The Ice is Almost Gone!

Well, just another week here in good old Arkansas. I am not too homesick. I am keeping really busy and honestly for some reason it helps to see the Elders a lot around here. They keep me sane ;) I see Elder Ludwig and Elder Dalton (who reminds me a lot of Braedon) like everyday. And my companion is just awesome! We have a good time. I love the area and the people. So I am doing good!  This week is my bike week... that will be fun. Today if feels really nice out and I don't even need a jacket. I Dont have much time so just warning you now my sentences might not be complete... Last week on P-day after we emailed we had a Nerf gun war with the Elders in the church. It was super fun. And of course we played Chairsketball. LOVE THAT GAME. 

Thanks for all the packages, when I get up the stairs to my apartment and see a box there I literally squeel! haha it is pretty great!

We had a Zone Conference this week in Hot Springs. It was about an hour drive. Some really sad news at this meeting was that at dinner appointments with members there can only be one companionship. So we can not eat with our district anymore for dinner at members :( Which is all we do. We only have like 3 families that feed us so if we have to switch off meals between the 4 sets of companions we will have like one meal a transfer... I am so bummed and dont understand why but I guess I have learned sometimes we just have to do things and we dont know why to test our faith. And believe me is it testing my faith ;) 

Haha funny Spanish thing. I forgot to mention this my first week but I got a blessing from Branch Pres. Barrientos (you are supposed to get one from you Branch Pres when you are new in the area) and in the blessing I kept hearing pollo (chicken) en espanol. I had no idea why he was blessing me with chicken... I was a bit confused... Come to realize he was saying apoyo which means support. Oh spanish is great. 

We met the most awesome family this week. Rosa y Jugo. They were referrals and we went to go visit them and we knocked on their door and before we even said who we were she told us to come in. We started talking to her and found out that she has 4 kids that live in El Salvador and they have not seen their kids for 6 years because it is really hard to get a VISA for them. We prayed with them and in the prayer she started crying and right after the prayer she asked where our church was and told us she cant come this week but she is for sure going to come next week. It was so cool! We talked about families and how we know they can live for ever and she just started crying. The spirit was so strong. My companion and I have been praying for our investigators to be able to see that we are called of God and to be able to find someone that is ready to accept the gospel right now and see that they need this gospel in there life. We challenged them to read the first pamphlet and they agreed and she just was so excited. I know that God answers prayers and that He is preparing people right now to accept it. We just need to ask and we will be able to find these people. We are going back tonight to teach them and I am SO excited! 

I got a new skirt this week. Hma. Barrientos gave it to me. Its cute! So... the beef jerkey you sent me... I didnt know it had to be refrigerated... I opened it the other day and there was mold all in it :( 

We had our Xmas party with the branch and english ward as well this weekend. The missionaries and a few members sang Noche de Luz at it. We also helped decorate a room with a lot of different nativities and Xmas lights and what not. It turned out looking really pretty but took lots of time. There were a lot of people at the party and lots of yummy food. None of our investigators showed up though :(

So I play piano every week in Relief Society. Its pretty great. I only make about 20 mistakes a song because I dont get to practice them before hand but its okay. This week in church I also was asked to share a small talk/my testimony. In spanish. To only spanish speakers. It was really scary. But I know that God helped me out a lot with it and everyone afterwards told me how good my spanish was and that they were able to understand what I was saying so that made me feel good :) The second speaker only spoke English so Pres. Barrientos had to translate for him the whole time. It was awesome. 

We ate at the Franklins house again last night and they fed us deer stew (yes it was a real deer that he killed awhile back) it was actually really good! It kind of tasted like pot roast. I liked it. And we had those home made thin mints cookies again. THOSE ARE SO GOOD. And we also practiced because we are singing Angels we have heard on high (I cant remember the title in Spanish) next week in Sacrament. Hma Howton, Hma Mitchell y Johnson, yo, y Hma. Franklin. It sounds really pretty and we have solos and duets and I am excited! 

Well thats about it for this week. I Love you all! 

Hermana Goudie

My cute Christmas tree. THANKS SO MUCH MOM!!! I love it! Our apartment feels
festive now! :) Also the Christmas music. I LOVE IT!! And the cute piano ornament and lotion and
tissues and dice game and keychain. I JUTS LOVE IT ALLL! THANK YOU!!!

Mi primo y Alfredo (he is a recent convert and is AWESOME!!! He bought us Wendy's last week) and he
comes to lessons with us at Luis quite often. He is un jefe (boss).

This is a puppy that we always see at Luis house. By the way. He was supposed
to be baptized this week :( His neice randomly got really sick and started having seizures so he
couldn't make it to church to be baptized. :( Pray for him. He is ready to be baptized. I know it!

Some ladies in the Spanish branch. These are the ladies that sang Noche De Luz (Silent Night)

Mi distrito! I love them. :) This was part of what we helped decorate for the party.