Storm of the Century...NOT! (12/16/2013)

Hey Everyone!!

So this past week has been pretty good :) 

We had a lesson with Erin, our new investigator!  She was being taught by the Patuxent East elders, but when they split the area, where she lives became our area. So we taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We had a member come with us so she should also teach about baptism and then also the gift of the Holy Ghost.  She is a recent convert since last February. The execution of the lesson went really well. The problem is that Erin doesn't trust anyone so she's not very open. Any question I asked her was always answered with a no, yes, or i don't know. She really wouldn't say anything more then that.

Then on top of that, it seemed that the entire time she was just looking out the window and not paying attention. It was kinda frustrating, but we continued on and the rest of the lesson went well :). So then a few days later Elder Lanham (my roommate and the elder previously teaching her) was talking to her on Facebook and I guess she told him that that was the best lesson she had had so far.  So i guess she really was paying attention to us :). 

She is really close to baptism too!  She knows the Book of Mormon to be true.  She's read it once all the way through and has started reading it for the second time! She posts stuff on Facebook all the time telling saying how the gospel has blessed her life, how she loves it and how she doesn't want to go back to her old life because she can see how horrible it was.  She talks about how grateful she is to have the gospel in her life. Her only hold up is that she won't come to church. She has a 5 year old daughter.  I guess that she has a hard time getting her up in the morning and she's afraid that her daughter is going to be loud in church.  She doesn't want her to be loud and embarrass Erin at church. So we're working with her on that.

Also we have an appointment with Shawnessy tonight. She is the 9 year old daughter of a returning member. She has been taught pretty much everything except for a few of the commandments. So we're going to finish the lessons with her and then she wants to be baptized! It's going to be awesome!! 

          

So here is something funny.  Saturday I called President to get permission to go to Victor's baptism up in my old area on Sunday. President told me that he wouldn't recommend it because the weather was going to be really bad and that if it happened to be nice weather on Sunday day then I could go. The next morning we got up and it's raining a bit with a little bit of hail. So we're like, "Oh we should be fine then".  We went to PEC and during the meeting the bishop and his counselors keep getting texts that people aren't coming to church because of the weather. Towards the end of Sacrament Meeting, the bishop stands up and says "For the safety of the ward we're going to cancel the rest of church, so you're all dismissed to go home". We thought it was the funniest thing ever!!!  It was hailing tiny pieces before church started and was melting as soon as it hit the ground. So It wasn't bad at all!  Then we go over to our WML's house, have hot chocolate, go over the ward roster, and then leave.

Well on the way home, the AP's sent a call out to tell us that President has decided to shut everyone down and that everyone was supposed go home and stay home until further notice. In the end noooothing happened. I mean it rained a little bit after but nothing like everyone thought it would be. So I have come to the conclusion that if you live in Maryland DO NOT MOVE TO UTAH!  Ha Ha! you'll think the world is coming to an end with an inch or two of snow :)  

Well that's all for now!! I love you all!!!

-Elder Gold  

(Side note from Mark and Liz:  Two crazy things happened this week that show what a small world it is when you are Mormon.  Sun, 12/15, Liz got a text from our former Orem, Heatheridge Stake President (Wayne Watson) that said, "Hi Sister Gold!  We are in MD, visiting Rob.  Guess who we just talked with?  Yes, your son, Elder Gold!  We are sitting here in Sunday School, where Rob, our son, is the instructor and teaching the lesson on missionary work.  Elder Gold here to bear testimony with his companion.  He is looking great, happy and bright.  What a great missionary!  Thought you would like to know.  What a blessing for us and them to have him here.  What a sweet and strong testimony your son has.  I am inspired by him.  

Also, we received a picture from Chance (see below).  He is standing with a family that Mark grew up with in CA.  Their daughter Carolee has grown up, gotten married and now lives in...Wait! You guessed it!  MD.  
Her parents, brother and a family friend came out to see Carolee's son get baptized.  Such a small world!

Chance and the Mathews Family from Mark's hometown.

 

Chance's newest 6-year old admirer drew a picture for him.