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