Lots of Gratitude!

I got the package this week. They moved our reunion to Thursday last week. It was really nice and I have been marking with the markers. I am a little frustrated though because Book of Mormon 2 has the same stickers as Book of Mormon 4. They accidentally put 4 in a 2.... So I have double of one and none of Book of Mormon 2. It`s fine though. I am doing really well. I don`t think I can send the video today..... I don`t have a good computer or time to do it..... I am really sorry.

Also I really need your help today. Do you by chance have male names ready for baptisms? We are going to the temple as a mission this Wednesday and we can only go to do baptisms if we have names. We can get baptized if we have our own family names. Can you email me a print sheet or something so that I can get the cards at the temple. I don`t know exactly I might be able to print it here if you email me an attachment of the names ready to have them printed for the temple. I really appreciate it and I only need male names for baptisms. Love you so much and I will keep writing, but if you can work on that I really appreciate it!

Hi Braxton.  I am glad you got the package.  I will try to find another set of Book of Mormon 2 stickers.

I do have some male names ready for Baptisms.  I have already printed them off once, so if they ask about it tell them that we will destroy the other copy of the cards.  I was hoping Clain would take a date and go do some, but it hasn’t happened yet.  He misses out and you benefit.  How many names do you think you will be able to do?  I think I have about 15 male names.

If I have them I can do them. I don`t know if there is a rule on how many. I don`t think they are going to stop me from doing them if I have them. Why would they want to keep people from the blessings of Salvation?

They shouldn’t.  I just wondered how much time you would have.

I need them today so that we can let the Asistentes know that we are going to the Temple for Baptisms. I need to have that paper printed from here to have it ready to go. Thanks for all that you do and for the help in everything and the photos. I really enjoy hearing about what is going on. We still haven`t had any of our baptisms and we are working really hard to help the people progress. We are working really hard with Patrick and Ashlee our Haitians, Elizabeth, Victor, Francisco, and Alfonzo, one family that isn`t married yet, Miguel, Javiera, and Angelina a family that is married and Javiera is the older sister of a recent convert of the other sector. We are doing a lot. We also have another couple that aren`t married Juan and Maria. There are a lot of people slowly progressing. We also have Francisco and a bunch of others that we are working with to help them be baptized, but it is really hard to do it all because we can`t make them progress just invite them and have them agree to do it and follow through on their own will. I know that the results will come, but they are just a little slow and it will happen. We are doing our best though, in this moment to help them reach their goals. Thanks for everything!

You are making great progress.  You have a huge teaching pool right now, which is great and will help the work continue in that area long after you are transferred.  You may not be there when the baptisms happen, but you have helped to plant the seeds of testimony and that is a very important thing.  Did any of them come to church this week?
  

Patrick and Ashlee our Haitians. We have more in the family but our goal is their baptisms in the next 2 weeks and a few other people. We need to teach a few lessons and make sure that they are ready to make covenants with the Lord. I am doing all that I can, but I can`t change their agency just do my best to love them and work with them to help them progress. Because if they aren`t progressing we have to stop visiting them, because we are losing time if they aren`t progressing. It`s hard at times, but we are really focused on the Temple in our mission. Our president will let us go to the temple with converts and sometimes less actives that become active and can go. For example, if Elder Chuquel`s converts invite me to the temple I can go. I am doing my best and I am really excited. Enrique that you found on Facebook with Vanessa received the Melquezedec sorry can`t remember how to spell it..... Priesthood yesterday and he is paying tithing and they are excited to go to the temple. They are really strong and we are doing a lot here, but we are progressing a little at a time. Patrick added me on Facebook because he asked me what my account was and I helped him find it. Keep up with the newly added people from the mission there will be a lot as time goes on. Thanks and when will I get the form for the baptisms?

I talked to Brother Schneiter.  He understands the frustration you are having with the video.  He said other missionaries are also having problems sending the video.  He said if you could send about 20 photos and your written testimony he could work with that.  I was hoping you would have sent some photos from the church this week using the Wi-Fi and I kept waiting for the video, hoping it would come from one of the members there.  When you go to the office, could you possibly send it from one of their computers?  Please send it to me and I will get it to Brother Schneiter.  Then I will know it is taken care of.  Plus I am excited to see it as well.   We still have a couple of weeks, so keep trying to find a way to send it.  I think the Dropbox solution is the best, but that requires a good computer.  How far away do you have to go to the other cyber with faster computers?  Did you mail the SD card with the photos yet?
  

