09.28.09

So, on Saturday, we were on our way home and the bishop lives really close to us and he came outside and said Elders, I have a favor to ask of you. And I, being a bishop's son once, knew immediately that this wasn't good. But he asked us to speak in sacrament tomorrow because the speakers couldn't anymore. Freak! We both spoke for 10 min. and he has a red light on the podium that he can click on when it's time to sit down. I saw this light and just gave my testimony after.

We had another baptism Saturday. I gave a talk at that too and got to be a witness. That was pretty neat. So that's 6 so far, and we have 2 and probably the Sequera family scheduled for the 10th. Jorge and Janeline. But I gave Jorge some butterscotch candy this week and told him to pop one in his mouth every time he has a temptation to smoke. Hopefully that helps. I am going to see if my comp. will let me use his phone and call him every other day or so just for like a min. or 2 and check up on him.

Ok, I am soooooooooo blessed. I can understand almost everything that people are saying now. It's only a matter of expressing what I want to say and conjugating the freaking spanish right. "Freaking" and "freak" is a gringo originitated word that ALL the freaking Latinos say so I find myself saying it in every sentence too. The spanish is definitely coming. I still write words I don't recognize in my handy dandy notebook and just glance at it every time I take my backpack off, that's my goal. Thanks for all your prayers my amazing family!

It rained sooooooo hard this week. On the 25th, it freaking poured. The streets were above your feet and Rivera wanted to wait in the chapel, but I was just like, no way, we're going out. And we braved the storm. I saw a huge frog. I was thinking about squashing it in my journal and adding to my collection but I didn't. You should see how it rains here. It POURS. I got all my stuff wet in my backpack wet though. Not the word of God though, I have a sick leather case for both of them I bought with pics I chose of Jesus.

But today, I bought you all a sweet Christmas present. Don't worry, I haggled too...no, I didn't. I am a bargain mind though. They have a lot of sweet hand made stuff here out of wood. I went to central today, (I don't know exactly where that is, but that's what everyone calls it) and went in a few stores and stuff.

I wish you could all see all the random and "what the heck were they thinking" stickers that they have here. A grown man driving a bus will just have stickers on the front of like Tinker Belle and fairies and right next to it, he'll have a skull or something. Alexis Sequera has a bunch of WWF stickers with men in thongs all over his fans.

So right now, our investigators are Joseline, Jorge, and Sequera family. I am talking more and more during the lessons and it really is awesome, I can talk better during the lessons. We have Jorge and Joseline for the 10th and hopefully Sequera's will get married so we can get a date for them too. We are working hard every day.

Never believe any worrisome stories on the news about Honduras. Because that excludes missionaries. They are better protected than anyone.

No changes are every 6 weeks, I am thinking I will be with Rivera for another change. Yeah, I read my scripts every day. Out loud in spanish and it annoys Rivera sometimes. He just calls me a gringo loco and does something in another room. Haha. But that helps with the pronunciation ALOT. Oh, and how did you all enjoy the baleadas? The leaves on the trees here in Honduras are still green. So that's really weird for me to imagine changing leaves.

Yeah, we're watching conference at the same sessions. I get to watch it in English, thankfully. But I am suppose to wear my suit so that will be freaking, freaking, freaking hot. Pray that I won't die of heat exhaustion this Sat. and Sun. ok?

This 5 weeks I have been here, I have learned alot. I would like to share with you all my testimony. I know that with all my heart, Joseph Smith saw our Savior Jesus Christ and our loving Heavenly Father. I know that through him, we have the same Gospel that Jesus Christ established on the Earth. The amazing thing to me is that in all problems, heartaches, sadnesses, difficulty this Gospel holds the remedy and answer to all of these things. And there are millions and billions of different kinds of these things all over the world. Jesus knows how to help each and every one of us because he has experienced our pains firsthand. He knows us personally and individually and He wants us to be happy and successful. He loves us. I know this with all my heart. I've felt this love. God wants to see each and every one of us return to His presence and we can do this by living this Gospel and doing our best to be righteous. God wants to hear about our lives. We can communicate with God through the great blessing of prayer and he can communicate back through the Holy Ghost. He hears and answers each prayer. I have felt his strength and support in my life when I felt alone. He is there to support us and carry us when we need it in life. He is a constant source for help. Miracles exist. We just need to have faith in God that He can perform the miracles we ask. I love this Gospel, be an example of it at all times. No regrets. In the name of Jesus Christ amen. I love you all.

Elder Goodwin

PS- I gave an annointing in spanish this week. It was intense. But Rivera helped me.