Wedding Week and Other Mayhem: 9/21/15

Look at where we are! Melinda and Timothy were married. They were going to do a court house wedding but after a member offered her house. Between Sister Haight, our member, and me, we made it a day to remember. Due to turning their life around, they have had to get rid of a lot of people in their life. It was a small wedding. Sister Haight and I were bridesmaids! I also did Melinda's hair. It was a very special day.

This week has been crazy. Here's the Highlights:

1. Sunday through Tuesday I was having some more than normal complications with my health. I went to the doctors on Tuesday in Sparks. He pressed on my abdomen and as before, I started to cry. It hurt so bad. At the end of the appointment, he pretty much said, there is nothing I can do for you. You can go home and see your specialist or you can tough it out until November. I got so upset and sad. Missionaries go home a transfer early a lot so it wouldn't be unheard of but I had come so close to finishing, I didn't want to give up now. But I didn't want to be dumb. I decided it needed to go back to prayer. I recalled the multiple blessings I had received counseling me to "follow the counsel of your doctors". I read a few scriptures then I made the call to my doctor back home. She told me not to worry, it wasn't too big of a deal. "Just continue what you're doing and see me when you get back. There's no need to come back any sooner." It came as a shock. I took my scriptures and just let them fall open:

"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren...and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success" -Alma 26:27

Then, Thursday, all the problems disappeared. Everything just disappeared. Miracle.

2. Thursday was nuts. We went with a couple to the hospital to give a prayer to tim's uncle in the ICU. But.. they picked up this homeless guy from AA who was having seizures and it turned out that we couldn't leave him waiting alone. He was very interesting. I saw a Watchtower on the table and pulled out a Plan of Salvation pamphlet to match the efforts of whoever left the opther pamphlet. Tony says "Who's that on the cover?" "That's Jesus Christ. Have you ever heard of him?" "No" "Have you ever heard of God?" "I've heard of him but I don't really understand who he is." We continued to give on of the most powerful lessons of my mission in hte middle of the hospital ER. I few people took out there ear buds and were unabashedly listening to the conversation. It ended with Tony giving the first prayer of his entire life. In the middle, he started crying, knowing it was real. It was so powerful. Ofcourse, people have agency and choose to go against what they discover with us. The hospital offered to find him a bed in rehab. Mid them filling out paper work, we walk away for a little bit and he tries to walk out of the hospital wth IV's in his arm! I still don't understand people, but they have agency. He found something good and decided to walk out in it.

3. Wedding :)

4. We had stake conference and I got to see SO many people from Gardnerville! The Harrisons, Snyders, Byingtons, Millers, Swensons, Funks, Lolies, Sturgess--I love them all so much. I saw even more people. I also got to see those from the Carson River ward that I rarely get to see. 

Hope you all have a great week! Love you all!

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Jim's Baptism and Camel Races: 9/14/15

I don't know if any of you remember the story I told of literally chasing someone down the street--something I generally am against--because I felt very prompted and I did it. Well, We have good news.

Guess where we are? Yep. Behind us is the baptismal font. Jim was baptized. Those are always the best of days. Nothing is better. They make all the referrals that are never home (aka most of this week) and empty doors worth it. I didn't realize how much I missed serving in the Carson River ward until that night. I'm grateful for the time I spent there and all the fun I am having in Hot Springs.

We spent a lot of this week helping Melinda and Tim work towards their wedding. We got permission to take time out of pday to go to the camel races at Virginia City with them! It is always an adventure with those two. 

I hit my two months left mark! I'm still in shock that it's been almost a year ago that I was sent home from my mission. So much has happened so quickly. It's been a year of humility and change and healing for me.

In Virginia City for Sister Haight's Birthday!

Me with the Camels! I fed them carrots and everything!

Love you all and have a great week!






More pics from the baptism:

Happy Labor Day: 9/7/15

Today is Sister Haight's birthday! We have plans to go to Virginia city. The lady we are living with look us up a mountain so we could run down for our morning exercise. So it has been a great start!

This week has been funny and amazing and great. One of the many reasons--I actually got letters from EVERYONE is my family! But here are some more missionary related good things:

We got a call in the middle of the day saying they were all nonmembers but needed help moving and it happened to be on split night so I went with 3 other members and we made an amazing contact! 

A man in the hospital knew one of our members and friends that worked there and asked us to come over because he's ALWAYS been interested in learning more about our church.

 We prayed with an older guy who wasn't really interested but when I asked if there was anything he wanted to be included in the prayer he said "Pray that all my buds can keep living the good life and just keep rockin baby!". 

Dorris is just the sweetest thing and is our number one fan. She even talked us into singing her two songs. She was too sick for a full lesson but we taught a short lesson on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

Melinda and Timothy are really working on coming into the church and giving their lives to God. Timothy smoked his last cigarette and even bore his testimony at church! It was really neat. Of course this was AFTER the opening song. Tim may not sing the best but he does sing loud and with a lot of enthusiasm. It makes life fun. We had a lot of fun during the opening song "Scatter Sunshine" and may have gotten a few looks. 

