Week 50

Hola todos,

This week I've been trying to be like Alma the Elder.  I'll talk more about that later though.  This week went really well.  WE now have three investigators with a baptismal date, and they all seem to be progressing really well.  everyone here has been working super hard to reach our goal of 100 baptisms in April for this mission.  It's really inspiring to see how many people are getting motivated by this goal and how many doors the Lord has opened to help us with this goal.  Personally, we're looking at the potential to have up to seven or eight baptisms this month, and we have several people lined up for next month.  It's become so easy now to see how the Lord has been preparing people now for years to receive the Gospel, and I've just been super blessed to work with them all.

In other news, we had stake conference this week, which turned out surprisingly well.  Last time, I found it hard to get people to come to conference.  We're couldn't really focus on the sacrament or even explain that the stake center is where our normal meetings were held.  What I did get the chance to do though is I got to share with people how during Stake conference, we would get another chance to listen to leaders of the church, that had been called by prophecy, explain what we needed to do in our personal lives to follow the general council of the Lord. 

Also as a fun side note, we got to eat lunch with President Myers and his wife on Sunday after the conference.  I'd almost forgotten what an American style house looks like until I got to the mission home for the first time in a year.

AS I said though, this week I've been trying to be like Alma the Elder.  That's partially because of our efforts to get 100 baptisms, but because we've also been trying to focus on the teaching of Alma.  We've focused on the importance of sharing what the prophets have taught with us.  It's also been a matter of why we invite people to get baptized.  Even though we've been focusing on inviting people to get baptized a lot during all of my mission, not just this month, we've stopped to focus on why we extend this invitation.  It's like Elder Oaks taught: we don't baptize people to increase our membership, or to get more people to church, we don't baptize people to fill out a statistical report.  We baptize to bring about the salvation of the sons and daughters of God.  No one else can do this work.

That is the balance that all of us, not just missionaries, need to learn.  By offering these ordinances, we are asking people to receive the ordinances of salvation.  By helping everyone receive these ordinances we help them come closer to God and finding real and lasting happiness.  As members of the church, we are the only ones that can do this.  We are the only ones that can share this message with everyone.  If we don't do it, our friends, loved ones, and acquaintances will never receive the good news of the Gospel.

That's all for this week though

Elder Gooden

Week 49

Hola Todos,

This week I've been trying to be like Jesus.  I'll get back to that point later though.  We had a lot of good things happen this week.  first of all, It's been crazy to try and have two areas in one.  We've just been visiting several investigators and their families all week long to try and figure out who really wants to progress.  That's been kind of interesting because a lot of what we've started to do is focus more on the people and not just thinking about getting people baptized.  With the mission boundaries getting ready, to change, everyone wants to get a hundred baptisms as a mission this month, so the pressure has been high.  My comp and I have been doing everything we can though to help all of our investigators to get to where they need to be so that they can take that important step.  In other news, we have a really big house.  We now have two fridges, two floors, a ton of extra space, and a cat that doesn't want to leave us alone.  With all of the extra space, we have decided to fill the house with pictures of Jesus, and dedicate a fridge to Mexican coke.  I may or may not finally start to gain weight.  We'll see how much coke we drink though.  

As I said though, I've been trying to be like Jesus this week.  This also once again has to do with what I've been doing in trying to search more for the needs of our investigators and teach them what they need to learn rather than just focus on getting them to church or accepting a baptismal date so that our numbers look good for our area come Sunday.  This has meant a lot of slower lessons, more promised blessings and connecting with the people, and a much stronger connection with the spirit.  This connection has had a profound impact on how I've felt towards my investigators.  I'm no longer looking at them as potential statistical reports, and more like people that need to feel the love of the savior.  I find that I'm trying to make my commitments fit there needs, rather than search for a way to make their needs fit my commitments.  Even though I know that this will end in baptism, we're working to make baptism the evidence that our investigators know that the church is true and that they have seen that in their lives.

That's all for now

Elder Gooden

Week 48

Hola Todos,

This week I've been trying to be like Abinadi, but I'll explain that later.  For starters, Who was excited about conference?  I know that I sure was.  WE saw a lot of big changes to the way that the church will be doing home and visiting teaching.  With this in mind, I want to re extend my previous invitation for everyone to find a less active member of the church and fellowship them. Help them to remember why they joined the church in the first place, and help them to feel welcome there again.

Now to get on with this week and what happened.  We focused on conference nearly every day.  When we found new people to teach, we invited them to conference.  When we went to see our other investigators, we invited them to conference.  When we ate with members, we invited them to conference with a question in mind, with the promise that it would be answered if they listened to the Spirit as they watched.  I hope that everyone got something special out of this session, as we got to sustain the newest prophet of the Lord.  I testify that President Russell M Nelson is the Lord's representative here on the earth, That the priesthood keys with the accompanying power of salvation are held by him, and that by listening to his council, we will be brought closer to the Lord.

Now, getting on to why I've been trying to be like Abenadi, in regards to his council about listening to the words of the prophets.  In Mosiah 15 we read: 

11 Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.

12 For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now, are they not his seed?

13 Yea, and are not the prophets, every one that has opened his mouth to prophesy, that has not fallen into transgression, I mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began? I say unto you that they are his seed.

14 And these are they who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!

15 And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet!

16 And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!

17 And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever!

Here we read an interesting promise that I love!  Firstly, by listening to the prophet, we become heirs to the kingdom of God.  This includes eternal families, exaltation, and every other blessing imaginable.  Secondly, it talks about an interesting promise that this conference spoke heavily about: The blessings of sharing the gospel.  In this particular verses, we read about how we become publishers of peace, and how beautiful upon the mountains become our feet, as we do so. (Imagine that this is a reference to the level of blessings and exaltation that we receive as a result of our efforts, and not a commentary of how clean our feet will be).  This past conference session, we heard a lot about how each of us, regardless of our callings or time in the church have the ability to share what we have learned, and help others come unto Christ.  

As a missionary, and especially this week, we have been focusing on helping people come to listen to a prophet's voice, and helping people draw closer to God.  We also share what we have learned, and how the gospel has changed our lives on a daily basis with everyone.  We can all be like Abinadi in this sense, and help others receive the blessings of the gospel be it through going on visits with the missionaries, temple and family history work, or visiting less active members of our wards.  We can all be saviors on Mount Zion.

J

ust for one last heads up, We had transfers this week, and I'm still in the same ward, but they've merged the area of the two sets of elders hear, so now I'm working with Elder Pepin, one of my friends from the MTC!  

That's all for now,

Elder Gooden