Exciting News!

So... time is still flying by way to fast! However, we had a great week! Monday evenings sometimes dont usually go very well as a missionary. Atleast with my experience. But we had a great Monday evening last week. We decided to head down to Dardenelle and stop by the Panaderia (bread store) where Carolina works. Well after I bought a delicious pan (bread-I had to! They are so good!) she said she wasnt to busy so she wanted to sit down with us and chat for a bit. So we sat down at the table and talked for about 3 minutes about having faith in Christ and how she wants to increase her faith in Christ but she feels like its hard because shes going through so much right now and thats why we told her its so important that she does that now because her faith in Christ will help her through the hard things shes going through and then someone walked in the shop so she had to go back up to the front of the store (also can I just say I feel like I am in Mexico when I am in her store. I love it :)) so after he leaves she comes back and sits down with us and then we get on another subject, prophets. Then someone walks in and she has to get back up and then after they leave she comes and sits back down and then we start talking about the Book of Mormon. And then another person, okay I think you get the point. But we were there for over an hour teaching her like this because she is always so busy at her panaderia and is there from like 9 am to 9 pm so it is really hard to find time to teach her, but I have learned that the Lord provides a way and makes it possible for us to teach her! Anyways we got on the subject of baptism of course and she said she still wants to be baptized and would like to change religion. She said its just hard because shes always so busy and we told her that we could come and teach her there or when she gets back at her house at 9 and leave by 930 and she seemed really excited and was glad to see that we werent giving up on her because she told us she really wants this :) She is probably the sweetest lady I know. We have been trying to work with her for some months now, but I think this time it will really work. We asked more about baptism and said that she is wanting to do it this time. So we said, "We will be having a baptismal service on March 28th. Will you prepare to be baptized on that day?" in spanish of course and then she said, oh really? who will be getting baptized? and we said "Usted!" ;) haha gotta love PMG. she agreed and was able to come to church this week and she is doing real good! 

Also, we got some GREAT news from Jaime and Daniela! They are going to get married on April 4th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One step in the right direction to them being baptized :) That will be my last Sunday and I am so grateful that I got to stay here and help them prepare to get married and help them prepare for baptism. Although I dont know if I will be here for the baptism  :( Because Jaime has to get baptized in the Buffalo River because he had a dream in Mexico where he got baptized in that river and when he arrived here in Arkansas and saw the Buffalo River he said it was the exact same river that he had in his dream. And the Buffalo River is like an hour away and not in the mission :( so that will be sad. He couldve maybe done it on April 5th (my last sun.) if it werent for the fact that we have general conference that day so we wouldnt even get to the river until like 6ish... but I will come back for sure when they get baptized! I love them so much :) 

E. Meyers got everyone to do the huggle that the Petersons used to have us do at the end of specialized again for our last one. That was fun :) and may have brought some tears to my eyes #throwback

It was beautiful temperature these last few days. Like in the 70's! Love spring time! :) and crazy story. There was this old man that came up to us in walmart a few weeks ago and starting bashing with us hard core and guess who was on the national geographic tv show at one of our investigators houses. THE SAME GUY!!!!!!!!!!! he was crazy! Bro. Smith our 70 year old ward mission leader in our correlation meeting starts it off with "first off, let me get my calender out so I can write it down. sis. goudie. when do you go home?" haha gotta love it when the members start marking their calenders ;) 

On Sunday we had lots of success! We were actually able to have a gospel principles class! There were 9 of us in there! Wahoo!!!!!!! okay thats including 4 missionaries and one member but still. dont think that has happened since the whole time ive been here. 

Also, one of the missionaries rules is that whenever the car is backing up, your comp. has to be behind you to back you. Well, I pulled into this trailer park to see if there were any hispanics and it didnt look like it so I was trying to turn around and make it so my comp. didnt have to back me because it was kinda raining so I tried to turn around at the dead end in just a little bit of where the grass was and little did I know that it was like a swamp that I was turning around in! yep. we got stuck for like an hour. The elders had to come and get us unstuck. The owner was not a very happy camper... she was like "why didnt you just back out?" well... because we are missionaries and we do everything we can do avoid backing! haha ;) oops... this same day we knocked on this mansion that looks like the tower of terror and they didnt answer so we dropped a restoration pamphlet in their door #yolo and got fed pupusas again this week. we walked into a families house that were making them and I go, "my comp. wants to learn how!" haha well they were more than welcome to show us and of course were so glad to have company to enjoy them with! ;) i love pupusas! 

well... just enjoying myself here and seeing lots of miracles! Love yall! 

