3.27.17 Endure to the End Conference

Hey everyone! 

This week was quite the record breaking week. We had four investigators at church yesterday!!! It was such an incredible blessing and treat. One of the members brought his friend to church that we have been teaching. He was so excited to see us and said he wants to keep meeting with us. He drives all of the way from Maryland to get to our ward in Arlington. Our ward is one of the only, if not the only mid-single ward in the area. People come from all over to meet there. It is so cool to see how incredible each of them are. Sometimes I forget we aren't in a family ward because it feels like they are all one big family. 

Earlier in the week I got to go with two other sisters to a meeting our mission called “Endure To The End.” 

 

I loved to see how much President and Sister Huntsman really and truly love us. They showed us this cool video where a football couch has one of players perform this really hard drill with one of the other players on his back. Before the player starts, the coach puts a blindfold over his eyes and tells him it is so he doesn't give up on himself and quite before he has to. I think sometimes we all can feel like that, we don't think we make it any further. I loved how in the Woman's Conference broadcast on Saturday really focused on being centered on Christ. If we really think about it we all can't make it any further without Him. It was a great reminder to me to stay focused and work harder than I ever have before. One of my favorite lines from the football video was when the player says, "Coach, it burns!" Some days do burn. He keeps going though and is able to make it even further than he ever has before. I know that the Lord will help us to reach our full potential and become outstanding children of God. 

We got to have dinner with my MTC companion the other day. It was really good to see her. She is so incredible! She is striving to follow Gods plan for her even though sometimes it doesn't fully make sense to her. She has been working out here for a couple of months and loves finding ways to share the gospel with the people she works with. She said it's like she's and undercover missionary. 

This has been one awesome week! I hope you all know that I love you. Have a great week! 

Love, Sister Goudy 

 

More Cherry Blossoms

Those Crazy Utah Drivers!

Our Lunch Bunch

3.20.17 First Day of Spring!

Hey everyone!                                                                         3.20.17

This week has been an incredible week! I would sum it all up in this scripture from Isaiah chapter 55 verse 8-9 it says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Heavenly Father knows what we need way more than we do and all we need to do is trust him. At the start of last week our friend Robin texted us and said she had something she wanted to tell us but that she wanted to do it in person. With all of the crazy things that we have had happen with our friends in the last couple of weeks we were pretty worried. We tried to not think about it but it was very hard not to.

As we went to the lesson she shared with us her powerful journey through the gospel. She said that through her 3 years investigating the church she has felt that she was truly putting all her trust in the Lord by stepping out of the boat and walking on the water with him. The she said but after our visit last week I realized I was telling the Lord I trusted him while I was still hanging onto the boat with one hand. She said," I haven't fully let go, so that's why I...... I'VE PICKED MY BAPTISMAL DATE!!!!" She decided at that moment she would fully let go of the boat and trust the in the path the Lord had led her to.

It was so profound the way she had put it. So many times I think I do that where I say I am trusting the Lord while I keep one leg on solid ground. When we fully decide to rely on the Lord that is when we are able to receive all of the blessings God has in store for us. I know it can be hard and I think it is something we are all trying to work on but I know as we work hard and do our best the Lord will bless us. I know that this gospel is true! I hope you have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Goudy 

Oh! The snow storm wasn't too bad. They had us stay off the road until 2:30 and then we just had to be home by 8 pm instead of 9 for 2 days. We got about 6 inches? 

                                                                       Our District

3.13.17 Good Things to Come

Hey everyone! 

We are starting to get the winter weather here now. We are supposed to have some snow tonight and tomorrow so they want us home tonight by eight instead of nine. Then tomorrow we might need to stay inside all day. I can't decide if it is going to be a really big storm or if they just aren't as used to it so it seems like a lot. Can't wait to see what happens. 

This last week. We had some cool experience and some more growing experiences. Our friend JR got to go to the temple for the first time! We had dinner with him before he went.

