A Week of Service: 4/14/14

I was going to write an amazing email, but I'm really feeling like a bum today. I don't even want to write anything. But then I would regret it in the future so... sigh. Okay, bucklin' down.

For how my week went, it has been a great week I feel. the weather was beautiful this week and we were able to do a lot of service. We did everything from household chores to helping people move. We have lots of balls in the air that will hopefully drop and get rolling soon. At the beginning of the week I was feeling kinda down and impatient with how slow everything is moving. I just wanted the balls to drop and I wanted so badly to see the results of our efforts. But then Brother Monroe told us that we were here for the Tyteas and how much our two visits with them has changed them and how for five years they have been asking missionaries to work with them and it never worked out. We didn't even realize we had made a difference there. I guess you just never know how the small things you do have big impacts on others. I saw the quote from Preach my Gospel that says to leave your area better than when you found it. As I got thinking about how the area was when we first got here to what it is now, I started to see all the miracles and how far people have come since we first met them and how much the attitude of the members and town has changed towards missionaries. I've been very grateful for all the small things that we have seen since we got here. By small and simple things are great things brought to pass I suppose.

Our favorite service this week was when we pulled up to Jenny's house and she rides up from the field on an ATV wearing rain boots. We ask her what she is doing. "I'm mucking stalls". Sister Wood, the little cowgirl is shaking in her toms with excitement, "Can we help?!?!?!?!". Jenny looks at us apprehensively and says "If you want to!". I turn to sister wood and say "k! Let's go back and get in our jeans!" Nope! we did it in our skirts!

My Preach My Gospel Moment: I have been going through the principles of each lesson in depth. I love the order that the lessons are taught in. It is truly inspired. In lesson 1, the first principle is God Loves Us. It is so beautiful. Everything goes back to it. How can you teach anything else without first teaching God's profound and deep love for everyone of us. It is not determined on what we do or who we are, it is just there. Everything else stems from this love. Nothing should be taught unless it is a message of love. How can you gain a relationship with God unless you first understand the nature of God. I have sung "I am a Child Of God" since I was a young child, but sometimes I still forget it. He isn't some mystical being, He is the father of my spirit--who I essentially am--and He knows me and loves me because He created me and knows my potential.  Nothing else makes sense without this simple truth. Why would God care to give us anything and why would we follow Him if it wasn't for love?

Our motel is currently under renovation. They took off the shingles the other day so it's been looking like this for.. about the whole week. We got back from our early morning run and just started laughing at how our humble abode is looking. I'm sure it will look amazing when it's done but for now…

We went up to Ruby Valley this weekend and taught a lesson in Sunday School (Note: this is the first time teaching a big kid lesson) It went really well, minus a guy who took up half the time because he thinks a lot of himself and made everyone a little upset. While we were there we realized we had a lot of work there as well and we will (after next week) will spend a day down there every week. It is truly the middle of nowhere. There isn't even a gas station for 50 miles, but it is so incredibly beautiful down there. 

It's also very windy. Since I didn't have a picture and we came to a beautiful stop we got out to take a picture.

We tried to take a picture but... uh... the wind.

Don't Fall Asleep or You Will Be Slipper Slapped: 4/7/14

General Conference was so incredibly good. I loved it so much but before we get in there I figured I should tell y'all about my week.

First things first: WE MOVED! We are now in a different renovated room in our motel. The Egburts have fixed up this room so nicely. Our view from our room is now the brothels and train but... even though we are closer... it is quieter for some reason. It is so much nicer.

The highlight of our proselyting week is when we went to see our lady who calls us her gypsies and we found out... METROPOLIS USE TO BE HUGE! I thought it was ironically named, but it use to be a big city/train stop before the great depression and drought claimed it. They brought out pictures and it use to have a giant five star hotel and a three story school house. And there is still remnants of pavement we have never noticed. Snuff, her son, took us on a tour out to where the last run down bits of the hotel and school are and we walked around. Here are pictures from the school house.

Highlight of the week was of course General Conference which is where the leaders of the church--the prophet and the apostles--speak to the church as a whole. It is done in two hour sessions. We spent every session with a different person and every session we were with people we love!

