CA Combo for Christ: Sister Goss---W23: Twisty-tervy handlebars (Jan 27, 2020)

What's up everyone? How are you all?! I miss you all so so much!!

So this is actually my second time writing this because I finished writing this entire email, attached the pictures, sent send, and it didn't go. After some clicking around next thing I know I deleted the draft. :/ So take two!

The sickness finally came. For those of you who know me, my throat completely gives out when I get sick so the entirety of Wednesday I had no voice woohoo! But we managed. I took my vitamin Cs and all the other wonderful supplements provided by my Mom and my sickness is now just a weird raspy throat. ;) Sometimes it just gives out at random moments while talking to Sister Gugelman or teaching a lesson, etc. It's been fun! But kudos to my Mom who knows what she's doing! ;) Thanks Mom.

This week we met with Ronnie, a referral we were given and haven't been able to meet officially! We biked to Ronnie's apartment, but he wasn't there. We started to head back when we passed this guy and Sister Gugelman said "isn't that Ronnie?" We stopped and I said, "I don't actually know. I can't remember what he looked like. But just in case he is, let's go back." Sister Gugelman replied "well that might not be him, plus it would be awkward if it was because then he'd see us again and..." But I was walking already. She laughed nervously and we walked back to his apartment. In her words, "Goss dragged me back." Turns out it was him! We read Moroni 10:1-8 and invited him to bring his wife to church! He loved Moroni's words and it was a super great lesson. Walking away, I realized strengths Sister Gugelman and I had. She remembers faces and things well and I am bold enough to embrace awkward. With the two of us, we're quite a team! :) She is so awesome.

Bike update! We got a call last week that we're getting our car back!!! Some other sisters, who have a more flat area, are sharing their car instead. They also give rides to the bike sisters anyway so it makes a lot more sense. Sister Gugelman sunk to the floor crying when we got this call (for a completely different reason this time hahaha!). ;) So Thursday was our only day on bike when we met Ronnie. After Ronnie's lesson we started biking to our next appointment when all of a sudden I felt my handlebars twist completely backwards and upside down. I stopped and Sister Gugelman and I started trying to twist it back. We accidentally twisted the gear shifts a ton and couldn't get the handlebars to budge. I thought, "eh it's fine. I'll be good." We kept going and as I was trying to get back into the bike lane, I attempted to grab the brake handles and felt nothing but thin air. In a split second I realized my brake handles were on top of my hands and I swerved just in time to miss the big pole. So that was fun! ;) Then I realized it probably wouldn't work for me to bike too well for the rest of the night so we started walking our bikes home. Pretty sure everyone thought we were weak-sauces walking our bikes home because we were too tired to ride them hahaha! After walking them home, we looked at the time and realized our next appointment was coming up and it was 3.2 miles away. So we started walking. Needless to say I got my 5k in for the day!

But wait! The bike news isn't over - there's more! Saturday we show up to service and the APs come over and explain, "so.... a sister in the mission who was borrowing our car backed into a pole and dented it. Which means we have to take it into the shop for 4-5 days. And we need a car soo...." Yep. We're back on bike. Poor Sister Gugelman keeps crying. Gotta love mission transportation!

One highlight of my week was being part of the lesson at church for the young women of the ward! The YW Teacher asked us to give a demonstration of the Restoration lesson, so two laurels role-played people we're teaching. It was so awesome! It reminded me of the MTC all over again; role-playing with members, practicing asking questions, and using scriptures. It was a lot better than what I've done in the MTC though haha! ;) The Spirit was really strong and the young women expressed how much they loved hearing Joseph Smith's story again. I am so grateful I got to participate in that lesson and be that example for the young women. I remember seeing sister missionaries when I was a youth and really looked up to them. So now being able to be that person for someone else? :) So worth it. Hopefully I also got to show them that we aren't weird; we're actually very normal people hahahaha.

But yeah you all are the best! I miss you so so much. Being a missionary is so amazing! I LOVE being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! This is the greatest work anyone could be a part of. :) Every night I'm so excited to go out and share this message of Christ's restored gospel to the world! I LOVE IT! :)

Love you all so much! Keep on keepin' on!!

Sister Mary Goss