We met a really cool guy named Robert who has been baptized several times into different churches and when we taught him about the priesthood he really understood it.

Another friend decided she didn't want to meet with us anymore either. That was hard. We were pretty sad having two people drop us in the last couple of weeks but it was cool to see how the Lord truly provided a way. I love this scripture in Alma 26 verse 27 it says: "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success."

We decided to look at the things we were doing and figure out what we needed to fix. We decided we needed to be better about being on time. This has been a big struggle for me all of my life and so working on it now has been kind of hard. I have decided that I will work my hardest and my best while I am in an area and trust that the Lord will have us be there as long as we need to be there. Instead of staying for an extra five minutes to knock one more door. As we have done this we have seen so many blessings. They didn't come right at first but as we kept working they did come. 

Saturday, we had a ward party and we invited one of our former investigators who we hadn't heard from for a long time so we dropped him for a bit. We turned around for a second and there he was! He came to the activity! Not only did he come but he started to get to know the members and said he is definitely interested in meeting with us! We set up a time for this week.  Not only that, we have had several of the members text us about having him over for a lesson so that was such a huge blessing. It was so cool!

Then on Sunday our friend Tony came to church. Tony is awesome! He is the one that asked us for the pamphlet a couple of months ago. He said, "Man I wish I would have come sooner!" He loved it and he followed along in the booklet the whole lesson. He even answered questions before all of the members. IT WAS A HUGE BLESSING!!! 

Then as we were heading downstairs at church we ran into a member and he said, "hey, this is my friend Joe." Turns out he wasn't a member. We talked to him for a while and he said he was really interested in learning more.

 So in the words of Elder Holland: "Don't you quit! You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late. And some don't come till heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."

I add my testimony to Elder Holland’s. I know that things do get hard and it's okay if we acknowledge that they are hard. I also know that as we remember the bigger picture and that our loving Heavenly Father has a plan for us, we will be able to get through it. I know that this gospel is true. I love you all so much and I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Cherry Blossoms

Squirrel Eating 

3.6.17 Moving Day

Hey everyone!  

This week was crazy and eventful week. We had so many different things happen. We went on exchanges with our sister training leaders. It was fun not having to lead everything. We met this cute member they call grandma and she sure loved us. We sang songs to her and had a good old time. We also got to go on the military base to have dinner with a family. I had to go and get a special pass that was pretty cool. Then they had us move apartments the next day. We now live near Franconia in Alexandria. The new address is 7135 Rock Ridge Ln. Apt. D Alexandria, VA. 22315. We love the new apartment it has lots of windows and it was so clean. Our last place we called the dungeon because it only had one main window and a lot of the lights were burned out.

We got to put out friend Tony on date for baptism! He said now is the time and he is so excited. I also got to go back to Leesburg for the baptism of my friend Judith. It was such a cool experience and I got to see all the incredible members. It was on the same day as our car fast (We go one day a week without using our car) so it worked perfectly. We got dropped off at lunch and had a great time. It was kind of crazy when it came to dinner though. We realized all of the dinner places were so far away and so we just shared the piece of bread we had for dinner. It was a crazy and eventful week and I had lots of reminders that there is a time and a season for everyone.

Our friend decided he didn't want to meet with us anymore. He was progressing so well so it was a big surprise. I know he will be able to have the chance to accept the gospel again. He is still a good friend. I know this Gospel is true and it is a huge blessing.

 I hope you all have a great week! 

Love Sister Goudy 

2.27.17 Lots of Good Things Coming Our Way!

Hey everyone!    

I'm really sorry I didn't get an email to you all out last week. We went to Mt. Vernon for Presidents' Day with our friend Jamie. It was a lot of fun but it was really crazy too. We didn't realize how far away it was from us. This area has been such a cool place to serve but such a big adjustment especially with the roads. Most the time I end up going the wrong way so I've decided it isn't a good day until Sister Goudy gets lost.

