My dear family,
I told Elder Garcia this last week that it is a sign of love in my country to punch someone in the arm, and the harder the punch is, the more you love the person. So I have been walking around letting him know of my love for him this last week. It has been pretty funny.
I really gained a strong testimony of service this last week. I realized a couple things about service this last week. That there is no need to ask other people if you can do anything for them. Don't say, "Hey, can I help you with anything?" Instead, look for something they need and just say, we'll stop by to help you out with that specific thing. Elder Garcia and I were able to realize that this week. We had been saying can we help you with anything to members, investigadors, people in streets, etc. Everyone was telling us no. So finally, I just saw a bunch of leaves and trash in the yard of one of our investigators and I was just like, OK, cool, we're coming by tomorrow with brooms and rakes and burning the trash...whether you like it or not! Haha. And we did. We just showed up. And SHE came to church the next Sunday. It's a miracle too because she's way shy and basically completely deaf, so it took a lot of courage for her to come.
I think if we actually notice the needs of people around us, we can find opportunities to serve for ourselves without asking. Just do it. Everyone has needs. Maybe someones extra stressed, maybe someone has had a bad day, buy a coke or something. Take him/her out to dinner. Clean their room, etc, etc, etc, etc. Tons of ideas. It's always nice to receive a service. You get that "warm fuzzy feeling."
Elder Garcia and I fasted this last Saturday for the Lord to help us with our attendance in Sacrament meeting and for less active members we had visited to come to church. We didn't have any investigators at church last week and it was pretty disappointing. We had 4 yesterday! YAY! One told us she loved it. I'm pretty sure she wants my companions body so I will be keeping an eye on that. But the important thing is that she came to church and learned a lot she said.
We also had the 81 year old guy come again. That service really helped him. Elder Garcia and I were just like, there is no way we are going to have time to wash all his clothes that he hasn't washed for 6 months so we paid a member to do it. Let me explain something. The pilas here and me, it's just not a good combination. I'm real good at putting dirty clothes in a washer....but washing them by hand, that's a no go. But we gave him back his clean clothes and he's coming to church and that is GREAT!
We had the highest attendance that we have had in Mezapa yesterday on Sunday. 40 people!! It was sweet. It was my turn to fight it out with the youth and teach their lesson. I did something different this week. Instead of trying to keep them reverent and stuff for a whole hour, I played a game with them for like 20 minutes to start out and then had the lesson. Wow, they were so much more better but there were still some of them that were runnin around like a chicken with its head cut off. I taught about Joseph of Egypt. How he was sold by his brothers and made slave and how he resisted temptation of Potiphars wife. And then he got thrown in prison for something he didn't even do. And instead of thinking man, life sucks and being discouraged, he still stayed faithful and kept moving forward and ended up being blessed for his perseverance, faith, patience, attitude. INCREDIBLY BLESSED! Number 2 to Pharoah. He just stuck it through in a tough time in his life. Really good lesson. I learned a lot.
I did something different to get a less active member to church this last week. We had been visiting with them, inviting them, and being friendly and stuff, but he still wasn't going. He is the dad of a really cool family. His daughter is teaching Institute and is way active, but he hardly ever goes. We went to his house at 8 in the morning and he wasn't ready and was getting ready to tell us he wasn't going. I saw it in his eyes. But I just told him we came by because as of right now, we have no one to give the opening prayer and we came by to invite him to give it. He felt a responsibility to be there and knew he should anyways so BOOM! Committed. He came to church too. I was really happy about that.
President wants us to change the building where we're having the meetings and we have found one that has a water heater. Hot shower baby. When I saw that, I was just like we'll take it. Elder Garcia and I have been having to look for it and try and work everything out like how much, who will pay, if members can make it there, etc.
Sometimes I feel like this is the hardest thing in my life and I can't keep getting rejected like this and I can't keep having investigators tell me they haven't completed with the commitments we leave them. It's so frustrating and aggrivating and difficult at times. I definitely have learned the importance of patience. I read a cool article in the Liahona this last week to answer me with that question and help me. It's amazing how the Lord works. He answered me in the Liahona. But I read about a guide who takes people on tours in Korea to the mountains. There's some people who just want to go to the top without stopping or going through other trails, but those who ask the guide to take them through other stops get to see the beauty of the mountain and take everything in and see how the mountain was so amazingly formed. How incredible the view is, how magnificent the creations they get to see if they go through stops and are patient with getting to the top. The people that just want to go straight up miss a lot of things that those who took the other trails get the opportunity to see. I realized that we need to have patience with others and not just force them to the top. It will take time, with cool scriptures, cool experiences, going to church, prayer. All those stops for someone to reach the top. Eternal life. Everyone has agency and can choose to follow through or not and will have amazing things happen to them if they do those things and follow through with the commitments (or take the stops on the way up).
