I Love The Smell of The Rain

Looks like the dance and Halloween party was lots of fun. Missed being there this year. We had a little branch party on Saturday. I did the candy jar guessing game which was a big hit of course - everyone loved it. But Sister D didn't believe me about the jello spitting so that didn't happen..oh well. 

This week consisted of LOTS and LOTS of rain. And we got to spend most of our time outside..really feeling all of it on our faces. I love the smell and the scene of beautifully colored, wet leaves covering the sidewalks. It is a good conversations starter when we show up dripping on someones doorstep and they wonder what in the world we are doing on a night like that!! Hahaha they admire us for our dedication even if they don't want to listen. 

A few highlights from this week we first visiting with Sister Waugh. 

Sister Waugh and her husband were baptized many years ago in New York, soon after their baptism they moved back to Summerside and were the first members on the island. After two years President Packer (the mission president) drove with his family and a car full of missionaries to help build up the church. Sacrament meeting was held in Brother and Sister Waugh's home for awhile until the little chapel was built. Theirs is a story of faith and commitment. It is incredible to see how the church has grown and listening to her recount the early days of the church here on PEI. 

Another highlight was meeting the first two sister missionaries who served in Summerside 30 years ago. They came back this weekend to visit and I loved seeing how excited the members of the branch were - they were treated like celebrities. They seemed to be two incredible missionaries. I loved hearing how their missions truly changed their lives and have impacted them every day since. It inspired me to want to do all I can to love and serve these people so that is if were to return 30 years later they would be able to remember me and my testimony. 

Finally, we visited another sweet member of the branch Sister Mitchell. She had to spend the week in the hospital for stomach pains so we went after church to visit her. She started telling us about all of the nurses and patients that she had given pass along cards to. Then the elders came to bring her the sacrament and I have never seen anyone that excited to take the sacrament. She had the biggest smile on her face the whole time. That reminded me of how important the sacrament truly is and what a blessing it is to partake of it each week. We cannot take it for granted. 

I spoke in church yesterday - my topic was Elder Christofferson's talk from this past conference. "Free Forever to Act for Themselves" it is an inspiring talk. It focus on our agency and how we must use it to choose to follow Christ so that we can become the people that God truly intended for us to be. I will send my talk home maybe because I don't have time to explain more about what I said...sorry!

I just want each of you to know that I am so thankful for the light that you bring into my life. 
I am grateful that we have each been given our agency and that we can choose every day to use it for good. To serve, lift and love those around us. 
I am thankful for the Book of Mormon that teaches us to "pray always, and not faint;". 
I am happy that the smell of rain reminds me that the world is such a beautiful place to live in even when it's wet. 
There is something GOOD in every day. 
We are beautiful in God's eyes even when we fall short, even when we grumble. 
We can't even comprehend His love. 
Knowing that we are sons and daughters of God enables us to reach our full, divine potential. 

I love the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 58: 27-28 that says, " Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do may things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness...inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward." 

BE ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED INA GOOD CAUSE. CHOOSE TO ACT. GO TO WORK. GOD WILL HELP YOU!!

I love all of you and have so many thoughts that take too much time to put onto paper..or the computer. So I am sorry. But know that you make me happy.

Miss you :)

Love, Sister G

Don't Count The Days, Make The Days Count.

Sister G and Sister lewis

Hiiiii cute family. Thank you for your prayers. Sounds like you all had a happy fall break and now it's back to work and school - YAY

We were so blessed this week. I can't even describe my feelings of gratitude for the miracles we witnessed - pure, inexpressible joy. 

I just have time to summarize the highlights..

On Tuesday we drove to Charlottetown for an exchange with Sister Lewis and her trainee Sister Bowden. I got to spend the morning working with Sister Lewis which was so fun!! 

It's cool to see how far we have come. I was so nervous to talk to people all those months ago....we reminisced on the long, cold, dark nights of knocking in Fredericton. We were so determined to find a new investigator yet we never did. 

We laughed at the rejections we had experiences and the good times we had had, as we walked along the boardwalk on a beautiful, warm fall day on Prince Edward Island - it was a dream. 