Sister Goudie

PUPUSAS!!!!!!

Getting stuck in the mud

At a fhe with the branch, Daniela and Elizabeth!

We are in LR for the day and we drove down last night because sis. lewis got to go to the temple (for her bday) and they left for memphis at like 630 in the am so I am chilling in LR until she gets back. So this was the crew last night when we arrived. the elders wanted to say hi to isabel and oswaldo (who were so kind to drive us!)

Reunited once again! Dont worry... we didnt actually sleep together ;)

Another Week Down!!

Can I just say that I just love being a missionary? However, I also sometimes never know what to write about anymore because everything is just so normal now. But there were some exciting things that happened! 

We were able to meet with amber a few times this week and she is doing real good. Also, hna. lewis keeps making fun of me for saying "real." I picked it up from hna. dube. Its so interesting how every single one of my companions has had an impact on me and its like they left a little part of them with me. Whether it be how I talk or how I act or how I teach. By the end of the mission especially when you teach you can totally tell that almost everything you say is a combination of all the companions you had. So thats pretty cool :) Sis. Lewis said, "Thats so neat that youve pick up your favorite things from each companion so now at the end of your mission you are a pro teacher." Now definately know that the pro teacher part is not true but it is fun to see what things youve picked up from each companion. Its really funny too being able to see missionaries and knowing people well enough that you can tell who they have been companions with. I really do believe that I have needed to meet and be with everyone that I have on my mission for a reason and that I learned so much from them. 

Also something cool. We went over to see Jaime and Daniela before he took of to Missouri again and we have just been waiting and praying and praying and waiting for the news on his sister being able to get her visa soon so that these 2 can get married already! Well... of course we asked them if they had heard anything and they said that she has not got her visa yet and they are thinking that they are just going to get married without her coming. So they said they think the wedding will be onApril 4th which is my last Saturday here!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost cried!!!!!!!!! I love Jaime and Daniela SO much and I think I will be here for their wedding!!!!!!!!!!! AH!!!!!!!!!!! And then guess what that means? They will be one step closer to being baptized!!!!!!!!!!! So heres what hna. leal proposed to us. We still have to propose it to them. They get married on the 4th, sat. of general conference, and then on the 5th, sunday of general conference (after the sessions of course) they can get baptized! They would have to wait a week to get the Holy Ghost but I dont think it will be a problem from Jaime and Daniela. They are pretty solid :) So that is what we are going to pray hard for and propose to them as soon as Jaime gets back from Missouri that they can get married and then baptized. I have been working with them for 6 months and they are the most solid people I've ever taught. I feel like I knew them before, like we are legit family. Jaime told me he wants me to be the godmother of his daughter Elizabeth. Goodness, this family just cant get any cuter. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to find this family, teach them, and still be here for when they get married. Obviously dont want to get my hopes up incase it doesnt happen, but I have faith that it will! And I keep asking myself why I am still in Russellville, but who knows, maybe its for them! :)

We taught the D&C class this last Saturday and we didnt really end up teaching much mostly because hna. sorto is a real good teacher and she was helping us out a lot but by the end of the class pretty sure every hna. cried. I bawled like a little baby. Man, it sure is going to be hard leaving this place. I feel so close to everyone. I guess thats one thing that makes it difficult about staying in an area for 10 months is the fact that when you leave, its like you are leaving family behind. Also, I just love something pres. wakolo always says: "when you get transferred, you dont get transferred to the area, but you get transferred to the people." I am so grateful that I am able to meet the amazing people and get to know them so well here in Russellville.

On sunday I was asked to speak in the spanish sacrament and I talked about the plan of salvation. It went really well. Something thats kind of nice about speaking in a branch is that fact that I dont get too nervous because it is pretty small. And its weird how normal it is for me to give talks and teach in spanish now. We also had a Family Home Evening in Conway with the branch and that was so fun to have all the members together and enjoy some delicious mexican food (man am I going to miss that) and games (sharades) and a testimony meeting. Its times like these when you just feel so loved and know that you are where you are supposed to be. I also realized just how blessed I have been in my life to always be surrounded by loving family and friends. I know that each and everyone of you have taught me so much! 

