Thanks for the update on the funeral for Grandma. I am glad
that everything went well. I am doing really well. I have to finishing
adjusting my suitcases here in Maipú and we have a couple of hours before they
are going to take us to the Airport. I had an amazing time yesterday. So many
blessings that I have seen. I have been truly blessed and I am happy for the
experiences that I have had. I know that time comes and goes and I enjoy it
all. I will try to call if we have time. I will most likely eat and everything
to call a little bit before the last flight to not wake you up so early. Thank
you for everything and for the constant support. I know that we will have a lot
of conversations to catch up on. Thanks for everything and I will talk to you
tomorrow. Thanks for everything I have been truly blessed.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Monday, May 23, 2016
Final Emails - He will be home on May 31st!
Thanks for the update. Don`t worry I had a feeling
that I would be saying goodbye to one of my grandparents before the mission. I
knew that something was going to happen. Those feelings just come in life. I am
really grateful for the example that my grandparents have always given me. I
know that they are truly loved and it is hard on everyone when they go. I
really appreciate everything that has been happening lately and the lessons
that I am learning or have learned. I can`t wait to see everyone next week on
Tuesday. I am doing my best to keep focused on the work. It is hard to keep
finding more people to teach when you know that you aren`t going to be there
for anything that happens in the future. I am doing my best to strengthen my
converts in the Gospel this week and leave them ready so that the next
missionaries can help them and serve them with the ward to keep them going
strong. I want to be in contact with them all here soon. Thanks for everything
and the constant support. I know that it isn`t easy to write every week and be
there constantly.
I love writing
to you, but I am grateful that this phase of our lives is almost over. I
love having my children close to me and being able to call or text whenever I
want. Which just reminded me of the other thing I had forgotten.
Your new
cell phone number is in case you want to give it out to anyone
before you come home.
I wish you
could be here for the funeral, but I don’t want you to miss the last week of
your mission. I figure that the Lord knew what He was doing and He would
want you to stay and be a finisher.
You have
had wonderful grandparents and I am grateful that they have been around to
influence your life. Life would have been very different without
them. I am happy Grandma is now at peace. I hope Grandpa will join
her soon because I hate seeing him sit there day after day, not being able to
do anything but eat, sleep and watch TV.
Were you
able to have your confirmations on Sunday? Do you have any more temple
trips planned?
We had the confirmations of
Roger and Sandra. We won`t be able to have our Temple Trip this week. We have
not been able to get the interviews for the Temple or for The Aaronic
Priesthood with the converts. It hasn`t been easy to get them through and
because we haven`t been able to, we can`t take them to the Temple. I am doing
all that I can. This week I have a lot of activities. I have lunch with my
Mission President and his Wife tomorrow and Thursday the Temple trip. Either
Friday or next Monday I will have my Interview with my Mission President and I
will ask him for a new Temple Recommend, as well. I am nearly out of time, but
I am grateful for the time that I have had to write and everything. I will be
happy to not have to email so much or write so much trying to explain
everything.
Okay! Be careful and safe as you travel home. Take time
to eat something during your layover between flights.
I love you so much and I can’t wait to wrap my arms around you
again.
Hugs and Kisses!
Love always and forever,
Mom
Monday, May 16, 2016
Zone Conference Photos from May 5, 2016
Photos from Zone Conference on May 5, 2016 with the Cinco de Abril Zone, the Ochagavia Zone and the Republica Zone. Braxton is in the Cinco de Abril Zone.
In the photo above, Elder Huenimilla is on the bottom left corner. He is Elder Goode's companion.
Elder Goode is in the middle row behind the hermana with the blue sleeves.
The Temple Trip Was Amazing!!!
The temple trip was amazing! I was shocked.... I
didn`t expect them to want me to be a Witness for their Sealing. It was an
amazing experience and I learned a lot being the first time that I have been in
a sealing. I really enjoyed this week and we had the baptisms of Roger and
Sandra as well. Luis, Estefania and Maria Fernanda were confirmed as well. It
was a great week! I am doing great and enjoying all of the great blessings that
have come my way here. I never expected to have 7 baptisms in my last 3 months
but it happened. Being 2 and a half months honestly in 10 weeks 7 baptisms was
not on my expected list, but I am happy with everything.
We ran into Wadcene and talked to him and found out
that he had moved to another part of the Sister´s sector. He is doing well, but
didn`t attend church. They are working with him. Lorentz was sick this week so
he couldn`t go out and visit with us. He is looking for a place to rent. I am
really enjoying everything right now.
Congratulations!!! I am so happy for
you. I wish I could give you a great big hug right now. I am so
happy that your last area has been so productive. I wish we would have
had more time between your endowment and when you left so we could have gone to
a sealing with you, but this is awesome for you to get to experience it with
someone you love so much. Not very many missionaries get to have an
experience like that!
