Only to remember...

ok mom...I will try to answer everything! :) I know...I am not perfect...but I am writing the best I can.

1.  Do you know how much I love you? 

 I think so....maybe not totally to tell you the truth, but I do feel it, and I hope you know I LOVE YOU TOO.  But in a way, I don't believe you understand either:)  You are amazing... Everyone... In the family... And I LOVE you.:)

2. How are you? 

uh...what kind of question is that?  I am good-- hahahahaha!  I AM GREAT.  Seriously, we are having a lot of progress..a lot of answers to prayers..a lot of revelation...a lot of work...what more can you ask for?  Really, I love it.  It was interesting mom...you talked to me about the work remember.....it is something I have been studying...and I love it.  Sometimes, we believe that if we knew everything we knew before this world...we would be better...we would make better decisions.  But also, if we made wrong decisions, it would be greater condemnation...so the Lord helps us.  Elder Bednar said that when we are talking with someone, we are teaching them things they already know.  Their spirit knows it, and they FEEL it.  If we can only remember.  If we ALWAYS remembered Christ...it would be much harder for Satan to attack and to tempt us.  So that is why Satan works....on how we can "forget" what we knew....two of the most important words- remember and forget.  This week, I wrote to Dad....  we have Spirits that want to remember.  Our spirits feel the difference.  And just to remember, that is what helps people change.  We as missionaries have to remember so much more of Christ, learn more of Him, because we are representatives of Him.  Through that,  we change...everything changes.  Prophets, scriptures, ordinances, covenants, people, angels, revelation, Preach My Gospel, songs... everything, helps us remember the plan that God has for us, and how much He loves us.  I love it.  That is what we have seen.  As we increase out point of view, to see the bigger picture, our point of view changes.  As I have changed my point of view, it has changed the way I look at things:)

3. Let me know about what is going on, with the new building...

 We divided the wards...everyone is working hard, and we have a lot of new missionaries in the zone.  They are excited, and working hard.

4. Are you still in Colima?

    you know it:)

5. What was your favorite part this week?

Any and all of it!!  I love it all!  I know Mom, you love it all.  I do too...but I can't explain it all....you will have to read my journals when I get back.  EVERYDAY is a special experience...and to try to explain it in 720 words is a little difficult.  But I want you to know I love it.  It is a spirit you can never forget here. The Lord shows His loves to so many children every day.  It is incredible.  I love Him and I want you to know I love Him above all other things.   I will always love Him that way.  He is my Father.  He has a perfect plan, and when I love Him first, everything else goes well.

I love you.

Love,

Elder Goodman

Answers...

AT TIMES. I FEEL LIKE THIS.

'And now I, E. Goodman, cannot write all the things which were taught among 
my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like untospeaking; for when a man 
speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it
 unto the hearts of the children of men.'

BUT.... here it goes.

This week, was all about answers to prayer.  The first thing we teach as missionaries,
 is that God loves us.   He shows it when we pray, and He answers our prayers. "He
 will help us to make correct deciones."  And seriously, here in the field, it is a game
 changer.

I don't know if you remember, but when I talked at Christmas, I talked about three
 things... 1. prayer. 2. read the Book of Mormon. 3. go to church. 

I also talked about how, if I wanted to teach someone else a principle, I had to 
have a testimony of that same principle. 

ok...so...the week started out this way-- We had a less active member named C... 
He is from Utah, but he had to come here...(for uh....unforotunate reasons) and 
he couldn't go to church, because he was working.  He prayed for 4 weeks to help 
his boss soften his heart and let him go to church.  This week, THE LORD 
ANSWERED.  We had two investigators (L...and M...) trying to make life
 decisions.  Their first source of inspiration...the missionaries...BUZZ... Wrong!
  We went and we taught them those three things.  Well they prayed and
 guess what...THE LORD ANSWERED.

We had an investigtor named L.... and her parents wouldn't let her come to
 church.  She had been praying that her dad would let her go.  This week...
THE LORD ANSWERED..

And last, we had a change in our area...a little bit, and we had to look for a
 new house.  After looking for an hour, we prayed.  Twenty minutes later...
THE LORD ANSWERED. 

ok...I know....not much.  But here is the thing.  I still am not perfect at 
things.  I could have probably prayed for help before searching for a house,
 but the thing I DO know is this, "...ask, and ye shall recieve. Seek, and ye
 shall find."  It is a promise, it is an invitation, it is a phrase the Lord repeats
 BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT. 
Hope you have a great week.  The Lord loves you.  He wants to answer your 
prayers.   You just have to look. 

I love you guys.

Elder Goodman

Come Follow Me....

This week, I learned about the phrase "Come, follow me." 

