Happy Halloween!

Hello!

So this week went well.  It was busy and we did a lot.  

Some Highlights: We were able to go with a member (Sister Tu'ivai) to go pick up her husband that had been out on a MEU for the military.  He was on a ship and gone for about 9 months.  We drove out to the base with her and waited the long 2 hours for the men to get off the ship, unload their gear, come over and greet their families.  It was such an amazing thing to see.  All of the kids and wives running to meet their husbands and dads who had been gone for so long!  Sister Tu'ivai and her son Veni were SO happy, and it made me so happy to see that:)

A fun bit of service we did this week was when we made dinner for our Relief Society President Sister Anderson!  We recruited a lady in the ward to help us shop and prepare the dinner at her house.  We made chicken enchiladas and then some lemon cilantro rice and beans.  It was so good looking.  We dropped it off at her house and left it in her fridge since they were out trick or treating at the school festival.  

The following day we went over to Sister Anderson's house and got to celebrate her son's birthday, carve pumpkins, and eat a super good dinner she made us!  She said she wanted to make sure we had something fun to remember about our halloween:) 

Sister Anderson's House

Making Goodie Bags to Handout

On Halloween we went to a little fast food place called “Cook Out” that everyone always talks about.  supposedly they have really good shakes, so my companion decided we should go there for lunch.  We had Sister Hanson (a girl my age- a young marine wife) come with us since her husband was at work all day.  It was quite fun!  We drove to Walmart and to her house to see her puppy, and then to visit a few less active sisters in the ward.  It was a great social outlet if you ask me! 

Sister Hanson

Saturday was Brooke's baptism!  She has been investigating for 3 years and has finally decided to take the plunge!  No pun intended.  We put together her program and yes, I did end up singing a duet of the song "I Need Thee Every Hour" for it.  It actually went well and everyone told me I should sing more.  We will see if that happens;)

Sister Tu'ivai, Veni, and Brooke

Brooke's daughter is 18 and has decided that she now wants to get baptized.  The only hang up is that she lives with her fiance.  So unless he was to move out, or they chose to get married, she can't get baptized quite as soon as she would like.  Well, she called us and said that she has decided they are getting married on Thursday so she can start preparing for baptism!  That just shows us how willing she is to change her life in order to do what she believes is right!  It's wonderful to see her have such great desires.  Now her fiance is interested in learning more about the church as well:) Domino effect!

Later that day we went to Sister Leishman's (lady in the ward) to help her box up her house.  They are moving to Utah while her husband deploys for a year.  They were planning on staying in NC but they found out that their house has been contaminated with black mold and is in NO condition for anyone to be living there right now.  She had gotten pneumonia twice, and each of her kids took turns getting sick as well.  So we put our face masks on and went right to work.  

Service with a Smile!?

We spent a couple hours moving things out of rooms, boxing up stuff and throwing out things that were rotted with mold.  Gross!  After that she took us all out to Red Robin for dinner! Their family is so great- I wish they weren't moving.

Sunday we had a Silent Fireside, or in other words a power point presentation that was all music and pictures and scripture quotes.  It was like an inspirational video.  We asked all the members to invite their friends and use it as a missionary opportunity.  I sang one of the special musical numbers and afterwards a lady came up to me who is a professional singer and asked me how long I've been singing for.  I told her I've never really done it outside of the shower before!  Haha.  She offered to give me a few free singing lessons!  How fun is that!  I really love her- she is so great and served a mission as well.  It's nice to see how blessed she is with a great husband and 2 cute little babies.  One day that may even happen to me!  

We got to eat dinner that night with another member and had planned on teaching a lesson to their friends they had invited over as well.  We taught the Plan of Salvation and talked ALOT about marriage and how family is central to God's plan and how important it is to nourish our relationships.  Come to find out, they told us our message was really uplifting and helpful because they had been having marital issues lately and felt lost.  They agreed to come to church this next Sunday and meet with us again.  The Lord knows what people need to hear, and we just have to be open to listening to Him and teach what we feel is right.

Today!  

Onslow Beach on Camp Lejeune

Sun's Out ~ Guns out!

Today we went with the Sister Missionaries in the Second Ward, and one of their members to the beach on base.  It was really pretty and perfect weather for it.  It was about 60 degrees and the sun was out and it felt SO good.  I miss the beach so much.  We ate lunch out there and played with the little son that came along.  

So this upcoming week we have a baptism to prepare for!  One of our investigators is getting baptized on Saturday.  Then we have 4 more baptisms to get going for the end of November.  The Lord is hastening his work and even though times can get challenging, He leads us to people who are searching for more happiness and the light and truth they are missing.

Funny of the Week:

A member in our ward decided to drop by after they hit up Sam's club one evening this week.  They brought us tubs of lettuce, carrots, broccoli, apples, grapes, and bananas.  This sweet young couple even brought us a bouquet of daises!  They stayed for about half an hour talking with us about things, and by the end of the chat they commented on how cold our apartment was.  We think our thermostat is broken because it is always at 61 even when we set it for 71.  They texted us later that night and told us they were getting us a space heater and more blankets before the winter hits so we don't die!  They are so sweet! Haha:)

This is how I dress to stay warm in our apartment!

My feet get so cold... I have to wear socks with my shoes in our apartment, haha!

So each week we have a District meeting, or in other words, we have the missionaries in this area come together at the church to meet and go over numbers and other business items.  Well, all the missionaries and even the senior couples, have learned how passionate I am about health and exercise.  So!  For the snack they usually bring, they had yogurt with fruit and granola instead of cookies, and then we had a stretch break and a wall sit break!  They then asked me if I would do the 'health thought' for the rest of the meetings since I am the healthiest person they know.  I just laughed, haha.  

Personal Revelation:

This week I have learned that missionary work is always paired with high stress.  Being a perfectionist doesn't help matters much either.  I was looking for ways to let out this stress and praying for things I could do to let it go and not hold it in.  This week my scripture study hasn't been anything extraordinary, but I can tell you that the repetition of being in the Book of Mormon has made the spirit more prevalent than ever before.  I feel so calm and collected when I read for that short half an hour in my personal study time every morning.  I get so sad when I realize it's time to wrap things up and close it.  I know that our Heavenly Father blesses us when we follow his commandments; and through my habits of praying and reading in the scriptures I have deepened my spiritual connection with Christ and God.  This allows me to build up my 'spiritual storehouse' so I can manage my stress better.  I would encourage all of you as well to read for at least 10 minutes a day in the Book of Mormon, always starting and ending with a prayer.  It will drastically change your day, and if you give it time, you WILL see apparent changes.

  

I love you all so much and hope you are doing well.  I miss you and hope you know I pray for you every single day!  Probably every hour to be honest:) 

Stay safe and don't forget me!

Love, Sister Mallory Golden