The other night we were on our way home and turns out I put in the wrong address. We started driving up a road I recognized and that's when I realized I had put in the wrong address. We hurried back home and in the process we got rerouted three times. Ha-ha, very humbling. I think I was a pretty good driver back at home but here I'm pretty sure I would be a close second for worst driver, ha-ha. It makes for a very interesting car ride.

 

The other day we were driving past the Pentagon and the GPS took us right up to the front gates. Knowing my driving my companion started getting nervous thinking I had taken us the wrong way and we were going to get in big trouble. But have no fear it wasn't the wrong way we made it out safe and were able to go for our scheduled trip to the Pentagon today.

We don't have any pictures to prove it so you'll just have to take our word for it. Our member was so nice to take us on a personally guided tour of some of the places it is such a big building. She said it is the biggest non-skyscraper office building in the WORLD.  I'm pretty sure we only saw a very very small portion of it. 

This week we had some really cool experiences. We were driving down the road before an appointment and we felt like we should stop and talk with this guy who was walking his dog. We turned around and yes after a couple of detours, we found a good spot and went up to talk to him. His name is Pedro and he has read from the Book of Mormon and knows it is true. He couldn't understand too much of what we were saying and so we set up a time to come back with a member that could talk to him because we weren't sure if he was a member or not. When we went back, he was ready at the door with his pamphlet. He said he had already read it and knows it's true. He said he wants to be baptized so we quickly passed him to the Spanish sisters. They went over on Saturday and said he is awesome!!!  

Oh also! Do you remember our friend Joe? He is a YSA we gave a pass along to in the gas station. He is on date for baptism!!!! The sisters have been working with them and he is doing great. This Saturday, I will have the chance to go back to Goose Creek and see the baptism of my friend Judith. She is getting baptized the day after her daughter’s birthday.  It is going to be such an amazing step for their family and I am so grateful to have been a part of it.

Another cool experience that happened this week was three of our friends came to church! Not only that but a mother and a daughter looked up a church only and came to visit for the first time. They said they go to the temple lights every year and wanted to come check it out. We will get to put them in touch with some great missionaries. We found out that next march the D.C. temple will be closing for a year and a half. The incredible part is that at the end of that time they will re-dedicate it and allow the public to enter. There is not doubt in my mind that this is going to be one of the BIGGEST missionary opportunities ever! People always want to go inside and now they can. 

We got the chance to be a part of a mini-MTC this weekend. It seems like a common theme in a lot of the areas I have served in to do a mini-MTC which is super cool. The youth seem to really enjoy it. We had a 16 year old girl come out with us. She sure loved it and said she has been trying to decide whether or not to serve. It was cool to see how she has already been thinking about it. I am so grateful for the chance to serve a mission. I know I will never regret it. I am so grateful for all the people that we have been so blessed to work with. I can't wait to see who else is out there. I know that this gospel is true and I sure love it. I hope you all have a great week! 

Love, Sister Goudy 

P.s. We got a new ward mission leader. His name is Mark and he is a rock star. We all got a picture on Sunday for our kickoff meeting. Even before Mark was called he would call us up and ask us what appointments he could come to. He is awesome! 

2-20-17 President's Day at Mt. Vernon

(Excerpts from letter to Mom and Dad)

Mt. Vernon With Sister Von

I'm so sorry I've been bad at emailing lately. Today we went to Mt. Vernon George Washington's house for Presidents' Day because it was free. The traffic was crazy though. We had to park on the side of the road in the woods kind of. We went with our friend Jamie. He took us to some cool things really quick but he said usually it's an all day trip so we will have to come back another time. 

Speaking of parking I'm the driver and so I've had the chance to parallel park a couple of times. I always pray before and the Lord helps me. I remembered a tip my Drivers Ed. teacher taught me. He said he back up for 3 seconds then you turn hard right for three then hard left for three. That and a good prayer have helped me get in -- in one shot!

