RENO

 She's in RENO!!!  Doesn't she look like a missionary?

 Here she is with her group

 Here is Lori with her Mission President and President's Wife.  This is the email they sent to my mom.

 

 

Dear parents:

I am pleased to let you know that your missionary has arrived safely in the Nevada Reno Mission.   Sister Hermansen and I are so grateful to have them join the ranks of our committed and faithful missionaries. 

Reno Here I Come!

Hello Family!!

 

This has been another great week at the MTC! And it just flew by! Before I get into details, I got my itinerary for the flight to Reno this coming TUESDAY, I can't believe it's coming up so soon. My flight leaves at 8:30am Tuesday morning, which means arriving in Reno just after 9 am- quick trip :) Anyways, we are allowed/required to call our family in the airport. So mom expect an early call that morning!! I'm not sure how it all works if I can make more than one call or not... Anyways, I am SUPER EXCITED to get out into the field. I'm not sure how ready I feel to teach real investigators, but as Elder Neil L Andersen quoted to us at our devotional last Tuesday: "Do your duty, that is best, leave unto the Lord the rest." Ready or not, here I go!

Have I told you that I really really like the MTC? :) I am starting to get better at speaking more when we are teaching 'investigators'. Yesterday at zone teaching we practiced teaching and each missionary could only speak for a minute and a half at most before letting the other missionary speak. That was probably the best teaching experience I have had so far. When I know that I have to talk it is so much easier to work with the other missionary and add to what they are teaching, and there is a great spirit of unity (for this I wasn't with my companion, we are paired up with other missionaries in our zone during these teaching experiences).

We taught our TRC investigator Barbara for the last time last night. We ended up only getting to talk to her for 5 min instead of 15, but it was a GREAT experience. The last time we taught her we tried to invite her to pray, but she was very uncomfortable with the idea. So we invited her to pray after we left and for her to continue reading the Book of Mormon. She read about Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life and told us she was really confused, but she had the impression to keep reading, keep reading (like finding nemo- just keep swimming) so she did and later Nephi receives the explanation for Lehi's vision, to her this was just what she needed because she came to realize that just because she didn't understand at one point in her reading doesn't mean she won't understand later on. In 1 Nephi 10 it also talks about how Nephi prayed to the Lord to receive the explanation for his father's vision. So, Barbara prayed with us. The spirit was so strong in that lesson. I felt so much joy and love for Barbara, I'm sad that we don't have the opportunity to teach her anymore.

 

Mom, you asked about my immunizations- I am going to turn it in today, I will find out then if they have everything they need. And about the temple, we get to go on our P-day (so today). we went last week with most of our district and did a session. I think that was the most comforting experience I have had in the temple. The familiarity and the peace. And the Provo temple is SO BIG! I can't imagine what Salt Lake must be like.

 

Kara- you should be proud of me, for gym we played sand volleyball a couple of times with our district, and I'm not the worst on the team! haha! Yes, I actually go for the ball and hit it. So I'm improving little by little :)

 

Jamie- tell Lily thank you for the pics she sent a while ago, I forgot to say that in the last e-mail. And I hope that your family is more accident free-this week than last week.

 

Thank you everyone for the letters! Please keep sending them. I wish I could message you all individually but time is running short! And I wish I had time to tell you more about the MTC! I have been eating more than I probably should and I try eating healthy and I actually like most of what they have here, but I don't have snacks during the day so I figure it all evens out in the end :)

 

Love you all!

 

Sister Goodwin

The Longest Week of My Life, and One of the Best!

Hello Family!!

 

This has been the longest week of my life, and one of the best! The first few days were quite stressful, figuring out how to live each day all scheduled out, but I feel like I get so much done every day. It's GREAT!! Yes, Sis Michaud (pronounced Mih-Show) is my companion, she is the one we met at the Sister Missionary Mall. There is one other sister missionary companionship in our district, Sister Mortensen- from Lehi, and Sister Verkist from Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. She is Jill Huntsman's niece. Small world! The elders in our district are pretty much all from Utah..

