First Week As a Trainer!

Hello Cute Family!  How is your memorial day going?  I hope it is a blast!  We have had a pretty busy day so far, but it has been good.  I was thinking about how you Golden's would be going to the breakfast that the Scouts put on at church, what a fun time!

1st.  I opened my Mission Call ONE YEAR AGO!  What the heck!

This week was a BLUR!  Getting a new companion straight from the MTC is something that will keep me going I have found.  She is great.  Her name is Sister Burdette from Utah, and has 5 younger siblings.  All of them are adopted including her.  She is also gluten free which I thought was funny since MY trainer was gluten free.  Maybe it's a sign that I need to eat less wheat;)  She went to beauty school and graduated in 2013, and has been doing a great job this last week.  I know she is going to be a great missionary.

Tuesday was transfer day and the training meeting consisted of 10 of us trainers; 7 sisters and 3 Elders.  We were separate from our new companions for a bit, and then we met!  It was great.  We were trained together for the rest of the session.  That night was busy and she probably doesn't remember a lot of it because of the lack of sleep you get your first few days:) 

We both were able to branch out and meet more of the ward members during the week- setting up appointments and stopping by.  I've found that short visits with the members and asking them about their personal lives leads them to trust us and want us around.  Sister Burdette and I want to meet everyone in the ward and make sure that we build up that trust!  People have been so kind and considerate towards her food allergy; one lady bought her a ton of gluten free groceries for her first week, and the other members have made pizza, chicken pad thai, Zoodles (noodles that are actually zuccini) and other things that are all gluten free!  We are blessed.

We had interviews with the Mission President and his wife this week (which was great) and we talked more about conversion.  I had a little realization driving one day, that if I were to never be a part of someones conversion story on my mission, I would walk away from this experience more converted than I would have been if I had stayed home.  I have been learning a lot about the dedication that the disciples of Christ had, while reading in the New Testament.  They were so converted that they were willing to put up with all types of persecution, long journeys, leaving family, and all material things.  Not only can we learn how to be Christlike as we study the scriptures, but we can learn HOW to be better disciples of Christ by reading and pondering them. 

This lesson was meant for ME.  Because this week I faced a challenge that I had never before dealt with on my mission.  I have been serving for almost 9 months and I have run into some southerners who don't agree with our faith, but have been cordial about it.  Well, this was not the case for the first time I took Sister Burdette out tracting. 
On Saturday we happened to knock on a door that was home to the most Mormon bashing, condemning, loud and boisterous, damning people in the south.  Oh it was so bad.  I left that contact crying...of course after leaving because I had too much personal pride.  Anyways.  There was so much contention, finger pointing, negative speaking and hard questions coming from them that whole time; I was completely overwhelmed.  Our M.P. said in those situations you don't do anything but bear testimony and try and build common ground.  Don't feed the fire.  And that is exactly what we did.  They wouldn't let us leave.  They kept going and going and going.  After they told me that my God isn't the real God and I'm going to drink His wrath on Judgement day I got up and took Sister Burdette and we walked out.  They asked us to come back but that wasn't going to happen.  I have never been so shaken before.  I felt like I didn't know how to defend my faith, and they threw everything back at my face and everything they said was followed by, "Because that's in the Bible."  When we left the house the wife said, "Sorry about the mess...but my daughter just reminds me it's going to burn one day.  And that's true because it's in the Bible."  The whole time they were telling us to stop reading the Book of Mormon and to only read the Bible and kept urging us to listen to them because they were right.  I told them they weren't going to convert me, because I had received personal revelation that this was true.  And they pretended to not know what I was talking about. 
SO.  That whole day I just felt sick to my stomach and by the time we got home for the night I was just so confused and upset and lost.  They had really shook me and I was afraid that they may have taken a hit to my testimony.  In my prayers I cried out to the Lord to help me.  To take those feelings away.  And once they left, all my doubts turned into faith.  Fierce faith.  I remembered all the joy this gospel has brought me.  It's simple.  It's merciful.  I feel good because of it.  And that's all I needed.  Prayer is real; revelation is real.  And I am so grateful that I was able to turn a bad situation into a testimony building one. 

"If we can stand without shame, without hesitancy, without embarrassment, without reservation to bear witness that the gospel has been restored, that there are prophets and Apostles upon the earth, that the truth is available for all mankind, the Lord’s Spirit will be with us. And that assurance can be affirmed to others." I add my testimony to this, what Elder Packer has said.  I love my Savior.  And for Him I will do this.

  Lots of Love, Sister Golden :)

Last Day with Sister Ibarra!

