How is it going on the cold side of the earth? Actually, this past week it has been really cloudy and not too hot. I wouldn't say cold, but not too hot. Everyone here has been walking around completely bundled up with gloves and hats and the whole nine yards. They tell me how it's freezing to death and I am just like, no way this is perfect. The ideal climate. Haha, people from Honduras can't deal with the cold too well.
Our cook is really awesome. She has an extremely strong testimony. She use to have a husband who didn't want to pay tithing after they were baptized and she would just take all his checks and pay it for them before he had a chance to spend it. They were kind of struggling financially at the time so it was a difficult decision. The husband wasn't doing too good in his job. They ended up seeing a TON of blessings. It was especially obvious financially. The husband was getting a ton of clients and jobs. Ton of money. They remained faithful but the husband ended up years later not going to church and not wanting to go back. The bishop would visit him and say look at all the blessings you have gotten from being faithful. And he would just say, "no it has nothing to do with that. I have worked my head off. That is why I have been so blessed." His wife later found out that he had gotten too comfortable with all the tons and tons of blessings the Lord had given them for their faithfulness in the church and tithing. But the cooker we have is soooooooo faithful and strong. She has really helped my own testimony.
It got me thinking again how if we are obedient, we're ALWAYS, ALWAYS blessed. No matter what our circumstances are. If we take the first step to just doing what the Lord has asked us, our loving Father in Heaven, he ALWAYS blesses us. And he KNOWS what we need and blesses us with those specefic needs. He's our father and He loves us and wants us to be happy, for this reason he has given us commandments or counsel in order to fulfill that purpose. Through obedience to these commandments, in come the blessings.
Anyways, she is awesome. Another positive thing about her is that she sure knows how to cook. Wow. I am amazed every time I eat at her house. I love food. Man, it is greatness.
The members really depend on the missionaries here. They really have A LOT of confidence in the missionaries. We taught a really special lesson last week that has special significance for me personally. We went to a house with a lesson prepared and we ended up changing it because the family asked us to speak about trials and problems in life. She said that her family had seen things that they ought not to have seen in the streets. We read a lot of scriptures about how if we put our trust in God, we can do anything and overcome any obstacle. We also told them God gives us problems because he loves us. We learn. We grow. We progress. We need to have patience with trials and they are for but a small moment here. We need to endure them well. We talked about how God gives us the trial and he also gives us the exit. Or the way out. He will help us support trials and will support them with us. We also have our best ally, Jesus Christ who knows our trials personally and has promised us that if we come unto him, he will give us rest. It was a really strong spirit and I love being a missionary.
There is a kid in the ward here that got his mission call. We have been working with him quite a bit. He just walks around with us to appointments. He'll be a good missionary. His name is Daniel.
I have learned this last week that missionaries need to always be prepared to do things at the spur of the moment. This last week, I was called at 8:00 Sunday morning to give a talk in Sacrament meeting at 9:00. Goodness man. I was completely baffled. But I gave the talk and talked about mission work. It went ok.
This last week, we have been running every morning. So dominant. I love it. There is a field by our house that we go running at. We went running in the streets once but my companion said that I'm going to kill him. He said that he can stop on the field and watch me take laps if he needs to. It's really, really helpful. I know you all don't understand this at all, but it feels really good to me to just go all out on a run and get really tired afterwards. I guess it's an Elder Goodwin thing.
Haha, a lady this week told me she wants me to pack her up in my suitcase and come to the United States with me. We helped her get into her house because she had locked the keys in and immediately after she asks me, "Are you married, sonny?" I just laughed and was like no. She told me my eyes are beautiful and that I should be married and she wants to come to the states with me. I just laughed and got myself outta there. We later found out she's a less active member.
Our cook is really awesome. She has an extremely strong testimony. She use to have a husband who didn't want to pay tithing after they were baptized and she would just take all his checks and pay it for them before he had a chance to spend it. They were kind of struggling financially at the time so it was a difficult decision. The husband wasn't doing too good in his job. They ended up seeing a TON of blessings. It was especially obvious financially. The husband was getting a ton of clients and jobs. Ton of money. They remained faithful but the husband ended up years later not going to church and not wanting to go back. The bishop would visit him and say look at all the blessings you have gotten from being faithful. And he would just say, "no it has nothing to do with that. I have worked my head off. That is why I have been so blessed." His wife later found out that he had gotten too comfortable with all the tons and tons of blessings the Lord had given them for their faithfulness in the church and tithing. But the cooker we have is soooooooo faithful and strong. She has really helped my own testimony.