What great things do you have planned for
this week? Do you have any other investigators that are progressing?
I highly doubt that we have more baptisms before I
come home. It would have to be my last Sunday and we don`t have a lot of
investigators right now because we just baptized the majority that were
progressing. We have been truly blessed here. We are planning a Temple Trip
with the new converts that we have had for the 28th of May, but we need to have
all of their interviews and have them receive The Aaronic Priesthood as well. I
am working towards that goal. We are going to be looking to leave a few
baptismal dates ready if we can.
I am really enjoying this time, but I am fairly exhausted after these last couple of weeks. They have been exhausting, but great.
I am really enjoying this time, but I am fairly exhausted after these last couple of weeks. They have been exhausting, but great.
I am really happy here doing what I can and
strengthening everyone here before I come home. I had a great time with Camila
and Guillermo. I really enjoying having that experience with them. I will see
them again. They are going to come when we have our farewells in Maipú.
They give a very important
assignment to the Witnesses to a Sealing though. It was really awesome to be
there. It made my whole week. Elder Huenumilla ran into his Ward, because they
were all there for a Temple Trip. He ran into friends, ward members, his Bishop
and others. He had a great time and it was really nice. The sister missionaries
that received Diego de Almagro 2 after I left, that were there visiting with
Camila and Guillermo, also had permission to be at the Sealing. It was really
amazing. I will have to show you the pictures later on or ask my companion to
send some to you.
Have Elder
Huenumilla send some if you can. I can’ t wait to see them!
That is amazing
that Elder Huenumilla’s ward was there. I am sure he felt that to be a
special blessing to him.
I have never been a
witness to a sealing. I bet it was so amazing! I know it has always
been amazing to me when I have been asked to be a witness in an endowment
session.
I am happy that it went so well. Did
anyone take photos? I hope Camila will post some soon. I will have
to check on Roger and Sandra’s FB pages to see if they post any photos.
You were companions with Elder Leyva weren’t
you? He just got married.
I hope this week will be a good one and I
hope you are able to take some of them to the temple to do baptisms. That
would be so awesome for you and probably a neat experience for your companion
as well.
Enjoy this time. You can rest and
recover when you get home. You can always catch up on your sleep on that
long plane ride home. J
Elder Leyva told me that he
was going to get married in April. I heard that he had gotten married. We took
pictures of the baptisms and of the temple trip. I just can`t send them. At the
latest you will see them in a couple of weeks.
I know.
Everything is in a couple of weeks. Closer, but still so hard to wait for
it. With today’s technology, it is hard not to have what I want when I
want it. I guess I should be very grateful our technology is more
advanced than that of Chile, but still, I hate waiting.
Here is a photo of
Elder Leyva, that his wife posted an hour ago. I am not sure when they
got married.
The District that I am
working with has been a little bit harder than my last one. They are both in
the same ward in El Rosal, but the sectors are smaller and they are having a
really hard time finding people that are willing and want to be baptized.
Maybe you could
help them out this week and do a finding day where everyone knocks doors in
their sectors. Maybe you could get a few ward members involved so you
could split up and cover more ground and knock on even more doors. Or
borrow your Zone Leaders for a day to help out.
I will see if we have time
because we are out of time.... I am really excited about everything right now.
I have tried to in their sector and we haven`t had much success either. We went
out as a District once and it didn`t work well. My companion is sending a
couple of photos of the baptisms. He didn`t take pictures of Camila and
Guillermo so you will have to wait for those.
Okay. I am
not sure what else you could try. Pray for help and inspiration and you
will know what to do to help them.
I hope you have a
fantastic week. I know it won’t be as great as last week, but enjoy it
anyways. Work hard. Be obedient and finish strong. Take some
photos of your apartment, the busses, the families you are working with and
teaching and the other missionaries in your district and zone. Enjoy and
soak it all in, because soon you will be missing it as much as I am missing
you, well, maybe almost as much!
I love you so
much! I am so very, very proud of all you are doing and all you have
accomplished. I know your Heavenly Father is proud of you, also.
Hugs and kisses!
Love always and
forever,
Mom
I´m out of time I´ll talk to
you next week. My companion is sending pictures right now from the last
baptisms.
Sweet!!!
Please tell him thank you for the photos and for being such a great companion
to you.
Sadly, the
photos never arrived in my email. He
must have run out of time, so I will wait another two weeks to see them. L
Excited for this Week!!!
Hi, Mom. Things are going
really well. I am doing great. The training was very limited, but I did pick up
several concepts that I hadn`t learned before. I was being reminded of a lot of
things that I had learned before. I am really grateful for the preparation that
I put into place and the help to accomplish the goals that I have made. I have
seen many blessings. I know that I am better prepared than many people
returning home to go against the challenges and difficulties that I will have
to face coming home.
