In the blink of an eye‏

So.. 4 days ago I hit my year mark. Which means I only have 6 months left. Which is CRAAZZY!

I can't even believe how much I have changed and experienced this last year. This time a year ago, I was in the MTC in Mexico, scared out of my mind and so stressed out. Luckily that feeling didn't last too long! The time spent in the CCM will always be remembered and cherished, I hold that time so special. I was stretched, and because of that, I grew. I made life long friends and learned a new language. I learned how to be a missionary! Heaven on earth.

And then I came to Nebraska. Man, was that crazy. I thought I knew how to be a missionary until I started to teach and plan and everything! It was so much more than I thought - but it was so good. As I served in Omaha, I met hundreds of people, each of them changing my life. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. I did a lot of learning and growing and humbling. It was in Omaha that I truly learned who I was. I am more than just what you can see - I realize now that I have such a deep and abiding connection to my Heavenly Father and that He has given me gifts and talents to help not only me but everyone I meet.

Now in Sioux City, I am becoming the missionary God needs me to be - for right now and for forever.

I served with many different companions, learning from each. From my mama, Hermana Grubbs, I learned that life is meant to be enjoyed. From Hermana Bacy I learned the reality of the Atonement. From my sweet hija, Hermana Miller, I learned that obedience is the only way to happiness. From Hermana Castagnola, I have learned that God's love is real and never-ending. I have learned a great deal of patience from training a new missionary, and I have learned the importance of confidence by serving as an STL. 

I am a different person. Completely. My understanding of the gospel has deepened and my appreciation for my Savior has grown. 

Never will I be the same again. Never again will I be the person I was before my mission - not when I know how much more potential I have.

I love this work. I love my Heavenly Father. I love the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful that I was born into the true church, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. So so grateful.

I love you all so much.

xoxo

Hermana Brie Gould

pictures: Spanish conf! & Happy 1 year :)

Crying tears of joy‏

SO first of all, apparently my email last week didn't get sent??? I'm sorry! It was a really good one too... ;) I'm going to send it to my mom to post later!

Secondly, I just received this email:

Dear Brieanna:

Congratulations! You have been admitted to Brigham Young University to begin Fall 2016.

I AM GOING TO BYU PROVO!!!!!! For real!!!!

Haha wow what a great way to start off my week.

Anyway.

Such a crazy, busy week! And we have another one coming up! I looked at my planner already for this week and we have appointments every single day! We are working better with our members, getting more frequent lessons with our investigators, etc. Little by little we are improving and it's the best.

So one of the families that we have been teaching are doing so great - the only problem is that they will never offer the closing prayer. Kind of a simple thing to ask, but for some reason, they never want to offer the prayer. The reason we are so worried about them praying with us is so we KNOW that they are praying without us. The only way they are truly going to improve their relationship with God and learn for themselves about this church is through real, sincere prayer. So after a frustrating attempt to get them to pray, we left and planned a better lesson the next time.

This last week, we had 15 min left before we had to head home. We decided to go invite the family to church and remind them about reading the Book of Mormon. We both then felt prompted to share our lesson on prayer - just a brief, powerful lesson. So we did! But at the end of the lesson, when it was time to leave, they still refused to pray. So I plead with them - all four of them, the dad, the mom, the little kids. Anyone in that family! After an awkward silence and staring contest (lol), the little girl folded her arms and quietly came over to me to ask for help. I was shocked, and then whispered a simple prayer in her ear. It was perfect. The parents watched as their little 8 year old girl had enough courage to offer the first prayer in their family.

Such a simple yet perfect miracle.

My mission has been made up of simple yet perfect miracles. Every single day. We still don't have anyone set for baptism and we don't have anyone coming to church, but miracles are still happening. God is just preparing these people, and it's so excited to be apart of it and witness His power every single day.

I love you all.

xoxo

Hermana Brie Gould

ps it was 50 degrees this week & I cried. Also we're planning our VERY FIRST training for Spanish conference! AHH! Pray for us!

The week that changed my whole mission (& life)‏

So I hope you are all prepared for the craziest, most amazing email ever... because this week was somethin' else.

I don't even know where to start!!!!!

