Week 20 Orlando - Conway East

This week was really interesting. For thanksgiving we actually had 2 dinners and then another member gave us left overs haha. It was awesome! Also we had a really cool experience on thanksgiving. We had a service project where we went to downtown Orlando and served lunch to the homeless. They said that about 30,000 people ate there that day! It was awesome to see how happy they were even. It goes to show that real happiness doesn't always come by having money.

So this week we were tracking (knocking doors) and came across his kid named Jose. We were able to teach him about the Restoration and we even committed him to be baptized on Jan 2 right there! It was such a cool experience. Unfortunately yesterday his mom called and chewed us out for talking to him! :( it's super frustrating because he was so excited and happy and knew it was true but can't be taught!

We also saw a huge alligator this week! We were biking down the road and I looked over and thought there was a dinosaur just chillin there.  We got some pretty good pictures. If I were to guess I would bet he was 7 -8 feet long. Coolest thing ever!

 

So this week I did a lot of studying about humility and being grateful. President Uchtdorf said, "We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?" Sometimes in life we are to busy waiting for the end when we miss the joy of the journey.  I know I'm guilty of this. I really am grateful for all of the trials in my life that have gotten me to where I am today. Ether 12:27 says it best.

Well I love you all!

Week 19 Orlando - Conway East

It's finally starting to cool down here in the promised land of Orlando Florida! I actually got a little cold while riding my bike through the rain yesterday haha. The high for today is suppose to be 65! I am so excited! So today for P-day we are going with a member to bass pro shop. It's going to be way fun. :) 
 
Anyways. So his week was great! I would say that the highlight of the week was taking the Risley's (some of our investigators) on a temple tour! It was so fun and I always love going to the temple. After they even took us to dinner at some crazy Chinese food place. It's called Kim Wu. On the menu they had an option for a whole duck! Like the head and all! I was really tempted to get it but is was like 40$ so I didn't. I ended up getting some noodles instead. Anyways, the Risley's are doing really well. We are hoping to get them baptized within the next few months.

 
  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I heard a quote of a former mission president who said that he would take a missionary who works hard over one who knows the scriptures well any day. I think his is very true. If you don't have any work ethic, you aren't going to accomplish anything. I think that I am finally starting to understand why my dad made me get off the couch and go dig holes with him or work on the truck. At the time it seemed pointless, but now I understand why he did it and I am really glad he did. If I could say one thing that I am grateful for that he taught me, it would be how to work. We have a quote in our apartment that says, "When a missionary works he will get the spirit. When a missionary gets the spirit he will teach by the spirit; and if he teaches by the spirit, he will touch the hearts of many and he will be happy." - Ezra Taft Benson. I'll be honest, coming out here was not easy. But when you work hard, it becomes easier and easier. I could say now that I am loving my mission and that I am having time of my life! After putting a little effort into it, we become so much more happy. I think that this can apply with anything.

So in sacrament meeting yesterday hey takes a lot about gratitude. Someone said the quote, "What if you woke up today with only the things you gave thanks for yesterday?" I would be in trouble. This quote made me reflect on what I take for granted. I never realized how lucky I was to have the knowledge I do of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are able to be with our families forever! How lucky are we!? I see people everyday who are confused, hurt, lonely. They lack purpose for their life yet they are too prideful to give up what they have so they can have so much more. We ran into a lady last week who was being evicted out of her house, sitting on the back of a broken down truck, smoking a cigarette, and laughing at us because "we don't know what we are doing and are confused." I felt terrible for her and I wanted to help her so bad. This experience made me reflect on how grateful I am for what I have and what I know. I have a family who I will be with forever. I have great friends who would do anything for me and I would do anything for them. I have a knowledge of the true plan of happiness. I have faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement. I have everything that I need and I am so grateful for that.
 
As Thanksgiving is coming up I hope you guys reflect on what you are grateful for. How lucky are we to be part of this gospel! I love you all and keep you in my prayers!

Elder Goff

Week 18 Orlando - Conway East

It sounds like the Utah weather is good! What is snow? I've heard of it before but I can't remember what it is. I hear that there is snow all over the ground there but what do you mean by that? Here all you see is green. None of the leaves fall off the trees and it's still 80 degrees during the day! People still mow their lawns like crazy here. It seems like in Utah we do all we can to get stuff to grow and here its like people do all they can to stop stuff from growing.

