and I know it truly blessed our lives as we live by it's principals. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and he wants more than anything to have us return to live with him. I know that the Book of Mormon truly is the word of God and that there are so many promised blessing as we read it. I have been going through all of the talks from conference and one of my favorites was the one called "Power in the Book." It talks about the incredible power in the Book of Mormon. I am trying to trust more in that promise that as we hand copies out that people will feel the sprit as they read it. This week we tried to hand out as many copies of the Book of Mormon as possible and we did awesome! I know that as we truly study and feast upon the words of Christ, we WILL be strengthened.

 Sisters Lidell, Goudy & Hyer

Love, Sister Goudy

10-17-16 The Three Musketeers

                                                 10/17/16
Hey Everyone!
                                                    

Three Musketeers

I hope you have had a great week! I love being in the trio it is so much fun! The sister Roberts and sister Nenaman keep me laughing. We did a lot of finding this week. Leesburg is such a fun area to serve in, too. A lot of the people are very educated so sometimes it's really intimidating when we go up to talk to them but between the three of us we usually know what to say.

One of the coolest miracles we saw from our finding was one night when we were trying to decide where we needed to go. After we prayed we decided we should go try a lady we had met earlier in the week. We got to her apartment complex but we could not find her building. As we were walking around we ran into a lady named Rachel. We stopped and talked to her. She said we are so different from other people. Haha, in her own works she said, "you guys are so cute and cheesy."  We went back the next day and had another lesson with her and it was incredible!! I know that the gospel truly does bring us happiness!   It was such a blessing to run into Rachel. I know that we were guided to where we needed to be.

Also, this week we got to go to a Sr. Center to play bingo.  I was in charge of calling the numbers and I learned they really do love their bingo. One time I accidentally called the wrong number (hahah) it was not pretty. They were so fun to play with though. There was a man who would call the number right after I did but he would say it in all sorts of fun voices.  It was really funny. We are hoping to go back again this week.

We had a fun time this week learning how to jump our car. We found out that the battery had been low and so every time we stopped we had to have someone jump us. Luckily, it was the end of the night so we didn't have too many places to go. One of the members said we should use it as a finding method. We got it all fixed today it was pretty funny!

We went to the temple Visitors Center with our friend Johnnie.   She is the only member in her family. She is super excited to go to the temple. On Sunday when we talked to her she said she told her daughter about the experience and she was saying she would like to go sometime, too. She is so excited to share the excitement with her.

On Thursday, we had our zone conference and it was so fun. I felt like everything we talked about was just for me! We talked about having the faith to find new investigators. They shared several of the scriptures where the Lord says the field is white already to harvest. I know that there are people who the Lord is preparing to have us share this message with. Every time I leave zone conference I am so excited to set new goals and go out and find people.

I think my favorite part of the whole thing was getting to hear from our Stake President speak on somethings we can do to work with the members. He gave us a great list of small and simple things, that I know will truly build their trust in us. It was such a blessing to get to meet so many incredible members of the church. We have a tradition at zone conference where some of the ward members in the stake make us a really nice lunch, then when we are done we sing, "Called to Serve," to the sweet sisters who made our lunch. This time all of the sisters have kids on missions. It was such a cool experience. When the stake president was talking to us he said we need to make sure we thank our families for making the sacrifice so we can be here. He said he didn't realize how hard it was for his parents to send him on his mission until he sent his children on their missions. He said it is a bigger sacrifice as a parent than it is as a teenager.

I am so grateful for this chance I have to serve the Lord. I have learned so much and my testimony has grown even more. I know at this truly is Christ’s church on the earth today! I know that he loves us and he wants us to be able to return to live with our Heavenly Father.

Love, Sister Goudy

Our Latest Finding Approach ?

Our New Mascot???

At the Temple with Johnnie

Video of First Area

Here is a link to Shelby's First Area Experiences



https://animoto.com/play/T2C8Tcg0I040oPXmhhlavQ

10-10-16 Left Warrenton Gone to Leesburg

10/10/16

Hey everyone this week was transfers.

I have been transferred to the Goose Creek Ward in Leesburg, VA. Leesburg is in Loudin County which is one of the richest counties in the country. It's a lot different from my last area. We live in an apartment complex above a shopping center kind of like Gateway. The sisters call it Babylon. Something even cooler with transfers seven been put in a trio so not only do I have one new companion I have two incredible sisters to work with. Sister Roberts and Sister Nenaman!  They are awesome! They are hard working and excited to serve.

Babylon

Sisters:  Roberts, Goudy & Nenaman

Sister Roberts is the sister that has been in the area the longest. This is her first area and she has been here for almost 6 months. She is super sweet and easy to get along with. The other day we were driving through a neighborhood and she saw a turtle trying to cross the road so she quickly pulled over and helped it across. It was pretty awesome!

Sister Nenaman actually came out with Sister Roberts so they both have almost been out for 6 months. Sister Nenaman was in my last zone with me so we have met before. She loves to work hard and helps us out so much. They both are so awesome and I think we work really well together. It's going to be so fun to work in a trio. Things are a lot funnier in a trio though like when we walk up to someone's door and there are three of us standing there they give us some funny looks. It's kind of funny to watch us move around the apartment too it's kind of a smaller place for 3 of us but it works. I'm excited to see all the cool things we can accomplish.

My last couple of days in Warrenton we did some pretty cool things. We had a great lesson with Aaron about tithing we gave him some gold candy bars to represent how much money he made. Sister O'Donnal had lots of creative ideas to help him learn in a fun way. It was incredible to see the change in him overtime. He was going to get baptized this weekend but they decided to wait so his whole family can be a part of it. I'll keep you posted.

Aaron

We had a great lesson with our investigator Maurice he is so sweet. It is so humbling to see how excited he is to learn. Sometimes I take for granted this incredible knowledge of the restored gospel and the amazing blessing it is.

Maurice

We had one of the awesome sister’s in the ward come out with us for the night. She is preparing to go on a mission. It was really fun to get to answer a lot of her questions and help her prepare. I said goodbye to a lot of incredible people.   It was such a blessing to get to start my mission in such an incredible area.

I've been thinking a lot about why we move around on our missions. I think we learn a lot about trusting in the Lord as we move to a new place and strive to use all the time we have there to do our very best. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and I know that this is where I need to be. I have been so happy since I have been here. I am so grateful for this chance to share the gospel with everyone! Thank you so much for your love and support.

Love, Sister Goudy