I am really excited for this
week. We changed our goal and we want to work to baptize Roger and Sandra this
Sunday. They need very little teaching, but our goal is that they get baptized
this Sunday instead of waiting until the 21st. This way we have more time, just
in case. I am really excited to keep working with everyone here. I have seen so
many blessings from the Lord and I am excited to make many temple trips coming
home from the mission. I have a personal goal of working every Sunday on Family
History work instead of playing video games. I decided that Video games are not
something that will be a part of my Sundays after the mission. I would rather
dedicate it to visiting people and temple work.
Those are
great goals. I hope you are able to help Roger and Sandra prepare for
this Sunday and work with the Hatian that just moved to your area. That
would be so awesome and you have the ability to teach him well with the help of
the man who goes out teaching with you each evening. The Lord will bless
you. I think It is really cool that you are learning so many
languages. That will be a huge blessing to you in your adult years.
I hope you will be able to use them in your employment and in your service in
the church.
I am
excited to work on Family History with you again. I can't get Clain and
Dad very excited about it and Curtis, Michelle and Shara are too busy in their
lives right now. We might be able to work on Clain a little bit together
and help him learn to love it. Thanks for your interest in Family
History. It is fun to have one of my kids love the things I do.
How many
missionaries were at the training today? All of the ones that were in
your CCM group and a few more?
There were 9 Elders and 9
Sisters today but one was there because the Assistants had a meeting, so Elder
Ballard didn`t go and Elder Bevan extended his mission so he wasn`t there
either.
That is
interesting. I didn't know they would let you extend your mission.
Is Elder Bevan going home with the big group at the end of June?
I got the
carpet cleaned already. They came earlier than expected. It looks
much better. It has been too long since we cleaned it.
What is
the name of the Haitian man? Have you met with him yet?
In occasions you can extend.
I didn`t want to. The Haitian that attended once is called Wadcene. Lorentz is
the one that goes out to help us almost every day.
I am glad
you didn't. I want you home. I miss you.
I hope
things will go well with Wadcene. I will pray for him and Roger and
Sandra and for you and your companion. I hope this will be one of your
best weeks of the mission!
Any
questions about the temple names?
I just printed them off. I
will go over them to see what I can do and verify the ones that would be
duplicates. I will cut them out in a little. I am running short on time today,
so it will be later. I only have a few more minutes. I should be fine with
everything here. I have done everything that I have left to do for the mission
during my email time. I will be able to dedicate a little more time to writing.
I am relaxed right now. My main focus right now is helping my district to have
success because they haven`t been having much success. They have a harder ward
and they are working hard, but I have to keep looking for new ways to help them
to be successful and to baptize. They are really great. We are doing everything
that we can. I am really enjoying everything here. I am going to try to leave
my information with more people before I end.
That is
great. Just keep helping and loving your District members. Pray to
know how to help them. Think of all the things your past District Leaders
and Zone Leaders have done to help you be successful and apply anything that
might help them. I know the Lord will guide you.
I am glad
your last few weeks will be a little more relaxed. Love it and enjoy the
people. It will probably be a long time till you can go back and visit,
but you will still be able to stay in touch. I have added most of your
companions on Facebook and the rest can be added when you get home or when they
get home.
You can
give people Dad's phone number or mine. We are getting rid of the
house phone, unless you want me to change your number to be that phone
number. I could, but you would get a few extra calls from pigeon
flyers and people who have had our number in the past. Let me
know. I am going to go change it this week sometime.
I´m out of time I will talk
to you next week!
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Upcoming Baptisms
Sounds like everything is going really well. We had a
great week! We had 6 investigators attending church this week. We have 3
baptismal dates all for this next Sunday. The 3 kids of Gloria. Luis is 21,
Estefania is 20, and Maria is 11. We are working for this next Sunday. They are
doing really well. We need to finish teaching Luis a little bit and have their
baptismal interviews this week. It is possible that Estefania might have to
work Sunday. We are doing all that we can to prepare everything so that she can
attend this week and the next week to be baptized and confirmed. I don`t have a
wall hanging like what Curtis has. They are more common in Ecuador than here. I
have something nice though from here, but it isn`t the same quality. Thanks for
all of the updates. I am not going to have a lot of time to write. I have to
type up my goals today.
I am happy for you to be having so much
success in this area. I know the people must really love you and you will
be missed when you come home. It is nice that you will be able to keep in
touch with people through Facebook, Email and Phone Calls. I wish Dad would
have had those. It would be nice to know what has happened to all the
people he taught.
I am excited to see your goals. I
think it is great that they have you set goals. I hope you can accomplish
them all, but don’t stress too much about it. Things will work out for
you. The Lord will bless you for your efforts. I am fairly sure I
know how your schooling will be taken care of, but we can talk about that when
you get home. I am certain the Lord has provided a blessing for you, so
that you will not have to worry and fuss over money.
