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

Spiritual Vegetables: 2/24/2014

There's lots of things that I could write about from this week. I could write about how we celebrated Sister Wood's birthday, how we helped at Ryder's Birthday, and how we celebrated the day after. I could write about how we got Jennifer to come to game night. I could write about how Sister Wood has been sick with the flu and I miraculously didn't catch it. I could write about how we watch every church DVD known to man while she was sick. I could write about how I used the recorder my mom sent me to document a full day. I could write about how we now have a recording of us knocking on a wrong door for dinner. I could write about our awesome lesson with Julie Taylor. I could write about a lot of things. However, I want to write about a problem we face a lot.

To preface this, you need to know a story from my childhood: My parent's rule is if you said you didn't like something, you ate it at every meal until you sincerely said you liked it with a smile on your face. We quickly learned you either keep your mouth shut and eat it or just say you like it. However, there was one thing Katie and I couldn't hold in. Our hatred for cucumbers. Just writing that, I actually gagged a little. we complained once. The next night we complained again. We ate cucumbers at every meal for about a month. Maybe I am exaggerating, but in kid days it felt like years. Then we started to learn. I would say with a grossed out face "yeah mom, I really love cucumbers" and she would say "you aren't saying it with a smile on your face and you aren't being sincere". The next night I said it with a smile, but it wasn't sincere. It was the greatest acting experience of my life when I mustered all the strength I had to say sincerely with a smile on my face that I loved cucumbers . I'm sure my mom and dad knew I still disliked them, but they didn't force me to eat anymore cucumbers.

Even though this little experience usually worked for us to be okay with all foods. Even though I originally just disliked eating cucumbers, to this day I gag when I even think about eating cucumbers and it even turned into not being able to eat pickles. 

In ward council we discussed a lady that we are working with who grew up in the church but has since fallen away and the only way I could think of to explain her experience was, "I think her parents forced her to eat eat her vegetables without ever really explaining what they do for her and it's left a bitter taste in her mouth. But now that she has a kid, she wants him to have the same nourishment she did but she doesn't want to give him the same experience she had."

Luckily everyone there knew exactly what I was talking about. There are so many spiritual and temporal benefits from religion and church. However, we work with so many, so so many people whose parents shoved religion down their throat while not explaining the benefits and usually not providing the best examples of eating vegetables themselves. They would get slapped if they didn't say their prayers. They would get yelled at and spanked for resisting going to church. And it left them with a bitter taste in their mouth, similar to my dislike of cucumbers. But they see the benefit looking back and a lot of them want it for their kids. 

Although I still think that forcing us to eat cucumbers was a form of child torture, I am so incredibly grateful that my parents taught me the importance of eating my vegetables. I am so glad that my mom always said "Testimony first, and then the little things will fall into place and be easy". That instead of inflicting the rules of religion, my mom and dad taught the importance of religion and trusted me to make the right decisions. 

I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of Christ and his mission on earth. I'm grateful for the faith I have in him and his ability to strengthen me. I'm grateful for his authority to act in his name that has been re-established on this earth and the blessings that come with it. 

Because this is a problem we face so frequently, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on it. Now for some fun things. My dad asked that I put a picture in every email.

This is us at our hotel room (the blue siding) and it's great because it really shows just how close the brothels are and if you look closely, before the brothels you can see the train tracks.

The this is in Metropolis. We were early for dinner because the lady that calls us her gypsies wasn't home. There's actually a funny story there but I'm running out of time. So we decided to use our time to drive the Metropolis stretch. When we got to the end, the sun was setting and we had time so we took pictures (the funniest being when sister wood says "let's do something cool and I just sit in the road and instead of cool it was just incredibly awkward). I just can't get over the simple beauty of Nevada. I remember driving through and thinking it was ugly before. But the miles and miles of flat land with the crisp mountains that look like they are photo shopped in. I can't get over it. Anyway. So I found this gnarly bush/tree and thought it was awesome so I got a picture with it.

Hope you all had a great week! Love you!

Both Spiritual and Weird: 2/17/14

It has been such a good week! Our biggest problem in Wells right now is that there is too much to do! That is the best problem I could think of. Wells has NEVER had this many investigators or less actives coming back. A lady who was visiting and gave me a referral said, "For the past 100 years there has been a curse on this land and you two have broke it."

Nothing moves fast in Wells, but there are a lot of people moving slowly.

This week has by far been the funniest. By Wednesday we've had enough mission stories to last us a lifetime. I'll try to keep it to the highlights:

-We trudged through mud to get a ladies house that we had an appointment with. She was tired so we rescheduled. Then we walked back through the mud swamp and her muddy dogs wouldn't stop jumping on us. We keep pointing and saying down, but they did NOT listen. Eventually we gave up and decided to just take pictures. hahaha

then I went to put my bag in the back seat after opening up the front. I turn my back for two seconds and I hear "noooo!" i turn around and THE DOG WAS IN THE CAR!!! putting his muddy prints all over. Sister Wood yells at it "get out you stupid dog!" and it gets scared and PEES ON MY SEAT!!!!

I've been riding around on a towel. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a horrible situation. This is our life in wells. Always.

This picture doesn't even do it justice....

- Later that night we had dinner with Lynda Hansen. She made us CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!! We decided instead of the Year of the Horse, it was now the year of the Walrus. and we took picture when Sister Hansen wasn't looking!

-We went to a catholic funeral. Situational irony.     Actually, it was good we were there. Jennifer was sitting alone and we were able to help comfort her. The catholic Priest thanked us for being there to support jennifer and we thanked him for the service. 