Another things I realized from that article is that a mountain is not formed in 1 day. It is an incredible thing of nature, but it takes pressure, time, minerals, heat, etc. And all of those things have to work together. I learned to be patient and to have unity in the work with members and my companion. And if we're dilligent and consistent, we'll look back and see incredible "mountainous" results. I learned that a conversion is a refining process and that it takes time.
When I buy any kind of food here, it is robbed by the youth here. So I have learned to conceal my food in a deep dark place in my room. Otherwise, I'm treating the branch out to eat everyday. ROBBERS! There is a place in my area where they sell REAL snickers! I have been taking advantage of that. There is also Peanut Butter. My mouth is watering from just typing those 2 delicious foods.
This week, we re-opened the door with an investigator whose family had prohibitted her to receive anymore visits from us. She was really cool to and had cried in our first visit. But her aunt scolded her and told her no more. We stopped by her house this week and she was outside. Her family was sitting outside too. After talking with her at her gate, I asked if she could introduce us to her family and she said she was scared that they would scold her. I told her to just put the blame on me. We talked with them and got them to open up and got an appointment with them. The appointment went REALLY GOOD! They laughed, participated, and were really open with us. The Lord changed their hearts and now we are able to continue visiting her. She is one of the people that came to church yesterday.
We had a really crazy lady this week at one of our appointments. Every time she would start saying something to us or start talking, she would just say, "with the permission of the holy ghost." And would just start talking about things that had absolutely nothing to do with what we just explained and would ramble for like 10 minutes about food, her house, etc. That made me laugh after the appointment.
I love burning the trash here. Sometimes when I'm stressed, I just have to burn something. I don't know. It is just a good way to literally burn off stress. I think I got that from my scouting days. I really like burning stuff.
I know I'm being pretty random this e-mail but I'm just typing as things come to my mind during this e-mail. Last week, we were going to have our first baptism too. We had been working really hard, fasting, praying, and doing everything we could to get Melva baptized. She initially told us yes and then we went to her house and reviewed the baptismal interview questions and she then told us no and wasn't sure. We brought a member and had the member invite her to be baptized. Her same age and her friend. Before her baptism, she wasn't sure if she wanted to or not, but ended up doing it and she told her it was the right choice.
Today, they are going to tell us if there are changes or not in Mezapa. I am thinking that Elder Garcia is taking off but we'll see what happens. A lot of people have been telling me that I'm going to be training the next change.
So the work goes on and I'm enjoying the mission here. It's a really good place. Honduras. I will never forget you.
I've gotta go to a meeting at the church right now where they are going to tell us who has changed and who doesn't so I will be responding to the rest of your emails a little bit later in the day. There is not time to respond to the rest of them right now. I love you all and am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo greateful for your support and love. I hope you feel of my prayers I say for you all too daily.
God answers us and loves us. He is real and desires our own happiness and everything he does, He does it for our own well-being. 2 Nephi 26:24. I really love you. Until later....I love you all.
Elder Goodwin
I have thus promised and decreed that I would send you all another e-mail and here it is. Let it be known that I worked on a really beautiful well written one for about 30 minutes and then my computer got rid of it. Luckily, I'm a missionary and can't use profanity. But I wanted to take a hammer to my monitor. Anyways, here we go again.
They let us know about the changes every Monday. After every 6 weeks. And we found out today that Elder Garcia is taking off. I'm staying here. Everyone has been telling me that I'm going to train and stuff. If I am going to train, I am going to do my best to have my companion learn how to do things by doing them, letting him learn, letting him talk, teaching him, helping him, serving him, etc. I may even give him the "privilige" of teaching the youth here....hahaha. It'll be a good learning experience.
In closing, I want you all to know that I know the church is true. It is a refuge. It is a shelter. It is a source of happiness and answers and knowledge. It is a rock. It won't ever fail us. We have problems and rough spots and "storms" in our lives at times but the Gospel will keep us stable and on solid footing I know that you all have your lives founded on it and I am very grateful that we all had parents who raised us to have the church in our lives. I know that you all have incredible testimonies and yours strengthen mine. The wise man built his house on the rock. When the rains came up and the storms came down, nothing happened to his house. I know we all know some people who have "moved" their house from the rock to the sand. I know we can help them move back into the safety and joy of the Gospel. Let's help them out. I love you all sooooooo dearly. I realy see that picture of us in Disneyland and before my departure to Honduras and think how truly blessed I am.