About 2 months ago, I had an experience I will never forget. It was kept on the down-low. I'll share it now :) Right before I left for Omaha, I was able to go to the temple. As I was sitting in the celestial room, I couldn't help but feel that President Gardner was going to tell me something. So I was sitting there, waiting for him, but he didn't do anything - just shook everyone's hands! So we left, changed, and waited outside for everyone to finish. I honestly forgot about the impression and then President came up and started talking to all of us missionaries. He started to direct his attention mainly to me, asking me about our ward and our investigators in Omaha. 

I noticed that he was thinking and had something on his mind. He then started talking about the other missionaries that speak Spanish and asked me what I thought about having Spanish STLs - Sister Training Leaders. We have never had Spanish ones in our mission but I've thought it would be GREAT! We talked about all the goodness it would be to have Spanish sister leaders in the mission. He then looked at me and said, "You know, Sister Gould, you would be one of them." I about lost it. I stood there, just staring at him, with my mouth wide open.

The two months that followed were crazy - plans kept changing, I had to keep the whole thing on the down-low, I got transferred, etc etc etc. President had initially wanted the STL's to be in Omaha. But this last week, we got the call (finally)... 

I AM NOW A SPANISH SISTER TRAINING LEADER AND I CAN'T EVEN HANDLE IT. 

I am staying here in Sioux City, and Sister Castagnola is my companion, the other STL! I am beyond excited, grateful, pumped...!!!!!! Ahhh!!!!! I am so grateful I get to be with my bud Castagnola, she is a gem of a human. We are going to blow Sioux City up! When she first found out last week that she was going to be an STL, she screamed - in the library, might I add - and said, "WE'RE GONNA BE LEGENDS!"

Hahah ok ok, chill.

But honestly, this is so amazing, it's hard for me to even describe it. I am so incredibly humbled for this opportunity. These next 6 months will be the best ever.

We will be doing exchanges with the other Spanish sisters, doing trainings at meetings, helping plan Spanish conference, working one-on-one with President to improve the work... so many amazing opportunities to grow and change and be so much better. I am just on cloud 9.

We now are working so close with the other sisters. They both called us yesterday, almost in tears, as they excitedly told us about all of the AMAZING miracles they saw that week. I was crying, Sister Castagnola was laughing, it was awesome.

Amazing things are happening with the Spanish sisters here in this mission. Doors are opening, hearts are softening, it's overwhelming.

Remember Esmerelda? I found her my 3rd week in the mission back in Omaha. We baptized her husband, Jose, back in September. She and I became best friends - we sobbed together when I got transferred. But guess what?

SHE IS GETTING BAPTIZED. She is actually, really getting baptized!!!!!! This has been my mission goal since the day I found her and now it's happening! When the Omaha Sisters called us last night to tell us, I just curled up into a ball and laughed/cried for several minutes... haha I am just so excited! Do you know what this means!? I get to come back in a year when they BOTH go to the temple and get sealed as a family!!!!!! Oh my heart is full!

God is so incredible - I have always known it but never has it been so apparent before. This week was so amazing. We got 10 referrals from members, 15 returning members at church, 2 new investigators, and lessons with investigators we haven't seen in forever.

Miracles have ceased? HA!

This week changed my mission. This mission is changing my life.

xoxo

Hermana Brie Gould

Guess WHAT‏

So I am currently sitting in a library in... OMAHA! OHhhhh YeeeeaaaH!! Haha it feels good to be back. I love this place. We are dropping off Sister Bacy at the mission office today! She'll be heading back to good ol' California! She's great. We'll sure miss her :) Her family is going to love having her home though!

Wow what a week. I am absolutely exhausted. I can't even begin to describe all that we did this week.  So I'm just gonna tell you about the coolest miracle ever.

So last Friday, Sister Castagnola and I were planning for our week. Missionaries plan for about 3 hours every Friday for the next week - it's great. I really do love planning. That's how things get done! So we've been trying to figure out how we can better work with the members here because our branch is seriously struggling. We decided that we wanted to try and do a set FHE (Family Home Evening) every month with 4 different families, where we would either bring an investigator or we would invite the family to bring someone. We planned out the 4 families, set goals for them, decided when we would contact them, etc. It was good! I was pumped! I love when we have really good plans.