This weekend was GREAT.  We had stake conference!  I really enjoyed it.  There was huge emphasis on the family and marriage- not that I'm marriage hungry but I am excited to have a family of my own one day whenever that happens.  We rode up with members for both sessions which was fun being able to get to know them better and what not.  On Sunday my companion and I sang in the choir and the spirit was definitely super strong after we sang 'I believe in Christ'.  I love how music can bring the spirit and allow us to focus our thoughts on the Savior. 

I have been studying the topic of conversion a LOT this week.  It has just caught my attention and I am finding really good material that has helped me prepare and get ready for training.  A testimony is what I had before my mission I realized, and having served for a little over 8 months, that is slowly morphing into something greater.  A testimony is personal knowledge of spiritual truth obtained by revelation.  That happened plenty of times for me back home.  But conversion is an enlarging, a deepening, and a broadening of the under girding base of a testimony. 
Conversion
- An offering of ones self, of love, and of loyalty we give to God in gratitude for the gift of a testimony
- Getting it requires individual repentance, obedience, and diligence.  One thing that I am learning is that conversion requires both persistence and patience, HA.  Both things that a lifetime can grant us.  But I know that testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite to continuing conversion.  Testimony is a point of departure and is not the ultimate destination.  A strong testimony is the foundation on which conversion is established. 

I am a bit nervous to be training actually.  It is a big task, one that I am not taking lightly.  But I know that we are all there at one time or another.  For me, the unknown is very scary.  I like having things planned out and in view so I can fully prepare and be ready for what lays ahead.  But that is not always how the Lord works.  President Monson said, "Difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us and to become something different from what we were.  Better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before."  I love that those two thoughts go hand in hand.  Difficulty & Testimony.

This was Sister Ibarra's last week in Pinehurst, and everyone was really sad to see her go.  It was great to see how much she meant to this ward; so special!  The week held many goodbyes and seeing the members.  On Tuesday we held our weekly Spanish class (which I don't know how I will keep it going...lots of prayers!)  And it is so funny, each class we hold, one more lady comes.  So this time we had 4 ladies learning English!  It was a blast and we had Patty read some verses out of the Bible afterwards so we could have a spiritual lesson.  Her Bible wasn't a King James version, which is fine, but the stories were different:) Ha.

We went to Elmcroft, the nursing/Alzheimer home after that.  This time only the little old ladies showed up- none of my main men!  But we had a great time sitting around the table talking and chatting.  They asked us a lot of questions, and we asked them a lot as well.  The only difference was that we didn't get any answers :) They are so cute though. 

Wednesday morning we had District meeting and focused solely on how we can be better receptive to the spirit.  That is something we always need to be reminded of, because we are so busy doing a million things per day.  That afternoon we went out to lunch with Sister N. and immediately following we saw two of our investigators.  The one only speaks spanish so we got a lady from the ward who is hispanic and speaks fluently to come with us.  My companion and her taught the whole time.  I unfortunately kept nodding off!  because it was warm, the afternoon, just had a great lunch, and I was listening to the wonderful spanish language!  Ha.  I felt bad afterwards. 
That night we decided to go over to a sweet woman’s house who lives alone, and make her dinner.  We made chicken, sweet potato fries, and mango salsa with a spinach and strawberry salad on the side all from scratch.  Some serious home making skills right there!

Friday was a busy day.  We went out and saw 3 less active ladies and visited with them.  I wonder what it is like to get visited by the missionaries...I AM the missionary so this is normal for me to just show up and say 'HI! You haven't been around, how can I help?' (Not really.) But for them it is probably really weird and random, haha. 
After doing that Sister S. gave us a wonderful cooking lesson!  She is so talented! We made chicken with white cream sauce, an appetizer, and carrot and leek vichey.  Oh it was yummy and I learned so many tricks.  Man, I'm gonna be a good wife! ;)

Bed and Breakfast from the 1800's

All in all I am still learning the area, I am being humbled every day, and I love my Savior.  I am so grateful for the conversion I have experienced by serving selflessly, acting in love, and doing what Christ would do.
I love you so much and hope you are doing well! 
Till next week!
Sister Golden

8 months! Whooooo!

It's happening!  It is getting warmer!  You could even use the word hot!  Today it hit 91 and was quite a smack in the face when we got in and out of the car as we shopped around for our Preparation day.   The locals keep saying, "honey it's not even started!".  Oh boy.

