Updates from Hermana Goudie: Getting People to Church...

So I don't about other missionaries but getting people to church is really hard. Sundays are a bit stressful because so many people say they are going to come... and then we call... and then we text... and then we go to their house... and then we wait... and no one comes. BUT! This week was awesome! We had such a cool experience!

So. The miracle 3. They are still the coolest people ever and are still getting baptized. I have faith. But this week Satan has been really working hard to get into their heads. Satan is real. But so is God. And the gospel is TRUE! Anyways... we went over and taught them a couple times this week. Oh quick story. We went over with the Zone Leaders earlier this week to teach them and they asked Whitney how she felt when we first came over and she told me that she could see the light of Christ in my eyes and knew that we had something special to share. I love her SO much and she is such a great example to me and makes me feel like I really am doing the Lords work here and he is changing me each day and that people can see that. It made me feel good :) They told us also that night that they were moving. So we helped them move into their new apartment on Saturday and get everything all settled in on so that on Sunday they could make it to church. All week the 3 of them have been saying they are going to come but Whitney has been a little bit hesitant because she was raised Baptist and she says this is all so new and different. But before we would leave each night she would tell us that she was going to come to church. Their tags on the cars are expired so they said they didn't a ride. President Petersen said that he could pick them up as well so we set everything up for that. So we got a text Saturday night at 11 from Cassius saying that we are going to fast for Whitney and they need to get there thoughts together so they arent going to make it to church "#takinitslow" in his words. So Sunday morning we let President Petersen know the situation but that we are going to head over to their house and get them to come to church. He said he would just wait for the text and would go pick them up if they decided to come. So we text them Sunday morning saying that Satan is dumb and that we are on our way over and Cassius responds as we arrive at his house, "Yea he is but we are un-able to move around chief. Cant go nower yal just go on to church" and we just knew that we still had to knock on their door. So we did. And we got in and started talking about why they didnt want to go to church. I wanted them to come SO bad because I know that they wanted to deep down and that they knew it was right and true. I started crying as I was telling them that God loves them and wants them to come and that we love them so much and thats why we want them to come to church because we know the blessings it would bring and that they could feel the Spirit and get answers at church. Whitney just kept saying that she didnt know and that she would just come next week. She said she was going to go to church at her sisters church today because she didnt know if she was supposed to go to ours. I said "okay. God knows all. Lets pray right now and Whitney, ask God if he wants you to come to our church today with us." So she started praying and started crying and the Spirit was really strong and then she started bawling and looked up at us and said, "I know this feeling all to well. I know it is true." It was SO cool! I know that God answers prayers and that through the Holy Ghost we can recognize and know the truth of all things. So I texted Pres. and asked them to come pick them up. After that Whitney said that she is just going to take this week to herself and just come to church with us next time. I was like NO! You just got your answer! You know you need to come. We were discussing it back and forth for awhile and then there was a knock on the door. We said well... thats your ride. It was President Petersen. They let him in and President was like "Are ya'll ready to come to church?" It seriously could not have been better timing. Whitney said, well, I guess we will have to get ready real quick. Moral of the story... THEY CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fasting and prayers bring miracles. It was so cool! And now... we are teaching them tonight.... AT PRESIDENTS HOUSE!!!!!!!!!! scary... but really cool. but really scary. We are going over tonight and eating dinner and teaching them. It will be such a great experience I am sure :)

Sorry that was a bit long... but... also Madelyn is still planning on getting baptized on the 15th so we are excited about that! She is such a cute girl and I am so proud of her for deciding to go through with it this time :)

We were able to go out to Hermana Hernandez's house this week for dinner (Oscars mom) and she is my favorite. I love them so much! We had a great conversation about temples and how we can live with our families forever. Oscar got the priesthood 2 weeks ago and passed the Sacrament this week and went to do baptisms on saturday with the youth. I love him!

Last night there was a crazy ice/snow storm. We were at the Fosters for dinner (I love their food! They made us the best enchiladas, guacamole and salsa) with the South hermanas and I drove like 20 miles an hour all the way home because the roads were really slippery. But we made it safe to the uhaul down the hill of our apartment. The hill was impossible to get up so we walked up in the middle of an ice downpour. It was fun :) The south hermanas car was up at the top because we drove together to the Fosters and they left it there earlier in the night before it started icing but it was going to be impossible for them to drive down the hill to get home (last time there was a snow day a car went rolling down the hill and hit head on into a tree off the hill). So pres. gave them permission to sleep over with us :) So we had 6 sisters in our apartment. It was a partayyy that ended at 10:30 ;) Oh the life of a missionary.

Well. It has been a busy crazy slow and fast week and I am excited to see what happens this next week. Love you all!

Hermana Goudie

We drove past the Old Mill while we were in North Little Rock this last week
visiting less actives and we had to stop and take a pic!

No... we did not go to a movie. We just were really craving movie theater popcorn. So we went into
the mall and bought some with extra butter just like we get at home!