I Burned My First Candle!We had to blow dry the car

So... we had mold in our apartment this week. That was fun. It has actually been there for a very long time... but they finally came and took care of it. There were cardboard boxes that had gotten wet from when our toilet leaked and it got the boxes wet which made mold get in the walls... it was nasty. We cleaned it out and I found sis. Petersons tree from last year and so we decorated. #Christmasisnear! They do a Xmas parade here in Russellville. I hope I am still here for that. 

Veronica gave me some lighters and I have been burning the candle that Earl gave me for my bday. The things you do on your mission:  burn a candle. check. It always smells really good in the apartment. 

So we have been on walk week this week. It actually hasnt even been that bad. It hasnt been too cold and the members have been awesome about taking us places. After Bro. Walter Smith found out that we walk around late at night in the dark he brought it up in ward council and said that that is not acceptable and he would not want his daughters walking around at night when its dark (although its kinda just part of missionary work) and he said that they need to sign up for a day that they can drive us around that night. Just this cute little old grandpa looking out for us :) so we were very appreciative of that because Im sure the members have a lot of other important things to do besides driving us missionaries around. 

And guess what we had on Tuesday? Specialized Training! And it was combined with the Little Rock stake so I got to see everyone on this side. That is one thing that is sad about this mission is that we dont ever get to see everyone in the misison. You only ever get to see half the mission. But it was good enough for me. I got to see sis. Warner :) and Johnson (who is leaving next week) and the Spanish Elders in little rock who are also leaving next week (E. Ramirez and E. Castaneda). It was super cool because I got to be there to hear their departing testimonies which I didnt think I would be able to. There are 37 missionaries leaving the mission next week. Crazy right? a quarter of the mission. So many areas will close. Hey, but we might be able to have longer carshares which means less bike weeks! hopefully. But it is so sad. This is the start of the Spanish sisters leaving. We lose 3 this transfer, 2 next transfer, 2 the transfer after that, and then me and the last 3 the transfer after that and then there will be no more spanish missionaries. Isnt that sad? I heard we arent getting any more until after I leave... super sad.

After specialized we went on exchanges. I went to Morrilton with sis. Todd. We had a great time and had an intense lesson with one of their investigators who got baptized. the next morning we helped move the furniture out of the hazlewoods apartment (the senior couple that lived across from them) and then E. Bowling the senior elder in the mission office took us out to eat. So that was super nice :) Coltons is delicious.

We had some good lessons with our investigators that will be baptized next month! We also had the Thanksgiving dinner this Saturday with the ward and branch and it was crazy! There were probably over 200 people there and we had 4 investigators there. 2 english and 2 spanish. super cool! It was really stressful though trying to make sure they were all situated and meeting members. It was an awesome turnout and the food was delicious! 

Ashley seemed like she was on board for getting baptized this saturday when we sat with her at the activity but then she didnt come to church yesterday so we will have to push it back a week. Jaime and Daniela came to the activity and after it was over we did a church tour with them. we should them the baptismal font and his little daughter pushed the door behind him and moved him towards the font and then someone playing soccer back behind us kicked the ball and it hit the back of him and pushed him towards the font and he was like, "okay fine. I will be baptized. everyone is trying to tell me. come on lets fill the font up." it was funny :) 

Well, I am excited for the car to be back and for this week because we are going to work our butts off and help prepare these awesome people we are teaching to be baptized. I love yall. The gospel is true. We are fixing to walk to the store to pick up some groceries. #bikeweek

Con amor,

Hermana Goudita

We had to blow dry the car last week because it was turning to ice after we washed it.

#missionsong

Saying Goodbye to the Mexicans. I will miss them!

It Snowed!!

So, it was a bit cold this week. And it snowed last night. So that was exciting. Except for the fact that we will be walking this week... hopefully it will warm up a bit so we wont be frigid or get frostbite or something ;) 

So we met the COOLEST PEOPLE this last week. Seriously like we have been praying hard to find those that God has prepared to listen to the message of the restoration and guess what? We have found them :) It was hard at first because I felt like we were working hard but didnt really have anyone solid. But we definitely do now! Our work pays off. We just have to keep going even though it might be difficult and we sometimes dont see the light at the end of the tunnel. These people we met will get baptized I know it! And it is because the Lord prepared them and put them in our path and guided us to them. 