Work hard, but smile and laugh and enjoy
these last few weeks. Take lots of photos and enjoy these weeks.
They are like the cherry and whipped cream on top of your ice cream
sundae! The whole sundae is amazing, but the last little bit will top it
off so well. Going to the temple with Camila and Guillermo will be so
very special!
I love you so much and I am so proud of
you. Have a super, great, amazing, fantastic week.
Thanks! I am doing all that I can to enjoy the work
and the time that I have. It is hard because I have to focus on the most
important things all of the time and I never have sufficient time to do
everything that is in my plans. I have learned how to plan better to accomplish
more every day. I have seen so many blessings. This week, we are going to be
running to have all of the baptismal interviews and make sure that they get
baptized this Sunday.
I should be calling this Sunday for Skype. It should
be around 4-7 here which would be around 1-4, if I am not mistaken. What time
do you have church right now? We will have church in the morning, the baptisms,
and then lunch afterwards and then the Skype call. I don`t know if there will
be a problem with that time frame?
It is 11:38 here. What time is it
there?
2:48 right now here.
Most likely we will have to have the call during your
church hours. I can`t earlier and later I doubt it as well.
There is a three hour difference.
We can do 2:30 or anything after that or if we need to, we can skip church and
be home earlier.
We will try to start later
than 5:30 then. I will verify what we are going to do. My companion said that
the Stake Center has 6 computers and most likely there will be other
missionaries that go there for their Skype as well. They have good cameras and
microphones. I am going to plan to be there after 5:30 but before 7. We will
try to be there around 6.
Hey, I am out of time, but I
love you and thank you for so much. I am really grateful for all that you do
and for your patience with my emails. I finished typing up my goals and
everything that I had left to do during my emails. I will get you caught up on
Sunday about everything that I haven`t been able to write or say. I really am
doing my best. Sorry about the short
emails. I love you. Talk to you Sunday!
I love you,
too! Have a Goode week!
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Two Baptisms and Three More to Come!
My asthma is doing fine. We are working with Gloria´s
3 kids. Estefania and Luis are the other 2 and they are all awesome. I didn`t
tell you, but Gloria and her family are from Ecuador. Brian is from Perú.
Things are going great. We are working hard. My asthma is under control and I
always have eaten a lot so I don`t think it is an issue. I am not losing weight
right now. We got water back last Monday. I don`t think that our mission
medicates against parasites ending the mission. I am not worried about the
Grandparents too much. I have learned a lot from them and if The Lord calls, He
calls, but things are going really well. I am enjoying the work.
The other Temple trip I couldn`t go, because we had so
much going on and there wasn`t any way to go. I sent a message to my Mission
President today asking for permission for everything with Camila and Guillermo.
We had the confirmations yesterday. We are working towards the 8th of May with
all 3 of Gloria´s kids. Things have been really great and we are going to keep
working hard there and finding more people that want to be baptized right now.
That is amazing! I am so happy for
you. I am happy that your hard work is paying off. Is your
companion a good teacher? You haven’t told us much about him.
Congratulations on your baptisms and confirmations. I hope the others
work out as well.
I am glad your health is good. Is it
getting cold down there yet? Will you be okay without your coat?
I hope you will be able to work things out
to go with Camila and Guillermo. That would be such an awesome experience
for you.
Do you have any plans for your Mother’s Day
call yet?
I don`t know yet about the Mother´s day call. I have
the camera that I used last Skype call, but I don`t have all of the details
yet.
I should be able to go with Camila and Guillermo. Are
they going to have the Endowment and Sealing the same day?
It is a little cold, but I have the inner part of my
coat. The warm part and I have my umbrella. I should be fine.
My companion teaches really well. He is in his 4th
change in this sector. He should stay another after this one. He will be a very
successful missionary. I wouldn`t doubt him being an assistant to the new
Mission President when he is ending his mission.
Try to let us know next week about your
phone call so we can set it up with everyone. If you get a chance, test
out your headset and find a computer that will work better.
I don’t know on the endowment and
sealing. I would think, yes, but I don’t know. Perhaps you could
get permission to call them and find out.
You could always wear the sweaters that go
under your suit coat and your thermal underwear to keep warm.
I am glad that your companion will be
successful. I am sure you have helped him to become that wonderful
missionary. You have great faith in him.
We love you so much! It is great to
hear from you. What else has been going on in your part of the world?
I gave the Thermal Underwear
to companions that aren`t good about the cold and I am using the sweaters. I am
fine it isn`t that cold here. I would imagine that the endowment and sealing go
together. I will find out soon.
I figured you
wouldn’t wear it because you are always so hot-blooded. I am glad you are
using the sweaters. Take some photos of you wearing them. So far, I
have not seen any photos in the sweaters. Be warm. Be safe.
Be happy!
Love you,
too!!!!! Be Safe! Be Goode!
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