Well with how the week was going, I wasn't sure if we could execute the plans like we wanted to. I admit, my faith was low. I figured we'd just hit the ground running the next week. But God knows when His plans need to be accomplished! 

One night we decided to go try visiting Monica, one of the members we had actually thought about asking to do the FHEs. So we were sitting with her, initially trying to get a referral from her, but as the conversation started going, I realized the scripture we had prepared and the questions we had just weren't right. It wouldn't address her needs the way God wanted. So I actually stopped my companions and said, "Can we share this scripture instead?" It was a scripture about the Atonement and our Savior from the Book of Mormon. As we shared our testimonies of the power of the Atonement, it was amazing what took place. 

Out of NOWHERE she asked us, "Hey, I was thinking, could we do an FHE at my house sometime? Like maybe once a week. And you guys can bring whoever you want! And we can make dessert or something!"

..I literally sat for like a good 20 seconds with my jaw flappin' open. And then, after we made plans with her, we mentioned one our investigators we were planning on visiting that week and Monica was like, "Can I come!?" WHAT YES OF COURSE PLEASE.

It was amazing. Planning is real. Setting goals is so important. God will make sure everything works out if you do your part.

I love you ALLLLLLL!!!!!!!

ps transfers are this week... tune in next Monday for some CRAAAZZZY NEWS ;) aaaand pictures. Because for some reason this computer wont let me upload them from my camera.

xoxo

Hermana Brie Gould

PEACE OUT////the only picture that will upload.

You are loved‏

You are loved, individually and perfectly, by a Father in Heaven. He created this whole earthly experience for YOU, so that you could learn and grow and become who He knew you could become - someone magnificent and powerful and perfect. He knows exactly what will bring you the most happiness.

Do you believe that? Do you honestly believe that not only God exists but that He is your Father? 

This knowledge has helped me overcome so many struggles throughout my life. Knowing that there is someone BETTER and WISER and STRONGER than me who not only loves me but is cheering for me has helped me pick myself back up from the lowest of lows. He's real, He's here, and He loves you.

I have seen this love changed thousands of lives - but more specifically and personally, the lives that I am surrounded by every day.

This week we met a lady named Kerey. She was a former investigator of the sisters in Le Mars, but when the sisters got taken out of that area, there was no one to visit her. While we were talking to a lady in one of the wards about people she might know that would be willing to hear our message, she gave us Kerey's number. 

We called her up and set up an appointment that day. It was amazing. We walked into this old woman's house, full of little trinkets and the smell of cigarette smoke, and sat down at her table, where her Book of Mormon was placed. She opened up to us, with gratitude pouring out of her, as she told us of her adventure with the missionaries.

Her love for the missionaries was so evident, and through tears she practically begged us, "Don't forget about me, don't forsake me. I need the spirit you all carry. I can feel it when you are near."

That moment changed me.

Moments like that happen all the time. As I saw the hand of the Lord working on our area this week, I was changing. We tried several different former investigators, looking for those prepared by God. We ran into a lady named Noelia, who welcomed us into her house with open arms. We sat and talked and met her children. Her daughter Gracie was enthralled as I shared my simple testimony of the Savior and how through Him, we can be saved. 

Later in the week, we sat with a 16 year old young woman, who just sobbed as she asked us, "Why? Why is my life like this? Why can't I just have a normal life?!" The only words I could muster without shedding tears of my own were words of our Savior, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I was filled with that love, the love I mentioned earlier, in such a pure and obvious way. I felt God's love for His daughter. I felt it.

Yeah, this life is hard. Yeah, being a missionary is really difficult. But it's worth it. This life is worth it, being a missionary is worth it. Because miracles happen all the time. All the time. If you can't see them, take a step back. Only through our struggles and difficulties can we recognize the blessings. We can't grow without pain.

If you are doubting the existence of God, I plead with you to not give up now. Hold on. Because His love is real, I know it is. It has changed me, and it changes every person I meet every single day. 

You are loved - and never, ever forgotten.

xoxo

Hermana Brie Gould

Road Trips‏

So you may or may not know this about me, but I love a good road trip. And this week, we went on a couple three. We had a lot of potential investigators and formers, as well as some less-actives that we wanted to go visit, so we traveled to the distant lands of Orange City and Le Mars. Turns out, Orange City was founded by Dutch humans so the whole city is like stepping into Holland - it's adorable. And then Le Mars is the ICE CREAM CAPITAL so obviously I enjoyed my time there.