Well... thanks for reading my feelings in a nutshell about what went down this last week. Love yall so much! Please keep reading your scriptures, saying your prayers, and going to church! The church is true! 

Hermana Goudie

This was from last week when we decided to knock all doors with windchimes

 awkward moment when david puts this on me after district meeting because hes says im getting married soon... oh gosh. #lasttransferprobs

Playing mormon trivia with the elders!

our zls told us we couldnt drive the car all day this day and we had to stay inside... WHY???????????? no snow!!!!!!!!!

This was from the FHE with the members in Conway

Goudie face!

7th Transfer in Russellville! Let's Make This The Best!

Mi familia! Como estan? So, my trainee, or hija as they call it here in the mission is so AWESOME!!!!!!! I love her so much! She has so much energy about doing missionary work. Her name is Hna. Lewis and she is so dang cute! She is from Sandy Utah so she lives real close to me! 

So this week has been real good. Its funny how things that I am so used to are like a foreign language to new missionaries. But training has been going awesome. She is going to teach me so much! This week we were on bike week and it was FRIGID!!!!!!!! But we survived :) At the very beginning of this week back when sis. dube was here on Monday night we got trapped in Katies all day ;) We went over to Katies to play games with her and the Elders at like 4:30 and right when we got in we got a text from ZL's saying that we had to get in and stay where we were until further notice. Well, we didnt find out that we could leave until like 8ish so we played some games with Katie and it was real fun but kinda weird that we werent able to go out and do missionary work. I felt so weird just 'hanging out' and felt like I wasnt doing anything good or worthwhile. Although it was a lot of fun. But thats what I am going to have to do pretty soon and its just going to be weird! I just feel like Im a missionary and thats all I know how to do ;)

On Thursday, so sis. lewis 2nd day in the mission, we had dinner with a member and then this member wanted to help us out for a bit since we didnt have a car and I decided to try this member that sis. dube found in the area book the other day. She was a member referral from like last year and I have never really taught her but I knew who she was. Well she was on my mind so we stopped by and she let us in and she kept asking questions like "I just dont understand why there are so many churches and how I can know which one to go to." it was perfect! So we taught the restoration and she said that it made a lot of sense and we committed her to baptism and she agreed and we set a date for March 21st. It was awesome! I really learned that when we are being dilligent and talking to everyone (even though they might be kind of weird and not everyone we talk to will want to listen to us) the Lord will bless us and we will be able to meet those that are prepared. But after the lesson we got out and as soon as she shut the door and we were close to the car sis. lewis just starts screaming and jumping and comes up and and hugs me and it was so cute! It brought me back to the time when I first set a date with someone and I was that exact same way! She was SO excited! And I was too dont get me wrong but I guess after being a missionary for a 17 months I guess you are just kinda used to it ;) but she really helps me remember that what we do as missionaries is so special. We help bring souls unto Christ!This transfer is going to be AWESOME!!!!!!

Other things this week. We got stuck in hna. barreras car in the snow for like an hour. Her car broke down and we were waiting for people to come and fix it ;) also sis. lewis wanted to knock every house with a wind chime on the porch. Such a great idea ;) although almost every single house that we saw had wind chimes. We got to meet a lot of new people this week! 

And can I just say I cannot believe it is March????? Holy cow!!!! Time is just flying by! 

Well I love yall! 

Hermana Goudie

these kids just wanted to ride their bikes with us! It was hilarious!

PDAY SNOW!!!!

Getting stuck at Katies

at the panaderia! I feel like I am in Mexico when I am here

Oswaldo gave us these lovely hats :) 

SIS. LEWIS!!!!!!!!!! Isnt she beautiful? It was definately snowing at transfers.