Mothers Day Picnic

This week I received big news.  When the mission president texts you and asks you to call him, it is not because he wants to say, "just thinkin' about ya! How have you been?" Although I wish it had.  President called to tell us that my companion was going to be transferred...in his own words, "I'm going to take Sister Ibarra away from you."  I had a little panic attack.  I don't know the area, the people, or how to get around yet.  She is my rock here!  That’s what was going through my head.  Then to shatter any sanity that I had left in me he says, "and Sister Golden you will be training!" Time stopped. I swear.  After croaking out, "I will do my best President,"  big crocodile tears rolled down my face and I went to the bathroom and just cried.  After I composed myself I walked back out and told Sister Ibarra that I better learn the area real quick otherwise this poor greenie was going to get one confused and lost trainer, Ha! It’s just surreal to me right now.  Come the 19th I think I will be a lot more nervous.

This week we (and when I say 'we' I mean Sister Ibarra and I play the supportive role of side-kick) had English class!  It was a lot of fun because it happened to fall on Cinco De Mayo!  Patty and Sister Mizelle made Tres Leches and lunch for us to celebrate with and sang some spanish songs.  It was a blast.  I am actually learning a lot and am enjoying it.  Patty and Sylvia were there and invited a friend that is named Maria!  We were able to kind of tell them about our calling as missionaries and gave a spiritual thought out of the Bible afterwards.  I think over time they will become more curious about the church :)

We also went and volunteered at Elmcroft Nursing Home and had a blast playing Bingo.  I kind of make myself laugh because I really get into it and forget that these little old people are just wanting to relax and win their prizes (candy.) I went to go give this man candy and he shouted 'I can't have sugar!  don't cha know!'  So I gave him some crackers.  HA.  Sometimes the old people there think I am an employee because of my name badge, and ask me to take them to the bathroom.  I play along and point them in the right direction and say I will be there in a moment.  Or they will ask me if I can help them, and when I ask what with, they just repeat the question.  One little lady was getting frustrated with Bingo because her card was bad and she wasn't putting any chips on it.  So she threw it and said 'I have no talent!'  I assured her that God gives all of us talents and hers might not be bingo but that's okay.  See? You can have missionary moments anywhere ;)

Wednesday was a blast because I got to go to my first Zone Training in the Fayettville West Zone.  I saw some missionaries I recognized from my last area, so that made it even better :)

I really love these trainings- I always learn SO much.  This time I received a LOT of revelation about Conversion.  Oh my, when you are in tune with the spirit you can learn some magnificent things!  I know that the Lord is prepared to give us what we are prepared to receive.  If you want answers, then you need to prepare appropriately.  Afterwards all of us sisters went to a place called Cookout which is a fast food place only found on this side!  It is what they like around here :) It is always fun spending time with these girls and talking about our lives.
That night I was introduced to a 'real southern BBQ' restaurant called the Pic-N-Pig.  It was good and I enjoyed it.  A little lady from the ward took us there and we got to watch the private planes take off on the runway that was situated right behind it.  Fun times!

This week we have been able to meet with 3 of our progressing investigators and have pretty solid lessons with them.  It's so exhilarating when you have people to teach who are actually interested and ask you questions!  I felt like I was truly fulfilling my purpose as a missionary in that moment.  I forgot all about myself and was able to focus solely on them.  It was great.  One of the ladies only speaks spanish but that was neat because I could still feel the spirit when they talked about the Book of Mormon.

Then it was Mothers Day and I was able to Skype the Fam! It was so great to see all their faces and hear their voices.  It was definitely what I needed!

I hope you know how much I miss you and love you! I always pray for you and hope for the best.
Until next week!
Sister Golden

Speaking Spanish?!

So this week has been a good one for us.  We have tracted, served, taught, and all those fun things missionaries do.  Let me start at the beginning of the week, shall I?
Last monday I was a little 'chinese-ed' out.  For lunch Kate took us to a really good sushi place.  I got the cashew chicken and brown rice with one spring roll.  Then we did our thing and shopped and wrote letters and did laundry and then meal prep since we have no other time to make any food for ourselves.  So we just put lunches in tupperware and take one to go each day.  It's been working quite nicely actually! Well that night we had dinner with some members and they ended up making us the same thing.  Asian food with rice and egg rolls.  Haha.  I was grateful though- I love spending time with the members.  They are so great :)