Elder Goodwin
I told Elder Garcia this last week that it is a sign of love in my country to punch someone in the arm, and the harder the punch is, the more you love the person. So I have been walking around letting him know of my love for him this last week. It has been pretty funny.
I really gained a strong testimony of service this last week. I realized a couple things about service this last week. That there is no need to ask other people if you can do anything for them. Don't say, "Hey, can I help you with anything?" Instead, look for something they need and just say, we'll stop by to help you out with that specific thing. Elder Garcia and I were able to realize that this week. We had been saying can we help you with anything to members, investigadors, people in streets, etc. Everyone was telling us no. So finally, I just saw a bunch of leaves and trash in the yard of one of our investigators and I was just like, OK, cool, we're coming by tomorrow with brooms and rakes and burning the trash...whether you like it or not! Haha. And we did. We just showed up. And SHE came to church the next Sunday. It's a miracle too because she's way shy and basically completely deaf, so it took a lot of courage for her to come.
I think if we actually notice the needs of people around us, we can find opportunities to serve for ourselves without asking. Just do it. Everyone has needs. Maybe someones extra stressed, maybe someone has had a bad day, buy a coke or something. Take him/her out to dinner. Clean their room, etc, etc, etc, etc. Tons of ideas. It's always nice to receive a service. You get that "warm fuzzy feeling."
Elder Garcia and I fasted this last Saturday for the Lord to help us with our attendance in Sacrament meeting and for less active members we had visited to come to church. We didn't have any investigators at church last week and it was pretty disappointing. We had 4 yesterday! YAY! One told us she loved it. I'm pretty sure she wants my companions body so I will be keeping an eye on that. But the important thing is that she came to church and learned a lot she said.
We also had the 81 year old guy come again. That service really helped him. Elder Garcia and I were just like, there is no way we are going to have time to wash all his clothes that he hasn't washed for 6 months so we paid a member to do it. Let me explain something. The pilas here and me, it's just not a good combination. I'm real good at putting dirty clothes in a washer....but washing them by hand, that's a no go. But we gave him back his clean clothes and he's coming to church and that is GREAT!
We had the highest attendance that we have had in Mezapa yesterday on Sunday. 40 people!! It was sweet. It was my turn to fight it out with the youth and teach their lesson. I did something different this week. Instead of trying to keep them reverent and stuff for a whole hour, I played a game with them for like 20 minutes to start out and then had the lesson. Wow, they were so much more better but there were still some of them that were runnin around like a chicken with its head cut off. I taught about Joseph of Egypt. How he was sold by his brothers and made slave and how he resisted temptation of Potiphars wife. And then he got thrown in prison for something he didn't even do. And instead of thinking man, life sucks and being discouraged, he still stayed faithful and kept moving forward and ended up being blessed for his perseverance, faith, patience, attitude. INCREDIBLY BLESSED! Number 2 to Pharoah. He just stuck it through in a tough time in his life. Really good lesson. I learned a lot.
I did something different to get a less active member to church this last week. We had been visiting with them, inviting them, and being friendly and stuff, but he still wasn't going. He is the dad of a really cool family. His daughter is teaching Institute and is way active, but he hardly ever goes. We went to his house at 8 in the morning and he wasn't ready and was getting ready to tell us he wasn't going. I saw it in his eyes. But I just told him we came by because as of right now, we have no one to give the opening prayer and we came by to invite him to give it. He felt a responsibility to be there and knew he should anyways so BOOM! Committed. He came to church too. I was really happy about that.
President wants us to change the building where we're having the meetings and we have found one that has a water heater. Hot shower baby. When I saw that, I was just like we'll take it. Elder Garcia and I have been having to look for it and try and work everything out like how much, who will pay, if members can make it there, etc.
Sometimes I feel like this is the hardest thing in my life and I can't keep getting rejected like this and I can't keep having investigators tell me they haven't completed with the commitments we leave them. It's so frustrating and aggrivating and difficult at times. I definitely have learned the importance of patience. I read a cool article in the Liahona this last week to answer me with that question and help me. It's amazing how the Lord works. He answered me in the Liahona. But I read about a guide who takes people on tours in Korea to the mountains. There's some people who just want to go to the top without stopping or going through other trails, but those who ask the guide to take them through other stops get to see the beauty of the mountain and take everything in and see how the mountain was so amazingly formed. How incredible the view is, how magnificent the creations they get to see if they go through stops and are patient with getting to the top. The people that just want to go straight up miss a lot of things that those who took the other trails get the opportunity to see. I realized that we need to have patience with others and not just force them to the top. It will take time, with cool scriptures, cool experiences, going to church, prayer. All those stops for someone to reach the top. Eternal life. Everyone has agency and can choose to follow through or not and will have amazing things happen to them if they do those things and follow through with the commitments (or take the stops on the way up).