Ramirez drove through Russellville and he wanted to meet Katie. So that was fun :)

7 Transfers In Russellville!!

So... we got transfer calls this morning. I really thought I would be getting transferred. I have been here for 9 months and it has been an amazing 9 months! But that is quite a long time to stay in an area as a missionary... so I was kind of thinking I would be transferred to Little Rock which wouldve been SO fun because that is where I was born and I would love to see the members there because I miss them, but I guess I have more to do here. I am excited to stay its just I really wasnt expecting it. By the end of this transfer I will have been in Russellville for 10 months! Woohoo! haha ;) More than half my mission. I love it here though. I really am blessed to have stayed here for this long. The members keep making jokes like, you are practically a permanent resident, you should vote, we have just adopted you into the ward, etc. I think its pretty funny. I will have 5 companions here (I AM TRAINING!!!!!!!) and I think its funny how every time at church after transfers the members are like, "You are still here?" Haha I hope they arent sick of me yet ;) Because theyve got 6 more weeks with me ;) I cant believe that is all I have left on my mission. I had a little moment this morning in companion study because I realized how short the time is. It hadnt really hit me until I started my last planner today :( I have been so blessed on my mission, seen so many miracles, and have grown SO much! Well, at least I think so ;) I guess yall will have to tell me if thats true or not when I get home. and that means grown spiritually and physically ;) Isabel and Oswaldo took us out to get protein shakes today and we got our weight and body fat measured... haha lets just say I have a bit of work to do before I get home ;) But its all good :) I am so excited to grow even more this transfer (hopefully not physically) oh! But I think I did grow a little bit in height :) I cant wait to meet my new companion! Im going to have a hija!

Okay enough of that. So this week there was lots of snow! We had a lot of meetings, and not as much missionary work happened as I wouldve wanted to happen. We had to go in early 2 nights in a row :( but I got my journal mostly caught up so that was nice! We got to sleep over with Conway sisters on Thursday because we had a trainers meeting really early Thursday morning in Little Rock and we also slept over Saturday night with the Hermanas in little rock because of stake conference. So that was a lot of fun :)

In our zone conference which had to get postponed because of the snow, President said something that really hit me. He heard it from Elder Bednar. He said, "In the last days, our testimonies alone wont save us, it is our continual conversion!" How neat is that! I know that all of us have testimonies but that alone wont mean anything unless we are continually striving each and EVERYDAY to be converted. And guess what? It is just those simple things that keep us on the path to continual conversion which is reading our scriptures and saying our prayers "everyday, everyday, everyday" like my mission president says. Man I love him. He has taught me SO much! and going to church is included in that too! But its not that hard! Its not rocket science here people ;) The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. And sometimes I think that we are the ones that think that because it is so simple, we can just skip over it that day. But dont think that way! Alma 37:46-dont be slothful because of the easiness of the way. Please keep reading your scriptures every day and praying everyday! We had a meeting the other day and it was a member telling us that if we go home from our missions and start putting our scriptures down, we are on the path to spiritual death. That was pretty bold but it is so true! I hope I will always be able to read from the scriptures like I can on my mission. Someone else told me something interesting the other day and it was that when people say "I dont have time" it just means that they are choosing to spend their time somewhere else. So please, choose to use your time wisely and study the scriptures daily! I know it has blessed my life :)

We had an investigator that I love dearly drop us :( It was really hard. But that is part of being a missionary. Not everyone we teach will choose to accept. But we just have to keep praying and fasting. Maybe it is just not her time yet. That is probably the hardest thing about being on a mission when those you love choose not to try to find out if it is true. 

On saturday night after stake conference when we were with the hermanas we found out that Luis nephew Orlando who sis. Dube and I had both taught got baptized! It was so cool :) I love seeing how one person accepting the gospel brings so many others! We also had a surprise visit from E. Ramirez although that is not his name anymore. It is just weird to call him Javi ;) He sat by us stake conference. It was good to catch up on mission experiences. 

Well... I love yall! Last transfer here I come :)

Hermana Goudie

Mug shot with Bro. Bruce (ward mission leader)

 My companion wanted a pic of her being 'red-neck' at Katies house

We were playing dress up with Katies clothes ;) She just moved in close to us! So exciting!

I love this family :) la familia martinez

sleepover in conway!

the spanish crew!!!!!!! or whats left of us ;)

The EASTMANS!!!!!!! we started taking pictures with everyone because we didnt know who would be leaving. I love this family! 

 our investigators Carolyn and Lee! I love them! they have the cutest house. they have a grandson on a mission! 

we had a surprise visit from these awesome people at Stake conference! I miss little rock :(

Orlanda got baptized! 

stake conference!!!!!

