A lesson...to remember

THis week was SOOOOOOOOOOOO AWESOME! 

We are working hard. This work is the work of the Lord!!!

So, something funny... You guys are right.  My companion is a little tired of going all up and down hills all day....:/  He wasn't ready for that...but, the thing that is great is that we never run out of energy!  The Lord helps with that:)  --always. T he more we can teach, the more we get pumped, and the more we get pumped, the harder we work!  It is amazing.  The Lord hastens our feet.  We just have to have the desire!

This week was great, although it will be short, I will share what I can!

We have a plan for the area of all Mexico!  I don't know if you guys know about the plan for our area there in U.S. but there is always a plan, and we are sharing it with the members. Sometimes, as members I feel like I have forgotten how many blessings I really recieve as we have the Gospel.  To help the members to never forget what they have,  we spend a little time each week teaching the members part of the lessons we teach to investigators.  It is amazing. And just one miracle...sorry:( --I promise much more next week :)

We have been teaching the sister, S....  She has been member for a long time, but she wanted to know how the lessons were.  So we started teaching her and her family.  As they listened, they got excited and they realized all the blessings.  They started sharing the gospel.  They have now shared the Gospel with half of the neighborhood, and we have 2 investigators that are progressing because of what they have done.

That doesn't explain much... sorry. 

Next week, I will explain it well, and you guys won't end reading the letter like what?  What the heck?

I love you so much! Have a great week!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Elder Goodman

 I don't think I have to explain why my face is in the white guy ....

Doing some service...not standing on anything, just holding on :)

Not by words alone...

Ok...

So! We have been working like CRAZY this week! 

Seriously, we are so excited and everything is going well.  

Preach My Gospel phrase of the day: (chapter 11)

"For your testimony to have convincing power, you must be sincere. Powerful testimony is not dependent on eloquence or the volume of your voice but on the conviction of your heart." 

hahahahahaha! I had to remember it.:)  This week, we had many wonderful experiences with this way of giving testimony.  During our class that we have as missionaries at the beginning of the week, we were talking a little about testimony.  I remembered those first days I was here in Mexico.  I didn't know very much spanish...(like none.)  I could still only talk english.....and I remembered the feeling so many times as I wanted to help the people, I knew how they felt and I felt like I could have helped so much more if only they spoke english...;)  But during those moments, I also remembered the powerful Spirit that testified as I gave my personal testimony, from my heart, of what the Gospel had done for me.  Now, I CAN talk a little more spanish....but as the phrase says.... my testimony doesn't have to do with how I say it, or the wonderful words I use, but the conviction I FEEL.   That is what we have been working on, and SEEING this week:)

We were with a sister, A...  She is working hard and was a little less active, but is working on going to the temple.  She has made it a goal, and she wants to do it.  As we talked, my companion and I (we were on the same wave length) thought of the blessings our families had recieved from being able to go to the temple, from being able to be together forever. There were so many things brought to my mind.  As we shared and she shared,  we taught the first lesson she would need to start to that goal of going to the temple.   Her daughter, (who is not a member) began to listen and sat down.  She listened more and more, and at the end, she said, "I want something like what you guys are saying.....is it ok if I go to church with my mom this Sunday?"  We told her of course, and she went.  But it wasn't us, it was the Spirit, the tesitmony it bore of what her mom was changing and trying to do to be able to go to the temple.  That changed everything.

Later in the week we had a recent convert with me, P...( we went on splits).  He is on fire!  We went to visit a sister who had been investigating our church for a long time.  When we got there, we said a prayer and for some reason, she started to tell us that she didn't want to listen any more.  That she was ok where she was, and that she didn't need anything more in life.  In a moment of silence, P... decided to speak.  As he spoke of his conversion, of how he had changed as the head of the family, and how his FAMILY had changed.  Then something happened, that sister, M... changed, she listened.  After awhile, we read some scriptures that testified of the same thing.  Sister M... changed.  She said, "You know what, I have to read this book. REALLY read it and KNOW if it is true or not."  She decided to have us visit the next week.  And her prayer, of asking if it was true or not, was beautiful and you could feel the Spirit TESTIFYING.

Lastly, we were with another M...there are quite a few here:)  Her husband is sick and in the hospital-- he isn't doing well.  We went to visit with a brother, S.... He and his family had had similiar problems a while ago.  As he testified and share how the Gospel had helped him, Sister M... started crying.  She KNEW that the Lord was aware of what was going on, and she knew that there was hope.  It was so exciting to see.

I know, this might not be a crazy letter, but it is something I saw, and I loved:)  My testimony has changed a little this week.  A quote I love, "Preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words." 

Testimony is not just what we say things, not just stories.  It is part of us:)  It is our spiritual motor.  And I have had to pay a little more attention to the care I am giving mine lately.  

I love you so much and I KNOW that we can be together forever.  I know it, because I have asked, and because the Lord has responded.  I KNOW my Savior lives and I want to represent him at all times! 

I love you guys so much! Have a great week and preach at all times:)

Love,

Elder Goodman!!!

Sharing is caring...

THIS WEEK WAS BOMB! 

Ok....lets see what I can do.

We were talking with quite a few members, who are ON FIRE!  They are doing wonderful and we are really seeing a lot of progress.  We have been focusing on self sufficiency and really, the people are doing great! 

First, We have L...  She is a recent convert who has been wonderful!  She is in charge of activites in the ward and she wanted to accompany us to visit an investigator we have named S... --S... family is having a problems and when L... heard about it, she wanted to help!  As she accompanied us she got really nervous because she had never done it before.  But when we entered S... home, and prayed, you could see her face just calm down and get excited:)  As we shared a message, the spirit came into the room and L..., started to share what she knew.  As she shared her testimony, of how things had changed for her, S... and her husband listened intently, sure that what the sister was saying was true.  L...then said she was SO happy.  She didn't know the people, didn't know how to preach the gospel, but the Holy Ghost helped her and she saw the difference in changing OTHER peoples lives:)

A similar thing happened with a another recent convert, P...  We were working with P..., and he decided to also accompany us.  As we were waiting for a bus, a lady passed by with some bags.  We asked her if we could help.  P... said,  "Don't we have to leave right now?"  

We said, "Don't worry, that we would help this lady and we would have time.  As we talked with the woman, she explained to us how her husband was in the hospital, and how she was having a little bit of difficulty with everything that was going on.  She was actually going to the house of her son to change spots...her son was going to go to the hospital.  As we talked, we asked her when we got to her house if we could share a small message of HOPE.  She said we could.  As we taught her whole family a small lesson, the spirit helped to teach everyone that there was ALWAYS hope, and ALWAYS someone that could help.  Tears came to her eyes and that is when P... came in-- He testified strongly of what had happened in his life, and that even though things weren't easy, his burden was lightnened by the Lord.

After visiting with this sister, P... came out and said, "Now I understand a little more how the missionary work goes--Just like for me, the Lord puts you where He wantes you!"

We were so happy for them!

And lastly , was a sister, H...!  She has had some strong problems these last weeks.  She has problems with her spine and is now confined to a wheelchair, but she was determined to go to church.  In a way, she brought 6 sons, daughters, and friends to church.  She cried when she told us, "I have prayed that they can have the peace I have, and today, they have felt it!" We felt so happy for her,  and that the Lord doesn't care how we are... He will ALWAYS help us to help His children return with Him.

These people were examples to me, and I loved this week:)  I am so happy about the joy we feel as we share the Gospel.  It changes live, and it changes my life every day!

I hope you guys have a great week!

love,

Elder Goodman!

This is "la barranca"...direct translation would be like a canyon, or valley....it is huge! It has been great!  Can you see us??