Last Monday we were going around knocking doors during our what used to be P-day hours but not for the month of November because we are sacrificing our time and we decided to knock one of the referrals that we got from a referral from the english Elders and their next door neighbors is the branch presidents house (ask me how I know that? yeah... we got a little bit mixed up and I accidentally thought they were the referral and it was a big suprise when Hna. Hernandez answered the door... I wasnt expecting to find mormons at this house ;)) but so we met Jaime and Daniela, the investigators real house and they were kinda busy at the time but we prayed with them and asked when we could come back and he was like, "How about tonight?" and we were like... okay!!!!!! It was awesome. So then we went back later that night and you guys. They are the most elect people I have ever met in my whole mission!!!!!!!!!! He asked us, is it a sin to live together without being married, and we were like... yes... and we didnt know if we would be invited back but good thing the Spirit was there because then we read Alma 7 with him and afterwards we were like "Que piensan?" And they were like, well... I think that we need to get married and get baptized. He said he wanted to do it all that night but we had to explain to him that we didnt have the priesthood. So we are excited to continue teaching them. In his prayer he said, "Este es lo que estaba esperando" (this is what I have been waiting for) and then when we handed him the book of mormon he said "this can change my life." He already wanted to go out with the missionaries and tell other people about this church. It was so cool! I got out of the lesson and was just like, did that really just happen? It was super cool! And they will have so much support from their neighbor, the branch president and he will help them get married and they are so excited to go to the temple already. Man, I love being a missionary :) 

We also got a referral from the Dardenelle sisters. It was a girl that called the mission office and requested missionaries. Her mom and brother just joined the church a little less than a year ago in Arizona. She is going through some tough times right now but we have been over everyday since we met her and have been teaching her at the hotel that she is staying at. It is a bit of a different situation because her 3 kids are crazy and there is only one small room to teach in so usually one of us teaches or reads from the BofM with her while the other one plays a game with the kids. But it is awesome! She is ready too. Her and her family came to church along with the other Ashley that has a date for the end of November. Church was a bit hectic trying to get everyone where they needed to be. But it was good :) I love when we are busy with missionary work! 

Well, I just want yall to know that I know that this is the Lords work and that He is preparing the hearts of men to recieve this message. We just have to be dilligent and obedient and we will see miracles! The gospel is true. The Savior loves us. Heavenly Father answers prayers. 

I love yall! 

Hermana Goudie

We did some service for Hna. Barrera and helped her move some of the stuff in boxes out of her house and we found a surprise in one of them...

Never put the Elders in charge of anything ;) haha just teasing. But seriously... they always forget that it takes 3 hours to fill the font. They had baptism this weekend and 20 mins before the baptism it wasn't full enough so we had to do the trolly of filled water pitchers AGAIN because they forgot AGAIN ;) It was hilarious. ;)

God Will Lead Us!

This week was pretty exciting :) Sis. Stevens and I worked real hard and taugh a butt load of lessons and found lots of new people to teach. 

We didn't have any baptism dates though but we kept praying for them and kept working diligently so that we could set a date so that we can fulfill our purpose and help someone come closer to their Savior Jesus Christ by learning how his Gospel has been restored and how they can be baptized by the restored priesthood authority. Well, yesterday, we were about to head to dinner and sis. Stevens said "Lets go try the referral that the Elders gave us before it gets dark. So we met the referral and on the way up to their door there was a lady sitting outside on a chair in a parking lot across from the house we were contacting and we waved and said hi and then after we talked to the referral I knew we had to go and talk to her. She said, "That's funny that y'all would come up and talk to me today. I was wanting to go to church today but didn't have any friends to go with." We told her that she was always welcome to come to our church and that we have friends we want to introduce her to. We also told her what we do as missionaries and we started talking about the Book of Mormon and she had awesome questions and was like, "Who wrote the Book of Mormon?" So we explained that it was written by prophets anciently in the Americas but we didn't have one in English with us at the time but we set up a time to come back. She was so sweet. Her name is Ashley and she is in her 20's and then she gave us a hug and said she was so glad that we stopped by to share this message with her. I then asked her if when she knew that our message was true, if she would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by the priesthood authority of God? and guess what? She said yes! And then guess what happened? I said, well we will be having a baptismal service on Nov. 29th will you be baptized on that date? And she said yes! I will! How cool is that? First time meeting her and looking back on it all I know that it was God leading us to someone that was prepared to act on our message. Prayer works! Although sometimes it seems like we pray for a long time for something and we sometimes feel like the answer is never going to come but if we don't give up, God will answer us in His timing always! And he will always help us know what to say and how to say it. I know this gospel is true and I love being a missionary :)

And one more super cool story. So Sis. Stevens and I were on our way back from dinner with Sis. Ashley and she suddenly turned onto a random street and said, we need to go contact the referral in London. And as soon as she said that, I got this feeling that that is exactly where we needed to be. The Holy Ghost told her and told me too after she told me :) it was super cool. So we went and met the Connors. They are so sweet! Their son is a convert and their grandson is on a mission. She reads his emails every week and she really has learned so much of the gospel through him. She showed us her Book of Mormon with her whole sons families testimonies in it. This family is awesome and they are going to get baptized! God has prepared them and guided us to them so that they can be baptized and be sealed to their family for eternity. Isn't the gospel so cool? :) I am so excited to continue teaching them and helping them recognize answers to their prayers.