We talked a lot about how our missions and our lives - they are not really about numbers or rewards but about people. Our companions, the members, our investigators, our families, and friends - that is what really matter or rather those are who matter. How we treat others. The difference we make in the life of one of our brothers or sisters. We can't ever forget that. 

Dog Bite

Later we switched and I spent the rest of the day with Sister Bowden in Charlottetown (Sister Lewis and Sister Dougherty went back to Summerside and found us a new investigator!!!) - it was a little bit of a struggle at first because 

Sister B did not know her way around Charlottetown and I had never been there in my life so I was flashing back to those moments in New Glasgow, no GPS, no clue where anything was but just relying on God to help us survive and we did. It turned out to be a great night. AND it ended with a badly bruised finger...A DOG BIT ME!! We were knocking, it was getting late and the first door that answered was a lady who was trying very hard to keep her little pit-bull inside the house. He escaped onto the porch and she made it clear that he wouldn't bite so I bent down to help herd him back inside the door and he BIT me!!! Pain shot through my finger but I didn't say anything, just finished the conversation and we walked away..we left and I looked down at my finger, luckily the skin was not broken so we carried on. It hurt for a few days but now it is just a lovely bruise and a good story :)

Wednesday we taught Raymond. We met Raymond when we were out knocking one afternoon. He is in his late 50's and lost his wife 5 months ago to breast cancer. We had the most incredible, spiritual lesson with him. It was a testimony to me that angels really are preparing the people all around us and that God truly and divinely led us to him. We talked about the Atonement and eternal families, about the value of the Book of Mormon and daily prayer. He told us that he felt something strongly in his heart. A feeling he couldn't describe and one that he hadn't felt before. We explained that he was feeling the Spirit - testifying to him that the words we were speaking were true. After the lesson he remarked that his skin was still tingling. I told him that the Spirit can easily leave and committed him to read and pray diligently before we saw him again on Friday so that he wouldn't lose those feelings. We left and I wanted to scream as we got into the car. I was so happy and so grateful.

On Thursday we painted nails for the little old ladies at the senior`s home and played capture the flag at sports night :)

Friday morning we planned for the week then we went out to work.. our day was packed with an hour of finding at 3, a lesson with Raymond at 4, a dinner appointment with a member at 5, and another appointment with a member at 6, then an hour drive to the bridge (in Borden) so that we could start another exchange with the Amherst sisters at 8. Sooo we went out to knock. The rain was falling lightly but the wind was blowing hard and fast. As we knocked the rain picked up until it was absolutely POURING!!!!! And we were not dressed for the weather. Every inch of my body was soaked and we figured that it would be totally rude to leave a swimming pool of water in Raymond's living room so we hurried home, we had 10 minute to change and get to the lesson. We made it..wet haired and ready. We taught him the Restoration with the elders and it went very well. We hurried from one place to the next but in the end it all worked out. We arrived safely over the bride and slept SO great that night. 

Saturday I was on an exchange here in Summerside with Sister Smith, she has only been out one transfer less than I have so working with her was so much fun. She is a great missionary. The weather could not have been better. We spent a large portion of the day just walking through neighborhoods, over the crunching leaves, talking to everyone that we saw, offering service and bearing testimony of Jesus Christ. Another dream. Later we taught another new investigator Sahara. She is 17 years old and so anxious to learn and to strengthen her relationship with God. She goes to the Baptist church with her family but doesn`t feel like she is progressing much. She wants to know what else is out there in the world. We had a great lesson with her. We read from Mosiah 18 and asked her to tell us what stuck out to her. She said, ``What have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord...nothing! I have nothing against that!`` At the end of the lesson we knelt down in prayer and she offered a beautiful, heartfelt prayer to Heavenly Father. It was an incredible day.

Sunday began with no power..so we got ready in the dark but eventually it came back on and we were able to study without flashlights. Church was peaceful, there were 37 people there yesterday!! Sundays are always so wonderful.