No, I haven`t mailed it and I forgot to upload it to Dropbox when I was teaching Family Search to a family that is preparing to go to the temple in less than 2 weeks with us to do baptisms. We are doing what we can right now. I am really busy and a little forgetful with some things because there is so much to do all the time and I can`t do it all..... I am doing my best. Thanks for everything! I will do what I can and thank you for all of your support and help with everything.

There are 23 on this Family Ordinance Request.  There might be more if I searched under Elijah Daniel Goode that I haven’t reserved yet, but I am not sure I am finished checking everything on those yet.  Hopefully this is good for now.  I hope it is okay that they are under my name and not yours.  Do I need to move them to your account and then print it off?

I don`t know if it needs to be under my name. Was the last one? Because Elder Gilbert printed off the last set so I really don`t think it matters that much. I will print it off and it shouldn`t be a problem. Thank you so much! 

I can`t send photos today. I tried I will send some tomorrow through my camera when we have our correlation meeting in the church. I am doing my best and there is only so much that I can do. Thanks for all that you do for me and I have a little bit of time still. I really am enjoying everything that has been happening lately. It is just crazy and really busy. The time passes quickly, but still feels really long. I am doing my best and there is a lot to do and so little time to do it. I know that the Lord has a plan and that sometimes we have to suffer our afflictions before the Lord gives us success. I am suffering a lot in many aspects but I am learning a lot of patience in my trials and to work hard all day long regardless of how exhausted I am. Time as a missionary is really short, but it is so important to use every moment the best that we can. I am doing my best to always do that and serve the people. Thanks for everything and I will keep writing what I can each week and doing my best. Love you!

I just went through the descendants under Elijah Daniel Goode.  There are a couple of male names that you could do, but a lot are female names. Then there are lots of them that were born between 1904 and 1920 that we are not able to do yet because of the 110 year rule.  I will try to finish these names up and then if you get another opportunity to do baptisms in the future we will have some more ready for you to take.  I just want to take time to clean up the places and make sure birth, death and marriage information is verified with sources.  You have done a lot to get them to that point.  Thank you.  I know they will all appreciate your efforts.
  

I know and I am doing what I can. Today I won`t be doing any I am focused on doing my best to get them printed and writing you a little more. I can take a little break from the records. I know that cleaning up the records makes it a whole lot easier for you to prepare them for the temple and that is part of my goal to have the names ready so that you always have a source of people to serve when you go to the temple every month as a family since I can`t always go. That`s part of my vision for doing the clean-up. If someone is willing to prepare everything people have the opportunities to serve. Keep going and drag the others along. Use Preach My Gospel Chapter 11 and practice the commitments with Dad and Clain and Curtis and Alex and have a great time. Go as a family and commit them to going and I will do my best to make sure that there are people ready to be served. Thanks for your help and love and support. I love doing the technology side and with a few weeks of work and only a couple hours there are more ancestors receiving the blessings. Thanks and keep doing your best and I will do the clean-up work! Love you! I am going to enjoy doing temple work on my own time table after the mission. Thanks! Love you! 

You are welcome Bud!  I love helping you.  I know you are doing all you can and working hard to be the best missionary you can be.  Are you writing things in your planner that you need to take care of?  Then you won’t forget as easily.  That is really neat that you are teaching Family Search to a family there.  How awesome that they can go and do baptisms with you.  What are their names?  Are they recent converts?  Is it easy to find records for Chile?  I have never done any research in South American countries so I don’t have any idea how easy it is to find the records there.  There is so much to learn, but you are making a huge difference to them to be able to teach them the things you have learned.  I am so proud of you.
  

I have the ordinance request. Thanks so much and it is just a little bit harder because they are recent converts. Yessy and Alfredo Soto Flores. They are a marriage with 3 kids. They are Yessy`s and Alfredo married her afterwards. They are amazing. They can go as a family. Hector is 11 which is hard because he can`t so he will go with us but can`t do baptisms. Our goal for them is at least one person for the 4 that can do them. 2 and 2 and if they can get them ready and I helped them create their parents and they are going to work to put the information in for grandparents and everything but we are doing our best with them. The temple will help them with goals and to have the vision for the temple. They were baptized 8 months ago and just barely started paying tithing. They are Chuquel`s converts. I am doing all that I can with them to keep them strong through the temple. They are really amazing and great. Thanks for everything and I am doing my best to explain everything.