It typical fashion we gathered around the TV and watched in our comfy clothes with a blanket and pillow. I took TONS of notes. However at one of the houses we were at the teenagers in the family got a little too cozy and where feeling the "comforter" a little too much and (in typical fashion) fell asleep. To combat this habit the mom got herself a spray bottle to wake them up. However, she decided at one point to get out her slipper and teasingly slapped them to wake up! hahaha. Then the kids were complaining "But Dad's sleeping!!!" to which she took off her slipper and slipper slapped the dad. He sheepishly woke up and smiled at all of us. It was pretty funny.

I loved every talk. I honestly can't choose a favorite. There's Holland's Defend your Faith talk, Eyring on leaving an inheritance of hope, Uchtdorf on gratitude (which I can already see a mormon message with it in the background), Bednar on the load, Packer's powerful testimony of Christ, President Monson on loving others. Some of the talks from members of the Seventy were my favorite as well--Zwick, Stevenson, Aidukaitis.  

What really impressed me this time around is that these men are people that we sustain as prophet, seers, and revelators. If they do what we claim them to be able to do (which I believe they do) they are the people that God has revealed things that will happen in the next few years. They probably know what calamities will come. They know what we need and how to prepare ourselves. However the prophet doesn't ask us to move to a different state, to run from the disasters which are to come, he doesn't preach of calamities and heart ache. He speaks of hope and love. 

It's amazing. I think of the pioneers of the early church. When the prophet Brigham Young told them they were moving across the plains to what would be Utah, they left. Yesterday the prophet asked us to be kind and loving to our fellow men and most importantly to our families. I was thinking which command would be harder--moving across the plains or being loving to everyone. One is a one time big decision, but the other is making a permanent change in our behavior and thought, a decision you will have to make over and over again. Loving everyone, having charity, it much much harder to actually do and accomplish. Instead of a big act of faith, it is a small act of faith you have to do over and over again. And it really hit me that above everything else that the world needs--it's not a new political reign, it's not a call to repentance, it's not better food storage--it's love. I've seen that a lot out here. There are too many people who are in need of love. 

Elder Ballard (from the Quorum of the Twelve) told us to share what we learn in Preach My Gospel (our missionary manual) with our families and have them share back what they learn. So I hope to do that soon. This week I was focusing on Christlike Attributes which is the section we use to help us become more like christ, but I hope to start from the beginning of the teaching section and focus on a principle per week. But what hit me this week that above all else, in order to represent him you must become like him. After that nothing else matters. If you want to invite people to come closer to Christ, you must follow him and become like him first. I don't think the mission will change me, but I do hope that it will refine me.

Hope you all watch at least one of my favorite. If you don't watch the whole thing, the one I would recommend to anyone--regardless of faith--is Uchtdorf's talk. It only takes 15 minutes and I swear it will be worth it.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2014/04?lang=eng&vid=3438304098001&cid=4

Have a great week!

Cats and Dogs: 3/31/2014

I got my first mission dog bite this week. This picture does NOT do it any justice, but it's right there on my arm. Now I have my first mission battle wound! We were going up to visit a new investigator that told us we could drop by anytime on Saturday. We did and their dogs were out. They had told us they were harmless. The bigger dog came up. Sister Wood was apprehensive but I went up and pet it. The dog seemed so nice. It even snuggled up to me a bit. then we went and knocked on the door. No answer. We knock again. We see the lady peek though the blinds and then ignore us (Benefit of the doubt: she struggles with English and maybe didn't want to answer without her husband there)--No answer. I turn to leave and the dog was still watching us. It didn't bark or anything. Out of nowhere it jumps and digs it's teeth into my arm like a little vampire! I said Ouch pretty loudly and then "stupid dog" then the dog started just walking next to me like nothing happened. I just started walking like normal back through the gate. I look back and sister Wood is terrified. She may or may not have pepper sprayed their dog. The dog didn't do anything. He was just chillin'.  Sister Wood walked the long way to the car to avoid him though. It broke the skin a little bit though my jacket but mostly he just left a nasty bruise. Don't worry. I don't have rabies.... yet. :) haha. No, don't worry. You see how tiny it is.