-One of the ladies there at the luncheon invited us to come discuss religion. We asked her what her religion was and she goes, "Oh, I'm a wicken."    Me and sister wood just look at each other and luckily keep our composure. But once we left and got in the car, we laughed. "OUR NEW INVESTIGATOR IS A WICKEN!!!!!!!!" 

-We have the Sister Training leaders come down and do splits. They declared Wells the most interesting exchanges!

-TWICE on valentine's day we get these vague, scary texts asking us to COME NOW! and we were like AHHHH! We get there "what's wrong! what's up!" and then they are like "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!" One time it was the uhligs and we took valentine's day picture with our friend Dusty. She made us pose like this.

-We got our transfer calls. The zone leaders make a big deal about it and ask us to get out pen and paper. In shock because we were sure they would keep us at least one more transfer. Sister wood.... you have been asked to serve in the wells ward! We all laugh and roll our eyes. We start to say goodbye. Then "wait no, sister golding..." My heart is in my throat. I was on the verge of tears. "yes" "you have been asked to serve...... (deep breath) in the wells area." They are the worst.

In other news. This has been our best week yet!

we have 3 new investigators from this week alone! There have been so many wonderful moments with people we have been working with for a while as well as new people we met. The Lord is truly preparing people for us to meet and help. After going on exchanges (where Sister Wood and I were split up with different Sisters) it just became more and more obvious that Sister Wood and I have specifically been sent here for a reason and we are able to get in and touch the hearts of those we teach in a way that other missionaries can't. It's been fun to see. 

A Week of Miracles: 2/10/14

So before I start and get all serious. Here are the results from the poll.

Spaying 53.8% knew what it was

Heffer 76.9% knew what this was.

I feel less completely worthless! Yeah It's removing the ovaries of baby female cows. We did not do that service project....

Okay, I've been SOOOOO good at keeping in my rude comments in. SO GOOD! but I slipped this week.

Luckily it was a part member/ less active family who thought it was funny. We visited the Hunt family but the mom (whose not a member) was sick. While we left we were saying that we would love to help her. and I started to say "you know if you need us to make you soup or run to the store to get you toilet paper or something. We will be there" and the 6 year old son (who loves me, but he's a handful) starts jumping and yelling as we walk away "oooh ooh! I need toilet paper! I need toilet paper!!!!!" and just turn to him and say "oh yeah? Is that because your full of crap?" Sybil just dies laughing and I'm like "oh.. I mean. I'm a missionary!"

Other funny moments/quotes:

"Don't eat healthy, it makes your pee smell funny"

There is a referral we've been trying to set up a second appointment with and we see him carrying in his groceries and he has a gimp foot so..

Sister wood: can we help you carry in you groceries?

Paul: You know you ladies are really nice and all, but I'm just not a church-y guy. I'm sorry.

sister wood: Well, we know you have a hurt foot. We could still help you carry in your groceries

Paul: That's beside the point.               (haahhaha. What?)

Sister Wood: um... ok bye!

We knocked over a vase of fake flowers in our sketchy hotel and this white powder stuff falls out and spills all over Sister Wood shoe. We talked to our ward mission leader about how we are 80% sure it's someones drug stash and he says "Just snort it and see what happens!"

The strangest request: "do you mind talking to me while I'm pooping? I'm a chatty pooper."

Now for Miracles:

To start off. Last week the ward and stake fasted for rain and for moisture. Be careful what you fast for. that stuff works. It has not stopped raining or snowing for days!

Jennifer Stapleton. We met her at Marge's funeral (lost and found week). She said I'm catholic but we asked for service and ended up giving her our number. Well, we got referred to her this week from Church headquarters/Referral system this week because her mom died (who we also met and have talked to around town. she was really a nice lady). The only family Jennifer had in town was her mom and she's taken it very rough. This is not the miracle. What is the miracle though is that we couldn't get a hold of her so we left a sticky note on her door to call us if she needs someone to talk to or any help and she called! She felt comfortable enough with us from the 20 minutes we talked that she felt like she could rely on us in this time of need. We are helping her with the funeral and as emotional support right now. she kept saying "I only met you once! you only met my mom once! I can't believe how much I need you and how much I feel close to you!" I don't know how the catholic church is going to feel about us being there for the service to help Jennifer, but I know she needs us right now.

Others:

-Our neighbor/potential investigator is moving to Iowa. We've been bummed. But they contacted us and really really want to have a lesson with us before they go. Since they are also our friends they invited us to their family dinner/get together. There we met the Hunts and Sybil also really wants to be there for Mary and Jacks lesson! That lesson is tonight. We are so nervous. We have one shot!

-Wednesday we tried and tried to contact people. We knocked on doors for 5 hours with no one answering until finally Amy let us in! They are another Part member family and she now LOVES us. She invited us to come to her sons birthday party next monday for cake! and we are seeing them on thursday!

-Nevada's Funeral: Indian funerals are crazy! there was 90+ people there. Funerals are not good. I don't rejoice in people dying. But we were helping with the set up and serving food and we ran into so many people that we have met and continue building relationships with the town. Gypsie lady found us and wanted to introduce us to her entire family! It wasn't good, but it was good we were there.

-Hallie: she is financially burdened and talked to us about how selling a necklace was the difference between having milk for the week or not. How their fridge currently has pickles and that's it in it. We had been praying for a way to help her. Then the funeral had tons of leftovers and we gave her a big package of food!

-Julie came to church this week! We haven't been able to get ahold of her for two weeks and have been so bummed because she seemed so interested. We knew she was busy but we figured since she hadn't replied to our 4 text messages she was done. I've been praying and praying that she would just come to church. Then five minutes late, She shows up. Waves at us and sits down. gives me a side hug! She really wants the lessons and to learn more, but hasn't found a time. We told her we can break them up into smaller lessons and she was like "OHHH! Come by Thursday then!"