Thanks Braxton.  I love you, too.  You are amazing.  I will excitedly wait for the photos tomorrow.  It will be an awesome Tuesday, too!
  

If you were to have gone on a mission and everything was easy and simple with no challenges or trials, you would not have learned all that the Lord wants to teach you.  Always remember that we came to earth to have trials and tests.  That is how we prove our worthiness and commitment to God.  Just remember these trials won’t last forever and you will be able to endure them.  Try to find ways to be optimistic and happy.  A talk I read from President Uchtdorf yesterday said to Live the Gospel Joyful!  I liked that.  There is so much joy in the blessings of the gospel.  You have more blessings than you could ever count.  But when you are discouraged, start counting a few and you will soon realize that you are incredibly blessed and loved.  Share your blessings with others through your testimony and by teaching them to use Family Search or by using your amazing talents.  Find ways each day to love and serve your companion.
  

I forgot to tell you.  Kelsey got her mission call.  Did she email you?  She is going to Texas Houston South Spanish Speaking and leaves on March 25^th.  She will go to the Mexico MTC.  She is so excited!

I got a message from her and wrote her back thanks for remembering to tell me. Thanks for all of the photos and sending me photos when you get them. It really helps me feel updated. Thanks for everything and for being here to help me with everything. I am doing my best and hope that you have success. I am basically out of time. Sorry, but I have to go. Thanks for all that you write and do for me. Love you so much and for all of your help! Enjoy the Ogden Temple I can`t, so you need to!

I will try out Chapter 11 and see if I can get them to commit.  I keep hoping and praying that they will develop a love for the temple on their own and will have the desire to go and serve.  I know Clain and Dad had a good time on Wednesday and we were able to get a lot of help with the names we had.  Dad had 6 male names for endowments and other members of the ward took them and helped him by doing an endowment for them.  I had 7 names done for me that night.  Plus Alex and I did 2 the week before.  We each have a few initiatory ordinances that need done.  That is what Dad likes to do best.  Soon we will have another whole set ready to take to do sealings.  It is exciting to see the work go forth. 

I am so excited that you have a love for the work and will carry on with it after your mission.  I think it is so awesome that you can do some while on your mission.  I love you and I know your ancestors are appreciative of the work.  I think that a great missionary effort is going on in heaven among the Goode Descendants.  That work will increase when your Grandfather joins his brothers in heaven.  Because of that, I know it will not be quite as sad when he dies and leaves this earth.  For now, he is still hanging on and actually seems healthier now than he was a year ago.
  

Don`t forget to verify. That is the most important step. Always do your follow up! :) Make sure that they are willing and remind them. We as missionaries are supposed to be in contact with our baptismal dates in Spanish (fechas) every day. So don`t forget to keep reminding them, but not annoyingly. Make sure that it is a part of their schedule like going to church each week. Make it a habit! Love you!

Thanks Braxton.  Have a super awesome week!  The Lord will bless you.  I put your name on the Temple Prayer roll.  I will keep it there as often as I can because I want you to have those extra blessings and prayers to be able to work through your trials and problems, especially those with your companion.  I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you and I know that the Holy Ghost will guide, direct and comfort you.  I love you more than you can even imagine.  Take care.

Love always and forever and ever,

Mom

I am doing just fine. We are getting along better, but not like I would like. Everything is a little distant, but that`s fine. It happens. I am doing great and working through everything. There are little things that we can do always to help us and I am doing my best to improve my abilities.

The Ogden Temple will be there for a lifetime.  Enjoy the Chile Temple while you can.  You may never make it back there again after your mission.  No matter which temple, it is always a place full of the Holy Spirit.  Soak it up and enjoy that special time.  Write about it in your journal.

I will thanks bye!

I will try!  But Dad still has his agency and overcoming his anxiety is a big part of it.  He has to feel comfortable going or he won’t. I will keep trying.  Thanks for your encouragement.  I promise I will read Chapter 11 next week.  I have to get my talk ready this week.
  

That`s fine. It is all about commitments and helps a lot. I have been studying it to help me in the work, to help the people to progress by having commitments that will help them progress and make covenants through obedience and success in their lives through our invitations that they accept and then act upon. I know it will help, but don`t pester Dad with it. Your goal is to be nice about it, but invite and commit him nicely :) A little love goes a long way! Bye!