But driving through good ol' Iowa was beautiful. I had so much time to think and reflect on the last year of my life. This life is something amazing, gosh I just love it.

This week was just filled with ups and downs and backs and forths and everything! We actually had a baptism planned on Saturday and then he backed out. It was super disappointing, but I felt at peace about it. I knew it would all be okay.

We saw some incredible miracles though - we met with investigators we hadn't seen in forever and got in with several less-actives. One in particular was Rosa, who has been meeting with the sisters for a few months. She had been reading from the Book of Mormon while she was in Mexico for the holidays but accidentally left it there! So she asked us for another one as well as asked us when church was so she could come. Like tiny miracles, right? But so significant. I can't tell you how many times I have tried getting someone to read the Book of Mormon and come to church so they can know for THEMSELVES the truthfulness of our message. It's amazing when someone actually does it... lol

Life is just going great. There are only 2 weeks left in the transfer! I'm almost at my year mark! What is happening! Time needs to slow down...

Can I just tell you? God is so good. Like seriously, so good. As I have experienced so many different things, met so many different people, I am so aware of how deeply He is involved in the details of our lives. He knows us, and more so, He loves us. Despite our mistakes, despite our errors, despite our limited understanding. He loves us - perfectly and wholly, and it's amazing.

xoxo

Hermana Brie Gould

ps I just found out that one of the families I taught in Omaha is getting sealed in the temple IN APRIL! AHH! Crying tears!

Pure in Heart

So so sooo soooos sosoos s this week was GREAT!

This week, we went on exchanges with the sister training leaders, and I was left in Sioux City with Sister Jensen! Man, was that nerve-wracking. I am just barely starting to feel comfortable with the city, I kind of know where people live... haha so it was interesting! 

But God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies those He calls, am I right!?

We had made a goal to talk to everyone we possibly could and to find a new investigator family. We planned according to those goals, and honestly, we just prayed for some miracles. 

As we headed to our first appointment at an assisted living home, I tried to think of how we could teach a significant lesson during our short 30 minutes we had. We said a prayer that we would be able to, and then headed inside. We were talking to the activities director, Susie, about what we could do to help. She was distracted by her computer not working, so she asked us "young folk" to help her figure it out haha as we were working on her computer, we somehow started talking about life after death. She told us that a friend of her just recently passed and that her daughter was struggling to live right now. But she said something amazing, she said, "You know, though.. I know that there is life after this. There has to be." We instantly recognized the truth of the gospel that she highlighted and bore testimony on. We took it and ran. We promised her that yes, it is possible to see our loved ones again, and that only through Christ is that even possible. It was amazing - God provided a way for us to teach His daughter in one of the most unplanned settings. So incredible.

Later that night, we had another great lesson with Yaretd, one of our newest investigators. It was all in Spanish, and as Sister Jensen can't speak or understand Spanish, I was flying solo. But like I've experienced so many times before, God made it work.

The best part was dinner. We made our way to the Lagunas' house for dinner - a less-active family in our branch! They are the sweetest, really just such great people. As we were sitting and talking and helping make dinner, we heard a knock at the door. Turns out, they had invited their friend, Margarita, and her family over for dinner. We 5 adults sat at the table while all the kids played and somehow turned the conversation into a beautiful teaching experience. Margarita opened up to us about some of her fears, and we were able to help her as we bore testimony of the Savior and His atonement. It was amazing to hear the testimonies of Hermana and Hermano Lagunas as they shared their conversion stories with their good friend. At the end of the night, we had an appointment set up with Margarita and her family!

A-maz-ing. God answers prayers! All He requires is effort and faith and a pure heart. He wants us to be putting Him first, and in turn, He will be with us, stand by us, and support us. 

I recently read this scripture in Psalms, chapter 46, and I fell in love.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.

I will always strive to be this woman - to be so pure, so diligent, so full of love for Him that I will not be moved.

xoxo

Hermana Brie Gould

pictures: game night and Roscaaaa! We found a baby in some Mexican sweetbread. so.