Tuesday was SO fun.  You are going to love this.  I am LEARNING SPANISH.  Yes.  Si.  My companion is teaching english to a few hispanic women who have friends in our ward.  This is a great opportunity for us to get to know them and for them to know us and the church.  The church has a binder that is specifically made for missionaries who are teaching a language class.  So we go to this ladies house (Patty) and her friend (Sylvia) is there with her.  Sister Mizelle the woman in our ward who knows them came along.  Her and I are the ones learning spanish while the rest learn english.  I have officially learned how to introduce myself!  I can tell someone what my first and last name are in spanish, that I am their neighbor, and that my house is next to theirs.  It was quite fun and really interactive.  After that lesson I made the decision that I want to go to Mexico and just immerse myself until I actually learn!  Wouldn't that be neat?
Well the spanish didn't stop there.  The elders referred us to a single woman who wanted to learn more, but the catch was that she only spoke spanish.  So during this lesson I sat there smiling and nodding and saying Si whenever she looked at me :)  We had a member with us who also spoke spanish so that helped.  But this woman ended up calling me 'pretty eyes' instead of sister Golden.  Haha.   She was quite funny I came to find out once we were back in the car and Sister Ibarra translated the whole thing for me.  Maybe the Lord is trying to tell me something ;)
Then later that day as usual we went and helped out at the nursing home.  We did something new today!  We sang hymns because I told them that I liked to sing.  So the workers whipped out a Baptism hymn book and all started singing with the little old people chiming in.  I just clapped and swayed and followed their lead.  It was a good time :)  after that we played the game 20 questions.  Sister Ibarra and I asked them questions about themselves and they shared in a big circle.  We asked Wilda (who just turned 100) "what is something that nobody knows about you?"  She replied and said, 'I don't even know anything about me!'  Then when we asked the question, "What is something you would want people to know about you?" Tom said 'that I'm rich and very giving.'  That made us laugh.  He is quite a character.  I really enjoy going to that place now.  I am developing love for these old people that I never had before.  It's a good thing.

Something that I've never experienced in the church is the Welfare Program.  I had the opportunity to help divvy out and organize peoples food orders for this ward.  A woman had brought a few orders back to the church and we stuck it all in the fridge and freezer to be picked up later.  She was telling me all about the process and how everything is done in an orderly manner and everyone gets everything they need in a very timely process!  I was amazed that the church can provide so much help for its members and do so in a way that is so organized.  My testimony really grew then about the church and its services- I loved being able to help with that.  I have been able to see more of the organizational and business side of the church on my mission than ever before.  I am so grateful to be a part of a church that gives spiritual, and physical help to its members and even those who aren't a part of our faith.

Wednesday we had District meeting and it was so funny.  Our Zone leaders Elder Wolf and Elder Cluff (who were actually in my last Zone in Wilmington; so we know each other pretty well...and they were both on my team for the activity fun zone conference) came to our District Meeting.
We were all sitting there just pondering and taking notes before the meeting started when the elders from the other side of the room said, "Sister Golden, what is your ethnicity?"...then another one, "Yeah what is your race?"  I laughed because I get that all the time but wasn't expecting it from them!  I made them guess for a bit and they thought maybe I was Italian, Hispanic and then one said 'no you have to be part black.'  Then from the African American Elder in the room I hear, "Yep.  That's my guess." I died.  I told them I was Caucasian and spent some time trying to convince them.  I showed them a picture of our family and they finally accepted it:)  Last week some lady also asked if sister Ibarra and I were related or really sisters because she thought we looked alike... Anyways it was fun.
Later that afternoon we decided to go and find the people on the ward roster that nobody knows.  After knocking and realizing that it was an empty trailer, or they weren't home we did some proximity work.  Gotta love the principle of proximity.  We got a few interesting encounters doing this.  One lady just yelled at us through her open door, “I am in a wheelchair.  I am not interested in the Jehovah's Witnesses.  Go away!” I told her, "Lucky for you ma'am we are the Mormons!" ...no answer... "We are hear to help you come closer to the Savior" ...silence... "I'm sorry, can you not hear me?"  She told us to go away,  haha.  Oh well.
Another lady told us that she was hurting too much from her sickness that she couldn't focus on Jesus.  And closed the door.  This man said, “Sorry ladies, we aren't looking for what you're talking about.”  People are tough sometimes!  But low and behold, the last 3 doors we knocked on proved to be successful!  One was a Hispanic woman and Sister Ibarra taught a quick lesson then set up a return appointment.  The other two were women who also accepted a visit at a later time.  The Lord knows who we need to see and where they are.

On Friday we were able to go out with Carina who got back from her mission in Boise in December.  She is back from BYU during her time off and wanted to go out with us.  We were able to see a few people but not very many because they turn us away or don't answer.  But luckily she understood how that goes!  It was nice.  She said that she had gained so much more from her mission than she ever thought she would and is so grateful to have served.  Even though it is probably the hardest thing I've ever done, I know how far I've come and how much better my life will be after learning all these things now.

