Busy Week!

Hello to you!  

I hope you are doing well:)  This week was a busy one with lots to do.  

So on Monday of last week my companion and I invited a few of the young marine wives, who are less active, to get together for a brunch.  We did it at our friend's house who is the same age as all of us, but is active in the church.  We made orange zest pancakes, turkey bacon, eggs, fruit salad and juice.  It was so good!  This turned out to be pretty beneficial because all the girls got to know each other better and make friends with one another.  A few of them even carpooled because they live in the same military housing.  We are trying to focus on these young wives because their husbands are non members and if we can teach them, they could potentially be a new investigator for us.  Plus, we want them all to go to the temple:)  We then drove to another members that afternoon and went to the beach on base with them. 

It was fun but definitely a lot chillier down by the water.  A good hour and a half was sufficient for us.  When they dropped us off at the commissary to go grocery shopping we had to change back into our missionary clothes, and the only place to do so was in the bathroom.  My feet were so sandy!  I ended up washing them off in the sink hoping that no one would walk in and think I was a weirdo. 

On Wednesday I went on my first exchange as a Sister Training Leader, with the Jacksonville 2nd sisters!  It was a lot of fun and I was able to learn a lot as well, being in a new area.  I went with Sister Smith to an area called Richlands and we had a few appointments set up for the day.  We had a lunch set up with an older widow who lives in a retirement center but loves having the missionaries over.  Sister Smith told her the day before that I would be coming for lunch and I like to eat healthy things.  So instead of having hot dogs on a slice of bread, or a weird soup that she supposedly usually makes, we had a lovely assortment of celery sticks, grapes, peppers, apples, and cucumber.  Funny enough they were all GREEN. Then we had strawberries for dessert;)  I appreciated the gesture haha.  After that we visited a few people who lived on the town (some younger part- member families) then had a dinner appointment with some members in their ward.  I loved them and it showed me that there are good people in every ward!  I love meeting new people so it was a fun dinner and we all got along.  Needless to say we were all 20-23 years of age.  Haha.  It seems to be a common thing here.  After a meeting at the church their was a man that we ran into who is a Chiropractor.  He said he could tell I was tight and in pain and offered to crack my back.  Well, I said yes of course.  He went to TOWN on my back!  He cracked it 4 different ways, and even did my neck.  I felt like a NEW woman after that!  I was pretty much floating out the door.  We drove to Sister Smith’s apartment that night which is next to a horse ranch!  Who knew!  We fed the horses some grass and then went inside to do our planning and bed time stuff.  As a STL I need to ask her how the companionship is going, how she uses her planner, if they update their area book and all the detailed stuff like that.  But it was a fun day and we talked the entire time:)

On Thursday night the Sisters from the Shallotte area drove to our apartment and spent the night so we could travel to the combined Missionary Leadership Training that was the next day.

I was in the shower and just getting out when Sister Jones yells, "Oh my gosh, Sister Golden!  You have to come out here quick!  There is a huge....Rat!"  I was like what the heck? A rat?!  So I threw a towel on and flung open the door to find all the sisters holding a banner saying happy b-day and a card and an apple, posing by my bed.  They all died laughing and sang me a song and then said they got the apple specially for me and we would all share a 'slice'.  Haha!  They then pointed out the camera set up on the night stand that was recording the whole thing.  After that they said their present to me was doing 25 jumping jacks and some push ups.  It is so funny how everyone thinks I am this health freak...okay I am a little bit.  We all got ready for bed and of course, just like girls do, we stayed up talking. DUMB IDEA.  We went to bed at 11:30 and woke up at 4.  We had to drive to Raleigh and be there at 8:15 for our meeting to start.  That was a BRUTAL drive to make because as a passenger you have to stay alert the whole time to help the driver.

But the meeting ended up being really good.  My companion and I taught at it and everyone said it was good instruction.  We left Raleigh around 4pm and made the long drive back to Jacksonville.  We grabbed some Chipotle on the way for dinner and said our goodbyes as they headed home.

It was a fun day! I am enjoying being a STL.

Although it did take a few days to catch up on the sleep we lost!

On Saturday we visited a few people like usual, went out with a member to visit a few others, and then headed to a members house to help her paint her baby room!  She will be having her first baby in May and it will be a girl.  So we painted 3 walls gray, and did a chevron pattern of gray and coral on the 4th wall.  Oh it was SO cute.  I can't wait to be a decorative wife and mother!  I am learning a ton about marriage and being a good spouse as well.  Haha.  It cracks me up how much we talk about babies and marriage as missionaries.  It is way more than what I used to at home!

It happened to ME moment:  We were at dinner with a member and she was holding her 10 month old on her lap.  He was messing with all the stuff on the table and she had just set her empty plastic cup down.  Well, he reached to grab it and ended up knocking it over!  She reacted as any mom would and threw her hand out to try and save it from falling off the table.  Well, she actually hit it into my glass, causing it to keel over and DUMP the contents ALL over me.  My lap, my shirt, my plate and some of my hair managed to get wet. Haha.  She just stared at me for a few seconds with her mouth open saying, I'm so sorry!  My loving companion was laughing her head off and her little boys were running around yelling that I was melting since the water fell on me.  Oh man it was a great time.  Good thing dinner was so yummy!

Sunday was Fast Sunday and Superbowl Sunday.  Meaning everywhere we went they had food- and the TV on!  Some people didn't answer their doors, others offered us food, and others said we could watch with them!  That was NOT fun for me since my BOYS were playing.  Yes I heard the sad news that they lost :( But there is always next year!  We ended up eating with Brooke later that night and totally annihilated all the food she made.  IT was yummy.  We then talked with her more about what a Patriarchal blessing is and helped prepare her for getting hers. That will be next Sunday!  WE are so excited for her!

I hope you are having a great day and that this week is a good one!

<3 Sister Mallory Golden