I feel that every day really counted this week. Each day brought new lessons, new miracles, laughs and struggles. We cannot sit around and wait for the time to pass. We can't spend every minute of every day praying and expecting God to do everything for us and then never getting up and getting to work. There is a balance in everything that we do. I love the quote... 

``PRAY like everything is up to God, 

ACT like everything is up to you!`` 

We must live our lives to the best of our abilities. And make the most of every minute. 

I love all of you. I love being a missionary. I love the people that I get to meet and the beautiful island I get to live on. I love my Savior and am so thankful that he has led us to so many amazing people this week. I am thankful for the Spirit and it`s converting, life changing power. I am so grateful that God hears and answers every single one of our prayers in the way that He knows we need it. 

Thank you for your love and support. Have the best week. 

Love, Sister G by the Sea

PS - sorry this letter is so long, i hope it makes sense..

Remember when our dear friend Pat gave us these as health snacks?

Sister G and Sister Dougherty

Happy Halloween loved the pkg Nana!

Living in THANKSGIVING Daily!

HAPPY CANADIAN 

THANKSGIVING EVERYONE... 

It's weird for me to celebrate this in October but really we should "live in thanksgiving daily" so I'm just thankful for another day of the year that I get to reflect on my countless blessings and all that I am thankful for. 

I recently got a letter form my aunt Natalie - she was telling me about tender mercies. How there are so many blessing that Heavenly Father gives us everyday - what we would call tender mercies, and really it is up to us to recognize them. When we do we are happier, more grateful, humble people. 

Natalie told about the tender mercy of a rainbow. How the day my cousin (Theo) was born, there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. 18 years later they dropped Theo off at the airport to go to the MTC and that very same day they went on a hike, looked off into the world and saw the most beautiful rainbow. She knew at that moment that God was aware of her and her family. That He was so proud of Theo and that everything was going to be ok. I loved that story. The past week and from now on I have set a goal to write down a tender mercy everyday before I go to bed - no mater how tired or busy I am!! It has been good for me to stop and realize the blessings that came throughout the day - in many different ways. Some people might not have viewed them as a blessing but it is all up to us - and our perspective - I chose to see them as blessings and that made me happier.  

I wish I had time to go into detail and explain context and everything but I just don't - one day we can sit down and talk about all of these little blessings.. 

TENDER MERCIES OF THE WEEK...

1.The stars in the nighttime sky and the sun setting over the distant lighthouse on the water.

2. A package from mom telling me that she loved me and was proud of me.

3. We played soccer at sports night!!!!!!!! (I scored two goals and was extremely sore the next day).

4. An interview with President Leavitt - helping me realize that simply changing one person's life - even if that life is my own - is enough..you can impact generations because you chose to be faithful.

5. After a heartfelt prayer we received three referrals in one night when the whole week we had asked EVERYONE and had been given none up to that point.

6. A letter from Papa on a day when I really needed it.

7. The time when I saw a glimpse of my companion through my Savior's eyes and I grew to love her so much more.

8. The sacrament

Those are just a few but how thankful I am to see God in every detail of my life. He truly cares about us. 

Today i am especially grateful for my family, for my friends and the amazing examples that encourage and inspire me every day. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon that helps me know what to do. For my Savior, for prayer and fasting, for the people that I meet everyday, for my name tag, my bed and my health, my winter coat that I have already started wearing. For my knowledge of the Gospel. For the Prophet. For every new day, for second chances, for goals and dreams and LIFE!!!!! 

SORRY this is short but know that I am happy and grateful and well. Everything is amazing in this beautiful life we have been given.  Have the best week and I'll talk to you soon. 

LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

XOXO Sister Gochnour

scripture references to look up..because I don't have time to type them...:/ 

ALMA 34:38 

and 1 NEPHI 1:20

A Quest Of A Lifetime

Sister Broadhead is AMAZING   - She finished her mission in April but came back for a visit!!

HI - sounds like everyone had an incredible time watching conference and launching rockets. I love that tradition and missed it this year. Conference always makes me feel so grateful for my family. I love all of you so much. I love that we are all different and that each of us has something unique and vital to offer the world - a gift from God that will help those around us in their quests to return and live with Him. 