Other story, we went to Elko for exchanges with the STLs. I did my first street contacting. At one point there was a cat that had made itself home in a random house. The family was kicking it out when we walked by. When we were done talking to them the cat started to follow us. It trailed behind us for about 5 blocks. A good hour or so. It wanted to be by us, but it didn't want to be touched or noticed. Every time we would try to take a picture of it following us, it would stop or go off to the side. Here's one of such pictures. I'm in the middle of yelling at it. After we walked a block and put away the camera, we hear it meowing at us. It had gotten inside this persons yard and couldn't get past the gate. It was his own fault for not letting us take a picture!

In general, The week has been good. We are still loving it here in wells. Every time we go out to Elko, we get off the freeway and come back into Wells and there is a sigh of relief because it's just like coming home. We are doing a lot of good here and we hope to keep it up. 

Bishop pulled us into his office so we could update him on everything that's been going on and how the ward could help. Near the end he starts getting all teary in his good eye and he says in his little cowboy accent, "I just love you guys and I am so glad you've been sent here to us. I love you two and I love your parents for raising such wonderful young ladies. You are an incredible contribution to this ward and this community". I don't know if it's deserved. Whatever good we do is generally not by our own ability. But I do love being a missionary. Perhaps we aren't the typical missionaries hunting people down and leaving pamphlets, but we just meet people and find out their needs and help them. A lot of times they just need a listening ear and some hope. We aren't the missionaries our Sister Training Leaders are, but we are exactly what this town needs at this time and we see miracles every day. 

I hope all of you are doing well. Remember that there is someone who knows you perfectly who is always there for you. He's not some estranged figure, but he is the father of our spirits--who we essentially are--and he is a friend. I know he laughs at me all the time because he is always putting me in funny situations. I'm glad he does because that means I always have a funny story to tell. Have a great week!

Also, look how huge my area is (upper right of the highlighted yellow part which shows our mission boundaries)! We did the math. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but we calculated that it's approximately 8,000 square miles. It's the portion outlined in pencil. The blue outline was from when I was just estimating how big our area was. I was off by quite a bit. The break in the area is the dividing line between the Wells ward and the Ruby Valley branch we cover. Pretty Crazy.

Dumpster Doug and other Wells moments: 3/24/14

BIGGEST NEWS OF ALL: For the first time in history (not sure if this is entirely true but we have never heard of it before) President publicly announced what was going to happen next transfer a week ahead. People from the ward told us that they had been approaching president all throughout Stake Conference telling him that he can't take us away. Bishop Myers, when we told him maybe he should slip in a $20, told us he would slip in a $100. When we joked with president about it, he leaned forward and told us that we were already staying for at least another transfer but if we kept it secret he would split the money with us! haha. Then Sister Wood was like "Wait, are you serious. Are we staying another transfer?" And he was! We are staying! He even told the Zone leaders and half the ward! 

Funny story: We made a new friend this week in Burger King. Love Wells. We originally met him at June's funeral and we ran into him in BK and we started talking, His eyes were shifty and he kept looking around. We have some new favorite quotes. 

Him: Do you know Dumpster Doug?

Me: Yeah, we briefly met him in the Post Office, he seemed really nice!

Him: Well, I don't trust him. He keeps on wantin' me to go to Twin with him to buy groceries but there's just something fishy bout him.

Then he looked us right in the eye. "Did you know there's a Chinese Spoon Mine underneath the Shell Crest Motel?" Sister Wood looks at him back and says "No way!" and he continues after looking around. "Mmhmm. And have you heard about all the FBI in town?" Sister Wood, "No, I haven't." He leans closer and points to himself. "They're takin' notes on me". Sister Wood, "And why's that?" He sits up, looks around, leans in not quites as intense and says "I've been snitchin' on people. I'm gonna take my dog and just walk down 93. I'm gonna walk my dog"

Well, it's been a few days and he's still here in town. He waves and us and smiles every time we see him though! Guess the FBI haven't got him quite yet :)

In other news this week I can truthfully claim that I rode a caterpillar (not a farming equipment, but a stuffed animal) and I fought imaginary monsters with another little kid.