It Snowed!!!

So I think this is the 1st real snow of the year for us here in Russellville. It has fallen before but hasnt actually stuck. But there is snow on the ground. Not much but still snow. Probably more ice than snow though. It is super chilly!

This week was good. We got to go out with an awesome member from the quitman ward that is preparing to go on a mission. I really shouldve done that more before I went on a mission. If any of you reading this are going on a mission, go out with the missionaries! It will prepare you so much! 

We met this real cool guy this week. We went to go see a less active and she wasnt home but we could hear that the neighbors were so my comp. was like, lets knock that door. So we did and this guy said, come on in! He said it was real  neat that we came at that time because just 2 days ago he had hit rock bottom and decided he needed to come unto Christ. He said if we wouldve come 2 days ago, he wouldnt have answered the door. He is at a point in his life right now where he wants to change. He was real excited about the message we shared. We read with him about Alma the youngers experience with repentance and how when he did repent, he felt joy! We told him thats what we do as missionaries, help them to repent and come unto Christ to feel more joy in their life. He loved the scripture and said that thats what he feels like and he wants to repent. So we told him that once we have faith, make those changes in our lives and repent, we can be baptized and with that baptism, we are washed clean! He was super excited and wanted to be baptized. So we set a date with him and  he said he was super excited to come to church. We are excited to keep teaching him! It is such a testimony to me when we meet people like that, because it shows that God really is preparing his people to receive the message of the restoration. I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time and help find those people :)

And sis. dube and I got some EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOO!!!!!! we are both getting new missionaries, and the AP's told us that one of us will be getting transferred. I think it will be me because I have been here since June, but who knows! We will find out next week. If I do get transferred, I think I will go to little rock to train a new missionary and follow up train the hermana that is there that has only been in the mission 6 weeks. So that would be lots of fun :) trio! I will be so sad to leave this place. But it will be really cool to end the mission where I started out too. ah!!!!!!! I cant wait to find out. 

I dont know if yall knew this but if you boil sweet and condensed milk in a pot for about an hour and a half, it makes caramel! Bro. Plumb told us that so sis. dube and I had to try it out while we were weekly planning! And I dont know if I have mentioned this before but I know what my all time favorite food is that I have had on my mission. TINGA!!!!!!!!!! So dang good. hna. barrera says she is going to give me her recipe. I am in heaven when I eat it :)

Sis. Plumb got asked to speak in sacrament meeting and I guess when bishop asked her to, the song "walk tall youre a daughter" came into her head so she asked pam and sidney stokes, samantha smith and I to sing it. It went well :) reminded me of camping. I miss camping! Ben also got the priesthood this sunday. He is doing so good! And you know you have been in an area for a long time when you have a high council men come up to you and notice that you have been there for a long time. We went over to have dinner last night with Marcy and her sons prayers was hilarious! "Heavenly Father, as you know I will not be eating my green beans, if it be thy will" and then he ended the prayer. Isnt that so silly? He ended up eating the green beans! I guess it was Heavenly Fathers will for him to eat them. What humility ;)

Well... I love yall :) Keep reading your scriptures every day! Remember, just like our body needs food every day or it will get weak, our spirits will get weak if we dont read the scriptures daily! 

Hermana Goudie

We were on our way to the Mccabes for dinner to have deer tacos and we found this on the side of the road. We called to see if they wanted more but they said they dont eat roadkill ;)

someone thought they were silly

teaching Ben outside the church in his truck! 

TWINNERS :)

Happy Valentines!! Love ya'll! :)

Ah!!!!!!! The weeks are just going to fast!!!!!!!! It was a great week though :) We had some real neat experiences this week. Here are a few of them:

1. It was our last night of bike week and we didnt know what to do and my companion said, lets go to Conny and Emilio's house (spanish investigators) because they live close and we can just walk there. Well when we got there there was someone else there that was making decorations for her baby shower. She was due in a week. We started talking to her and come to find out she is A MEMBER!!!!!!!!! Her mom served a mission, and her parents were married in the temple, her brother served a mission, shes been to the temple to do baptisms for the dead, and she used to go to the Clarksville ward like 5 years ago with her mom. But her mom passed away and she hasnt been back since. She is going through a tough time right now and it is just so cool seeing how God leads us to the people that are ready to come back. The Spirit was SO strong in there and I really could feel the prayers of her family wanting for her to come back so badly. It is the best when you find lost members! :) As in I mean, we dont have their records. We are excited to start working with her. She just had a baby but after that she should be coming back to church with us! Right place at the right time! 