 

The first day here we all attended a teaching experience where the whole group of new missionaries taught an investigator. It was a bit rough- but I am learning that it is more effective to be thrown into teaching then to be taught how to do it correctly, because then I have first hand experience with doing it wrong and can apply the correct strategies better! But, boy is it hard! We teach our teachers as "investigators" every day. We started on the second day we were here! I can tell you that the teaching has gone far better since that first time. We have also taught an "investigator" and a "less-active" at the TRC. The first lesson with the investigator was rough, she wanted us to tell her where in the Bible it said that God had a body of flesh and bones... so the next lesson we had with her we taught her about faith first and then incorporated that God has a body into that. She needs to have faith in what we are teaching rather than teaching strictly by logic. She looked so happy at the end of the lesson, and I felt so much love for her. I always wondered how I could love the people I will meet on my mission, as I've always heard RMs talk about how they loved the people so much.  I am now beginning to understand, I can truly love the people I teach!

 

One of my teachers said this: When you love your investigators more than yourself, that is when you can really serve them.

 

On Sunday we watched a video of a fireside Elder Scott gave at the MTC. I don't know when, but he talked about prayer- and all the sisters in my district agreed that we really needed to hear that right then. I have said more prayers this week that I can count. One of the teachers also suggested to pray for our companion while they are talking when we teach an investigator. So, we tried that. AND IT WORKS!! I have seen it in our lessons, I may not be able to get the conversation going in the direction it needs to, but if I pray for my companion, sometimes she is the one that can get the conversation or message to the point that the person needs to hear. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it is SO AMAZING.

 

There have been some ups and downs each day, and I feel like I'm really struggling to learn at times, or even just to stay awake, but I know that this is all making me a better person and preparing me to serve the people in Nevada. There is an analogy here I have heard that really descirbes the MTC very well I think. The MTC is like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. You can try to drink the water but most of it will just get your face wet. There is just SO MUCH to learn (I have to admit I'm glad I don't have to learn a language on top of it all).  

 

One of our investigators made this analogy when we were teaching about faith: Faith is like a microwave. We can't see it cooking, but when you pull it out you know that it's done because it's hot. and you trust it will work each time you push the buttons.

 

Well, my time is running short, I wish I could share everything with you but I can't. I KNOW this GOSPEL is true!

I love you all,

SIster Lori Goodwin

Lori Enters the MTC

 I, Rachel (Goodwin) Hair, am now taking over the blog for Lori to record her experiences on her mission.  She went into the MTC (Missionary Training Center) Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012 in Provo, Utah.  She will be there for 3 weeks preparing to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people she'll meet in Reno. Here she is saying her last goodbyes with my mom, dad, and Kara.  It's only letters and email from here on out for 18 months.  She does get to call home on Christmas and Mother's Day.

 Is she really old enough to be a missionary?! I can hardly believe it. I know she is going to do an amazing job.

 Jana and Lori

 Lori and Kara

 Jana, Lori, and Kara. Isn't it great we're all about the same height. Wish I could've been there!  Also, I love the hair color combo.

 Lori with Kate and Daylen.  She is setting a wonderful example for her nieces and nephews.

Mom, Lori, and Dad

Lori with her escorts.  BYE EVERYONE!!! SEE YOU IN 18 MONTHS!

Between now and then, 'till I see you again, I'll be loving you, love me

The thought of serving a mission had always seemed so far away, when I was growing up. I can hardly believe that the time has come. I am nervous and EXCITED to serve the Lord with all my HEART, MIGHT, MIND, and STRENGTH for these next 18 months! I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, he suffered for each and every one of us who lives, has lived, and will live on this earth. It is only through this atoning SACRIFICE that we are able REPENT and become clean again, in order to be worthy to live in our Heavenly Father's presence again.

May the Lord bless you! And as a song I love says: "Between now and then, 'till I see you again, I'll be loving you, love me"

Love,

Sister Lori Goodwin

Time is Love

Went to the temple with my parents and sisters!

Taking pictures in the wheat field the day before it was cut

Me and Kara

Me and Mom

"Time is Love" a country song by Josh Turner, is the best way I could describe this last week I spent with my family before I go into the MTC. I love my family so much, and am so grateful for their love and support. They have made me into the person I am today. I hope to well represent the Goodwin name in Nevada!