We were able to have a really good lesson with a part member family this week as well.  Sister Baker the seminary teacher came and brought her son who is the same age as this families son.  They have 6 children and all but 1 can be baptized.  We have had about 3 lessons with them and have slowly gotten them more involved in the ward.  The lesson we taught just last night was such a good one- the spirit was there and the Bakers testimonies really helped.  We listened to them, valued their opinions, taught the lesson at their pace and at the end my heart started beating really hard and really fast!  I knew that I needed to extend a baptismal invitation.  So I did.  I asked the son if he would prepare himself to be baptized on a certain date and he accepted.  I love when the spirit takes over and I'm not the one speaking.  They then signed up to feed us on a night sometime next week.  I truly believe that when we take the time to learn about people and let them know we love THEM, they open up and trust us.  I hope they continue to progress.

That same day was also Fast and Testimony meeting.  Two less active women in particular got up to bear their testimonies.  Of all the people who got up, I felt prompted to write a short thank you for what they said on a sticky note and give it to them afterwards.  After church they both came up to us and said that they appreciated our notes.  Then the one ended up signing up on our meal calendar to feed us.  That was another witness to me that when we follow the promptings of the spirit we are able to be instruments in the Lords hands.

I am so grateful for all that I have been able to experience.  Both the good and the bad.  I know that we will find JOY when we put Jesus first...Others second..and Yourself last.   J-O-Y.
In a talk I read Elder Funk states, "The Lord instructs His servants to be humble because the process of being made whole spiritually begins with a broken heart.  Think of the good that comes from broken things.  Soil is broken to plant wheat.  Wheat is broken to make bread.  Bread is broken to become emblems of the sacrament.  When one who is repentant partakes of the sacrament with a broken heart and contrite spirit, he or she becomes whole.

Love you so much and can't wait for MOTHERS DAY! <3
Mal Mal
Sister Golden

Getting to Know the Area!

Well, this week was a good one!  Full of lots of exciting things!
Tuesday we did a lot of service for the community...all revolved around the senior citizens.  Ha!  We first helped out at a Senior Recreation Center and they had this cute little gym there for the old people to exercise in, and some other classes for them.  Sister Ibarra and I helped out in the organization department, helping put up fliers, putting together bags, information, and a bulletin board.  It was fun.  I kept eyeing the work out room though- maybe one day I will personal train the seniors ;)

After that we headed out with a sister in the ward to go and see some of the people who are listed on our ward roster, but no one has met them yet.  Unfortunately, none were home.  That happens often which is a bummer.  One day Sister Ibarra and I went out tracting and knocked on 18 empty doors, and the rest told us to go away.  ONE guy was nice to us and complimented our efforts. That was the tender mercy for the day, ha. 

That afternoon after a quick lunch at the church (thanks to meal prepping on Monday!  We are too busy to cook!) we went to a Nursing Home and Memory Center.  I was super nervous because in the past I always got super anxious going into places like that.  But I know that Heavenly Father blessed me and I was actually okay!  We colored, played bingo, cut out flowers, and talked with the residents for an hour and a half.  This one little old man named Tom told me that he had been reading in the National Geographic lately and I asked him what he had learned!  He told me with a very stern face, hands gripping his wheel chair handles, "The native African women don't wear no braziers!"  I died!  I tried not to laugh out loud, but I thought it was funny:)  He told me a little bit later that he had bad knees, and when I asked why he told me he was in the Air Force most of his life.  I asked him when he retired and he looked at me for a few seconds, then responded, "3 years ago!"  I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn't believe everything these little old people told me because they had memory problems.  But I learned that I am a very gullible person, haha!

Wednesday we had to leave the house at 4:30 in the morning.  I keep forgetting that the house has a huge security system, so we always need to disarm it before heading out.  Anyway, we drove to the Sister Training leaders house in Cameron (45 minutes away) and then drove the Sanford Sisters to Wilmington where we had Zone Conference.

Sisters from Sanford

We followed the Cameron Sister's car so I didn't have to put that much mental thought into the already long and draining morning.  That was a tough drive to do though.  We got to the church around 8 and talked with the missionaries in the other 3 Zones until the conference started.  President and Sister Bernhisel instructed us as well as a few Zone leaders and Sister leaders, then at noon we broke out for lunch.  We ate, then changed into our “play clothes” because this Zone Conference was special.  It only happens once a year!  We got to go play sports with the Elders!  Yeah, it was great.  We were split into teams and got to play Ultimate Frisbee, Capture the Flag, and Soccer!  Luckily I had a pretty athletic team and we dominated at every game.  All the elders were great and included me (I was the only sister actually PLAYING) in all the things we were doing.  It was so funny though, the first 10 minutes we had to kind of break the ice because we never ever spend time together.  So we had to force ourselves to play and mess around and touch each other during these sports!  It was SO FUN!