Another Highlight: Look at who I got to see this week!

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It's Sister Lolies from Gardnerville! My Gardnerville mom! It was a breif visit but it was so nice to see her again. One of the Elders that replaced me the transfer a few weeks after I was sent home was there as well. She is such a sweet lady AND she said she gets her temple recommend in a month. I am so ecstatic! 

I love you all and hope you have a great week! I know that through Christ it is possible for everyone to change and become better. That is something I've seen over and over again both in the life of others and myself. I'm grateful for charity, the pure love of Christ--Love for Christ, Love from Christ, and being able to love like Christ. The scriptures tell us that without charity we are nothing. But then the opposite must be true, with charity we can be everything.

Our hike this morning

A Week of Miracles: 8/31/15

I really don't want to write today but I wanted to include some highlights.

-We met this lady named Dorris. She's in the nursing home and super cute. She has us sing to her every Sunday

-This lady named Nicole made us dinner! She is so amazing and we all become quick friends. She even loves Korean Dramas. Turns out we both love Boys Over Flowers.

-Grandma Jan came out to a lesson with us!

-Do you remember the story where the car backs up to our window and sister Underly was like "We're gonna get shot!" and then I said "roll down the window! What if they want to get baptized?!?" Well, we met with them. I was right. Timothy wanted to get baptized into our church 6 months ago and just couldn't quit smoking. They are an Awesome Part Member Family. It has led to a lot of fun stories and adventures the short time we've known them!

Love you all!

The Animal Farm (Sister Golding Vs. Even More Animals)

This week has been fun and crazy and fun. We moved in with the most amazing lady in the world as well as two cats, three dogs, 4 chicks, and about a dozen hens. Our member we live with shortly after the move left town for Utah leaving us on animal duty. The chickens would not get in the cage, the dogs would make messes, the cat ran away (and luckily we got him back)--It's been interesting. I think we finally got the groove down but we are quite happy Sister G is coming back tonight :)

Sister Golding vs. the Dogs. To help with Sister Haight's allergies during our lunch hour we bathed the three dogs. Sister G. told us to put them in the bath tub and use the shower head. When we finally got the 120/130 pound dog in the bath tub. We shut the shower door. There we were. Two sisters and a giant dog in the bath tub. Bode just looks up at us like "What the heck is going on?" and I just had to laugh because his expression was EXACTLY how I was feeling.

The work has been amazing this week. Samantha (one of our investigators in Carson River Ward) got baptized on Tuesday! We thought we wouldn't be able to go due to transfers, but we weren't invited to stay for the transfer meeting and went to Carson minus Sister Grandy and plus Sister Haight at noon. We surprised her! It was an amazing baptism where the spirit was so strong. Grandma Jan got confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this week. Very tender moment. She looked so happy. We have been able to find and have started working with 3 amazing part member families this week. One of our investigators we thought may be a lost cause has turned a new page and now has a baptism date of September 26. I have a feeling this one may actually go though.

One of our more interesting stories from this week happened at a motel... I'll spare my dad the details (he told me to stop scaring him), but after an event we felt a strong prompting to knock on this door. The event kinda shook us so we were scared but the prompting was undeniable. We knocked on the door and found this most amazing 21 year old who needs this in her life right now. Our meeting was brief but perfect. We found a friend. I can't wait to continue working with her!

I know that the church is true. The grace of Jesus Christ gives us healing, forgiveness, and strength. God still talks to his people, the heavens are not closed but very open. Open because a Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to have greater access to that amazing grace. Just as God gives us a sun rise after the dark, with every second there is second chance to feel the beams of light breaking through the darkness. God has a plan. Perhaps we don't quite understand what it is, but he does and that is enough for me.

I hope you all have a great week!

Transfer news! And Grandma Jan's Baptism: 8/17/15

Sister Golding is staying Hot Springs but I actually get a companion! My companion will be Sister Haight. She is a temple square sister on her second transfer in the field.

This week has been amazing and awesome. Thank you for the chance to serve with Sister Grandy and Underly. They are amazing.

Grandma Jan got baptized yesterday. The spirit was so amazing. It really is never too late to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ! I love the gospel and I know this church is true. Have a great week.

What is the best that lies within us? Of how much are we capable? None of us yet knows... An old Arabic legend tells of a rider finding a spindly sparrow lying on its back in the middle of the road. He dismounted and asked the sparrow why his feet where in the air.

Replied the sparrow, “I heard the heavens were going to fall today.”

“And I suppose you think your puny bird legs can hold up the whole universe?” laughed the horseman.

“Perhaps not,” said the sparrow with conviction, “but one does whatever one can.”

This week has been too fast but also amazing and great. The greatest part Was Grandma Jan's baptism! The spirit there was so sweet and amazing. I cannot believe this day has come. She has lived with Brother and Sister Thornton for years and when we first started teaching her she would look at us and say "You can't teach old dogs new tricks!". Well, as it turns out, it is never too late to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her GREAT grandchildren gave the prayers as well as as the talk on baptism. It was too cute. I love her just so much. It made my life to see it all.

