SISTER DeGOOYER - WEEK 20

So, A LOT has happened this week... I'm not sure where even to start. 

I'm getting transferred over to Kimberly, which is over in the Twin Falls side of the mission. I am excited, but kind of sad to leave my first area behind, especially after the week we've had. Sister Osborne (I think I spelled that right) will be my new companion. Hopefully, next week I can tell y'all more about my companion, my area, and the transition. 

Like I said, it's been a pretty crazy week and while I am excited for a change, I am sorry to leave the work and people of Highland behind. 

This week we finally started having lessons with Andrew and Linda again. The first one was last Monday and it went pretty good. President Southward has been stressing more frequent and shorter lessons with less space in between them. So we had two more lessons with them after that first one. Sister Done really wanted to drop them, but I wasn't completely sold on the idea. So, we decided to go in and if they had kept our previous commitment we would continue with the lesson in the direction of what we had them read and if they hadn't our plan was to figure out why and what they want from meeting with us. Once in there we forged ahead with the latter, and tried to gain a feel for where they are at. It ended up being a really good conversation. Linda expressed the desire to be baptized! I was straight up with her and Andrew and taught them a short and direct lesson on the law of chastity. We left them with the commitment to pray about marriage. It was soooo good! The Spirit was strong and I really hope things go well with them. Our next lesson is this Wednesday and I am eager to see if they've prayed. 

This week one of our wards split, so now we cover 7 instead of 6. Sister Done and I are working on getting all of the boundaries, bishops, and times, straight; so that her and her new companion can hit the ground running!

We had Zone Conference this week. It was, as usual, amazing! There was so much they covered, and I wish I could tell you all that I learned but I will stick with saying that I am super pumped for Light the World! It is going to be great! I invite all of you non missionaries, to invite someone to your home to watch the new "Christ Child" video, and also to sign up for the light the world daily text message ideas. If you don't know what I am talking about on either or one of those things, "ask the missionaries, they can help you!" (Who am I quoting?!) 

We also got our new missionary handbook! It is so good; not too much has changed, but there have been some adjustments. 

I had an exchange in Alameda this week, with Sister Harding- who is amazing! It was so much fun! Alameda is a walking area, and we WALKED. But it was good practice for my new area, which is also a walking area! 

I also got to play racket ball this week for the first time. I think this might be my new hobby when I get home. Just kidding, I was pretty terrible... but, who knows?! A lady who is not a member invited us and the elders, she is in the elders area but we made a good connection with her. It was cool talking to her about her life and what she has been through. 

 

"No missionary should ever fail to understand and appreciate the great price others have paid to establish once again the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. No assignment or challenge of any missionary should hold him or her back from boldly declaring the gospel truths that are ours to share." This quote is by President M. Russell Ballard, and I absolutely loved it. I invite y'all to put "member" in the places where it speaks to the missionary. This cause is a joint effort, and it works better as such. "Every member a missionary," this is so immensely true. While reading the talk I quoted above, I realized something. We are promised that if we ask, we will recieve. We can pray for those missiomary opportunities and recieve them, and that is so powerful and true. However, I realized something further, in reading that scripture and studying this talk. God will give us those opportunites, but he will also give us the ability to speak the right words in those instances. If we have the faith that God will give us those missionary chances, we must know that God will also give us the ability to handle them.

I love y'all! Sorry, I didn't write last week! I hope y'all have a good week! 

Sister DeGooyer 

The Highland Group 

For real though

The lights of Poky 

Weekly Temple Pic 

Papa Kelsey's *last district lunch

Dogsitting Poky 

Exchanges with Sister Harding 

IMPROMPTU PHOTO SHOOT

Sooooo... My daughter wanted some family pictures.  I call myself a fake photographer.  I'm better when pictures are cookie-cutter or candid.  But I think these turned out pretty well.  Especially because we had no time to prepare!  :-)

My models are pretty good lookin' if I say so myself.  I was pleased.  So was Kiara!

And what blog would be complete without a few candids?

