Updates from Hermana Goudie: Happy Late Thanksgiving! :)

So last week started off crazy! We were going about our normal end of P-day lessons and at 6:30 we got a text from our ZL's that said that Pres. said that we all had to be in our apartments by 7:30 that night and that there were no exceptions. Well, we had lessons scheduled for after that so we had to cancel them and we were so confused why but then once we got in we found out that it was because of the Missouri riots. what is our world coming to???? We also had to be in at 7 the next night. It really is a pain having to go in as a missionary... escpecially when you have people to see and places to go! But we stayed safe and got some quiet time so that was nice.

Tuesday we got the car back. And the Elders were so nice and actually cleaned it out for us... I guess if you keep getting on the case for handing the car up dirty eventually they will clean it ;) Funny story... sis. stevens back the car into a mailbox that night... yes I was backing but was at the side of the car telling her to stop but she didnt see me... guess thats why I should be at the back of the car. we were worried we would have to the car into the shop after our first day of having it but the damage wasnt bad at all and the owner was very nice. But it was all cool because E. Dyorich gave me some of his delicious homemade bread and I got the recipe.

I hope yall had a great thanksgiving! :) I sure did :) I want to say thank you to all of yall for being such great examples, for your prayers, and for all the support you give me. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. God has blessed me with amazing family and friends. So for our Thanksgiving we went to the Plumbs for a brunch with the major of Salvation Army (Cheryls boss) so that was cool. Then we went over to Jim and Vicki Stokes who had a party at their place. It was super fun to have everyone there and enjoy everyones company. It was the next best place I could be on Thanksgiving, first best would be to be with my own family. But it sure helps to have amazing members here who are so good to you and make you feel at home. Then we went to Earls and then to Daniela and then to the Gallardos and then to Veronicas and then we had a lesson with Ashley who is getting baptized on Friday :) So it was a super busy Thanksgiving with visiting lots of super cool people! One of my favorite thanksgiving scriptures is Alma 34:38. He is the greatest gift and we should always be grateful for what He did for us!

Friday, I found a vericose vein on my leg... I am getting old! And I have a ton more grey hairs. Saturday our investigators fed us an El salvadoreanian lunch which was delicious :) and then we found out late at night that we will be speaking in the spanish branch... lovely ;)

Sunday, was super crazy!!!!!! but an awesome day! we sang "My kindess shall not depart from thee" which is a beautiful song by the way with the Elders and Samantha, sydney, and Tim Smith and Blake Stokes. It was awesome! I love that song :) especially when you are feeling down. Its good to remember that God is always there right with us during those hardest times in our lives and it also reminds me of the poem of the footsteps in the sand where when his life got tough there were only one set of footsteps and thats because he carried him during that time. He never leaves us. Also since we are on the subject of songs, I found the song on my USB and its the one that goes like "I believe there are angels among us, sent down to us from somewhere up above, they come to you and me, in our darkest hours, to teach us how to live, to show us how to give, to guide us with the light of love." I love that song and it is so true :) Okay sorry that was super random... We had 4 investigators to church which was awesome! Both Ashleys came (who are both getting baptized on Friday by the way) and then Rafael and Carolina (one of the members friends that we have taught a couple times) came! super cool right? Then we gave talks in the Spanish branch. I gave mine on Russell M. Nelsons talk Sustaining the Prophet. It went pretty good. Isnt that weird that I can speak in Spanish? Sometimes I forget that ;)

Okay but that is not all... guess what else we did on Sunday? We went out of mission boundaries to Lamar which is by Clarksville! Dont worry we got permission from President to do so. There is an active familia that hasnt come for a month and I just kept wondering what was up and felt like we needed to go see them. Somehow we had no plans for sunday which is weird because we have been super busy every single day with no spare time and it is also because we got in late Saturday night and had to prepare our talks. And we also ended up with 100 extra miles... So I was like, we should go visit the Morales. So we called Pres. and he said yes and it was perfect. We got there and Hno. Morales said that his mom had been super sick and that his car stopped working so he didnt have a way to get to church and that he was so glad that we stopped by to visit because no one from the church had called or texted to see if everything was alright. Its moments like these that show that Gods hand is guiding us to where we need to go!

Okay just bear with me... I know this email is long... but this morning I didnt get a call so I am staying in Russellville for atleast one more transfer. yay :) I am so excited to be here for Xmas with the members but more excited that I will be here for the 2 Ashleys baptism. Okay... lets just take a minute and think about how its kinda weird that we are teaching 2 different Ashleys and that they are getting baptized on the same day. Pretty cool huh? And also I will get to continue to teach Daniela and Jaimie who will get baptized because they are going to the temple! Okay, so I am behind on my journal and thats probably why this email is so long ;) Well I love yall!

Hermana Goudie