It's been fun being a trainer but there is a lot of pressure too. Usually you have someone else who knows what they are doing as well. So sometimes I'm like should we do it this way or should we not. I think the new motto is do what you feel is best. If it doesn't feel right don't do it. We had a lesson with the same friend we went to Mt. Vernon with and he's kind of a talker. So everyone got talking and 10 min in we still hadn't said an opening prayer. I felt really bad. I mean it's not a make or break it kind of thing but I should have just said something. I'm trying to work on standing up for what is right because it is so hard when others around you might not be doing the things you should. 

Sister Von and I have had fun though. She is starting to get out of her shell and we have been laughing so that is good. I was really goofy the other day and we had so much fun. We had dinner with our friend J.R. that just got baptized and we got to see him teach his friend about the gospel it was such a cool experience.  We are working on getting all of our recent converts to the temple. I think one of the hard things about training has just been the slower pace. I want to work super fast but sometimes that doesn't work out too well. I've had to slow it down a little. I think Heavenly Father is really teaching me to work with others because there is a lot I could do on my own but that is not how it works. We have to work as a team. 

This area is a cool place to be in. I'm still adjusting to the ward and people. It's definitely different. Some areas I feel like I can see why I am there but here I am kind of still trying to figure that out. There is a lot of historical stuff here. We are going with a member to the Pentagon next Monday. 

There is this great Mormon message called good things to come and I wanted to invite you guys to watch it. I kind of felt that way a little bit because I've been a little trunkie with being out a year. It's so weird to think I haven't seen you guys in that long. I am trying my best to stay focused. I loved that video because it talks about how we have come so far. We have huh? 

I sure love you guys 
& loved the Valentine's Day box!

2-13-17 New Companion From California

Hey everyone, this has been one eventful week. Sister Willes went home on Tuesday and the adventure began. I got called to be a trainer for a new sister and the MTC had arranged it so the new missionaries weren't coming out until Thursday. When I met with president he said he wasn't sure who I would be going with until then and the even funnier part is that when we got to the stake center to send sister Willes home. President came up to me and said so are your new companions here? We then figured out that they had forgot to get a hold of the sisters I was going with so president said well it looks like you are flashing solo. Ha-ha he talked to with assistants and they went on a mad scramble to get a hold of the sisters I was going to be with for a couple of days. Ha-ha it was a great start for the week. We had a lot of fun adjusting our schedules to fit both of our lessons in and everything turned out really well. On Thursday we went to the Train The Trainers meeting and that is when it hit me that I was going to have to lead and teach someone 24/7 for twelve weeks. President talked about how we set the standard for these new missionaries. It's really cool because I am almost training at the exact same time that I was in training a year ago. It reminds me a lot of when I was in training. 

My new companion is Sister Von Savoye. She is Awesome!! She definitely has greenie fire and she is such a quick learner. She is from the Bay Area of California. She went to BYU Idaho before she came out and she is a twin. I am so excited to get the chance to work with her. It has already been a great experience. She has incredible faith that has already brought so many miracles. We have been blessed with a good group of people in our age group to work with. I am so excited to see the growth in this area this transfer. We have kept really busy and I think that has helped us both so much. I'm really excited for this opportunity to serve. 

Some cool things that happened this week: 

Our friend Pam came to church for the first time. I was kind of worried because we hadn't heard anything from her and we hadn't seen her. But when we went to our class she was there!! We were so excited to see her. 

J.R. (The friend that got baptized a couple of weeks ago) got to pass the sacrament!! He did such a great job. We are working on getting him to the temple this transfer. 

Our friend Mike said he was willing to keep the Sabbath day holy and said he would move his schedule so he wouldn't have to work at all on Sunday. He is doing so great. 

Judith, the friend from Goose Creek is getting baptized on March 4th!!! I'm so excited to have the chance to go back and see her and her cute little girls. 

Sister Von Savoey has been doing so awesome at just jumping in and talking to people. The other day she went up to this guy without me even saying anything. She is a rock star. 

I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week. I know that this gospel is true and that it will bring us so much happiness as we fully apply it in our lives. 

Love, Sister Goudy