It got me thinking again how if we are obedient, we're ALWAYS, ALWAYS blessed. No matter what our circumstances are. If we take the first step to just doing what the Lord has asked us, our loving Father in Heaven, he ALWAYS blesses us. And he KNOWS what we need and blesses us with those specefic needs. He's our father and He loves us and wants us to be happy, for this reason he has given us commandments or counsel in order to fulfill that purpose. Through obedience to these commandments, in come the blessings.
Anyways, she is awesome. Another positive thing about her is that she sure knows how to cook. Wow. I am amazed every time I eat at her house. I love food. Man, it is greatness.
The members really depend on the missionaries here. They really have A LOT of confidence in the missionaries. We taught a really special lesson last week that has special significance for me personally. We went to a house with a lesson prepared and we ended up changing it because the family asked us to speak about trials and problems in life. She said that her family had seen things that they ought not to have seen in the streets. We read a lot of scriptures about how if we put our trust in God, we can do anything and overcome any obstacle. We also told them God gives us problems because he loves us. We learn. We grow. We progress. We need to have patience with trials and they are for but a small moment here. We need to endure them well. We talked about how God gives us the trial and he also gives us the exit. Or the way out. He will help us support trials and will support them with us. We also have our best ally, Jesus Christ who knows our trials personally and has promised us that if we come unto him, he will give us rest. It was a really strong spirit and I love being a missionary.
There is a kid in the ward here that got his mission call. We have been working with him quite a bit. He just walks around with us to appointments. He'll be a good missionary. His name is Daniel.
I have learned this last week that missionaries need to always be prepared to do things at the spur of the moment. This last week, I was called at 8:00 Sunday morning to give a talk in Sacrament meeting at 9:00. Goodness man. I was completely baffled. But I gave the talk and talked about mission work. It went ok.
This last week, we have been running every morning. So dominant. I love it. There is a field by our house that we go running at. We went running in the streets once but my companion said that I'm going to kill him. He said that he can stop on the field and watch me take laps if he needs to. It's really, really helpful. I know you all don't understand this at all, but it feels really good to me to just go all out on a run and get really tired afterwards. I guess it's an Elder Goodwin thing.
Haha, a lady this week told me she wants me to pack her up in my suitcase and come to the United States with me. We helped her get into her house because she had locked the keys in and immediately after she asks me, "Are you married, sonny?" I just laughed and was like no. She told me my eyes are beautiful and that I should be married and she wants to come to the states with me. I just laughed and got myself outta there. We later found out she's a less active member.
The people here are a lot different than the people in Santa Ana. The people in Santa Ana would always be happy to talk with the missionaries. The people here say no to us quite often and just won't come talk to us. Some just come out and say, what do you want? Then say we already go to church. Thanks. E. Lara dominates these people. He is just like, remember that we're representatives of Jesus Christ and if you reject us, you reject him. He was rejected as well, but we just want to help you. They just turn around and go back into their house. I guess that's the difference between the city and urban, rural areas. It's a new challenge, but I know I'll have success. I just gotta work hard and keep moving forward and trust in the Lord.
We talked with a lady who told us we evolved from monkeys. I was like, is God a monkey? She got all confused and said no. Then I said, we were created in his image, so we are not monkeys either. She use to go to church a lot and isn't happy with her life much right now. We told her it wasn't by chance we talked with her today and invited her to church to be happy and to regain her faith. We told her she's a daughter of God and He loves her. She went off on if He loves me, why do bad things happen? Why do people blame God? It's not His fault. We explained it and everything that we grow, we wouldn't know the bad if we didn't know the good and the joy and sorrow, but she still was stuck on that question.
The laffy taffies you gave me are dwindling in unbelief. But I love them. Those good ol' cheesie jokes on the wrapper are way funny. They bring chuckles to my day quite often. There was one that I thought was particularly funny this week. So funny that I wrote it in my journal. Haha. What are caterpillars aftraid of? Dogerpillars! Haha. I don't care what anyone says to that one. That's funny.