2.We have been working out real hard and eating healthy :) Got to be looking good when I come home ;) We are doing the 30 day challenge so by the end of it we will do 230 squats, 100 leg lifts, and 40 push ups. We are on day 12 and did 110 squats, 80 leg raises, and 12 push ups. We are getting there! 

3. We found another less active this week! Its moments like these that really make your week! Our car was way behind on getting an oil change when we got it from the zone leaders (so it wasnt our fault) but we took it in and they didnt have any openings right then so we made an appointment for the next day at 11 to bring it in and guess who we found sitting in there? 2 hispanics so of course we had to talk to them! One of them was named Patricia and she kept telling her friend all about what missionaries do. She knew a lot. All of a sudden the Spirit was like "This is Gloria Patricia" and I was reminded of a few months ago when we were planning for the next day and I had this Gloria Patricia written down in my planner but I didnt know who it was and I didnt remember writing it down but I told my comp. that we need to find out who this is and try this lady. So we asked the missionaries if they knew who it was and then we found her name in the roster. We got her address and had been trying to contact her ever since. Well, here she was in the Goodyear getting an oil change the same day and same time we were. I asked her if she was a member and if she was Gloria Patricia and she was like, ah you caught me! Haha it was funny and really neat how the Spirit can tell us things. She told me that she knows its not a coincidence that we were there at the same time and that she knew it was a sign from God that He was telling her that she needs to come back to church and she promised us she would :) It was real neat. Right place at the right time again :) I love when I can see that I am being an instrument in the Lords hands. 

4. We read What is the Blue Print of Christ's church this week because the last time we were with Jaime and Daniela that popped in my head and wanted to share it with them. If you havent read it, YOU NEED TO!!!!!!!! It is the best talk ever! :) It is by Tad. R. Callister. I love it. We went over and read it with them (most of it, its like 18 pages of amazing) and it was answering so many questions that they had. Afterwards Hna. Dube was explaining that when they get baptized in the church, they will become members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. he started getting all offensive and was like, no I already told stevens and goudie that I wont be baptized in the church. I thought we had lost him, and then I figured it out when he started talking about the dream he had about being baptized outside in a river. he was thinking that when sis. dube said in the church, she literally IN the church, like inside of it. We got that one cleared up! Haha ;) 

The rest of the week was busy getting everything ready for Tommanieshas baptism. Here are some of my favorite quotes of the week: 

1. "and the deskroying angel will pass by you"-teaching Laporsia and the fam the word of wisdom. notice the k. yes, thats how they say it! 

2. walked by a guy at Subway and he suddenly turned around real fast and stared at us and said, oh my gosh. I think I just ripped my pants. sis. dube just goes, "well we didnt notice, but now its like I really want to look!" I love  her! 

3. we were teaching Laporsias family getting Tommaniesha all ready for her baptism and in the middle of the lesson the 14 year old looks up at the cielieng and goes, "Is that Rosy?" Sis. Dube starts screaming because there was a spider coming down from the cieling right in front of her! I guess Laraneisha (the 14 year old) loves spiders, names them, and keeps them ;) I love this family!

Love yall! Happy Valentines. I am so grateful for all the love, support, and prayers. Dont forget to show lots of love this week. I will be. But dont worry, its not that kind of love. Charity-the pure love of Christ ;)

Got to drive the truck for like an hour and felt really special :) It was in our car share but it kept getting hit when the Elders had it so E. Cahoon decided to take it out of our car share and give it to the ZL's in Conway :(

went bowling with the Elders this week! I got a 93... not bad for not bowling in over 16 months ;) the elders all call this the "Goudie" face.

Our lovely little district. This district used to be  huge! There used to be 12 missionaries. Now it is down to 6 :(

Doing our language study in the car :)

SUBWAY!!!!!!!! Italian BMT is where its at. 

At Tommanieshas baptism. Eldrick wasnt there though.

