Simple things that cause significant change :)

Mom! Thanks so much for everything you do!

This week has been a little different. We are in a trio.... or a threesome. (that is why the pic has 3 people.)

We now have a bigger area, but we are working hard and we have seen quite a few miracles this week.

First, was J.... He is 10 years old and his parents have been inactive for quite awhile.  Well, Jose decided to change that.  We passed by (in the street) and he told us, "Hey, can you visit our family?"  Well of course:)  We started visiting.  J... wants to get baptized and he is super excited, so he said he will start being an example.  He prays, and is going to church with his family again.  But the part I loved the most, is what we saw this past Saturday.  He told us he had been reading.  And although he didn't understand everything, he felt good.  WE felt good.  It was a powerful testimony for me, to know that the Book of Mormon, in and of itself, is powerful.  Anyone can read or listen to it.  When they do it, they feel good.  What a BLESSING! Seriously! It was wonderful!!!!

Another experience...C...and E....(a couple) E... is inactive, and C... is investigating.  They have been together for 5 years.  Well, we were able to visit them for the first time this week. They told us they wanted changes.  If you want a change in results, you have to change the formula:) --and that is what we told them.  They have started reading, they went to church, and they loved it.  But something great was this... we went to visit E... the other day, and when we asked her before the opening prayer, if she would like us to pray for anything special.  She said, "Pray that my husband can get baptized soon"  That is when we truly realized that they weren't in it just because it was interesting or fun, or that they wanted a different social group.  They were in it for their family and they are giving 100%.  That is what the Lord asks. And those are the ones He searches for. :)

I feel like that is what the Lord has once again taught me this week.  We teach three

"Celestial Habits" 

1. Pray. 

2. Read the Book of Mormon. 

3. Go to church. 

(primary answers.) But as we do them, we get better at them, and change the WAY we do them...THEN it is amazing.  These two families are proof of it.  As we do celestial things, we become Celestial people.  I love you so so much:)  Please say "hi" to the Acors for me!  Give Cason A HUGE HUG! And let him know how happy I am for him:)

Thanks for everything!!!

Love

Elder Goodman!

We must be willing to give...

Thank you sooooooo much Mom!!!  For everything!!!!!

I really am so grateful for all you and dad have done, all your sacrifice and help.

This week has been wonderful:)

If I haven't told you, we have a plan as an area of Mexico.  It is in Spanish but I will be trying to share a part with you!!!!!

So, this plan is from the Area Presidency and we have been sharing it with everyone so that they can know what the Lord wants from us, as members here in Mexico!!!!

AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT HAS BEEN AMAZING!!!

The plan has a sentence that I love.  It says we will need to increase our faith, our sacrifice, and our faithfulness   We as missionaries have had to do it, as well as the members.  With more faith, really, it means more miracles:)

And that is what we have seen... I know....I am like repeating the same thing...sorry.  I will move forward.  

Anyway, there are three points of emphasis in this plan.

1. Pay a generous fast offering and a full tithe.

2. Help one person every day recieve the ordinaces that will bring them back to their Heavenly Father

3. Look for the names of our ancestors and help them receive the ordinances in the temple.

And then there is a promise that is wonderful.

It includes opening the windows of heaven, having profound family relationships, and being able to be protected from the lashings of the world.... just to name a few.

Well seriously, that is what we have seen.  If you want to increase your faith, you have to increase your action.  We as missionaries have to ask more people, talked more, prepared better, we have been MORE obedient.  We have studied harder and paid more attention to the Holy Ghost.  Members find ways to sacrifice as well, and as they sacrifice, they see miracles.  There is a less active member, named A....  She has a daughter that is 19 and not baptized.  When she heard about this plan, the plan of our mission, she decided to get to it!  She is going to church, and preparing to go to the temple.  As she begun and has started to sacrifice, and her daughter has started listening to the Gospel.  Now the daughter is deciding to change, and wants to get baptized!

There is another family, and their child struggles with the ways of the world.  They didn't know how to help him, but as they have put the Lord first, the Lord has touched their son's heart, and he has started to change.  He wants to return to church, and he has continued to change.

There is another family, that is trying to share the Gospel every day!  They have a couple that they know.  They talked with them, and now that couple is listening.  They also want to join the Church, so they can be closer to the Lord.

The point is, this plan is wonderful.  If they are less active members, or only part of the family is member, or the family is active, the Lord has asked for more sacrifice.  And we are giving it all we've got:)

I think the best thing about it is the testimony the experience gives each person willing to give more, willing to sacrifice.  God STILL loves us.  He STILL talks to us.  He is STILL aware of everything that is going on.  And HE will hasten HIS work in HIS time.  We just have to have faith, and sacrifice a little more:)

I just wanted to share that with you.  It has been great to see, and teach, and feel. 

I love you, and I am thankful, mom and dad, for the sacrifices you made so that our family could have the relationships we have today.

I LOVE YOU!!

Love,

Elder Goodman!!!

A desire to share...

MOM!! LOOKY THERE!  I AM WRITING.  I KNOW.... I am so sorry I haven't been able to write:/  But I hope you can forgive me :)

So....I will be answering questions first.