Raisin and Skittles

Working on his NaNoWriMo project!

Such a smart boy.

Could he be any cuter?

SISTER DeGOOYER - WEEK 19

This week went by way to fast, but all is well here in the Highland of Pocatello!  We've been doing a lot of planning and working with the members this week.  Members are sooo important, y'all!

This has all in all been an interesting week.  I've been delving into Jesus the Christ, the four gospels, and praying a lot.  There have been moments of great understanding and moments where I honestly have been in awe of who my Savior is and what He has done for me.  I do not understand His sacrifice, but I yearn to.  Even though the path to that understanding will be hard, I know that it is through those hard things we can come to truly know our Savior.

I got to listen to Alex Boye this week.  He talked a lot about expectations and believing in oneself.  It is hugely important.  He talked about "Godfidence."  It was truly amazing, and I am so excited to implement some of the things he talked about, including writing down all my expectations for my mission, and making them happen.

I love y'all and hope your weeks are amazing!  Keep on serving others!

Sister DeGooyer

Our little missionary group

We got to tour a castle on P-Day.

Forget the clown car - we have a missionary car...
How many missionaries?!

Weekly temple pic

One of the Elders accidentally broke our windshield.

I got really sick.

I am so grateful for Sister Done's care
and the Elder's giving me a blessing.

I'm driving now.

SISTER DeGOOYER - WEEK 18

To whom it may concern, 

...I run out of ideas on how to start my email. I don't want it to be repetitive. Goodness, I'll be on my mission for a couple more months, ;) it's probably going to get a little repetitive. I appoligize in advance. 

I used to ask my Dad how his day at work went, I never got a good answer and later when I asked him about it, he said he hated that question. Sooooo, I started asking him to rank his day on a scale of 1-10. My week was a 7.

Happy [belated] Halloween! I'm not sure if that is a thing you can attatch belated to, but I just did. Halloween on a mission isn't quite what it is like at home. It has the same rough format, here in the IPM we were instructed to work until about 6 and then if no appointment had been made for the evening to go inside. Sooo, we went inside, ate some pizza, and watched "Love, Kennedy." Full disclosure, I was crying 15 minutes into the movie and it didn't stop. After being inside for a little bit, we met up with our district and played some games. The highlight was when I won Apples to Apples with the pair "Adam Sandler" and "cuddley." 🤷‍♀️ Haha, it was a good time. 

The work here in Highland is rolling forth! I am convinced that most of missionary work is finding. That's actually something I have mixed feelings about. We are called to invite others to come unto Christ, right? We are called to teach. I have heard it said (I feel a song coming on) that members are supposed to find and we are supposed to teach. So, I guess that is my formal invitation to you all; start finding, so your missionaries can start teaching! :) The members here in Highland are great though, everytime we sit down to dinner they have someone who we could visit. It's honestly the best! 

We had interviews this week with President and Sister Southward. They are the greatest, when you are with them you can just feel their love. President and I talked about the area, and about the possibility of a different area at the end of the transfer. We shall see, I might stay in Highland, but I could he heading to Rupert! (Sister Stichart is there, and goodness, I hope we're companions again!!) 

What else happened this week? We had an AMAZING Stake Relief Society fireside last night, that we took some of our new converts to. We went to little Cristiano's birthday party and ate some good Brazillian food (Cristiano is the young son of a lady that we are teaching). We went to a fun Relief Society activity this week, and got to know one of our wards better! ...I became the designated driver- look out world! It snowed and we got 5 inches, right in time for Halloween!! 4 different ward parties, we tried to make it to all of them, but didn't quite make it. We started to help teach Eric, but then because of unforseen circumstances, both the Sisters who found him and us had to let him go, and now he is being taught by the YSA elders. We started doing Come Follow Me with our district.  -All in all a good week! 

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NaNoWriMo:

Wow, today is day 4 and I am already behind. It has happened before and I believe that I can overcome this setback. [Shoutout to Amy who sent me a peptalk this week, I greatly appreciated and needed it] Last night, I was in full avoidance mode. 