I love this girl! She was so excited to be baptized :) I am grateful for all the members that helped us out too :)

this is sis. murphy. She is 95 years old! Love her :) She just kept telling us, you girls are 21 and its time to get married ;)

oh goodness... dont mind us crazies :0

 Isabel Salcedo got married :) these are all the hermanas from the branch that went

Look how beautiful this girl is on her wedding day. love her! I totally made the wedding video ;)

just being a little crazy! 

Familia!!!

Well... guess who came this week??????? SISTER WARNER!!!!!!!!! I guess thats not really her name anymore... But I just have a hard time calling her Ashleigh. She is just as beautiful as ever. She came for Keriannes wedding but was in Russellville for a few days. It was weird having her over, it was like I was living in 2 complete different worlds. Mission world, and real world. Not sure if I am ready for the real world yet... Sis. Warner said the weirdest thing about it is not having someone with you for 24/7. That is going to be a skruggle. But it was so good seeing her! Haha and she sat by me during Spanish sacrament meeting and went to bear her testimony and she totally set her gum on my skirt! Haha I love that girl ;) I love being able to bear my testimony twice each fast and testimony meeting. The blessings of serving in English and Spanish. It was funny because sis. Dube got emotional when she shared her testimony in English and I was fine but in Spanish it totally flip flopped. Haha I totally lost it up there ;) I just am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to come here and I know the the Lord knows me and knows that I needed to be HERE to know these amazing people and have their testimonies touch me. I have learned so much that I would never have been able to learn anywhere else. My perspective on life has completely changed! A members testimony really touched me this week when she said, "Just look at the big picture!" We need to remember why we are here, to prepare to meet God. And how do we do that? The simple things like reading the scriptures daily, praying, going to church. Sometimes they seem so simple that we make them more complicated than they need to be ;) Yes we are here to enjoy and have fun too but we need to remember the bigger picture always and strive to be like Christ in all times, all things, and all places :) And the best thing about being a missionary is we get to represent Him and strive each and every day to be better and help others come unto Him. 

So some interesting experiences this week. We were on bike week and we always seem to meet the most interesting people on bike week, probably because we talk to everyone. We met a guy that invited us to his birthday bbq on the weekend and then had us put our hands up against his and said, "do you feel that? I used to have 6 fingers." Awkward! And then he started talking about human trafficking and how sis. Dube would go for 50 but I would go for 70 because of my long hair. Even more awkward!!!! not even sure what that's supposed to mean ;) Oh the people we meet on our missions ;) We also talked to some guy that didn't speak any English at all! I think he was like Japanese or something. Sis. Dube was just trying her best to communicate with this man. she just kept pointing to her tag and saying MISSIONARIES and pointing to the picture of Christ in the Book of Mormon and saying JESUS. It was hilarious. I wish I could have been recording. We gave him a card with a website on it though so I hope he checks it out and can actually understand ;) I am so grateful that I can at least speak Spanish ;) Right before we went on bike week we took the car to one of our investigators house Carolyn and lees and dropped off a talk for them in the mailbox, His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox. We didn't want to take it to the door because it was early in the morning (for them, they are an older couple) so we just left it in the mailbox. Well we called her a few days later and she said, "Don't you know that's against the law?" oops... missionaries accidentally breaking the law here ;) We had a good lesson with them at the Plumbs. I am so grateful for all the members help :)

We made our own homemade salsa this week! We taught the D&C class for the Spanish branch Saturday night, we had sports night and Chino came! I scored 2 goals, I am getting pro ;) and we had some awesome lessons at Laporsias house! Tamaneesha is getting baptized on Saturday. She is 8 and super excited :) 

Quote of the week: "The capacity of Christ is to serve others a midst our own trials" - sis. Watts

Well... I love yall! Have a great day! :)

Look at the cute puppy we found while we were biking and sharing the gospel :)

Just riding over the tracks!

There are so many trains in Russellville, so we had to get a few pics to remind us of them. ;)

Self-timer... I promise we were being safe. ;)

Our homemade Mexican meal ;) Okay it doesn't look that good but it tasted great! Thanks Sis. Dube! :)

Earl received flowers and he shared them with Sis. Dube and I :) Love that old man!

All the Ninos at sports night for Cesars birthday party. He turned 2!

Pro-Mexican soccer players ;)

SISTER WARNER!!!! Aka Ashleigh and SAMANTAH! :) Love them!