Back to the basics...

Mama......

This last week was chill.

We worked super hard.  Elder M, well, this was his last week and we made sure he wasn't going to ever think of home....so we worked like crazies. 

The thing I loved was, with Elder M, we went back to the basics.

When you are here, at times, you get the feeling like in sports...that you know the basics and you want to get to something different.  But what we don't realize is..there is no difference.  The Gospel is made of basics and everything else comes when you understand the basics the best.  So what did we do?  We WENT BACK TO BASICS.

We had a goal to get better at something everyday and in the last 13 days of his mission, to get better in every chapter of Preach My Gospel.  We had a LOT of success...for that reason I am not sure how to share everything with you guys...

BUT....

1. We worked on our purpose.  The thing I loved was that we were, as all people know representatives of Jesus Christ.  So what did we do?  Try to love like Jesus Christ.  The scriptures say that the greatest love is shown when you give your life for someone, so we thought like that.  Before we contacted anyone, we had to think, "I will give my life for him/her."  And I will tell you, it changed everything.  We understood a little more how to teach with love and understand a little more the love Christ has for each of us.

2. In our studies, we always had to leave with something we were going to do better...a goal.  A goal consists of a date and an action.  We did it.  Every day we did it and we evaluated what we did.  It changed our effectiveness greatly.  It is something I love. Every day, I find something new, BUT DO I APPLY IT?   That is the question.  Jesus Christ applied immediately when He learned and that is why He is perfect.  We tried to follow His example!

3. We memorized and taught the outlines of the lessons in Preach My Gospel (PMG). There are about 8 pages of points, scriptures, and topics we teach.  As we memorized, we realized how to teach better and to be better examples in how Christ taught.

We memorized  just the first 3 chapters, but as we changed, we saw the blessings.  The contacts we met with felt something different...they gave us their dirrection and had a stronger desire to listen.

We had the spirit. We had many times when we felt that "tongue of angels" as we taught, and the people said "This is what I had to hear," and we knew where to guide the people. As we led them to scriptures, and they understood "how to fish."  We didn't just give it to them.  Their testimony grew and it was special for us to witness.

That is the focus, to help people have a better relation with their Father, their Heavenly Father.  We did it and we tried to apply what we learned in DIFFERENT ways, in different parts of PMG--for the last weeks with Elder M.   I wanted to share it with you, because it is important.  We can ALWAYS get better at the basics...for me, at least.  Christ was perfect at the basics and perfect at everything else.  So, to be a representative of Him, we have tried to follow.  I think that is the point.  I invite others to find and discover, after I understand. 

I hope this has helped you, not much time, not much explanation.  But I love Preach my Gospel.  I hope you are doing great.  I love you so much.  Apply what you learn:) 

I love you so much!

love,

Elder Goodman!

P.S.  Since Lincoln NEVER sends me pics, thanks to special families in Mexico who remind me what he looks like! haha