So transfers have been announced. Sister Grandy is finishing out and headed back to AZ. Sister Underly is getting a sister from Ely. And Sister Golding? I'm getting a Temple Square sister. She is on her second and last transfer in the field and should be heading back to Temple Square at the end of this transfer. I went on exchanges with her for a few hours when Sister Ash went through the temple before going home, so it should be good :)

A story has really touched me this week. It is in a BYU devotional by Elder Jeffery R Holland He says,

"What is the best that lies within us? Of how much are we capable? None of us yet knows... An old Arabic legend tells of a rider finding a spindly sparrow lying on its back in the middle of the road. He dismounted and asked the sparrow why his feet where in the air.

Replied the sparrow, “I heard the heavens were going to fall today.”

“And I suppose you think your puny bird legs can hold up the whole universe?” laughed the horseman.

“Perhaps not,” said the sparrow with conviction, “but one does whatever one can.”

This short tale has given me a lot of courage this past week. I can just picture the puny little legs of the sparrow and his desire to take on the world. Perhaps we won't change the world. Maybe my contribution is small. But not matter what we have to face, we have to keep going. We have to keep trying. On talking about the Pioneers, Brad Wilcox said, "The task ahead of them was never as great as the power behind them". I know that when we have God on our side, when we have grace--the enabling power of the Atonement, the task in front of us will NEVER be as great as the power behind us.

Love you all and have a great week! 

Are you religious? No. I'm Christian: 8/8/15

Okay. This week has been strange and all over (with one of us getting sick, the sisters needing to go to reno and going on splits, and just days where things went crazy). So many funny things.

*This guy passes us in a motel trying to contact another lady and mumbles

"Galatians 6:5"

"OH cool. What's that one?"

"I have no need to answer any man because I have applied the blood of Christ and have no need to do anything more" (Actual Scripture: "For every man shall bear his own burden." So close)

"Nice. So are you very religious?"

"NO. I'm CHRISTIAN."

Then he walks away. We all look at each other in silence for a few seconds and I finally say "So... It that his name? Hi Christian. I'm Sister Golding!"

*We walked into the WRONG house for dinner and spend 15 minutes talking to this lady thinking they just forgot she was feeding us dinner.

*A random car drives past and stops a little too early for it to be at the stop sign and then reverses up to our car. Sister Underly somewhat scared yells 

"We're gonna get SHOT!" 

"Roll down the window! What if they want to be baptized!"

So we roll down the window. Most random conversation ever. Then they see the bages and tell us where there house is and to come visit anytime and drive off. So crazy! When does that happen?

On a More spiritual note.

I've been thinking a lot about the miracle of Christ calming the storm (Mark 4). I would see videos of this account and wonder why the disciples were SO worried. But then I thought of the story from the point of view of one of the disicples. The waves "beat into the ship" so much that it was "now full". The water had filled the boat so much that it was filled to it's maximum capacity. Death was imminent. Then they turned to the Savior and there he was "asleep on a pillow". What they must have felt was complete abandonment. They asked, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" Do I matter so little to you that you can sleep while I am fighting for my life? I feel like I and many people have been in that boat. I remember times where I was drowning in trials and sorrows and the heavens seemed closed. I would pray in my own way "Master, carest thou not that I perish". You have all power, can't you take this away? But he always, in his own time, says "Peace be still". He let's the boat get full but he will never let us drown.  Then comes the rebuke.

"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"

Which reminds me of a similar rebuke I use to think was very harsh. When Peter walks on water and falls into the water after seeing the winds and waves.

"O thou of little faith"

Didn't they face death? Didn't he just WALK ON WATER? Didn't they desert everything they own to follow the Savior" As I thought I came to realization that perhaps the rebuke wasn't towards their faith in whole. But they were rebuked because they feared. Just as cold is the absence of heat. Just as darkness is the absence of light. Fear is the absence of faith. All of our fears can be overcome through faith.

Not once does the Lord say fear, worry, be anxious. He always says "Peace, be still" "Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest" "Doubt not, Fear not." Faith is truly the antidote to fear. He tells his disciples, "if you turn to me, you have no need to fear."

Sorry this is a long email. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Another funny moment...

* We talked to these VERY VERY intoxicated people. the drunk guy mumbles "This morning, this is so weird, but this morning I was just singing 'Mary did you know' do you know that song? Now you guys are here." Then he starts singing and I start singing along and he FREAKS out and starts slapping his buddy. "SPARKY! SPARK! I was singing this song this morning and. this is so weird. She just started singing! OUT OF NOWHERE!" Then he sang the first line and made a motion to me "SING IT! SING IT!" then he put his arms in the air and swayed as I sang. Yep. Pretty fun.

* Then a man walked down the stairs and Mary Did You Know guy yells out "TONY! TONY! Come over here for a second. You need to shake hands with this lady. Tony shakes my hand and walks away. We pass Tony on the way back to the car and say "Hey! It's Tony right?" "No, it's Bob." "I thought... you were Tony" "HE doesn't know me! He has no clue what he is saying!"