What is Your Treasure?

Hello family! Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday. As missionaries we don't proselyte on Thanksgiving so the whole zone got together and played ultimate frisbee! SWEET! I had so much fun, but I was so sore afterwards. I haven't done much running in a while since my companion's foot is still healing. Since technically we aren't supposed to keep score we ended the game at a tie. It was Senior companions vs junior companions :)

With the new transfer we now have a total of 8 sister missionaries in our zone. And there were 6 of us at our Thanksgiving dinner. We ate with the some great families! I wasn't able to eat very much due to some stomach problems I've been having, but everyone else ate plenty :)

This week we did a lot of contacting less actives again, it breaks my heart every time we talk to another person who had the gospel and has turned away from it. They had the truth, but let other things get in the way of continuing on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life! "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" - Matt 6:21
I read this scripture this week and it reminded me that if God is our treasure, if Christ and His atonement are our treasure, then it doesn't matter if others offend us, if we don't get along with everyone who is at church. We will still feel the love that they have for us and for those around us and we will feel the need to be at church every Sunday, to partake of the sacrament to renew the covenants we have made. I hope that everyone who reads this will re-evaluate what it is YOUR treasure above all else. Putting our faith in Christ will set our hearts to where they should be and bring us the Joy and happiness in life that we all want.

I am so Thankful for the gospel in my life, that I have the knowledge that if I have faith in Christ and repent, and if my heart is turned to Him, I can and will always be happy. I know that is the same for each of us.
I love you all so much! Thank you for being the support that you are to me!

LOVE,
Sister Goodwin

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello family!

I hope everyone had a great week! All our snow has melted now, but it rained pretty hard on Saturday. We found out transfers as well, Sister G------and I are staying in Carson! There is still work here for us to do. I hope everyone is excited for Thanksgiving! Eat some turkey for me :)
This week our area had the opportunity to participate in a mini mission! Sister G------ and I each had a companion from Gardnerville. Both girls were 17 and seniors in high school. Boy did they see what missionary life is really like! We split up for part of the day, unfortunately the lesson Sister F------- and I had cancelled on us. But we did set up an appointment with a couple former investigators! We visited an inactive lady who gave us a million ideas on how to do a Christmas fireside! (Which we will be implementing for next month)

All four of us went to teach I---, and set her for baptism!! Sweet!!!! That will be happening the middle of December!

Most of the week prior we were doing a lot of finding/ attempting to find more people who are ready for the gospel. They are here, and we will find them! But, for now we are going through the trial of our faith. Proving to the Lord that He can trust us with the teaching of His children. It's hard work, but it is worth it! 

We went to a baptism of an 8 year old girl yesterday. The spirit was so strong, and it helped to strengthen my faith to see the decision she has made willingly. It is so important for each of us to strive to follow Christ in all that we do. Without Him there would be no purpose for our lives here on earth!

I love you all! Thanks for your support! Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Goodwin

 

SNOW?

 It's getting COLD!  Lori cleaning snow off their car.

 A guy in Lori's ward made these Pinewood Derby Cars! Holy Cow!

Pinewood Derby Hot Dog Car

Hello family!! 

 

This week was great! We got a few inches of snow, which has made things a bit exciting :) On Saturday we went to clean the church in the morning and the roads were icy and the snow was coming down hard. Don't worry I drove slow and we got there safely.  

 

We hadn't been able to get a hold of M------- for a while, and we finally caught her at home. She has decided to go to a rehab facility for the next month because she really wants to stop drinking. So we encouraged her and shared scriptures about how Christ will help us through our struggles and trials. We helped her recognize the Holy Ghost's presence so that she will be able to continue to recognize his influence in her life! She told us she would come to church on Sunday and we set up a ride for her, but she wasn't feeling well and didn't end up coming, sadly. 

 

We had lunch one day with an inactive member, J----. She hasn't gone to church since she was about 8 and doesn't really know much about the church. So we talked about the Doctrine of Christ and the Book of Mormon. We invited her to start reading, and I am excited to see her faith grow! 

 

We met with S-----, who is a recent convert, she has some things she is struggling with right now. And, she just wants to know everything, there is so much to know about the gospel that I just take for granted having grown up in the church. So, we are working on getting the new member lessons going with her, so that she can grow in her knowledge. And, on Sunday she brought her husband and daughter with her! They are both non-members and the husband always leaves when we come over.  But, he says he will probably join one day. So we need to figure out what is stopping him from learning right now! But, maybe it just isn't his time quite yet. 

 

Ahh! I wish I could tell you all the wonderful experiences I've had this week. I have seen the Lord guide me to where I needed to be at the right time!

I love this gospel! I love seeing how it has blessed the lives of those around me, and for the opportunity I have to meet so many wonderful people here in Nevada! I know the Lord is watching over me and helping me to do His work!

Thank you for your support and prayers!

 

Love,

Sister Goodwin

Hello family!

Another week has gone by already! Can you believe it? This week was a bit slow for us. We don't have very many people to teach right now so our focus is on finding. It's really hard to talk to strangers.... We had Zone Conference this week. We had our cars inspected at 8 am and then we listened to President and Sister Hermansen and some of our other leaders. We also found out that the mission was supposed to be up to 190 by December and now they've changed it to 250 missionaries by February! That means there will be more that one set of missionaries for some of the wards! And that means the rest of us right now really need to kick it into gear! The focus of the conference was also on finding. The people are here... somewhere :)
This week we had another lesson with G-----. The biggest struggle is getting her to come to church, it's hard when her parents do other things on Sunday. So we're still working on that, but she is saying her prayers and reading the Book of Mormon, which I find very impressive for an 8 year old who doesn't really have the support of her parents.

We do have a few new investigators, D---- and K----- we met them out contacting in their apartment complex. K----- has studied with LDS missionaries before, so we will see how this goes. Also another lady, I--, she is living with her brother and sister-in-law who are in our ward. She has some interesting ideas about Christ and how Christ works in her life. But, she is open and willing to learn, and as far as we know she wants to join the church!
So we do have some potential here in Carson. We are still getting to know the ward as well, we've been giving out mormon.org cards and encouraging them to give them to their friends. Please help the missionaries in your areas by giving them referrals, that is the best way for missionaries to find people who are prepared to hear about the gospel!

Some people we've tried talking to on the streets want nothing to do with us, not even to listen at all, and that just breaks my heart, what we have to share is more important than anything they would be doing! I look at the examples of Alma and the sons of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, the courage they had to proclaim the gospel without fear! That is my goal, to be able to talk to anyone and everyone about the significance of the restoration and how blessed we are for it! I know that the Book of Mormon is true! I know that Joseph Smith restored the same church that Christ established when He was on the earth! I know that each of us can come to that knowledge for ourselves through studying the Book of Mormon and sincerely praying to Heavenly Father to know for ourselves that it is true, and this is His restored church on the earth today! I have come to know that for myself and I can't deny it! I love this gospel!

Have a great week!
Love,
Sister Goodwin