I want to thank you mom and dad for teaching me the value and importance of family prayer and scripture study. 

Thank you for letting me lean on your testimonies of our Savior and the Plan of Salvation until I found my own. 

Thank you for encouraging us to follow the Prophet and to live the higher law. Thank you for teaching us to smile. To endure in faith. To be kind and courageous. To stand up for truth and right. 

And most of all thank you for loving me and supporting me through every stage of my life. For believing in me and setting such a valiant example for me - and my cute siblings - to follow. I love you FOREVER. 

This week has been a slower.. It seems that all of our lessons fell through and we have had to drop several investigators who were just not prepared or progressing. 

It's challenging to have to start over..but it is an important part of the work because it teaches us that we must rely on the Spirit to guide our finding efforts and that when the time is right - the Lord will lead us to his children who are seeking truth and light. 

We have a goal of one baptism in the next three months and though we don't have any progressing investigators right now - I KNOW that we will achieve our inspired goal if/when we decide to follow Christ, listen to the Spirit, step out of our comfort zones, think, and go the extra mile. I am excited. On Tuesday we were knocking, we met some interesting people and hadn't talked to anyone who was very sincere. I was standing on a porch looking into the sky and commented to my companion "well at least it isn't raining yet.."  - no one answered that door and literally as I took my first step off the porch - 

the rain began to fall. 

That was a funny moment. Both of us laughed after Sister Dougherty said, "seriously sister Gochnour? This is your fault!" Oh how I love the rain - even when we are out knocking on a cold October night. God is with us. He sent the rain to keep us smiling. 

We also had a zone training in Moncton - it was so fun to see the missionaries, especially Sister Lewis. She bore her testimony since she is going home at the end of this transfer and commented on the time we had served together. I was brand new and clueless - she was training me - and we didn't teach a lesson for the entire 6 weeks. She wondered why that was the case. Why Heavenly Father had planned that for both of us. But she and I both learned valuable lessons that transfer. 

We did see miracles. We did draw closer to God and our testimonies were strengthened - those are important steps on our quest for eternal life. Personal conversion is so important and that time we spent together allowed us both to gain a deeper testimony of God's plan, the people he places in our path and the experiences we have shape us and allow us to be "more fit for the kingdom."

I loved so many of the talks we heard this past weekend. This morning I sat reflecting on what I learned and what I will do because of that knowledge.

 Four things came to my mind - 

1. I will be a valiant disciple of Jesus Christ. Valiant is defined in a secular dictionary as courageous, brave and fearless. I will do all that I can to be brave an bold. To invite others to come unto Christ. To stand up for what I believe. And to not fear man... 

2. I will strive to walk AS Jesus walked - by studying his life and his path in the scriptures and emulating His perfect example. We were counseled to learn of Him and follow His lead. 

3. Evaluate my personal testimony and what I can do to strengthen it. 

4. Seek personal revelation by ASKING OF GOD. Just like Joseph Smith did. 

I am so thankful that our quest for eternal life IT IS A QUEST OF A LIFETIME!!!! 

I don't have to be perfect now but I can strive for perfection now and every day. It is ok if I make mistakes as long as I am faithfully striving to follow my Savior in every way and keeping the commandments. 

I know my Savior lives. 

I know that this church is true and if you don't - FIND OUT and then help others do the same. 

We share the Gospel because we love it SO much. 

Because it has brought us true joy and peace. 

I know the Prophet Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ and that because he asked of God the light and truth of the Gospel are once again on the earth. 

The heavens are not closed - we are lead by a living Prophet President Monson who can communicate directly with God. 

He will never lead us astray. 

I love all of you and I love sharing this message with the world.

Have the best week.

Love, Sister G

PS: Good luck with you gift show this week mom. Happy Birthday to my cousins Sawyer, Victoria, Rosie, James and Auntie Martha and Uncle Paul :) and Corbin!! And please tell duke hi for me!

CATS.....

AND MORE CATS....

MY Companion Sister Dougherty

Saying goodbye

BY THE SEA

My Work Space - I love it!!

My Truck