1. How are you? 

SUPER FANTASTICALLY DOODLY DUPER.  You know basically about the exciting stuff, but other than that, we have been working hard!  There have been lots of miracles and wonderful experiences, and LOTS OF CHANGES:)

2. How was your week? 

Great, my companion and I are working hard to strengthen our faith....like crazy children.  It has been awesome.  I will try and explain it....this week, we have been able to talk a lot about TESTIMONY.  There is something special about being able to bear Testimony every day of what we do.  I hope you know...after a year and some months (we won't say how many) I guessed I would have had everything figured out, or maybe thought I be "in a little rut"-- but not even close.  This work is wonderful and there are ALWAYS things you can do better. Always a better testimony.  Always a better way of teaching.  Always a better representative of Jesus Christ.  Always. Always. Always. hahahahaha!  And that is what I love:)  We have been working on that.  On how to become better.  It has been wonderful.

3. How are you feeling?  

SUPER AWESOME. 

Ok.... So this week, just real fast.  We went on divisions, and we were trying to find new people to teach.  I'm pretty sure the members are too used to all the Elders always asking, "Is there someone you know that would be willing to hear our message?" And so we have had to change it up.  We went looking, praying, and with faith to find some people that were ready to hear the Gospel.  We started out walking to a visit, when we had the impression to stop by one of our recent converts house, his name is J....  With him, we talked a little bit and as we explained that we felt we needed to visit him, and that he knew of someone that needed this message, he started thinking, "Visit my friend F...."  He needs help.

So we went.  When we got there, we told F.... what was going on.  We went into his home, shared a little of our message, and asked him if there was someone else he knew we could help.   OF COURSE THERE WAS:)  And we just kept doing that same thing.  These people all knew someone else who needed the Gospel.  And it wasn't to baptize, it was to help them know exactly what their Father wanted for them.  That vision of white in the baptism, white in the temple, and white in the Celestial Kingdom.  It was a special experience, and it all started with ONE person.  He decided to share, and that lead to about 25 people.  That is a difference.  He made a difference in the lives of 25 people that day, just for taking a few minutes to think of someone who needed the Gospel.  Who needed more love!

I am so happy to see that. To be an instrument for the Lord, (definitely not perfect, but an instrument none the less), of the person most powerful, and most loving in the whole universe! And I will NEVER get tired, of wanting others to hear it:)

I hope you guys have a great week, sorry I can't write very quick, but I love you all tons.

Love

Elder Goodman!

To build a ship...

ok....I can't send the voice message I made....I will be sending it next week....

BUT, this week, I will write something....readable. hahahahahaha!

We have been invited to STRETCH as a mission and as a companionship.  To move out of our comfort zone, and work in a different way.  It reminds me of Nephi.  When the Lord said, "And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters" Even though we might say we know how to make a ship, it isn't the type of ship the Lord wants!  He wants us to do "after the manner He shows us" and it has been amazing.  This week we were with an investigator, M.... She has been listening to us for a while and she loves the Church.  But more importantly, she loves the way the teachings have changed her life.  This week, we saw her on Tuesday and she explained to us how she wanted others to see the blessings she had seen.   We shared that EVERYONE should hear the message, and she decided she wanted to bring someone else.  On Saturday, we saw her again and she brought her husband and her daughter.  Her husband had never wanted to hear our message before.  But now, he decided to give it a try and to listen.  As he listened, he understood why it was so important.  He said, "This is what I lack in my life."  He decided he wanted to change with all his family.  They decided to make that decision because the Lord worked within them.  Later in the week, we were talking with a contact.  It was a little different because we had felt the need to contact him.  We went up and told him why we were there.  As we explained that we were sent by the Lord, a child came up and said, "Hey....can you come to MY house? My dad needs you guys."  The contact just stood in shock, wondering how that had just happened, and then said, "Uh...I think the Lord sent you, please come by other day." As we went with the child, we met a wonderful family that also want to hear this message, and feel the joy they have seen their neighbors (members) feel!

Lastly, we have been searching in some lists of the ward.  The lists here contain 800 addresses.  We have to find them, who lives there, and who doesn't.  On Saturday, we weren't sure where we needed to be, we didn't have an exact plan.  So we asked the Lord, we looked in the Lists, and there was a person we didn't know, that lived close.   We went to visit him.  His name is A...  As we knocked, he opened the door and said, "Please come in, share me a message"  As we shared he said, "Missionaries came by about 6 months ago. I haven't gone to church in over a year.  I am having a hard time, and I asked the Lord for help, then you guys came."  The next day, he went to church.  Seriously, it has been amazing. These aren't things my companion or I do, but it is the work of the Lord.  He is wonderful, and He loves ALL His children.  He is ALWAYS aware of every single one.  I know that.  I love it, and it is amazing here!  The Lord will teach us but in HIS way.  It will then, not be a ship of men, but a ship of God, after the manner of God.  I love it! 

Hope you have a great week. and that this makes sense:)

I love you!!!!!

SERIOUSLY! I LOVE YOU!

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??