So I saw a ton of miracles this week, but the biggest miracle was with a part member family we have been working with, the Pinilla's. They have been searching for an answer to their prayers to know if the Book of Mormon is true and they said that they finally found one! They read Jacob 3:1 just after their dog passed away, and they told us how comforting it was to them. We have prayed and fasted for a miracle like this to happen.  I have a very strong testimony of miracles. I have seen so many that have just left me in awe and wonder. I don't have a doubt in my mind that this is the true church and that Jesus Christ is at the head of it. I know that he still works through people today. I gave a training on how miracles are brought to pass by faith a few weeks ago. While studying I learned that when we have the faith to be completely obedient, diligent, and loving, we see miracles. I know that being obedient will bring miracles throughout my mission. I had a cool thought this week. As missionaries, we are called to find the canna's and wanna's. Those who are willing to sacrifice so much and change their lives for Christ. I think that it is the same way with God toward us. God is trying to find the canna's and wanna's in members. Those who are willing to be completely obedient to all of the rules and are faithful enough to see miracles. It is important that we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and keep all of his commandments even when sometimes we don't understand why they are there.

Missionary work is by far the best thing ever. I have come to love the people here in Conway! Transfers are Tuesday and luckly I'm staying here! I have made a lot of lifetime friends. Like Jason, I can tell we will be best buds forever. Jason is an investigator of ours who we have been working with for a few months. He wants to get baptized super bad, but unfortunately there are some issues so he won't be able to just yet. He is a stud.

Well I love you all and hope for the best!

Elder Goff

Week 17 Orlando - Conway East

It was a very interesting week! Everything was good except for the weather. We got rained on again and it also hit record temperatures for this time of year. It was the hottest it's been since 1945... AND WE WERE ON BIKES!! D: So on my bike I have a mile tracker (it was like 20$ so I bought it) and guess how far I've bikes since I got it...450 miles!!! Plus about 50 or so from before I got it. Other than the insane heat and humidity and biking, it was a great week!

We met a kid named Isaac. He said he wants to get baptized and is such a stud! We played basketball  with him on Thursday and then gave him a tour of the church. I'll admit, Isaac beat me at basketball which made me excited because I can relate with him a lot. Also the tour of the church was so awesome! The spirit was so strong. Another cool experience we had this week was going to the temple with Jason on a tour. It is so cool to be able to see someone progress from running into him while biking to going on a temple tour with him. (A temple tour is when someone explains a little about the temple, then you walk around the outside but can't go in.) The temple was so awesome! I always love going because it is so peaceful and you always feel the spirit.

Also this week was Elder Gales 18 month mark so we burned a pair of pants out on the grass. It probably wasn't the smartest thing we've done but it definitely was one of the funnest :) I can honestly say that e time that I've spent on my mission has been some of the funnest in my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything

Elder Goff

Week 16 Orlando - Conway East

This week was great! Halloween was way fun. We spent it at a members home and played board games until about 9:30. We got a permission to stay out a little bit later than normal. Melissa (the less active who is way awesome) came over with us too. It was a party! The best part is that Melissa loved it too. We're pretty sure she's going to church next week so that's going to be cool.

Also on Halloween Elder Gale and I were biking to a lesson and ran into a group of kids. They are ran up to us and we're like "Come trick or treating with us!" They were only about 6 so we got to go trick or treating with them to a few houses. It was so funny! I love little kids :)

Probably the biggest success that we saw this week was that we (elder Gale mostly) committed an investigator to baptism and he only speaks Spanish! I was able to understand a pretty good portion of the conversation but I still can't speak the language yet. The spirit was so strong! Unfortunately he's moving back to Cuba in a few weeks so we're not sure how we are going to get it all worked out but we will try to figure something out. So to say the least the Spanish work here in our area is working out pretty well.

Also I had a great birthday! The Silvas invited us over for cake in the evening so I had a mini family party which was pretty cool. It felt a little bit like home to me. I also got a couple of really sweet ties! So to say the least I had a great birthday!!!


Silva Family (Members in our ward)

We had a great testimony meeting in church yesterday. Our ward mission leader bore his testimony on the Book of Mormon. He said, if you are struggling at life, read the Book of Mormon. If you feel alone, read the Book of Mormon. If you are out of money and left on the streets, read the Book of Mormon, because the Book of Mormon will always bring us safely home. I thought this was super cool! I have come to have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon while on my mission.

Also someone talked about faith. This week I came across a scripture that really stuck out to me. It's Ether 12:12. Faith is not just belief alone, it is action and when we act great things will happen! When we exercise our faith we see miracles. I have come to find out that this is so true! I have seen so many miracles while out here on my mission and I know it is all because I have strengthened my faith.

Well I love you all and hope the best for all! Remember to always have faith and to always study the Book of Mormon!

Elder Goff