Here is my problem: I drew a card a night ago that was too much, I don't feel I can do it justice without truly knowing the story. So I pulled out my Preach My Gospel, I pulled out my Bible and read the account 4 different times (thank you Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), I grabbed "Jesus the Christ" and have been disecting it. I realize that this is NaNoWriMo, and it does not have to be perfect, but I am attempting to write about the only perfect person who has ever lived, more than that, I am writing about my Savior; Jesus Christ, the greatest prophet, the Son of God! I want to get it right. 

With all of that said, here is a very imperfect prompt/essay/entry. 

Day 1 

"Lost No More" by Greg K. Olsen 

Some say a picture is worth a thousand words; I've never wondered at that phrase until I glanced at this depiction and wondered what story I could pull from it. 

It says everything, which is so much more than I could ever write. Yet, still, I feel drawn to attempt to share at least a piece of what this painting makes me feel. 

This picture expresses each of our lives with such accuracy it is startling. I do not pretend, nor would I be so pretentious, as to assume I know what every person has gone through; that is not the point: He knows. 

I couldn't decide whether the sheep was lost or one of the faithful fold, and then I decided it didn't matter. What matters is the sheep is with Christ, turning to Him for kindness and strength. He is lifting it's head, as He so often does for us. 

Then there is the sheep at His side, resting. Oh, how delicious that word sounds, and how we all at some point or all points wish to be that lamb. 

His flock is not far off, grazing together in the light of day. 

There are so many stories that could be told from a simple painting. So, instead of choosing one and abandoning the others, I will leave you with the unorthadox petition of a story teller: look, ponder, and find your story. 

**** 

I love y'all! 

Philemon 1: 25 

Sister DeGooyer

We're Bees 

Weekly Temple Pic 

Morning P-day Hike (It was 14°) 

random picture on my phone 

NaNo kick off

"Lost No More" by Greg K. Olsen

COLD, BOOTIFUL NIGHTS IN OCTOBER

I love when the weather gets cold enough for soups and friends and Halloween costumes and candy...
And finally fall has made an appearance here in Kentucky.  So we started off the celebrations with Soups and Sweaters.  I enjoyed eating the soups and visiting with my friends so much that I didn't take many pictures.  But it was an enjoyable Friday night.

Jelly Bean loved the bonfire and making s'mores with Scott!

These two wore matching "Best Dino Friends" sweatshirts!

I received this picture of Katia and her companion during Soups and Sweaters!
They joined in our fun without realizing it!

Then I blinked... and it was Halloween.  Our family decided to dress up as the characters from "The Way of Kings" book series by Brandon Sanderson. 

I am Queen Navani.  Scott is Dalinar.  Sheila is Syl.

Skittles is Kaladin.  Kiara is Shallan.  Cody is Adolin.

Halloween morning, Kiara and I took Skittles to my work service project.  I loved watching the smiles on the faces of the young boys at the orphanage.  (I couldn't take pictures of the boys... but I got a lot of pictures of my Inter-State Studio team and pictures of Skittles with my co-workers!) I have an amazing work family!

Kerri

Bradley

Nathan

Bethanie

Joey

Then Kiara and I went to see our husbands at work.  We got pictures there too.

Then Halloween night we spent with our extended family: the Bettenhausens!

Link, Princess, Indiana Jones, Dragon, Soldier, Soldier and Sherlock Holmes

Kaladin/Skittles loved his Spider plushy.

Sister DeGooyer and Sister Done were busy bees!

We all dressed up, went Trick or Treating, ate chili and cornbread, laughed and visited!
We ended Halloween in our traditional fashion: counting down to NaNoWriMo and WRITING!

Too much cuteness!

"WRITE ALREADY!"

NaNoWriMo participants (minus Mark and Juice who were sleeping.)

I love our silly family and  crazy traditions!

Bonus Picture

Throwback to 2010

My girls grew up way too fast!