My time in Raleigh: The End: A week of "lasts"

This last week was a good one! Full of all my 'lasts' and trying to make the most of it. The departing missionaries were able to take a trip to the temple on Friday and that was a blast. It was good to see all my old friends again who I came out with and to go one last time to the Raleigh temple that has become so near and dear to my heart.

I am really going to miss the south. Where it is okay to pray in a parking lot, talk about Christ in the grocery store, where people open doors for you, give you water after you knock on their door, and say cute friendly phrases. I know that all I learned here will affect me and the rest of my life. I am so grateful that I chose and was able to come on a mission.


Sister Houseman from Pinehurst

Luncheon after our temple excursion

Departing Sisters and our companions

Our group of departing missionaries with President and Sister James

Raleigh NC Temple

Herbert Beasley and Brother Farmer

This Saturday our investigator Herb was baptized and he said it was the best choice he has ever made. He loves this gospel as do I- and I have loved being able to see it improve his life.

Sunday was a day full of goodbyes. We went to see a part member family who recently lost an adult son. They were out 'oyster diggin' earlier and had come back to put them over the fire and eat them! They invited us to stay and said we needed to try our first oyster and clam bake here in the South. They were...good? They weren't bad haha. I just had to muscle them down. The cornbread is fried with pig skin to make it more salty.

The Rochelle's

A family that has taken our hearts in invited us over for dinner and we grilled out. They aren't members but they appreciate what we do and love the standards we have. They gave me some going away presents and said they were better people after meeting us. It was so sweet. I will miss the Bullards!

The Bullard's: David, his wife and their little girl Kamryn

David is a Tarheel fan!

Bishop Smith offered to give me a blessing as I depart my mission and he said some pretty profound things in it. It was great! I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Hampstead!

The Smith Family

"Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will."  This scripture is from the Book of Mormon, and in place of Nephi's name I place my own name. As can you.  

In the Bible, located in 2nd Timothy chapter 4, verse 7 it reads, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." That is how I feel about my mission. I know that I fought hard and did the work I was sent here to do.

Enduring to the end implies “patient continuance in well doing” (Rom. 2:7) It requires sacrifice and hard work. We cannot expect to learn endurance in our later years if we have developed the habit of quitting when things get difficult now. Elder Robert D. Hales said, "When we serve as missionaries and the focus is off ourselves and on doing the Lord’s work and helping others, an opportunity for great growth and maturity occurs. When a young elder leaves the comfort of family and friends and masters the skills of functioning in the real world, he becomes a man and develops more faith in the Lord to guide him.

A missionary faces many challenges that he has not dealt with previously. Giving the best he knows when he arrives will not fulfill the calling. Enduring requires doing better than your best of today by developing additional gifts as granted from the Lord. It takes faith to listen to the Lord and to mission leaders and learn how to accomplish whatever missionaries are called to do. Of course, it is difficult. That’s what makes it such a gift and why it has such great rewards. We must recognize who we are and achieve our ultimate purpose. We must then resolve to overcome all obstacles with great determination to endure to the end."

Love, Sister Mallory Golden

A few other photos of meetings and families we visited.