As a representative of Jesus Christ, sometimes it is hard to understand the BEST way to invite others to come unto Christ.  There is a stinkin book on how to do it, and to tell you the truth, I have never felt perfect in even one chapter...(Preach my Gospel).  But, the best I can do, is to say that same phrase, "Come, follow me."  I have seen the difference in my teaching, in the spirit, and in the way people progress, as I start to apply that phrase in my life.  I can't invite somebody to do something I am not doing.  I cannot try to help somebody with something if I myself don't understand, or have a testimony of that same thing.  We are working with the stake and we are working in the work of Salvation.....therefore, my "focus" has changed....it isn't just investigators, like before...now, it is investigators, less-active members, active members  and recent converts.  It is EVERY child of God here on this planet.  THAT IS A BIG FIELD OF FOCUS!  And I don't know if I have ever told you that. But the thing is, I can't teach them all.  I don't have the time, nor the skill, or anything, to do it all.  So, I have to apply a way of teaching the Lord used more that anything else...  My example. 

This week, we had some investigators, L... and M....  They are going through some hard times, and they don't know how to get out.  They have to do it without work, without family, without support.  We invited them  to CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER.  And they are working on it, but my companion nor I would have been able to do anything without saying, "Come, follow me."

We had a class as a zone and we taught various points of teaching, about our work as missionaries, and of how to change our way of being "robots" at times.  But we couldn't have changed anything without saying, "Come, follow me. " 

We have seen many differences, as that has become our main way of teaching.  It has changed the way the people see us, as missionaries.  They know that we won't teach something we don't know personally, through individual application.

The way the Spirit works, when we are working in that way, has changed us completely. Seriously...that is why I wanted to share it with you...ok...so it just erased half my letter...bummer...but , know that it is true.  I love you.  The best I can say is, "Come, follow me:)  Just so you can feel what I feel! 
LOVE YOU TONS!!!
Elder Goodman :)

Greater Love

How are things in Colima? They are great!!!!!!! We are had a great week, and we are excited and happy with all the progress we have seen!
This week, I think one of the things we have seen that is most important is Love.  The Love that the Savior has for us and how we can share it with others.  Something very interesting, and I am sure you have seen, is that people, whoever they are, can feel love or the lack of, in the first sentence you say. 
As a missionary, it is something we have been working on understanding and it has changed many things!  I don't want you to think I have lost the love, but I have realized that I still lack a lot of understanding, with the perfect love that Christ has for each one of us.  So I changed my way of talking to the people.  Normally, I will just share a little of what goes on in my mind.  I see someone and I see them as 2 things... 
1. My brother or sister that doesn't know that they are my brother or sister.  
2. Seeing my brother or sister with our Father in Heaven, happy and with their family, for all eternity. 
It has been great, and to tell you the truth, it is such a success when they accept number  2...  and sad when they don't.  
But, this week a little change. 
" Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."So, that is what I decided to try and do.  Christ did a little bit different, but every time  saw someone, or taught someone, I started with that thought.... "I would be, and am, willing to give up everything for him/her, in order for them to understand."  It changed a little bit more the way I was going to contact people.  When it was that thought on my mind, my words were a little more chosen.  My way to teach HAD to be what the Lord would teach, and it was worth my life to do or say what my Savior would want me to say.  Now maybe, for you that is basic, I am not sure, but for me to even try and buy tortillas from someone,  that thought would come into my mind...there was nothing that could stop me from trying to teach that person with all my heart, or better, with a heart of the Lord.
I don't know why I am sharing this, but I want you to know it has changed my way of seeing others this week.  I study, I live, I breathe, and work for someone much greater.  I represent Him at all times.  And He would never ever count someone as a number, or another contact. I won't either. 
I hope it helps you guys understand a little bit more of my experience.  Every week, there are so many changes, so many things that happen...I am never sure what to share, but I feel like this is what I needed to share!
I love you. I LOVE you.   I hope you understand that.  I hope you have a great week.  And I hope you know that I love my Savior.  Hope you have a great week!
Love you tons!!!!!!
Elder Goodman

 We painted a caricature....they loved us 

 This is how the caricature turned out...

My friend!!!!

uh....paintings on the wall :)

(He is such a goof!!)

The "game-changer"

ok.

I will try to explain to you the wonderful miracles that took place this week, here in wonderful Colima.

It starts with a scripture...

1 Nephi 20:10-11-- 

10 For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

 11 For mine own sake, yea, for mine own sake will I do this, for I will not suffer my name to be polluted, and I will not give my glory unto another.

We had a week where we have been purified and chosen out of the furnace of affliction.  And we are HAPPPPPPPY!

This week, Elder M came, and he is super cool.  He is from Pachuca, here in Mexico and he plays football. He likes the Saints....and we are working hard core locomotor.

This week, we left excited!  

1st day, we knocked and went to all the planned visits we could...and nobody.

2nd day, we studied and decided to work harder, to contact everyone we could....worse.

3rd day, hard core, we found a few in their houses and we felt super recharged to just teach some great lessons where the spirit was super strong.

4th....2 investigators died.....And I think I will stop there....

Well, the week continued and I will tell you, it was like that the whole week... but it was seriously, one of the most spiritual weeks we have had as a companionship (and only a week). 