I was actually sick one day and we had to go to Elko three times this week! But regardless, we still had 14 lessons (17 being the mission average)! So we were pretty happy.

I think my most profound moment was when I was sick and we were listening to a talk titled "From Catholic Priest to Mormon" and he told his conversion story and when he talked about saying goodbye, he called them "My Missionaries". And Suddenly I got all teary eyed. I recalled all the people that have called us their missionaries and one day down the line someone will talk about their missionaries and that missionary will be me. I needed that. It helped me to remember just why I'm here, because someone needs me to be their missionary.

The pictures from this week are from the service project we did/doing. We are getting new people to manage the Shell Crest and we are helping them move in and renovate. We've done a lot of painting. The first day we were over brother Lee exclaims that he doesn't want their missionaries to be running around with paint in their hair, so he bought us hats! (Sidenote: Don't judge our mess. It's a small motel room and there is nowhere else to put it)

Randomness: Puppies and Baby Cows: 3/17/14

First off. It's Calving Season! The baby cows are so stinking cute I want to die! They are the size of puppies but they are cows!

The biggest thing that happened this week is of a sensitive nature and the person involved would not be happy with me sharing.

But a lot of weird funny things happened too! 

It's been a pretty random wild week and a lot we have at least two puppy stories.

-The Uhligs (in response to Sister Wood tripping on a pot whole on the way to the car) told us they had a gift for us, it was pink, but hey left it at Grandmas house. The whole day we live in anticipation of what this gift could be. It was a granny walker. It was Grandma Uhligs walker. We couldn't even keep it! We did laugh though.

-We both scrunched our hair and Brother Brough called our hair haggard! Only he could get away with that.He's lucky he pushed me on the tire swing earlier.

-Someone told us that Hitler was probably doing the will of God. We did not agree.

-Hitler was brought up in another conversation.... why? I have no clue.

-We were at the Uhligs returning a vacuum and they were in the back yard. They let the hunting dogs out of their cage and they go wild and starting pooping all over. Meanwhile Dusty makes me jump on the tramp with her, then she kicked me off because she wanted Sister Wood. While they were jumping the dog with a little piece of poo attached to it's rear jumps up on the tramp, puts it's rear end down and scoots across the entire tramp. Sister wood's face was that of complete shock and disgust, Dusty kept on jumping, and the mom says ever so calmly, "Oh gross. Dusty honey. It's time to get off". 

-The next day Sister wood picks up a puppy and it pees on her. Classic.

It's been a great week. We have three new investigators and we have two service projects next week! I am so excited. Another cool story is that we hadn't seen probably my favorite person we work with, Julie, for a week or so. Then we were walking into our dinner appointment and he hear our names. We didn't recognize her at first but then she walks out to give us hugs and we squeal! She told us she normally goes at a different time and a different way to the post office, but she felt the spirit telling her to come that way so that she could see us! She is just so great and amazing. Love her!

Well, these are pictures we took driving back from Deeth/ Starr Valley. You haven't gotten a picture yet of there. There are baby cows! The pictures don't give it justice, but they captures it somewhat.

Sister Wood taking a photo

Me after we were a while down the road. The moon and everything was so cool. This was thebest I could do.

There is Always a Tomato: 3/10/14

This week has been hard. Not because anything has really changed to make it harder--we still have the same amount of disappointments and successes--but it's our attitude towards everything.

As missionaries in upper Nevada you see a lot of crap--abuse crap, drug crap-- we are around it. There are so many people who want to change and want out but they don't necessarily actually want help or want out. They want all their problems to be fixed without any work, without any change. It can be frustrating and annoying. It's sad. You want to help, but they don't want to be helped. They don't want to forgive because that would mean losing their identity as the victim and part of them wants to be the victim. They want to be broken. They can't loose that. It's part of their identity, part of who they are.