My District

The next day - oh heavens.  I was sore.  I guess I forgot that I hadn't played a game like that in a long time and running full out may not have been the best idea.  But instincts took over!  I was sore for the next few days.  The members all laughed at me :) That afternoon we had a thing called 'lunch bunch' with some R.S. sisters and they took us to Long Horn Steakhouse.  I am still trying to keep straight who is in what ward.  Being over 2 wards is quite challenging!  Plus, everyone lives far apart from one another.  There is a good amount of farm country out here- gorgeous, but it makes it harder.  I love it though.
 
That night Sister Ibarra had scheduled a Relief Society soccer night (maybe not the best idea since we were so darn sore) but it was a blast.  There were only 6 of us, but we played in the little gym and ended up having fun.  We got RSVP’s for more to come next week!  We will use this as a missionary tool as well because the ladies want to invite non-member friends.  It's a great way to introduce the church to people in a non-menacing type of way :)

Friday we had to fast walk the golf course to try and get our muscles loose...at least we succeeded in getting 30 minutes of exercise in!  It started raining on us and continued to rain all morning.  So I thought, “hey, this will be a good sweater day.”  We drove to a certain area in town, parked at a ladies house (whom we know) and BIKED around the whole area for a few hours.  (I couldn't stop laughing every time a car drove by.  Because I was picturing what they were thinking to themselves when they saw 2 girls, biking down the road in skirts...I had a goofy grin on my face the whole time...)

We had previously gone through the Area Book and found names of former investigators that were from a year or so ago and decided to go find them again.  Although they weren't home we were able to knock on doors and meet great people.  Some days you just plant seeds, represent Christ, and give a good name to the church.  I tried taking a video of us and almost fell over doing so...guess I was a bit over zealous!  But the sun did decide to come out, and when sun and wet ground in NC mix, it is not the most enjoyable experience. Never wear a sweater!  I was quite thankful for Air Conditioning later!

That evening we went over to a members home to help her organize her sewing room.  She is SO talented at sewing, but because she has been doing it for so long, she has accumulated quite a lot of stuff.  So we made a dent in that after eating dinner.

Saturday we were able to visit a less active sister in the rehab center because she had just gone through surgery to get her right leg removed.  She is a nice lady- but I couldn't really look at her at first because I got nauseous when I did...I just looked in my book of Mormon for a picture to share.  Then we proceeded to help Sister Edwards again with her sewing room.  We did a LOT to it, and I decided that I need to learn how to sew!  Or do something of that sort.  There are so many talents I want to acquire because of my mission!  I see all these things other people do and I want to do them ALL! Ha.

Sundays are my favorite days now.  I go to church from 7:30 - 5:30 in the evening.  Meetings, two wards, and choir.  It is a day I get to actually listen and learn rather than teach and discern.  It is a nice little break in my week and allows me to forget EVERYTHING we have to do and just relax and breathe.  But this Sunday that was short lived.  I was called on and asked to give a talk (which I am fine with...I actually love speaking.  But! As I walk up to go sit on the stand, I see my Mission President and his wife walk in...I was like NO WAY.

Supposedly this was the day for them to come and visit the ward.  NO pressure right?  Luckily my talk went smoothly and I didn't pass out ;)  Afterwards I was bombarded by the ward members saying I did a good job and 3 RS sisters told me I sounded like a future general presidency lady up there.  Oh good grief!  Haha.  But it was neat to hear a small talk from both President and his wife :)

I have been studying a lot about the temple this week because I get to go on Friday.  I have read a few talks, the “Preparing for the Temple” pamphlet, and in the Bible Dictionary.  It has been such a fulfilling study and my appreciation for the temple has grown.  I know that we receive blessings for taking time out of our lives for going- and I would encourage you to go as often as you can.

Never forget the power that can come from taking your questions and concerns to the temple.  It is the holiest place on this earth.  I am so excited to go!

I love you so, so much and hope you have a great week!!!! :D
<3 Sister Golden

Pinehurst, North Carolina!

Hello family!  I have some great news!  I have been transferred to a gorgeous area!  There are so many trees, flowers, golf courses, and pollen.
Pinehurst is the name, and Golf is the game!  Yep, go look it up:) I love it so far.

I am companions with Sister Ibarra who is a fellow Washingtonian, just down the road in Yakima.

She went to 2 years at BYU Idaho after graduating in 2012.  So we are pretty alike already!  She also grew up speaking Spanish!  What do you know.  She said she is going to teach me and we are going to become undercover Hermanas!  Haha.  Every morning we have a glorious run on the golf cart sidewalks snaking around the golf course.  It is so relaxing and really pretty as well.  I look forward to waking up in the mornings!