So a way sweet week this week. My house still doesn't have wardrobes and we're just hanging all the wet clothes in random places around the house. Bars, fridge, chairs, bed, wall, etc. It's kind of in shambles still because we don't have anywhere to put all the stuff we have. The AP's keep saying they're coming a certain day but don't show. It's all good. I'm happy with what I got. Oh and have you all tried baleadas yet? I need you to practice cooking them because when I get back, I'm starting a baleadas restaurant chain. I'm bringing it to the states and I need you all to work in my restaurant, ok? Man, they're good. The melt in my mouth and I do that noise Homer Simpson does every time he sees or pictures food when I see or picture a baleada. Ahhhhhh.
Jardinas is right by Las Brisas. To the west I'm pretty sure. Yeah, I have met a TON of people. Sometimes it's kind of overwhelming because as a missionary here, they give dirrections for a house something like this, "It's by the family so and so. And we're expected to have entact in our memory where the family so and so lives. It's kind of hard keeping track of everyone but yeah everyone is really cool. The area is really small. Pretty small compared to my last area at least. The people here are middle class and live quite a bit different than the people in Santa Ana. Most of them have washers, nice clothes, nice shoes, and no one walks barefoot. Everyone walked barefoot in Santa Ana. I'll send a pic of my apartment. And yes, we have a church. It's a pretty good one. There's a couple people in the ward who can play the piano but it's just a way junky keyboard with staticky speakers.
I love you all and am thankful for each e-mail that you send me. I love reading them and typing you all. I have the best, most supportive, most loving family ever. You are all blessings in my life. This church is true and God has given us counsel and guidance with his commandments. He loves us and is our dad. He wants us to obey him but he will not force us. We have freedom, happiness, and strength in trials when we obey him. He will never leave us alone here.
Elder Goodwin
We talked with a lady who told us we evolved from monkeys. I was like, is God a monkey? She got all confused and said no. Then I said, we were created in his image, so we are not monkeys either. She use to go to church a lot and isn't happy with her life much right now. We told her it wasn't by chance we talked with her today and invited her to church to be happy and to regain her faith. We told her she's a daughter of God and He loves her. She went off on if He loves me, why do bad things happen? Why do people blame God? It's not His fault. We explained it and everything that we grow, we wouldn't know the bad if we didn't know the good and the joy and sorrow, but she still was stuck on that question.
The laffy taffies you gave me are dwindling in unbelief. But I love them. Those good ol' cheesie jokes on the wrapper are way funny. They bring chuckles to my day quite often. There was one that I thought was particularly funny this week. So funny that I wrote it in my journal. Haha. What are caterpillars aftraid of? Dogerpillars! Haha. I don't care what anyone says to that one. That's funny.
So a way sweet week this week. My house still doesn't have wardrobes and we're just hanging all the wet clothes in random places around the house. Bars, fridge, chairs, bed, wall, etc. It's kind of in shambles still because we don't have anywhere to put all the stuff we have. The AP's keep saying they're coming a certain day but don't show. It's all good. I'm happy with what I got. Oh and have you all tried baleadas yet? I need you to practice cooking them because when I get back, I'm starting a baleadas restaurant chain. I'm bringing it to the states and I need you all to work in my restaurant, ok? Man, they're good. The melt in my mouth and I do that noise Homer Simpson does every time he sees or pictures food when I see or picture a baleada. Ahhhhhh.
Jardinas is right by Las Brisas. To the west I'm pretty sure. Yeah, I have met a TON of people. Sometimes it's kind of overwhelming because as a missionary here, they give dirrections for a house something like this, "It's by the family so and so. And we're expected to have entact in our memory where the family so and so lives. It's kind of hard keeping track of everyone but yeah everyone is really cool. The area is really small. Pretty small compared to my last area at least. The people here are middle class and live quite a bit different than the people in Santa Ana. Most of them have washers, nice clothes, nice shoes, and no one walks barefoot. Everyone walked barefoot in Santa Ana. I'll send a pic of my apartment. And yes, we have a church. It's a pretty good one. There's a couple people in the ward who can play the piano but it's just a way junky keyboard with staticky speakers.
I love you all and am thankful for each e-mail that you send me. I love reading them and typing you all. I have the best, most supportive, most loving family ever. You are all blessings in my life. This church is true and God has given us counsel and guidance with his commandments. He loves us and is our dad. He wants us to obey him but he will not force us. We have freedom, happiness, and strength in trials when we obey him. He will never leave us alone here.
Elder Goodwin
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