Well the rest of the week was pretty normal. Sis. Stevens and I got asked in English relief society to sing a primary song that went along with the lesson. I had never heard the song before so that was a bit interesting, and then we got told by Hna. Sorto that it was the missionaries turn to sing in Sacrament meeting. So we sang "Las familias pueden ser eternas" acapella. It was good :) I love sharing talents and singing! Other than that, it was a normal missionary week. 

Love y'all :)

Hermana Goudie

P.S. And I forgot to mention that sis. Peterson who told us that she had been thinking of the Connors who she had met with Sis. Warner called us and told us to go and see the Connors. Dont you love missionary team work? 

Family Home Evening with Malmburgs :) Branson had to stick of piece of gum (that he got from me... oops... I didn't know this is what he had to do with it otherwise I wouldn't have given it to him) on his forehead for the rest of the night.

I love this senior couple! The Hazlewoods. I will miss them. They were so wonderful to us when were chilling in Morrilton for the night.

Look who was able to come to church yesterday!!!! When I saw her I ran up and gave her a huge hug and started crying because I was so excited to see her.

Walk Week

So this week was super fun... okay for those missionaries out there that don't have a car or bikes, holy cow you are amazing! This was my first week in the mission without being able to ride my bike (because my comp. fell a few months ago and fractured her arms so she cant ride bikes till the end of December) and it was a killer! I solute those missionaries that are on their feet all day long. It was so tiring! haha ;) Its just hard to get to all the appointments and be from one end of town to the other and it was a bit stressful. and cold. but now that I am done complaining, we found a lot of new investigators and a lot of families that we will be able to teach :) so that was exciting. God must've known that I was complaining about bike weeks to much so he gave me an even harder trial so that I will appreciate bike weeks ;) 

But besides that we have been working hard and knocking a TON of doors and just trying to find those that are prepared to come unto the waters of baptism :) One night I was getting discouraged (I know I should'nt do that) but it was late at night and it was cold and we had been walking all day long and I was like, man, I wish we could just meet some super cool people to talk to and stay warm and I didn't know where we were going to go and I was just praying to Heavenly Father and asking him to help me have a better attitude and be warm and to find some people and guess what? He answers prayers! Haha ;) Hna. Leal pulled up right after and said "quiere un ride?" and of course we said sure! So we went and tried a lady that I didn't think was going to be home but it is where I thought we should go and we found her home and she let us in and it was warm and she was so sweet to us. and then after that Hna. Leal pointed us to a different direction and said that there used to be Hispanics over there so we went walking over there and we found this other really cool guy who really listened to us and told us to come back the next day :) it was awesome. 

The next day during studies I was reading in Alma 26:27 "Now when we 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." Now I know that my afflictions are not near what those of the great missionaries from the Book of Mormon, but God will always knows when we are about to turn back and is always willing to comfort us during those times if we humble ourselves and turn unto Him. 

Well I hope y'all had a good Halloween. I don't know about y'all but I dressed up as a missionary ;) And I don't know if you have ever heard about maple bacon cookies but they are pretty good ;) and a funny quote for the day... I have always wondered what people said or think after we leave an appointment with them and I definitely found out this week. after we left trying to visit with one of our return appointments, I don't think they realized that their window was open and they said "I thought you said they were good looking." It was pretty hilarious. Well I love y'all and hope you have a great week :)

This guy was super cool (the Elder to the right of me - he is new and just got in the mission 2 weeks ago) and decided to buy us all chicken nuggets from McDonalds after District Meeting because he had extra money left on MSF. I don't think he realized how valuable that is but we were all grateful. He bought 10 packs of 10 nuggets. It was awesome. :)

Eating at McDonalds after District Meeting. Sister Stevens got cut out. :(

Had to say goodbye to this girl. Going to miss sweet Kerianne, She moved to South Carolina.

Happy Halloween! This cute girl decided to dress up as a "sisternary". It was super cute. :)