At almost every dinner appointment we've been to we have been leaving a message of Faith. It's the most basic principle to teach and the hardest to master. Perhaps we left it because it was what we needed--faith that people can change, faith that miracles can happen, faith that we can make a difference. One of the ladies we ate with is a recent convert and we asked how faith has played a role in her life. In her cute little spanish accent she told us the following story:

When we first moved here from Mexico, we had no money. There is a Mexican dish you can make that's super cheap--an onion and tomato and you make a paste. But I look in the fridge and freezer--no tomato. So I say a prayer (She folds her arms) "Please god, I have no money. Please let there be a tomato". She opens the fridge and freezer--no tomato. She moves everything around in the fridge and freezer--still no tomato. So she goes--oh, well. I'll try again. I'll give you another shot. She prayed again. She opens the fridge and right in the front and center of the first self she looks at is a tomato.

What she said after that has stuck with me all week. She said, "With faith in God, there is always a tomato. When you rely on the Lord, he will always make sure you have a tomato."

Perhaps I'm still waiting for my tomato. I've been given plenty of tomatoes in my lifetime and I know that the Lord will provide and He will work miracles if we are patient and persistent and rely on his timing.

What started all of this was a scripture in Matthew 17. It's a story of a man who has little faith and exclaims "Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief" to which the Savior replies

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

I use to think that mustard seed was actually a great amount of faith. I can't move mountains. Then I was reading Jeffery R Holland's talk on this same scripture he said

"The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know."

It truly doesn't matter the size of faith, but whether you act upon the faith you have no matter how small. The result is miracles. I've been referring to a General conference talk "Faith--the choice is yours", because it explains so perfectly what these mountains are and what faith can do for us. He says

"I have never witnessed the removal of an actual mountain. But because of faith I have seen a mountain of doubt and despair removed and replaced with hope and optimism. Because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of sin replaced with repentance and forgiveness. And because of faith I have personally witnessed a mountain of pain replaced with peace, hope, and gratitude. Yes, I have seen mountains removed."

I have seen many mountains removed. I have been the recipient of many tomatoes. I'm so glad to have faith in my life and the hope that things will get better.

Hope everyone has a great week!

If you want the full sources of the talks I'm referring to they are here

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng#6-10785_000_51holland

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/faith-the-choice-is-yours?lang=eng

Pictures:

So multiple people have told me the pictures didn't load. I don't feel like going through my camera again. But here are pictures from this week!

This is why we were late for a dinner appointment. Yes. Those are horses.

First Baptism!: 3/3/14

Oh hey! I had a baptism this week! I don't think I ever even told you about Quinlin! He's 11. He wants to go to BYU and serve a mission..... He's so awesome. His whole family are members and they stopped going for a while when he was young. They started coming back and he was like "yeah, I want to be baptized" in the first 5 minutes of us meeting him. He's so cool.

All of his family is in Utah so, unfortunately, we weren't able to see it because they did the baptism there. However, after his interview we made sure to take pictures. He was so excited about his little pocket square! He may be one of my favorite kids on the planet. 

In typical Sister Golding fashion, it took a while to get a serious picture. Actually.. I don't think I got a good serious picture before the end. But I got a lot of goofy ones. I'll have to get the other pictures off Sister Wood's camera another day.

He's laughing at the other pictures we took here. It may be my only goodish one.

Something was happening in the hallway, but when I announced we needed another another redo because I wasn't looking Quinlin goes "yeah.. and I think I was praying.. so that's weird" and we joked about how he really took to prayer like how we taught him. So here's the Prayer picture.

Brother Uhlig tells us that we need to take a serious picture and.. well.. this happens

Finally we got his mom and get down to business.

It's been a strange funny week. Other moments:

-I drink about a half gallon of milk in 1 hour.... I won't get into that one, but it happened. I've NEVER drank that much milk in one sitting.

-We play kickball in the street with four people and a deflated yoga ball. But it was an answer to a prayer! We didn't want to knock on the door and the people we wanted to see were already outside!

-You know you are in Wells when the Bishop pulls up for Ward Basketball in a horse trailer wearing cowboy hat and boots! Love it.

-At a first lesson a member brings up polygamy (hit face with palm)..... If this lady wasn't golden for any other reason she is because that happened and she still invited us back.

-We are teaching an Atheist. It's great.

-A lady we were working with gets kicked out on street and we can't find her.

-WE GET SPOONS!!!!!!! This guy in the ward makes awesome wooden spoons and he gives us his "rejects". These spoons cost $15-30 each and we got two!

Hope everyone is having a good week! Love you all