We live with the Winckley family in their home.  They have 7 children total, 3 are hers and 4 are adopted.  They are amazing and I have grown to love them!  They have a little room for the sister missionaries to live in that consists of 3 beds, and a closet, and a bathroom.  It suits all of our needs, so I am content :)  We just work around each other.

Sister Ibarra and I (as well as the one set of Spanish Elders) are covering 2 wards in this area.  So we go to church twice on Sunday, see twice the number of people during the week, and obviously will get twice the blessings ;)  On Sunday I was called and asked to get up and share my testimony, I guess I did so well that the Bishop assigned me to speak next Sunday on Missionary work.  At least I know a little bit about that topic.

My first day here was a little crazy!  We had the transfer meeting (which I was called up to give the prayer for...I just have that face...) then had to stuff my bags plus ANOTHER sister’s bags into the cars we were riding back with.  She was a last minute addition to our group because no one else was going her way.  So we trek off to go drop her off in Cameron.  When we get there low and behold I see my trainer, with Sister Skokos, who was Sister Jones' trainee!  So we all knew each other.  That was a blast.  We headed into Pinehurst which is where I will be serving.  We got to drop our bags off right away, say a quick Hi and Bye to the family we live with, then hurried to our dinner appointment with a less active older couple.  That night was a blur of visiting a lot of people and having to drive since I am now the senior companion.

Sister Ibarra has only been out for 4 months, so I am her follow up trainer.  I have to be a good example!

The following day we went and helped a lady pick up the pine cones in her yard.  I laughed at first because this sounded funny to me, but then when we arrived I saw how big and how many pine cones there were!  They have little stickers that snag on your skin if you aren't careful!  Another day we went to the rehab center for old folks and visited two older women who are in there from church.  It is neat to see how far reaching missionary work actually is.  We uplift, administer and love EVERYONE.  It is always so hard seeing those little old people in there, but I hope we can continue to do our part.

Another day we went and helped clean out a cellar for this woman who has befriended the sister missionaries.  She is a non member, and has claimed that she will never be converted and is a 'Wicken'.  But she is a funny and quirky lady and the missionaries love her.  She has 27 cats and 5 dogs, dies her hair bright colors, and has a white car with a cat face on the hood.  She is so good, I love talking with her.  She takes the Sisters out to lunch on Mondays and then grocery shopping to help out with our miles, which is SO sweet of her.

This last week Sister Ibarra and I went tracting a LOT.  We knocked on so many doors!  Many of the people chatted with us superficially and then told us that they had their own church, others were nice and listened to our message and politely declined a second visit, then you had those who opened the door to only shut it right away.  I think people are intimidated when they see two cute young girls on their porch smiling...kidding.  It's totally the name tag and the book of Mormon that scares them.  But those who had given their time to talk with us ended up saying they really enjoyed it and have a different view of the 'Mormons' now.  Talking with strangers has become more of a fun thing for me.  I have to think of ways to work the gospel into the conversation, I am getting more familiar with the scriptures because I have to flip to verses that apply to the people, and I am so comfortable with people being rude to us now!  I have no fear of man any more.  It is a great feeling to just go out and proclaim the gospel to anyone we cross paths with.  We ran into two ladies who were on their way to yoga class and after our chat they asked us to come to hot yoga with them, but sadly we had to decline.  Another lady was out looking for her lost husband (haha I laughed) and then tried getting us to listen to an online pastor she really likes in return for watching the 'He lives' video on mormon.org which was funny.  A lady almost threw her chicken eggs at us through her kitchen door, and some people just lied and said they were getting ready to leave.

Up here where there are more trees, there is more pollen.  Meaning EVERYTHING is caked with this thick yellow dust.  And when it rains, if it doesn't wash it away, it just stays and gunks everything up!  It is so weird.  There are also HUGE bees.  They look like dung beetles but can fly.  It is so scary!  And they tease!  They fly fast at you then stop, then do it again.  They chased us off someone's porch even, haha.  I hate bees so much.  They are gross.

So I had a pretty incredible experience this last Saturday...while I was kneeling by my bed saying my evening prayers, an overwhelming sense of gratitude washed over me.  I had received what I had so long been begging for.  Love for my mission.  I had gotten over the initial struggle, homesickness, fear, doubt and everything else, but I still could feel ties towards home, and was just going through the motions as a missionary.  In that moment, I could feel everything being lifted.  I knew that at that time, I had placed everything on the altar of sacrifice.  I could feel a desire to work hard, I felt a love for my life as a missionary, and I was so, so grateful for all that I had learned.  I had been praying for this since day one, and it finally came.  From here on out I know that whatever comes my way, I will face it with new found dedication and stamina.