Another things I realized from that article is that a mountain is not formed in 1 day. It is an incredible thing of nature, but it takes pressure, time, minerals, heat, etc. And all of those things have to work together. I learned to be patient and to have unity in the work with members and my companion. And if we're dilligent and consistent, we'll look back and see incredible "mountainous" results. I learned that a conversion is a refining process and that it takes time.
When I buy any kind of food here, it is robbed by the youth here. So I have learned to conceal my food in a deep dark place in my room. Otherwise, I'm treating the branch out to eat everyday. ROBBERS! There is a place in my area where they sell REAL snickers! I have been taking advantage of that. There is also Peanut Butter. My mouth is watering from just typing those 2 delicious foods.
This week, we re-opened the door with an investigator whose family had prohibitted her to receive anymore visits from us. She was really cool to and had cried in our first visit. But her aunt scolded her and told her no more. We stopped by her house this week and she was outside. Her family was sitting outside too. After talking with her at her gate, I asked if she could introduce us to her family and she said she was scared that they would scold her. I told her to just put the blame on me. We talked with them and got them to open up and got an appointment with them. The appointment went REALLY GOOD! They laughed, participated, and were really open with us. The Lord changed their hearts and now we are able to continue visiting her. She is one of the people that came to church yesterday.
We had a really crazy lady this week at one of our appointments. Every time she would start saying something to us or start talking, she would just say, "with the permission of the holy ghost." And would just start talking about things that had absolutely nothing to do with what we just explained and would ramble for like 10 minutes about food, her house, etc. That made me laugh after the appointment.
I love burning the trash here. Sometimes when I'm stressed, I just have to burn something. I don't know. It is just a good way to literally burn off stress. I think I got that from my scouting days. I really like burning stuff.
I know I'm being pretty random this e-mail but I'm just typing as things come to my mind during this e-mail. Last week, we were going to have our first baptism too. We had been working really hard, fasting, praying, and doing everything we could to get Melva baptized. She initially told us yes and then we went to her house and reviewed the baptismal interview questions and she then told us no and wasn't sure. We brought a member and had the member invite her to be baptized. Her same age and her friend. Before her baptism, she wasn't sure if she wanted to or not, but ended up doing it and she told her it was the right choice.
Today, they are going to tell us if there are changes or not in Mezapa. I am thinking that Elder Garcia is taking off but we'll see what happens. A lot of people have been telling me that I'm going to be training the next change.
So the work goes on and I'm enjoying the mission here. It's a really good place. Honduras. I will never forget you.
I've gotta go to a meeting at the church right now where they are going to tell us who has changed and who doesn't so I will be responding to the rest of your emails a little bit later in the day. There is not time to respond to the rest of them right now. I love you all and am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo greateful for your support and love. I hope you feel of my prayers I say for you all too daily.
God answers us and loves us. He is real and desires our own happiness and everything he does, He does it for our own well-being. 2 Nephi 26:24. I really love you. Until later....I love you all.
Elder Goodwin
I have thus promised and decreed that I would send you all another e-mail and here it is. Let it be known that I worked on a really beautiful well written one for about 30 minutes and then my computer got rid of it. Luckily, I'm a missionary and can't use profanity. But I wanted to take a hammer to my monitor. Anyways, here we go again.
They let us know about the changes every Monday. After every 6 weeks. And we found out today that Elder Garcia is taking off. I'm staying here. Everyone has been telling me that I'm going to train and stuff. If I am going to train, I am going to do my best to have my companion learn how to do things by doing them, letting him learn, letting him talk, teaching him, helping him, serving him, etc. I may even give him the "privilige" of teaching the youth here....hahaha. It'll be a good learning experience.
In closing, I want you all to know that I know the church is true. It is a refuge. It is a shelter. It is a source of happiness and answers and knowledge. It is a rock. It won't ever fail us. We have problems and rough spots and "storms" in our lives at times but the Gospel will keep us stable and on solid footing I know that you all have your lives founded on it and I am very grateful that we all had parents who raised us to have the church in our lives. I know that you all have incredible testimonies and yours strengthen mine. The wise man built his house on the rock. When the rains came up and the storms came down, nothing happened to his house. I know we all know some people who have "moved" their house from the rock to the sand. I know we can help them move back into the safety and joy of the Gospel. Let's help them out. I love you all sooooooo dearly. I realy see that picture of us in Disneyland and before my departure to Honduras and think how truly blessed I am.
Elder Goodwin
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