The thing we realized is this... Nephi, is using the words of Isaiah in that scripture, and he is talking about preparation.  At the end of the chapter he says in verse   22 ..."And notwithstanding he hath done all this, and greater also, there is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked."

Something WE, together as a companionship learned this week, is how to tell if we were in the right.  We prayed, and begged, to know where to go.  I will tell you, it was with all my heart.  I had worried that we weren't visiting the people the Lord wanted us to visit, but it came to that last verse, 'For the wicked, there is no peace.'  It is a feeling that can't be copied, and that only, ONLY GOD, can give us, that feeling of peace...and that is what I felt at the end of each day. 

I want you guys to understand something very important about this letter.  I am not sharing with you guys, negative things.  These are positive.  Now....we will go to how we found the chosen.

1 day....we found an investigator who decided to be baptized.

2nd day....we contacted 50 people...of these fifty...we found 1 family that wanted the gospel, and they are going to go to church, and we KNOW they will be sealed one day as a family.

3rd day.....we recieved 2 refrences, and both accepted that we could pass by another day, and that they wanted a change.  They wanted to feel PEACE.

4th day....the families of these two investigators who has passed away...wanted to know where they had gone.

It changed everything.  The Gospel is a game changer.  It makes everything good if you follow it, and every thing less if you don't.  That is what I wanted to share with you today.  I learned that there is always a point of everything we pass through.  As every day passed, and I ended with a soul full of peace, I had a stronger and stronger desire to share it.

I know this is short, but I loved this week, and we are EXCITED for this next week. You can't work in this work, and not be excited.  It is impossible.  I love you, I really do.

Hope you have a great week.

Love, with all my heart,

Elder Goodman

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

Something familiar...love

Ok...as you know, I had a great opportunity this week, a great blessing.  Elder Russell M. Nelson came to our mission to spend a little time with us and to teach us.  I will try with all the power of my vocabulary and writing to describe how it went this week.  Then I will think about it, and try on expound a little bit more next week.  But I wanted to tell you some parts that I loved. 

Elder Nelson shared with us SO MANY THINGS.  The thing I loved most was that sometimes, or better, many times, it wasn't by only his words but more by what I felt from the Spirit.  He touched many subjects and he left us a LOT of homework (for that I will be sending you more next week) but something definite, is that he loves everyone he sees.  You could feel it, and it was a familiar feeling to me, something I had felt before.  I loved it and I think it was a lesson he taught, in and of itself.  If you are a TRUE disciple of Jesus Christ, people feel it.  Many knew when he had entered the building, when he entered the room, because you felt a difference.  At times, that is how people feel with us, as members, or as missionaries.  They FEEL that difference.  It is a love, a feeling, only the Lord can give and people can feel the difference.  I loved it and it is a goal I have to have that feeling with me. 

After, Elder Nelson talked about many things, but one thing I loved was this-- it is something I have learned and shared with you a 100xs but I will share it again because I love the subject.  It is the Lord's way verses man's way.  The Lord showed me something important...man's way, at times, is still what I like to do.  The man's way to show love, is by showing it-- giving hugs, cleaning dishes, making beds, and other things.  It is something I have done all my life.  Then, the Lord's way....  Leave them.  Leave your family in the care of the Lord, leave those thoughts, those things behind, and work with all your heart might mind and soul for the Lord.  He will make your family so much happier.   I was a witness of that.  I hope you all know that I do love you with all my heart, but I will not say that I have got stuck thinking about you guys, or got unfocused.  Something I have seen, is that in whatever I do, it isn't as effective, isn't as powerful, as the way the Lord can do it, whether it is for you, or for anyone else.  I can teach someone with the best words, the best acts, and everything else, but the one who teaches is the Spirit.  When a person decides to take that step to go to a quite place, to pray fervently, and to receive personal revelation from the Lord, the Spirit steps in.  I can't cause that.  I can't make the Spirit come.  It comes when there is a desire and the Spirit can teach.  I hope that is something you guys can understand about my work here.  I try to contact everybody, or share the gift with everybody, not because I want them to know it came from ME.  I want them, for once, in a very long time, to feel a Spirit they were so familiar with before...that is what the point is.  Because I don't/ can't convert the people.  The Lord converts them, to HIS church.  And I love that part.  All He requires of you, and of me, is to try, to give 110%.  And I am happy that is the Lord's way. I could never help you the way the Lord has helped you.  I am grateful....SO SO GRATEFUL. for that.  Elder Nelson shared so much more.  He shared with us many parts of doctrine.  But I think the scripture that came to my mind, that I love, is 2 Nephi 32:2-3...

2  Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?

 3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.  

To be taught all things I must do.  I know this doesn't explain everything, not even a 100th part.  But I will organize a little bit more of my thoughts, and let you know next week.  I LOVE YOU EACH SO MUCH.  But the Lord loves you more.  I want you guys, your friends, my friends, my investigators, and the members of Colima to understand that.  Hope you have  great week. And that this serves for soemthing.

Love you tons!

Elder Goodman!!!!!