I know that my mission is helping me set habits that I will use for the rest of my life.  I am so grateful for the time that I have had to grow closer to my Savior.  I love what I am doing, and I never thought I would say it.  I am willing to be molded and shaped into who the Lord needs me to become.

I love you so much and hope you have a great week! 
Sincerely,
Sister Golden :)

PS- here is where I'm at now!  Write me ;)

Address :
89 Stoney Kirk Dr.
Pinehurst Nc 28374

Packing!

Hello to my sweet family :) I hope you had a great Easter full of traditions, and fun!  But also remembering the why behind it.  I personally love when General Conference falls on Easter, it just makes it that much more special and family oriented.

Conference was DEFINITELY the highlight of my week.  My companion Sister Jones and I made a paper chain to count down the days starting about ... 2 months ago.  It has been a long time coming and I am so sad it is already over!  But I received many answers and personal revelation from those sessions and speakers, and I hope you did as well.  One of the talks that really struck me was that of President Eyring's about fasting and giving a fast offering.  It hit home.  I need to be a lot better about having a full and meaningful fast, as well as consistently paying a fast offering.  I loved how he paralleled it to a way we can give service and help others who are in dire need.  The story of the woman in Africa, who had nothing was very touching.  She paid faithfully a tithe, fast offering and some to the missionary fund.  Although she had little to no material items, she knew the Lord would bless not only HER by keeping this commandment, but she understood that whoever the money helped, they would be greatly affected. What a great example to follow and remember.

I thought it was interesting how the theme of conference in October followed a pattern of: sustaining the prophets.  When we heard of those who stood up in the conference center Saturday and yelled 'opposed' it saddened me, but also made me reflect on all the talks that I heard last conference.  These individuals who felt it necessary to bluntly speak out only fulfilled prophecy and made me that much more steadfast in my testimony of our Prophet and his Apostles.  They are on the earth to lead and guide us, not hinder and frustrate us.  Can you imagine a world without them?  I don't want to.

We had a super fun breakfast with the cute M. family :)  She is part Philippino and made some AWESOME food.  We had some garlic rice with little potatoes and a fried egg over it.  So yummy.  Then we had some waffles and fruit alongside that.  We watched conference with them and are really pleased at how much they have progressed and moved forward with them coming back to church.  This family has really taken us in and made us feel like family.  I am so grateful for the faithful saints who help the missionaries; I know that they will be blessed.  And it teaches me more of how to be a good returned missionary one day and a member missionary.
 
For dinner we went to the B's house and they made all the festive Easter foods you could think of!  They topped it off with a carrot cake which was quite humorous considering the Easter bunny :)  They told us that their two boys have been really affected by our presence in their home.  One of them had made a comment one night that he was excited to go on his mission one day.  And the other is always asking when the missionaries are coming over.  I know that being a missionary is a calling in which I am set apart.  The light of Christ radiates through obedient and faithful missionaries, which blesses the lives of those they teach, but also the active members they serve.  I feel more successful knowing that the members see me as a worthy representative of Jesus Christ; because that is my duty, my calling, and my privilege.

Many missionaries get caught up with statistics and think that if the numbers aren't high, then they aren't successful.  I was feeling bad last night when we were reporting numbers because we had a really rough, and slow week.  I didn't feel like I was furthering the work, and doing what the Lord wanted me to do.  But after I said my prayers and laid down to go to bed, I was able to ponder and think more deeply about our last week.  Then came the tender mercies, the blessings, the random acts of kindness, service and more that happened but couldn't be accounted for with numerical value.  My companion and I had visited a young marine wife in her time of need.  She was feeling so lonely and helpless, being pregnant and having a deployed husband.  Us asking her to come with us to get frozen yogurt was inspired and helped her through a rough day.  Sister Jones and I went on exchanges with the sisters in the second ward and I learned a valuable lesson on humility and how we are on the path back to our heavenly home.  Each day we have focused on the ONE.  Trying to retain or find the lost sheep.  We received several tender mercies from people in the ward who had us over for conference, lunch and dinner.   Making us feel like family, and loving us when we were sad to be away from home during Easter.

I am going to have a pretty busy day tomorrow with getting up to Raleigh, going to transfer meeting, getting a new companion, then going to a new area!  I hope it all goes well, haha.  That is a lot of change in a short amount of time.  But I know that there is no growth in the comfort zone.  And heavenly Father knows what I need to become more refined and the woman he needs me to be.

I love you so much and hope you are doing well!  Know that you are in my prayers and thoughts!  Have a great week :)
Love,
Sister Mallory Golden

                            Goodbye Jacksonville 3 Ward